For the above photo effect, I set my camera on the kitchen table and took the shot on the no flash setting. For the one below, I used the setting that has a long time open shutter and also a flash. The setting usually has a bust and a star or moon.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Jack-O-Lanterns
For the above photo effect, I set my camera on the kitchen table and took the shot on the no flash setting. For the one below, I used the setting that has a long time open shutter and also a flash. The setting usually has a bust and a star or moon.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Get Out There and VOTE!
Check out your local government website if you haven't already, and make your last minute choices before you head out to the polls today. Voting isn't just our right, it's our responsibility. (So do it responsibly, please.)
Sunday, September 23, 2012
A New Temple of the Lord
Today is a special day for rejoicing! A new temple has been dedicated in Brigham City, UT. There are now 139 temples in use across the globe. Temples are a very special places that feel like a little bit of heaven on earth. I always get a special feeling when I attend the temple. I feel peaceful and closer to God. I come away feeling brighter and more dedicated and able to face the challenges of daily life.
In a holy temple of God, we can be sealed together with our families for forever. "'Til death do we part" need no longer apply!
I was able to attend one of the sessions of the dedication ceremony today. An apostle of Jesus Christ, Boyd K. Packer, spoke about how this particular temple is special to him since he grew up and raised his own family in Brigham City.
If you want to learn more about temples and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, visit www.lds.org/church/temples, or mormon.org. If you are not a member of the Church and would like to visit a temple open house before it is dedicated, be quick about it and you can visit Calgary Alberta or Boise Idaho. See templeopenhouse.lds.org/.
In a holy temple of God, we can be sealed together with our families for forever. "'Til death do we part" need no longer apply!
I was able to attend one of the sessions of the dedication ceremony today. An apostle of Jesus Christ, Boyd K. Packer, spoke about how this particular temple is special to him since he grew up and raised his own family in Brigham City.
If you want to learn more about temples and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, visit www.lds.org/church/temples, or mormon.org. If you are not a member of the Church and would like to visit a temple open house before it is dedicated, be quick about it and you can visit Calgary Alberta or Boise Idaho. See templeopenhouse.lds.org/.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Money Tree
If money could just grow on trees, I would plant an orchard.
I created this money tree to give to my brother-in-law for his birthday. To make one, you need one piece of
craft wire for each dollar. This one has 15.
For the leaves, fold the corners in like how you start a paper airplane.
Now fold the new corners in a bit. Repeat on the other side.
Pinch up the middle.
Poof out the leaves to give them a nice rounded shape, so that the folded corners are on the concave side. Alternate which side you fold in on your dollar bills so that you have a variety in your shades of green.
My wire was already cut in a package, so I didn't have to measure, but I'm guessing it was about 14 inches. Put all the wires together, and then twist them together at the middle about four inches. For the branches, divide the wires into two or three sections, twist a bit, then divide again and twist again. Use pliers to bend the ends into a small loop around the middle of one of the dollar leaves.
For the roots, spread all the wires out so they each point in a different direction, then gather a few together and twist. Use pliers to roll up the sharp ends. Adjust the roots so the tree stands up, and each "foot" touches the ground.
To add coin "fruit/nuts," use scissors to cut thin strips of clear tape. Fold a strip of tape over a branch, and attach to both sides of the coin.
craft wire for each dollar. This one has 15.
For the leaves, fold the corners in like how you start a paper airplane.
My wire was already cut in a package, so I didn't have to measure, but I'm guessing it was about 14 inches. Put all the wires together, and then twist them together at the middle about four inches. For the branches, divide the wires into two or three sections, twist a bit, then divide again and twist again. Use pliers to bend the ends into a small loop around the middle of one of the dollar leaves.
For the roots, spread all the wires out so they each point in a different direction, then gather a few together and twist. Use pliers to roll up the sharp ends. Adjust the roots so the tree stands up, and each "foot" touches the ground.
