House of Geekiness

My Battle Update: False Start

2017-06-05T18:53:00.000-07:00

There have been lots of good and bad things happening in the month or so since I updated you (read the first post in this series here). But mostly, life has just been crazy weird. I know what you're thinking, when is my life NOT crazy or weird...and you're right. It's always one, the other, or both. This is just crazier and weirder, I guess.

Let's start with the good news. With the new diet plan, I lost 15 pounds in three weeks. Hooray! Also, my anemia is officially gone (but my iron levels are still low so we've gotta keep doing IV iron).

And I'm sort of getting used to the new diet. I've noticed that my body is getting used to eating more veggies and less grains and that my stomach isn't nearly as upset about it as it was. In fact, my acid reflux has been a lot better. I've also found that I'm generally satisfied eating less food.

Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet has ended, and we're onto a modified version of Phase 2. That means, in addition to meat, dairy, nuts, and veggies, I get to eat some fruit and a little bit of whole grains! The doctor says I can eat up to 40-70 grams of carbohydrates a day and was super happy with how well I was doing on the diet.

That was about two weeks ago. Things have gone a bit haywire since.... You know when you're putting something together but get so excited that you're like "I've got this." and don't read the instructions? Well, I pretty much did that. I heard the words "fruits" and "carbs" and kinda went crazy. I didn't pay much any attention to the list of foods that are allowed/forbidden, and just started eating whatever I wanted, as long as it was meat, dairy, nuts, veggies, or fruit. Not only was I supposed to reintroduce new things slowly back into my diet, some of them I'm just not supposed to have yet.

The thing is, a week after I started phase 2, I had lost more weight. So, I went and took it as a green light. Up to 70 carbs a day? Hmm... I'll just eat half of an ice cream sandwich (I was proud I made it last lasted three days, forget the sugar content!) I actually had extra energy the next day. So, I must have been doing something right, so I thought.

Then, I figured it wouldn't hurt if I ate a bunch of theater popcorn, just one time. Popcorn is allowed, but only up to 70 grams (at the very most!) per day, and definitely not all at once. Then, last week, I had a stomach bug and couldn't eat much of anything. I don't know about you, but when I'm sick like that, all I can keep down is crackers. I compromised, and went with tortilla chips. Whole grain counts, right? Not when that's almost all you eat for a few days.

And then, there was PMS and this sucker. It was my kids' birthday party. I skipped the chips and soda, only ate half a hot dog bun (white bread, which is a no no). A bit of cake? I deserved it. I'd worked hard! That was Saturday afternoon. By the end of Sunday night, I'd finished off a thing of ice cream (1.75 quarts) and almost a whole bag of Fritos.

Quick explanation: The reason carbohydrates are generally not allowed are because they are converted into sugar, and right now, my body cannot process/use sugar very well. While we do need some sugar or we will die, any sugar your body doesn't use gets converted into fat. The diet we have set up is the best way for my body to get the amount of sugar it needs.

What's the result of all the extra sugar I put into my system? So far, the most noticeable things have been mood and cravings. I'm sure there will be more weight gain or just less loss (if I'm lucky) for a little while. I've also been extremely grumpy. I mean, the first few weeks of the diet had already made me a super grump while I adjusted to everything. (I just about bit off my husband's head every time he mentioned a food I wasn't allowed to eat.)

This is even worse. Friday night, after the tortilla chip diet, I had a major panic attack, stayed up most of the night, and cried myself to sleep. Yesterday, I mostly just slept and wanted everyone to leave me alone, but I was really restless. I wanted to do stuff (like crafts) but nothing sounded good. Today, I've been tired, hungry, and wanted to eat and/or buy everything in sight. It's the one time I've been glad to be broke. If I don't have money, I can't spend it.

What now? Believe it or not, the South Beach diet accounts for this happening, so did my doctor. She said there would probably come something that I just couldn't say no to, and if that happened, just move on and keep working. Don't feel like a horrible person (which, of course, I do). Part of the problem is that her saying that it would happen, gave me an excuse to let it happen. I'd been doing really well. It was more annoying than words, but I was hanging in there. Until I started making excuses and justifying my actions.

From here, no more excuses. I've read the instructions. I'll be rereading the instructions so I don't forget or get things mixed up. Now, I do phase 1 again for two weeks, then start phase 2 gradually as I was supposed to. I've lost 15 pounds and need to lose 175 more to get from my current weight of 345 to my target weight of 170. That's pretty much the weight of two people I'm carrying around (and I thought pregnancy was bad!) Time to get back in the ring and fight.

My goals

I want to have energy to spend time and actually do activities with my family.

I want to be able to be physically active. I’m not saying I plan on running marathons, but being able to exercise and do basic housecleaning on a daily basis would be nice.

I want my mind to feel less foggy all the time so I can do my job well and enjoy being in the profession I love.

I want to be healthy and be at a healthy weight.

~~I want my life back!~~ I will look for the best in my life and realize what I truly have, always striving to make it better.

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My Secrets to Watching Doctor Who for Free

2017-05-22T20:26:00.001-07:00

I've finally gotten to start watching season 10, but it's made me want to go back and rewatch series 1-9 again. *cry* The memories!

I was so mad when they took it off Netflix!

GRRRRRRrrrRRRRrrRR!!

I have 2 great methods to watch Doctor Who for free. The first, you may have heard of, but if you haven't done this yet, go for it! It's a perfect time to get your Doctor Who fix, because you can get a FREE 30 day trial of Amazon Prime and watch the first 9 modern seasons of Doctor Who for free! Or if you're a student, you can get half off a Prime membership.

Not to be too commercially, but we're Amazon Prime addicts in our house and not only has it saved us so much from the free 2-day shipping, it's also helped me purchase several seasons of my favorite shows for free (which is my second secret to watching Doctor Who for free).

Well of course Smallville was one of them. I mean, c'mon, James Marsters...

Don't judge me. You know you can't help it either.

But yeah, here's how I got a bunch of free videos from Amazon:

When choose not to use your free 2-day shipping, but choose the slower shipping method instead, sometimes it will offer you a credit to use toward a future purchase (details here.) Like I said, we're Amazon Prime addicts, so we got a lot of credits. ;)

Anyhow, be awesome like me. ;) Go get your Free 30 day Amazon Prime trial, No Rush Shipping Credits, then sit back, relax, and watch Doctor Who for free!

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Free Comic Book Day 2017

2017-05-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

Our very first Free Comic Book Day in California was a big hit! Every first Saturday in May, all around the world there are comic book stores giving away free comic books and having fun events for geeks like us. It's been a family tradition of ours to go for years now. We loved our comic book stores back in Provo, UT.

For click here more information, or to see which comic book stores near you participate, click here.

Suisun City Harbor

Since we're just silly, we didn't check the time the comic book store would open, so we showed up a few hours before early. So, we spent the morning exploring the beautiful Suisun City harbor.

Doctor Who decor at Waterfront Comics

From the very first time I walked into Waterfront Comics, I knew it was gonna be great. They haven't let me down!

The owner of Waterfront Comics, John, recognized us from earlier in the morning, when we asked about opening time, and surprised us with a Pokemon vinyl poster for being the first ones there for Free Comic Book Day! Of course, the kids were suuuuper happy since they're obsessed with everything Pokemon right now. Waterfront Comics is an amazing family-run comic book store. Go like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter!

Check out all the comics we had to choose from. It was seriously hard to pick!

The comic book store had a little fair going on outside. Our kids were thrilled that they were giving away free snow cones. I'm telling you, these guys rock!

Illustrator/Inker Joe B. Weems V

The fair also included local artists. Incredible illustrator/Inker Joe B. Weems talked World of Warcraft with us.

Illustration by Joe B. Weems V

You can find illustrator/Inker Joe B. Weems on DeviantArt, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram


Adwoa Gier of Adwoa Design

We met Adwoa Gier of Adwoa Design. Aren't her crochet amigurumi characters adorable?? You can find Adwoa on Etsy, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook.

Andre Galatius

Andre Galatius was there showing off some super cute stickers!

Artist Patrick McEvoy

Artist Patrick McEvoy was so in demand, we didn't really get a chance to talk to him, but we did get to see these:

Art by Patrick McEvoy

Don't you LOVE the Cthulhu? Haha!

Aaron Roberts was kind enough to let us record a video of him sketching Link from Zelda for my daughter! Check it out:

Jack with the

Jack was a hoot! Between Joker impressions and clever quips... just so much fun. Here's Jack on Tumblr and Instagram.

Lord Hater from Wander of Yonder and Powerpuff Girl drawings by Jack

Mario Bros characters by drawings by Jack

We had a bit too much fun at the Solano County Library's table!

Solano County Library's table at Free Comic Book Day

My daughter made me pose. I was thinking about justice and stuff.

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It's Free Comic Book Day!

2017-05-06T09:02:00.002-07:00

Today (May 6, 2017) is Free Comic Book Day! That means that all around the world there are comic book stores giving away free comic books and having fun events for geeks like us. It's been a family tradition of ours to go for years now. We loved our comic book stores back in Provo, UT. Every year, they would bring in local artists to show off their art for us, and they even give away free sketches! We're hoping the comic book stores here in the California Bay Area are just as awesome. I'll let you know how it goes.

For click here more information, or to see which comic book stores near you are participating, click here.

Here are some pictures from our previous Free Comic Book Days.

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Star Wars Day 2017

2017-05-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun during our Star Wars Day celebration! The day was filled with Star Wars jokes, images, and all around fun. And today we HAVE TO celebrate Revenge of the Fifth, so be sure to check out my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to join in the fun. Here's a quick recap in case you missed any of our Star Wars Day fun.

