Pocket Full of Pink

"I Always Want to Be With My Own Family"

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 05:25:00 +0000

I am so amazed at how wonderful God's plan is for us. He organized us into families and revealed that marriage and family relationships are intended to be eternal. During the Dark Ages, or the Apostasy, there was a loss of doctrine and the covenant of eternal marriage. This led to confusion in the majority of the inhabitants of the world, concerning the eternal nature of the family and has led many to believe that such a relationship is not part of God's plan for the salvation and eternal destiny of his children.

Beginning with the teachings of Joseph Smith, latter-day prophets have proclaimed to the world that God's holy priesthood has been restored once again upon the earth and also the sacred keys that allow marriages and families to be sealed together for time and all eternity have been restored to the earth.

Because of this, the doctrine of the premortal existence was restored again to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. We also know that we each lived before we came to this earth as a spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents. We are here on this earth, because we supported God's plan and chose to come to this earth and have the opportunity to live in and perpetuate family relationships.

God and his plan are eternal. He created the earth, and we are his children and are here to experience mortal family life. The eternal nature of the marriage covenant and the promise of everlasting family association are wonderful and amazing doctrines of the restored gospel. I am so thankful for my family. We are not perfect and we make mistakes, but we are trying to become like our Heavenly Father and we do that by showing love, patience, and kindness.

Writing these posts about marriage and families has been a wonderful experience for me. I have learned a lot about myself, my marriage and my family through studying about these principles. I am trying to make the changes I need to become a better wife, mother and daughter of God. I am a work in progress and some days I get discouraged, but I know that with faith, prayer, and diligence, Heavenly Father will give me the strength to be the best that I can be.

Why should I forgive my family members?

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 04:32:00 +0000

As a family, we are committed to each other, and because of this, repentance and forgiveness blend into an interactive process that is strengthened by that commitment. The interesting thing about Forgiveness is that there is always a victim and an offender. They are connected. In marriage, it is usually between a husband and wife. In our families, it can be between siblings, the mom and child, or dad and child.

I am posting this video from James E. Faust called "The Healing Power of Forgiveness." It does not discuss forgiveness in marriage, but I think it is such a wonderful example of how forgiveness can change our lives and the lives of others.

Why do we need to repent and forgive? Because, as mental health experts acknowledge, it is impossible to address emotional and physical well-being without considering the relevance of repentance and forgiveness. The words of the ancient and modern prophets affirm that repentance and forgiveness are central to the gospel plan.

How do we forgive? Here is Worthington's (2001) cognitive-behavioral, five step process:
1. Recall the hurt
2. Empathize
3. Offer the altruistic gift of forgiveness
4. Commit publicly to forgive
5. Hold on to forgiveness

How do we repent? Here is the five-step process:
1. Recognize the offense
2. Sorrow for the offense
3. Disclose
4. Avoid the offending behavior
5. Make restitution

In my life, I have felt the power of sincere repentance and genuine forgiveness. They are gifts from God and they are only made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Faith, Community and the Family

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 23:39:00 +0000

Have you heard of the African adage, "It takes a village to raise a child?"

It takes a village is a proverb that leverages the cultural context and belief that it takes an entire community to raise a child. A child has the best ability to become a healthy adult if the entire community takes an active role in contributing to the rearing of the child.

To me, the "community" part means our religious community. Being involved in this
type of community gives me and my family support. It can also be strengthening to our marriages. In a study done on fidelity involving 3,000 couples, found that religious involvement appears to protect against infidelity, but only among those who were reportedly satisfied in their marital relationship.

Another recent study that was done addressing Internet pornography and it's effects on the marital relationship and family ties, found that greater church attendance was related to lower rates of pornography use. Similarly, it was found that regular attendance at religious services was related to lower rates of domestic violence for men and women.

Just imagine what our world would be like if everyone would have a religious belief and would attend church. I believe that this world would be a better place and people would be more honest, caring, loving, etc.

As families nurture and strengthen individuals, so also communities nurture families, providing a setting within which they can become and stay strong. Families are both protected and assisted by strong communities. Strong community organizations, including schools, churches, councils, service clubs, and so on, supplement and complement the efforts of parents, not only making their work easier but often making the difference between success and failure. Without denying in any way the paramount importance of the family, the old African proverb that it takes a village to raise a child has much truth in it.

Women are much more likely to have children if they are involved in a faith community. When religion is important in a woman's life, this appears to shape childbearing attitudes and behaviors, and that family situation (such as the presence of children) also seems to influence religiousity. This holds for some men as well.

I have found in my marriage, that having the same beliefs and attending the same church helps us to be "equally yoked." by this I mean, we work as a team. We have the same goals, desires for our children, and we attend church together. Same faith marriage are much more stable than interfaith marriages (Bahr, 1981).

All marriage will have their share of challenges and problems, including some related or made worse by their faith involvement. Overall, marriage-based families in which the parents share religious involvement seems to fair comparatively well. Shared faith is a principle that "successful marriages and families are established and maintained," even during the storm.

Families Can Be Together Forever

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 00:21:00 +0000

Temples can Save Families

Sometimes as parents, we raise our children the best that we can and they still have the choice to lose their way. This can be devastating to us as parents who are teaching are children the gospel of Jesus Christ and none of us want our children to fall away from correct principles and commit serious transgressions. But it does happen.

When I was 16, I strayed away from what I was taught. My parents are wonderful people and they loved the gospel and taught us the best that they could. They were wonderful examples. We were sealed in the temple as a family and always went to church. I chose a different path for about three years. Without going into too much detail, I strayed way off the path, but thankfully during this time, I had a wonderful adviser in Young Women's who never gave up on me. She loved me no matter what. My parents never gave up on me either. During my senior year, I finally opened my eyes and realized I did not want to live that kind of life anymore. It wasn't easy, but I repented and feel like because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, was forgiven.

During this period, I know my parents were heartbroken and had no idea what to do. They knew, however that the Atonement and sealing ordinances are sufficiently powerful to eventually bring salvation to the children of parents who diligently seek to keep their temple covenants. Our Heavenly Father knows, far better than any mortal, the pain and sorrow associated with having children who exercise their moral agency to their condemnation rather than exaltation.

My parents were very forgiving of what I had done. They never judged me or gave up on me. The had unconditional love for me. In the proclamation, love is tied to moral commitment and obligation, even toward family members who seem committed to break God's commandments. "Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children" and "parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness,..to teach them to love and serve one another" (paragraph 6). It is important for mothers and fathers to forgive, love and have compassion.