To add coin "fruit/nuts," use scissors to cut thin strips of clear tape. Fold a strip of tape over a branch, and attach to both sides of the coin.
Friday, August 10, 2012
This is going to be the coolest Halloween Ever!
With the growing popularity of Pinterest this year, I have a prediction that this year people all over will be seeing the most awesome decorations ever this year at Halloween! It took me a while to allow myself to sign up for Pinterest because I was warned how addicting it can be. Finally my curiosity overtook me. It is really inspiring! I see so many great ideas that I want to try on there! Yes, it really is addicting, and it seems you enter a time warp zone in Pinterest, so you don't notice how much time has passed while you are scrolling through hundreds of pictures of awesome stuff.
When I get out of Pinterest, I'm thinking to myself, "I gotta get to my sewing machine! I gotta cook that recipe! I can't wait until Halloween and Christmas! I wanna decorate my house like that!" Way to get the creative juices flowing.
Only I've spent all my free time looking at Pinterest rather than actually creating something.
Leave a comment.
When I get out of Pinterest, I'm thinking to myself, "I gotta get to my sewing machine! I gotta cook that recipe! I can't wait until Halloween and Christmas! I wanna decorate my house like that!" Way to get the creative juices flowing.
Only I've spent all my free time looking at Pinterest rather than actually creating something.
Leave a comment.
Monday, July 30, 2012
The Inheritance Series: A Review
The Inheritance series or "cycle" is about a young man named Eragon who lives in a magical land called Alagaesia. He discovers an unusual stone, which turns out to be a dragon egg. The dragon hatches, and the two become spiritually entwined. Eragon and Saphira become great warriors with the power of magic in a battle to overthrow a powerful tyrannical king.
I've seen Eragon in the Scholastic catalogues my kids bring home from school. I was in the mood for a light read, so I picked up this fantasy from the library. I really liked it! I got into pretty well and had a hard time putting it down. This first book introduces many characters and describes a new land full of magic and mythical types of creatures. It's heavy on details and descriptions, which I like. As I was nearing the end, I realized that there was not climax, let along a conclusion to the story, anywhere in sight. I soon discovered that it was meant to be a trilogy, not a novel. So much for a light read. Still I was excited about the story, so I didn't mind.
The second book, Eldest, was quite boring for me for the first 150 pages or so, but didn't disappoint me in the end. It was still awesome. The third book, Brisingr, was too violent for my liking. There are many very detailed descriptions about bloody battles and deaths. Blech. Book three was hard to get through. I started to grow weary of the story and wished it to end, but once again, toward the end of the book, there was no conclusion. In the author's note, Paolini says that he couldn't get everything in the third book that he wanted to, so look for the fourth. Even though I was tired of reading all these thick books when I had just wanted a light read, I still wanted to find out the ending--especially after I had invested so much time in it. The fourth book Inheritance was also gory, but it provided the a satisfying climax and conclusion. Perhaps it wasn't everything I had wished for to happen, but it made sense and worked out.
The series has characters that speaks several different languages. There are often phrase, sentences, and even short paragraphs throughout the books written in these made-up languages. It added depth to the cultures of the characters, but you have to flip to the index at the back of the book to find out what they mean. How annoying. I would have preferred a footnote.
Overall, I am glad I read all the books. The first book was the best, as is often the case in series. Paolini is good with descriptive writing and with conveying the emotions of his characters.
While reading the first book I realized that I had seen the movie. That was not so good as the book.
I give five stars to the first book Eragon. Three stars to the series as a whole.
I've seen Eragon in the Scholastic catalogues my kids bring home from school. I was in the mood for a light read, so I picked up this fantasy from the library. I really liked it! I got into pretty well and had a hard time putting it down. This first book introduces many characters and describes a new land full of magic and mythical types of creatures. It's heavy on details and descriptions, which I like. As I was nearing the end, I realized that there was not climax, let along a conclusion to the story, anywhere in sight. I soon discovered that it was meant to be a trilogy, not a novel. So much for a light read. Still I was excited about the story, so I didn't mind.
