How We Wore It // Darker Fall Tones

I am so excited to be involved in yet another How We Wore It with my friend Brooke (go say hi and you can sign up for next month's How We Wore It!). 

I am so grateful for all of the support that I have received from all of you regarding my Health Plan. I am down eight pounds (Three more! Yay! But it's not just about weight for me). With that being said, I am still not comfortable in front of a camera, but I am working on it! I spent all last week in bed with a horrible fever. So that was fun. Not.
I am so happy that this month's HWWI is plaid. Because, well, I'm basic. And basic girls wear plaid, especially in the fall. Yes, I have three plaid shirts…and counting. HUZZAH. 

See my other awesome (ha!) How We Wore It and Fashion Posts below:

Fall Transition (HWWI) Keepin' It Casual (HWWI)

Pleated Skirt  (HWWI)

Vest It Up (HWWI)

Top 10 Reasons Why I Should Be a Fashion Blogger! 

Flowers & Dresses! 

Puppies & Dresses

White Plum

Here's the third grade version of how this thing works: We take a picture from a fashion blog and make our own twist to it. 

Here is the original photo: 

via StyleLovely

Go see how these beautiful ladies styled it! 

Brooke at Silver Lining

Alexa at He and I

Aubrey at Aubrey Zaruba

Hannah at Hannah Rae

Sharlee at My New Lines

Berkley at Berkley Anne

Amy at Harris Inc.

Brooklyn at Brooklyn Jolley

Amy at Lamb & Ivy

Autumn at Stay Gold Autumn

Brielle at Breezy and Co

Riley at Riley Jo Blog

Maren at Maren and Co

Tori at The Doing Things Blog

Kyla at FordOlogy

Megan at Diary of This Girl

Robin at Penn & Quill

Justine at Little Dove Creations

Bekah at These Are The Days

Lex at What Life Brings

Shelbie at R+S Brereton

Jennifer at Jennifer Sikora

Sarah at My For Real Life

Deidre at Deidre Emme

Rachel at Rachel Sayumi

New Life Lessons Learned.

I have recently come to the conclusion that everyone needs to have a day where they exclude themselves from the world and just think. Think of what they truly want, how they are living, what they want to do eventually. I had one of those days today. Actually, I spent the entire day just crying on a park bench. But realizing things about yourself isnt the easiest thing to do. Here are some things I have learned throughout the past few weeks and hours: (note: "You" means "us")

Me. First day of kindergarten. I am the same. 

1. I have learned that the Lord is going to kick you while you are the ground. Not because he is a heartless fool, but because he wants us to learn to get up on our own. Our mom isn't going to help us feel better about ourselves. Your husband isn't going to make you have more worth. We have to wipe the dirt off our hands and learn how to stand up. I have fallen on the ground many times in my life. And I will continue to fall. But somehow finding a way to put a smile on your face is all you can do. I'm grateful the Lord doesn't give me everything I ask for.

2. Kate Winslet in The Holiday sums up my life pretty well in this quote: "I understand feeling as small and as insignificant as humanly possible. And how it can actually ache in places you didn't know you had inside you. And it doesn't matter how many new haircuts you get, or gyms you join, or how many glasses of chardonnay you drink with your girlfriends... you still go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong or how you could have misunderstood. And how in the hell for that brief moment you could think that you were that happy.And after all that, however long all that may be, you'll go somewhere new. And you'll meet people who make you feel worthwhile again. And little pieces of your soul will finally come back. And all that fuzzy stuff, those years of your life that you wasted, that will eventually begin to fade." --P.S. Kate Winslet is incredible.
Heartache will come to all of us. Heartache will come in forms of loneliness, divorce, break ups, not feeling close to the Savior, Depression, etc. Heartache is inevitable. It's how you continue on with life even when your heart is aching. 

3. Expectations that you have of others does not mean that they will be met. Just because you believe that you should be treated a certain way does not mean that you WILL be treated that way. 

4. I've learned to be Kind. You never know how is fighting a harder battle than you. That just one person complimentingme makes my day.That being kind is more important than being right. Everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile. But conversely, when someone doesn't-don't take it personally. Some people aren't as bubbly. And if they seem like they have a hard shell, I KNOW there is someone who is aching and just wants to be loved beneath that facade.

