MONDAY IN THE WORD: ADVENT: WEEK ONE: A WHITE CHRISTMAS

Week One Theme: A White Christmas

Welcome to our very first MONDAY IN THE WORD study! With Christmas being just a few weeks away I decided to jump on board with Advent and create a 4 week In The Word Advent study. 

                                         

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I am so grateful that because of Jesus Christ, my sins can be forgiven, and though my sins may be scarlet they can be white as snow. We can have a WHITE Christmas because of Jesus Christ. Isn't that a beautiful image? The white falling snow? It's so quiet and peaceful and a reminder that we can be forgiven if we will only come unto Christ and repent.

Scriptures to Look Up: 

Isaiah 1:18 (HERE)
Helaman 5:11 (HERE)
Mormon 7:3 (HERE)
2 Corinthians 7:10 (HERE)


Journal It:

Which scripture spoke to you the most? And why?


General Conference Talk: 

The Divine Gift of Repentance by D. Todd Christofferson

"The invitation to repent is an expression of love. When the Savior "began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17), it was a message of love, inviting all who would to qualify to join Him "and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come" (Moses 6:59). If we do not invite others to change or if we do not demand repentance of ourselves, we fail in a fundamental duty we owe to one another and to ourselves. A permissive parent, an indulgent friend, a fearful church leader are in reality more concerned about themselves than the welfare and happiness of those they could help. Yes, the call to repentance is at times regarded as intolerant or offensive and may even be resented, but guided by the Spirit, it is in reality an act of genuine caring."

Ponder This: 

How is the invitation to repent an expression of love? Has anyone in your life ever called you to repentance? Can you think of examples from the life of the Savior in which He called the people to repentance? What can learn from the way the Savior taught?

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If you want to share what you are learning or feel inspired, make sure to use #MondayInTheWord so I can follow along. 

Monday In the Word Official Launch!!

For the past few months I've had an idea I've been mulling around in my head. I'm a HUGE fan of Bible studies/devotionals and have found myself constantly adding these devotionals into my regular scripture study. I love how they are so easy to use, bring the spirit into my life, and keep my mind in God's word a little more often. 

However, I found this hole in my studies. I couldn't find really any scripture studies or devotionals available for free online that reflected the additional scripture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; The Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants. As a member of the LDS church, these other books are scripture to me, as are the words of living prophets and apostles that we hear during semi-annual General Conference. 

So as I've mulled the idea around, I'm excited to officially launch MONDAY IN THE WORD a weekly LDS based scripture devotional this coming Monday 11/30! Every Monday you will find a new study on my blog. There will be scriptures from all the Standard Works (Old & New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants) as well as comments from General Conference talks. 

I find studying a specific theme over a period of time helps me ponder a little more on the subject, and my intent is to once a week give you a consistent theme to study. Each study will range from 3-12 weeks and then a new study will begin. The studies will encourage you to spend time in stillness, to read from the scriptures, to look up talks, to journal, and there will even occasionally be challenges to help us stretch ourselves spiritually. 

I hope you're as excited as I am about this! The first study will officially be live on my blog early Monday morning and I think you are going to love the theme of the first study. 

If you're excited about this, please feel free to share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #MondayInTheWord and check back in next Monday to participate in Week One! 

My Sister's Closet Boot Cuffs + Favorite Things Giveaway!

One of my favorite things about fall/winter is fashion. I love layering clothes so they look comfy, cozy and warm. I've wondered for so long how girls wear huge fluffy socks under their boots/booties without buying a size larger in shoes. Now I know how!

My Sister's Closet Boutique asked if they could send me a pair of boot cuffs to try out and of course I said yes! I love trying out new fashion trends to see how they fit in with my own fashion style. I showed my husband the boot cuffs and asked him what he thought and he said they looked good, then I showed him that they are just cuffs and not actual socks and he was surprised, they look really good. I even folded mine over because I thought it looked better that way with my style of boots.

Adilynn Boot Cuffs c/o My Sister's Closet

Today is an exciting Monday too, because I've teamed up with some of my blogging friends and we are each giving away a gift set of our own favorite things. Make sure to visit each of our blogs to enter to win! Each blogger has their own giveaway hosted so entering on my blog does not enter you to win their prize packs, only the one which I'm describing below.

