Divas Only

I am here to talk about something women really don't talk like to talk about. And, if they do, they talk about it with code words like Aunt Flo, my monthly visitor, Surfin the Crimson Wave.... (Bonus points if you know what movie that last one is from!)

I am going to talk about menstruation. Most of us have been dealing with this for decades. Ever since the dreaded day we saw that first spot in our panties as pre-teens and teens. Are you there God it's me, Margaret? can only teach you so much.

As you grow older, you just accept it and move on, but there is always that fear that you will start and you won't have a tampon or a panty liner or a maxi pad. Admit it, you have been there! Whispering to your friend or your friend's mom. Trying to discretely obtain what you need and do not have so that you don't wind up embarrassing yourself even further.

Well, I have a solution for you! And it is only costs $30 on Amazon. It is the Diva Cup and it is a menstrual cup! You only need one and it should last you at least a year, possibly longer if you take care of it.

Back in May, a dear friend gave me the rundown on what a menstrual cup was all about. Her husband is an OB/GYN and his office had received a sampler so he brought it home for her to try. She raved about the ease of using it and I was intrigued.

The next time my menstrual cycle started, I was ready! I had purchased one on Amazon for the aforementioned price and it arrived in a box and is kept in a cute, little bag.

In order to use it, you will have to get up close and personal with your lady parts. You wash the cup, insert it by folding it in half. Once it is in about halfway, you rotate it a full 360 degrees and push it the rest of the way in.

Then, you do NOTHING all day! For 12 hours! You just leave it alone and don't worry about it AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!! In the first few uses, you may want to use a panty liner while you figure out how to get it in place properly. If it is not sealed off through correct insertion, it will leak.

Then, at night, before bed, you remove it, pour the contents into the toilet, wash it in warm water with soap, reinsert and go to sleep. You continue to remove and reinsert each morning (the shower is a fantastic place to get situated for the day) and night until your menstrual cycle comes to an end.

It is comfortable, easy, stress-free. Doesn't hurt to remove at all, no matter how heavy or light your flow. Also, if you're into the environment, you are really going green on this one!

I am serious, you need to try this if you are a woman. It is the best way I have ever found to manage my least favorite week of the month. Easy, fast, comfortable, affordable... the list goes on.

Y'all need to check it out!

P.S. They are sized. Size A for women who have never had a vaginal birth and Size B for women who have. :) Size B is also recommended for women over the age of 30.

Mother's Day 2016

This was probably one of my favorite Mother's Days! I got to spend time with my children and my favorite women! On Saturday, mom, Stacey, Stacey's friend, Carlie, and I went to brunch at Five Thymes Five in Winter Garden. I had shrimp and grits and it was so delicious! We had a great conversation that was not interrupted once by little people needing anything.

After lunch, we picked up Lyla and went to see Singin in the Rain at the Garden Theater, also in downtown Winter Garden. The show was excellent and we had a great time together. I think we've created a new tradition. Next year, Miriam will join us and the five girls will enjoy motherhood and womanhood all together. 

On Sunday morning, I slept in a little bit and the children brought me breakfast in bed. I had made two different breakfast casseroles (a sausage, egg, cheese one and a baked French toast) for the Scouts the morning before. Luckily there were leftovers and I got to enjoy them. Grayson also poured my OJ and made me peanut butter toast. Jared said when he got downstairs, Grayson had already started on breakfast and Landon was washing dishes. I love my sweet kids.

The children picked out a "princess" dress for me to wear and we took a photo in front of our neighbor's roses. I certainly felt like a princess!

The children saw this little note holder in a magazine of theirs (Highlights Magazine RULES) and wanted to make it for me. They apparently had it planned for awhile. They painted it, glued it, hung it on my bedroom door, and now are using it to leave me little notes. I love it!

My Sunday School class at church brought me flowers. This was so unexpected and really touched me. I love my class! 10 year olds are probably my favorite!