Check out these sweet Lightsaber popsicle covers!

More Star Wars Day comics and funnies here!

And of course, we have May the FIRTH Be With You!

Image Source

#HappyStarWarsDay #MayThe4thBeWithYou #RevengeOfTheFifth #RevengeOfThe5th

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Star Wars Funnies

2017-05-04T15:42:00.002-07:00

I hope you've been enjoying the Star Wars festivities on my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. Here are some bonus Star Wars Day funnies! :) Enjoy!

Image source

#HappyStarWarsDay #MayThe4thBeWithYou

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My Battle for Better Health: Let the Torture Begin!

2017-05-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

Big things going on right now! They say to achieve a goal, you need to be accountable to someone, and I'm ready to live healthier. So, let's see how this goes...

I never dreamed I'd be sitting here with an appointment for me to see Den's oncologist. Before I scare you too much, don't worry—I don't have cancer! The oncologist is also a hematologist, which is a happy coincidence because, not only do I need one, it's nice to be able to work with a doctor we already know and trust. I've had anemia or borderline anemia most of my life, but it's gotten bad enough that the doctors finally decided to take it seriously. So, a few weeks ago, I was referred to hemotology. We're not sure what causes my low iron levels yet, right now we're focusing on getting my levels up from a 4 to normal range (80ish). So far, it looks like my body doesn't absorb iron properly (at least, it didn't like any of the supplements). So, I'm sitting here waiting for my second infusion of IV iron.

That was a few weeks ago. I haven't had the will or energy to finish this blog post, although I am feeling a bit more energy than before. I just finished my fourth weekly iron infusion. Now, I only have to do once a month, if needed, which means, we can start trying to figure out what's causing the anemia in the first place.

The other big thing is my insulin resistance diagnosis and treatment. The diagnosis isn't a huge shock. It's been a long time coming. In fact, when I first started writing this, I also had prediabetes for the second time. Thankfully, it's gone again.

The crazy part of all this is the treatment. After two very frank talks with my new endocrinologist (who I really like so far), we decided on a course of treatment. It's all about stress management and my diet. She told me that, in my case, it's not really about exercising and eating less. Apparently, between the thyroid, polycystic ovary syndrome (that's one I hadn't heard of), insulin resistance, etc., my body is a storm of hormones and I'm not going to lose weight until we get everything under control. She said even if I exercised all day long* and eat practically nothing, I wouldn't lose weight. The biggest thing that she says will help is completely changing my diet. Right now, my body cannot process carbohydrates/sugar and it is literally poisoning me. Until the insulin resistance gets better, I have a very strict diet to follow. *This doesn't mean stop exercising, it's still VERY important but the hormones and diet are keeping the weight on me.

The endocrinologist handed me a book (The South Beach Diet) and told me to follow a modified version of The South Beach Diet Phase 1 (see the plan below) until I could see the dietitian (about a two month wait). She said to keep the copy—they use it so much that they look for copies at used bookstores and hand it out to patients all the time. That's something I like to hear. First, because if they're going out and buying used copies, they're probably not getting any sort of commission for recommending the book (the company would have been sending them copies). Second, it's nice to not be told to go find the book and buy it on my own (which I probably wouldn't have bothered with, honestly. I've actually had problems with doctors in the past because they were getting paid to push treatments, books, and products on patients.)

So here's the plan. I have a very short list of basic foods I'm allowed to eat, and a huge list of things that are banned (including all sugar additives, whether natural or artificial). However, I can eat as much of the approved food as I want (my list is a bit different than the South Beach diet, as the doctor said I don't have to do low fat). Since I really don't want diabetes or to continue to live like this, I'm going to follow the diet and report to you, my readers.

Yesterday, May 1, 2017, I officially started Phase 1 of The South Beach Diet and weighed 358 pounds (yes, believe me I know. Yikes!), which is literally the most I have ever weighed before. So far, I notice that my appetite is WAY down (mostly because all I'm allowed to eat is food that's hard for me to stomach—very filling and I get nausea very easily). So, I spent a good part of last night avoiding dinner and pouting until I remembered all the housework I wanted to get done and knew I wouldn't make it if I didn't eat. Today hasn't been that fun either, but it is getting a bit easier to not eat like I used to. (Disclaimer: in the past month, even though I wasn't following the diet, I was trying to eat healthier foods, so this probably helped.)

I'll try to report back to you once a week and let you know how things are progressing. Today, I ate onion rings without the breading. It really sucked. But yesterday, I discovered my new favorite treat! Nugget Markets carry whole young coconuts that are peeled and shaved down to a thin shell, so you can stick in a straw and drink the coconut water! Makes me feel like I'm at a resort. But the dang things cost $5 a pop, so it's going to be just an occasional treat.

Foods I've forced myself to eat so far:
Milk, almonds, plain chicken nuggets (yes, I messed up and ate them breaded. I forgot about the breading until they were sitting in front of me and didn't have the will to try and eat something else), beef and broccoli with mushrooms (which was actually really good), and onion rings (with the breading taken off, which I mentioned before, but I'm just checking to see if you're still awake), tofu with cinnamon and vanilla, refried beans with cheese and hot sauce.

Foods I'm allowed to eat:
Meats
Dairy (as long as no sugar or other sweeteners are added)
Vegetables (except carrots, beets, corn, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes)
Eggs
Nuts
Seeds (like sesame and sunflower seeds)
Tofu
Seafood

You can probably see why this has had me freaked out a bit. Here's a basic list of some of the banned foods:
Starches (baked goods, pasta, rice, etc.), fruit (too much sugar for now, so I'll be getting my vitamins elsewhere), and all sugar and sweeteners.

****NEVER change your diet or health care without consulting a medical professional, which I am not! I am just sharing my experience with you.****

My goals

I want to have energy to spend time and actually do activities with my family.

I want to be able to be physically active. I’m not saying I plan on running marathons, but being able to exercise and do basic housecleaning on a daily basis would be nice.

I want my mind to feel less foggy all the time so I can do my job well and enjoy being in the profession I love.

I want to be healthy and be at a healthy weight.

~~I want my life back!~~ I will look for the best in my life and realize what I truly have, always striving to make it better.

Read the next weight loss update here. Read more about My Battle for Better Health here.

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Save Our Dad: This IS The Update You've Been Looking For

2017-02-15T17:49:00.001-08:00

I've moved! Read this post and more on my new website.

August 2016, when we thought we were going to lose Erik's dad, Den

You're not gonna believe this! I'm still trying to process it...

About six months ago, we moved our family from Utah to California to Save Our Dad (read about Den's fight against cancer). It didn't look good. In fact, as you can see from the picture above, he looked like death.

Den snuggling with Kylo (our cat) while Daisy (our dog) demands tummy rubs

The general advice we were given was to make him comfortable and to say our goodbyes, because once cancer spreads to the bones, you usually have less than a year to live (especially if you're as weak and emaciated as Den had gotten).

Den, eating his daily Kozy Shack tapioca pudding and snuggling with our cat (Emo Kylo Ren) and our dog (Princess Daisy) while trying to figure out a Wheel of Fortune puzzle.

With lots of prayers, chemo, puppy and kitty snuggles, and a whole bunch of Kozy Shack and homemade tapioca pudding (thank you for the amazing recipe, Alton Brown!), Cheetos Puffs, and Big Daddy Ice Cream Sandwiches, he got back up to his target weight. And, as we were able to announce in October, the cancer started shrinking.

I haven't gotten to post many updates this winter because we've been fighting colds and trying to keep Den healthy. A bad bought of bronchitis gave us a scare, but he's finally back up and running, which, in Den's case, means back to playing pool at the senior center.

Den's had six rounds of chemo now, and the last PET scan showed the cancer was not only gone from the bones, but that only one cluster of lymph nodes was "active" (suspicious).

This was great news! It looked like there was only a small area with cancer still, so the upcoming biopsy would tell us what sort of treatment he needs and we'd plan from there.

The biopsy was actually a bit scary, and not only because of his medium risk status for surgeries. If you're squeamish, skip this paragraph. They put a scope/camera down his esophagus, then put a needle through the wall of the esophagus, into the suspicious lymph node to collect the tissue sample.

Den, in the hospital, after the biopsy

When the news came, I couldn't stop crying. The biopsy was completely benign. They'll be doing scans every few months to be sure, but for now, Den is cancer-free!!!

A cancer-free Den!

Some might be wondering why we're so astonished by this, isn't chemo supposed to get rid of cancer? Well, yes, but not only has this been a very short treatment period, but, aside from a weakened immune system, he had very few side effects from the chemotherapy (he was able to eat the entire time while actually gaining weight, and never once had to be hospitalized, as we were told to expect!) Not only that, with his heart problems and other issues, treatment options were extremely limited. We are so blessed to have been able to get a treatment that was right for him, actually worked, and worked quickly!

We are so thankful to everyone who has shown so much love and support these last few months. We could not have made it without you! Here's a video message from Den:

#makingcancersuckless #lymphoma

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An Epic Valentine's Day

2017-02-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

As far as Valentine's Days go, this one rocked! We started with a wonderful morning at our LDS Temple in Oakland, which is where Erik and I got married fourteen years ago. (Learn more about our temples here.) In fact, it's also where his parents got married and mine too!