Brooklyn Jolley // My New Lines // The Morrell Tale // Harris, Inc. //

I'm giving away a prize pack worth just over $50!

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Grey Addilyn Boot Cuffs from My Sister's Closet Boot Cuffs (valued at $6)

These will be a great addition to your closet. They make it so easy to have a layered look without having your feet smashed inside your boots. Plus they add a little extra warmth!

Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector (valued at $30)

My hair has been so healthy ever since I added regular Olaplex treatments into my hair routine. One day I will write an entire post about it so you can hear my whole opinion on it but for now click HERE to read an article about it.

Olaplex is not a hair conditioner! It is SCIENCE. When you get damaged hair from lightening, coloring, or heat styling your hair the disulfide bonds are unlinked. The active Olaplex ingredient re-links those bonds. It is patented and it is amazing.

Olaplex No. 3 is to be used like this. Shampoo hair. Apply Olaplex No. 3 generously to wet hair. Leave for 10+ minutes (really the longer the better). Shampoo out! (If you don't your hair will feel gross). Condition as normal.

You will LOVE Olaplex. Ask for Olaplex to be added to any hair service at your local salon & let me know if you have any questions. & please for heavens sakes do NOT buy Olaplex on Amazon. Buy only from licensed professionals.

Disney's The Princess & the Frog DVD (valued at $15)

How could I not include one of my favorite Disney movies ?! The Princess & the Frog holds a special place in my heart. If you already own it, you can give it away for Christmas ;)

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Once again, don't forget to go visit these fabulous bloggers and enter to win their favorite things too!


Brooklyn Jolley // My New Lines // The Morrell Tale // Harris, Inc. //

Disneyland Food //

I've heard a lot of people say, "Theme park food is just so gross." And while that may be true at other theme parks, Disneyland definitely does not fall under that category!

I find that in my few days at Disneyland, I never get to try everything that I want to. There are so many yummy choices there and not enough time (or stomach room) to try them all. This past trip I tried to take a few pictures along the way to show you what kind of food options are at Disneyland.

Our first evening there we ate in Downtown Disney at Tortilla Joe's. The food was great, the service was just okay.

During our first day in the parks we needed a churro break. (many more of these would happen during our 3 days at Disneyland)

For lunch we had Corn Dog Castle. I CRAVE these corn dogs so bad when I am away from Disneyland, and the Diet Coke tasted better at Disneyland too, must be magical or something.

We tried the Ghirardelli Ice Cream Shoppe as well and it did not disappoint. I got an amazing Candy Bar Shake with a caramel Ghirardelli chocolate bar mixed in and it was amazing!!

Flo's V8 Cafe has great portion sizes and is fairly inexpensive. The food is delicious too.

One of my favorite Disneyland treats that I MUST get each time we go is Ramone's Pear of Dice soda from the Cozy Cones in Cars Land. It's a pear flavored soda, really unique, really yummy.

Colten tried the Chicken Chili Con Queso. It was so so. The mac & cheese one looked amazing though and I've heard great things about it.

I finally tried an Olaf Marshmallow skewer which I had been dying to try ever since I saw them on Pinterest. It's marshmallows dipped in caramel dipped in white chocolate. It was so sweet even I couldn't finish it and I have the biggest sweet tooth!

On our last day we skipped the continental hotel breakfast for park food. We went to River Belle Terrace and I got the most delicious Cinnamon Roll French Toast, Colten got a Cinnamon Roll which was almost as good as mine ;)

My last treat of the trip was a dark chocolate covered pineapple skewer. Holy crap. It was amazing.

This list doesn't even begin to cover all the different types of food are offered along with all the millions of amazing treat. I mean, I didn't even get a Mickey ice cream bar or a Dole Whip this time!! I guess that just means I have to go back right?

Do you have a favorite Disneyland treat? Share with me in the comments below!

More Than The Tattooed Mormon Review + Giveaway

I was sent More Than The Tattooed Mormon by Al Carraway to read and review and I must say, it was worth the read! I've followed her blog for quite awhile and really enjoyed it. Her testimony is so strong, and she is so committed to her faith which is so refreshing in today's world. 

