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Go Adventure Mom

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Kristin

If you can’t tell, one of my passions is doing everything that sounds fun, or doing anything that is out of the ordinary especially if I can do it with my whole family.

We’ve done our share of outings both far and near. I’ve done my best to chronicle it here and there.

I’ve now found a new outlet to share our fun adventures on. I’m writing for a site called Adventure Mom.

The main focus for the site it so be a resource for families to use to connect with easy to replicate recreational ideas for kids of all ages.

We also demonstrate products that make being outdoors funner and easier.

I love posting for Adventure Mom. I LOVE trying new thing and writing about it

Here’s my latest post. Anyway…if you like this kind of stuff, consider visiting the Adventure Mom facebook page and giving it a LIKE.

Posted in DAYTRIPS, THOUGHTS ON HAPPINESS, VOCAL SOKOL LOCAL | Tagged Adventure Mom, Wholesome Family Activities | Comments Off

Bat Dad — Super Hero Parenting

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Kristin

If you read this blog you know that the TODAY Show is a big part of my life. It’s just the right combination of news and infotainment I need to start the day feeling informed.

Today was a perfect example of why I need TODAY in my life. For the last few days I’ve been seeing this “Bat Dad” thing all over social media, but I never bothered to check it out.

TODAY noticed the trend too and brought me a nice packaged story all about Bat Dad. It might be my most favorite TODAY story ever.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I just laughed and laughed. More dads should be like this. They really should. I went to the trouble of finding Bat Dad on YouTube too, just in case there was something TODAY missed. Check it out. It’s really, really great.

Have a really great day!

Posted in INSPIRING PEOPLE, THOUGHTS ON HAPPINESS | Tagged Bat Dad, Parenting Tips, Super Hero Parenting | 1 Comment

Giveaway–Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Kristin

Something BIG is landing at the Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum in Salt Lake this weekend. YOU could get a free family pass for six to see the new exhibit.

I was invited (and in an effort to provide full disclosure, was compensated) to come take a sneak peak, even before construction was completed of the Intermountain Healthcare mock Primary Children’s Hospital Emergency Department and Life Flight interactive exhibit at Discovery Gateway.

If your kids like helicopters, this isn’t one to miss. Although the museum has housed a Life Flight copter donated by Intermountain Health Care for several years, they new additions make it MUCH more exciting, realistic and SO interactive.

Along with having the opportunity to be part of a mock life-saving team, kids will also learn how to prevent accidents and stay safe.

The new exhibit features a mock Primary Children’s Hospital Emergency Department with interactive areas for triage, imaging, dress up, and surgery where children will perform surgeries using custom-designed iPad apps.

Kids can play the various roles taking care of patients from coordinating a Life Flight launch to caring for patients in a new interactive treatment area INSIDE the helicopter. It’s really very cool.

They’ll role play, dress up, and be a part of the emergency team. They’ll move patients in the triage area, take X-rays, or join the surgical team to perform one of three surgeries via iPad apps. They can even scrub-in at one of these child-size surgical sinks before they perform their mock surgery.

It’s one of those things likely to make a lasting impression in young minds. It’s an experience that could shape a little life. I remember having mind-blowing experiences at the Children’s museum 25 years ago in it’s old location.

Here’s a child-size X-Ray table where kids can discover what bodies look like on the inside.

It’s a great experience for families. It’s also a fantastic place for Mom’s to take kids when it’s too cold outside to do much else.

This exhibit is opening on the 35th anniversary for the museum. To mark the celebration, the museum admission is $3.50 all day and they’re offering $35 OFF the annual pass price. This discount is for SATURDAY the 21^st of September ONLY! It’s available on-line AND in person at the museum.

If you’re already a member, you can apply the promotion to extend your current membership. They’re even having a Members Morning on Saturday September 21st from 9-11am. You’ll be among the first to see the new attraction.

I’ve got a family pass for six to give away. Enter below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted in DAYTRIPS, PLEASANT EVENTS, VOCAL SOKOL LOCAL, VOCAL TRAVELS | Tagged Discovery Gateway Children's Museum, Fun family day trips Utah, Fun things for kids to do in winter in Utah, Intermountain Healthcare Live Well, Intermountain Moms, Primary Children's Hospital, Saftey Tips for Kids Utah | 6 Comments

Fight For You, AND Your Dream

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Kristin

Have you ever had a dream? Something that you really wanted to do? Here’s a cute video if you can relate to having something you’ve always wanted to do.

