The Family Night App Review:

I love sharing. Especially when I stumble across something as great as this!

I am not the first Mormon mother to admit that maybe her family's FHE's are less than spectacular. Recently a friend introduced me to a new app she did the design for and it is just what my family nights needed!! It's called "The Family Night App" and it is amazing!

Last night was our first Family Home Evening back from vacation and I was super excited to try out. 

To start you make a profile for every person in your family! You can add pictures for each person. Then you can also customize your agenda. The app automatically assigns members to the tasks you've added to your agenda! 

 Now the coolest parts about this app is in the agenda portion:

For the opening and closing songs, you can click on the music notes and it will take you to the in app music section complete with songs from the Hymnal and the Children's Song Book. And MY FAVORITE part? Click on the song you choose and up pops the sheet music and you can play the accompaniment right from your mobile device! 

Next you can click on the calendar and go over the coming events for the week! It will then take you to your mobile device's calendar! 

The lesson's feature is another huge plus for me! Once you click on the lessons section you can choose  "Gospel" and that will take you to the app's Pinterest page of FHE lesson ideas. Or select "By Topic" if you want ideas for a specific topic. Selecting "FHE Manual" will take you directly to the church's official family night manual! (I didn't even know they had one!!) Lessons right at your finger tips!! A HUGE blessing!! 

Select "Activities" and you will taken to the app's Pinterest page for activity ideas!!

Finally, we of course can not forget dessert and the creators of this app didn't either! Select treats and you will be taken to the growing selection of dessert ideas from many of your favorites like "Creme de la Crumb" and "Oh Sweet Basil!"

This app is so much fun and easy to use!! It definitely helped me plan our family night and bringing all those resources into one convenient place is SUCH a time saver!! I am so excited for Monday nights now!! This app is available for Apple devices and is only $1.99!!  Definitely check it out!! And be sure to like the Facebook Page for updates!! 

The Potty Train: The Sequel

This is my second time round on "The Potty Train" and believe you me I was NOT excited when Caden started showing signs he was ready as if to say, "ALL ABOARD!"

The reason as to why I was so reluctant was because I felt I absolutely failed my first son when it came to this milestone. At the time I thought I knew he was ready and maybe on some level he was but emotionally and mentally he had some growing that should've happened before we jumped on the band wagon. But of course I was pregnant and irrational and tried to force it on him when all the signs were there to stop. It took him a good YEAR till we were accident free. (Yes I can be rather stubborn.) And it was horrible. It wasn't until he was finally going on his own that I saw the error of my ways (Stubborn? Yes. Smart? No!). I began seeing articles suggesting that kids aren't physically able to hold their bladders until age 4! Almost half the kids at the normal potty training age can't hold their bladders the whole night through. While I did sticker charts, bribes, time outs... I ignored the fact that he simply just wasn't ready. Thankfully he is turning out to be an amazing kid despite all I am doing! 

So when my second turned two I had no lofty goals or dreams of grandeur of being diaper free anytime soon. I wanted it, for sure! He poops six times a day on a regular basis for crying out loud! But I knew he wasn't ready and I wasn't going to push it. 

He turned three and I still knew he wasn't ready. And that was fine with me! But sure enough, a couple of months later and the train whistle she was a blowin'! So we decided to give it a shot! We tried for a day and it was horrible. He had accident after accident. So at the end of the day, I shrugged my shoulders and said "No big deal!" And we went back to diapers. No kid shaming, no punishments. In my opinion, potty training should be full of praise and excitement. Accidents WILL HAPPEN. And if they are scared or upset by your reaction they will resent the potty. The brain and the bowels still hadn't quite figured out the connection. And that is ok! 

A week later, my mommy gut told me to try again. So with baited breath we tried again! And this time he got it! He was ready. He has had a couple of accidents but nothing major. He gets it. And that's the biggest hurdle with potty training. 

So without further story telling here are my tips from the second time around:

1) If they keep having accident after accident, even if you know they are smart enough to get it, they may not be ready. If they are seriously resisting going on the potty, even fighting it, don't let it become a power struggle! If it becomes a battle, then going to the potty means they've lost and you've won. Going to the potty has to be about them winning! In my opinion, stubbornness and fighting won't win the potty war, patience will.

