Rules

25 Rules for Mothers of Daughters

1. Paint her nails. Then let her scratch it off and dirty them up. Teach her to care about her appearance, and then quickly remind her that living and having fun is most important.

2. Let her put on your makeup, even if it means bright-red-smudged lips and streaked-blue eyes. Let her experiment in her attempts to be like you…then let her be herself.

3. Let her be wild. She may want to stay home and read books on the couch, or she may want to hop on the back of a motorcycle-gasp. She may be a homebody or a traveler. She may fall in love with the wrong boy, or meet Mr. right at age 5. Try to remember that you were her age once. Everyone makes mistakes, let her make her own.

4. Be present. Be there for her at her Kindergarten performances, her dance recitals, her soccer games…her everyday-little-moments. When she looks through the crowds of people, she will be looking for your smile and pride. Show it to her as often as possible.

5. Encourage her to try on your shoes and play dress-up. If she would rather wear her brother’s superman cape with high heals, allow it. If she wants to wear a tutu or dinosaur costume to the grocery store, why stop her? She needs to decide who she is and be confident in her decision.

6. Teach her to be independent. Show her by example that woman can be strong. Find and follow your own passions. Search for outlets of expression and enjoyment for yourself- not just your husband or children. Define yourself by your own attributes, not by what others expect you to be. Know who you are as a person, and help your daughter find out who she is.
 
7. Pick flowers with her. Put them in her hair. There is nothing more beautiful than a girl and a flower.

8. Let her get messy. Get messy with her, no matter how much it makes you cringe inside. Splash in the puddles, throw snowballs, make mud pies, finger paint the walls: just let it happen. The most wonderful of memories are often the messy ones.

9. Give her good role models- you being one of them. Introduce her to successful woman- friends, co-workers, doctors, astronauts, or authors. Read to her about influential woman- Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie. Read her the words of inspirational woman- Jane Austen, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson. She should know that anything is possible.

10. Show her affection. Daughters will mimic the compassion of their mother. “I love yous” and Eskimo kisses go a long way.

11. Hold her hand. Whether she is 3 years-old in the parking lot or sixteen years old in the mall, hold on to her always- this will teach her to be confident in herself and proud of her family.

12. Believe in her. It is the moments that she does not believe in herself that she will need you to believe enough for both of you. Whether it is a spelling test in the first grade, a big game or recital, a first date, or the first day of college…remind her of the independent and capable woman you have taught her to be.

13. Tell her how beautiful she is. Whether it is her first day of Kindergarten, immediately after a soccer game where she is grass-stained and sweaty, or her wedding day. She needs your reminders. She needs your pride. She needs your reassurance. She is only human.

14. Love her father. Teach her to love a good man, like him. One who lets her be herself…she is after all wonderful.

15. Make forts with boxes and blankets. Help her to find magic in the ordinary, to imagine, to create and to believe in fairy tales. Someday she will make her 5 by 5 dorm-room her home with magic touches and inspiration. And she will fall in love with a boy and believe him to be Prince Charming.

16. Read to her. Read her Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. But also remember the power of Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost. Show her the beauty of words on a page and let her see you enjoy them. Words can be simply written and simply spoken, yet can harvest so much meaning. Help her to find their meaning.

17. Teach her how to love- with passion and kisses. Love her passionately. Love her father passionately and her siblings passionately. Express your love. Show her how to love with no restraint. Let her get her heart broken and try again. Let her cry, and gush, giggle and scream. She will love like you love or hate like you hate. So, choose love for both you and her.

18. Encourage her to dance and sing. Dance and sing with her- even if it sounds or looks horrible. Let her wiggle to nursery rhymes. Let her dance on her daddy's feet and spin in your arms. Then later, let her blast noise and headbang in her bedroom with her door shut if she wants. Or karaoke to Tom Petty in the living room if she would rather. Introduce her to the classics- like The Beatles- and listen to her latest favorite- like Taylor Swift. Share the magic of music together, it will bring you closer- or at least create a soundtrack to your life together.

19. Share secrets together. Communicate. Talk. Talk about anything. Let her tell you about boys, friends, school. Listen. Ask questions. Share dreams, hopes, concerns. She is not only your daughter, you are not only her mother. Be her friend too.

20. Teach her manners. Because sometimes you have to be her mother, not just her friend. The world is a happier place when made up of polite words and smiles.

