love your boobs, love yourself

Most of you know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to most women it's a month to bring more awareness to breast cancer, to remind women to get their mammograms regularly, to celebrate those who've survived, and remember those who've lost their lives to breast cancer. But this month isn't just about that. It's about reminding women to embrace ourselves and recognize what makes us beautiful, unique, and what defines us as women. My friend Courtney from the eclectic lifestyle blog Fry Sauce & Grits started a movement called LOVE YOUR BOOBS, LOVE YOURSELF. Courtney is a bra fitter, bra educator, blogger, and is passionate about women issues. She created a video where she interviewed a group of women and asked them questions about their relationship with their breasts, how they've experienced breast shame, how they feel the media depicts breasts, and how we as women can come to love and accept and love our breasts. "I find that most women have a hate relationship with their breasts and that makes me really sad. They're either small, large, lopsided, saggy, or too wide, and it made me realize that we need to stop this breast and body shaming because our bodies are beautiful and powerful," Courtney said. "I hope to inspire women with this Love Your Boobs, Love Yourself video that to completely love ourselves as women, we need to love and accept our boobs. There's a direct relationship between our self image of and the relationship we have with our breasts. Breasts don't define us but they are definitely a part of us. I want to bring awareness that this dysfunctional relationship we as women have with our breasts and with our bodies are directly stemmed from what the media portrays to be what is perfect and the ideal of beauty. I want to push the message that we aren't defined by our breast size and how we as women are defined by something greater."

Me along with a group of other blogging women from different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, ages, shapes and yes breast sizes have decided to come together and to love ourselves and our breasts! You can join in this movement too by sharing a picture of yourself and type what you love about your breasts and what defines you as a woman! You don't need a blog either! Just tag your photo with #LoveYourBoobsLoveYourself on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and search the hashtag to see who else has joined in. I have a group of blogging women from different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, ages, shapes and yes breast sizes have decided to come together and to love ourselves and our breasts! You can join in this movement too by sharing a picture of yourself and type what you love about your breasts and what defines you as a woman! So go ahead and watch the video, it will truly inspire you to stop breast shaming and start loving your breasts and yourself more!

I think about breast cancer and breast cancer awareness every October. I have missed the past couple of years, but I have run the Race for the Cure many times. I support efforts to raise money for research and raise awareness. I haven't necessarily thought about defining myself or others by the size of breasts. Although I think there are a lot of issues in society, it isn't something that I have given a lot of thought to. It makes perfect sense that this has been a struggle for many women.

I posted this picture a few times, but this time it's not about my outfit (although I love my outfit). It's about embracing who I am and what I have (or don't have). It's about celebrating my small chest and being perfectly content with a padded bra. It's about the beauty within us all.

 Below are other brave and beautiful women who are sharing their stories of breast shame, breast love, what they've learned from their breasts, what they mean to them, and how we as women we can learn to love our breasts and ourselves more! So don't stop here. Get clicking around, its a blog hop! I hope as you click around (and YES pin these different posts!) you will feel the importance of women loving themselves, the empowering effect sharing each of our voices will inspire others in some way.
1. Fry Sauce & Grits 2.Allred Design 3. Ashlee Marie 4. Lucky Blogs 5. A Ruffled Life 6. Feel Great in 8 7. Tara Made It 8.Dreaming About Someday 9. MOMentity 10. Dana Ohlsen Photography 11. Life in My Heels 12. Diary of a Brown Eyed Girl 13. Utah Mom Connection 14. Lionesses at the Gate 15. Laura's Crafty Life

Are you ready to share your story? Make sure to tag your picture with the hashtag #LoveYourBoobsLoveYourself and @courtney_frysauceandgrits to participate in this powerful movement to inspire women to completely love themselves!  

glitter print

one of the items in the swag bag at slumber soiree was a print from hello maypole. it was the perfect print for a slumber party.
the print can definitely stand alone, but i decided to add a little glitz.

i bought wooden frames at michael's.