The second book, Eldest, was quite boring for me for the first 150 pages or so, but didn't disappoint me in the end. It was still awesome. The third book, Brisingr, was too violent for my liking. There are many very detailed descriptions about bloody battles and deaths. Blech. Book three was hard to get through. I started to grow weary of the story and wished it to end, but once again, toward the end of the book, there was no conclusion. In the author's note, Paolini says that he couldn't get everything in the third book that he wanted to, so look for the fourth. Even though I was tired of reading all these thick books when I had just wanted a light read, I still wanted to find out the ending--especially after I had invested so much time in it. The fourth book Inheritance was also gory, but it provided the a satisfying climax and conclusion. Perhaps it wasn't everything I had wished for to happen, but it made sense and worked out.
The series has characters that speaks several different languages. There are often phrase, sentences, and even short paragraphs throughout the books written in these made-up languages. It added depth to the cultures of the characters, but you have to flip to the index at the back of the book to find out what they mean. How annoying. I would have preferred a footnote.
Overall, I am glad I read all the books. The first book was the best, as is often the case in series. Paolini is good with descriptive writing and with conveying the emotions of his characters.
While reading the first book I realized that I had seen the movie. That was not so good as the book.
I give five stars to the first book Eragon. Three stars to the series as a whole.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Ladybug Egg
My little scientist Belle is always making new discoveries. She loves catching bugs in her free time. This lucky find laid an egg on the grass just after she put it in her bug house. See it? It's yellow. Too bad everything spilled out and was lost (outside, thankfully). It would have been fun to watch it change.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Falling to Heaven: A review
Falling to Heaven: The Surprising Path to Happiness by James L. Ferrell gives some perspectives on age old troubles. I found it very useful and a good exercise of my thinking and state of mind. It repeats the same principle of forgiveness I first read in Ferrell's book called The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal Hearts and Homes. (That book was life-changing for me. I wish I could give a copy of it to everyone I know.) The basic idea is that we all sin and are all equally deserving of not being allowed to return to Heavenly Father. Whether one sins more than another is irrelevant in the fact that we all need Christ's atonement. We shouldn't judge or condemn others because they sin more than we do.
Falling to Heaven is written by an LDS author with some content the average LDS churchgoer would understand (including references to scripture stories from the Book of Mormon), though there are plenty of references to the Bible other Christians could relate to enough to get the idea. It reads something like a good church talk. It is easy to read, unlike a textbook, though by the end of the book I found it hard to give a synopsis.
This book was well worth the time I spent reading it. I give it a four star rating.
Falling to Heaven is written by an LDS author with some content the average LDS churchgoer would understand (including references to scripture stories from the Book of Mormon), though there are plenty of references to the Bible other Christians could relate to enough to get the idea. It reads something like a good church talk. It is easy to read, unlike a textbook, though by the end of the book I found it hard to give a synopsis.
This book was well worth the time I spent reading it. I give it a four star rating.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Birthday Cake and Funeral Potatoes
April 6 was a special day this year. It was Good Friday, the day we commemorate the death of Jesus Christ, and also His birthday. We had funeral potatoes for an Easter celebration, and white cupcakes with white frosting to celebrate His birth. Everybody knows we celebrate Christ's birth on December 25; most people know that's not really His birthday. The Doctrine and Covenants chapter 20 verse 1 (D&C 20:1) tells us that God wanted His church to be reorganized on this special day, and though the language is not exactly specific, I believe it means that this is the actual day Christ was born. So I started a tradition with my family a few years ago that I would make a white cake with white frosting (the white symbolic of His purity) or cupcakes to have a birthday party for Jesus. We like to sing "Happy Birthday to You," and then share some of the cupcakes with our neighbors. We still also celebrate in December.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Twilight: A Book Review
When my aunt suggested I read Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, I checked the book out from the library. After reading the back cover to see what it was about, I sent it back to the library without reading it. Really? A teenage girl falling in love with a vampire? I don't have time for this. Some time later, I kept hearing about Twilight. Rave reviews were everywhere. My friend showed me the first movie at her house. I thought a couple hours invested in a silly story was better than how long it would take to read the book. I enjoyed it well enough, though I wasn't crazy about it like some people. She said the book was much better than the movie, as they usually are. This friend is what is now called a "Twi-hard" (like diehard for Twilight). She named her firstborn daughter Bella after the character in the book. I have a few other Twihard friends who wear the t-shirts and buy the dolls. One is nicknamed Renesmee after a character from the fourth book. They convinced me to read. I also am friends with a Twi-hater, who is ready to stage a book burning. I figure that this cultural phenomenon was worthy of my review.