Elder James E. Faust said, “The Prophet Joseph Smith declared—and he never taught more comforting doctrine—that the eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal, to a loving and forgiving father’s heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain. Pray for your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God.’⁶

In this life as followers of Christ, we must rely on faith. To know where the true path is, we must listen to the Holy Ghost and his promptings. They are quiet. Stepping off the path, even if it is not very far, diminishes the most powerful force: the Holy Spirit. Satan will try to entice us off the path, but we have a choice to choose the right. If we follow Jesus Christ and his plan, then we can progress in this life and eventually have eternal happiness. In Moses 1:39, it says, "For behold, this is my work and my glory-to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

What is the Father's role in the family?

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 17:12:00 +0000

When my children were little, they loved watching a show on T.V. about a girl who was sort of like a super hero. It was a satirical yet educational animated series about a young girl who is secretly the superhero Word girl, armed with superhuman strength, abilities, and a skilled vocabulary. It was annoying, but my kids liked it and they would learn a little from it. But then I began to notice, that the parents in the show, especially the father was always portrayed as a complete idiot. This really bothered me and we stopped watching that show.

Some also think and write about fathers from a perspective of skepticism, wondering if fathers are essential to children's development or for productive family life. From my own experience in my family of origin and also my own family, I KNOW that father's are very important. John Snary, who investigated the contributions of fathers to children across generations in a multi-decade research project, summarized his research in saying,

"Good fathering, it seems, really does matter. It matters over a lifetime, and even over generations" (1993, p. 356).

So, fathers matter, their choices matter, the work they do in raising the next generation matters tremendously.

Five principles of fathering:
1. Preside
2. Partner
3. Be present
4. Provide
5. Protect

From "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" fathers are directed to take upon themselves the responsibility of spiritual leadership in family life as part of a loving Eternal Father's plan for family functioning. President Ezra Taft Benson reinforced this key principle of fathering in a conference address, "God established that fathers are to preside in the home. Fathers are to provide, love, teach and direct" (1984, p. 6).

Parenthood is a partnership. When an individual becomes a parent, he or she enters into a community of relationships. The proclamation to the family also explains that, "In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners" (paragraph 7). To partner in fathering is to accept the responsibility of rearing a child in cooperation with others, particularly the child's mother, and assist and give support in doing the work of nurturance, love, and guidance in a child's upbringing.

President Howard W. Hunter encouraged fathers in his November 1994 talk, "Being a righteous husband and father:

"You share, as a loving partner, the care of the children. Help her to manage and keep up your home. Help teach, train, and discipline your children."

Fathers need to be present for their children. This means to be there (physically), be aware (psychological), and to give care (practical). To be there physically means to be present, or otherwise available to a child (for example via cell phone) and be responsive to their needs and concerns.

This is one of the many ways I felt my father was there for me. He has always been available to talk or council me if I need it. As a father, he is always concerned about my well being and wants me to succeed in life. Whenever I have a problem or question, he has always been there for me.

The latter-day prophets emphasize in the proclamation that in rearing children, "parents are to provide for their physical and spiritual needs" (paragraph 6) and fathers in particular are "responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families" (paragraph 7).

Fathers should participate in instilling a child with needed skills and knowledge. This sets up yet another fundamental principle of fathering, to protect a child from harm and also equip him or her to both avoid and manage life challenges.

There may be some who are reading this that don't have a father in the home, or their fathers have chosen not to be involved in their lives. Perhaps there is a father in your life who is a good example to you and is there for you. These principles of fatherhood are the ideal and are what fathers should be striving for. We all have our free agency and can choose whether or not to be the kind of father that God wants them to be.

I am grateful for the fathers in my life and the examples they are to me, especially my Heavenly Father. He is the ultimate example and loves each one of us unconditionally.

Here are some good resources for fathers:

http://www.fatherhood.org/

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/parenting-roles/fatherhood/fatherhood-the-influence-of-fathers

Are You My Mother?

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 03:28:00 +0000

When my children were little, they used to love the book, "Are You My Mother?" They used to ask me to read it to them over and over again. It was so much fun for them to read about the baby birds quest as he asks everyone and everything, "Are You My Mother?"

I love being a mother. I have always wanted to be a mother ever since I can remember. I was taught from the time I was little that when I grow up, I can be a mother. Now I have three children of my own and it has been one of the best things I have ever done in my life.

Mothers have always had an important role in this world and they are needed even more today. I have noticed today that the importance of motherhood has been questioned and devalued. A survey of mothers in the United States in 2005 found that fewer than half of mothers (48 percent) felt appreciated most of the time, and almost 20 percent said they feel less valued by society when they became a mother (M.F. Erickson & Aird, 2005). Many mothers (and myself included) feel that society does not value the kind of self-sacrificing work motherhood requires. Some feel pressured to invest their talents and energies in work that they perceive to be more valued by the larger culture.

Bruce C. Hafen said, "For most of our history, the word motherhood meant honor, endearment, and sacrifice....Yet this spirit of self-sacrifice has become a contentious issue in recent years, making contentious the very idea of motherhood" (2005, p. 181).

If you look back in history, there has been many changes and questions about the importance of motherhood. Before industrialization, mothers and fathers worked side by side to build their household economy, represented in the family farm or small artisan shop. With industrialization, the work of production moved outside the home, creating a split between work and home. Now mothers became the primary caregivers of their children. Fathers went out into the world to establish themselves as earners. There became a division between men and women. Women were to "live" for others" by giving up all self-interest and in that way save the home.

When my husband and I began having children, I have to admit, sometimes I thought that I was giving up just about everything I wanted to do and felt like there was no time for anything else, except, caring for my children. Then I began to think of it differently. I chose to be a mother. I wanted children. So why am I so concerned with what "I" want and why don't I focus on my children and just enjoying them? I like how Elder Robert D. Hales said it,

"Motherhood is the ideal opportunity for lifelong learning. A mother's learning grows as she nurtures the child in his or her development years. They are both learning and maturing together at a remarkable pace. It's exponential, not linear....In the process of rearing her children, a mother studies such topics as child development; nutrition; healthcare; physiology; psychology; nursing with medical research and care; and foreign languages. She develops gifts such as music, athletics, dance, and public speaking. The learning examples could continue endlessly" (Hales, 2008, n.p.).

This is what I have discovered as my children were born and began growing up. I started learning so much about children, how to raise them, what to do when they are sick, how to parent them, and teach them. If I didn't know what to do, I would go check out a book in the library, or look on the internet. When my son was struggling in public school and we pulled him out, I began homeschooling him. I had to do a lot of studying and preparing for lessons. I learned so much during that time.

