UNREAL.

You guys. I LOVE this brand. Seriously. Best part? (Well, one of them.) You can buy it at Target.

read this.

I still have quite a few followers here, so I thought I'd pass along something good for your Monday. One of my favorite bloggers is starting a really awesome movement. It doesn't require any new gadget, or trendy clothes. Doesn't even require a blog! It's all about doing little things to make a difference. Check it out here. You won't be sorry.

New posts.

Hello friends! I've been playing catch-up on my new blog. If you'd still like an invite, email me: kyliebear1(at)gmail(dot)com! Hope 2013 is treating you well so far.

thank you.

I've decided to make a private blog. It's been something I've been thinking about for a very long time, even before Jake was born. I've loved the friendships that I've gained, and the interaction with all of you, but in my efforts to simplify my life and get on a better track, I feel that this is the right path for me.

Thank you for following me on my journey, and for interacting with me in this way. I truly appreciate the support, community, and friendships that I've experienced the past few years. I will continue to read and interact with you on your blogs. I just simply feel a desire to decrease my "online" presence, and put more effort into bettering myself, and creating a more meaningful life. Maybe I'll be back at some point in the future, but not for now.

If you feel that we have built a relationship (or you are of course a family member/friend), I would love to have you continue to follow us (however frequently or infrequently I post). Please email me at: kyliebear1(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thanks again! Oh, and Merry Christmas!

Leftover Potato Soup

I'm pretty terrible at planning meals. This means I'm usually coming up with a meal as I make it and using what I have. This recipe is exactly that. While sitting at work yesterday, I remembered we had some potatoes left over from our Sunday crockpot dinner. It's also been pretty chilly lately, so I thought I could make some potato soup! I was nervous for the outcome, but it turned out great! I'm a terrible food blogger because I'm too hungry/lazy to take pictures of my food, but trust me, this is tasty. Also, the measurements on the seasonings are guesstimates....I just add stuff here and there until it tastes good (again, lazy cook).  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2-3 medium potatoes, boiled or cooked in crockpot (I used Klondike Rose....basically a red skin with gold flesh)

about 3/4 cup cooked regular sausage** (about half package)

3.5 cups milk (I used skim)

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp granulated garlic/garlic powder

1/2 tbsp dried onion

salt, pepper

desired seasonings (I used dried parsley, paprika, cayenne pepper)

shredded cheese, chopped green onion to garnish

Directions:

1. Cut cooked potatoes into small chunks. Brown the sausage, and drain on paper-towel-lined plate.
2. Make a roux. In a large-ish pot, melt 3 tbsp of butter on medium heat. Add 3 tbsp of flour, one tbsp at a time, stirring to incorporate. Stir about a minute to cook flour. Slowly add milk, stirring with a whisk to incorporate it into the roux without getting lumps.
3. Turn up the heat, and add potatoes. Use a potato masher to slightly mash the chunks. Add salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and desired seasonings to taste (but be careful when you taste!). Honestly, I just give each seasoning a few shakes and pray for the best. You will probably need about a tsp of salt, but hold off on too much of that until after adding the sausage.
4. Add sausage. Allow soup to come to a boil. Let boil until it reaches desired thickness (for me, about a minute or two). Turn off heat, check seasonings. Add more if needed.
5. Serve. Garnish with shredded cheese and sliced green onion.

Serves: about 2-3 people as a main dish, probably 4-6 as an appetizer.

**I plan on trying this recipe with bacon, canadian bacon, or ham. You could also use Italian sausage for a bit more spice.
***Also, I just realized this is yet another testament to my love for potatoes.

[leftovers, reheated at work for my lunch. barely enough]

unsolicited (but wise) marital advice.

Last weekend we visited Mesa to see family and friends, and mostly to attend our sweet friends' wedding. The reception on Friday was beautiful: gorgeously decorated, beautiful weather, delicious soups & salads, and good friends to socialize with. TJ even asked me to dance with him, and to that cute song from Tangled no less.

But the actual wedding....that was my favorite part.

Kyle and Katie were sealed for time and all eternity in that sacred building you see above. I've had the opportunity to attend a couple of these ceremonies (besides my own). They are always very intimate (only about 50 are allowed to attend), and always beautiful. I tend to get a little teary-eyed, and I'm always reminded of our own sealing. I wish I remembered or had written down more of what our sealer had said to us prior to the actual ceremony, but I don't think I did. This time, I paid special attention to the advice that the sealer (ceremony officiator) gave to this beautiful couple.

I don't remember all of what he said, but first, he told them to be obedient to each other's righteous desires. Fairly self-explanatory. He also reminded them that after this day, they would not be a couple, but a trio, including God as the third party in their marriage. Next, he said, "You can be an entertainment-oholic. You can be an education-oholic. But Kyle, I want you to be a Katie-oholic. Katie, be a Kyle-oholic." Although his phrasing was a little funny (and garnered some chuckling), his message was clear. He wasn't referring to obsession with your spouse, but rather that your spouse should be your priority, number one in your life, your best friend, your everything. I really liked that concept. Sometimes, it's easy for me to become a social-media-oholic or a TV-oholic. Sometimes it's easy to focus on everything going on in life and miss out on truly supporting TJ, thinking about his needs before my wants. It's easy to let life get in the way of being all that I can be for him. This gentle reminder served as a bit of a wake-up call for me. This balancing act called life can be tricky tricky.

