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#RELATABLE

#RELATABLE

We’re all a little bit obsessed with things we can relate to, whether it’s a painfully true meme about college students or a t-shirt we just have to buy because the words on it seem to come straight from our soul. One of the latest 

The Non-Existent Clock of Pregnancy

The Non-Existent Clock of Pregnancy

When I worked as the front desk medical assistant a few years ago at a primary care physicians office, I was able to observe many different questions, concerns, and discussions between the physician (Dr. F) and her patients. One afternoon Dr. F came out of 

Manage Stress with a Little Organization

Manage Stress with a Little Organization

As a busy student, one of the most common feelings in my life is stress and I’m sure I’m not the only student who feels this way. Each semester, I wonder how I can relieve this stress. I try to prepare myself with some steps I can take so that I don’t feel so stressed.  Of course, I could take the advice my care-free sister has given me on multiple occasions: “Don’t be a head-case. You make things way harder than they have to be. Just chill.” Right. That’s so easy. However, as far as that gets me I know it won’t last long and it certainly won’t help my case.

This semester however, I’ve found a few things that have truly helped me. While I can’t promise they will erase all stress from your life, I can tell you they will help relieve some of the pressure that inevitably builds up throughout the semester.
As cheesy as it sounds, the most important thing I can do each day for myself is just to breathe. Close your eyes for a few moments and take a few deep breaths: in and out. Focus on that breathing and let that be the only thing on your mind. Don’t allow your big test, or your extensive essay get in the way. Make this a habit, and really give yourself a little time just to breathe.

Besides breathing, I love getting a good schedule written out. Sundays, one of my favorite things to do (besides taking a really great nap) is to sit down and write out my schedule for the week. This organization step may sound a bit obvious, but it is important. I never really thought to be too specific with certain things in my schedule, such as planning out time for homework, but this semester being specific in every detail has truly helped me. When I say be specific with everything, I’m really saying instead of writing down on Monday, for example, “5:00 pm – two hours of study time” write “5:00 – spend one hour on assigned reading for “x” class, and one hour completing the corresponding assignment.” Be as specific as possible and I promise this will help. This is because it ends up being more of a commitment. By narrowing your plans down, it helps you to stay focused on getting done what is most important, first.

Along with this, I have lately come to appreciate writing out a few of my personal goals for the week and making sure they can fit into my schedule. It can be so easy to forget to plan out little things that, at the end of the week, will leave us feeling much more accomplished when we complete them. In my personal goals portion of my schedule recently, I have been committing myself to reading something new each week, such as a Shakespeare play I’ve never read. This isn’t something assigned in any of my classes, but it’s important to me. I admire Shakespeare, and I feel great once I get to know him a little better through his writings. I feel a little more accomplished at the end of the week that I can follow through with my scheduled goals. I’m following through in something that I’ve chosen to do purely for my own benefit.

These things may not work for everyone, and I understand that, but these suggestions certainly won’t hurt. As a master-procrastinator, this has absolutely helped me to stay on top of most everything in my life that I can control. I have found that by scheduling out things very specifically and getting these things done according to my written schedule, I actually have the time to accomplish the things I actually want to do. There are many different examples of ways to organize your schedule each week, and I encourage you to look up a few options and find the one that works best for you.

Couponing for Beginners

Couponing for Beginners

I grew up in a big family, and my parents were always looking for ways to save money. My mom turned to coupons to buy the necessities without spending ridiculous amounts of money. Couponing can help families and individuals save a lot of money, especially 

Killer Recipes: Cake Mix Cookies

Killer Recipes: Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients:  One package plain Devil’s Food cake mix*  1/3 cup water  4 tablespoons melted butter  1 large egg  1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips  1/2 cup walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts (optional) Preheat oven to 350°F 1. Lightly grease 2 

Marital Sex Communicator

Marital Sex Communicator

When did you finally learn that a “pee-pee” was actually a penis? Or, when did you learn that women have a clitoris and what its true purpose is? Understanding sexuality is extremely important to having healthy sexuality and effective sexual communication throughout life, and especially with your future spouse. When sexual body parts are mislabeled or even excluded from being taught, it can lead children to grow up thinking their sexual organs and abilities are bad or inappropriate to discuss.