Some ways that mothers can nurture growth and development:

-create an environment of safety, peace and learning

-work to perform, maintain and strengthen individual well-being and family relations

-teach your children

All women have been called to partner with God in doing all that they can to help guide their children home to him. As women engage in the work of motherhood, whatever their circumstances, they will find that their greatest source of strength will come from knowing Christ and his doctrines and relying on Him for help. Heavenly Father will strengthen us in this holy calling. I have felt this strength throughout my calling of a mother, and I am so grateful for this sacred calling.

Parenting with Love, Limits, and Latitude

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 03:23:00 +0000

Parenting has been one of the most fulfilling responsibilities I have ever experienced. It has also been a source of sadness and frustration. I love my three children and would do anything for them, but sometimes it's hard to know when I am doing enough or too much.

Joseph Smith said, "I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves." We as parents have the challenge and opportunity to apply general principles from inspired sources and adapt them to our individual family circumstances as we diligently strive to meet our children's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

We all come to this earth with distinct and unique personalities and characteristics. The First Presidency of the church said, "All people who come to this earth and are born in mortality, had a pre-existent, spiritual personality, as the sons and daughters of the Eternal Father"(Statement of the First Presidency, 1912, p. 417).

President Joseph F. Smith said, "the character of our lives in the spirit world has much to do with our disposition, desires and mentality here in mortal life (1916, p. 426). The way individual children respond to their earthly environments is also influenced by their spiritual identity and the spiritual gifts cultivated in the pre-mortal realm.

Should we parent each of our children differently? President James E. Faust (1990, p. 34) observed, "Child rearing is so individualistic. Every child is so different and unique. What works with one may not work with with another." As parents, we should work to adjust, relate to, and raise each child in a manner that is tailored according to the needs as parents and children learn from each other.
As much as we would like to control our children and make them do what we ask, that is not the best way to parent. The proclamation admonishes respect for the divine and individual nature of children as parents love, teach, and guide them with an emphasis on teaching and preparing children rather than unrighteously controlling their wills.

I love this talk given by President James E. Faust called "The Greatest Challenge in the World - Good Parenting."

Brigham Young counseled, “If you are ever called upon to chasten a person, never chasten beyond the balm you have within you to bind up.” (In Journal of Discourses, 9:124–25.) Direction and discipline are, however, certainly an indispensable part of child rearing. If parents do not discipline their children, then the public will discipline them in a way the parents do not like. Without discipline, children will not respect either the rules of the home or of society."

Of each of the several styles of parenting identified by scholarly research, the authoritative style of parenting is most consistent with the proclamation and the words of modern prophets and scripture (Hart, Newell, & Sine, 2000;Haupt, Hart, & Newell, 2005). You can learn more about the different styles of parenting here.

The three characteristics of authoritative parenting is love (connection), limits (regulation) and latitude (autonomy). My husband and I have tried to be authoritative parents with our three children. I think the hardest part of parenting this way is latitude, especially when they are teenagers. It is hard for me to be flexible with teenagers. I know it's important to give them more freedom and independence, but it is hard to see them fall and make mistakes. I am still learning this as I have one more teenager at home.

Rearing children in love and righteousness, as the proclamation admonishes, requires the best efforts parents have to offer. The rewards of such well-placed time and attention are eternal. I have seen this in our family. It isn't always easy, but the rewards are so worth it. President Gordon B. Hinckley (1997b, p. 421) said,

"Of all the joys of life, non other equals that of happy parenthood. Of all the responsibilities with which we struggle, non other is so serious. To rear children in an atmosphere of love, security, and faith is the most rewarding of all challenges. The good result from such efforts becomes life's most satisfying compensation."

Should I keep trying?

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 00:19:00 +0000

Most people want a happy, successful marriage, but sometimes it doesn't fit the description of what we expect it should be. This is when he or she may consider divorce. Researchers have estimated that 40-50 percent of first marriages - and about 60 percent of remarriages- are ending in divorce in the United States. The U.S. has one of the highest divorce rates in the world, although it is common in many other countries as well.

Marriage is ordained of God and is so important to our spiritual and temporal well-being. Ancient and modern day prophets have provided important council on marriage and divorce. Here is a wonderful talk given by Elder Dallin H. Oaks on divorce.

I love how Elder Oaks speaks out of such love and concern for us. He is not saying divorce is absolutely wrong. We know in certain circumstances it is the right thing to do.

When I was 20, I was married in the temple. It lasted 18 months. It was a volatile relationship from the beginning. I should have known better but I was young and thought things would change. I have to be honest, I was devastated when he told me he wanted a divorce. I thought we would be married forever. It was the hardest thing I have ever gone through. Was divorce the right thing to do in this situation? I don't know the answer to this, but I do know if it wasn't for this experience, I never would have gone on a mission and I may have never met the man I am married to now and have been married to for 22 years!

President James E. Faust gives some counsel on the decision for divorce. He gives a three-part "test" for those seeking to determine if ending a marriage is justified.

Prolonged difficulties- "Only prolonged marital difficulties should lead a couple to contemplate divorce." President Faust sustains that a determination of just cause for divorce requires a substantial period of problems, time for potential change to occur, and an unrushed, careful decision.
Apparently irredeemable relationship- This means that there appears to be little hope for repairing the marital relationship. This determination requires that sincere and sustained efforts have been made to understand and fix the problems.
Destruction of human dignity- The relationship has deteriorated to the point that it threatens to destroy the dignity of one or both spouses. This means marital problems have become serious enough over a period of time that an individual begins to lose his or her sense of worth.

In my situation, I had a prompting that I should not marry my first spouse, a few weeks before the wedding. As I look back I wish I would have listened to that still small voice. I can't change it now, but I would recommend to young people that are considering getting married to always pray about it and listen to those promptings. You can save yourself a lot of heartache and pain if you listen.

Just to clarify, I am not saying my marriage now has been a bed of roses. We have had our ups and downs. Marriage isn't easy, and there are times when I want to throw in the towel. We both have to constantly work at it and be patient with each other. We are working at it every day and I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is guiding us and cheering us on.

Here are some wonderful books that I recommend for those who may be at the crossroads of divorce to give them perspective and guidance.

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work (Gottman & Silver, 1999)

The Divorce Remedy (Davis, 2000)

Covenant Hearts (Hafen, 2005)

Equal Partnership

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 22:03:00 +0000

When referring to marriage, what does equality mean to you? We believe that Heavenly Father put all of us on this earth with all different types of personalities. He didn't do this to only value those people with brown hair. We are all precious to him and we all have something different to bring to our marriage and that is what can make it wonderful!

The Proclamation to the world teaches that gender is "an essential characteristic of individual pre-mortal, mortal and eternal identity and purpose" (paragraph 2). Gender is at least one way we will differ in the eternities. Without these differences there could be no divinity. This doesn't mean that gender difference conceals some kind of ranking between men and women. One gender does not have a greater eternal possibility than the other.