1. spray with glitter spray paint (1-3 coats depending on desired coverage)

2. let dry completely

3. put print in frame

 4. embellish with washi tape, glitter punch outs, monogram letter

this was a simple, affordable craft and  made the perfect birthday gift.

random rambling...balance

a lot of people pick a word for the year; a word they want to focus on for the year or a theme for the year. this year i picked BALANCE.

towards the end of last year i felt a little like my life was getting out of control. everything was taking up too much time, and i struggled to find time for the important things. BALANCE seemed like the perfect word to help me get back on track with things. some other day i will talk about goals, but this seemed like a goal i could achieve throughout the year. even though my life felt out of BALANCE at the start of the year, i was pretty convinced i could fix that throughout the year. bad news...that hasn't happened. my life feels more unBALANCEd now than it did in january. things take longer than i think they should, and my to do list is always a mile long. my bedtime is absolutely ridiculous, and i'm not making the time for the most important things. i stopped updating my monthly goals because my goal has been survival. i really like to be busy. whenever i have free time, i feel it up fast. it's time to take inventory of the things that are keeping me busy. are they worthwhile? are they helping me progress in life/helping me become a better person? the year is coming to an end, but it's not over yet. i still have  a little time to try to get control over my life. obviously i need some help... who has some ideas for me? what do you do to maintain BALANCE in your life? is it even possible?

foodie friday...october dinner group

last year we had dinner group the week of halloween. we all made the cutest, best halloweeny food. october dinner group this year was earlier in the month. we didn't make specific plans for a halloween dinner this year so i decided to do pink for breast cancer awareness instead. the food didn't necessarily match that theme, but it was really easy to set the table with that theme. i had leftover paper products including straws from september slumber soiree. i love all holiday things, but it was nice to take the focus off the holiday for the night.

goodbye summer...hello fall

this is a throwback post from a few years ago. i've been waiting for fall to actually arrive, but i don't know if it's really going to. the leaves are changing and falling (especially all over my yard) so even though it's still nearly 80 degrees in the afternoon, this is utah fall.



Good-bye flip-flops...goodbye dirty feet...hello boots.
Good-bye BBQ dinners...hello baked pies and turkeys roasting in the oven.
Good-bye lawn mowing...hello raking leaves.
Good-bye bathing suits...hello cozy sweaters and that favorite pair of jeans...
Good-bye roasted marshmallows...hello candy apples...
Good-bye camping and summer festivals...hello scrapbooking, reading good books, and Christmas shopping!
Good-bye barefeet...hello warm socks and slippers.
Good-bye cool showers...hello bubble baths.
Good-bye air conditioners...hello crackling fireplaces.
Good-bye heat...hello crisp, fresh air.
Good-bye fresh-picked strawberries...hello crunchy, juicy apples.
Good-bye bug bites...hello dry skin.
Good-bye sunscreen...hello moisturizer.
Good-bye long days outside...hello early bedtimes!
Good-bye watering flowers...hello fall decorating.
Good-bye otter pops...hello pumpkin shakes and peppermint ice cream
Good-bye picnics...hello slow-cooking.
Good-bye lazy days of summer...hello cozy nights.
Good-bye pool days and biking and tennis and...

I love summer and always get depressed when fall starts coming because I know it inevitably means winter and snow. This post got me a little excited for fall, and I am ready for a seasonal wardrobe change. Bring on the long sleeve tees and jeans. Hello Fall...

what are your favorite things about fall?

wear it wednesday...cardigans

i love cardigans!  i wear them all year long, but i especially love them in fall. a different cardigan totally changes the look of the outfit.

all photos by redhead memories

26.2...st george edition take 2

the last time i ran the st george marathon i was in my running prime. there were a few rough spots as usual, but overall it was a good race. i ran one of my best races, and the st george marathon became a good memory for me.

even though i already did 2 other marathons this year, i am not really in the best running condition right now, but for some reason (maybe the nostalgia of my other st george marathon) i thought i would have a repeat great race day.

i met some of the other generation gap runners to ride the bus up to the top. the bus ride always makes you realize just how far 26.2 miles really is. it was a little cool at the top which usually means great running weather.

