These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things [Health & Beauty Edition]

Here a list of a few of my favorite health and beauty products and how they make my life easier/better.  I use most of this stuff every single day.  So here they are:

Mary Kay Eye Makeup Remover-- I don't know what else you can use to take off eye makeup, since this is really all I have ever used.  But I love this stuff!







Bath and Body Works Mint Lip Gloss- Minty and shiny and a tiny bit of color.  It's perfect for making you look a little more fancy and put together without actual lipstick.  This doesn't have that sticky feel and residue that some lip gloss has.  








Natural Ice Chapstick-- Funny thing about me, I can't sleep if I have dry lips.  I put this on before I fall asleep every night.  I also get thirsty a lot in the night, so I sleep with a Camelbak water bottle on my nightstand for a quick and easy drink.

Hearos Ear Plugs-- Another funny thing about me, I am a light sleeper.  Any little noise wakes me up.  Now I sleep with these earplugs in every night.  You can still hear crying and talking noises, just not the little sounds like rustling of blankets or the quiet opening of a door.  It takes a little getting used to to sleep with earplugs in, but these are super soft and comfortable.




DreamBaby Bath Seat-- Makes bath time with a baby/small toddler SO much easier!  They can be independent as they splash and play, and you don't kill your back holding them up in the tub.  

Exergen Temporal Thermometer-- This is so awesome.  Babies don't often cooperate having a traditional thermometer under their tongue or armpit so I never felt that I was taking accurate temperatures.  Now I just swipe across their forehead a few times to make sure I get the same reading each time, and I know if they have a fever.  Autumn had a febrile seizure when she was two, so we have to keep an eye on her fevers not getting too high.  It is expensive compared to the regular kind, but we have used it hundreds of times, and I'm really glad we have it.




LL Bean Toiletry Bag-- I love the convenience of having most of my toiletries all packed and ready to go in this awesome toiletry bag.  It hangs open to have easy access to all of the products inside.  It is big enough for me to take all of my toiletries and toiletries for my kids, not including my makeup bag or curling iron/blowdryer/big brush hair stuff.



What are some of your favorite health and beauty products?  I am looking for a really good detangler for Autumn's long hair and a great natural-smelling air freshener if anyone has advice (it's hard to keep our little apartment sweet smelling with the countless diaper changes every day!).

An Explanation

I have been thinking about what I am going to post all month now, and the only thing that keeps coming to me is to explain my last post.  I am really sorry if that post offended anyone, and I don't want to keep bringing it up, but I really felt like I should explain why I posted it.  I hesitate to do this because it is a very personal thing, but I feel like this is very important. 
I know someone very close to me, and some of you may know him, so I won't post names or any details, but I have been privy to some of the details of the struggle he goes through.  This is a man who grew up in a time where computers were new, and the danger of pornography was not discussed.  He unfortunately was exposed to it at a young age, and he became addicted through choices that he made.  He obviously made some wrong choices, but back then it was not talked about, and boys didn't really understand what they were getting in to.  There are quite a few men today who are in similar circumstances because of those conditions.  (Not making excuses or blaming anyone, it was just a fact of the times.)  He has struggled with a lifelong addiction to pornography.  That doesn't mean that he has viewed pornography on a regular basis his whole life, rather that he has struggled with the temptation his whole life.    Advertisements, scantily clad women walking down the street, and even movies with borderline scenes are all difficult triggers for him, and he has to work very hard to keep his mind from wandering to things he has previously viewed.  And obviously he is not blameless, and he is responsible for where his mind is and his thoughts.  He made choices and he unfortunately has to deal with consequences of those choices his whole life. 
My point that I was trying to make in my last post is that our actions do affect those around us, and sometimes we don't realize just how much.  This man is a very good man, and you would never suspect that he struggles with this.  It is however, a very real part of his life that affects him and his whole family.  I hear about some of his struggles, and even some of the struggles of his wife and my heart just hurts.  They are such a good family and I know I want to do everything I can to help him with this struggle.  And one of the best things I can do for him and for all those who struggle is to be modest in my life.  And that includes more than just our dress.  It includes our actions, and our attitudes as well. 
I feel very strongly about this issue, and that is why I posted last month about it.  And it didn't come out quite the way I wanted to, I am not very good with putting my personal thoughts into words.  But there you have it, an explanation of my craziness.  (At least some of it...)

Throwback

You guys. I'm getting a complex. First, my dorm gets torn down about 6 years ago to make room for the new dorms on campus. I get it, really. DT was nasty. Fine. But my grandmother's dorm (Amanda Knight Hall) is still standing! Now that's just wrong for hers to outlast mine.

 

Then I just read that as part of the MTC expansion, the Wymount building Matt and I (and Ben and Steph) lived in will be torn down to make room for the new BYU laundry and auxiliary services buildings.

I always pictured myself driving my kids past DT and Wymount to show them the first places I lived at BYU as a single student and as a married student. I'm sure they won't really care that much (I don't think the warm fuzzies I feel when I drive by will transfer to them anyway), but it is hard to say goodbye to places with such good feelings.

And with that, I leave you with some throwback pictures to some of the good days on campus (can you tell I've been feeling too nostalgic to come up with anything else to post about?!):

CES Devotional

I know I am late posting and this post is somewhat related to some other recent posts...but, oh well. Never enough of a good thing, right? :)

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to listen to Elder Ballard's wonderful CES devotional address. If anyone else listened, I would love input on your thoughts too. His talk was broken down into 3 main categories:

1) Social Media

2) Pornography

3) Same-Sex Marriage

One thing I liked was he said (I am paraphrasing) that if we use our smart phones/tablets to spread the gospel or for a specific productive purpose, then it is our SERVANT. 