"All human beings-male and female-are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents" (Proclamation to the world, paragraph 2). When Adam and Eve were placed on this earth, we know that Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit and were cast out of the garden of Eden. We call this the Fall. We do not view this as a tragedy. Because of the Fall, "the doorway was opened toward eternal life" (Dallin H. Oaks). Eve had a very important role in introducing the plan of happiness. The door to mortal life for God's children could only be open by a daughter of God.

In the Plan of Happiness, men and women equally listen to each other and both play influential roles in that plan. They each have to look to each other for the plan to work. In the sight of God, they are equal and should stand beside each other. In different cultures across the world, relationships between husbands and wives are viewed in many different ways, and some are the opposite of the true doctrine of equal partnership. In a general conference address, Elder Richard G. Scott made this easy to understand:

"In some cultures, tradition places a man in a role to dominate, control, and regulate all family affairs. That is not the way of the Lord. In some places the wife is almost owned by her husband, as if she were another of his personal possessions. That is a cruel, mistaken vision of marriage encouraged by Lucifer that every priesthood holder must reject. It is founded on the false premise that a man is somehow superior to a woman. Nothing could be farther from the truth."

For Latter-day Saints, equal partnership in marriage is a commandment, not an alternative lifestyle. The reason for this is because "men are that they might have joy"(2 Nephi 2:25).

When there is an equal partnership in marriage, research has shown that the results of this are: better emotional, and physical health, better marital relationships, and better parenting and outcomes for children.

The Happy Marriage: Cold, Hard Facts to Consider

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 03:23:00 +0000

Benefits

In movies, the internet and television, marriage is portrayed as "sexless, boring and oppressive"(Marcotte, 2009, p. 1). This may be true for many people in the "real" world, but research reveals that married couples, including women are far from oppressed. There are many benefits of being married. There are exceptions, but overall married people have:

Better health
Are generally happier
A reduction in depressive symptoms
A higher life satisfaction
Better mental health

Cohabitation

Many couples are afraid to jump right in to marriage, so they choose to "test drive" their relationships by moving in together. Usually men and women who move into together don't understand the realities of premarital cohabitation. There is a higher rate of divorce for couples who live together before marriage and lower marital quality. Couples who lived together before marriage have reported lower levels of marital satisfaction than married couples who did not live together. Infidelity is also more common among marriages where the couple had lived together before they got married as well as physical aggression.

There is so much clear evidence that good marriages are undoubtedly worth the work, sacrifice, and commitment they require. There are many unique benefits to marriage, and the disadvantages of alternative family forms are all too common. Marriage benefits begin at the ceremony, and spread into the lives of husbands, wives, their children throughout time; then eventually help to reinforce neighborhoods, communities, and the world.

Honoring Marital Vows with Complete Fidelity

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 17:28:00 +0000

Keeping our marriage vows with complete fidelity forever

In "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" it says, "God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between a man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife. They should honor marital vows with complete fidelity."

In the world today, there is a misconception that infidelity involves only sex outside of marriage, but being completely faithful to one's spouse, requires more than not committing adultery. When we get married, we are completely giving ourselves to our spouse. We love our spouse and God with "All our heart, might, mind, and strength"(D&C 4:2). Our spouse is the only other besides God who we are commanded to love with all our heart.

Every day on the news, you hear about the indiscretions of athletes, celebrities, and politicians. Television makes infidelity seem like an everyday occurrence. Surprisingly, according to research done by the National Marriage Project (2009), 21 percent of married men and 14 percent of married women in 2000 report ever being unfaithful to their spouse. Yes, this sounds terrible, however this number has not increased over the past 20 years.

There are four general types of infidelity: fantasy, visual, romantic, and sexual. Fantasy Fidelity is having an emotional affair with someone who has no knowledge about what is happening, or someone who is anonymous, (like on a social network or chat room). Let's say John and Emily are married. John frequently fantasizes about one of his co-workers, a woman and what it would be like to run away with her and have a life together. Would John ever act on this fantasy? Maybe, maybe not, but because he is imagining what life would be like with another person, he is not being faithful to his wife. It is important to remember, "For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he"(Proverbs 23:7). The line can seem blurred, but this infidelity is all about emotions. If we find ourselves putting more effort into another relationship, then we need to stop and think about how this is affecting our marriage.

The second infidelity is visual, and is one of the most common types in our world today. Pornography involves the common practice of self-stimulation while viewing pornography. In Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus has warned that we should not look upon anyone lustfully. Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught: "Pornography impairs one's ability to enjoy a normal emotional, romantic, and spiritual relationship with a person of the opposite sex. It erodes the moral barriers that stand against inappropriate, abnormal, or illegal behavior. As conscience is desensitized, patrons of pornography are let to act out what they have witnessed, regardless of its effects on their life and the lives of others."

Romantic infidelity happens when an individual becomes emotionally involved with a specific person other than his or her spouse. It can be described as a "second life" and can be a result of trying to escape the monotony of everyday life. Satan tries to convince us that our life is boring and we need to escape our dull routines and relationships. Those who are unfaithful, however will over time become disappointed since everyday life will catch up to us eventually.

The final type of infidelity is sexual infidelity. This occurs when a person engages in sexual acts outside of marriage with or without emotional attachment. It's important to understand that infidelity is very subtle and does not begin with adultery. It begins with thoughts and attitudes.

There are many ways to avoid infidelity. Here are just a few:

-Be loyal to your spouse
-Put your spouse first
-Control your thoughts
-Be on guard. Have boundaries and draw the line with others of the opposite sex.

When we have appropriate boundaries, are loyal, control our thoughts, and put our spouse first, our marriage will unlikely be hurt by infidelity.

Pathways to Eternal Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 22:34:00 +0000

The last time I posted here was in December of 2102. I have been in school for five years! I did not want to take too many classes at a time, so it's been slow going, but I am getting it done! I should graduate next Spring in Marriage and Family Studies. I am really excited!!

I am attending BYU-I online. Most of you will be familiar with that school. It is a religious school affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This is the church I have grown up in and know all my life. I love it. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and he is my brother. He loves me and you. He loves everyone. He wants us to be happy. Part of that happiness will come from living his commandments.

I am going to take a different road with this blog for a while. At school, I am taking a class called "The Family." It is based on "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." I will be sharing different aspects of the proclamation and how I feel about it. I am doing this for a project for my class, but I am excited and happy to share some of my beliefs.

"In 1995, leadership from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons) released “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” a document outlining Mormon beliefs on families.

Its purpose is to clearly “proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children,” as well as define important beliefs about the family’s eternal nature, the sacredness of marriage, and parental roles and responsibilities"(https://www.mormon.org/blog/the-family-proclamation).