Happy Mother's Day 2014

Mother's Day is so fun when your children go to school and church and their amazing teachers help them create something special for you. It's also pretty cool when your creative husband does the same. I felt pretty special all week thanks to my wonderful family. Being a mom is awesome most of the time. There are days, I'd rather just go back to bed. Those are few and far between. But it hurts when you give all you've got and are told you are "nasty" when you simply say no to a request. Even if that rudeness comes from a tired and grumpy three-year-old, it still hurts. That same three year old is a doll when he is in a good mood. On Friday, Jared brought home flowers. Landon delivered them and told me "Happy Mother's Day" without being prompted. He's been saying it ever since and it is so cute!
For the most part, I have three sweet boys and one scrumptious little girl. They tell me I'm pretty and always thank me for doing little things for them. They help around the house by making their beds, scrubbing toilets, and mopping the floor. Here are some special things the children made to celebrate me: their mom who is trying her best to be the kind of mom they're proud to have.

 Grayson's pre-school class had a Muffins with Mom day earlier in the week. Here we are with a beautiful watercolor flower Grayson made for me. I am so grateful for his teacher, Mrs. Piper, who takes such good care of my boy when he is away from this proud Mama.

 

A very beautiful placemat that Grayson made for me. The flowers are made from his fingers and fingerprints.

Grayson answered these questions about me. I definitely had some misty eyes when Mrs. Piper read his responses (in italics).

My Mommy's name is Mommy.

My mom is 4.

My mommy's eyes are brown.

I love it when my mom cooks grits, oatmeal, and granola.

I don't like it when she cooks white rice.

When I am at school, my mom does chores.

My mom is prettiest when she goes to church with me and in the morning.

My favorite thing to do with my mom is paint.

The thing I love most about my mom is eating with mommy-she sits by me.

 

A homemade card. Flowers made with fingerprints. From left to right: Jared, Ethan, Grayson, and Landon. That monster butterfly is made from Miriam's feet.

This is a flower bouquet made from cut out handprints of the children. Jared said I look like a goober in this pic. He's right. I'm wearing cut-offs, a JT and Christina Aquilera concert t, and I was looking up at him as he took the photo. But I am happy to be the mom of my brood. They are something special.

A card Ethan made with his fingerprints. The poem says "This little flower is special, you see, Because it was made from a part of me. My painted thumb made each flower part To show I love you with all my heart!  Happy Mother's Day!

Ethan also wrote and illustrated a book for me.

My Mom by Ethan

My mom is fun.

My mom likes flowers.

My mom cooks yellow rice.

I love my mom.

And today at church Grayson and Landon's teachers made some Mother's Day cards.

Landon's is on top. Look how big his hand is. I can't stand it!

 

Sometimes you get discouraged because I am so small and always leave my fingerprints on furniture and walls. 

But every day I'm growing--I'll be grown someday and all those tiny handprints will surely fade away.

So here's a little handprint just so you can recall exactly how my fingers looked when I was very small.

 

Grayson's two little hands are so cute! He wrote "I love you" on the pink strip. He actually did a pretty great job with his writing.

 

I love my children so much! And my sweet husband who helped me become a mommy and is sharing this crazy life with me.

Happy Mother's Day to all the women in my life that influence me for good. You know who you are! I am blessed beyond measure.

"The Mom I Want To Be"

In 2001, while married to my first spouse, I wrote the following paper in a class at BYU. My mom found it recently and I thought it would be fun to post it. Mother's Day is this weekend and I loved reading through what my 21 year old self expected in becoming a mother. Little did I know that before becoming a mother, I'd divorce, remarry, and turn 27 (so old). I never thought my path to motherhood would occur in this way. I am so grateful to be a mother. I am also so grateful for the other women in my life that have influenced me and been my "mothers." My own mother is a wonderful woman and I am lucky to have been sent to a mother that was so inspiring, loving, and fierce. (Excuse the weird format. I couldn't get in to edit it, so you're seeing it as it was returned to me after grading. I got an A in case you were wondering.)

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Anniversary and Mother's Day

So, I have now been blessed with celebrating four Mother's Days. They have all been wonderful. Crazy that I have three children now, which I still can't seem to wrap my head around that. Jared is so good to me. Man, I love that guy. We celebrated our 6 year wedding annivversary on 4/30 with a movie (The King's Speech PG-13 version) and dinner at Bosphorous (Turkish cuisine). Both were fan-tabulous! We need to go on more dats. The hardest part about having three children is how much I miss my husband. Our "we" time is seriously depleted these days.