Here is my opinion.
Twilight is intoxicating. The writing is emotional. I found myself still thinking about the story when I wasn't reading. I had trouble putting the book down to do my chores and to go to sleep at night. I couldn't wait for the next books to come in at the library, so I actually bought them. I was drawn in by the story, as I was able to feel the emotions of the characters as I read. That's one of my favorite things about a book--when I can feel what it is like to be in it. I didn't care for the second book so much, as Bella is mostly miserable through the whole thing. So was I. Book three picked up and was exciting again. Book four, well that one was just bizarre. Don't let your tweens read it. It's a little risqué.
I think the reason the books have affected so many people so strongly is because of the nature of Edward and Bella's relationship. He is deeply romantic, the epitome of a gentleman, and fiercely protective. He has in inordinate amount of self-control. His love for Bella is so strong, that he is willing to sacrifice his own happiness for her sake. Real women will never find a man to love them like this since he can only do it with supernatural powers and decades of experience. But to read the book is to live it vicariously. It's a thrilling experience. Hopefully women will not rate their husbands against Edward, since he is a fictional character, and the poor guys will undoubtedly fail.
I give Twilight five stars, New Moon two stars, Eclipse four stars, and Breaking Dawn one star.
Here is my opinion.
Twilight is intoxicating. The writing is emotional. I found myself still thinking about the story when I wasn't reading. I had trouble putting the book down to do my chores and to go to sleep at night. I couldn't wait for the next books to come in at the library, so I actually bought them. I was drawn in by the story, as I was able to feel the emotions of the characters as I read. That's one of my favorite things about a book--when I can feel what it is like to be in it. I didn't care for the second book so much, as Bella is mostly miserable through the whole thing. So was I. Book three picked up and was exciting again. Book four, well that one was just bizarre. Don't let your tweens read it. It's a little risqué.
I think the reason the books have affected so many people so strongly is because of the nature of Edward and Bella's relationship. He is deeply romantic, the epitome of a gentleman, and fiercely protective. He has in inordinate amount of self-control. His love for Bella is so strong, that he is willing to sacrifice his own happiness for her sake. Real women will never find a man to love them like this since he can only do it with supernatural powers and decades of experience. But to read the book is to live it vicariously. It's a thrilling experience. Hopefully women will not rate their husbands against Edward, since he is a fictional character, and the poor guys will undoubtedly fail.
I give Twilight five stars, New Moon two stars, Eclipse four stars, and Breaking Dawn one star.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
A Call for Prayer and Fasting
This message is a call for prayer and fasting in behalf of our country, the United States of America.
Ask God to remove the evil and corruption from our government and replace it with morality and wisdom. Ask that solutions can be found to the difficult problems our nation is facing. Ask what you can do personally to make a difference, and then take action.
Let us unite our faith, prayer, and fasting this Sunday, March 25, 2012. We need the power of God to help us.
Please share this message with fellow concerned citizens via email, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Pinterest, and word of mouth.
Please say a prayer right now, and then mark your calendar for this Sunday.
Monday, March 5, 2012
A New Kind of PB Sandwich
My kids want to eat peanut butter sandwiches for lunch every day. We've come up with several varieties.