21. Teach her when to stand-up and when to walk away. Whether she has classmates who tease her because of her glasses, or a boyfriend who tells her she is too fat - let her know she does not have to listen. Make sure she knows how to demand respect - she is worthy of it. It does not mean she has to fight back with fists or words, because sometimes you say more with silence. Also make sure she knows which battles are worth fighting. Remind her that some people can be mean and nasty because of jealousy, or other personal reasons. Help her to understand when to shut her mouth and walk-away. Teach her to be the better person.

22. Let her choose who she loves. Even when you see through the charming boy she thinks he is, let her love him without your disapproving words; she will anyway. When he breaks her heart, be there for her with words of support rather than I told-you-so. Let her mess up again and again until she finds the one. And when she finds the one, tell her.

23. Mother her. Being a mother - to her - is undoubtedly one of your greatest accomplishments. Share with her the joys of motherhood, so one day she will want to be a mother too. Remind her over and over again with words and kisses that no one will ever love her like you love her. No one can replace or replicate a mother's love for their children.

24. Comfort her. Because sometimes you just need your mommy. When she is sick, rub her back, make her soup and cover her in blankets - no matter how old she is. Someday, if she is giving birth to her own child, push her hair out of her face, encourage her, and tell her how beautiful she is. These are the moments she will remember you for. And someday when her husband rubs her back in attempt to comfort her...she may just whisper, "I need my mommy."

25. Be home. When she is sick with a cold or broken heart, she will come to you; welcome her. When she is engaged or pregnant, she will run to you to share her news; embrace her. When she is lost or confused, she will search for you; find her. When she needs advice on boys, schools, friends or an outfit; tell her. She is your daughter and will always need a safe harbor - where she can turn a key to see comforting eyes and a familiar smile; be home.

A new blog to follow

If you are ever in need of heart warming stories, I encourage you to read the blog With Heart. It's written by Jen Stagg, who is a reporter with KSL news. Most recently she posted about the birth of her daughter Ruby. Amazing story of just how strong the human spirit is if you believe enough.

http://withheart.com/category/thoughts/

Enjoy!

OH THE LIFE

It will be hard to be happy here. Hard to relax and enjoy the scenery. Hard to live a nice, quiet, relaxing life here.

 

Here are a couple of pictures of the outside of our new home.

Good thing it comes with a riding lawn mower!

 

For Rent

Well we put the house up for rent this weekend! It's really weird to see a FOR RENT sign in the front yard. It's just another thing that makes Jackson feel more real. Like THIS is really happening!

We should be receiving the lease agreement for our Victor house this week. Still not 100% sure if the current renters will be out before the end of the month so we're not sure if Chris will be using the RV for a week before moving in. I'm hoping they are out so we don't have to drive it all the way up and then back down. It's not the cheapest thing to fill up! :)

So here's hoping the house rents quickly and it can be one less thing I need to worry about!

We're moving to JACKSON!

Okay so officially it's Victor, ID...but we're moving to be near Jackson.

Chris received a promotion that is moving our family to his dream area. THE MOUNTAINS! Fishing, hiking, hunting, animals and fresh air!! Yep all the things living in the mountains brings.

He will be moving up at the end of April and I am waiting until the end of June to go so Anna can finish 1st grade and also my niece is getting married in June. On top of that my sister Steph is supposed to moving to Memphis in June (her husband also received a promotion that is moving her family). But her dates aren't 100% in stone yet.

We found a great home to rent, TWICE as big as the one we have now.  I've already extended the invite to several people to come up and visit us since we'll have a house big enough to hold them!

This is a big change for our family. I'm quitting a job I love to be a stay at home mom. Chris said our new neighbors have young kids, and I know Anna won't have any problems making new friends, but I really like the friends she has now. Great kids that I think I'll miss just as much as she will.

This opportunity is great for Chris because it could potentially lead him to his goal/dream position with his company. He's worked damn hard to get where he is, and he's so super excited about this new opportunity. He is proof that if you have enough determination and work hard enough, dreams do come true!!

Up to day 12 - and a realization

Day 12 has come and gone. For the most part I have kept active between days 7 and 12. Last night I worked out to the Nike Training app on my phone. TALK ABOUT A WORKOUT! I hate most the exercises they do. Not because they suck, but because it makes me realize just how out of shape I am.

