Sunday Inspiration

FRESHLY PICKED MOCCS

Look. At. These. Moccs. Aren't they THE cutest shoes you have ever seen?!?! I was so excited, as was E when these arrived in the mail from Rachel at Freshly Picked. 

Susan Petersen (Owner) started making baby moccasins in 2009 after becoming frustrated by the lack of well-designed baby shoes. Using her second child, Gus, as a mocc-tester, and a bag of scrap leather she picked up at a yard sale, she began experimenting with designs. Working at her kitchen table, on a shoestring budget, Susan persisted through some disastrous attempts until she had created a pair of moccasins that not only looked adorable on Gus’ chubby little feet, but stayed on his feet as well. Since then the moccasins have gone through about six design changes. Each change has perfected the look and the fit of the soft-soled shoe. The moccasins you purchase today are durable, well designed, and most importantly: stay on your child’s foot. Money was tight at the time Susan started and in order to earn money to start her business she got resourceful. Her brother owns a window installation business and in the summer of 2009 she convinced him to let her keep the old windows that he was removing from the houses. She spent a whole summer banging the glass out of the windows because they were encased in aluminum frames. At the end of the summer she took the aluminum window frames to the scrap yard and recycled them to get money. She made $200 dollars and with that literal sweat equity, she started her business. Each pair of moccasins, whether being shipped to the rich and famous (or at least their kids), or shipped across town, are made with care, perfection and a love for the little feet they are intended for. 

Freshly Picked has a wide variety of moccs to choose from. I decided to go with this rose gold color which is to die for! The first words out of E's mouth when she took them out of the bag was "Ohhhh Mama! They are SO beautiful!!!" (hugging them up against her little face) These moccs literally look and feel as smooth as butter! E's words were "They feel like slippers! Can I sleep with them too?!?!" 

Well...I didn't let her sleep with them, but ever since we got them these are the only pair of shoes that she wants to wear. 

  

(me) tee: thrifted // blouse: Sheinside // bracelet: thrifted // jeans: thrifted // shoes: thrifted

(e) top: thrifted // skirt: thrifted // shoes: Freshly Picked

Beauty Trends Worth Paying Attention To

New beauty trends pop up constantly bombarding us with unnecessary products, remedies, and ingredients. So how do we distinguish the good, helpful beauty trends from the bad?

Thankfully there are some key ingredients that have proven to be beneficial in aiding natural beauty, while there are also bad ingredients that have proven to harm skin, hair, and a woan’s overall health. Here are some tried and true natural beauty ingredients that you simply can’t live without and some bad beauty ingredients that you simply can’t live with.

Ingredients to Include in Your Beauty Regiment:

SPF Enhanced Products:

Instead of applying sunscreen every day, many women now look for all-day sun protection when buying their foundation and powder makeup. Certain SPF enhancers like Dow Coning FA 4002 Silicone Acrylate are film formers that are compatible with organic UV absorbers. Together these significantly increase the base SPF in consumer makeup, lotion, creams, and gels. SPF-rich beauty products have proven to diminish the likelihood of skin cancer, sunburn, and wrinkles. When buying makeup, make sure it contains some UV protection.

Shea Butter:

Shea Butter isn't like the normal generic lotion you can buy at Walmart. This lotion differs from other lotions because it moisturizes from the base layer of your skin up. Other lotions simply work as emollients, meaning they only soften the top layer of the skin. Unlike other lotions, Shea Butter can be used in many different ways. It can condition hair, minimize stretch marks, treat minor burns, reduce razor bumps, and soothe sore muscles, just to name a few uses. Shea Butter is rich with Vitamins A and E which help the skin exude a fresh glow. There are several resources that can show you the amazing benefits of Shea Butter like this article.

Blue Tansy:

Blue Tansy or Tanacetum Annuum is an essential oil and balm extracted from the leaves and petals of the North African tansy flower. The balm has a deep blue color and the oil has a slightly sweet aroma. Blue tansy balm helps remedy skin rashes and reduces itching or burning sensations making it perfect for individuals who suffer from eczema and psoriasis. You will love this if you have moderate to severe acne as the balm reduces redness, swelling, and chronic inflammation. It also diminishes sunburns and radiation burns. The aroma of the oil helps calm the mind and relieve insomnia, anxiety and depression. You should apply before getting to bed to give yourself both a serene night’s sleep and healed skin.

Argan Oil:

Argan oil is made from the nuts of Morocco’s argan tree. It has become one of the top ingredients in the natural cosmetic industry because of its rejuvenating, antioxidizing, and moisturizing qualities without the mess of grease. Because it doesn’t have grease, unlike coconut oil, argan oil is perfect for hair and has become a hot commodity for anti-aging hair products. This ingredient is included in scalp masks, styling creams, shampoos, and conditioners. Celebrities such as Demi Moore and Kate Upton love and stand by argan oil as their favorite hair product.