PB and jelly
PB and Nutella
PB, butter, and honey
PB and banana
Fluffernutter (PB and marshmallow creme)
PB and raisins
PB and potato chips
Our newest addition is PB and trail mix. Yum!
Sometimes I use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. We rarely have white bread at our house, but it is fun to make checkerboard sandwiches by cutting squares from a wheat sandwich and a white sandwich and arranging them like a checkerboard.
What do you put on your PB sandwiches?
PB and jelly
PB and Nutella
PB, butter, and honey
PB and banana
Fluffernutter (PB and marshmallow creme)
PB and raisins
PB and potato chips
Our newest addition is PB and trail mix. Yum!
Sometimes I use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. We rarely have white bread at our house, but it is fun to make checkerboard sandwiches by cutting squares from a wheat sandwich and a white sandwich and arranging them like a checkerboard.
What do you put on your PB sandwiches?
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Over the Top Valentines
When I was a kid at school, we exchanged little folded cards with cartoon characters on them (like Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Scooby Doo, GI Joe, Transformers... I can't remember what else was popular then). Each had a little envelope. If you were really lucky, you might have a couple envelopes with three or four conversation hearts. Those were the jackpot. Nowadays, the cards are still popular, with revised versions of many of the same characters, but almost every one has to come with a piece of candy or a sticker or tattoo--at least! This year Sweetheart brought home a long tube of bubbles, a bouncy ball, and scratchboard art with his candy. Belle had six packs of Fun-Dip and more Laffy Taffy than she got from Halloween. This year, we went over the top with our valentines. It even tops the woven paper heart pockets with a Tootsie Roll inside that we made last year. Family Fun magazine gave me the idea to use a photo of your kid giving a giant lollipop, so I went with that idea and made these:
I took pictures of the kids holding a heart shaped cake pan and a cardboard tube, and then used my photo editing software to write on it and check the sizing. I taped on our crayon hearts (see the last post) over the pans. I got a bunch of lip glosses for really cheap at an after Christmas sale. I used an X-Acto knife to cut around Belle's hands and arms and then tape in the lip gloss. Then they wrote their names with a permanent marker at the top. It was a fun project for us to do together, and we were all really happy with how they turned out. It was a lot of effort for a valentine exchange, so I don't if we'll try to match it, but we enjoyed doing it together. The price was probably a little higher than buying premade cards and candy, but I got a deal on the photo prints and lipgloss, and the crayons were free.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Heart Shaped Crayons
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Blogger Help?
Does anyone know how I can make a Microsoft Word file available for viewers to download on Blogger?
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
A Separate Peace
A Separate Peace by John Knowles was on a recommended reading list I looked at recently, so I picked it up. The back cover gave rave reviews. I have to say that the book was exceptionally well written. I can only aspire to be able to paint such vivid landscapes with words like Knowles does in this book. The descriptions were impeccable. Often the action, though, would come so abruptly that I would have to reread a paragraph or a few sentences to be sure something so dramatic could happen in such a little space. The foreshadowing was interesting, though it made me feel a bit anxious through most of the book.
The story is about a young man in college during WWII and his odd relationship with his roommate. Since I have often been curious to know how a man thinks, I enjoyed stepping inside this young man's psyche for a while. Still, there were moments when I just couldn't understand his motives. At the end of chapter twelve, I admit that I broke down crying. I sort of knew what was bound to happen because of the foreshadowing from chapter one, but it still was upsetting. (I don't want to blow it for you if you haven't read it.) All in all it was an emotional story, but emotions I'm not accustomed to feeling. Maybe it's a boy book. This book is hard to rate. I want to give it 5 stars for the skill of the author. But it wasn't really very pleasant. At times when I was angry in the book I wanted to say I hated it and give it a one star, but I kept reading... I suppose to be able to invoke the emotions is power in a book. It really deserves much more than one star. I can see why it is a classic.