5. I've realized that teaching kids can bring you so much joy. I had been sick and been in my bed for days and I have missed my sixth graders. I know that they have no guile and keep me honest. 

6. I've learned that I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way. I worry about my family and friends constantly. I tend to be a worryer. But praying softens my heart, and hopefully theirs too.

7. I've learned that no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with. That you need to act immature and laugh. Laughter heals.

8. A hug can change your day. Or just someone asking whats wrong. I tend to feel lonely at times and when someone sends me a text or asks how I am doing--it truly helps. And although, I dont always respond with truth, It feels good to know that people care. Sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

9. It's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular. When the sun shines, it seems to make everyone else smile. Waking up to the birds singing, or the look of Fall leaves-it brings peace.

10. I've learned that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. Happy people are more beautiful. They don't need makeup or high fashion clothes to make themselves feel better. They need a smile and a positive attitude.

11. Lastly, I've learned that: life is tough, but I'm tougher. Happiness has it's own of taking it's sweet time. And when you feel completely down, family will ALWAYS be there. Strength is not physical, it's mental. Some of the strongest people I know, were dying of cancer at the time.

Lenny.

We decided that Landon and Jenny's couple celebrity name is Lenny. You can thank my brother in law for that one. It's too hilarious.
My brother got married over Fall Break. It was a fun, exhausting and beautiful day. I am so happy for my brother and his new bride! I get my first (and only) Ainge sister in law! We are excited to welcome Jen to the family.
We had a rehearsal dinner at Jen's uncle's barn (where a serious game of whiffleball happened, of course.) They were married in Bountiful and the reception was up at Snow Basin in Ogden Canyon. It was a perfect Fall day and the entire day was gorgeous. My nieces LOVED dancing and twirling in their sparkly gold dresses and everyone looked so good! (These are just photos taken from my camera, not the photographers.) You can see more photos from this day on my instagram.


Rehearsal Dinner

The Wedding.

me and my sisters. 

All of my nieces and nephews (minus Baby Harrison). All of the Ainge cousins. 

me and my grandpa (I look like him! Ha!) 

nerds. 

The whole Ainge side! My family. 

Bride and Groom with the Ainge Sisters (yes, Landon has 4 sisters! Ha!) 

Five Reasons Why Cats ARE Awesome.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

#MyCatMyMuse #CollectiveBias

Cats have a bad reputation. I know, I know. Cats can be neurotic and kind of, well, not nice. Haha. But I am here to set the record straight with kitties. They aren't as bad as you think, people. I mean, I love dogs, too. Hello, we all know that I am obsessed with Saylor, the pup (let's be honest, I am just an all around animal lover.) I love hanging out with Boo and Luna and Boo's other little kittens at my in law's house. They are so dang cute! Here are the reasons why cats are alright in my book:

They will (sometimes) cuddle with you. 
I had cats growing up who would let me walk with them. They would walk me to the bus stop every day and they would cuddle with me. If you get the right cat, they are awesome, adorable, cuddly and fun.

You can plot with the cat when you're planning to kill someone. 
Sometimes you look at a cat and they look like they just want to kill you, someone, or just something. They give you that death stare and it's ridiculous. But, if you want to kill someone, you can always ask them ;) #ChronicMadFace

They kill mice! 
We all hate mice, lets be honest. They are disgusting, rotten creatures and we all want them dead. Here is where the cat comes in to save the day.

They are easy to take care of. 
You don't have to put them on a leash and take them outside to use the restroom, you don't have to take them the groomer, or take them for walks. You can leave food out for two weeks and leave.

They don't try to mooch off you like your dog does & you can feed them yummy cat food.
Saylor will literally sit there and stare at me as I eat. It is so annoying. Anytime that I walk into the kitchen, she will run in and sit at my feet. Cats won't always do that. They like their own food.

My favorite food to give Boo and Luna, the kitties that I share with my in laws is the

Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food

I like to give Boo and all of her kittens this particular cat food because with Muse you don’t have to choose between natural nutrition and food that tastes great. Your cat can have both when you choose Muse.  Muse cat food is only available at PetSmart and I love to buy it there because when I get Saylor's dog food, I just double whammy it! This product is natural and the kitties love it so much; it is a quality food product for my cats. 