My sister-in-law gave me a disc with a bunch of princess songs on it a few weeks ago and this was one of the songs on it. I must admit…it makes me smile.

Anyway…back to having a dream.

So my friend Misty, whom I’ve mentioned before, is one of the people who have meant a lot to me. Not only because we’ve been friends since childhood, but because with out her I’m pretty sure my high school and prolly college GPA would have been around a 2.0. She was my long-standing tutor (I’m not that smart). She was also just the very best true-blue friend a person could have.

She’s a brilliant person in almost every subject, but most especially at creative writing. She wrote and published her first novel Daughter of Helaman a few years ago. It was a major accomplishment for her and a fulfillment of one of her dreams.

Since then she’s been writing like her life depended on it. Stories fill her mind and she can’t rest until she’s put pen to paper. Her one book has turned into a series that has turned into many. Her second book in the series is now available! Another major accomplishment and fulfillment of a dream.

To me, she’s every woman. If she can do this, so can you. Maybe your dream isn’t to write novels. Maybe your dream is as harebrained as the ogres in the video above. Either way, let Misty’s accomplishment inspire you.

You can accomplish what ever you set your mind to.

Below are the details about Misty’s new book. It’s such a fun read for pre-teens to old grannies, especially if you like love triangles and girl-power. Check it out…

Keturah fought her way into the army, but now she’s in Judea building fortifications, and the only thing she’s fought so far is boredom. The work is hard, and the other soldiers don’t think she can pull her weight. Her brothers are becoming strangers, and Zeke’s jealousy is getting worse – because Keturah is falling in love with the wrong warrior.

But she’s not about to let cruel pranks and hurt feelings keep her from doing what she knows to be right. She completes every order with faithfulness – a hasty retreat from the Lamanite army, a spy mission into the enemy stronghold, a midnight assassination. From burying the dead to whiling away hours on guard duty, Keturah will do whatever it takes to protect her religion, her freedom, her peace, and her family.

But in a camp of two thousand boys, the most important thing she has to protect is her heart.

Fight For You is the second novel in Misty Moncur’s Stripling Warrior series. Fall in love with these romantic novels set against a vivid Book of Mormon backdrop.

Misty Moncur wanted to be Indiana Jones when she grew up. Instead, she became an author and has her adventures at home. In her jammies. With her imagination. And pens that she keeps running dry.

Misty lives in a marsh near a very salty lake in Utah with her husband and children, where they cuddle up in the evenings and read their Kindles. Well, she does anyway.

Connect with Misty at the links below.

Visit Misty’s blog

Like The Stripling Warrior Series

Connect with Misty on Goodreads

Follow Misty on Twitter

Follow Misty on Wattpad

Posted in INSPIRING PEOPLE | Tagged Daughter of Helaman, Fight For You, How to write a novel, NaNoWriMo | 1 Comment

What to Buy Your Mother-in-Law for Christmas–Oh Sweet Sadie!

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Kristin

My “can do anything” friend Dani Lassiter who organizes the Triathamom race and Goldilocks ride is hosting another Oh Sweet Sadie Art and Gift Show starting TODAY in Daybreak on Soda Row.

I got a sneak preview last night of the goodies on display. I couldn’t resist coming home with a homemade box of English Toffee made my an actual British person. For reals. She had an accent and everything.

I also bought these old-school jump ropes. We’ve already been out playing my favorite jump rope games from when I was in 4th grade. Which reminds me. If you can think of any old songs, please remind me how they go. Once I hear the first line, it ALL comes back to me.

I had one of our cute neighbor girls and her mom over jumping and I’m proud to say that I can STILL Double-Dutch after all these years.

Anyway…go get a jump on what you’re giving your mother-in-law for Christmas. They have SO many beautiful things to see (and eat).

Posted in INSPIRING PEOPLE, PLEASANT EVENTS, VOCAL TRAVELS | Tagged Gift Bottiques, Oh Sweet Sadie, Unique Gift Ideas | Comments Off

What To Do If You’re So Overwhelmed You Think You Might Die

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Kristin

The first thing I’d tell you is that you need to lower your expectations a little. Maybe a lot.

Even though I’ve had down times in my life, I’ve generally been a happy person. I feel very lucky about that. When I think about my life and wonder why I feel good when I know so many don’t, I think it’s because I’ve always had low expectations for myself and other people.