Fountains, bridges, and palm trees lining the courtyard in front of the Oakland Temple

Any temple is a wonderful place, but this one is extra special to us, and being there just felt right. I always feel so much happier after a visit. The Oakland Temple is one of my favorites because 1. Look at it! I love the Asian inspired design, the gardens, etc.:

Oakland Temple grounds seen through one of the bridges (Image Source)

Flowers in bloom on the terrace garden of the Oakland Temple

2. It's full of memories. Not only did my parents and pretty much Erik's entire family get married there, but...

Erik sat me down on this bench, overlooking the bay, got down on one knee, and popped the question

When we were dating, Erik and I spent a lot of time at there doing wonderful work inside the temple, wandering the terrace gardens, and sneaking kisses on the stairs. It's also where Erik proposed to me.

Den sat on the bench (pictured above, the bench you can barely see on the lower right corner), and told us how being there reminded him of our wedding, his other son's wedding (they also got married there), and his own. Such a special place!

That afternoon, we got to set up our Valentine's Day spread.

Our poor daughter was really upset this year because it's her last year in elementary school and they wouldn't let her class do Valentines! But she really enjoyed our little party, so we hope that helped a bit.

My Hallmark Kiss Kiss Bears collection minus the Christmas ones that broke ages ago :(

We finished off Valentine's Day with homemade Belgian waffles topped with berries and hand-whipped (because I couldn't find the beaters for the mixer—guess what...Erik found them in 2 seconds after he got home! Grrrrr) whipped cream. So good!

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The Facepalm Project

2017-02-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

We all have times when we just don't know what to say...all you can do is put your hand over your face—aka the facepalm. But what can you do when people are ridiculous, stupid, or downright rude?

Captain Picard Star Trek Patrick Stewart Facepalm

My amazing grandma taught me that humor can be an incredibly powerful tool in diffusing a stressful situation. From sibling rivalry to arguments with my husband, adding a bit of humor or choosing to see the hilarity in a situation has been a huge help over the years. Some of my best memories came from fighting with my sister, then suddenly joking together.

Calvin and Hobbes Facepalm

I can't tell you how many times I've seen posts on social media where I just didn't know how to respond. The only reply I could muster was a facepalm. Especially with the political climate lately, I've found the need to express my speechlessness growing. After using the same handful of memes over and over again (no pun intended), I wanted to make it more fun—to branch out. And it became a game.

Elrond Lord of the Rings Facepalm

One of my friends, a super funny author named Dennis Gaunt (read more about Dennis and his books here) has at least two posts a day that make me either laugh so much I have to tell someone about it or are so silly (in a fun way) that I HAVE to reply with a relevant facepalm meme. You might be able to imagine what a meme a day is starting to turn into...

Dr Doctor House M.D. Facepalm

I didn't realize how much I'd began to rely on my facepalm meme collection until I moved and lost access to my images (which wasn't huge, but, apparently, essential). Thus, The Facepalm Project was born. I've started collecting my favorite facepalm (and related) images for times when you just don't know what to say.

Star Wars Princess Leia Facepalm

Ranging from movies, tv, and celebrities to animals and art, this collection is growing.

Sir Sir Ian McKellen holding a Picard Facepalm sign

Of course, I had to share my wealth! I hope this collection also helps you find more humor in your life, and maybe even turn a stressful situation into something fun.

Please enjoy and use wisely. Click here to peruse the entire collection or keep scrolling to see featured highlights of the collection. If you would like to contribute to the collection, leave a comment below.

Stargate Daniel Jackson facepalm

Yzma The Emperor's New Groove Facepalm

Eleventh Doctor Doctor Who facepalm Matt Smith

General Iroh Avatar the Last Airbender facepalm

Stephen Colbert Report Triple facepalm gif

Greuze Girl With a Dead Canary painting facepalm

Hogan's Heros Shultz, Klink, and Hogan triple facepalm

Jackie Chan facepalm what?? WHY??

Lion Facepalm

Marvel X-men Magneto facepalm gif

Mulan Disney Princess facepalm

President Barak Obama facepalm

Sam Supernatural facepalm

Scully laughing facepalm X-files

Sesame Street Burt and Ernie facepalm

Tommy Lee Jones "Are you serious seriously that stupid?"

Wonder Woman Facepalm

Click here to check out the entire collection!
Read more about my projects here.
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Puppy Bowl XIII Party

2017-02-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

I've moved! Read this post and more on my new website.

Our Puppy Bowl XIII Party

We discovered the Puppy Bowl when our kids were toddlers. It's been a fun way to party together and support a great cause! More about the Puppy Bowl and their pet adoption mission, and episodes to watch here.

Instead of watching the Super Bowl, we all gather together, eat great food, and watch the Puppy Bowl together. Not only do the kids love it, but I don't have to suffer through a BORING football game. :)

Not that there's anything wrong with sports or sportsing...I played varisty tennis and did gymnastics, basketball, etc. I just prefer to play than watch.

And I absolutely hate listening to sports commentators and sports news! (Which is why I love this Weird Al video (above).

Our cat, Emo Kylo Ren, tries to get Granpa Den to share his shrimp during our Puppy Bowl party

Which is why we LOVE our Puppy Bowl party. It's the best of both worlds. It's funny for those who like sports (or have been forced to watch/listen to them) and insanely cute at the same time!

Our daughter snuggling with Kylo, while watching the Puppy Bowl

Puppy snuggles with Princess Daisy during our Puppy Bowl party

The kids playing with legos while our cat, Dobby, laments his view of the Puppy Bowl being blocked

We love seeing the creative and fun things they do each year. In prior years, they've had birds as Twitter correspondents, a halftime show of kittens playing, cheerleaders that were chickens, hedgehogs, and even penguins!

Hedgehog cheerleaders

Penguin cheerleaders (our son's favorite. We hope they bring them back!)

A cockatiel Twitter correspondent

The kitty halftime show

We can't wait for next year!

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Designing League of Legends Perler Beadsprites: Lulu and Pix

2017-02-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

This is one League of Legends Perler beadsprite design my daughter has been really excited about: Lulu and Pix!

When I start creating a new perler beadsprite design, I always start with two things: a picture I want to base the perler beadsprite off of, but also I like search through my previous designs to see if I can use elements I've already created (no sense in doing more work than needed).

The face of most of perler beadsprites have the same basic design (eyes, no nose or mouth etc) and shape, so I try to find a face and hair (if possible) from one of my previous perler beadsprites that are similar to what I'll want this one to look like.

For League of Legend's Lulu, I want to start with that same basic face and use long hair that sticks out in the front of her hat. Ariel in Pink Dress (watch a timelapse video of Ariel in her pink dress being made), from my Disney Princess Inspired Perler Beadsprites designs.

But Ariel hair wasn't quite right since Lulu's bangs aren't so rounded and they also come down a bit between the eyes:

I added a bit of color to see better. (I started with lavendar colored perler beads for Lulu's skin but the contrast between the hair and face weren't very clear so I changed the skin-tone to see better while I create the Perler bead design.) The bangs weren't quite what we want for Lulu, so I needed to tweak my perler design a bit:

Next, it was time to start on Lulu's hat, which has a gold outline. I also rearranged her hair to flow around the hat. I wanted to give Lulu's beadsprite enough detail but still keep her small enough, but that's the challenge.

And of course you can't have Lulu without a hat, so I wanted to check if my Santa Gragas's hat shape would be a good place to start, especially since it curves.

Lulu's hat was a bit of a problem. I needed to give Lulu's hat it's curl but it was just too big.

Once I decided on a hat design for Lulu, it was time to add her adorable ears.

For Lulu's ears, I went back to another of my League of Legend perler beadsprite designs: Classic Teemo. His ears were just right for Lulu!

Once I had Lulu's ears ready, I added a black outline, as I do with all my beadsprites (it gives them a more solid look).

I used a similar body design as Teemo for Lulu, then added colors to fit Lulu's clothes. The gold beads I'd been using looked really washed out, especially after I added Lulu's lavender skin color, so I switched to Cheddar.

For my League of Legends Lulu beadsprite design, I wanted to include her staff, so I started by trying to incorporate the staff design I used in my DC Green Lantern perler beadsprite collection.

Finally, I we needed Lulu's little friend, Pix.

The final design ironed: League of Legends inspired Lulu with Pix

Check out my other League of Legends inspired Perler beadsprite designs

League of Legends inspired Teemo collection: Easter Bunny Teemo, Teemo classic skin, Panda Teemo, Astronaut Teemo perler beadsprite

League of legends Holiday Skin inspired: Santa Gragas, Lissandra, Silent Night Sona, and Ezreal

League of Legends inspired Sona

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House of Love 2017

2017-02-02T20:35:00.004-08:00

It's February again! Guess what that means? Yep. It's our month to celebrate geek love!

Join us all of February for our House of Love. Feel free to jump in and vote anytime this month as we celebrate our favorite fictional couples. Couples were nominated from books, television, movies, etc.

In 2015, you all voted on your favorite fictional couples in six elimination rounds and the finals (see below).

This year, we'll be voting again to eliminate our least favorites each day, until only the best remain! Our first round starts with: (Pictured from left to right, top to bottom) Simon and Kaylee (Firefly), Aeris and Cloud (Final Fantasy), Vin and Elend (Mistborn), the Ninth Doctor and Rose (Doctor Who), Buffy and Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Molly and Sherlock (Sherlock), Han and Leia (Star Wars), Karrin Murphy and Harry Dreden (The Dresden Files), and Lan and Nynaeve (The Wheel of Time).

Go here to vote in this year's House of Love!