the race started about 30 minutes late. it makes me really mad. i can't understand why a race that is happening for the 38th time can't be organized enough to start on time. other than that the organization is actually really good. the aid station were perfect, and there were plenty of them. i got off to a great start. i ran with some of the generation gap ladies for about 5 miles before we spread out a little. there's a killer hill around mile 8. a lot of people (including me) walk/hike the hill. ever since i had hip surgery, climbing is really hard on my hip. i did the best i could, but that hill was a struggle. the next 4-5 miles are pretty hilly too. by the time i got to mile 15 my left hip (not the one i had surgery on) starting bothering me. i took it easy for a few miles hoping things would get better. by mile 18 i couldn't run one single step without pain. i started to panic. i didn't want to quit, but i also knew i couldn't run anymore. i walked every single step from mile 18 to the end. it was brutal. i wanted to run, but i knew it wasn't smart. i didn't want to hurt myself even more. miles 18-23 are the best part of the course, and i was really sad about not being able to run. luckily my running friend andrea came up behind me.  we were together on and off the rest of the race. it was so helpful to have a distraction. by that point i was determined to finish no matter what, and i did it! my time was terrible-my very worst ever, but i did it. even though it was hard, i finished.

some people might think that by marathon number 10, this would be easy #false

people probably think i'm good at it #false people think i do this because i love it #false i do this because i love the sense of accomplishment of pushing your body to do something really hard #truth i do it because it keeps me in shape #truth i do it because of the friends #truth i do it because there is nothing like crossing that finish line #truth
this marathon pushed me all the way to the limit. marathons are hard, and this was no exception. i learned once again that i can do hard things.

fall fashion...seasonal transitions

 the leaves started changing and the temperatures are a little cooler, but it has still been fairly warm here until yesterday. fall all of a sudden hit yesterday. i'm pretty sure i'm in the minority, but fall isn't my favorite season. fall in Utah is really short, and it just means winter is coming. i really hate winter so i tend to waste fall dreading winter. even though fall isn't my fave, i do love pulling out scarves and cardigans. today i'm kicking off the we do: fall fashion series, 

depending on where you live dressing for fall can be a little tricky. fall weather in utah is definitely  a little tricky. saturday it was nearly 80 degrees, and yesterday i think the high was around 50 degrees. the best way to handle the crazy variations is layers.

                                                                  photo credit bonnie

 start with a scarf

 or a lightweight, 3/4 sleeve cardigan

 keep the scarf. switch to a warmer cardigan

 it's crazy how opened toe vs closed toe shoes makes such a difference in hot how or cold i feel

 don't forget to accessorize

 when your feet start getting cold throughout the day, keep your outfit the same and switch to closed toe shoes

by this point, fall in utah is over and it's time to start thinking about winter. i don't wear many big, bulky sweaters. most of my clothes easily transition through the seasons.

when the weather gets really cold and/or snowy, i start wearing boots. 

 eventually i have to start wearing a coat. i put it off as long as possible.

fall is exciting. i'm trying to enjoy it while it lasts and forget about the inevitable winter. we're celebrating fall with a giveaway. enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

meet this mormon

i usually reserve the first sunday of the month for churchy things around here. today is obviously not the first or any other sunday so why am i posting churchy things? today, on the release date of the film meet the mormons,  i am joining 65+ other bloggers to share a little bit about our churchy experiences and how being a mormon has changed our lives.

We belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints otherwise known as "The Mormons". We are proud of this part of who we are! We are excited to team up with over 65+ of us strong... to extend an invitation to see a film. A film entitled "Meet The Mormons". This film is not meant to be an "in your face" - you must join our church film. It is simply designed and produced to uplift and inspire you through six stories of those of our faith who have followed promptings to follow Christ more fully in their lives. We hope you take the opportunity to enjoy this film. We hope your hearts are made light as you feel the goodness that comes from following our Christ and Savior. All proceeds from the film will be donated to The American Red Cross. So not only will you be uplifted and inspired, your money will be going to an amazing charity!!

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2Y8Jalsf54[/embed] We also would like to take a moment and share our personal testimonies, stories of our own personal conversions, and our own stories of how following our Savior, Jesus Christ has changed our lives. The light of the gospel of Jesus Christ offers a joy and hope that only following him can provide. We hope as you click through and read our stories and testimonies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, you will feel uplifted and encouraged. We are by you! We love connecting with our readers, that is why many of us do what we do! Please be kind and considerate in your comments. It takes great bravery for us to open our hearts and our mouths to share with you such a tender and personal part of who we are. We share because we feel strongly the need to share the peace and the hope that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Adrienne | Free Time Frolics , Camille | Chicken Scratch n' Sniff , Natalie & Rebekah | House of Sprinkles , Kathleen| Fearlessly Creative Moms