There are some of you who may not believe the principles I am going to discuss here. That's OK. I hope that you will still read what I have to say. We can have a difference of opinion and still be open to hearing to each other's beliefs. I have decided to start out by leaving my comments section open. I want to hear what you have to say, what you agree with and what you don't agree with. But I am not going to change what I believe, so I would ask you please to keep the comments positive and respectful and I will leave them open. If it gets too negative, I will remove them. If you feel you need to unfollow me, that's OK. I will get over it....Thank you so much!

Young adulthood and Pathways to Eternal Marriage

What are some milestones that are a necessary part of becoming an adult? Accepting responsibility for oneself? Achieving financial independence? What about marriage? It seems as if society is changing their attitudes about marriage and the transition to adulthood. The trends in our current society reveal that there are many stumbling blocks in today's dating and courtship culture that require young adults to approach marriage with an even greater degree of faith and steadfastness than was required in previous generations. So how can young adults move toward marriage with faith and confidence?

I have found it interesting in my studies of marriage that despite the growing trend to put off
marriage, research indicates that having a successful marriage is still highly valued among emerging adults, especially for those who have never wed, marriage remains a life goal. About six-in-ten (61%) men and women who have never married say they would like to get married, according to the 2010 Pew Research survey. Only 12% say they do not want to marry and 27% are not sure (http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/02/13/love-and-marriage/).

I know many young people are a little pessimistic about marriage, given the divorce rate today. The divorce rate in America is between 40-50 percent, and even higher in subsequent marriages (http://www.apa.org/topics/divorce/). Because of this pessimism, many young people are putting off marriage and using their young adult years as a time to pursue their personal interests and become independent financially. In a recent study, a considerable proportion of emerging adults reported that to be ready for marriage, they need to be financially independent, finished with their education, and settled into a long-term career. Many are even saying they need to be able to pay for their own wedding, and have purchased a house before they get married. Gosh, at this rate, not very many people will be married anytime soon!

Dating
Do you remember dating? Well, these days it seems to be going away. Only 50% of college women reported that they had been asked out on six or more date, and a third said they had been asked out on two or fewer dates (Glen & Marquardt, 2001). More young men and young women are "hanging out," instead of dating. Then there is "hooking up, which is basically having sex with someone without expecting anything of the relationship. This is very widespread and accepted in today's world. Cohabitating has become embraced as well by emerging adults. 62% of young adults reported that living together before marriage is a good way to avoid eventual divorce; more than half of all marriages today are preceded by cohabitation (Whitehead & Popenoe, 2001).

Cohabitation
Many friends I have talked to feel that "living together" takes the risk out of marriage and reduces the odds for a divorce. This is not the case; Studies on cohabitation and later marital success have consistently found that couples who live together before marriage are more likely to divorce than couples who do not live together before marriage (Jose, O'Leary, & Moyer, 2010).

Becoming the right person for marriage
When it comes to dating and becoming the person you want to be for marriage, Elder David A. Bednar warns young people about a embracing a finding-focused view to dating and counsels then to practice a different approach. He visits with young adults all over the LDS church. Many young people will ask, "What are the characteristics I should look for in a future spouse? As though they have some checklist.....You are not on a shopping spree looking for the greatest value with a series of characteristics. You become what you hope your spouse will be and you'll have a greater likelihood of finding that person"(2009).

I want to share a personal experience here. When I was twenty, I met a guy who I thought was "the one." We dated, and got married within about 4 months. 1- 1/2 years later we were divorced. I am not sure why it didn't work, other than I was young and had no idea what marriage was supposed to be like. I did not understand that marriage was more than just a couple relationship. I thought being married would bring me personal happiness, emotional gratification, physical attraction, good communication, pleasurable intimacy, and basically a wonderfully happy marriage. Well, to some extent those views about marriage are correct, but I didn't understand that the "couple relationship" goes deeper. There is a sacred aspect to marriage that I knew nothing about. Marriage is a divine institution. I was missing out on the sacred aspects of: commitment, sacrifice, selfless caring for one's spouse, and benefits of marriage for children.

As a Mormon and Christian, I am learning that there is so much more to create a loving and lasting marriage. When marriage is looked at as a divine institution, this grounds a couple's relationship in the principles of discipleship, covenant making, cleaving, equal partnership, the sacred responsibilities of husbands and wives, and eternal purposes of marriage. Viewing marriage in this way teaches us that one of the keys to lasting marriage is to seek not just compatibility with one's spouse, but also to seek alignment with God.

I have been married now for 22 years. My marriage is not perfect by any means. It is still a work in progress. I know that Heavenly Father has given us the institution of marriage for a reason. We need to form loving and lasting relationships. We can do this through marriage and family. The world is changing, along with the definition of marriage, but God doesn't change. I am so grateful for my marriage. It isn't easy. There are ups and downs. There are wonderful times and hard times. My goal with this blog is to share some of what I have learned about marriage and families with you, and hopefully we can all learn together.

Have a great day!

*Most of the information that I have shared here is from the book Successful Marriages and Families, Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives. Edited by Alan J. Hawkins, David C. Dollahite, and Thomas W. Draper.

Christmas Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 18:56:00 +0000

I know it has been over a month since my last post. Here it is 2 days before Christmas! It's amazing how time flies once September comes.

Are you all ready for Christmas? I have all my shopping done, but still need to wrap the presents. I love the magical feeling of this season!

As you can probably tell, I am not the most organized person and on January 7th I start school again taking 13 credits. I probably won't be around here much, but I will still be looking at all your blogs, so keep creating!!

I feel so blessed this time of year and I hope that as you celebrate this season, you look back at 2012 and realize what God has blessed you with.

I am working on this too. Sometimes when you are so immersed in your own problems, it's easy to forget the blessings that you have!

I am REALLY trying to do this EVERY day!

Happy Holidays!!

Hawaii and what's to come for my Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 19:02:00 +0000

Hi Friends!

I am finally getting to a post about my Hawaii trip. Things have been a little crazy around here since I have come back. Hubby and I have had such a great time! Hawaii is such a beautiful place.

I loved it!!

I love this gorgeous picture of the lake we took a boat on to get to the Fern Grotto!

Waimea Canyon

This view is from an airplane ride that we took around the Island of Kauai. So beautiful!!

I loved this view from outside our Hotel room in Kauai. the ocean is so amazing:)

Well, there are just a few (I took like a jillion!) pictures of our trip to Hawaii. It was so fun and relaxing!

My college student daughter is coming home for T-Giving tomorrow!! Can't wait to see her. Time just flies by doesn't it?

I may not be on here a lot during the holidays and then I start back in school in January. I don't want to completely give up blogging, but I feel like there are so many more important things I should be doing right now in my life.