Round 1
Round 1 included: Chuck and Sarah (Chuck), Buffy and Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Anastasia and Dmitri (Anastasia), Beatrice and Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing), Leia and Han (Star Wars), Wall-E and Eve (Wall-E), River Song and the 11th Doctor (Doctor Who), Mary Poppins and Bert (Mary Poppins), or Marianne and Colonel Brandon (Sense and Sensibility)

Voting left only two contenders: Han and Leia vs. the Eleventh Doctor and River Song

The 11th Doctor and River Song won round 1.

Round 2

Round 2 featured: Spike and Drusilla (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), The 9th Doctor and Rose (Doctor Who), Pepper and Tony (Ironman), Margaret Hale and John Thornton (North & South), Inara and Mal (Firefly/Serenity), Prince Henry and Danielle (Ever After), Maria and Michael (Roswell), Guido and Dora (Life is Beautiful), or Goliath and Elisa (Gargoyles)

The end of round 1 pitted the 9th Doctor and Rose vs Mal and Inara.

But Mal and Inara were destined to advance to the finals!

Round 3

Round 3 included: Simon and Kaylee (Firefly), Catwoman and Batman, Jim and Pam (The Office), Navarre and Isabeau (Ladyhawke), Aragorn and Arwen (Lord of the Rings), Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice), Amy and Rory (Doctor Who), Annabeth and Percy (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), or Luke and Lorelai (Gilmore Girls)

In a very close round, The Ponds beat out the Firefly crew and advanced.

Round 4

Round 4 included: 10 and Rose (Doctor Who), Faramir and Eowyn (LOTR), Harley Quinn and Joker (Batman), Spiderman and Black Cat, Spock and Uhura (Star Trek), Rogue and Gambit (X-Men), Tristan and Isolde, or Jenny Calendar and Giles (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

While I had high hopes for Rogue and Gambit, Rose and Ten were our winners.

Round 5

Round 5 included: Xander and Anya (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Rick and Evelyn (The Mummy), Lady Mary and Matthew (Downton Abbey), Elena and Zorro, Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara (Gone With The Wind), Zuko and Mai (Avatar), Zoe and Wash (Firefly), Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Robin Hood and Maid Marian

Zoe and Wash stole round 5 like space pirates!

Round 6

Round six was: Arwen and Aragorn (LOTR), Buffy and Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Sokka and Suki (Avatar), Westley and Buttercup (The Princess Bride), Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade (Star Wars), Gilbert and Anne (Anne of Green Gables), Maria and Captain Von Trapp (The Sound of Music), Fox and Xanatos (Gargoyles), or Shawn and Juliet (Psych)

The Finals

Only six special couples made it to our Finals: River Song and Eleven (Doctor Who), Inara and Mal (Firefly), Amy and Rory (Doctor Who), Rose and Ten (Doctor Who), Zoe and Wash (Firefly), or Westley and Buttercup (The Princess Bride)

Final Round

Our Final round was Zoe and Wash vs The Ponds

Our 2015 Winners were Zoe and Wash from Firefly!

Join us all of February for our House of Love. Feel free to jump in and vote anytime this month as we celebrate our favorite fictional couples!

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5 Things To Help in a Depressive Crisis

2017-01-27T14:34:00.002-08:00

It's taken me almost a month to be ready to share this with you. Since then, I've been doing a lot better. So, please understand that I'm not in crisis now and have appreciated the love and support I've received during this time—even from those who just thought I was having a bad day, you've been amazing! Writing this has been a big part of my healing process. Here's what I wrote the beginning of this month:

Please know that I'm not writing this as a cry for help or to get attention. It actually hurts to admit that this happened (it's really embarrassing to admit how weak I've felt), but because I know there are others out there who need to hear it and know they're not alone. I need to share what happened a last night. I'm also dreading the inevitable phone call I will get from my mom, who will be very worried when she reads this (I love her and know how she worries about me. I love you, Mom! Know that I'm going to be alright, I promise I'm getting help.) If you don't want to read this and just want the info on 5 Things To Help in a Depressive Crisis, just skip to that section below. If not, keep reading.

The kids and I boarding the train, moving from Provo, Utah to Fairfield, California

I haven't been well since we moved in August. There have been times that things have been better than others, but, overall, my health and mental health have been terrible. Between anemia, low thyroid, and stress, I've barely been able to take care of myself, let alone my family.

Thankfully, the Lord has blessed us. We've had so many people offer help and support, especially this Christmas, we were overwhelmed by their generosity! Erik also has been able to pick up the slack, when it comes to the kids, house, meals, etc. Otherwise, I don't know what we would have done (other than not eaten, our house would be even more trashed, and the kids wouldn't have done so well adjusting as they have).

Erik's dad, Den, overcoming lymphoma and snuggling with our kitty (Emo Kylo Ren)

But, of course, not being very functional and leaving everything to my husband has left me with a huge load of guilt and stress. I see how hard it is for him. How he struggles with his own need to go back to work and school but also the need to care for his family (which has been multiplied since moving to California to care for his father, who has lymphoma. Read more about our quest to save our Dad here.)

I'm not sure what all the factors were that combined last night to cause my breakdown, other than the health issues, stress, and sleep deprivation, but I was in a bad place.

It started as a feeling of uselessness. I didn't even get a shower that day (and I don't want admit how long it had been since I had), even though I'd spend most of the day at appointments for the kids, I still felt like I hadn't accomplished enough. The house is a mess. We haven't really moved in all the way. There are literally still boxes stacked in every room.

I felt tired but didn't know if I'd be able to sleep (yet again), and that stressed me out. I felt just blah. Numb. Nothing felt right. Nothing felt good. I wasn't interested in any of my usual interests, nothing could excite me or make me feel happy. So I read my scriptures, like I try to do every night. But even though the subject matter was very sacred and special to me (I was reading Matthew Chapter 27, where Jesus is crucified). It usually evokes lots of feelings (sadness, gratitude, humility...knowing that He died for me and loves me), but I didn't feel anything. That brought even more guilt.

Somethings was very wrong with me. I was broken. I started to get ready for bed, but even the smallest task seemed impossible. The thought came to tell my husband that I needed help. At first, it was just help with something small. I knew I couldn't do this on my own, so I literally called my husband on my phone (from the bedroom to the living room) to ask him to help me. Which he did. He was exhausted from a long day of running errands, etc. (which was painfully obvious) but he quickly helped with the task I asked for help with.

Seeing him try to do something even though he obviously wanted to be doing other things (don't get me wrong, he really wasn't being selfish. From what he could see, I was just tired like I have been every single day of the last few months. He's been trying to get me to push myself, to help me pull myself out of this pit of depression, and he didn't want to enable me if I could do this myself. Physical activity is a huge factor in helping me get better.) And the guilt flowed. Everything was wrong. Everything I couldn't do, everything that had been left unfinished or neglected, nothing in the world was good anymore. It just wasn't.

Now, if you've never experienced this level of depression, you're probably thinking that I'm crazy, and you wouldn't necessarily be wrong. At that point, I could not be rational. My mind wouldn't work right. I was depressed about being depressed.

As a friend said, being a depressive crisis is like being trapped in a burning building. The smoke and heat (depression, guilt, anxiety) makes it so you can't breathe and is taking all your energy so it's hard to move or function at all. One beam after another (inadequacies, things that made me feel more depressed) are falling, which compromises the building supports (rational thinking, logic, self-worth, etc.) Then, hopelessness blocks the exit and panic raises to a whole new level. Visibility is completely gone, the heat is rising. You are completely trapped and can't see how you could possibly escape with your life.

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Or, for our Lord of the Rings fans, you are Frodo on the slopes of Mount Doom. All of your efforts, everything you've tried doesn't matter any more because your body has given out. The ring is too heavy to carry and there's no way you can go any further.

My mind briefly started to wonder what was the least painful way someone could die. That should have shocked me more than it did. That was a huge beam in our burning building falling down. Yes, it was a wake up call. They always tell you that any suicidal type thoughts, even wishing that you could just give up or any thought related to the subject of your own death, is a crisis point where you need to seek immediate help.

I started crying (sobbing really), but was out of tissues. Even getting up to go get more tissues was beyond my ability. I just couldn't do anything. I was useless. Completely useless.

And that was my breaking point. Not even able to bring myself to call Erik again, I sent a one-word text, which I've circled below:

My one worded text, during my crisis (circled)

I thought about how he's done so much lately and I've been very demanding. And I cried harder. I didn't want to scare him (in fact, until he reads this, I won't have admitted in so many words to another person exactly how bad things were).

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Seeing me sitting on the side of the bed, shaking and tears running like a faucet, he hurried to my side and started asking me what was wrong.

I don't remember most of what was said other than I needed help and my depression was really bad. He asked me what he could do to help (probably expecting to be given some big heroic quest that would yank me out of it). I said something like, "I'm out of tissues. Could you bring some? I can't even do that." And, for some reason, we laughed. It was just so ridiculous, sobbing over a lack of tissues. I don't remember what else I told him, but, at some point, I also asked him for the most important thing: a priesthood blessing.

What a priesthood blessing can look like. (Image source)

For those unfamiliar with my faith, I'm a Mormon, and a priesthood blessing is one of the most amazing and small, but miraculous things I've witnessed. I don't know when I've ever felt so much love, support, and comfort, as when I've heard someone else praying to my Heavenly Father, using His own power and authority to pronounce a blessing that I might have the comfort and strength that I so desperately needed. (You can learn more about priesthood blessings here. You don't have to be a member of my church to receive one. Learn more about Mormons here.)