2) Positive reinforcement: On that very first day we started giving Caden a sucker every time he went pee. Well that back fired. He hadn't finished the first sucker by the time he decided he could push some more pee out. So for him we did a sticker chart for pee (Just a blank piece of paper on the fridge) and he got a sticker each time he peed. He loved this! Every time he got a new sticker we would count how many he had and I would emphasize that he had gone to the potty this many times! It was a way for him to visually see his success! He gets a sucker if he poops mainly because I dread cleaning up poop and he loves suckers so its a win win! Also his older brother gets a sucker when he poops too. And I make sure to let Caden know about his brother's success. "Will got a sucker because he went poop! That is so awesome! He's great at the potty!" 

3) Buy or Make THESE:

They are underwear with an absorbent layer! I can't describe how much I love these! They help so much when an accident does happen because most of it won't end up on your furniture! I saw an idea where someone went and bought the generic cloth diapers and sewed those into the underwear they already had. I'm not a seamstress but I thought it was a great idea!

4) Timer: This time I put Caden on timer. I started with ten minute intervals. Then when I felt he could hold it a little longer I would add 5 minutes. If he had a lot to drink I am might take him potty a little sooner just to avoid an accident. Because the goal is to have more success than misses. But by day three he was doing such a good job holding it (we even ventured out of the house!) that the timer stopped and he goes all on his own! I will remind him still if I feel its been a while since he went but he can tell whether he wants to go or not. 

5) Consequences: This has to be done so carefully. Because you don't want the punishment to overshadow their success. If they feel like a failure they won't try to be better. They will just keep believing they are bad at the potty. For Caden, when I knew he had it down but he'd get distracted playing in his room and have an accident I would remind him that it wasn't ok to go potty in his pants and that if he did it again he would need to sit in a time out. Well he did it again and to time out he went but that was the last accident he had. After the time out I made sure to take him back to the sticker chart and count all the times he has gone potty and praise him for going SO MANY TIMES! I really believe that if you are going to issue out punishments it should be done in a way that doesn't reflect badly on the whole potty experience or lower their self esteem. 

Learning from my past mistakes has made this time around so much better! For me and Caden! These tips won't work for every kid because every kid is different. But this is what worked for me and hopefully if you are struggling on the potty journey, something here can help! 

You can't get much done in life...

I don't like to ring my own bell but *ding ding ding* if I have a talent it is THIS:

I am ever so good at dropping the ball. 

I have perfected the gift of waving my little white flag of surrender!

Lets face it, parenthood and marriage takes energy. Energy that I just don't seem to wake up with on MOST DAYS! And it is so easy...ridiculously and pathetically...easy for me to forgo all plans of productivity and simply do the BARE minimum I need to get through the day (getting ready not included.) 

Those plans I had to work out...gone!

Will power to eat healthy? Pfff what's that?!

Laundry that needs folding? I'm so good at pretending it's not there! That's why we have two couches right?

Jeans? No way! I'm not going anywhere today, but if I have too lets make it Walmart so I don't have to change. 

Plans to take boys to the park? Why?! That's why we pay to have a backyard!

People it is that bad! It is so embarrassingly that bad!

Because lets face, ever since my hormones went wacko two years ago, three quarters of the month I am exhausted. It's getting better on the days I feel great but the days I'm not its not. I have always been really good at maintaining a positive attitude despite those crazy hormonal fluctuations but it's getting harder. I just keep telling my husband if we got pregnant this would all go away! He knows better though :)

But the other day I had a wake up call.  And by wake up call, I mean I read something that forced me to acknowledge what I had been purposefully ignoring all this time:

"You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days you feel good."

CRAP! Curse you Pinterest and all your wisdom:

Just kidding:

This really hit a chord with me. Am I really only going to put my best foot forward ten days out of the month? 

So the next day, despite dealing with  the cold my son was so kind to share and being exhausted because of stupid hormones I got up, worked out, got ready for the day, had a great preschool lesson with my son, folded laundry, cleaned house, played with my kids... basically what I could picture as the perfect normal day at home was achieved! It felt incredible! I felt incredible...tired but incredible.

The next day I may have regressed some but a lot of that had to do with how hard I pushed it in that work out. Incredible sure feels like soreness and tight muscles the next day  :) But I didn't completely relapse either! I still folded more laundry, got dressed in actual jeans and still had a pretty great day.

