the MODEST girl

I recently read a post on Facebook written by someone I don't know that went along these lines:

 "Parents, please make sure your daughter dresses modestly so my son doesn't get addicted to pornography."

{Ok, so that is a slight exaggeration}

But, it may as well been that blatant of a statement, which, by the way, infuriated me.

Regardless, I decided that, as a mother of two girls, I better get on this request of making sure my daughters are dressed a certain way.  So, I added it to my current To-Do list:

Monday: Take pictures of my daughters' wardrobe.  Send pictures to parents of boys for approval
{Note to self:  Research the most affordable place to buy pantsuits}

Tuesday:  Have a sit-down with my daughters.  Reiterate the importance of understanding the changes the male body experiences during puberty.  Make sure they understand how sensitive we should be towards our male friends.  

{Note to self: buy more tampons and Midol}

Wednesday:  Send an e-mail to Macy's, Nordstrom, etc., asking them when their new line of prom dresses with high-necks and sleeves will be in stock.  Find a full day to go dress shopping. 

{Note to self:  hire a good seamstress}

Thursday:   Take that first leap of faith by letting my daughter walk to a friends house by herself.  But first, review the family "code" word.  Buy some more pepper spray.
{Note to self:  Research self-defense classes}

Friday:   Encourage daughters to get good grades, and tell them I hope they plan to attend college.  Help them understand that exercising their minds is just as important as exercising their bodies.
{Note to self:  Research how to teach your daughter that looks are not the most important thing while simultaneously teaching her that she needs to look a certain way.}

...

Don't get me wrong.  I understand the basic principle behind the original post.  I have standards for my daughters and do not think they should be allowed to wear whatever they want.  And I'll do my best to make sure that when they leave my house they are dressed in a manner that I deem appropriate.

But, the bottom line is this:

It is not my responsibility, nor my daughters' responsibility, to make sure your son does not engage in anything improper or immoral, be it actions or thoughts.

That's your responsibility.  

But, mostly, it's his responsibility.

So, if you could take the state of your son's morality off my plate of things to do, I'd really appreciate it.

{#ohsnap!}

MUSIC mondays: BOY BANDS

Like millions of other Americans, my husband and I took our daughter Isabelle to see Frozen.  She didn't like it at first, but that slowly changed.  Before I could blink, our world had turned ice-cold and the only music I was listening to was the Frozen soundtrack.

After months and months of this, I decided it was time to introduce my daughter to her first boy band.  Yes, she's five years old.  That is how completely desperate I was to listen to something new.

Even though I grew up loving New Kids of the Block and pretending to hate Backstreet Boys and 'Nsync, I decided Isabelle needed her first boy band love to be current.  So, I bought two One Direction songs.  Namely, Story of My life and Best Day Ever.

It was a rough at first, but eventually Isabelle learned to love the greatness of boy band music.  And, now that I've had a break, I don't mind hearing her belt Let it Go every once in awhile.

CUSTOM-MADE spirituality

I've blogged a lot about the struggles I face taking my children to church.  There was the post about why we skipped church {and loved it} and the follow-up post about why I even go to church to begin with.  Even though I know I am not alone with my struggles with taking children to church, I usually feel alone each week as I find myself, yet again, dealing with an uncooperative child.

Church used to be a time where I could go to feel uplifted and renewed, ready to face a new week with a stronger conviction to do what is right.

Church isn't that way for me anymore.  And I miss it!  But, I realize this situation is only temporary and things will get better eventually; however, until that blessed time arrives, I made the decision to find ways to feel the way I used to during church outside of church.

One of the ways in which I've incorporated spirituality into my daily life is by listening to general conference talks in my car.  I have found great satisfaction, peace and comfort in doing this.  It is amazing how the spirit can be felt at almost any time and any place.

LDS Conference Center

Here are a few of the talks I've listened to:

President Gordon B. Hinckley's address titled To the Women of the Church

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's address titled Happiness, Your Heritage 

Sister Julie B. Beck's address titled Fulfilling the Purpose of Relief Society

and all the talks given at this month's General Women's Meeting

So, if you find yourself missing Sunday as being a day of rest and spiritual edification, I would invite you to think outside the box and find ways in which you can reap the benefits of feeling the spirit no matter what day it is.

This has made a world of difference for me.  I feel happier, more energized and a stronger desire to be the best person I can be.

to ROBERTA...

