My Favorite Things....

Lately, I've found a few new favorite things. I love finding new favorites, so I thought I'd post a few to share with my friends:

• My first favorite is the pictures that Stefanie Zeltner took of "P". Stefanie is a extraordinary photographer who has amazing talent and a great eye. Want to see for yourself? Check out her website at: http://www.joiedevivrephotography.com/.
• My love of cooking always sends me searching for new recipes. I found a terrific website that has a lot of great ''family'' recipes as well as low-calorie and gluten-free. If you find yourself in a cooking rut, check out http://www.simplyrecipes.com/ (thanks Meaghan for putting the link on your blog). I think I may even add a new feature to my blog: favorite new recipes. Stay tuned to see what my family has enjoyed!
• I love http://www.ldsvoices.com/ There are the most amazing talks that you can download very easily to put on your IPOD. You can turn your workout into a great morning devotional and feel inspired the rest of the day.
• Have you tried the new Mary Kay tinted lip balm with sunscreen? It give you great sheer color and moisturizes your lips at the same time. I'm not a huge fan of lip gloss, but this gives just enough shine. I'm a fan of the Apricot shade, but the Natural looks great over lipstick. Thanks, Pam - I never would have tried it if it wasn't for you!
• A few years ago, I read Gary Chapman's book "The Five Languages of Love". I became a big fan of his as I gained some valuable insight into some of the most important relationships in my life. I just started "The Five Love Languages of Teenagers" and I'm having another great experience as I find new ways I can be a better and more loving mom to my teenagers.
• If you want to feel like you're at a spa, try Bath and Body Works "Foam Bursts". It comes in yummy scents and you only need a teeny bit and you'll have foam everywhere. It's so much fun and a great change from shower gel...and it lasts a long time too!
• When we were growing up and reading The Book of Mormon as a family, the book of Alma was always my least favorite part - only because it was so long and we read so slowly (unbelievably slowly). Now I love it and I find wisdom and guidance in every chapter. Today I've been thinking about Alma 44:10; the last sentence is so profound. I think that if we lived by this statement alone we could all be a lot happier..."Behold, we will end the conflict." It's up to us whether we move on and resolve conflict or if we learn the hard way- like Zerahemnah!

I think that's it for now...but I may add a few more later. I'm enjoying the last few days of summer with "P" and "B" before they head back to school. One last thing: kudos to the RMS administration for taking what is usually the horrific, time-consuming experience of back-to-school registration and making it a breeze - job well done!