Here's hoping I can keep this up! I've written that quote on my fridge so it is glaring at me most of the day. No excuses! Also no delusions of grandeur. I'm not trying to be super mom. Not even close. But I am trying to be a little bit better! Here's to working on the days I don't feel good!

Tips for Road Trips with Kids:

Earlier this year we moved across the USA!

And to make it crazier... we drove. Roughly 56+ hours in the car spanned over 8 days (we stopped and visited family along the way.) 

We learned A LOT! Some things we got right and others blew up in our faces. So here is a list of my tips for traveling with kids. (My kids were 2 and 5):

(Please keep in mind I don't parent like this all the time. This was a unique experience! So before you call child services remember this isn't normal.)

1) DVD player: I would love to tell you that I was the sort of mom who didn't melt their child's brain with hours of movies during this trip but I'm not. Let me tell you, it saved my sanity. We didn't have them watch them the ENTIRE time. We made sure to have music time as well as some quiet time. But we also didn't hesitate to turn on a movie if tensions or anxieties started to rise. 

2) Suckers: When melting their brains didn't work, usually after dinner time and people were getting tired, we opted for rotting their teeth. Sometimes we needed that 20 minutes of quiet time. And those suckers were tear stoppers! Also since we weren't above bribery, it was a great way to motivate some better behavior from them :)

3) Play Places: For lunch, we were not above stopping at McDonald's to utilize their play structures. This was such a life saver! It ate up some time but the kids were happier. If you can't stand fast food, maybe grab a healthier lunch and take it too a local park. Giving that time to be active was so worth it!

4) Hotel Pools: We made a point of staying in places with pools. It was the perfect way to get them moving after we checked in for the night. We gave up on bed times since their normal schedule plus the time changes were all screwy. We would end the fun with a few minutes in the hot tub to help relax their muscles and get them calmed down enough for bed.

5) Don't bring a ton of stuff: We definitely over packed. I wanted to be that mom who had their kids read the whole time but it just ended up being more stuff we had work around. We brought their comforters and pillows and a ton of their favorite stuffed animals. Not again! This time we may bring a couple of books, one stuffed animal and no comforters. It was just WAY too much. 

6) Make some fun stops along the way: If you can afford to do so. We visited family and also checked off some bucket list items like The Monterrey Bay Aquarium! This definitely helped break up the endless hours of driving. Also if you happen to pass the few really cool rest stops that have playgrounds, be sure to let them play a few minutes after a potty break! 

7) Ration water: My kids who seem to never be thirsty when they are playing all day suddenly seem like they can't get enough while they are confined to their car seats. We would get back from the potty break and they would drink several ounces of water only then needing to pee again a half hour later. It's a juggling act of making sure they stay hydrated while not having to stop every rest stop. 

8) Have a variety of snacks. Kids get munchie  in the car! So stave off the between meal starve fests with good and HEALTHY snacks! Dried fruits, trail mixes... the sky is the limit! 

This list will be ongoing so be sure to check back again! We are headed for another PCS soon so I may be making some changes!

Forging My Sword of Truth: Daily Scripture Study

Want to know a not-so-secret truth? I am not perfect!

Whew, there I said it! 

One of my short comings is that I struggle with reading a book I have read before. This includes my favorites like Harry Potter and sadly... the scriptures. 

If it isn't entertaining, it takes every ounce of focus and diligence to make it happen. And the scriptures aren't mind numbing entertainment. You can't just READ them, you have to STUDY them.

Sitting down to read the scriptures just felt so repetitive for me since I had read them once before.

"Here we go again, "I, Nephi...""

I needed to shake myself out of this! Simply because of the truth above: I am not perfect!

No one knows just how not perfect I am more than me. I need every molecule of help and inspiration I can get when it comes to my everyday battles.

During the last election, when it suddenly felt like the world had Mormon's under a microscope, I found myself in discussions that I was very ill equipped to be apart of. I had my "Shield of Faith" but it wasn't without its weak points. When friends wanted me to tackle some tough topics, I wasn't confident in expressing my faith. I quickly learned that my "Sword of the Spirit or Word of God" was not fit for the cause. In 2013, we saw that the curriculum for the youth in the church underwent an incredible change. And it was interesting to see friends post about their lessons on Martin Luther and things that I didn't learn until college religion courses. Why? Because, like never before, fluffy lessons aren't enough anymore. We need to be armed with the Gospel of Truth! And those blades must be sharp. And the quality of such is completely based on how we forge it.