The guilt and stress didn't go away after the blessing. It was all still there, but afterwards, I felt comforted. Erik sat with me and held me.

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We talked a bit more and life didn't seem so bad. That's the best way I can thing to describe it. The fog thinned a bit and I felt well enough to try to sleep. Erik didn't take my depression away, but he helped carry me through the worst of it.

My view/outlook this morning. There are still ugly things like dead weeds, vines, plants that need pruning, and power lines blocking the blue sky, but there are still some green trees and lots of blue sky!

This morning, I am a million times better. A good night's rest helped so much! I'm still stressed, still feel the guilt, but it's manageable. There weren't any clean towels this morning and I was out of clean clothes, but instead of feeling like there's just another thing to stop me and I can't do anything about it, I was able to start a load of laundry.

I'm going to be alright, and I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father had helped me and given me so much!

Now, here's what I've learned from all this:

5 Things To Help in a Depressive Crisis

1. Seek help immediately! From family, friends, your church, neighbors, a crisis hotline, ANYONE who you can talk to!! Do NOT be alone!

Depression and stress do weird things to the mind. They warp our sense of reality and show us the world through a skewed perspective. Being alone makes this worse. Find someone, anyone, to be near. Even if you just go to the grocery store or Walmart and say hi to the door greeter/security person. Human contact is VITAL! Go be with other people.

2. Talk to someone

It seems stupidly simple, but talking, getting those feelings and thought out into the open, just expressing how you feel helps! Keeping it bottled up inside, not wanting to burden or bother anyone else... I've been there and believe me: anyone who cares even the smallest bit for you, even a stranger, would rather listen to you talk for a few minutes than risk your life. Call this number (1-800-273-8255) or go to this website for free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention, and crisis resources.

3. Ask God for help with depression

Whatever your religion or beliefs, ask God to help you in whatever way you can. He loves you and wants the best for you. He will help you find comfort and carry you through the darkest of times.

Have faith that your Father in Heaven will help you but recognize that His help may come in the form of therapy, medication, friends, or family.

4. Don't be too afraid or ashamed to get help!

Thankfully, society is finally leaving behind the old stigma of mental illness being taboo. People are finally starting to talk about it and admit they need help. Nearly 1 of every 5 Americans suffer from some type of mental illness each year (source). You are not alone! Asking for help is not weakness, it takes strength and courage. Be strong, you can do it!!

5. Get medical/mental health help for depression

Despite advances in science and medicine, we don't always know what causes depression. According to the NIMH, "depression is caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors." But try to find out where it's coming from and get help. Mine is clinical/chronic depression but made worse by health issues like thyroid disease, anemia, etc. (Read more about My Battle for Better Health here.) Try to see if there's a physical cause to your depression. If there's the possibility of getting better, isn't it worth looking into?

Talk to a counselor or mental health specialist. You may or may not need medication. It's perfectly fine if you do. I strongly believe that God has helped scientists develop medicines specifically to help with mental illness because he loves us. Medication is not the treatment for everyone, and I also firmly believe that everyone, whether being treated with medicine or not, should get help from a licensed therapist to learn coping skills, etc.

This talk by Jeffrey R. Holland, called Like a Broken Vessel, gives me a lot of comfort. Go read, watch, or listen to it. You are not alone!

If you or someone you love suffers from depression, please let them know that you love them and want them to be alright. Here are 5 very simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Depression. Again, if you're in crisis, call this number (1-800-273-8255) or go to this website for free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention, and crisis resources.

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Family Movie Night: Captain America

2017-01-17T20:46:00.003-08:00

We're trying to do more family activities lately and we were really excited for this one.

Grandpa Den smiling at a funny part of Captain America

Grandpa Den grew up with Captain America but hadn't seen the Captain America: The First Avenger movie. We've been wanting to watch it with him since we moved here in August (to "Save Our Dad", read more about that here) but some of our favorite movies haven't turned up yet since the move. Thankfully, Solano County Library had it available for us to check out, so our movie night finally happened!

Par of our Captain America movie snack spread

We had one rule for the movie snacks we could pick: it had to be either red, white, or blue (in honor of Captain America). So, being the random people we are, we ended up with Poptarts, Powerade, Gatorade, Airheads, blue Twizzlers, Redvines (wouldn't be a movie night without Redvines), and cake cookies. Since life is so crazy, we tried to have fun but keep it doable, which meant store-bought frosting, and the fastest, easiest cookies that we could do (which meant so easy the kids made them themselves).

My pathetic attempt at Captain America cookies

We were going for red, white, and blue, cookies, and for some reason this family has a massive cake mix collection in the pantry (seriously, takes up a whole cupboard!), so we did cake cookies: white cake cookies, red velvet cake cookies (which got burned), and blue velvet cake cookies.

The kids' decorated cookies: Thor's hammer, hydra symbol, Captain America's shields, and a

We decorated with blue and red frosting.

More of my attempts at cookie decorating: An Avengers logo, hydra symbol, Captain America shield, and random design because I couldn't think of anything else

I told my oldest to sit back so we could get his brother in the picture, so this is him trying to act natural for the picture... The oldest two kids spent most of the time we watched Captain America decorating cookies (they've seen most of the Avengers movies several times), but our youngest couldn't get his nose out of his book (it's my book, actually, but he's read it more than I have).

Grandpa, sucked into the world of the Avengers like the rest of us :)

And the verdict? Grandpa Den really enjoyed Captain America! He's already seen Iron Man, so Thor (my personal favorite) is next on our list of Avengers movies to show him.

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Art and Tips from a Perler Mini Bead Master

2017-01-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

Finished perler mini bead art: Seaside cafe

It all started a year ago, when Patricia Padilla del Rio's daughter started a little business, selling a local brand of mini perler beads out of her their garage in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Patricia creating her first perler mini bead art piece

Soon, mini perler bead art became an escape for fifty-five year old Patricia, who was dealing with the death of her mother.

Finished perler mini bead art: Woman with fan and parasol

"I take this hobby as occupational therapy," Patricia says. "It started with a small design and it became a passion of creating masterpieces."

Finished perler mini bead art: Girl with dog eating ice cream

Her passion has become a very intricate form of art. Patricia prefers to work with mini perler beads, which are half the size of the popular perler midi beads, because they allow her to create more complex patterns on a smaller scale.

Finished perler mini bead art: Peacock

She chooses designs according to her mood and gets most of her designs from cross stitch patterns that she finds on Pinterest and Google, then converting them to bead art.

Finished perler mini bead art: Country cottage scene with geese, blossoms, and water wheel

Patricia Padilla del Rio with customers in her shop

"The largest pieces are done in 1 week. Dedicating approximately 3 hours a day," says Patricia. Patricia and her daughter, also named Patricia, now sell a local brand of perler mini beads and mini perler bead artwork at their shop in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico and online via their Facebook page: Perler Beads Culiacan.

Perler Mini Beads in Patricia's shop, which includes 70 different colors!

Perler Mini Bead Tips from a Mini Bead Master

Perler Mini Bead Tip 1

Use a towel or paper towel under the loose perler mini beads to keep them from rolling away.

Perler Mini Bead Tip 2

Try using a large sewing needle instead of tweezers for perler mini beads. "The secret is to use a sewing needle," says Patricia. "Insert several beads in it and fill out the pegboards."
Put several perler mini beads on the needle at once and add them to the pegboard directly from the needle. This saves a lot of time and energy as opposed to picking up and placing each perler mini bead individually.

Patricia Padilla del Rio gives us a look at her perler mini bead art creation process with these intricate pieces:

Creation process for perler mini bead art: Flower basket with fruit

Finished and framed perler mini bead art: Flower basket with fruit

Creation process for perler mini bead art: Tabby cat

Creation process for perler mini bead art: Santa Claus

Patricia with her framed perler mini bead art pieces: Tabby cat and Santa Claus

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Holiday Giveaway Winner!

2017-01-01T00:04:00.001-08:00

This design is called "Isilme" which is elvish for "moonlight"!

Congratulations to our Holiday Giveaway winner, Taffy L.! She has won this gorgeous circlet from Refreshing Designs!

You can find Refreshing Designs on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Etsy.

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Perler Bead Gift Tutorial: Doctor Who Newbies and Disney Fans

2016-12-30T16:44:00.000-08:00

Aimee's picture of her Perler mini bead ornaments

A few weeks ago, I saw that two of my friends from church were watching Doctor Who for the first time but were having trouble getting into Series 1. Those of us who are fans were encouraging them on Facebook to keep watching and suggesting episode orders, etc. I'm sure you've all seen that same conversation a million times. Well, they stuck with it, even through the more ridiculous episodes, and got to the good stuff. They are now official Doctor Who fans.

As a badge of honor, and since it was Christmastime, I made them each some of my Doctor Who Perler Mini beadsprite ornaments: The Ninth Doctor (since he will always be their first Doctor), Rose Tyler, and a Tardis.

My delivery of these didn't quite go as planned. I was late to deliver Aimee's ornaments (yes, I know how shocked you are at my lack of punctuality) and she was Live on Facebook. So, my ornaments made a short appearance in her video!

You might have noticed that she was a bit thrown by the unexpected surprise and combined my name and my husband's name (Laura and Erik), and called me "Erika". Hahaha!

My other Perler bead gift was to a friend who is a HUGE Disney fan that loves Hawaii. Naturally, I decided she needed a Hawaiian Disney themed Perler bead gift (in this case, wall art).