I know that sounds a little depressing, but it’s really not. Sure…I might underachieve a little, but on the bright side, I usually don’t disappoint myself or find myself disappointed by other people.

I was so fortunate to meet Julie de Azevedo Hanks a few months ago when she spoke at a conference I attended. She is a wonderful, beautiful person who has helped a lot of women, especially in the LDS culture.

I got an advanced copy of her new book called The Burn Out Cure last week. I’ve had my nose inside it all week long. What a great read. Talk about changing your perspective.

If you find yourself disappointed by life, yourself, your family or are generally sad or feel “burned out” on a regular basis, you should probably read this book.

It will open your eyes to a new way of thinking and provide you the permission and give you the tools to cope with your situation.

I won’t lie. This book is probably geared toward women with first-world problems, especially LDS women. Compared to the rest of the suffering world our problems may not compare. But…that doesn’t make our emotional realities any less important or less real to us than any other problem in the world.

I spent several years serving in the Relief Society and saw a lot of joy interspersed with a lot of pain. There are many women out there silently suffering. Overwhelmed by too many things that probably just don’t matter when you get right down to it.

This book will help set women straight. In our culture, many women feel an unrealistic need to follow suit. To live the same life their mothers did, or to be exactly like the neighbor next door who has it all together.

This book will tell you why bad things happen to good people. And…spoiler alert. If something bad is happening to you, it probably ISN’T God punishing you for not being righteous enough. According to extensive research by the author, many women think that.

The book will give readers permission to feel a full-range of emotions, including anger. Did you know that it’s okay to feel anger? This book will tell you a healthy way to both feel and deal with anger and disappointment.

It will also give you permission to say NO even if someone makes a reasonable request of you. Now…any of you who know me well know that I don’t like to say no. The truth is I DO say no. I say it a lot. But I say no to things like wiping down baseboards or changing my sheets on a weekly basis. I say no to keeping my car immaculate or making 7-course meals from scratch. I also say no to most optional church meetings.

I say NO to those things so I have time to say YES to things that are funner and more memorable and things that make me feel alive and give me cool pictures to look back at and say YES! I was there, I did that.

The book will help you take a look back at how you grew up and the way the behaviors you learned as a child have shaped you. It will give you permission to accept or reject the things you learned. It will show you how to choose for yourself how to live, despite what you were taught.

Finally, and most importantly it will help you see why taking care of yourself, even first, will not only result in your own happiness, but will give you the power to amplify your service and love for the people in your life.

I completely recommend The Burnout Cure to anyone. You’ll feel better about your life if you read and apply the principles in this book. Plus, you’ll have more fun.

If you think this book might help you or someone you know, please consider sharing this post on your favorite social media outlet.

Buy the book here.

For your viewing pleasure, here’s a cute video by Julie de Azevedo that spoofs our Molly Mormon first-world problems.

Julie will be signing books at the Fort Union Deseret Book this Saturday from 11-2. She’ll also be performing her smash new hit Molly Mormon Died Today.

Posted in INSPIRING PEOPLE, PLEASANT EVENTS | Tagged Julie de Azevedo Hanks, Self Help, Self Help Books, The Burnout Cure | 1 Comment

The Blind Man and the Panhandler–A lesson I learned

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Kristin

I recently wrote an article published on KSL.com about something I saw downtown last week. It reminded me about how important it is to be aware of the people around us and help them if they are in need.

I also learned another lesson after publishing the article. It seems by the mass amount of hate mail I received that the blind community wasn’t happy with the way I portrayed the blind man (his name is Quinn) as a helpless person.

What I didn’t know when I witnessed the incident was that Quinn was stepping off the curb to gauge where he was on the sidewalk. I was always under the impression that the blind and visually impaired were very good at navigating the world in total independence. That’s why I was surprised at the whole scene I witnessed.

Quinn (and many others) contacted be after the article was published to let me know that he was never in any danger and explained what I saw. It really helped me make sense of the whole thing and I am relieved that there was only perceived danger and not any ACTUAL danger.

Despite not liking the way I portrayed him, Quinn DID like the message of the article. He was touched that someone would reach out and help him (whether he needed it or not).

He also mentioned that after he read the article a few times he realized the article wasn’t actually about him. It was more about the Panhandler who reached out to him when it seemed he needed help. He really got behind the real message intended by the article; the idea that we’re all a little too busy to notice when were needed sometimes. So that’s why I’m sharing it here today despite the mass amounts of hate mail I received over it.