For now I won't be around much, but know that I am still crafting and online, so keep in touch!!

Fall Burlap Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:03:00 +0000

I am excited to have Meredith from Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home blog here today! Take it away Meredith:

Hi everyone, I hope you all had an awesome week! I'm Meredith and I blog at Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home!

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I started blogging this past March, so I'd say that makes me fairly new to the wonderful world of blogging! I like to share simple crafts, home decor ideas, recipes, and other easy DIY projects.

I've officially jumped on the burlap train for most of my fall decor this year. I just could not resist after seeing so many wonderful projects floating around the blogosphere. It was Sarah's Fall wreath and Allison's Fall Ruffled Burlap Berry wreath in particular that have inspired my version.

Here's what I rounded up at Michael's to create my...

Ruffled Burlap Wreath

floral pins (the u-shaped kind)

burlap garland

berry garland

felt pumpkins & leaves

styrofoam wreath form (18")

I'm just going to be up front and admit that I had a 12" wreath form in my craft closet. All of these pictures show that size until I realized that it was going to be way too small for my front door. So I ran back out the next day to actually buy one that would work. Luckily I was able to use a coupon and found an 18" flat form at Hobby Lobby.

The first thing you'll want to do is wrap your wreath form with burlap as tightly as you can. I used a floral pin at the beginning and at the end once it was all wrapped.

Now that the wreath form is wrapped you don't have to worry about seeing bright white poking through if you have a gap in your ruffles.

Just start ruffling, bubbling, and pinning around the front side of the wreath.

I was intimidated to start the ruffling step, but once I began it was super easy.

Once you've got the burlap ruffled all the way around the front side, you're ready to begin the fun part--adding the berry garland and the little felt pumpkins and leaves! To add the felt pumpkins, I simply put a dab of hot glue on the backside and attached a floral pin to each of them.

Alright, so I mentioned before that once I finished the first wreath and hung it on the door, I quickly realized that it was sadly too small.

So, I sucked it up and realized I'd have to take apart the small version and grab a bigger wreath form next time I was out and about.

Luckily since I used the floral pins I could just take everything off and reattach it to the larger wreath. It was so easy!

And I can definitely say that I think the larger wreath looks much better.

It screams Fall if you ask me!

Burlap

Pumpkins

Leaves

Berries

{oh my!}

What holiday projects have inspired you this season?

What's your favorite fall decor item of choice this season?

Have an awesome weekend everyone!

Thanks again to Karen for having me over to her place today!

Halloween Costume Ideas {for next year!}

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Hi Pocket of Pink readers! We’re very excited to be guest posting today (and more than a little jealous about that Hawaii trip…)! We are Nat and Ash, and we are 2 cousins who love to craft, sew, decorate, and we have 7 kids between us (5 boys for Nat, 2 girls for Ash). So our blog is a hodgepodge of everything we’re interested in, and a way for us to keep track of our successes and failures! We’d love for you to come over and say hi! Here’s a list of our tutorials if you want to see our projects over the last year. Seeing as how it’s so close to Halloween, I thought I’d share some of our favorite costume helps from this past month. It’s been lots of fun, and tomorrow, tune in on our blog for our family’s costume reveal!

I shared a bunch of our family costumes from year’s past here…

And Nat shared some here…

I shared some wings I made here

My girls showed off their gloves here

And here are 2 skirts I made for them for Halloween this year

I dip dyed my hair with strawberry Kool-Aid here to show you my results…You know, in case you want your hair to be a different color for Halloween

And Nat finishes off the costumes some customizable trick or treat bags!

Katie from Creatively Living

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Hi Pocket Full of Pink Readers!

I'm Katie, and I blog over at Creatively Living.

I'm excited to be guest posting for you today.

I love a good craft or sewing project, but what I really enjoy is renovating houses.

Here is my latest "space" reveal.

My Office Nook.

Awhile back, I blogged about the small office space in our basement that I made for my husband (who never uses it).

These were the before pics...

The way it was when we moved in (arrow is pointing to the area I'm focusing on).

It's almost difficult to see in the picture above, but the little indented space was turned into an office nook for my husband. My dad and I worked on it one summer while he was gone.

I added the black shelf and my dad helped me take a counter that was scratched from Lowes (best way to get a counter discount... find the scratched one and ask for a price reduction) and we cut it to fit the space, then secured it.

Most of the junk here is mine (yes, I'll admit it), the weird hatchet and cross-rifles belong to my husband, who was an Army infantryman for 10 yrs.

For a couple years, this has been one of those "out of control" spaces. A mixture of my husband's school work (he's just about to finish his Masters in Divinity), books, and random DIY stuff.

This pic below is highlighting the missing ceiling, the unfinished trim work and the places where I had to replace tongue and groove paneling.

These are the projects I've showed you thus far, in my attempt to create a "sale-worthy" office space (since we currently have our house on the market).

My Silhouette Wall Art My Desk Skirt

....and here's the after.

Put in flooring, paint and 1/2 the trim/baseboards a couple yrs ago, along with putting in the desk and shelf.

More recently, I hid the crazy bookshelves with the Desk Skirt.

Kept the lamp and added some other simple decor I had on hand.

Books and rocks were easy, available and inexpensive.

My Silhouette Wall Art

Notice I patched over that cut in the paneling with a DIY coat rack....just some putty, boards, and hooks.

I also framed one of my husband's maps from his Iraq tour. I was happy with how well it matched everything.

I've actually been using this space quite a bit lately.

Strangely my husband still doesn't.

Maybe we should just switch office spaces!

Here are some other before and afters you might enjoy...

A bedroom makeover I did for my sister for under $70.

My Kitchen Makeover

My Living Room Makeover

Thanks Karen and Pocket Full of Pink Readers for having me here.

Come visit me sometime at Creatively Living!

Infinity Scarf

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Hi Pocket Full of Pink readers! I'm Priscilla and I blog over at Thrifty Crafty Girl. Karen was nice enough to let me guest post at her place today, so I'm showing you a fun little fall project I made... I hope you like it!

I love this thing.

So, I saw all these people wearing these 'infinity scarves' and I just loved them. And I thought it would be the perfect project for November, since it's getting frosty outside. So I went to the fabric store and found some fun flannel. Yes, flannel can be fun, if you have no other excitement in your life that is.

See? Fun!

I got two yards for this scarf, which is plenty. I cut the flannel into a strip 18" wide by two yards long. Once that was done, I pinned up the long end, right sides together.

Next, I sewed up the long end. I love sewing straight lines. Use whatever seam allowance you like because you're awesome and know what you're doing.