Ingredients to Avoid in Your Beauty Regiment:

Sulfates in Shampoo:

Sulfates in shampoo are known to strip your hair of its natural oils and completely dry it out. Sulfates make curly hair frizzy and drain the color out of dyed hair. Sulfates are also bad for those with eczema or a dry scalp. The more chemicals in a shampoo, the worse it is for your hair. Sulfate-free shampoos ensure that your hair keeps its natural oils. Watch out for these shampoos at your local beauty store and in some grocery stores.

Parabens in Cosmetics:

Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used in cosmetics from shampoos to moisturizers to makeup. These chemicals have been found in tumor samples of women with breast cancer. The parabens found in these tumors had initially been applied to the skin by body spray, moisturizer, or underarm deodorant. Studies have found that parabens can mimic estrogen, a hormone known to play a significant role in the development of breast cancer. In order to avoid even the possibility of cancer, it would be best to make sure all your cosmetics and beauty products are paraben-free.

WHAT WE WORE WEDNESDAY.

Today is going to be one busy day! We have E's lawyer coming over at 4:30 and then our foster licensing specialist coming right after that at 5:30. I got word last week from our Case Manager that there is Foster Care Review Board Meeting scheduled for E on September 15th. The Foster Care Review Board advises the juvenile court on progress toward achieving a permanent home for a child or children involved in a dependency action and in an out-of-home placement. The well-being of these kiddos is the highest concern to these board members. I am so grateful that they can be a "voice" for them, because a huge majority of them don't have a voice. They are placed in a home with people that they have never met before and just have to adjust. I am so thankful that E has been placed with us and that she is adjusting and growing in our home with us. I am so thankful that Josh and I accepted God's calling for us to love and care for His children. Our journey so far doesn't have any words to describe it. We have been taught so much and have learned so many things along the way. Our faith has grown tremendously and we have learned what it means to really truly trust God. Fostering has been one of the best experiences of my life and I cannot wait to see what God has planned for E and for our family. Sometimes I get this feeling like I wish I could help out more and do more. I wish that I had a humongous 20 bedroom home that I could fill with these precious little kiddos...but I don't...and that's okay. Whenever I feel this way, I always hear a sweet whisper from God telling me that I am doing enough..that I am doing more than enough and that I am changing lives one child at a time. God's surprises and His blessings are always so wonderful!  I love my God so much. He is so good, so faithful, so loving and so merciful. I don't know what I would do without Him in my life. Please keep E and our family in your prayers during this time of changes and transitioning. Thank you!

(me) skirt: Nordstrom Rack // shoes: Zulily // purse: TJ Maxx // shirt: thrifted // 

sunglasses: TJ Maxx // earrings: Chicos // watch: Target // bracelet: Ettika

(e) top: thrifted // skirt: thrifted // shoes: Payless // hairclip: Dollar Tree

DIY: HOMEMADE SPRINKLER FOR KIDS.

Last week, my Husband Josh emailed me and in the subject line it said "Do you think she will like this or what?!?! I opened up the email to find this picture that he attached......

For just a moment I am just going to brag about my Husband a little bit. He can literally fix and recreate anything. Leave it up to him, he gets the job done! I remember when our garbage disposal went out. Instead of calling a professional to come and take a look at it, his response was "Oh I can fix this..just you watch, wait and see honey!" As he took it apart, there were parts all over our kitchen floor and of course I am thinking..."We should have called someone" Well sure enough, he put everything back together and wah-la worked liked it was brand new! Some other projects that he has done (built our entertainment center in our living room and bedroom, installed sprinklers in our front and back yard, gutted out our walk in pantry to make it bigger, did the electrical work in our spare bedroom, installed a fence around our pool, etc.) I am so grateful for my sexy handy man! 

When he sent me a picture of this sprinkler, my first thought was "of course you did!" 

I think it's pretty safe to say that E absolutely loves this!    

Materials

2 10 foot pieces of 1/2 inch PVC pipe

1 PVC t-joint

1 PVC hose to pipe connector

4 PVC elbow joints

PVC cement

PVC pipe cutting tool (optional, but super nice!)

drill with 1/16 inch drill bit

Instructions:

Cut 10 foot pipes into 4 four feet pieces. You will not need the excess amount, but be sure to save it in case you need to make repairs later. Drill random holes along the length of each 4 foot pipe. Try to keep the holes towards the upper third of the pipe, but you can slant them any direction you want. Cut one 4 foot section of pipe in half. The hose connector and t-joint will be used here. Use PVC cement to glue the t-joint, the hose connector and the pipe pieces together. Glue the remaining pieces together using the elbow joints to connect each side and make a square. Let PVC cement dry completely (it will dry pretty quick) then screw hose into hose connector piece. Turn the water on and enjoy! When you are ready to put it away, unscrew the hose and tip it upside down to drain all the water out. 