Posted in INSPIRING PEOPLE, THOUGHTS ON HAPPINESS | Comments Off

Heather and Kristin Do San Fransico (in one day)

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Kristin

(If you haven’t read about my trip to Bonnie’s wedding in San Francisco you might want to read that before you read this post.)

After the wedding we headed off into the sunset to let the bride and groom be married and let the family clean up the party(suckers). After 48 hours of complete stress, sweat, and hard work, we were ready to tear up the town. And by tear up the town I mean go to the hotel and go to sleep immediately.

We took a wild and crazy ride after the wedding to check into our hotel. The ride wasn’t meant to be wild or crazy, thanks to some bad driving on my part (despite having good navigation) we ended up going the wrong direction crossing the Bay Bridge in a Bus ONLY lane. That’s a bad thing.

Not wanting a big fat ticket on the other side of the bridge we pulled over and regrouped. We made a quick (illegal) maneuver and crossed the bridge in a more appropriate lane.

We got off the first exit onto a tiny little island where Google Maps told us we could turn around. It was wrong though, because after driving around for 15 minutes on the tiny island we discovered that we could not.

The good news is we were able to pull over and snap this incredible photo of the bay bridge at night.

So we just pretended that was our plan all along. Isn’t this the coolest photo! We totally meant to do that.

After two hours on the California freeways, a trip that was supposed to take 45 minutes, and crossing countless bridges, each with a $5 toll, we arrived at our hotel, totally exhausted. It might have been one of the best nights sleep I ever had. I didn’t even stir until 10 am the next day.

With only one day to see all of San Francisco we hatched a plan to see Muir Woods, The Golden Gate Bridge up close, eat some fresh Sour Dough Bread from Boudin Bread Bakery, and eat and authentic Chinese dinner.

The following photos prove that we made it all happen!

First stop, Muir Woods. Have you ever been there? It’s kind of AMAZING!!! The trees, they’re are ridiculous! Seriously. After being there an hour or so I started getting motion sick from trying to see the tops of the trees. These trees are tall. They’re tall like a sky scraper. Can you see the little people in comparison with these trees? For reals. Tall trees.

Despite how many people were there, and there were SO MANY, the grove was very quiet. That either because the people were in awe or more likely, there was just so much foliage that it just absorbs all the sound. It was really cool. It kinda reminds me of skiing and how quiet it is because the snow absorbs all the sound.

We totally loved it there. It was nice and cool too. I wouldn’t wear shorts. I was really glad I had my sweatshirt. It was the perfect temp all bundled up like that.

Also, if you’re ever planning a trip to Muir Woods, if you go on a weekend you will likely have to take the shuttle because the parking lots fill up if you go later in the day. And…it’s like a 40 minute bus ride. And…on your return trip, plan on waiting a while for a ride back. We waited about an hour in a line for a bus ride back to the car. It sounds worse than it is though. If you have a snack and a good friend to shoot some jokes off to, you’ll be fine. We loved being at Muir Woods and brought home a REALLY COOL prize.

After our half-day adventure to Muir Woods (that really is how long it takes) we headed towards the city on the Bay. We intended to go right to the Bread Bakery I love so much, but got distracted by this…

It’s the Golden Gate Bridge in case you were wondering. It was my first time seeing it to and it was magnificent. You just can’t believe the size of these bridges! Look at how teenie the cars are on there.

We made the most of this bridge sighting. I’m sure Heather’s photos are a bit more fantastic than mine, but you know…this is what I have so this is what you get. By the way…IT WAS FREEZING!!! It was like, the really unpleasant kind of freezing. So…if you do this, take more than a sweatshirt if you’re going with a photographer who is going to want to stand out there and shoot photos in the 40 mph winds for an hour. I’m sure that’s why I look like I’m having such a great time in this shot.

After I convinced Heather it was time to move on we crossed the bridge and headed into the city for some HOT, FRESH sourdough bread. The kind that you can only get when you’re in San Francisco. I was a little worried that since it was so late in the day and it was a Sunday that the Boudin bread shop might be closed. And when we arrived, paid to park and walked to the store front, my fears were confirmed. Closed.

But…next to the little breadshop was the actual bakery where the bread was baking. There was a garage door open about three feet up…So, I got on my hands and knees and shouted. “Can anyone hear me?” A minute later a worker came to see who was calling. I calmly explained that I had come here from Utah to get bread and that they were closed. I asked if I could still buy some and he told me there was a location open at Fisherman’s wharf. I explained that we weren’t going down there and could I just snag some here and I’d be happy to pay whatever price.