He finished his advice with a bit of the usual (at least, what we as Latter-Day Saints are told repeatedly). Pray together, read your scriptures together (even for just a little while each day). Go to the temple, he said, "for it is a bit of heaven on earth." It's amazing to me, again, just how easy it is to let these little habits slip to the sidelines and allow other, less-important and inconsequential things take their place. It's amazing what a difference these things can make, too. TJ and I have struggled with these little habitual things at different points in our marriage...and I can point to those times and recognize how much harder life was, if simply for the fact that our perspective was not as bright and our spirits were tired.

Brother Huber had Kyle and Katie look into each others eyes, and really look at each other. Then he said that in that moment, the other person was perfect in their eyes and in the eyes of God. He reminded them to strive for that perfection, but also to remember that feeling and strive to see one another in that light. Having been married for some time now, I think what he meant was to focus on those strong, beautiful feelings of love and commitment. As time passes, it is easy to nit-pick and realize your spouse's flaws...those little things that annoy...and to let them become what you see. Of course, you know that you still love them, but sometimes it's easy to just be annoyed. Instead, focus on their virtues, on what you fell in love with about them, and what you're falling in love with about them continually.

"Choose your love, and love your choice," Brother Huber quoted. Such a powerful statement in a world where the "possibilities" for "love" are endless, and too many feel that choices are negotiable. I'm entering a stage in life where I am recognizing the true impacts of divorce, and I'm noticing that people as young as I am are divorced. Far be it from me to judge them, for I know that there could be thousands of reasons behind such a life-altering decision. However, it still saddens me...to see the "death" of a marriage, the end of what I thought had been a love story. It makes my heart break with the scary thought of what-ifs and I-never-saw-that-comings.

As I looked up at TJ, who was standing behind me, in that sealing room in that special place, I knew he had felt what I did. I knew he recognized what we both could work on in making our marriage stronger. I know that as he looked at our friends, he remembered our own special day and remembered the way we felt. I'm so grateful for that. I love my husband, and I feel blessed that we are able to feel the blessings of our temple marriage in such a real way. I'm grateful for the reminders I received this past weekend. Marriage truly takes constant vigilance, work, love, and forgiveness.

And baby, if you're reading this, I love you, my Troy James. Thank you for taking me to the temple.

[See that little family of three standing on the steps? They had just been sealed together forever, as a family. Is there anything more beautiful?]

Post Pregnancy Exercise Tips

Hey guys! Sorry to have been so sporadic lately, but honestly I'm still figuring things out and if playing with my boys means blogging gets pushed to the side, I'm OK with that. So, today I have a treat for you new moms, moms-to-be, and those who will be a mom in the future. Katie contacted me a couple weeks ago about collaborating on an article. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche. If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26. Enjoy!

Exercising after having a baby is beneficial to the women's body and mind. Getting a body figure back after nine months of allowing a little baby to grow and thrive in it can lift a mother's self-esteem. Exercising also builds up the strength and endurance necessary to make it through nighttime feedings and pushing strollers while performing the usual daily tasks. Many exercises can be completed in the privacy of the home or neighborhood without going to a gym.

Consult with a physician before beginning any exercise routine, especially after having a new baby. Your doctor is not only full of pre-natal information about immunizations and cord blood banking for your baby’s health, but are also great resources to tap for your health concerns about post-pregnancy weight loss. If the delivery was normal and uncomplicated, some exercises can begin the next day. Cesarean sections require a little more time to allow the body to recover, however. 

Pelvic floor exercises are great for women to do after giving birth. They help to stimulate healing by increasing circulation, resulting in minimized bruising or swelling. When using caution, they can be done even after a C-section without fear of tearing the stitches. To begin, lie down on the floor either on the back or the side. Slowly tighten the abdominal muscles and try to hold for five seconds while continuing to breathe normally. Do several repetitions, working up to ten seconds. Pelvic tilts are a variation of the pelvic floor exercises. To do these, lie on the floor with the knees bent. Pull in the lower abdominal muscles, pushing the small of the back flat on the floor. Hold this position for three seconds, and then arch the back away from the floor. Repeat as much as can be tolerated with ten seconds between each repetition. 

 It is important to exercise the neck and upper back after having a baby, as well. These muscles will take a beating when carrying a new baby, car seats or any other gear necessary to get through the day. Nursing a baby will cause stress on the back that can be alleviated through exercising. Sit up straight while crossing the arms across the chest. Slowly twist the body to the left and then to the right, repeating at least ten times. This can also be done by placing the hands behind the head and linking the fingers together. 

Taking walks provide exercise while helping baby experience the world and bond with Mom. It doesn't need to be done on a treadmill inside a stuffy gym, either. Look for opportunities to walk throughout the house in the beginning. Once the strength has been built up, move to the outdoors. Pushing a stroller will provide some extra exercise, as well as carrying the baby. Start with slow walks and build up to longer outings. If older children are in the house, playing offers many opportunities for exercise while making them feel special at the same time. Games such as tag, hide and seek, playing with a Frisbee or riding a bicycle provides aerobic exercise that can strengthen core muscles and help a mother gain her endurance back. 

These are great, simple, and totally do-able exercises, especially for someone like me who isn't great at exercising regularly. Thanks for the info, Katie!