Good deed of the day

I came across this touching movement in the blogging community to reach out to a blogger mommy who is expecting her 2nd baby and really going through a difficult time.

I was touched by the support she is receiving from bloggers, some of whom are complete strangers! I bought her a Target gift card, thinking that she could use it to buy groceries, diapers, or something for the baby, whatever what she needs!

I encourage you to consider if you can participate in this. I'm not rich by any means, but I decided I'd rather pinch in another place in order to be able to help. Many of you probably have gently used baby items that you could donate, too!



Lizarita here. I’ll get right to it:

My good friend Liz and her family are going through some hard times (as we ALL have) and I got to thinking…”What can I do to help???” And then I read her comments and talked to her and came up with a solution: Liz’s Virtual Baby Shower. This baby shower will function in two parts: I’ll be heading up one side of the shower and Julie will take up the other side (see: below).

Since so many of you have graciously offered to pass along your gently used baby items, I was thinking that I could administrate this effort and make sure all the items are delivered safely and soundly to the house of h.

And for those of you that know me, you know that being bossy is what I do best so this is the PERFECT job for me. Ahem.

The Details:
If you have any gently used baby items that you would like to contribute, please send me an email to lizaritablogs AT gmail DOT com and I will tell you where to send your package.

In order to get the word out to as many of the good people on the Interweb as possible, there is a little contest involved. Create a post on your blog about the collection efforts and link to this post. Please let me know via email if you are participating. And feel free to grab a little blog bling while you’re at it! Please be sure to mention this contest in your post so others can join in the fun! A winner will be chosen at random.

The prize? Liz’s baby! (Kidding). I’m not sure what the prize is yet, but I can assure you that it will be FABULOUS!

Please keep in mind that Liz is having a GIRL so even though she would appreciate those navy blue corduroy overalls with the trains and planes on the front, her daughter would look kinda funny in them, so please refrain from sending them.

Thank you in advance for your kindness.

BUT WAIT!!! That’s not all! Some of you are thinking “Liz needs to get some NEW stuff, too!” and we thought the same thing…

And this is the second part of Liz’s Virtual Baby Shower:

Hi all—Julie from the calm before the stork here, and I’m helping to host the Brand New Baby Things side of Liz’s Virtual Baby Shower for those of you that want to hook a sister up with some new things.After I read her recent post about money, or the lack thereof, I thought my awesome internet friend Liz—who so completely propped me up with her encouragement around the time of my baby boy’s birth not so long ago—could use a little mirth in advance of the birth of her daughter, Alice. So here’s my extra little somethin’ offer as co-host of this interweb-wide giftie event. Not only will you pick up some sex-ay blog bling, but you’ll be entered to win one of my mugs. If you would like to purchase a little somethin’ somethin’, please check out her Babies R Us or Target registries, and be sure to drop by my place and leave me a comment letting me know that you’re in. I’ll draw a winner at random in early May, so stay tuned!

Baby Alice is due June 13th and Liz is registered at Babies R Us under first name “Hilarities” and last name “Ensue” (registry# 86825422) and at Target as first name “Liz” and last name “Hilarities Ensue” (registry# 011003997423613).

And don’t forget to to post your blog bling (designed by the Always Fabulous, Carly)!

Funny Friday

First saw this video on Milk Breath and Margaritas. Possibly the funniest baby video I have ever seen!!

Suddenly, I'm a 13-year-old girl again...

I am a fair-weather American Idol fan to be sure, but I have never been as excited about a contestant until David Archuleta! His performance last night (which I just barely saw tonight) of Imagine was INCREDIBLE!!! I think he is the perfect American Idol- young, good-looking, wholesome, humble and SUPER DUPER TALENTED. Plus, he's a little Mormon kid from Murray, Utah, so I just have to support him!

Blogs I've Noticed...

Politics For Moms is a non-partisan, neutral, informational blog. Check out this great post about why women won't get behind Hilary.

The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks makes fun of annoying (and hilarious) grammatical errors in print. Check out this goodie.

My church now has a blog, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Newsroom. How cool is that?


Jessica McDougall injects a little bit of fashion and glamour into my day.

Twins Chelsea and Amanda married brothers, are both artists and started this incredible blog devoted to "collecting good ideas and passing them along," and they called it Two Tumbleweeds. And I know them in real life, aren't I lucky?

Thanks goes to Daring Young Mom via Boo for this great little gem.