When I think of hair splitting swords, katana are what come to my mind.

The Katana or more commonly known as the Samurai sword is created through an incredible forging process. The blacksmith begins by taking different steels with varying carbon densities and folding them, over and over and over. The layers of steel along with the repetitive folding process removes the impurities in the material. Impurities that would result in weak places in the blade, so great care is taken to ensure that the blade is as pure as it can be.

Next the blade must be hardened and quenched. During this process the smith takes the blade and coats it in their own mixture of clay, ash and/or rust. This mixture is unique to the forger. Next, the soon to be sword is heated to 1,382 degrees Fahrenheit. This actually changes the crystal structure in the steel. The smith will then rapidly cool the blade in water or oil. This again changes the molecular structure making it even harder. The blade is then polished through a process using finer and finer grains of polishing stones until it receives its final mirror finish.

When forging our own swords we should go through a similar process. We need to utilize different steel or resources. The Standard Works, General Conference, church magazines...etc.The more we delve into these inspired works, we begin removing the "impurities" in our knowledge. Maybe we were taught a principle incorrectly. Maybe that "mormon rumor" we believed our whole life isn't really true. Or maybe we learn or have learned something about a tough subject or event that challenges us. Or maybe the impurities exist as holes in our knowledge of the Truth. Ezra Taft Benson explained that "...the Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ. It confounds false doctrines and lays down contention. It fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies and doctrines of the devil in our day...God with his infinite foreknowledge, so molded the Book of Mormon that we might see the error and know how to combat false educational, political, religious, and philosophical concepts of our time." (source)

When the smith is making his sword he knows the repetition of folding the steel will make the blade stronger. He doesn't hesitate to keep folding the metal or think for a second to do less folding than he needs too because he understands that the final product yields a blade that is stronger and up to the task. Our attitude about daily scripture study should be reflected in this way as well. We should not hesitate to delve in repeatedly and daily, with the knowledge that doing so will grant us truth, a greater connection with the Holy Ghost and we will be more receptive to the personal revelation that will come as well!

Even knowing this, it may be hard to make daily scripture study happen. Elder Neil A. Maxwell quoting Brigham Young said "Righteous desires need to be relentless, therefore, because, said President Brigham Young, 'the men and women who desire to obtain seats in the celestial kingdom, will find they must BATTLE EVERY DAY.' Therefore true Christian soldiers are more than weekend warriors."(source)

Just as a black smith makes his own combination of of clay composite to coat his sword before it is fired, may I suggest finding your own unique way of reading the scriptures? Do you mark them? Or don't you? Are you morning person and able to put in more of an effort then? Or are you a night owl who's mind seems to wake up when the sun goes to sleep?

Personally, I needed to shake things up a bit. So I added the institute manuals to my daily study. It broadened my understanding. This really worked for me and I highly recommend it! I also made the decision to read when my children are awake. For some that may not work. My kids definitely interrupt... a lot! But I want them to see me making this journey. I want them to hold me accountable. I want them to know that despite all my short comings, mommy reads her scriptures.

However, reading and gaining knowledge is simply not sufficient! It's a lot but there's more!

Brigham Young explained, "...that many who understand truth do not govern themselves by it."

While daily immersion in the scriptures is vital to our spiritual health, simply studying its words is not enough.

Joseph Smith made the bold claim that  "...the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion..." 

and he continued saying,
"and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” 

We can't simply hope that the words on the page will change us. We must chose to act! Spencer W. Kimball explained in the "Miracle of Forgiveness" that, "In abandoning sin one cannot merely wish for better conditions. He must MAKE them." 

I decided to make a mental list of my short comings. And resolved to do better in those areas. I was already tackling scripture study and prayer. But I knew I needed to apply the lessons I was learning to the other parts of my life that I struggled!

I stopped getting into debates and heated discussions on Facebook. This is a weak point for me. When I am passionate about something, I passionately "defend" it. While I believe its important to stand up for what we believe, at the same time we have been told in the scriptures to "Cease to contend one with another." (D&C 136: 23) I knew I  needed to be smarter in differentiating between defending and contending. Since doing this, I found that I am kinder and more understanding. Suddenly, my days aren't ruined by arguing with friends! Imagine that! And I feel happier! I struggle still but I always repeat to myself, "You don't have to attend every argument you are invited too."  People and relationships are more important than an debate to be won.