Mother's Day, Jared got me some gifts, including a new, beautiful perfume called Light Blue by Dolce and Gabanna. I feel fancy and pretty when I wear it. I also received America's Test Kitchen HEalhty Family Cookbook. Very excited about finding healthier alternatives for our family in the kitchen. So far, the yogurt parfait, smoothies, and better for you banana bread are awesome. The boys also made me an awesome card, comlete with handprints and a picture drawn by my budding artist, Ethan. I cry every time I look at it. These boys are so good to me and I am so happy to be their mom. My goal for the next few decades is to avoid screwing them up.

In addition to being celebrated on Mother's Day, I thought about all the women in my life that are such wonderful examples to me. There are so many things I've learned from the amazing women in my life. Thank you to those women, you know who you are.

Grayson's First Haircut and other things

My sweet baby boy is not even 6 Months Old yet and has had his first haircut. He was so good and didn't even complain. I was the one complaining because I really didn't want to cut it, but Jared did. He told me an angel visited him and told him it was time. Haha, he is soooooooo funny. I gave in because I had contemplated putting a bobbi pin in it to keep it out of his eyes and that's just wrong. He looks cute, buy way grown up to me now. I guess the good news is, I can see his face now.

Rockin a new haircut and some overalls.

Before the haircut having some exersaucer fun. He loves that thing. I need to get him one of those jumping things you put in the doorway. He would love it!

Mother's day foot art for Gigi and Grandma. Ethan really enjoyed "making his foot."

My boy loves corn and LOVES corn on the cob. Here is he admiring his corn. He was cracking me up. He looked at the corn so lovingly the entire time he ate it.

Sleepy baby at the park. Looking chubby too!

Ethan and his body art. He found my work art supplies and had a good ole time. I was laughing so hard and just took a picture. His face cracks me up because he seems confused as to why he's not in trouble.

Mother's Day

Wow, I've come to realize that Mom's are pretty much awesome! It's really hard to imagine the kind of person I would have been if it hadn't been for my own mom. It appears as though I have been blessed to come to a family that is full of wonderful mothers. Women have such an important role on this Earth. In our meeting at church today, the speakers spoke about mothers, women, and the divine role they hold. One of the speakers quoted a former prophet in our church, and I paraphrase, said that the Lord did not pronounce His creation good and finished until he created woman. We women hardly give ourselves the credit we deserve. We are divine and we are amazing and most of our men wouldn't know what to do without us. I rejoice in being a woman and in being a mother. As hard as it can be, it brings me the greatest joy I have ever had in my entire life. A huge thank you to all the amazing women I know that teach me how to be a better woman! I love you!

Funny Motherhood Story

Yesterday in church, Ethan was taking his little cat nap. Jared had him, but had to pass him off to me in order to count how many people were in Sacrament meeting. Not his normal job, but he was filling in. During the pass off, I was so happy he stayed asleep that I sacrificed a little comfort for myself. Well, he began drooling and before I knew it, I could feel drool running down my chest and into my cleavage. Totally hilarious and awkward! I couldn't wipe it off because Ethan was in the way and still asleep and the people around me would probably be very concerned. It continued for about ten minutes until he finally woke up! I had to laugh, but contained myself to produce a silent, body shaking belly laugh. The joys of motherhood.

I'm so Proud! (Revised Edition--With Photo)

My Mama in her graduation garb. She's so cute. Look at that stylish mortarboard!

I just have to brag about my mama! After many years of going to school (part-time and full-time), working full-time, and raising a family, she is graduating with her Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration from Flagler College this weekend. I know it wasn't easy for her and there were other things as a mom and a grammy she'd rather have been doing, but she stuck to it and achieved her goal of graduating from college before she turns 50. (Her 50th b-day is in February 2009.) She has always been an example of perseverance and hard work. Both my parents have strived to teach us how to be honest, caring, kind, diligent people. I am so grateful to be a part of my family and so proud of my mama!

Special Request to all you Moms

I work with the young women at our church. They have a program called Personal Progress. The goal of the program is to help them develop and grow in seven areas: Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Choice & Accountability, Knowledge, Good Works, and Integrity.
I am currently working on it alongside the girls and need your help. If you moms that read my blog could comment on the following.
What are important attributes for being a mother?

If you could respond soon, that'd be great. Thanks for your help.