Dustin is incredibly difficult to shop for.  I pretty much go into panic mode whenever Father's day, birthdays and Christmas roll around.  He's not one of those guys that ever wants anything.  So, I usually end up buying him gag gifts like the latest Jonas Brothers album, which he never listens to {thankfully}, and ultimately the gifts become a waste of money.

This year was a little different:  Hillary Clinton released a new book and Melissa Etheridge came to Salt Lake City.  Just like that, I had Father's Day and his birthday all taken care of!

Dustin loves Hillary Clinton and Melissa Etheridge.  When Hillary writes a new book, he buys it and reads it and loves it and lovingly displays it on his bookshelf.

When Melissa Etheridge performs in our area, or near our area, we go to her concert.

The selfie Melissa Etheridge took during her Salt Lake City concert.  We were there!

While these two women may not seem to have much in common, they are both strong, independent and successful women.  They stand up for that in which they believe to be important.

I'm in no way surprised that Dustin gravitates to these type of women, because he was raised by a mother who carries such similar traits.

No, his mother is not a politician or a rock star.  She lives in a small town in Wyoming and loves it.  And even though she does not live a life in the spotlight, for as long as I have known her, she has been a very strong, independent, hard-working person.  She has had more than her fair share of tragedy, but continues to live life the best she can.  She is organized, thoughtful and keeps a nice home - a home that my daughter's love to visit.

Because of Roberta's influence on Dustin, I am married to a man that didn't seem bothered at all when I struggled with changing my last name after we were married.  He has never treated me as if he was my superior.  He respects and listens to me.  He supported me when I made the decision to go back to work.  He appreciates and acknowledges the effort I do to better our family.

And I know without any doubt that he considers me his equal.

Just last night, we were talking about the struggles of the day, and as he was describing his day, he said, "Well, you know how I feel.  You were going through the same thing at home."

Despite the fact that his day was at work and my day was at home with our daughters, he considered the work load and difficulties the same.  And I am SO grateful for that.

Roberta, I know you had a difficult day yesterday.  I know you were anticipating a fun-filled evening and that things did not turn out the way you wanted.

So, in hopes of helping you feel better, I just want to thank you for the woman you are and for the life you lead.  You are a great example to me and my daughters,  your granddaughters.  We are so blessed to have you in our lives!

my BACK TO BLOGGING GIVEAWAY

Nothing says "I'm Back to Blogging!" like a giveaway.

Which is exactly why I am offering all of my readers a chance to win a new favorite product of mine:

On Guard Essential Oil by dōTERRA

On Guard is dōTERRA's unique, proprietary blend designed to help support a healthy immune system. One lucky winner will receive a free 15 mL bottle of On Guard, a nearly $43.00 value.

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is visit this WEBSITE and read about all the many wonderful benefits of using On Guard in your home.  Then, leave a comment on this blog and tell me one of the PRIMARY BENEFITS of On Guard, one of the way On Guard can be USED and one way YOU WOULD USE it in your own home.  Pretty simple, right?

On Guard is an oil I have started to use regularly, now that my oldest is in kindergarten.  While I don't consider myself paranoid when it comes to germs, I do consider myself a bit extreme when it comes to her school attendance.  I don't want her to miss school if at all possible, which means I need to make sure she stays healthy!  Here are a few, very simple ways, in which I use On Guard every single day:

I put a drop of oil on the bottom of my kids' feet in the morning

I put a few drops of oil on a damp cloth and wipe frequently touched surfaces like door knobs and countertops

I diffuse the oil in my car, so when I pick my daughter up from school, leave work or a grocery store, any airborne germs can be eliminated

...

This giveaway begins NOW and ends at 11:59p on Sunday, September 28.

{P.S. If you do not have a Google ID, before you leave a comment, select Anonymous from the drop down box.  Then, leave your comment. Be sure to include your name as part of your comment.}

Good luck!

reGROUNDING

I read something today that posed the question, "What makes you happy?"  It didn't take long for me to decide that one thing that makes me happy is writing.  I've neglected my blog for far too long, and in an effort to go about making some change in my life, I've realized I need to write regularly {regardless of how many comments it generates} in order to keep myself grounded.

As I begin to reground myself and share the changes I've made and hope to make, I hope I haven't lost too many readers and that you and I can learn and grow from each other.

To begin, I'm going back to what inspired me to begin this blog in the first place.  This video is based off of a talk by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf during the Relief Society General Meeting in October 2008 of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I heard this talk during my first pregnancy and its message helped me significantly as I struggled with my new identity as a mother.

