I Love To See the AMERICAN TEMPLES Book

Oops, I wrote a blog post showing emotion yesterday. I don't do that very often. My mind has been so busy the last few months. I even tried to leave the country to take a little break. I don't know if it helped much. You know what does help...where I can always turn for peace? The answer for me is the temple. 

Mormon President Thomas S. Monson said, "I think there is no place in the world where I feel closer to the Lord than in one of His holy temples."
I totally agree with him. I know we have been promised great blessings when we are within those sacred walls and visit them often. This is why I'm excited about the newly released American Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints book.

Want to know more about these temples across the United States or just see stunning photographs of them? This book is your answer and would make a wonderful addition to your library

 or as a Christmas present (you still have a few days left to shop). If you buy 3 or more, (think friend, family, or ward member gifts) you get special pricing. You can opt to ship it or pick it for free yourself at a few different locations.

Scott Jarvie, local photographer responsible for this book, has a signed copy waiting for you. He has been a photographer since 2005 and is shows he knows his way behind a camera lens. Read more about him, this book, and his other works (like a magnificant temple calendar) available HERE. 

I have had the privilege to see several temples across the states and am super excited about the new goal I set to attend the Payson, Utah, temple open house and dedication in 2015.

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"One thing have I desired of the Lord…that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple."

—Psalms 27:4

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

I know Christmas isn't about the presents, but it's a tradition in my family. I don't know if you are like me and still have some shopping to do, but here is my list of gifts that go beyond the usual bottle of lotion or gift card the recipient will misplace.

FOR THE TRAVELER:

What is worse than a sore neck after falling asleep during a long flight or car ride? Not much. The shape of the Ultimate Travel Pillow is super comfortable (with side wings of our pillow design support your head from tilting) and convenient to carry (weighing only 6.2 ounces). The pillow is inflatable so you can adjust the size and firmness to your liking. The best part is the travel pillow has an elastic strap you can pull over the headrest to secure it where you need it so it doesn't fall when you shift or move to talk to the person sitting next to you. It can also be used as a back pillow for lumbar support. This product is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

FOR THE COUPLE:

This Ballroom Dance Mastery System, a 7 DVD set, is for Beginner's to learn the major social ballroom dances. You can learn basic timing, footwork, and steps for the foxtrot, swing, rumba, and waltz. How fun and unique is this?! I took a few dance classes during and after college and LOVED every minute. They don't have to worry about others watching them practice....until they are ready to wow everyone on the dance floor.

FOR THE ATHLETE:

Do you know a runner or other sporty person in your life? The muscle roller stick by FLEXX Sports can be used before and after physical activity to help your muscles recover better. It helps with prevention of the muscle injuries, getting rid of muscle pain or soreness, enhanced performance of the muscles, muscle recovery time acceleration, improvement in the flexibility and strength of muscles, reduced effects of lactic acid following activity, relaxation after workout, increased circulation in the points with pain, and preparing of muscles for athletic and physical exercise. 

The stick is 9 oz in weight ,1.5 inches diameter, and 18.3 inches length. It has 9 rollers and ergonomically designed handles for good grip.

FOR THE GIRLY GIRL:

This personalized acrylic name necklace is super fun. You can choose any name (up to 10 letters) in 15 different colors. You have a choice of chain length of: 14", 16", 18", 20", 22".

FOR THE TECHY:

This Ozeri 3x 44" Tower Fan is super fancy. The elegant glass base stand is less than 3 inches thick, making it one of the world's thinnest fans. It has 3 fans, noise cancellation technology, a programmable timer, and an included extended-range remote (or you can control it via the touch sensitive LED control panel). This fan only requires the hand assembly of the fan base using an included large nut, with no tools required. So this tower has 3 independently controllable fans and 3 fan speeds, offering up to 9 levels of cooling/customized airflow. It looks fabulous and serves a great purpose for your home.

FOR THE TOUGH GUYS:

This Power Tek Flash Premium LED Headlamp provides up to 120 hours of battery life on 3 AAA batteries and shines for up to 110 meters of visibility. It has 6 different lighting modes including SOS and red night vision modes with 3 brightness settings of high, medium, and low. It weighs only 3 ounces, is water resistant, and has an adjustable headband so it fits comfortably on your head for a hands free adventure. You can use it for camping, hiking, caving, biking, reading, boating, working around the house, or walking your dog...wherever you need a little extra light.

FOR THE PET LOVER:

Day-Z has THE cutest new ID tag. The Hello My Name Is Pet ID tag is super cute and can be personalized for your cat or dog. They are water proof, handmade, adorable, and durable. In fact,  if one of their pet tags ever breaks or is damaged by normal use, they will ship you a new one FREE of charge! The size of tag is 2" x 1.2" and great for all sizes of dogs.