I AM A MORMON MONDAY: MEET KALI

Happy Monday to you! I hope you had a fabulous weekend! Our weekend was filled with new house projects, gardening/yard work, and family. 
Guys........... today I am so excited today to announce that I Am a Mormon Monday is back!! I have had a few emails asking "Why aren't you doing I Am a Mormon Monday anymore!?!" I guess my answer to that is life kind of got in the way. Once I was done with my last feature on my blog, I kinda forgot about it until I got another email and decided that I should start it right back up again! So here we are!!
Today I am featuring Kali Matthews. She is wonderful. She is so devoted to the Gospel and has such a love and testimony of Jesus Christ. Her two boys are the cutest and just about two months ago they decided that they would like to become foster parents with an intent to adopt which is so great!
Take it away Kali!

Blog // Website // Facebook // Instagram

Hello. I'm Kali Matthews, blogger at www.kalimatthews.blogspot.com. I am one of 8 children and an Air Force Brat, so I've lived all over the United States, but ended up in Sunny California. Here's where I met a tall, dark, and handsome, mysterious basketball coach from the Singles Ward, and we were married in the Oakland Temple 7 1/2 years ago. We were blessed almost right away, with 2 wild little hooligans-- boys. They are crazy, fun, and keep us on our toes. We have felt very prompted lately to pursue adoption through Foster Care and are halfway through the certification process. We are very excited! When I'm not chasing my two boys around or macking on my Husband, you might find me photographing anyone and everyone, at church with the Young Women, or relieving stress in the weight room. You might occasionally find me in the kitchen or cleaning my house, but probably not.

I was blessed to have been born to an LDS family, a convert mom, and a dad relating all the way back to Brigham Young, but as I got older, and we moved around a lot, I had the opportunity to learn about many different cultures and religions. In New Jersey & Ohio, I attended several different churches with friends. There were great qualities about these churches, but for me, nothing could compare to the warm, peaceful, Spirit I felt at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Even though I grew up in the church, I took the missionary discussions at the age of 14 to further acquaint myself with the doctrine. I was also attending seminary and took the challenge to read the Book of Mormon daily and to pray and ask if it were true. I did just that, and for awhile, I wasn't really sure. Then one night, I had an experience that changed me forever, and I realized, that all along, I already knew. I'll never forget that powerful witness. Reading the Bible and Book of Mormon, daily, strengthen me and remind me of who I am and what my purpose is. 

What is hope? 

Well, I just Googled it & my favorite definition to come up was, "a feeling of trust". I LOVE that! I definitely feel like hope and faith are trusting in our Heavenly Father that good things are to come. I am a worrier by nature, so this is an important reminder for me. I hope to see my children raised to become people who change the world for the better. I hope to adopt in the next year or so. I hope to grow old and serve a mission alongside my husband. I hope I never ever get bedbugs {I have an irrational fear... see? worrier by nature}.

How do you live your faith? 

I live my faith by striving to be the best mommy and wife possible. I do believe the most important work you will ever do is within the walls of your own home. I also serve as Young Women's President in my ward. I told them I was probably too disorganized and inappropriate to be Young Women's President, but here I am anyway, and I'm working on both. I have a special love for today's youth, and feel like the girls in my ward are my own little sisters. It's been such a blessing and privilege to work with them and learn from them. I also love serving in the temple, and try to go as often as possible. It is such a beautiful place of peace and refuge from the world. Another way I live my faith, is just by trying to forget myself and serve others. I love Martin Luther King Jr's words,"Life's most urgent and persistent question is: What are you doing for others?" I've just realized that by serving others, my own problems are minimized, and I feel closest to my Savior, Jesus Christ, which is the greatest blessing of all. 

If you would like to know more about what I believe, click HERE.

Thank you, Kimberly for having me on your beautiful blog! I look forward to getting to know other featured bloggers!

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If you are interested in being featured on my blog for I Am a Mormon Monday. Please contact me and I will add you to the list! Right now I am booked out through November 3rd. Next open slot is for November 17th. Email: bostonksox@gmail.com ***I look forward to hearing from you!***

MIRACLE GRILL MAT WINNER.

Congratulations Annie! You are the winner of the Miracle Grill Mat.

Please email me with your name, address and email.

Email: bostonksox@gmail.com 

FASHION FRIDAY LINK UP: MY PERFECT GAME DAY ENSEMBLE.