She goes through her own story of finding Mormon missionaries, what they taught her, how she received it and when she finally decided to become baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She lost close family members and friends when she first joined the church, which I can't even imagine. she writes about how she clung to her faith in God and Jesus Christ in those times of trial.

Purchase on: Amazon // Deseret Book

This book reads as a story, but has so many good little quotes and ideas for us to try, that it feels like a novel and a self-help book all in one. My testimony was strengthened from this book. Al Carraway gives a beautiful testimony and reminds us all where we should put our trust and faith in, not in man, but with God.

I found myself reading her book for 3 hours straight last night, something I haven't done for a long time. Reading the book helped me recommit to reading the Book of Mormon and sharing my testimony more frequently online and with those in my life. She reminds us how simple the gospel is, and that clinging fast to those simple truths will bring you all the peace you need.

I'm super excited today because I'm giving away ONE copy of the book, More Than The Tattooed Mormon. Make sure to enter below!

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Hallmark Gold Crown Haul // + Target Gift Card Giveaway!

Last Friday I went to the Hallmark Gold Crown store at the Fashion Place Mall in Murray, UT to pick up a few little holiday goodies! I was not disappointed. The only problem I had was wanting to spend more money than I should. LOL. At the bottom of the post you'll see my Hallmark Haul video so you can see all the super cute things I purchased.

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Christmas-time Star Wars Itty Bitties.

Until I checked out the Hallmark Store I hadn't seen the Itty Bitty collection at all, and holy crap are these little things cute. I seriously wanted to buy them all. I decided to pick up two of the Star Wars Christmas ones for my little brother. The Christmas Star Wars collection is so cute + for each one purchased they donate $1 to Toys for Tots, and I'm a sucker for anything that goes to a good cause.

Peppermint Bark Candy Bars + Tags.

There's always those few people on our Christmas list that we forget. Whether it's your Visiting Teaching Companion, a teacher, the mailman, your boss or whoever. I thought these Peppermint Bark Candy Bars would be perfect to have on hand for those few random people on your list. I also purchased some really cute tags to go on them. I love that the packaging is cute already so I don't feel a need to wrap them, yay!

Gold Themed Wrapping Paper.

Gold is my favorite Christmas color. I was imagining all these gold wrapping paper and bags under our Christmas tree and was swooning. So gorgeous.

Gold Theme Christmas Bags + Tissue Paper.

I picked up a few bags because I'm honestly the worst at wrapping Christmas presents in the whole world and bags save my booty because they look great but are so easy! I wanted the matching tissue paper as well of course!

Elsa Itty Bitty Ornament.

My Grandma on my Mom's side has an all Disney tree at her house. (Love of Disney is genetic I swear!) She collects Disney ornaments to put on her tree, and I thought this Itty Bitty Elsa Ornament would be the perfect gift for her.

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If you're wanting to get in the Christmas mood, go visit your local Hallmark Gold Crown Store or go online and see the cards, candles and other goodies that you can purchase! They run a lot of discounts between now and Christmas so make sure to check back often to see if those sales will help you out with your Christmas shopping.

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5 Easy Ways to Show Kindness

I'm still not sure what is happening with my blog, my designer Brielle has been amazing and will probably have to reprogram my whole design which stinks for her, but I'm so grateful to have her. She's closed up shop for the holidays, but is still taking custom invite/quote orders starting at $8!

Today is World Kindness Day! I actually didn't know that until I got on social media this morning, but it got me thinking about ways that I could show some extra kindness right NOW! I too often get caught in this idea that I have to have a big huge project planned to show kindness, but it's WAY simpler than that. Here's 5 ideas to get you started:

1. Send Some Happy Mail.

There are few things in life that make me happier than surprise happy mail. What is happy mail? It is getting something in the mail besides bills and junk mail. It could be a nice note just saying you were thinking about someone, it could be a $5 gift card to a store you know that they like, it could even be a Box of Sunshine!

I love surprising my friends and family with good old fashioned snail mail. If you don't have stamps, most grocery stores sell them now... just ask!