 

 

However with all the exercise listed out, I've realized that my BIGGEST issue...is with food. I'm so not a healthy eater, but I've been trying to fix that lately. Adding in healthier options, opting out of fast food. But some days I just can't help myself. I love a big fat burger or turkey sammich, some fries and wash it down with a diet coke. Yep, right there is my problem. J.U.N.K F.O.O.D!

 

My coworker John had a little health scare from his doctor a few months back and has now taken on eating less and has practically cut out ALL junk food. If you knew John, you know that he could easily put away a full Scotchie bar from Harmon's in one sitting (it's like 3lbs of pure caramel and chocolate). To date he's lost about 30lbs and is doing great. But with his health change means I've lost my LET'S GORGE OURSELVES AT LUNCH pal. Instead I'm forced (and I say forced because the first time I practically was) to eat at healthy restaurants and try new things.

 

The first adventure I had was to the Vertical Diner

I tried the Breakfast Burrito which was 100% vegan. Tofu scramble for the eggs and some grain mix for the "cheese". It was actually really good!

The next time we ventured out to Cafe SuperNatural at Trolley Square.

We decided to go halvsies so we could try 2 different dishes.

 

I ordered the the rice noodles with steamed veggies in a sesame sauce.

It was awesome!!

 

 

John ordered the Machu Picchu which was quinoa with steamed veggies and a roasted chili cashew cream sauce. His was a little on the bland side. I ate yams. Can you believe that? YAMS!

So since John is keeping me in line (somewhat) on eating healthier at lunch, it was time to make the effort at home.

Most nights when I get home it's already 6:00pm or later and we immediately get started on homework. Now like any mom who works full time out of the home, the last thing I want to do after working for 9 hours and commuting to and from SLC is stand over a hot stove cooking, and then figure out when I can get some time to exercise on top of that. Sometimes it's so much easier to throw in a pizza or pick up McD's. BUT if I want to get healthy and lose weight, I need to stop being "lazy".

I bought a cookbook that has healthy recipes you can make in a short about of time. I've made a few and so far they are pretty good. It helps to make the sauces before hand so when I get home I just need to mix it and cook. The girls seem to be okay with not having Mac & Cheese or PB&J every night. Although those staples will never fully leave my home!

 

I've also found a new snack. Now I LOVE my chocolate. Let me say it again. I LOVE CHOCOLATE!! I have learned that I cannot even buy the Cadbury Mini Eggs this time of year because I can easily put away half a bag in one day. Yes, ONE DAY. SO not good for you. They are addicting like cigarettes. I can't just have one or two.

Instead I found these little gems at a gas station by my house. Nuts for the most part are healthy and a little bit of chocolate on them seems to help with my cravings. And no, the ones at Costco are NOT the same. Those are more like chocolate bars which is why I easily put away the one bag I bought in about 3 days.

With the warmer weather coming in, it's much easier for me to get out and get walking after work. Abby loves to come along as does Bear, and the bikes are fun to ride around with. I think if I can just tackle the healthy eating, the weight will come off much faster and I'll start feeling much better.
 

Day 7

Day seven was unique! My coworker John is working on a health lifestyle change after an eye-opening visit to his cardiologist a few months back. Since then he has dumped the sweets, the sodas, and more of the sweets. He comes in with his fruit and veggie smoothies and makes the office try them. I must admit one of my favorites so far was some type of beet leaves smoothie. Yummy to say the least.

After discussing the benefits of walking with hand weights with my CEO at work, John immediately went out and bought us a pair. Mine are a pretty pink 2lb's! With the weather stating to warm up just a tad, we can finally get back to walking around our BEAUTIFUL industrial area we work in. Dump trucks and diesels and train tracks OH MY!

John has also been trying to stick to a plant based diet. And with this he has been experimenting with vegan restaurants. I must say, he has me quite interested. Our first outing was to the Vertical Diner, which I ordered a breakfast burrito with tofu and "fake cheese". IT WAS AMAZING!! Who knew a burrito with tofu scrambled like eggs and fake grain "cheese" could be so good??

This week we hit up the Cafe SuperNatural. We decided to get separate plates and split them. (next time I'm getting my OWN it was so good). I'm glad John is helping me try new things.

LEFT: This dish had rice noodles, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and sesame in a ginger dressing. Oh my gosh it was SO good! RIGHT: Machu Picchu (Steamed quinoa served with steamed seasonal vegetables and roasted chili cashew cream sauce)