The quest for (less) stuff

The past few days, John and I have been rearranging furniture and reorganizing our little apartment (different couch, moved the table, etc.). This means that right now we have a TON of stuff in disarray. As many of my friends know, I am messy. (I'm trying to be better every day, but most days its a losing battle). John is messy, too. To compound this problem, we are both "savers" as opposed to "purgers". We tend to hang onto stuff FOREVER. So we live in a one bedroom apartment and we have probably 4x as much stuff that could comfortably and cleanly fit into our space. Pretty much every weekend recently has been spent trying to purge. We systematically get out some of our boxes of stuff (that we store in my parent's basement- thanks, guys!) and try to eliminate it. We have trash piles, D.I. piles, Ebay piles, put away piles... it's pretty funny to see some of the stuff we have kept. Then, we run out of steam and we are left with *fewer* boxes but boxes of stuff nonetheless. This battle for a simpler, more organized life has led me to have STUFF on the brain. I came across two great posts that kind of touch on consumerism (which is a big part of it all.) C Jane from C Jane Run writes about the vortex of online shopping and the case of "I want" that it gives you. Quimby at Feminist Mormon Housewives writes about her Year of Non-Consumerism. I've also been reading some organizational blogs for ideas...

Mostly, I want to be more mindful of what I buy and bring into my home. I can feel the tide starting to turn... now that our life is in a more normal schedule (no more campaigning) we have been able to really organize and use our small space efficiently. The kitchen, bathroom and bedroom have been completely reorganized. I feel that we will be able to pare down to the essentials soon. I feel like we need to get OUR stuff together before we even think about adding a baby and all of THAT stuff to the mix.

Anyway, long post, but what are your thoughts on conquering clutter and organizing stuff? What's your biggest challenge in staying tidy? (Mine for sure is laundry and papers!)

Fashion from the Oscars

My picks for best dressed... except I didn't care for Cameron Diaz or Amy Adams- I thought they both looked unfinished and not very glamorous. I LOVED everyone else in this slideshow... and I can't choose which red dress I liked the best. What do you think?

Birthdays again!

I probably shouldn't get into this habit, because I would feel horrible if I missed someone's birthday... however, I'm just inspired to do this because my dear little Amy is so far away and the internet is the only connection we have these days!!

Tomorrow is Amy's Birthday, and I just have to give my girl a shout-out! Amy is fun to be around, for sure, but that's not the only reason I value her friendship. She is a loyal, supportive friend; she is a good example to me; she loves her family so fiercely; and she really inspires me to be a better person! I will always remember racing to the H Rock with her on any given evening to watch the sunset, getting loopy at 11:00 p.m., picking up Wendy's fries at 10 in the morning on our way to institute, and watching "the Wonder Years" in our Adolescent Psychology class. I just love this girl! Happy Birthday!!




Another b-day shout-out has to go to my little Susie! (Susie's birthday is on Monday). I LOVE this girl! I'm so lucky that she and Brent are in my ward because I get to see her all the time! She's a stalwart friend who loves me even when I'm wild and crazy! Susie has been a partner-in-crime for late night TP runs, an example of a wonderful wife and mother, and a supportive friend when I need it the most! When I was working on the campaign this fall, Susie invited me and John over for dinner a few times, just to make sure we got a home-cooked meal! She (and Brent) have been such great friends to me and John and I'll never forget some of the heartfelt talks that she and I have had late at night! Love you, Susie! (P.S.- Her baby daughter, Evelyn, may be the most perfect infant on the the face of the planet!)






Also on Monday, is the dynamic Myers duo. I love Heidi to pieces and I think it is so cute that Steve's birthday is the same day! They get to have double the fun!! I remember the good old days of frantically preparing for dances with Heidi and I'll tell you, when you're making a giant balloon arch or decorating until midnight the night before, you find out who your true friends are. Heidi was that kind of friend who stuck it out with you! Since then, she's been so kind and generous to me! I loved being at Heidi and Steve's gorgeous wedding and as I watched their slideshow, I remember thinking how perfectly matched they were! Anytime I get to see Heidi or Steve (or especially Baby Katie, whom I adore!), it is a good day! Happy Birthday, you guys!

Health care reform discussion

First, go read this incredibly articulate post by Emily Anne. Go on, I'll wait.

This is my what I posted in response on her blog. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.


The current health care system needs to borrow free market principles, such as consumer-based responsibility. We all probably did more research about the computers we are using right now than we did about the last medical procedure we underwent. If I had to carry more of the financial burden of my health care, I would research the best possible care for the best possible price. I would think twice about a test that may or not be necessary. If my insurance covers everything, then I'll want everything, regardless of whether or not I NEED it.