FOR THE BOOK LOVER:

A local Utah photographer has just released a new book about religious buildings across America. The images are absolutely stunning. Each building has a little bit of history/info just before the images. Check out the American Temples: A Faith in America Project Book.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Want to win one of these products? Enter to win your own set of Ballroom Dance Mastery 7 DVD set on the Rafflecopter form below.
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HEAD vs HEART

I don't claim to be an expert on anything...especially love. But I have learned a few things.

I have learned (and it might sound cheesy) it's important to listen to your heart. That brain of ours, it plays tricks on us; but the heart, it doesn't lie.

Your head can make you say, "I don't think the two of us will end up together." While your heart has already said, "You are the reason I get up in the morning and the reason I'm happy and smiling everyday. I love you more than I can even explain."

During difficult times, your head can think: I should move on, this is too hard, I can't handle this, I've changed my mind, let's give up, I quit, go away, and I don't love you. 

During difficult times, your heart says: I can't imagine my life without them, this is hard but I love him/her, WE can handle this, I may have doubts but my mind won't change, I'll never give up, I can't quit, I miss that person, and I know DO love you.

Your head can yell, "I tried for years. I don't know what to do now." Your heart lovingly pleads, "Nothing you can say or do could change the way I feel about you."

Your head can cause you to push someone away, but your heart will want to hold them close.

Your head (because of fear) can make you say you don't belong together and cause you to retract, but your heart can know the truth deep down and help you to keep working for that time the two align and you are ready to accept love.

Your head might be singing Taylor Swift's pop We Are Never Getting Back Together hit, while your heart can rock the 80's Listen To Your Heart Roxette tune.

Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile.

The precious moments are all lost in the tide, yea.

They're swept away and nothing is what it seems,

the feeling of belonging to your dreams.

Listen to your heart

when he's calling for you.

Listen to your heart

there's nothing else you can do.

I don't know where you're going

and I don't know why,

but listen to your heart

before you tell him goodbye.

**Sorry, I was just in Europe so I have the hope from sappy 80's love songs and 90's TV show relationships like Zack Morris/Kelly Kapowski and Kevin Arnold/Winnie Cooper that last till the end of time pushing me along.**

Your head makes you think and say crazy things in the moment. Your heart keeps you calm because it knows, through all the confusion, that love will prevail. 

Your head might throw out the suggestion for your love to date and kiss others to realize they love you most. Your heart is not taking the blame on this one. That's stupid. Your heart wouldn't even dream of saying anything like that.

Your head might tell you that you should date other people and move on. Your heart won't let you give that new person 100% because it knows what it really wants.

Love is stronger than lust, an excitement from texting someone new, doubt, and fear. This is big for me to say, but love is the greatest feeling (when you finally stop fighting it and let it happen).

My advice? Don't let your brain play tricks on you. Follow your heart, take risks, and fight for what matters most to you.

I love you, with all of my heart.

Intermountain Health Hub APP GIVEAWAY

It's winter and the weather is turning cold. This means it's time to drink more orange juice, bundle, and avoid getting sick. But we can't always control our health, right. I have info on a cool new app. Intermountain Healthcare has developed a free new mobile app, called “Intermountain Health Hub,” which is an all-in-one tool that makes managing healthcare easier. It gives users many different features designed to simplify the entire healthcare experience, including the “Germ Tracker”, “Instacare wait times” and “Bill Pay” while on the go. The app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App Store and Google Play here.

What exactly can you do in the app? Here are 10 features and benefits the new app provides:

· GermWatch: Find out how prevalent various germs are in Utah, and see how their activity level is trending. Learn about symptoms, how germs are spread, treatments, vaccinations, and when you should contact your doctor.

· InstaCare and KidsCare urgent care centers: Hold your place in line before you arrive and compare wait times by Utah location. Also find KidsCare after-hours clinics in Utah and information for making appointments.

· My Health: Users can access the password-protected My Health patient portal, where they can securely message their Intermountain doctor, check lab results and other parts of their medical records with Intermountain Healthcare, and review benefits and claims.

· First aid: Get first aid tips for common injuries such as sprains, burns, cuts, etc.

· Prescription refills: Request refills at Intermountain pharmacies and check the status of prescription requests.

· Symptoms: Search for adult or child/baby symptoms by key word, body area, or alphabetically by topic. Find out when you should see a doctor or call 911. Learn about self-care options.

· Doctors: Find doctors by name, specialty, hospital, clinic, location, and save your doctors to your

“favorites” list for quick reference later.

· Locations: Find Intermountain hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies near you. Then you can save your favorites for quick reference later.

· Pay bills: Easily pay Intermountain Healthcare bills by credit card or eCheck.

· Send wishes: Send cards with personalized messages directly to patients you might know in Intermountain hospitals.

