Weekly Best

Happy Friday, friends! I cannot believe we are at the end of another month. Maybe it is because my garage has turned into a Christmas workshop, but it feels like 2017 will be here any minute.

The end of the year will bring my last Christmas with all of my kids at home, at least for a few years. And then I only have a few more months before Jordan leaves – maybe for a two-year church mission, or maybe for a year of college first. That has yet to be decided, but the fact remains that he will be leaving, changing my life for good.

I can hardly swallow the lump in my throat just thinking about it, so let’s move on. This post is supposed to be about the best things from my week. You will undoubtedly hear more about the college/mission/leave home saga in future weeks.

My High

First, I attended the General Women’s Meeting for my church. It happens twice a year and is broadcasted from Salt Lake City to women all over the world. We got to hear from our leaders, and their messages are always so inspiring. I loved attending that meeting with my two girls. And, of course, we had to go out for dinner afterward. Panera Bread treated us well.

I am looking forward to this weekend when we will be able to listen to eight more hours of uplifting spiritual messages. Although that may sound like torture to some, it is always one of my favorite weekends of the year. I come away from those meetings with a determination to be a better person every single time.

Another high, although maybe it shouldn’t be a high because it makes me feel guilty, but I’m going to call it that anyway, was that I bought myself a few new clothes. Yes, I broke my commitment of no shopping for a year.

I made it for eight months, and I was just so tired of everything in my closet. I will never buy crew neck t-shirts again. I guess I am a quitter, after all.

I made the commitment back in February as a token to remind myself that getting out of debt would require some sacrifices. But, guess what? Although avoiding the clothing store did help us save a little bit of money, it did not put a dent in our debt levels. Thank you, dental school loans.

I could have pushed through the last four months, but to what end? Nobody cared but me.

I have realized over the course of the last eight months that clothing makes a big difference in how I feel. Back in the days when we were students and I wore the same clothes for years on end, I was indifferent about fashion.

I now recognize that I care a whole lot more about my clothes than I thought I did. Having the latest and greatest trends from the runway does not interest me, but I want to feel my best. The difference between feeling frumpy and feeling fabulous often comes down to what I put on my body.

I know exactly what I want in the realm of clothing now, and cotton t-shirts are out! That makes me happy!

The Best Thing I Read

After I had posted my article about weight loss and body image on Monday, I came across two websites that I found inspiring. The first is called Body Image Movement, and their mission is this:

We’re on a quest to redefine and rewrite the ideals of beauty. The Body Image Movement (BIM) is an internationally recognised crusade that recognises the importance of body diversity by encouraging people to be more accepting of who they are, to use positive language regarding their bodies and others, and to prioritise health before beauty. 

Our goal is to reach as many people as possible around the world and speak to them about how we can learn to fully embrace and love our bodies.

I will warn you that there is some (tasteful) nudity on that site because it is all about teaching women to accept their bodies as they are. I was taken aback at first but found that I was inspired and not offended by what I saw. I’m not going to send my husband or teenage sons there, but I would encourage all women to check it out.

The second site that I would have you visit is called Healthy is the New Skinny. I took this from their website:

We are a social movement that works to challenge the limiting beauty ideal created by the media. Our goal is to educate and inspire people to choose health and wellness over our cuture’s obsession with being ‘skinny’

Amen! That is all I have to say.

My Favorite Instagram Post

There is something magical about big brother teaching little brother how to play the piano.

Have a fabulous weekend, dear friends! Feel free to let me know about your highs for the week in the comments section below.