The cost of malpractice insurance for doctors is unreasonable and it is primarily because of merit-less lawsuits. The "ambulance chasers" need to have that cost of litigation put back on them to protect the innocent doctors AND the patients that have legitimate lawsuits.

Right now in Utah, there is a Health System Reform movement (the bill involved is HB 133) to address this problem. The solution requires everyone to take a little bit of the responsibility and cost: doctors, hospitals, insurance companies and consumers.

Today is Thursday. But Dwight thinks that it’s Friday…and that’s what I will be working on this afternoon.

Who is Your Ideal TV Boyfriend?

More on Gossip Girl. Created by BuddyTV

Found this great quiz via Jennifer at Playgroups Are No Place for Children who found it on Puntabulous. Leave me a comment or post it on your own blogs- I'm dying to know who your TV match made in heaven is!

Some of the other possible matches are Sawyer from Lost, Chuck Bartowski from Chuck (BTW, if you are not watching this show, you are missing out!), Denny from Grey's Anatomy, Peter Petrelli from Heroes, Dean Winchester from Supernatural, Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl, Michael Scofield from Prison Break, Derek Shepherd from Grey's Anatomy, Matt Saracen from Friday Night Lights, and Gregory House from House.

For John...who is always mindful of "bat country"

Husband tag

What’s his name? John Howard Thornton (although for the first three weeks of his life he was Peter James Thornton).

How long have you been married? 2 years and almost one month

How long did you date? 3 years. We got engaged on the anniversary of when we first met.

How old is he? 29 and 11 months

Who said I love you first? John did. He wrote it in Hebrew during church, then whispered the translation in my ear. It was hard for me to pay attention after that!


Who kissed who first? He kissed me first.

Who asked out who first? He asked me to "hang out" first, but I asked him on our first official date (to my sorority's Halloween date night.)

Who proposed? John did. He totally surprised me! He took me to Snowbird, where we first met, for our third anniversary. We exchanged gifts and mine was a new digital camera! I was so surprised by such a nice gift that any thoughts of proposals flew out of my head. I opened the camera box to start examining the camera and underneath the camera was a diamond ring!! Then he got on his knee and proposed!

Who eats more? Johnny.

Who is taller? Johnny is 5'10" and I am 5'6.5".

Who is smarter? I think John is one of the most intelligent people in the world! He really is brilliant! But he always says he thinks I'm super smart, too. John excels at science, math, logic, music, and computer programming (of course). I really only have him beat in writing and other English related fields.

Who does laundry? We both do. We purchased an awesome set of LG washer and dryer and John LOVES to use them!

Who does the dishes? I load the dishwasher and John unloads (in fact, I can hear him doing it right now!)

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I sleep on the left but in our first apartment, I slept on the right.

Who pays the bills? Mostly they're on auto-pay, but I'd say I monitor and pay the miscellaneous bills more often that John does.

Who mows the lawn? John LOVES to mow the lawn!

Who cooks dinner? We both like to cook. John for sure loves experimenting!!

Who drives when you are together? It depends. Often John will drive but I will drive if I'm picking him up or dropping him off.

Who is more stubborn? We are both super stubborn. :)

Who is cleaner? We're both a little messy but John is cleaner than I am!

Who has more siblings? John has five (three brothers and two sisters) and I have two (one brother and one sister).

Who wears the pants in the family? Depends on the situation.

Whose parents do you see more often? Well, we live in my parents' mother-in-law apartment so we see my parents fairly often (probably every other day). But John's parents live three blocks away, so we see them about once a week.

Who has more friends? Again, it depends. I am more social than John is, but everyone who meets John instantly loves him! I had more friends on our wedding invitation list but he's friends with all my friends so it's hard to say.


What a fun tag! I love talking about my Johnny! Thanks for the tag, Mads! I now tag Catherine, Kerry, and Jamie.

How many of us are there?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 461 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Check this cool site out! I found it from K's blog. This site also told me that Barbara is statistically the 15th most popular name in the U.S. and John is the 2nd most popular!

Week Highlights

-Winning the Your Heart Out giveaway from the Oh Sweet Sadie boutique show!

-Visiting the Oh Sweet Sadie boutique and spending some quality sister time with Cat

-Judging the Mr. Leopard pageant at East High School. (Imagine silly teenage boys competing in a goofy beauty pageant... it was hilarious!)

-Welcoming John home from his long trip just in time for Valentine's Day

-Delivering secret valentines to widows/widowers in the neighborhood

-Meeting the families of fallen Utah soldiers as they were honored at the Capitol today. It was so touching to hear them honor their loved ones who died in the line of duty and very moving to see all the legislators wiping away tears.