Once that was done, I turned it right side out. Now most people would stitch up part of the ends before flipping but I hate having to pull fabric through tiny holes. Since this is an infinity scarf, having a seam would not be such a big deal. I pulled it right-side-out and sewed the ends together. This whole thing took about 30 minutes.

I made a scarf! And it's infinity! Infinity times infinity, even! Oh, that fall were all year round so I could make a hundred of these. :)

Distressed Pumpkins

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:45:00 +0000

Hi there Pocket Full of Pink readers! I am so excited to be here today, guest posting for Karen! My name is Katie, and I blog over at Katie{Did}It. I love pumpkins and I love distressed things. So when I saw this over at Centsational Girl, it was a must make for me. So easy and quick, like most of the projects I do here.

Don't you just love those old antique scales? Well, I looove them, and I was finally able to get my hands on one. And it goes perfectly. So I painted myself a little pumpkin with some homemade chalk paint, and then went to town distressing it.

Just use a foam brush to paint it, then once it's dry, take some sand paper and start rubbing away areas of paint. And that's it! This may be one of the easiest and quickest projects yet! I plan on making a few more, but will probably wait until closer to Thanksgiving to do them.

What do you think? Have you ever painted pumpkins before? Have you ever worked with chalk paint before?

I hope to see you over at Katie{Did}It sometime! Thanks again for having me Karen!

Fall Ruffle Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Hi Pocket Full of Pink readers!! My name is Jenny and I blog at Days of Chalk and Chocolate! It's my little slice of the blog world where I chronicle my days as a mother, crafter, DIYer, and sometimes teacher. I hope you'll come visit one day! I'm so excited to be a guest poster while Karen is off having fun. Thank you, Karen for the opportunity! I thought I would share my most popular post and one of my earliest in my blogging life: my fall ruffle wreath! I call it fall because I used cordoroy but really it can be any season!

Without further ado...

Ok, so I promised this tutorial yesterday but it just didn't happen. Jim works from home 3 days a week and we only have one computer hooked up in the apartment which means from sun up to sun down I can't get on. And then my sister and I spent a ridiculous amount of time in Joanne's looking at fabric so I couldn't post in the evening. She is a knitter and she is working on a knitting exchange with some friends from Ravelry so she's always fun to hang out in Joanne's with. Plus she's the kind of friend that, instead of saying "No, you don't need that. Save your money. I know it's beautiful but you just don't need it," she says "Do it. I'll do it. If you do it I'll do it. You know you want to." Love that about her!

Anyway, I'm still learning how to put together a really good tutorial but I did my best and I hope it helps!

Step 1: Gather your materials. You will need a wreath form (mine was 16 inches), 2 yards of fabric (I'm guessing because I had remnant fabric), glue gun, basic sewing tools, ribbons/fabric to make flowers. I made my flowers first. Here is a mini-tutorial on the twisted fabric roses.

Heat up your glue gun. Pre-cut a cut felt circles the size you want your flower to be (approximately). Cut strips of the fabric. I like my strips to be about an inch wide. Fold in half long ways and fold down one corner and hold it with your thumb like this. (This picture is from a different project that, um, didn't work out. That's why it's black.)

Twist the strip and and wrap around the starting "knot." Continue twisting and wrapping, holding it all along with your thumb to keep the shape. Play with the tightness of the twist to achieve the look you want. I like to use a loose twist.

Continue wrapping, twisting until you get to the end. Use a dot of hot glue to secure the end to the bottom of the flower. Stick finger you got hot glue all over into a glass of ice water.

I have found that thicker, stiffer fabrics work the best. I tried organza and it was a glue gun catastrophe. I'm still reeling from it.

Ok back to the wreath.

Step 2: Pre-make 22 ruffles. I used two different types of fabric: cotton and corduroy in the same color so 11 of each . I have a tutorial on making the ruffles here. I used lengths of fabric that were 18 inches to make my ruffles which was 2 1/2 times the width of my wreath form. You will have to measure your wreath form. Also I prefer looser ruffles. If you like tighter you will need to use longer lengths of fabric.

Step 3: Cut strips of fabric to wind around wreath as a base. Cover the enter wreath. I cut this step out because I had remnant fabric and didn't have enough to do that. DON'T SKIP IT! It isn't the same. sniff.

Step 4: Begin gluing your ruffles. Lay the first ruffle face down on the table. Run a bead of hot glue on the ruffle. Lay your wreath form on top. Bring two sides of ruffle up and glue in place.

Step 5: Keep gluing in the same way, alternating fabrics, all the way around the wreath. This is clearly a one sided wreath, lol. It is not essential that you do your gluing on a Sesame Street place mat, by the way.

Step 6: When you have completely covered the wreath in ruffles, lay your flowers in the arrangement you want. Then glue your flowers to the ruffles.

All finished!

I hope you enjoyed my little throwback and thanks again to Karen for inviting me to join in the guest posting fun!

Cheers!

Jenny

Washi Tape Checkerboard Clipboards

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hello, Pocket Full of Pink readers! I’m Ginger & I blog over at Ginger Snap Crafts.
I’m so excited to be hanging out over here at Karen’s while she’s away!
Happy Anniversary! I hope you guys have a blast!

Today I’d love to share my {washi tape} checkerboard clipboards!
The kiddos are in full swing at school, & this is the perfect project for them.

For this project you’ll need clipboards,

washi tape {I found mine at Target}, an X-ACTO knife & scissors.

I started off at the bottom of my clipboard & placed my horizontal washi tape strips on first.
I went all the way to the top of the clipboard. So your clipboard will all be the same color.
Then I started on my vertical strips with a different color of washi tape.
I used my X-ACTO knife cut small lines in the tape using the tape underneath as a guide.

Then you remove the squares that you don’t need.
Then you just keep on going until your whole clipboard looks like a checkerboard!

Wouldn’t these make awesome teacher gifts?
You could make them using your school colors!

Karen, thank you so much for having me over!

I’d love for YOU stop by Ginger Snap Crafts sometime.
It’s a place where I share my cute & easy crafts like these:

baby boy gift basket, photo pendants, our family block, block nativity, coffee filter wreath & knob block

I also have a fun link party on Wednesdays!
I would LOVE meet you & see what you are up to! :)

Ginger Bowie gingersnapcrafts.com

Yummy Cheerios Treats!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Hey Pocket Full of Pink readers! I am Jourdan from Two Million Miles and I am so excited to be posting over here today! I hope Karen is having a fabulous time on vacation and enjoying a few rays of sun for me, while I am sitting here freezing my tush of!

{My sweet son, Karsyn, and I at the Circus a few months ago!}

At Two Million Miles, I blog about my three businesses {Jourdan's Jewels, Jourdan's {Handmade} Jewels, and Perfectly Posh with Jourdan}, life, crafts, recipes, and whatever else I can think of!