I also made a conscious effort to be more patient with my kids. 

I tackled some of the doctrine or church history events that challenged me. I researched and I prayed for understanding. I found that I was able to come to terms and accept things.

I made an effort to try my best to live the doctrines I was reading.

But I still struggled. It didn't all happen at once!

We need that fire in our hearts. Understand that in your commitment to read the scriptures daily, that fire may not come instantly. It may take days, weeks and maybe even months. President Uchtdorf related this story:

"A friend of mine recently wrote to me, confiding that he was having a difficult time keeping his testimony strong and vibrant. He asked for counsel.

I wrote back to him and lovingly suggested a few specific things he could do that would align his life more closely with the teachings of the restored gospel. To my surprise, I heard back from him only a week later. The essence of his letter was this: “I tried what you suggested. It didn’t work. What else have you got?”

Brothers and sisters, we have to stay with it. We don’t acquire eternal life in a sprint—this is a race of endurance. We have to apply and reapply the divine gospel principles. Day after day we need to make them part of our normal life." (source)

I believe scripture study is the same way. In my personal experience, it was as Brigham Young described, a battle. I was fighting a lot of things in myself. Trying to stay interested in the words I have read before. Some days I would finish a chapter and realize I hadn't actually read it and have to go back with renewed focus. As embarrassed as I am to admit this I can say that despite myself, I stuck with it. I continued to fold the steel. I didn't know how much it had grown on me, not until I got to the story of Abinadi. It was as if I had read it for the first time. It felt as if I was there, seeing that man in chains, standing before the king. Boldly proclaiming his testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. My heart began to pound in my chest. It was just as Elder Cree-L Kofford described when he said, "Abinadi was and is special. His life, lived so long ago, still has the power to excite the mind and cause the pulse to pound." (From the book, Heroes from the Book of Mormon)

There was a fire in me from that moment on. I wanted to be like that man who defiantly stood before the wicked king and despite being at the mercy of his captors, he was unshakably confident and unwavering in the power and might of his God and Savior. Daily scripture study wasn't something I HAD to do. It was something I NEEDED and WANTED to do. If I put it off for whatever reason, I feel it pulling at me until I do it. Now I am not perfect. I still miss days. But I always regret it. I can feel that I missed something.

With this fire, my sword hardened even more! That was the turning point for me. My confidence in the faith I love grew incredibly. I was becoming a new person. I feel empowered in every aspect of my life. My role as a wife and mother took on even greater meaning. I began to recognize my potential even more. My ability to resist the temptations I struggled with increased. I am slower to anger, I feel more patient, I feel more loving. I feel more kind. I feel stronger! I discovered talents and a path that I am so excited to be on. I realize I can make a difference. I am here for a reason! But most importantly I feel I can stand more confidently than ever before, with all those who have and will stand and say, "Jesus is the Christ. The Savior of the world!"

Forging my sword of truth has been a life changing experience. Like the katana, there is still some fine grinding and polishing taking place. I am not perfect! Not even close. But knowing this just sheds more light to the fact I NEED this Gospel. I need to know these truths, so I can use them in my life to make the weak things strong. Knowledge is power. It's the only thing we can take with us after this life. The cultivation of this knowledge deserves time and energy!

I wasn't going to share my experience. But I realize that I am not alone in my struggle to make daily scripture study a priority. And I want to share with you that it is possible. You CAN do it! It will take time, it will take effort but you can do it. And you will be so grateful you did because you won't be the same.

Common Sense Doesn't Apply to Laundry Detergent Pods...apparently:

I was surprised the first time I saw this on the news: "Another child is hospitalized for ingesting pods and the parents are mad at Tide!"

"Tide left their product within reach of your child?" I thought as the camera crew followed the child's mother to the top of the washer and dryer where she had left the container. I couldn't believe these people were actually blaming Tide. Now I am not a Tide fanatic. I make my own detergent but I couldn't believe they were blaming the company for the fact that they left the dangerous product where a child could get it. I hoped this blame projecting was going to be an isolated event...

It hasn't been. 

Just last week I saw yet another set of parent's upset at Tide because their child got to the pods and ate them. Where did the child get them? Again from on top of the washer. They've been making dishwasher pod type things for years now (I do use those!) and I haven't heard of anyone blaming Cascade or Dawn for accidental ingestion. We know to keep those locked under the kitchen sink, but laundry detergent for some reason doesn't get the same consideration.