We all live on our cell phones, might as well make sure you are keeping track of your health too with this app. For information on other Intermountain Healthcare mobile apps, visit http://www.Intermountain.com/mobile.

To encourage you to download the app, here is a giveaway for a $250 Target gift card:
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HOME

'Tis the season for Hallmark movies so I'll share a quote I heard in one recently:

If you can find someone who can love you like a dog, then you just may have found true love. Their love in unconditional.

Prague, I love you, but it's so good to be home.

Epica PET GROOMING TOOLS

I made it back to my America today. What was the first thing I did when I arrived home? I gave my dog a big hug and we played. Then I gave her a special treat...a nice brush. We tried out two new grooming tools from Epica.

First, we used the self-cleaning slicker brush with pivoting head. 

Day-Z liked it so much, she rolled over to let me brush her belly as well.

 You can tell she likes it because her tooth is hanging out. That is a sign of pure happiness for her.

After you are finished brushing, the retractable pins make cleaning up the hair easy. You simply need to push the retractor button, and then the pin bed is left bare for you to shake off the hair. It doesn't look like she has a lot of fur, but I have to do this mid-grooming a few times because Day-Z sheds like a maniac. The brush has flexible, non-rusting pins that gently remove tangles and dead hair build-up in your dog's undercoat.

 The other tool we tried is the reversible de-matting comb with safety blades. This tool is great for dogs and cats with medium to long and wirey to curly hair. Day-Z's hair isn't too long and the kitty was hiding because Day-Z was so excited for me to be home that she was jumping all around. Day-Z does have longer fur around her neck so we tried this comb there.

This comb has extra long with safety edges so you can be sure you don't pull or scratch your pet's skin. I can use this for Day-Z (I am right handed) and my mom (the left-handed person), can use this comb for her cats because the tool is reversible. All you have to do is unscrew a nut at the top of the tool and reverse the blade. There is also a thumb rest for the brusher to use. She was a happy dog after this grooming session....I'll say it's because she's glad to see me again.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Mikulás

In a few countries in Europe (the Czech republic being one), people celebrate the arrival of Mikulas. Mikulas is a version of Saint Nicholas and he comes on December 6th and leaves before Christmas.

 Micelles comes to visit children with 2 assistants: an angel who delivers presents to the good children and a devil who punishes the bad the children. 

I think the idea is to scare your children to be good.

 I was able to witness this celebration twice.

 The first was on a special tram ride for children in Plzen.

Hold on tight because the devil is driving!

The second night, we went to Prague where the costumes get a little more spooky.

Europeans are weird, but I love them.

Lumo Project: The Gospel of John

Calling all Netflix users! Starting December 1st, there is a film available - coming with great timing for the Christmas season. The Lumo Project encompasses four feature-length films – one for each gospel account – that will revolutionize the way we experience the story of Jesus and His life in first century Palestine. The film is available in multi-languages and versions. The Lumo Project is an educational resource designed to promote biblical literacy for anyone interested in the gospel stories, regardless of your faith.

This full-length feature film about the life of Jesus takes the actual Gospel text as its script, word for word, unedited. Don't let that scare you.
After five years, this production has been critically acclaimed by leading religious scholars as a unique and highly authentic version of the Jesus story. It is totally based on the latest theological, historical, and archaeological research. You'll be amazed by the specially constructed sets, authentic villages, and amazing countryside of rural Morocco as you watch. It really is very beautiful.

The film is narrated by David Harewood (you might know him from ‘Homeland’, ‘Blood Diamond’, and ‘Merchant of Venice’). I love British actors. Keep an open mind and heart and give this film a try. I watched the King James version last night and was impressed. I have been taking part (small part) in the filming of a movie while here in Czech and it is very interesting to see the great cinematography, costuming, and set used in this show.

Click these links to find out more about this film #JohnOnNetflix:

https://twitter.com/TheLumoProject

http://instagram.com/thelumoproject

https://www.facebook.com/thelumoproject

SONICLEAR Beauty

I have mentioned that being in Europe is like a day spa for me compared to the dry dessert climate in Utah. So what do I have planned to help my skin when I get back? I have a Soniclear Brush. 

This device is powerful, yet gentle enough even for sensitive skin. Soniclear micro-massages away dirt and impurities...which I'll admit to not having perfect skin like JLo. It will help improve skin tone, reduce breakouts, aid in better absorption of skincare products, and overall better cleansing and makeup removal than just using your hands. 

 Then a cool feature is the brush protects itself from microbial contamination. This means you won't have a stinky, dirty brush between cleansings. Each kit comes with: Soniclear device, 1 facial brush head with cover, 1 body brush head with cover, 1 charging stand and cord.

Here is a 20% discount to buy one for you OR as a Christmas present. 

Your face will love you for using this Soniclear brush from Michael Todd.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.