The story is about a young man in college during WWII and his odd relationship with his roommate. Since I have often been curious to know how a man thinks, I enjoyed stepping inside this young man's psyche for a while. Still, there were moments when I just couldn't understand his motives. At the end of chapter twelve, I admit that I broke down crying. I sort of knew what was bound to happen because of the foreshadowing from chapter one, but it still was upsetting. (I don't want to blow it for you if you haven't read it.) All in all it was an emotional story, but emotions I'm not accustomed to feeling. Maybe it's a boy book. This book is hard to rate. I want to give it 5 stars for the skill of the author. But it wasn't really very pleasant. At times when I was angry in the book I wanted to say I hated it and give it a one star, but I kept reading... I suppose to be able to invoke the emotions is power in a book. It really deserves much more than one star. I can see why it is a classic.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Baby Bathtub Tricks
I don't know what got me thinking about this... but I remember when my little people were babies. Every time I filled the tub with nice clean warm water and stuck their little tushies in it, they would pee right in the water. No sense trying to clean a baby in yucky water, so I'd have to drain it and start again. Meanwhile I'm trying to hold up a slippery wiggle-worm with one hand while they are getting cold. Finally I wisened up. I filled the tub and only undressed them down to the diaper. All I had to do was let them put their feet in the water, and then they would pee in the diaper. Diaper off--clean bath.
As long as I am on the topic of bathing babies, it would be fun to hear some opinions about fear of the water. My children always hated to have water in their face. Rinsing shampoo from their hair could often lead to panicked screaming and thrashing if any water got in their faces. Faces need to get cleaned, too, though. I often thought of putting a sticker on ceiling to help them understand better when I would repeat "look up high!" I suppose some children come readily adapted to the water somehow, but mine certainly were not. I resorted to giving them swimming lessons to help them overcome their fear of the water. It has been a long time coming, but now Belle says she would like to train dolphins when she grows up. She would rather BE a dolphin if that were possible. Four-year-old Sweetheart is bobbing for rings at the bottom of the pool. I'm so proud.
We've used waterproof books, Barbie mermaids, foam letters and road tracks with cars, boats, bathtub crayons, and of course plastic cups and bowls to make bath time fun.
What do you do? Leave a comment.
As long as I am on the topic of bathing babies, it would be fun to hear some opinions about fear of the water. My children always hated to have water in their face. Rinsing shampoo from their hair could often lead to panicked screaming and thrashing if any water got in their faces. Faces need to get cleaned, too, though. I often thought of putting a sticker on ceiling to help them understand better when I would repeat "look up high!" I suppose some children come readily adapted to the water somehow, but mine certainly were not. I resorted to giving them swimming lessons to help them overcome their fear of the water. It has been a long time coming, but now Belle says she would like to train dolphins when she grows up. She would rather BE a dolphin if that were possible. Four-year-old Sweetheart is bobbing for rings at the bottom of the pool. I'm so proud.
We've used waterproof books, Barbie mermaids, foam letters and road tracks with cars, boats, bathtub crayons, and of course plastic cups and bowls to make bath time fun.
What do you do? Leave a comment.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Use a Humidifier
Utah is technically a desert. That means it is dry, of course. With the winter weather, our house has been really dry lately. My children's hair stands up straight like they are touching a Van de Graaf generator after they put on a shirt. In a dark bathroom, we can get an electric lights show when changing out of polar fleece sleeper jammies. A couple weeks ago, I dropped our kitchen timer and broke it because I received a shock when turning on the light switch. Time to run the humidifier. We have a cold mist humidifier that I run in the night time. It helps tremendously to reduce the trouble we've been having with dry air. It helps with dry, itchy skin, bloody noses and bloodshot eyes, chapped lips, and even helps me get to sleep better since it isn't so hard to breathe.
Our pediatricians have always recommended running a humidifier as soon as the kids get sick. It helps more than any medicine, I think. My mom has a steam humidifier. It works, too, but a little too well! If she runs it all night, she wakes up in a tropical rain forest, with water dripping down the walls and a bad smell from the wooden furniture. It is better to run hers a couple hours before bed, and then turn it off.