But, if we mindlessly peruse the internet and social media sites, then it is our MASTER. 

That stood out to me because when I get bored, I scroll through facebook too often! So that is something I am going to work on in the next little while. I don't have a smart phone, but my computer is in my kitchen, so I tend to waste time looking for quick snippets that turn into 10 minutes, and it is a complete waste of productivity. 

Another thought I have been having is that I need to replace mindless facebook perusing with something else. When I get bored or have an extra minute, I can do other things unrelated to the computer or phone.

Elder Ballard counseled us to develop our relationships with people we see, rather than with people who we only see their pictures of their parties, their house, their perfect kids, etc, etc, etc. I think that is very good advice!

P.S.-I enjoyed a lovely visit from Nelson & Julie this week while they were on a trip in St. George. It was so fun. Anyone is welcome to come down this way ANY time! :)

Mother's Day crafts and a schedule change

Hey all, I'm late with this and I think if there are no objections I'm going to switch my posting date with the Q&A date as I have Achievement/Activity Days every first Tuesday and I just haven't been great at getting my post done before that day.

Which brings me to my post today. Nothing amazingly thought-provoking but I thought I'd share our Mother's Day crafts that we did at Achievement Days last night. They were pretty easy and also turned out well so I thought I'd pass the idea along in case anyone is ever in need of a Mother's Day craft.

Artwork Candles

Supplies needed: 

-Hair dryer
-Dollar store candle
-Tissue paper
-Markers
-Wax paper. 
-Also, a oven glove is pretty handy as your hand gets pretty hot when you are blow drying the design onto the candle


Tissue Paper Flower Corsages

-Pretty tissue paper colors
-Card stock circles
-Pins
-Green Ribbon
-Glue (not pictured, we used craft tacky glue)

The girls had fun making stuff for their moms/grandmas and I loved seeing what they came up with. The only thing is I wish I could have helped them more with the corsages but I was blow drying their candles and they struggled a bit with the twisting and gluing. Also, I would have made the white tissue paper strips less tall as they ended up overhanging the top and bottom a bit on some of the candles.

Human-computer Interaction

When I was in school to become a master of systems of information, one of my courses focused heavily on the concept of Human-computer interaction, or HCI. Wikipedia defines this term thus: "Human–computer interaction (HCI) involves the study, planning, design and uses of the interaction between people (users) and computers. It is often regarded as the intersection of computer science, behavioral sciences, design and several other fields of study. ... The term connotes that, unlike other tools with only limited uses (such as a hammer, useful for driving nails, but not much else), a computer has many affordances for use and this takes place in an open-ended dialog between the user and the computer."

I was reflecting on this tonight as I considered my day. How much time did I spend interacting with a computer vs. with my family? Did those interactions appropriately reflect the computer/phone's status as a tool? What was the purpose of the dialog between me and the device? What was the result? 

I remember hearing Sister Julie Beck refer once (can't find it online, but I remember hearing her) to a computer as a tool, much as a dishwasher is a tool. How much time do I spend with my dishwasher? As little as possible, right? I'm interacting with it only for the purpose of benefiting myself and my family with regard to its specific use. Do I view the computer the same way? Lately I have used it more as an escape than as a tool, and I need to reevaluate.

Sister Belle S. Spafford, the ninth Relief Society general president, said: “The average woman today, I believe, would do well to appraise her interests, evaluate the activities in which she is engaged, and then take steps to simplify her life, putting things of first importance first, placing emphasis where the rewards will be greatest and most enduring, and ridding herself of the less rewarding activities" (Belle S. Spafford, A Woman’s Reach (1974), 23.). 

Julie wrote an excellent post about this prioritization already, and I suppose it has been on my mind as well as I consider which things come first in my life, and how my devices fit into that paradigm. I am going to take steps this next week to remember that human-Deity interaction always trumps any other interaction, and comes first, and human-human interaction is better than HCI any day. 

Your thoughts?

What Is Essential?

About a month ago, I took my kids to Temple Square where my mom is a missionary.  She gave us a tour of the Relief Society building, located north east of the reflecting pool.  I loved seeing the beautiful artifacts that early Saints donated to the building of a Relief Society building when they were not allowed to send money, and it was special to find the names of my grandmothers and great-grandmothers in a list of sisters who did donate money.  In the bottom level of the building, they have displays and information about Primary, the Young Women program, and Relief Society.

One display about our priorities made a particular impact on me.  As you read through it, you might ask yourself if you are accomplishing the Essentials before focusing on the Nice to Dos each day.  I loved how in her General Conference talk, Sister Reeves' [thanks for your previous insights Michelle] addressed how spending time in prayer and scripture study each day, and having Family Home Evening each week are really the only things that must get done in our families, and how those things cause us to feel less stress in our lives.

Prioritizing Our Lives
"A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do.  Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important.  A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently."  (Source not listed.)

Essentials
The things that must be taken care of and if I don't take care of them, the blessings of eternal life won't be mine, nor will they be the blessings of my family.

Revelation
Pray always
Daily scripture study
Time to ponder and fast
Making and keeping covenants (Sacrament Meeting, temple)
Love one another

Necessary
Things we have to do as part of mortal life in order to be self-reliant and be of service to our families and the Lord.

Marriage and family relationships
Homemaking (cooking, cleaning, working)
Self-reliance and provident living
Compassionate service
Temple and family history
Sharing the gospel
Church service

Nice to Dos
These add variety to our lives, but they won't save us.

Crafts
Hobbies
Recreational reading
Lunches with friends
Movies
Travel
Blogging and recreational computer time
What is on your list?