2. Amazon Smile.

If you already shop Amazon, why not choose a charity to have them donate to? It may only be .5% but every penny counts when you are giving to good causes.

Click HERE to learn more about the AmazonSmile program and find out the different charities you can choose from. All you have to do to donate is start your shopping at smile.amazon.com and then purchase like normal. So easy.

3. Listen.

When I'm stressed, sad, anxious or overwhelmed I just want someone to listen to me and sympathize. Having someone listen to you can make a world of difference.

Put down the phone (guilty!), make eye contact, and ask someone how they are doing or how their day was. Then listen!

4. Social Media Post.

I love getting tagged on Social Media when it is for something good. Call out the awesome in your friends. Send a tweet saying why you admire someone, post a picture of your mom on Facebook and remind her you love her, share an Instagram picture of  a way you are showing kindness today!

5. Donate

Have old clothes to get rid of? Donate them to Goodwill or DI (for my local Utahns!). Wanting to help with Humanitarian efforts? Donate some money. Have 3 or 4 coats but only wear 1 or 2 of them? Donate to a local homeless shelter. Want families in need to have a great Christmas? Donate to Toys for Tots.

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Whatever you're passionate about, get involved! Donate, share, listen, love and have an AMAZING World Kindness Day!

Technical Difficulties

Apparently my blog is experiencing some kind of weird glitch so you can't see my sidebar... boo! My designer is looking at it today and we should hopefully be back up and running soon. Thanks for your patience!

NOVEMBER CURRENTLY

It's been a really long time since I've done a "currently" post to show you what I'm up to in my every day life! November is crisp and clear, and I'm getting really excited for Christmas! Enjoy.

WATCHING// The 2nd season of The Originals on Netflix. I really loved Vampire Diaries so I figured The Originals would be pretty good too. It is but... it's a lot more action and goryness than VD ever was. It's taking me awhile to get through because there are some things you just can't unsee.

EATING // I had my first Chickfila Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake of the season last night and it was heavenly! 

DRINKING // Coke Zero with a splash of vanilla. Perfection.

MISSING // This time last year I was a "stay at home dog mom" while we got settled in our house and while I figured out what I wanted the next step in my life to be. I miss all the free time I had this time of year in 2014 vs now working full time and 2 church callings that keep me busy busy.

WANTING // Snow. The best part of working from home is that if it snows, I don't have to drive in it! LOL! If it's gonna be this cold in November it may as well snow right?

PLANNING // Christmas shopping! We've already crossed a few people off our lists. I love love love Christmas shopping! 

BUYING // This week I splurged on two new Essie nail polishes and I'm obsessed. My nails look so good. I'm an Essie brand snob, I know. 

I also bought each of my dogs 3 sweaters/pajamas from Target because they were only $3 each! Such a steal! Benny does not like his at all and has figured out how to get one off. Jack on the other hand loves them and is so cute!

READING // More Than the Tattooed Mormon by Al Fox. It releases soon but I got a pre-release copy to read and review here on my blog so you'll be finding my review here on November 17th. It's been AMAZING so far. She has a really refreshing view of Christ's gospel. 

I'm also reading my Book of Mormon 15 minutes each day. It is my own little escape to paradise. I love the peace I find when I make time to read each day.

MAKING // Last Sunday I used my bread maker to make a loaf of bread while we were at church. I came home and the house smelled AMAZING and we had homemade Honey Grain bread. Colten and I decided this should be a Sunday tradition so we went out and bought bread floud (so fancy!) and some more whole wheat flour as well.

NEEDING // A few days off of work. I always feel behind on life. On my calling, on housework, on spending time with my husband, on everything. Colten and I both request Dec 21st-23rd off and we get 24th and 25th off too so we will have over a whole week PTO. I keep telling him how excited I am for our Christmas break!

LEARNING // That I don't have to be anything other than I am right this second in order for God to use me. I can make a difference exactly as I am right now.

TALKING // I spend a lot of time talking with Colten about finances. We are trying to figure out what to prioritize our wants and needs. We've got really used to living off of both our incomes and we are trying to back to living off his and using mine to solely pay things off. Our down payment mortgage is our main priority right now. In a year we've paid about 1/2 off which I'm super proud of, but we've got a goal to pay it off in the next 6 months. Pray for us!