Muse cat food has delicious wet recipes available in Chowder, Broth, and Paté. They are made with real fish or poultry, no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives are included, and it is a 100% complete and balanced meal for adult cats. With Muse, there are 30 different recipes and 24 grain-free varieties that you can choose from.

mmmm yummy cat food ;) 

It looked so yummy that Boo had to come in and try it! (Flash hurts her eyes! ha). 

Natural has never been so delicious. Put Muse to the test with our clean plate guarantee. Boo and Luna definitely did when I gave them this delicious wet cat food. 

I found this product in the "cat chow" aisle at my local PetSmart. 

Use this coupon to get your own Muse cat food today!

What are some other reasons why you love your kitty? 

Book Review: Happier at Home

I am linking up with my lover bucket, Bonnie, to share this book with you all today! I love to read, but sometimes I am bombarded with grading, my health plan, and well, just, life. I am grateful that this online book club encourages me to keep reading, like I do with all my of students.

The novel that I recently read was Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin. I am happy that this book was the chosen one for this month because I just finished The Happiness Project this past summer.
(Also, remember when Gretchen Rubin tweeted at me the other week on twitter. No big deal. I'm basically famous now.) 

Overall, I liked it. No, I did not love it. (My same opinion goes for Happiness Project) I like the idea of it. I think that it had some wonderful quotes, ideas, and it is still inspiring for you to change something on your own personal level so that you can become "Happier at Home." I gave it 3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads. This novel is about a woman's personal journey and monthly goals to make herself feeling more comfortable, happy, and at peace at home.

Here are some of my thoughts:

*The Quotes
I loved a lot of quotes in this book. I love quotes and am sort of a quote fiend. I make collections in books, on my phone, and anywhere that I can possibly imagine. I thought that the author did a great job of involving some interesting, thought provoking quotes.
For example:
-"Feeling right is more elusive. Feeling right is about virtue (doing my duty, living up to my own standards) and also about living the life that's right fro me. Sometimes choosing to "feel right" means accepting some "feeling bad." Happiness doesn't always make me feel "happy." my feeling "right" is reflected in the ways to make my home reflect my values. My ordinary routine should reflect the things most important to me."
-"We are happy when we are growing. Striving after goals is what makes you happy."
-"Personal Control is a very important element to happiness.

*The Ideas
-The strange thing about this book was it didn't work for me as either a self-help book or a memoir, but yet I am supremely glad I read it for the helpful reminders and tidbits of wisdom sprinkled throughout. I am grateful for the day-to-day On one hand some of Rubin's discoveries about herself, people and the code that she lives resonated with me. For example, her reminder that we are happiest when we are growing meant a lot to me. Also, I could have blessed her for her understanding that opposites can be true at different times. For example, at some times we need to be more organized, but at other times we need to back off. I appreciated her embracing the fact that things aren't always black and white and easy like so many self-help books want their readers to accept. I don't agree with all of her ideas and goals (some of them seems kind of trivial to me), but I agree wholeheartedly with her reminder that we can only change ourselves and not to try to change others. This is how most of the book went for me, hmmm I don't agree with that, but hey! that is a great idea. So, back and forth it went, but at the end I have to say I am glad I read it.


Have you read this book?
What did you think about it? I would love your thoughts.

Other Book Reviews: Happiness Project// Wild // Elizabeth Smart: My Story // 

What I, Sierra, Need To Work On // Temple Challenge (Oquirrh Mtn.)

This past weekend was LDS General Conference. Essentially, what this is, is we sit around (huzzah!) and listen to our prophets and apostles and receive guidance on how we can become closer to God. It was something that I really needed right now. This health plan is kicking my butt, I won't lie. All I want right now is a Dr. Pepper. I received the emotional support to keep going by listening to these wonderful men and women talk about, essentially, just being good people. Because, realistically, isn't that what we are all trying to be? Better people. No matter what your religion is, or if you don't have one, I think its important to try to make goals in all facets of life. I am not perfect. I do everything I can do balance my life so that I am as stable and happy in all aspects: mentally, physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. We all know that I am working on my emotion and physical health a TON, but sometimes, I forget to notice my spiritual health guides a lot of those other aspects. When I am spiritually happy, I find that so many other parts of my life are happy as well. Whether you are religious or not, I would encourage you to find something to help de-stress and calm you spiritually: whether that be meditation, long walks in nature, prayer or going to church, whatever works for you to calm your spirit. We need to take care of our spirits!