Here's how I made it:

Image source

I started by finding something similar to what I wanted. I did a quick Google search of "Mickey Mouse Hawaiian Perler Bead" and it came up with this pattern. Not quite what I wanted, but close enough to for me to adapt into my own vision. I knew decided to put Mickey Mouse of the surf board, but to add my own rainbow and flowers.

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I started with a basic idea of what Mickey Mouse looks like, then what he might look like in Perler beads.

It was a bit tricky because I had to keep Mickey Mouse small enough to keep the pattern I'd already decided on, but large enough to show some detail. (You'll notice in the original pattern, the guy's head/hair is only 3 beads.)

Then, I altered it to fit my Hawaiian surfing scene, replacing the surfer dude with my Mickey Mouse, which was a bit larger than the original pattern, but I thought I could make it work.

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Next, was the hibiscus flower, a renown icon for Hawaii. I loved these ones from Madam Fandom, but they were much too big for my little pattern.

As you can see, I added two flowers instead of just one, and moved the rainbow to the left corner and behind the text. I also re-centered and adjusted the word "Hawaii" to fit in front of the rainbow and behind Mickey Mouse, made a few more small adjustments, then, I added a row of dark blue and two rows of dark grey for a perler bead frame for our wall art.

I hope she likes it!

How to get started with Perler Beads, ideas, tips, tutorials, videos, and more here!

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Holiday Giveaway 2016: Handwrapped Circlet from Refreshing Designs

2016-12-20T18:48:00.001-08:00

I first met Heidi, of Refreshing Designs, at FanX 2015 (see cosplays and other awesomeness from our experience at FanX 2015 here).

Jewelry by Refreshing Designs

I kept asking people where they got their AMAZING circlets and jewelry, and they sent me to the most popular booth at the con (where I spent all of my birthday money!) I couldn't resist her gorgeous Elven circlets, bracelets, and necklaces. Actually, my daughter couldn't resist either—I've had to fight her her for them ever since!

Ariel cosplay by larissapaigecopslay with Tritan Crown by Refreshing Designs

Daenerys Targaryen cosplay with circlet by Refreshing Designs at Salt Lake Comic Con

Simple and elegant Celtic headband by Refreshing Designs

Elven bridal circlet by Refreshing Designs

Lord of the Rings Arwen cosplay with circlet by Refreshing Designs at Salt Lake Comic Con 2016

Gypsy circlet by Refreshing Designs

Steampunk cosplay with circlet by Refreshing Designs at Salt Lake Comic Con 2016

Sailor Moon Jewel Headband worn and designed by Heidi of Refreshing Designs

About Heidi:

I am a mother of two wonderful, active boys whom I love dearly. One of my favorite quotes says: "A mother of boys is on the go from son up to son down." Isn't that the truth!

However, when I do find time to unwind, those 10 precious minutes :}, I usually spend it making custom jewelry and accessories. It relaxes me and lets my mind wonder into a land where anything is possible. I look at a long piece of wire and become excited at its potential. I never plan out my designs before-hand, unless I am making a copy. It is usually a very organic, free-form process. The wire sort of shapes itself in a way.

I am most inspired by medieval Celtic design and the Renaissance period. Though I am a huge fan of Tolkien too and the world of the Elves.

But when it is all said and done, hopefully, you enjoy wearing my art work as much as I enjoy creating it.

Go to Heidi's Instagram and see more of her amazing designs, like this crazy Loki cosplay wire work headdress! You can also find Heidi's Refreshing Designs on Facebook, Twitter, and Etsy.

This design is called "Isilme" which is elvish for "moonlight"!

Because she is so cool, Heidi is giving away a circlet (pictured above) to one lucky fan! The winner will be announced on New Year's Day. She's also giving us an exclusive discount: free shipping (in the continental US only) with any purchase over $20! Just use the promo code "THANKS2U" at checkout.

Enter the Giveaway:

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The Watchers Take to the Sea and Give Us 4 Free Books (Today Only)

2016-12-14T13:07:00.001-08:00

We've moved! Read this post and more on my new website.

I was first introduced to The Watchers Series (if you haven't gotten your free Watchers Coloring Book yet, be sure to get it now) a few years ago, when I met the author, Deirdra Eden. I can only describe Deirdra as a force of nature. Like her heroine, Auriella, this woman is an incredible role model. In addition to running her own household (she has 3 little kids), she started her own business, became an advocate for abused children, and worked on countless other projects. If there has been any evidence of super powers, this woman's boundless energy and drive could convince me!

Deirdra inspired me and helped give me the confidence and skills to follow my own dreams of writing (read more about my dream of writing a book here). "The Watchers is about never giving up hope and always following your dreams," Deirdra told me.

It's not hard to see how Deirdra could create a series that sucks you right in. Auriella is a Watcher, a celestial being in human form tasked with fighting a war on earth that started in Heaven. I had the amazing privilege to help create this trailer for The Watchers Series (see below, read more about the making of the trailer here).

If you're looking for an inexpensive geek gift, check out this release day special. First, be sure to stop and sign up to get your free Coloring Book here from me and a free book from The Watchers.

When you buy Flood and Fire (Book #3 of The Watchers Series) in print (on sale today only for $10.99) or ebook ($3.99), you get 4 FREE ebooks! (Details below)

About The Watchers Series

The Watchers Series has been described as Braveheart meets Supernatural. The mythology for the series is based on many theological texts from dozens of sects with correlating themes. Ancient writings include the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Traditional Apocrypha, the Pearl of Great Price and the Kabbalah. The Watchers are supernatural beings in human form whose duty it is to protect and guard mankind from the armies of darkness. Unfortunately, as the Book of Enoch mentions, some of these Watchers go bad.

Deirdra Eden's, The Watcher's Series, is written in a traditional fairytale style with a young girl's discovery of incredible, but dangerous powers within herself, a cast of humorous side-kicks, a quest for greater self-discovery and purpose, and villains of epic proportions.

About The Watchers, Book 3: Flood and Fire

Auriella joins the ranks of the Immortals, but Azrael has vanished in the depths of war.
She is forced to choose between love or loyalty when the druids charge her with finding Alamar, an unruly Watcher who can control the seas. Though witty and charming, Alamar and his blood thirsty friends can’t be trusted.

Now, it’s a race against time to find Azrael before he is killed, and Alamar before he is recruited by the Shadow Legion.

About The Author

Deirdra Eden has spent the last decade captivating audiences of all ages with her Amazon Bestselling novels and fairy tales. Her specialty is paranormal theology that delves into documented historical phenomenon and natural disasters of biblical proportions that entices indulgence of a fine line between fact and fantasy.

Deirdra enjoys jousting in arenas, sword fighting and archery, planning invasions, horseback riding through open meadows, swimming in the ocean, hiking up mountains, camping in cool shady woods, climbing trees barefoot, and going on adventures with her family.

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Release Day Special: Buy 1 book get 4 FREE!

Buy Flood and Fire on Amazon on December 14, 2016 and get 4 FREE ebooks! Just email a copy of your order to edenliterary@gmail.com and they'll send you 4 free ebooks.

Inexpensive Geek Gifts

2016-12-07T09:41:00.002-08:00

My Zelda Plush, Dancing Baby Groot, River's Sonic Screwdriver, and X-men Figures

Gifts are fun, but geeky gifts are the best! These are some of my favorites this year. Pictured (above) is a small collection of geeky gifts that I've put on display above my computer desk.

Guardians of the Galaxy Dancing Groot Figure

Sanei The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker 7.5" Princess Zelda HD Plush

River Song's Sonic Screwdriver

I got my ThinkGeek Tardis Shower Curtain a few years ago and still LOVE it!

Doctor Who K-9 Slippers (I got these last year for Christmas and they are so cute!)

Doctor Who Travels in Time Coloring Book

FreezerBoy Refrigerator Magnets (Dry-Erase Whiteboard Set)

Paladone The Legend of Zelda Hyrule Notebook

OWI Samurai Scorpion Aluminum Skulpture Kit

Serenity Adult Coloring Book

Bat Signal Projector (Mega Mini Kits)

Batman Welcome To The Batcave Door Mat

Vintage Classic Celtic Knot Motif Irish Secret Book Box Set

Molecular Model Kit with Molecule Building Software, Organic Chemistry Set by Dalton Labs

Planetary Glass Set

Supernatural: The Official Coloring Book

Executive Knight Pen Holder

Plush Unicorn Slippers, One Size, White

Sherlock: The Mind Palace: A Coloring Book Adventure

Back to the Future Flux Capacitor USB Car Charger

Doctor Who Mens 11th Doctor Slippers w/ Bow Tie (Brown Plaid)

DC Comics Colouring Book

Pet Tornado

Art of Coloring: Disney Villains: 100 Images to Inspire Creativity and Relaxation

Kotobukiya Star Wars: Darth Vader Light Up Chopsticks

Boba Fett Star Wars Mighty Minis Micro Boost USB Charger ThinkGeek

Harry Potter Magical Places & Characters Coloring Book

Star Wars Death Star Waffle Maker

Star Wars Death Star Chip and Dip Bowls

Star Wars R2D2 Screwdriver With 3 Forged Steel Bits

R2-D2 USB Car Charger

Star Wars Millennium Falcon Wooden Cutting Board

Han Solo in Carbonite Business Card Case

Check out these Geek Gifts for $10 or less and more amazing coloring books:

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New Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Trailer!

2016-12-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

We've moved! Read this post and more on my new website.

If the last Guardians of the Galaxy teaser trailer wasn't amazing enough, this trailer... OH MY FREAKIN' HECK! I'm so excited for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2!!!