Emily | The Benson Street , Staci | The Potter's Place, Alyssa | Alyssa.Marie , Kristen | Capturing Joy , Aly | Entirely Eventful Day

Katie | Clarks Condensed, Larissa | Just Another Day In Paradise , Camille | My Mommy Style , Candice | She's Crafty

Anita | Live Like You Are Rich, Landee | Landee Lu , Tara & Devin | Salt & Pepper Moms , Mallory & Savannah | Classy Clutter Kelli & Kristi| Lolly Jane

McKenzie | Girl Loves Glam , Pam & Lisa | Over The Big Moon , Melanie | Forty Eighteen , Sky | Capital B Adell | Baked in Arizona

Andie | Maybe I Will , Shatzi | Love and Laundry , Robyn | Create it Go , Rachel | R & R Workshop

Tiffany | Feel Great In 8 , Katelyn | What Up Fagens? , Brittany | BrittanyBullen , Ginger | Ginger Snap Crafts , Stephanie | Crafting In The Rain

Chelsey | Cee Me Be , Amber | Crazy Little Projects , Kallie | Smitten By, Elyse, Kristen, Lauren, Steph, Kendra & Camille | Six Sisters Stuff Annette | Tips From A Typical Mom

Amberly | Life With Amberly & Joe , Taralyn | Keep Moving Forward With Me , Jessica | What Does The Cox Say? , Lisa | Mabey She Made It , Kiki | Kiki & Company

Kierste | Simply Kierste , Tayler | The Morrell Tale, Jennifer | My Daylights , Cambria | Live To Be Inspired, Danielle | Today's The Best Day

Amber | Dessert Now Dinner Later, Natalie | The Creative Mom, Bobbie | A Vision To Remember , Becky | Babes In Hairland

Lisa | Pebbles & Pigtails , Mandy | Sugar Bee Crafts , Krista | Reclaim, Renew, Remodel , Wendy | Musings, Miracles, and Mayhem

Nat & Holly | My Sister's Suitcase, Britni| Play.Party.Pin , Montserrat | Cranial Hiccups , Heidi | A Lively Hope , Ashley & Meegan | Flats to Flip Flops

Alexis | We Like to Learn As We Go, Amy | The English Geek , Mariel | Or So She Says Carrian | Oh Sweet Basil

Kirtley | The Gist of Fit | Aubrey | Dreaming of Someday, Natalie| The Messanos, Angela | Handmade In The Heartland

being a mormon isn't just part of who i am. it is who i am. i have been a member of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints my whole life. my parents took me to church when i was younger and expected me to continue to attend as i got older. there came a time when i had to decide for myself if this is what i wanted. the answer was and continues to be an absolute yes. 

my life, like most everyone else's, is not turning out at all how i thought it would. choosing to follow Jesus Christ gives me the knowledge and beliefs to help me to know there is a God who has a plan for every single one of us. that plan is a plan of happiness. we are all here on this earth to live and learn and grow and be happy. being a mormon makes me happy. 

so back to why i am posting these churchy things today. on this opening day of meet the mormons, i want to invite you to see the movie, but i also want you to meet me. i am aubrey. i'm a child development specialist who is constantly dreaming about someday being a stay at home something. i am a runner, crafter, daughter, sister, friend, and i am a mormon.

 if you ever have any questions or want more information, please let me know. 

if you have a mormon.org profile, please link up below.

An InLinkz Link-up

ombre cake plus giveaways galore

i really like making and decorating cakes, but i don't have the chance to do it very often. my friend michelle's husband asked me to make a cake for her birthday i was happy to do it. 

i have made a lot of cakes for kids and gender reveals but not a lot for adults. i had to do something different this time.

 the cake slid off the cake plate while driving to the party. i tried to save it, but it was still a little bit of a mess.

the cake was really fun to make but much less fun to transport. 

somehow i unintentionally have several giveaways going on right now.

1. $150 giveaway to your choice

Brought to you by...

Katy// Gretchen// Aubrey

 Anne// Becca// Elisabeth

Heather// Lindsay// Sierra

Enter below! a Rafflecopter giveaway
2. burlap banner a Rafflecopter giveaway 3. skinagain cream