"But kids think they are candy," the media screams! Kids think pills are candy, which is why they stay tucked away in a locked cabinet! That's what keep out of reach of children MEANS!
(Besides, anyone with kids knows that just about everything will go in those mouths regardless of if it looks like candy or not! Except veggies...)

Now parents, we make mistakes. Maybe they were having a hectic day and just didn't put the pods up. We do little things like that. Except the scary part of being a parent is the fact that little mistakes like that can end up with a hospital trip or worse. I always get really sad when I hear stories like this. It's unfortunate and I completely feel for the family. They are mistakes and I know the guilt that comes from it. But I also get irritated when the parents blame anything other than themselves. 

Accepting responsibility for our mistakes is PARENTING 101!!

If I were to leave a knife on the counter and my child got a hold of it, no one would go and a tirade against Cutco! What would make the news is how much a of a negligent parent I was.

Again, the scary part of being a parent is when we make little mistakes like that! I put stuff down all the time I mean to put away later but when it comes to the dangerous stuff, when we leave anything within reach of children, that says on the box we shouldn't, we automatically accept the risks and consequences.

You shouldn't have to read a warning label to tell you to keep laundry detergent out of your child's reach. To add insult to injury it is there just in case you couldn't put two and two together.

While I didn't believe it was really their responsibility to make any changes, Tide has since changed the container so children can't see the pods inside and they are working on making a tougher latch.

But the ultimate responsibility lies in the hands of the parents who buy the products and bring them into their home. Plain and simple.

(Disclaimer: I am not trying to make anyone feel bad if they have experienced something like this. What I am addressing are those parents who want to blame someone else. I've had to call poison control before because my son ate some berries that I knew were there but failed to identify if they were poisonous or not. Thankfully he didn't eat enough of them to cause any side effects. One of those treat the symptom type scenarios. I felt so incredibly guilty and still do. Mistakes happen and when they do we as parents have to take responsibility for them.)

Happy Mother's Day Book Review: The Invisible Woman: When Only God Sees by Nicole Johnson

I hope everyone had an awesome Mother's Day!!

Yesterday I got an incredible book from my Dad and I finished it yesterday too!

This book is about a woman named Charlotte. A wife and mother of two boys. She begins to notice that she has become invisible. That she is simply the hands that fold laundry, the driving force that takes them too school. To her husband she always looks "fine" when she asks. It's as if her family thinks that dinner magically appears in front of them each night. She begins to give into the thanklessness of her invisibility when she confides to a friend. Two weeks later this friend returns from a trip to Europe. Her friend hands her a book she found that would later change Charlotte's perception of her whole life.

The book is on the Cathedrals of Europe. I won't spoil it for you by listing the amazing parallels she is able to draw from it. But they are beautiful!

I can't say that I feel invisible ALL the time (Thank you Daniel Tiger for the "Thank You" song!) But do I feel invisible sometimes? You bet I do! When I'm on the phone and someone comes in begging for a snack, it's like I'm not even there. But motherhood is a service. And we shouldn't be doing our day to day with hope of recognition (We should still get it but that shouldn't be our motivation.). Our motivation should be to more like Jesus Christ and we need to use our faith and know that God sees our good works and our thankless service.

Well I need to wrap this up, Caden can't see that I'm trying to write a blog post and is asking for a story right now :) Please read this book! I am more than willing to lend my copy to anyone in my area who wants to read it, so long as I get it back!

Health and Fitness: My motivation

I love being healthy! I am still trying to figure out how I was skinnier back when I ate whatever I wanted and didn't exercise than I am now when I watch what I eat and exercise regularly! Must be the hips I got after having two kids gave me :) 

But like most (I hope) I fall off the bandwagon and need to go to my inspiration sources to get me revved up to start again. Here are my top three blogs I go to for just that!

Love Your Healthy Body.com:

This blog belongs to my friend Claire! She has totally inspired me over and over to keep going! Her before and now pictures really show all the work and determination she has put into it. She has taken control of her life and I admire her so much for it!

Lance and Mckenzie.blogspot.com:

This is my friend Mckenzie's family blog! I love that she posted her progress with the infamous INSANITY work out! I love Insanity and it was so inspiring to see her post her progress week after week. Unfortunately I can't do Insanity now that we live above someone... :( But still she keeps me motivated!

