Photo by Wendy Santiano

Are you ready to Light the World? On December 1st, Mormon.org will be kicking off the Christmas season with a worldwide day of service. My friend Wendy and I got a jump start on serving with our families and I am so excited to share our experience with you!

Why participate? Because you have so much to give! This year I discovered that even in difficult times, I have something to offer.  Every year I prayerfully choose a few words to live by. For 2016 I was strongly impressed to “give more.” When these words first came to my mind, I laughed and then I cried. My husband had been laid off and I was working around the clock. I was tired, mentally and physically. I felt I was already giving all that I had to keep our family afloat.

So I humbled myself and accepted the challenge to give more. It forced me to be creative. Waking in the early morning hours, I began indexing more. We donated clothes and shoes to Deseret Industries and Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry South County. We collected toys and supplies for an orphanage in Italy. We prayed for daily opportunities to serve.

As we increased our service efforts, it was humbling to see our blessings multiply as well. Blessings appeared when we needed them most. Mentors, jobs, and opportunities came at just the right moments. It has been an amazing year and I have much to be grateful for.

For example, late one night there was a knock on our doorstep. Opening the door, I discovered grocery bags filling our small doorstep and spilling out onto the sidewalk. Bags overflowed with pasta, baking supplies, and more. Alongside them sat cases of soup and vegetables followed by large bags of flour and rice.

As we brought the groceries into our home, our 9 year old daughter danced circles around us singing, “We are so blessed. Somebody loves us. We are so blessed.”  This made me cry even more. This is what I wanted my daughter to remember during this tough time – that we were so blessed. That God loves us and will answer our prayers.

My heart bursts when I think of the many ways others have served us this year. Equally just as wonderful are the feelings that have come about as we have served others. Even tiny hands can make a big difference. My children know that they can work hard and do good things.

Photo by Wendy Santiano

One of my favorite service opportunities is working with Tabitha’s Way in Spanish Fork. Last week, we helped sort out cans for their Thanksgiving baskets. Earlier this year, we were able to go in for a family night to stock shelves. They do so much good for the community, it is fun to work alongside them! If you are in Utah County email them at info.tabithas@gmail.com to see how your family can help!

Photo by Wendy Santiano

There are so many ways to serve during this Christmas season! Check out the Light the World homepage to discover inspiration for 25 days of service with your family.

The post Light the World – Blessings from Giving and Receiving appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

(Be sure to enter the GIVEAWAY for a 5-day Survival Backpack at the bottom of this post!)

Are you you feeling more prepared yet this month? I hope so! Last week I shared how to teach children about preparedness and I am excited to elaborate on one of those tips.

Ever since watching The Impossible, a true story about a family’s survival during a tsunami in Thailand, I’ve been concerned about identification in case of an emergency. In the movie, they write people’s names and info on their arms. Genius! I am making sure that Sharpie Permanent Markers, are in every 72-hour kit just for this purpose!

I also think that it is smart to have a key ring with photos of each family member in each 72-hour kit. If someone is lost, it is much easier to show a picture than try to describe a child. I recommend writing your child’s name, age, and height/weight on the back of the picture. Also include the name and phone number of your out of state contact as local phone lines may be tied up during an emergency.

For photos, work with what you have that is recent. School pictures are happening this month and are perfect for this project. Laminate them for durability, hole punch them for a Key Ring, and you are set! I will be updating mine later this month, but I will show you the first set I made. For laminating, I like to use Thermal Laminator 2 Roller System (TL901) and Scotch Thermal Laminating Pouches 8.9 x 11.4 Inches 3 mil, 100-Pack (TP3854-100). I recently bought these two products and they have definitely come in handy! 

Check out this post for more EASY tips to get prepared if you have small children. 

Now for the fun part! Who is ready to win a little something that will help them be more prepared? After all, you are going to need a home for those photo key rings!

I am happy to be teaming up with Honeyville and local bloggers to giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also get 10 percent off your order with the code READY10! Love a deal on emergency preparedness and food storage! Honeyville is a national food supplier leader specializing in storable foods, quality baking  ingredients, and kitchen appliances. Be sure to check them out!

1. What is in your 72-hour kits?

2. Are you getting school pictures this year? Did you ever have any crazy ones when you were little?

This post includes affiliate links, but all opinions are my own! I love shopping online and making it easier for my peeps to get the products I love! 

The post Emergency Preparedness Photo Tip + 5-day Survival Backpack Giveaway appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

When we moved into our new home this year, my Pinterest boards exploded with ideas for a bathroom remodel. The master bathroom has carpet for heavens sake. It is begging for a remodel!

But a complete remodel just isn’t in the budget after all the pricey move-in expenses and our dream Disney vacation in May. What’s a girl to do? I’ll just have to settle for some luxury bathroom routines in my blah blah bathroom for now! Just because my bathroom is looking boring doesn’t mine I have to feel that way!

Here’s what is on the agenda when my sweet children aren’t attempting to bust in or sticking their darling little pudgy fingers under the door.

1. A bubble bath with indulgent soaps. Ten minutes in hot water bliss – yes, please! Just long enough to make me forget about the carpeted bathroom for a few moments.

2. A few of my favorite things and scents. Love burning my candle that I bought at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. So calming and brings back wonderful memories. Nothing like European memories to help you feel luxurious!

3. Speaking of Europe … no bidet, no problem. I first discovered flushable cleansing cloths when I was potty training my oldest. So much easier. Secretly wished here was a more sophisticated version for adults, too. Thanks Cottonelle for granting my wish. Flushable and great for the whole family.

4. I also try to stock the master bathroom with the softer stuff. After giving birth to three babies and then raising those three babies, sometimes you just need to splurge on the nice toilet paper. Pass the two-ply please. After wiping my children’s bums all day, I think I’ve earned the ultimate in clean for myself. Why shouldn’t I feel as fresh as they do, right?

I’ll let you in on a little secret … I didn’t even have to splurge at Rite-Aid this week. Cottonelle was on sale for Buy 1 Get 1 Free plus I used this Rite-Aid Cottonelle coupon. $1 off and you get to see the hilarious video. Toilet paper commercials don’t usually leave me giggling, but this lovely Brit makes me laugh every time!

What is your luxury bathroom routine?

Have you used the Cottonelle wet+dry system? What did you think?

This post is sponsored by Cottonelle, but my love for their fresh care flushable cleansing cloths is all my own!

The post Adding a little luxury to your bathroom routine with Cottonelle appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.