Today, I am going to share one of my most favorite treats. I eat them as fast as I can make them. They are quick, easy, and DELICIOUS.

**WARNING: These treats are HIGHLY addictive. I have made them twice in the last five days. (; Here's what you'll need: *1 cup corn syrup *1 cup of white sugar *1 teaspoon of vanilla *1 cup of Peanut Butter *5 cups of Cheerios First step: Combine the corn syrup and sugar in a large sauce pan. Then stir it together and bring to a boil on medium heat for one minute. Then remove it from the heat and add your vanilla and peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Next, pour your Cheerios in a large mixing bowl. Then you pour your peanut butter mixture over the Cheerios. Then stir until the Cheerios are evenly coated. Lastly, scoop them out however big you want them and place them on tin foil or wax paper to set up. Enjoy!! So there you have it! Enjoy! I hope you will stop on by my blog and check it out. Thanks for having me, Karen! (:

Ooooh, those look so yummy! You could also add some Halloween or any colored M & M's and give them for neighbor gifts! I may have to try this:)

Thanks so much for stopping by Jourdan!

All Things Fall with Live Laugh Rowe

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hello readers! I'm Kelly from Live Laugh Rowe.

I'm tickled silly to be here today! If you aren't familiar with me or my blog, I would summarize it as a creative lifestyle blog that shares crafts, recipes, home projects, DIY tutorials and life's moments. I'm originally from the East Coast, but currently living in St. Louis, MO. I miss the east coast very much! However, I also know that I am where I am for a reason. I thought I would briefly introduce myself and share a few of my favorite projects.

First let me say that this is my absolutely-positively favorite time of the year. I {love} Fall and Winter. I {love} the temperatures, sights and sounds that pass through over the next couple of months. And don't even get me started on the tastes and smells. Right now I'm enjoying my Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin scones. Other festive activities I'm enjoying right now includes apple picking.

And returning home to whip up some Apple Crisp.

Making Apple Crisp also happens to be on my Fall Bucket List {printable available here}. Then there's the fall decorating fun. My home has hints of fall all over it. Can you guess which of these arrangements are mine? Check out how you can do this yourself! Sometimes keeping things simple is necessary too! How about corn husk votives and vases?

If you don't decorate for fall, let me share a fun and easy festive 'sweet' treat. Candy Corn Painted Pots. Seriously, how cute are they?

My question for you is this -- what is your favorite time of the year? Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter? I'd {love} to know! Thanks so much for having me, Karen! And it was a treat meeting all of you -- the lovely readers! If you swing by my blog, please be sure to let me know.

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DIY Burlap Rosette Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hey everyone! I am Brooke from Babblings and More.
We are SO excited to be a guest on Pocket Full of Pink! I am one of four sisters who contribute to Babblings and More. My sisters and I started our blog to keep in touch with one another and show each other what we are up to after we all got married and moved away.
We named our blog Babblings and More because babbling means to utter a meaningless confusion of words and that is exactly what we do! In fact, my dad still calls me Babbling Brooke...

Today we are going to show you how to make this Burlap Wreath! It is SUPER easy and is adorable!

Materials Needed:

18 inch Foam Wreath- purchased at Hobby Lobby

Burlap- 1 yard of darker burlap and 1/2 yard of lighter burlap.

Contrasting Material- Just to add a hint of color

Scissors

Hot Glue Gun and Sticks

Pins

Step 1- Cut the Burlap into strips and start to wrap it around the wreath.

Step 2- Pin the Burlap in place.

Step 3- Wrap the entire wreath with the burlap.

Step 4- Make flowers as shown HERE and glue them onto the burlap covered wreath.

Step 5- Hang on your door or wherever you want to put it!

Thank you SO much for having us at Pocket Full of Pink today! We LOVE meeting new people and making new friends! So stop by and visit us at Babblings and More!

So pretty! I love the colors! These girls from Babblings and More are so talented! Thanks for stopping by my blog ladies:)

Making your own Mosaic Art

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Hi all! My name is Bronwyn and I usually hang out at my blog, Queen B Creative Me. I am so pleased that Karen asked me to guest post on her fabulous blog while she is on vacation (lucky girl!)

I am currently re-doing the kids bathroom, taking it from a plain, uninspiring turquoise zone (I decorated it originally when I had just given birth to my 3rd child in 4 years - I had no spunk for anything interesting!) to a fun, zippy place that will kick-start my kids for school each morning!

Like many, I have really fallen for the turquoise and red colour-combo you see everywhere these days. Bright and cheery and perfect for girls and boys (I have 2 boys and 1 girl).

I recently stenciled the main wall and switched to bright red towels and floor mat. I have some framed pictures I'd like to hang, but other than that, there is nothing on the walls.

After many months searching out the perfect art for the room, I have given up shopping and started creating.

That is how I came up with MAKING YOUR OWN MOSAIC ART.

What you will need:

~ to continue with my red and turquoise theme, I chose several shades of aqua and red cardstock

~ an artist canvas (mine is 14"x18")

~ white glue (or Mod Podge)

~ a sponge brush

~ scissors or paper cutter

~ craft paint in your chosen background colour ( I used plain white!)

1. First, cut your cardstock into 1"squares. I began by cutting long 1"wide strips then chopped them into 1"squares.

2. Paint your artist canvas using your chosen background colour.

3. The main image in my mosaic is a heart. To draw an accurate heart shape, I cut one from scrap paper and traced around it on my dry canvas. I also planned where my turquoise/aqua stripes would go and drew pencil lines for those on the canvas as well.

4. Here is where the white glue or Mod Podge comes in. If you have chosen to use white glue, pour some in a container and add some water. It should be the consistency of cream.

Spread some glue/podge on the area where you will begin your mosaic- in my case, the heart.

5. Using your chosen colour, begin to outline the main image with the squares.

6. Once the outline has been laid, spread more glue/podge on the canvas and add more squares, filling the shape. Turn the squares until they fit. You may have to trim some and make some smaller squares.

7. Begin filling the background. I chose to add 3 bands in shades of blue. A solid background would be effective, too.

8. As I filled the empty space, I tried to paste the squares in a brick-laying fashion, overlapping the squares so that they were not glued in a grid pattern.

9. Once you have glued all of your squares, cover the whole canvas with another layer of glue/podge. This will seal the canvas and guarantee that the squares will not pop off.

10. Within hours your art will be dry and ready to display.

Here is my mosaic in my children's bathroom:

Thankfully the children are very complimentary about my foray into the "art world."

In fact, my daughter has already requested another mosaic for her bedroom.

I wonder if I can make Sleeping Beauty out of 1" squares??

I love this! The blue and red look so great together!! Thanks so much for stopping by Bronwyn!