Without spoiling anything, here's a closer look at the new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 trailer:

The new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 trailer promises us lots of action and fun with our favorite characters from the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

I am so excited for the sense of humor they've added to Drax!

AND OF COURSE....

SQWEEEEEEE!!! Baby Groot is soooo stinkin' cute!!!!!!

Cute but fierce as ever

And we also have new characters like this one to look forward to.

I don't know about you, but May 2007 can't come fast enough. I can't wait to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2!

While you're waiting for the new movie, check out my Guardians of the Galaxy inspired Perler Beadsprites. You can make these yourself at home. They're fun magnets, ornaments, wall hanging, or cake toppers (see what adorable cake toppers they make here)

Here's a behinds the scenes look at how I designed my Guardians of the Galaxy inspired Perler Beadsprites.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 promises to live up to the first for sure!

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Coloring Therapy Geek-style

2016-11-19T12:12:00.000-08:00

Can I make a confession? I love to color! It's something I've never outgrown, and I don't think I ever will. The fact that adult coloring books have become popular makes me so so happy—not just because it means I'm not the only one, but it means it's easy to find great coloring books! My kids were getting really sick of sharing their coloring books with me and the pages in the kid coloring books were just too simple.

Page from Relaxing Therapy Coloring Book

Now, granted, my style of coloring isn't the typical bohemian style that is popular right now (where you color every single millimeter a different color, so it becomes a beautiful rainbow mosaic.) I prefer blocks of solid color, for the most part, on detailed pictures like these you see here in the pictures I've colored.

Page from Relaxing Therapy Coloring Book

I also don't like to use the standard colored pencils or gel pens. Actually, I really love using gel pens, and I love the variety of colors that are available in colored pencils, but I hate sharpening pencils (that and plastic wrap are bane of my existence!) and gel pens just don't last long enough. With my style of using a lot of one color per coloring page, I was going through a whole gel pen for one picture.

Page from Relaxing Therapy Coloring Book

Then, walking through Costco, it hit me: Sharpies!

Iron Man art colored with Sharpies at Free Comic Book Day

I'd seen comic book artists use Sharpies to color their drawings at Free Comic Book Day (read more about Free Comic Book Day here, it rocks!) So I tried using Sharpies for my adult coloring books and coloring therapy. Love them!!

Page from the Doctor Who Coloring Book

They do have a few drawbacks (no pun intended!), like not as many colors available and having to find ultra-fine tip vs. fine tip, and the metalic colors (which are my favorite to use because it feels like I'm painting!) covering up the picture's lines (which I have to redraw). Actually, in all these coloring pages with gold or silver ink, you might be able to see where I had to redraw the lines in black ink (which is actually kind of fun if I don't completely mess it up—like I did with the cyberman in silver above...)

I'm having so much fun coloring! Not only is it a great way to relax, it helps me listen when I normally would have trouble concentrating (I have ADHD Inattentive).

Here are a few things to help you get started (or have even more fun if you're already addicted, like me). These are the two books I've tried so far. Love them both! Relaxing Therapy Coloring Book (I found mine at Costco but Amazon has it as well) and The Doctor Who Coloring Book. I've included all of the geeky coloring books that are on my wishlist.

Coloring Supplies

Sharpie Fine-Tip Permanent Marker, 24-Pack Assorted Colors (Great for larger blocks of color and consistent/smoother lines)

Metallic Sharpies

Ultra-fine tip Sharpies

SUDEE STILE Color Pencils Set (120 Colors) Colored pencils come in a HUGE variety of colors and allow for more artistry in shading, etc.

Gel Pens 120 Top Quality Gel Ink Pen Set with Compact PVC Case Gel pens make me feel like I'm painting. If you're going for the popular style of lots of different colors per coloring page, this is a fun option!

Geeky Coloring Books for Adults

Doctor Who Travels in Time Coloring Book

Doctor Who: Time Lord Fairytales

Serenity Adult Coloring Book

Harry Potter Coloring Book

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Adult Coloring Book

Star Trek: The Next Generation Adult Coloring Book

Color Your Own Star Wars

Art of Coloring Star Wars: 100 Images to Inspire Creativity and Relaxation (Art Therapy)

Supernatural: The Official Coloring Book

Sherlock: The Mind Palace: A Coloring Book Adventure

Harry Potter Magical Creatures Coloring Book

Harry Potter Magical Places & Characters Coloring Book

Harry Potter Magical Artifacts Coloring Book

Art of Coloring: Disney Villains: 100 Images to Inspire Creativity and Relaxation

Art of Coloring Disney Princess: 100 Images to Inspire Creativity and Relaxation (Art Therapy)

Art of Coloring: Disney Animals: 100 Images to Inspire Creativity and Relaxation

Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest & Coloring Book

The Lord of the Rings Movie Trilogy Coloring Book

DC Comics Colouring Book

DC Comics Coloring Book

Harley Quinn & the Suicide Squad: An Adult Coloring Book (Coloring Dc)

Coloring DC: Batman: Mad Love Featuring Harley Quinn (Dc Comics Coloring Book)

Coloring DC: Wonder Woman

DC Comics Wonder Woman Amazonian Princess Coloring Book - Softcover 96 Pages

Supergirl: An Adult Coloring Book

The Flash: An Adult Coloring Book (Coloring Dc)

Coloring DC: Batman-Hush Vol. 1 (Dc Comics Coloring Book)

Marvel Super Heroes Coloring Book

Color Your Own Doctor Strange

Color Your Own Civil War

Color Your Own Women of Power

Color Your Own Deadpool

Kickin' It Old School Coloring Book (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) (Adult Coloring Book)

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My Battle for Better Health: Depression and Isolation

2016-11-16T21:44:00.001-08:00

Den petting a colt

While moving to California to Save our Dad (read more about our incredible quest here) has been well worth it, not everything has been sunshine and rainbows. Packing, moving, and adjusting has been a grueling process, and I'm just not back to myself yet. Aside from the physical issues (which are painful and many), anxiety and depression have been trying for the world record.

Grimm

There were a few weeks I pretty much locked myself in my room watching Downton Abbey, Doctor Thorne, Poldark, and Grimm on Amazon Prime while playing Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes on my phone, wishing the days would pass me by, and that people would just stop expecting anything of me.

I had no idea how far gone I was until Erik kidnapped me for a date. Being out in such a peaceful, lovely place was very healing (and that's not a term I normally use). Not only because of the nostalgia of childhood days at my uncle's ranch, but there's just something about being out in nature that calms me.

The house, museum, visitor's center, etc. at Rush Ranch

Returning home, I was shocked at how much better I already felt. Yes, I was still depressed, but the world seemed a bit brighter and I felt more awake.

It makes sense, really. One of my 5 Things You Can Do To Help Someone with Depression (read more about helping someone—including yourself—with depression here) is to "help them see from a healthier perspective." Getting out of the house, pretty much anywhere, can help, but someplace you enjoy and can relax is best. Going outside of your own dark little world like that, even for just a short time, can make a big difference. Like I mentioned in 5 Things You Can Do To Help Someone with Depression, change is one thing that therapists have regularly recommended. They've told me to rearrange furniture, switch up my schedule, spend time with friends, exercise, or just get out of the house—any positive change that will help my brain jump onto a different track [can] help me be able to think more objectively and feel better.

Image Source

In addition to mental benefits of getting out of the house, something a lot of us don't think much about, but can be a big issue this time of year, is indoor air quality. Believe it or not, our homes have air pollution (radon is one of the biggest culprits—read more about indoor air quality here), especially when all the windows and doors stay closed and fresh air is not allowed to circulate. One of the symptoms of exposure to indoor air pollution is fatigue. Since that's also a symptom of depression, that's something that can be masked by depression or even made worse, each problem feeding off the other.

Our oldest, then 8 years old, after his tonsillectomy. The nurses gave Hobbes a bandage as well since our son had to get one.

I won't get too much into it now, but one year, my almost every member of my family had to have sinus surgery and/or tonsillectomies as a result of indoor air pollution.

So, if you're experiencing depression and fatigue, especially with cold or allergy-like symptoms, be sure to consider the quality of your indoor air. Take a few minutes and remove yourself from your isolation. It's alright to go somewhere you can still be alone, if that's what you want, the important thing is to get out.

Den loved telling us all about the cows. He used to work with them in his early days.

I'm almost done talking for now, but let me finish by saying that it seems silly, but I'm shocked every single time by how much better my depression gets after I've gone out and done something I love.

Hope some of this helps! Here are some pictures my daughter took the other day when Grandpa Den and I took them to Rush Ranch. (Please be nice. I'm sharing an especially unflattering picture of me in here!)

A distant view of Fairfield/Suisun City, CA

I LOVE how the black spots literally stick up off the white of his coat!

Cows in the pasture

Den and I petting the horses

Gopher hole?

Hoof print

A barn owl

My goals

I want to have energy to spend time and actually do activities with my family.

I want to be able to be physically active. I’m not saying I plan on running marathons, but being able to exercise and do basic housecleaning on a daily basis would be nice.

I want my mind to feel less foggy all the time so I can do my job well and enjoy being in the profession I love.

I want to be healthy and be at a healthy weight.

~~I want my life back!~~ I will look for the best in my life and realize what I truly have, always striving to make it better.

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#depressionhurts

Our Autism Story

2016-11-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

For the longest time, I thought I was a bad mom. Growing up, I thought I was just a weird person and that's why I didn't fit in. If only I'd know then what I know now...