Just as talking about sexuality frankly, appropriately, and respectfully with children is important, it is equally important to discuss sexuality in this manner within your romantic relationship. Misconceptions about sex—men always want sex more than women, women don’t enjoy sex as much as men, etc.—can often lead to difficulty talking about each individual’s sexual needs, if they are being fulfilled, and how to better fulfill them.

In order to talk about sexuality, there needs to be trust within the relationship and healthy communication patterns. We must have trust that our partner will accept and understand our concerns or desires. Healthy communication patterns ensure a space to talk freely, where our spouse can understand or ask questions to understand. These emotional securities will open endless gateways to a more fulfilling relationship sexually.

Of course, it’s not all about sex. There is an emotional relationship, mental/intellectual relationship, and spiritual relationship along with the physical/sexual relationship. None of these relationships takes precedence or is more important over another one. They all add to the unity and true fulfillment we can have in our relationships. If the spiritual relationship is lacking attention, then of course give it some extra care. But, if the spiritual relationship is strong and the sexual relationship is lacking, then the sexual relationship needs some focus and investigation to find out why its weak and how to fix it.

There is so much more we could discuss on how to address and care for the sexual aspects of our marriages. These ideas and concepts we have discussed are only grazing the surface of the intricacies that go into the sexual aspects of a marital relationship, but are a wonderful place to start exploring. There are many helpful aids to educate people about this area of our lives. One book, among many, of research on this topic is Sexual Wholeness in Marriage: An LDS Perspective on Integrating Sexuality and Spirituality in our Marriages by Dean M. Busby PhD, Jason S. Carrol PhD, and Chelom Leavitt JD MS. It includes misconceptions about sexuality, common pitfalls, and explores the many parts that go into sexuality and how to integrate sexual wholeness into our lives as well as suggested solutions to help with issues you may be having. This is a beautiful, and fulfilling part of marriage. Don’t let it go unattended.

DIY Frames and Watercolors

DIY Frames and Watercolors

“These walls are just so bare.”  Have those words ever crossed your lips?  It’s happened to all of us at least once.  So, now what?  Maybe you’re broke; maybe you’re on a budget.  Either way, you don’t want to spend a lot of money on 

Comfy Seats and Love-Filled Treats

Comfy Seats and Love-Filled Treats

All over the world, people spent this last weekend in comfy seats eating yummy treats while they listened to the voices of modern prophets, apostles, and auxiliary leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during General Conference. There were monumental announcements and 

Two Hour Church?

Two Hour Church?

During General Conference there were a few astounding announcements, one regarding the length and structure of Sunday church meetings. It was announced that church meetings would be shortened to two hours and an emphasis would be placed on home-centered study. God has heard the prayers of many individuals who wanted the strength to be able to attend all three hours of church, including new converts and parents with young children. He then was able to advise our modern-day prophets to potentially shorten church, which will be happening starting January of 2019. How does two-hour church benefit the family? Well, a few potential benefits include: more gospel-oriented homes, more time for families to spend time together, and even honoring the Sabbath day with a focus on the ordinance of the sacrament. This Sunday schedule will provide opportunities for families to be more gospel-oriented in using the new Come Follow Me resource to learn and understand more about the gospel within the family. With this, the family can decide how they will apply the gospel in their daily lives and live righteously together. While leaving church early is exciting, the family can spend the extra time together doing family home evenings or a selected activity that is gospel-oriented. The time spent together, will only increase love for each other because they will create memories that will be with them forever. Two-hour church will also put an emphasis on the importance of the ordinances that occur during sacrament. When we attend our weekly sacrament meeting, we renew our promises to God and remember the importance of the gospel in our lives. Two-hour church will help us to see the importance of family by spending time with them in a church-oriented home and by renewing our promises. We are ready for January of 2019 to come because we will be receiving new information about being gospel-oriented within the home and attending church for only two-hours.

Is Mint by Intuit Right for You?

Is Mint by Intuit Right for You?

The word finances makes many newly-married couples cringe in fear. While everyone recommends budgeting, saving, watching credit scores, and tracking financial growth, these tasks bring with them extra time and energy demands that are often unrelenting. New and old families alike know they are supposed