Here's to a new chapter of blogging!

how to LOWER your DISH NETWORK bill

When I first signed up for Dish Network I was eligible for a promotional rate for one year.  My monthly bill during that year was roughly $38.00.  After a year, the charges went up significantly to $68.00.  

After awhile, I decided to see what I could do about lowering my bill.  I talked to a nice representative who told me she could change my monthly bill to $41.99 for one year.  I was very happy about the new price, and confirmed with her numerous times that the price she quoted me was what I could expect to see on my bills for the next  year.  She assured me that the final price would be $41.99.

Well, the next month, my bill was higher than the price I was quoted, but I figured that had to do with amounts being pro-rated since my promotion had changed mid-month.  So, I just let it go.

The following month, the amount was even higher, so I decided to chat with a representative online to find out what was going on.  After awhile, it became clear that the girl I originally spoke to had given me wrong information, and while I was chatting with the Dish representative about her mistake, I more or less just wanted an apology and an admission that a mistake had been made.

An apology was never extended, and, in fact, things like these were said instead:

"I don't know what happened.  I was apart of the conversation."

"How about you get rid of the protection plan?  That would lower your monthly bill."

I eventually ended the chat conversation and told the representative I would most likely close my account since I couldn't trust what my bill would be.

A day or two later, I tried again.  I chatted with another representative and explained my situation.  Again, I was looking for an apology or some sort of acknowledgement that yes, a mistake had been made on the part of Dish Network.  

Nada.

So, I said I wanted to close my account and the rep quickly gave me the contact information I needed.

The next day, I called Dish Network and spoke to a nice representative.  I explained my situation and said I wanted to close my account.  He told me I would be penalized for closing my account early, and when I told him I was outside my two-year agreement, he started with the specials he'd extend to me if I kept my service.

Specials like HBO or sports channels free for 3 months.  I told him I didn't watch channels like that and that I still wanted to cancel.

He then went over all the details of how to return my receiver, remotes, etc. and how I would be penalized if I didn't do things correctly.  Apparently Dish is allowed to make mistakes without any consequences, but not their customers.

After I told him I understood what I needed to do, he asked me if I was sure I wanted to close my account.  I told him confidently that I did.

And then he put me on hold.

And then he came back on the line and went over a few other items of business with me.  And asked me again if I still wanted to proceed.  I said yes, again.

And then he put me on hold, again.

And, then, suddenly he came back on the line and said he'd knock of $30 from my bill if I kept my account open.  I went over the numbers with him and decided to take him up on his offer, assuming, of course, the quotes he gave me actually turned out to be correct.

In the end, I gave Dish Network another chance.  After all, my new bill was apparently going to be lower than my original starting price.

And then the bills came.  And the numbers didn't seem right.  They seemed a little too low.  As in, my bill was less than $20 a month.  I was confused and eventually chatted with a supervisor about it.  Apparently, my original promotion {the one that supposedly took my bill down to $41.99} was still in effect, plus the additional $30 discount I was given for threatening to close my account.  

To be honest, I don't know exactly how all the math adds up.  All I know is that my bill is somewhere between $15 - $17 a month for one year.  I just have to laugh because I was more than thrilled with paying $41.99.  I thought I had scored a pretty sweet deal.  And, all the talk about closing my account all stemmed from a measly $7.00 discrepancy.  Sure, not a lot of money, but the bottom line is I wanted what I was quoted.

My experience is just another example of how messed up Corporate America really is.  I know I'm just one customer and I matter not to Dish Network in the grand scheme of things.  But, it really is pathetic that I managed to score such an awesome deal all because this company refused to acknowledge a mistake.

And, honestly, in the end, that's all I wanted - a simple apology.

...

UPDATE as of September 2014

This post has turned out to be one of my most view posts ever.  I am amazed at how many people are looking for ways to lower their Dish Network bill!  I recently made a change to the way I view TV and am in love.

First, I cancelled my Dish Network service.

Second, I bought a Roku (a one-time fee of $69)

Third, I signed up for Netflix (which included 30 days free service)

Fourth, I signed up for Hulu Plus (which included 60 days free service)

Now, I have access to all the shows I want for a SET PRICE of less than $20 a month.  And, I was streaming shows to my TV after a very short, pain-free, appointment-free installation process.

These services have been a game changer for our family.  If you're fed up with companies like Dish Network overcharging you, I highly recommend you consider doing what I do and getting rid of it all together.