My funny valentine

John spent most of last week in L.A. and is currently in New York. My jet-setting valentine is recharging his batteries, attending conferences, working and visiting old friends. I am so happy for him but of course, I wish I could go, too! He gets back on Valentine's Day- what a nice present for me!

Mitt Suspends Candidacy

Mitt Romney, GOP candidate for President (and Utah favorite), announced today that he is *suspending his campaign, "for our party and our country."

"In this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror. This is not an easy decision. I hate to lose," the former Massachusetts governor said.

"As of today, more than 4 million people have given me their vote for president, that's of course, less than Senator McCain's 4.7 million, but quite a statement nonetheless. Eleven states have given me their nod, compared to his 13. Of course, because size does matter, he's doing quite a bit better with the number of delegates he's got," Romney said.

"If this were only about me, I'd go on. But it's never been only about me. I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, in this time of war I feel I have to now stand aside for our party and for our country."

Interesting twist to the campaign, I'd say. This has been an interesting election year because there have been a lot of viable candidates along the way (John Edwards, Rudy Guiliani) that for one reason or another, couldn't muster the support they needed to be successful in a bid for the White House. I wonder if Huckabee will continue on? Considering the fact that he earned fewer delegates than Romney did, I think it's unlikely he'll stay in the race much longer.

Here's an interesting editorial written the other day talking about the possibility of a McCain/Romney ticket come November (if they can put aside their differences).



* Suspending a campaign has a different meaning depending on the party.

On the Republican side, decisions on how to allocate delegates is left to the state parties.

On the Democratic side, a candidate who "suspends" is technically still a candidate, so he or she keeps both district and statewide delegates won through primaries and caucuses. Superdelegates are always free to support any candidate at any time, whether the candidate drops out, suspends or stays in.

National party rules say that a candidate who "drops out" keeps any district-level delegates he or she has won so far but loses any statewide delegates he or she has won. (Source cnn.com)

Miss Utah 2008

Today at the Capitol, Miss Utah 2008, Sgt. Jill Stevens led the House of Representatives in the Pledge of Allegiance. It was fun to see her in person- she really is as down-to-earth as she seems on TV. She competed in the Miss America pageant and although she didn't make it past the top 16, she was "America's Choice," an award given to the most popular candidate by online voters (including me). She's really very cool- she's a nurse and has served with the National Guard in Afghanistan. She has run 12 marathons and was the only one of the top 16 Miss America candidates to wear a one piece swimsuit. I'm glad that such a well-rounded girl is our Miss Utah this year!

Prophetic Passing by Anna M. Molgard

Prophetic Passing

I imagine he’s running to Marjorie now,
Yes, running, not waving his cane.
I see him embracing his father and mother
While they keep repeating his name.

I see him now meeting his forebears,
Brother Brigham and Joseph are there.
Sweet reunion of prophets, united by service
That only such noble men share.

I see him embraced by the Savior
While Father says, “Good and well done.
So faithful in stalwart endurance, I welcome
My noble, most excellent son.”

I then hear the ripples of laughter
As he says the reception’s just fine,
But he hopes that he’ll get an assignment or two
Since there’s no need to waste any time.

I can hear his clear voice in the stillness
At the close of this sweet Sabbath day,
Have faith and move forward – there’s work to be done.
President Hinckley would want it that way.

Anna M. Molgard
January 27, 2008

Thinking about some goals

-Making an effort to actually SEE my friends (not just read their blogs). John and I have a very comfortable habit of just hanging out alone all the time (which we LOVE) but we need to be more balanced because our friendships enrich our lives, too, and we're going to miss out on those connections!

-Committing to a healthy lifestyle. Not a crash diet, but a true change of mentality to committing to healthy eating and regular exercise. (This includes my new (two days down, 363 to go) commitment to not eating sugar or desserts. It makes me sad.)

-Stepping away from my "caretaker" mode every now and then and doing something that feeds my creativity or imagination.

-Saving my money and paying off debt.

-Work on my personal study habits (reading the scriptures on my own, not just with John, preparing and pondering my lessons in advance, keeping up with the lessons in Relief Society and Sunday School).


Care to share some of your goals??

President Hinckley's cane

I read a touching, smart, insightful tribute to President Hinckley today in the Deseret News, talking about his cane. It's a great article; it draws comparisons to President Hinckley's walking stick and the staffs of biblical prophets. I recommend clicking the link and taking a moment to read this great article!

(Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Morning News)