Have you guys every heard of Fanatics? Fanatics carries all kinds of sports apparel and merchandise that is perfect for game day! Who is your favorite baseball team? Well...whoever it is, Fanatics has a vast selection of baseball caps to choose from. The company's assortment of MLB head-wear includes lids for every fan type. 

Below would be my perfect game day picks. I picked out this Boston Red Sox hat, because #1 I was born in Boston and #2 I am a huge Boston Red Sox fan! Go Red Sox!!! If I was back in Boston and went to a game, this is what my ensemble would look like. Dressed head to toe in Boston Red Sox. 

Fleece Hoodie // Tee // Jeans // Chucks // Tote Bag // Watch // Bracelet // Head Wrap

Do you have a favorite baseball team? If so, who is your favorite?

Hey!! Don't forget to link up your outfits for today's Fashion Friday Link Up. I will pick out my favorite and whoever I pick, I will feature you on my blog for next weeks Fashion Friday Link Up!

An InLinkz Link-up

PAUL FREDRICK 2014 FALL COLLECTION LAUNCH.

About a week ago, I was contacted by Paul Fredrick, a men's fashion company focusing on suits, shirts and ties, to celebrate with them the launch of their new 2014 Fall Collection. Paul Fredrick was founded 25 years ago. They originally specialized in dress shirts. but their collection has grown exceptionally, and they now have a large number of satisfied long-term customers that love their clothing. They design, manufacture and directly distribute every item in their collection. Paul Fredrick has no wholesalers, no store fronts, just great style at everyday prices. Paul Fredrick’s mission statement is:

"Today there is more choice out there than ever before. And, every day it increases. Some stuff is good. Some not so good. Sometimes, disconcertingly, both are available from the same company. It can be very overwhelming – even oppressive. Our goal is to remove the clutter and mystery from men’s dressing. Make it easy. So you can get on with more important things." -Paul Fredrick

Their 2014 Fall Collection features a variety of colors and patterns that will add a sophisticated spark to any fall wardrobe. Within this fun collection, it won’t be a season of earthy colors and basic prints; but rather deep reds, rich blues, paisley prints, and stripes. We all know that most of the men in our life need a little shrug in the right direction when it comes to fashion. 

Below are some of my favorite pieces from the collection and a video highlighting the new collection.

         

WHAT WE WORE WEDNESDAY AND A FOSTER CARE UPDATE.

Last week we received a letter in the mail for clothing allowance for E. It didn't have any instructions on how to obtain the clothing allowance, but had the number to our Case Manager in case we had any questions about it. I decided to call her and I am so happy that I did. We spent close to 45 minutes on the phone talking about our case. The update that she gave me was very positive. Whenever a new case is opened in the foster care system, they first establish a "case plan" or a "case time frame". It usually depends on the type of case and the age of the child. For E, we were told that her case plan was for 9 months and we have had her since April. There is a court hearing scheduled for the end of October. Since her Mom is completely out of the picture at this point, our Case Manager informed me that our case might move faster than we might expect and there is a huge possibility that the Mom's rights will be severed in the next few months and E will come up for adoption. She told me that her Mom would need to make some pretty drastic changes right now to have any chance at being able to get E and her other children back. First question she asked me was if we would be willing to adopt E. I told her if it came to that point, we would definitely want to. Then her second question came as a big surprise to me. She told me that the Grandpa who is taking care of E's brother (who is 3 years old) is not interested at all in adopting him. She then asked me, "Would you be willing to adopt both E and her younger brother?" I was speechless for a moment, but thinking about it and the possibility of that happening made me so giddy. I told her that Josh and I would need to think and pray about first, but we would definitely consider it. 
Our foster care journey has challenged our faith more times than I can count and my faith has grown in leaps and bounds because of it. Every time I become fearful or get anxiety of the unknown and what might be ahead, I lean back on the fact of who brought us here to where we are right now. Looking back, "my plan" was to already be staying at home with one of our own babies (maybe 2)...but Heavenly Father had a completely different plan for our family than what I would have ever imagined. It's been such a wonderful journey and I am so grateful that we were able and that we were willing to become foster parents. Last night as E wrapped her arms around me to cuddle in her bed, tears of joy and immense gratitude fell down my face as I held her tight. Heavenly Father truly is good and I know He is in the midst of all of this. There is something so beautiful and so wonderful about trusting in Him and trusting His plan and not our own. I have surrendered my will and my plans for His will and His plans for my life, for E and for our family. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks for reading! Hope you have a fantastic day!!

     (me) shirt: Kohls // cropped jeans: Kohls // shoes: Zulily // purse(F21): Goodwill //  bracelet: Goodwill // earrings: Forever 21 // Sunglasses: Tillys
(e) dress: Costco // shoes: Payless // purse: gift from Mom // Sunglasses: gift from my friend Lindsay