Our pediatricians have always recommended running a humidifier as soon as the kids get sick. It helps more than any medicine, I think. My mom has a steam humidifier. It works, too, but a little too well! If she runs it all night, she wakes up in a tropical rain forest, with water dripping down the walls and a bad smell from the wooden furniture. It is better to run hers a couple hours before bed, and then turn it off.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
New Year's Resolutions
Happy New Year to everyone! I love this time of year when people start to focus on self-improvement.
I have a few resolutions of my own. This last year I have been bogged down and overwhelmed with PAPERS. It sounds funny, but all those stacks of bills, letters, notices, store ads, articles, coupons... I just don't know what to do with them half the time. If I don't have time to deal with it right away, I leave it out so I'll see it later and take care of it. Next thing I know my entire counter or desk or table or whatever is covered in papers I don't know how to deal with. Can anyone relate? So this year I am resolved to get organized. I've gotten some stacking trays and labeled them for different sorts of papers. Hopefully now things won't be getting lost and forgotten, and I can take care of things as they come. I already feel a burden lifted as I don't have stacks of clutter anymore.
My other resolution: every time I write out a to-do list this year, I am going to write "study the scriptures" at the top of the list. I too often let that go to the wayside on busy days.
I know lots of people are making resolutions for exercise, as always.
Here are some tips when you set goals:
1. Make it attainable.
Belle says her resolution this year is to keep her room clean every day for the whole year. That is not really a reasonable goal, and I can foresee failure within the first week. She hasn't mastered the skill of cleaning up one activity before moving on to the next. For her a more attainable goal would be to put her dirty laundry in the hamper every time she changes or something like that.
2. Make it measurable.
"I'm going to get healthy" is not as good a goal as "I'm going to exercise three times a week for 30 minutes," or "I am only going to allow myself one sweet treat a day."
3. Write it down to make it official.
Put it in your journal, stick a post-it note on your mirror, put it on your calendar--whatever.
4. Reward yourself for reaching the goal.
Make it a good enough reward that you'll want to push yourself in order to reach it. Don't choose a reward that opposes your goal, like don't reward all your exercise with a big bowl of ice cream. That doesn't make sense.
What are some of your resolutions?
I have a few resolutions of my own. This last year I have been bogged down and overwhelmed with PAPERS. It sounds funny, but all those stacks of bills, letters, notices, store ads, articles, coupons... I just don't know what to do with them half the time. If I don't have time to deal with it right away, I leave it out so I'll see it later and take care of it. Next thing I know my entire counter or desk or table or whatever is covered in papers I don't know how to deal with. Can anyone relate? So this year I am resolved to get organized. I've gotten some stacking trays and labeled them for different sorts of papers. Hopefully now things won't be getting lost and forgotten, and I can take care of things as they come. I already feel a burden lifted as I don't have stacks of clutter anymore.
My other resolution: every time I write out a to-do list this year, I am going to write "study the scriptures" at the top of the list. I too often let that go to the wayside on busy days.
I know lots of people are making resolutions for exercise, as always.
Here are some tips when you set goals:
1. Make it attainable.
Belle says her resolution this year is to keep her room clean every day for the whole year. That is not really a reasonable goal, and I can foresee failure within the first week. She hasn't mastered the skill of cleaning up one activity before moving on to the next. For her a more attainable goal would be to put her dirty laundry in the hamper every time she changes or something like that.
2. Make it measurable.
"I'm going to get healthy" is not as good a goal as "I'm going to exercise three times a week for 30 minutes," or "I am only going to allow myself one sweet treat a day."
3. Write it down to make it official.
Put it in your journal, stick a post-it note on your mirror, put it on your calendar--whatever.
4. Reward yourself for reaching the goal.
Make it a good enough reward that you'll want to push yourself in order to reach it. Don't choose a reward that opposes your goal, like don't reward all your exercise with a big bowl of ice cream. That doesn't make sense.
What are some of your resolutions?
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