Me (about 4 years old) on one of my "better" fashion days

You know those awkward kids you see in movies? They've got nothing on me. I was the queen of awkward and weirdness. No one really understood why. My sisters were baffled that I wouldn't let them play with my hair or teach me how to style it. I had absolutely no concept of my physical appearance. In fact, my fashion sense was wearing whatever I felt like (which lead to some of the absolute worst school pictures you'll ever see) and my hair had to be almost shaved off (literally) to remove all the rat's nests because I couldn't stand to let anyone brush it.

Thankfully, I was blessed with friends and family who care and the problem-solving skills to learn to manage some of my worst behavior issues (I no longer recite entire Steven Wright sketches during church or expect everyone to recognize obscure movie lines that I quote—and sometimes completely alter to fit my purposes). We won't even begin to talk hygiene because I don't want to make anyone sick.

Several years ago, someone told us that they thought our oldest kid might have autism. This was mostly, she said, because he preferred to play quietly by himself. Unfortunately, this wasn't something we took too seriously because that person gave us about a million other parenting "tips" in the same sitting. Later, another friend (which we did listen to because he was about to graduate with a degree in behavioral science or something) told us that our son couldn't possibly have autism because he would look us directly in the eyes (sometimes) when we spoke to him and "autistic people never do that".

So, even though I put everything I could into parenting and my child was very academically advanced, I thought his behavior problems were my fault—that I was a bad mother. Why would God trust me with one kid, let alone three? The fact that my son didn't know how to hold a conversation (instead of ranting about his latest obsession) and would flap his hands up and down as he constantly bounced when excited, was terrified of swimming/bathing, heights, having his mouth/teeth/ears touched, changing his clothes (especially his socks), having his nails trimmed, haircuts, loud noises, and any fruit/veggies other than fresh apples or canned green beans, and so much more... This was all my fault. As was the fact that when he was scared, he would clam up and couldn't think or talk, or how, on really bad days, I literally had to drag or carry him into the school office as he sobbed and wailed—where a staff member would physically restrain him until I was gone (after-which time, he would eventually calm down and be fine the rest of the school day. This went on for several grades). Rewards and bribery wouldn't work. Threats made everything worse.

In first grade, due to their zero tolerance policy, he was suspended when he tried help a girl get a leaf off of her clothes that had gotten stuck there at recess. He didn't know how to tell her it was there or what he was doing. It was bothering him, he thought, so it must have been bothering her too. All the teacher heard was that the girl had been "touched" somewhere inappropriately and our son, seeing he was in trouble and not understanding why, wouldn't talk.

The teacher and office staff assumed he was being belligerent by not answering their questions (he literally wouldn't speak a word to them) and told us to come get him. Distraught, I rushed to the school and started trying to figure out what really happened. I wasn't a complete idiot thinking my kid could never do anything wrong, but the behavior he was being accused of really didn't sound anything like him.

The principal let me borrow her office as I spent over an hour trying to calm him down and getting him to tell me what happened, in his own way. Dragging it out of him included having him draw diagrams, a seating chart, etc. It was absolutely exhausting, but at the end of it, the principal said that she believed us (even though she couldn't lift the suspension) and asked if we'd ever had him tested for autism.

The testing process was eye opening for me. Instead of testing him alone, since he was so young, the therapist asked me to participate. As I answered her questions, there were so many things that were brought up that I'd never thought of before (like sensory issues and self-awareness). Not only that, but most of the questions that I answered for him, I ended up adding a mental check-mark for my own self.

I'd never considered that I might have some type of disorder, I'd always just been weird. I was already being treated for depression and anxiety, so I spoke to my therapist about it. She told me that she'd had her suspicions that I was on the autism spectrum, but that, at my age, testing was pretty pointless. Besides, I was pretty well adjusted and high functioning enough that most people wouldn't notice anything was off and it wasn't affecting my life too much anymore.

Fast forward several years: My oldest is in seventh grade now. Last year, he completed sixth grade without any special accommodations. This was huge for us because he'd had an aide working part-time with him to help with things like staying on task, test taking, and, for a few years, even reminding him to eat (he would get so anxious about missing recess, despite wearing a watch and being able to tell time, that he would skip lunch). And he did it all in a Spanish dual immersion program. He still has some struggles, but we're so proud of how far he's come!

Over the past few years, our youngest son has developed some major behavioral issues. Once again, I took it as just bad parenting on my part. I knew what autism looked like, I saw it everyday in myself and my oldest, and this kid was so much more outgoing and adventurous that when my best friend mentioned getting him tested, I said it couldn't be autism.

What I used to think Autism looked like. Image source

This article helped me see Autism more realistically. We all have areas that will be higher or lower functioning than another.

This is what an average person might look like. Image source

The image above represents what the average person might look like in these areas. This is how autism is normally portrayed:

How autism is normally portrayed Image source

That's usually not the case, not for my sons, and especially not for me. We all have our own areas of strength and weakness. Years of work have made my social awareness go from nothing to a lot closer to average, for example.

What autism in one individual might look like. Image source

Autism looks different in each person. After all, our individual brains do function differently.

What autism in another person might look like. Image source

That article and these diagrams made me more open to the possibility that my youngest might have autism, and my friend kept nudging me.

My seven (now eight) year old's behavior was getting exponentially worse. It's been heartbreaking and downright scary. When he gets upset, he goes into a rage where the is absolutely no reasoning with him. If he gets more upset, he starts hitting (either himself or us), runs away, hides, screams that he hates us and wishes he'd never been born or that we don't love him.

Me and my youngest

When he's calm, he's one of the snuggliest boys you'll ever meet—clingy even, so, saying that we didn't love him or saying that he wanted to kill himself was very unexpected and distressing. The first time he said it, I knew it was over. we'd done all we could on our own and we needed professional help.

It seemed like anything could set him off, but we finally figured out that it seems to be any sort of change in expectation. It doesn't seem to matter if it's something as small as his sister dishing up her dinner before him or something big like a rainy day ruining outdoor plans, the extreme reaction is the same. There have been other symptoms as well, but, next to the worse we've seen, they've been very low priority.

After months of therapy and long hours of testing, we finally got a diagnosis. Our youngest has a pervasive developmental disorder/autism, an anxiety disorder, ADHD combined, and a communication disorder. It makes sense. The theory is that since he's unable to communicate well when he's upset and not being able to express it appropriately, and feeling like no one understands him, can set him into a rage. This really makes sense because the times I am able to calm him down is usually when I talk to him about how he's feeling, letting him know I understand that he's upset, why he's upset, and how we can fix the problem. It's not really as simple as that (it usually involves a lot of repetition, snuggles, and some quiet alone time) but having this diagnosis helps.

I wrote all of this more than a month ago but was too emotional to go back and read it or add pictures, so it's just now being posted. There is so much more to our story, but this is what I can share for now.

The other day, my oldest asked me more about autism. We talked about how his brain works differently than most of his friends. He's noticed that many things like math and science come more easily to him but that he has trouble with other things that they don't. Autism just means he is more talented in some areas and will need to work harder in other things.

We just got approved to start ABA Therapy. (Yes, I had to look up what it is too.) We're super excited to see what we can accomplish with some help!

I know there are so many other parents out there going through the similar things. Please know that you're not bad parents. We all have challenges, struggles, strengths, and weaknesses. None of us are meant to handle all this alone. Even parents of "normal" children need help and guidance. If you've been blessed with a special needs child (yes, I do mean blessed!), remember that God knows what he's doing. While it's difficult, the love and joy make it all worthwhile. I wouldn't trade my kids for anything.

If you believe your child may have special needs, please look into getting some help! Here are a few resources that you can look into. If you know of anything else that may help, please comment below.

Autism Speaks has a great resource guide, tool kits, and even a lets you do a simple online screening test.

Headstart was a lifesaver for us! We didn't know about it until our other two were already in school, but it helped our youngest a LOT.

F.E.A.T. (Northern California, but also has great general resources in their Document Library, etc.)

Utah County's Stride Program, through Wasatch Mental Health, was an amazing program for our kids! Combining school and parental participation, it's a thirteen week program that helps kids with behavioral and social issues. If you live in Utah and qualify for the program, this is a MUST.

Emma's Worry Clouds by Annabella Hagen, LCSW, RPT-S, should be in every family's library. It teaches kids and parents about anxiety and coping techniques in a cute, imaginative, and fun way. Anxiety has been a huge struggle for me and my family (both for those of us with autism and those without), so when I heard about this book, I knew it was going to be a must read!

Transforming the Difficult Child by Howard Glasser puts a refreshing spin on both parenting and teaching and reveals new techniques and strategies that create thoroughly positive behaviors. I can't tell you how many times the instructors at STRIDE told us to read this book! They said that most of their curriculum was based on this book's approach to parenting and teaching.

The Entitlement Trap by Richard and Linda Eyre is another that came to me highly recommended by the STRIDE program. It teaches how to raise responsible children in an age of instant gratification.

Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism Kindle Edition

by Temple Grandin When people mention books about autism, they Temple Grandin's name usually comes up, and for good reason! :)

In this unprecedented book, Grandin delivers a report from the country of autism. Writing from the dual perspectives of a scientist and an autistic person, she tells us how that country is experienced by its inhabitants and how she managed to breach its boundaries to function in the outside world. What emerges in Thinking in Pictures is the document of an extraordinary human being, one who, in gracefully and lucidly bridging the gulf between her condition and our own, sheds light on the riddle of our common identity.

The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum Kindle Edition

by Temple Grandin

Look me in the Eye by John Elder Robison, a "darkly funny memoir" of a man's experiences living with autism.

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#autismawareness