While listening to conference this past weekend, I realized that there are some things that I need to work on, specifically spiritually. So I wanted to share with you some of those things with you.

1. Daily Scripture Study.
I love to read, but sometimes my scripture reading falls by the wayside (see what I did there?). I will fall asleep reading a novel, but I need to remember to read my scriptures every day. I need that daily guidance.

2. Love for others.
I love people. I really do. But I tend to be kind of critical of other people, whether in my ward or other members of my religion. I need to remember to love those around me, especially in the Mormon culture, because I know that EVERYONE needs love.


3. Temple Attendance
I was on a roll of temple attendance awhile ago, but I need to remember to go at least once a month and continue my temple challenge (see below).

4. Trusting in God.
This was a huge theme in conference this past weekend. I tend to rely on my own strength and stubbornness to get through, which is great, but I also need to remember the Lord's timing and that He knows what He is doing. I need to work on Trusting Him, even when things are difficult or confusing or when I have doubts.

This temple challenge post is long overdue. It has been sitting in my drafts for awhile and I have been so bombarded with teaching, my health plan, and well, real life, that I haven't gotten around to it. This past weekend was the LDS General Conference. Essentially, what this is, is the 

Here's how my Temple Challenge works: I am trying to visit (and do a session, if possible,) in as many LDS temples as I can throughout my lifetime. Ideally, I would like to visit every temple in Utah before the end of Summer 2016, which is possible, but definitely a challenge (especially now that the school year has started--because there will be 17 temples by the end of the year 2016). 

         

I got to experience this temple with my sister in law, Kimmy, and good friend, Marie. I absolutely fell in love with this temple. The Oquirrh Mountain Temple  is a newer temple, built in 2005. It is a smaller temple that sits on top of a hill that you can see from miles and miles away. It is small, but absolutely beautiful. 

Other Temples I've Visited:  Payson // Manti // Jordan River // St. George 

What are some things that you learned from General Conference?
What do you feel like you need to work on spiritually? 

Why It's Okay to Disagree With Your Husband.

Sometimes disagreeing withy our husband is okay. 

WHAT? SIERRA, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?

Let me explain. 

T and I do not have a perfect marriage. At all!

We do a lot of healthy, right things as a couple, and we do some not-so-perfect things when it comes to marriage. 

T and I disagree on a lot of aspects in life. Does this mean that we disagree and fight and bicker all of the time? Absolutely not. But it does mean that we have our own interests, beliefs and ideas about things. I think it is important in a relationship to have separate lives. I see, so often, so many couples, who do EVERYTHING together. And while I don't think that's a bad thing, that's simply not how T Money and I work. We disagree on a lot of things. For example, 

He loves to go hunting. I, however, do not. 

He loves to rock climb. I cannot stand heights and am not interested in that. 

I love long walks. He doesn't understand the point of them. 

I like to read in bed. He likes to watch football on the couch. 

He likes spicy food. I hate it. 

I want to write novels. He wants to start businesses. 

I want to see broadway plays weekly. He wants to see them yearly. :)  

You get the point. 

We have our own opinions which helps us be able to be confident in who we are, as individuals, which, ultimately, helps us in our relationship. Disagreeing on things and having different hobbies allows us to broaden our horizons and connect in other ways. Of course, we have SO many things that we have in common, which is important. but we don't have to have everything in common. And we can disagree. And I think that is just fine. :) 

But, one thing that I think we both agree on is how much he loves his glasses. (And look how cute he looks!). I am grateful for my husband's support, despite our differences of personality, ideas, and upbringing. And, what a hunk. 

He got these glasses from GlassesShop.com. T Money's glasses are prescription glasses , but there are both optical glasses and sunglasses available. 

Grab some of your own cheap glasses today!

Also, you can get your First Pair Free! 

Sierra's View readers will receive 50% off on eyeglasses and sunglasses with free lenses (sale frames excluded). Use the code: GSHOT50. 

Don't you agree? T Money looks so good in glasses :) 

What do you and your significant other healthily disagree on?

Do you love wearing glasses?