SPENDING // Time in quiet. I've been really making it a point at night to spend time just being quiet and still rather than always having the TV on or music on in the background. It's been amazing and I've been feeling really inspired lately. And more at peace with the craziness of life, which is also a great blessing.

LISTENING // To Carrie Underwood's new CD Storyteller. I love every song. Carrie keeps getting better and better. I've just been listening to it on Spotify and I'm super grateful they have it already!

FEELING // Grateful and hopeful. We've been in a bit of a rough patch between work and callings right now. Colten is Elder's Quorum Pres and I'm 1st counselor in YW and ward organist. Work has also had a lot of changes for both of us lately and it has been really stressful. I think we are turning a really good corner in our lives and things are starting to settle down. Heavenly Father is blessing us and watching out for us and I know that for a fact. 

Donating U by Kotex Curves Liners to Women in Need + A Giveaway

I've been thinking a lot about service lately. Maybe it's because the holidays are upon us, or maybe it's the different situations in my life lately where I've noticed someone serving. Serving doesn't have to be hard. It doesn't need to take up your whole Saturday, and you don't have to give up all your spending money and donate it to the poor to make a difference. Small, simple acts of service can truly change the world!

My Mom has always been a great example to me of service. Although we are high maintenance and require our own shampoo & conditioner when traveling, she always collects the hotel shampoos, soaps, toothbrushes etc. She saves them over time and then donates them to a local homeless shelter. Isn't that such a simple thing to do?

Think of all the women in shelters. They have menstrual cycle needs just like the rest of us. Think how horrible that time of the month would be if you had no way to provide pads or tampons for yourself! What if we could donate unused (obviously), unopened (also pretty obvious!) U by Kotex Curves pads? What if we could even get a coupon? Holla! I got your back on this one.

So while you're out doing your holiday shopping, why not pick up some U by Kotex liners, they just might make someone's day! Call your local women's shelters and homeless shelters and see if they could use the help. They are used to lots of donations during the holiday months, so they will probably be prepared for the call, but the great thing about U by Kotex Curves liners is that you can stockpile them and save them to be used year round.

We can choose to give a little more this holiday season by using the coupon to save money on each purchase of U by Kotex. Use hashtag #BringComfyBack if you decide to donate, so U by Kotex can see all the amazing things you are doing!


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On a side note I'm helping Tayler celebrate her 6th blogging annivesary with a great giveaway! I'm giving away $10 to Paypal but there are 9 other awesome gifts. There will be 10 winners, and the entries are still pretty low. Get to entering below!

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On the Top Shelf // A Jolley Love Story

We've been married 2 years, and yet somehow the only mugs we own are the 4 we were given in a beautiful set for our wedding. They stay on the highest shelf in our kitchen cupboard. The other day I dragged a kitchen table chair over to the cupboards and moved all 4 mugs down to the bottom shelf so they would be easily accessible for me. (Being only 5 feet tall can be rough sometimes)

I came down later in the day to make myself some hot chocolate and noticed the dishes had been washed (thank you husband!) but the mugs were moved back to the top shelf. I found my husband and told him why I had moved them down to the bottom shelf and we both had a laugh. He said he couldn't figure out why the dishes were in the wrong place!

Today, my husband did the dishes again (this is not uncommon for him, I definitely married up!). I didn't think much about it until later in the evening. He was off watching a TV show with his guy friends, and I got off my late work shift. All I wanted was hot chocolate and some quiet time. 

I sighed and dragged the chair across the kitchen floor again in hopes of reaching the top shelf mugs, but when I opened the cupboard I noticed all four mugs, sitting perfectly aligned on the bottom row easily within my reach. 

I am so grateful for a husband who listens to me and cares about me so much. We are not a perfect couple. He's a total extrovert and I'm an introvert which has caused many an argument over the last little while. And we are both sinners, just relying on our faith in Jesus to make us better. But somehow, in the midst of the crazyness of life, he remembered to put the mugs on the bottom shelf, and that meant the world to me. So from the mouth of "newlywed" of 2 years, I truly think marriage is all about the little things.