He left for a minute, and Heather snapped this picture. Do I look desperate? I was. Steve’s only request was that I bring back some Boudin Bread for him. I thought I might have blown that chance.

Luckily the worker returned and said that they didn’t have any bread left to sell. He asked if I would be interested in any of these “chowder bowls.” I quickly replied that I WANTED them! So he scraped up 5 hot steaming loaves and put them in a big paper bag for me. He told me that next time I was here I should tell them that I owe for 4 chowder bowls.

No person has ever been as happy as I was at that moment. Except for the moment that I started eating the bread. I think I might have been even happier then. It was seriously so delicious!

The last thing on our list was to get some great Chinese Food. Unfortunately, after eating a loaf of Sourdough bread, neither of us were all that hungry, but we didn’t let that stop us. We just did a little shopping first and bought some fun things for our kids and then headed for Chinese Food.

We were in some kind of China neighborhood. Not, THEE China town per say, but a “China town” for sure, meaning were were some of the few non-Asian people there.

We used Google maps and located a Chinese Restaurant nearby that had great reviews and headed inside. We were quite tired at this point. It had been a long weekend of wedding, work and a day full of sight-seeing. We were glad just to have a place to sit down. The blurry pic matches the tone of how we felt.

As you can see from this photo, we were the ONLY non-asians in this place. AND…The food was incredible. They served us tea and white rice with our meal and even though we weren’t all that hungry, it was still completely delicious and just what we needed to end the trip!

After our last supper, we headed back to the hotel. This time we were experts and navigating our way there and had no problems.

We packed up our bags and went to bed. Our 6:30 a.m. flight went off with out a hitch. Well…there were SNAKES ON THE PLANE, but they were pretty non-threatening since they were gummy and delicious.

Posted in FOR COUPLES, PLEASANT EVENTS, VOCAL TRAVELS | Tagged Muir Woods, One Day San Fancisco trips. Boudin Bread, What to do in San Francisco | 1 Comment

Attend a Wedding #91

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Kristin

I am so blessed to have so many good friends. I really don’t know what I have done to be so richly blessed with good people around me.

My good friend Bonnie, whom I lived with during college at least twice, came to visit me from the Bay Area over Christmas this last year. During her visit we had a serious, serious talk about getting her married asap. She’s turned 34 this year and wanted a family and husband to share her life with. At nearly 34 we didn’t have a moment to spare.

Together (and by together I mean mostly me) we decided to improve her dating profile on her preferred dating site. We adjusted the pictures, and re-wrote the greeting so that interested suitors would see her in the best light.

Additionally, I took it upon my self to cast the net as far as possible and sent cute little messages under her name to dozens and dozens of men. The results of those messages yielded many returned messages and several phone calls.

There was one profile I looked at that I felt particularly strong about. Unfortunately this person was not a paid member on the site and could not easily exchange messages. He did however cryptically leave his e-mail address in his greeting. So I forwarded his profile to Bonnie and demanded she e-mail him.

She finally got around to sending him a message about 10 days later. He responded quickly and they quickly began talking on the phone. The first night they talked for an hour, the second night they talked for several hours and before I knew it, they were planning their future together.

Now it’s several months later and I just returned from their Wedding in San Francisco.

As you can see from the photos, she was a beautiful bride. You may notice the quality of these photos are top notch. I talked one of my other besties, Heather into coming with me. She’s an established photographer and takes breathtaking wedding photos.

The wedding ended up being a joyous time, but was filled with a lot of really hard work.

What did we do while we were there? We helped the bride fix her MAJOR wardrobe malfunction, moved her into her new apartment, made corsages and boutineers for the entire wedding party, did the brides hair, took bridal photos on location in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, helped the bride dress for the wedding, took wedding photos at the Sacramento Temple in 105 degree heat, framed a bridal photo, and took photos at the reception and various other projects.

In all, it was wonderful and totally exhausting. We had one day to recover before we headed home. More on our one day trip titled Heather and Kristin do San Francsico next week.

This was the ULTIMATE pleasant event for me. I can’t tell you how much joy it gives me to see my dear friend find her love. So…I’m totally counting this at #91 on the list.

Posted in INSPIRING PEOPLE, PLEASANT EVENTS, VOCAL TRAVELS | Tagged Bay area weddings, how to get married in 6 months or less, lds planet, my best friends wedding | Comments Off