5 Nuts in a Nutshell:

I love this blog! She is an army wife who has truly made a huge difference in her life. Right now she is hosting a summer fitness challenge (Link above goes straight too it!). I am debating whether or not to go for it! I know I could definitely hit the Bronze but if I sign up (its free btw) I would want to go for the GOLD! Although I am not as confident I could hit it! I love her blog because sometimes as a military wife/mom, it's hard to take the time to get out and work out. Your husband's schedule is NEVER set. You can say all day long that you guys will plan on him watching kids after dinner so you can run but lets face it, my husband has gone weeks not getting home in time for dinner. Or he'll get put on night shift but still have to leave early in the day. So I have named my double stroller "No Excuses." Although I like working out on my own and not having to answer "The Call of the Mommy", unfortunately that isn't a luxury I can afford right now. I may not get to shower until the afternoon but is it worth it? Oh yeah!

Summer is just around the corner! Time to get re motivated! The sun is out, go have some fun! What sources of inspiration do you use?

Tips for PCSING (aka moving!):

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Last night I had the pleasant (yes, that last word should be read with extreme sarcasim) of calling 9-1-1. It started out as a semi quiet night...our upstairs neighbors are incredibly loud but I have managed to tune it out...mostly. Then I heard some more distinct yelling coming from outside my open kitchen window. I crawled on all fours and sat on my kitchen floor as I listened to a very irate man screaming at his female partner. Going on about how he was going to beat someone up and then come back and beat her up, just because. I dared to peak out and get a rough description and I called the police. Unfortunately, the man and woman stormed off just as I got them on the phone. I don't know what happened after that. 

I wish I could say this was my first rodeo here. But sadly its not. I have had to call 9-1-1, our apartment security patrol and child services more times than I ever have in my entire life in the past year we have lived here. Let me tell you, there has been some bad stuff going on all around me. 

How did we get stuck in such a rough part of town? Why did we move here?

Ignorance is one: I am not a big city girl. I have always lived in very safe areas! I have never lived in a city where there seemed to be more dangerous places than good. I just assumed that was the standard. It sounds stupid to say that now, I know! 

We gave ourselves only three days to find a place: We didn't have much of a choice the way things worked out, never being to the area definitely played a role. But sometimes in the military that's just your lot in life. 

We saw the first red flag our first week here when our car got broken into. I really hope they needed those bags of jumper cables since that is all they got. 

 It all went down hill from there!

(Most members of our ward will only visit us during the day if that gives you any idea! Or some not at all...)

When our lease was coming to a close, the apartment asked if we were planning on renewing...we gave them a big HECK NO! 

We are moving, THANK GOODNESS! And this time we decided to be smart about it. We really did our research! These websites really helped us make our final choice:

Crimereports.com:

This website lists the reported crimes in the area! You can look back six months and it

also gives you the location of sex offenders.

Apartmentratings.com:

Want to know what the residence of the apartment complex really think? I plan on leaving quite a 

warning for our current place!

Google Maps
This is a great way to take your future neighborhood for a test drive. Use the street view setting!

Neighborhoodscout.com
This website gives you a rating for the city you are moving too. Our last city was rated 2 out 100!! Scary!! Meaning 98% of cities in the US are safer than that one. So glad to have found this! You can get a more specific details for your perspective neighborhood for a fee. Definitely one to use!

Facebook
Now has a great way to search your friends. In the search box just type in something like "friends that live in (enter city and state here)" and if you have friends there or nearby they will pop up! Nothing beats getting a first hand account of what an area is like! Ask as many people as you can think of and get many different opinions!

Greatschools.org
Have kids that are school age? This is an excellent website that can give you an idea of where the best schools are for your children!

I will never NOT do my research ever again. This year has been awful! We are so excited for our new place that is much quieter, next to a beautiful park and surrounded by really nice neighborhoods. Adios old apartment!!

****UPDATE 3/24/2014****
 Since I wrote this post we have moved two times and are preparing to move AGAIN! Thankfully not because of the same issues we had before but because we actually had to move for the army. Thus far the websites above have again proven to be paramount in our search for safe and family friendly areas to live! I can not emphasize enough the importance of research as soon as you know where you are going! It has saved us so many headaches and heartaches!