We LOVE the Dating Divas

I just had to share with all you lovely ladies, this new website I happened upon. Its called the Dating Divas. These site has a treasure trove of ideas for married couples and dating love birds alike. Check them out, and leave them a message saying we sent you there !

Family New Years Resolution

Don't believe in New Years resolutions? Neither does my husband. He has the very logical thinking that if you want to make a real and permanent change, you start immediately and don't wait for a specific date, time or situation. I can see what he is saying and it does make sense. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your views, he has a wife that is very pro New Years Resolution.... So, in light of the fact that he is a great husband, we are doing New Years Resolutions this year,  Together. Here's our list so far:

1) No take out for the year.

Yes, no McDonald's, cafe rio, Burger King , Wendy's. None, nada, zilch...

For the whole of 2014.

This will decrease our waist lines and increase our bank balance. It will also mean that our meal times will be given more time, which will mean more time together as a family.

To keep this resolution realistic we will have 6 eat out credits for the year. These credits can be used for one takeout meal for the family. We can us them whenever we want (think birthdays, celebrations etc) but once they are used up, no more meals from takeout places are allowed.... I am really hoping we have at least one credit left come February!

2. Spend Less Money On "Things" and more on Activities.

What do we mean by this? Instead of buying the newest CD as a treat for the kids, we will put any money we can spare towards a family trip. It could be something as simple as a trip to the local bowling Alley or the movies. We are hoping some of the money we save with the no Eating out will help fund some extra fun vacations etc.

3) Live in the moment and focus on what's important.

Easier said than done, right! But we can try. We are going  to try to take notice of the people we love rather than society as a whole. People's opinions of us will be considered but not taken to be truth if they do not mesh with what we know to be our own reality.

4) Read the Book of Mormon followed by the bible in the first 3 months of this new year. 

What do you have planned for your family? Please comment below, we would love to hear from you :)

Love

Quiz: Are you a good wife?

Are you a Good wife? Following on from the last peice I published, I thought this would be a little fun for all the women out there who are now, like me, wondering if they meet the mark at being a good wife. Click on the underlined above and go to the Quiz and see how you rank. Would love to hear how you all rate. Here was my result:

The Dutiful Wife

When you said “I do,” you meant it from the heart. You go above and beyond the call of marital duty. You live to keep your man kept. From hot meals to hot sex, you cater to his every whim. Even when he’s not around, you look for ways to put a smile on his face. Your love for your husband runs deep, and you’ll go to the limits to ensure that he gets his every wish. Just make sure that it’s reciprocated. You’re in a partnership… not on a payroll. In the same way you treat him like a king, he should be giving you the royal treatment as well. Remember, if he doesn’t treat you well, there’s someone out there who will. And if he does appreciate the loving gestures, then give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done!

How to Be a Good Wife

This exert is from

The Good Wife's Guide

From Housekeeping Monthly, 13 May, 1955.

• Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.
• Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
• Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
• Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.
• During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
• Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.
• Be happy to see him.
• Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
• Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
• Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
• Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.
• Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
• Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
• Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
• A good wife always knows her place.

Now Lets Address The Above Suggestions. In No Particular Order. Because I can.

Ok, so the don't complain if he is late to dinner or stays out all night is ridiculous. Respect works both ways. If I cook, then he better have hus butt at the table when I serve it. (Within reason, if he has to work late that is another story). The letting him lie down is a little over the top also, unless of course your husband is in a physically demading trade. I know that when my husband comes home from the Army sometimes he has to lie down straight away, or at the least flop on the couch. This is fine, I just sit with him and we talk.

Now, as for the questioning his integrity and judgement. I honestly don't think that I should be doing that ever. If you are in a good marriage than you should trust your husbands judgement and know his cast integrity. NOTE that I say IF you are in a GOOD marriage. If you are with a man who is not the god fearing man you deserve, you may have to reconsider the not questioning his judgement part. Remember while as wives we look to our husbands, our husbands should inturn look to christ. If your husband isn't including christ in your marriage then you could be in trouble.

I'm sorry, I am not making a fire for him. In the garden of Eden I am sure it was Adam who was in charge of the fire lighting; besides my husband is a pyromaniac of sorts, he would prefer to light it himself I dare say.

Have an interesting story for him..... Come On! If you are a Mom this shouldn't be hard. Just think of the material you have. "darling today Susie managed to put my gardening hat in the S Bend of the Toilet, You'll need to remove that for me when you are done with your recooperating."

I don't always prep dinner, infact if it wasn't for the microwave I think that we would live off of Pappa Murphy $5 specials. Having said that I think it is important to put on at least 2 good spreads a week. Butter Bread and set the table nicely, make eating together a pleasure rather than just another part of going through the motions.

Make yourself look nice, this is something I do regularlly. I like to dress well. I like how it makes me feel and I like what it says to society about myself. For women, the way we dress ourselves can have a powerful affect over how people percieve us. This is not nessicarily right, however it is the way the world works. Having said this, there are days where my husband will get home and  I will be in my gym sweats or have failed to have change out of my PJ's (Saturdays are really good for this.)

The Cleaning up everything and de-cluttering 15 minutes before he gets home is something I think all mothers do. We can spend 6 hrs of the day procrastinating and in the last 20 minutes before your husband is due through the door  we manage to get most of the days chores done. I once admitted to doing this. My very clever husband smiled and said "You do 15 mins work and pretend that your worked all day, and I come home and pretend that I believe you!" Oh Bless his heart!

I don't like bringing up problems as soon as I see my beloved. I miss him all day and I want to enjoy the first hour with him. This gives him time to relax and unwind and I enjoy spending this down time with him.

So how does it work in your home? Is the above exert absurd, or a little closer to home? I would love to hear from other Modern Mormon Mommies about how you run things in your house. In the meantime I have a date planned, on the couch, with my husband.

Daughter Of A King

I have 3 Little Girls who I am blessed to call my daughters. They are aged 5-10 years. The baby of the three is still enjoying the innocence of early childhood. The older two however, often have to deal with the challenges that come with living a high moral standard. They live in Australia, and the culture there is VERY different to the American Culture in general, but the gap between the Australian culture and The mormon ways of life is vast. Drinking is part of the culture (thank goodness I don't have to worry about that for a few more years!), modest dressing is not practiced, in part due to the stiffling heat of the climate there, and there are very few people who observe the sabbath. I have recently found myself reverting back to a phrase, time and again, when talking to my 7 and 10 yr old about why I expect different behavior from them. You truely are a princess. You are a daughter of a king, the king of the universe. I have printed off the two pictures below for my girls and framed them, please feel free to print off a copy for a special little princess in your life.

Click HERE for your full size Free Printable

 

 

Proclamation To The World: FREE Childrens Printable Coloring Book

These printable pictures are inspired from the Proclamation Of The Family and what it stands for. Please feel free to download these prints for yourself for free, HERE.