Josie Jean Turns One!

On Saturday we celebrated little Jojo's first birthday. We had family and some neighborhood friends over for pizza, cake and balloons. I was really emotional about Jo turning one. I was convinced she was going to wake up and be 15! But, she wasn't and we had such an amazing day celebrating her and the goodness she has brought to the world. Enjoy! 

Cake and cookies made by the world's best aunt and wildest baker I know: The Alison Show. 

I got the idea for this ombre balloon wall from Little Green Notebook via Cup of Jo. 

Jo's favorite toy is a balloon so I had BTW remove the table from our kitchen and created a balloon pit. My darling two-year-nephew, Bryson, spent the whole party in the balloons. It was so cute.

Our tenants downstairs came up and made balloon animals for the kids, it was adorable. You can see Jo, above, waving the flower they made her.

 I was really stressed about making kid friendly food so I resorted to my favorite meal in the whole world: Nicolitalia's Mahgarita Pizza. It is never a bad idea.

When I put Jo's cake infront of her she moved the balloon into the candle and the balloon popped right in her face. We had to go in the back room for a few minutes because she was so shaken up about it. It was secretly my favorite part of the party, hiding in the back room nursing... After I brought her back out she was so nervous about the balloon incident she hardly ended up eating any cake.

Like a good cousin, Ginger helped her out with it.

Here is Jo with her cousins Aubrey and Maddy, they were all born within three months of one another.

And here is what it looks like when you try and take a photo of six girls under two!

We love you Josie Jean. You have brought nothing but good and joy into our lives. Happy Birthday!

Social Media Roundup

Remember when I started a new blog and promised to talk about all things social media? I would never lie to you! So here is a roundup of my favorite social media articles from the past few weeks. Most of us have a brand, blog or personal cause we want to market and these are valuable sources for helping you do so. 

Above, a hilarious illustration of the reality of social media.

A genius article with 56 suggestions for using Pinterest to help your brand. 

All of your questions about running a legit Facebook competition can be answered here: "How to Run Competitions on Facebook by the Rules" 

Something we all want, right: Five Ways to Increase Your Facebook Fan Engagement 

My last post on why you should be on Twitter that I know you want to read.

And, a post by one of my social media marketing heros: Brian Solis. His posts are always worth your time, I promise.  

Any social media posts that have changed your life recently? Don't hold out on me! 

Five Reasons Why You Will Love Tweeting

Because Twitter is now so accessible through the iPhone more and more people will start to hop on the bandwagon. If you aren't quite there yet let me introduce you to the world of Twitter. A lot of people have asked me recently why I love it so much and so, here are five reasons why I know you'll  love tweeting:

1. Twitter allows you to easily follow multiple companies and publications.

Companies are on Twitter talking to their consumers all of the time. Because of the ability to create lists and to filter searches, Twitter is the easiest social site to follow multiple companies. I am not just talking about The New York Times or The Washington Post, but about the companies you actually care about: Anthropologie, JCrew, Sephora. Opposed to junking up your email inbox by subscribing to every email blast you can, follow your fav companies on Twitter to stay on top of all of their sales, new items and news.

2. Have one liners in your head all day long and no one to share them with?  

Me too! Example: It being January 1 you can't turn on the television without seeing Star Jones on a weight loss commercial OR a hot Australlian trying to convince me to buy workout gear. I have been wondering all week long if it was just me and so I tweeted, "Has anyone else noticed how many #diet commercials are on tv this week?" And after doing so, I felt SO MUCH BETTER. Twitter is just waiting to hear your frustration, your one liner, your thoughts. 

3. In reality you will regret anything you say that has more than 160 characters, right?

Sick of blogging but still want to talk to friends about what you are up to? Blogs are wonderful, I am using one RIGHT NOW but at times they can be wordy and exhausting. Don't waste your time, or others, with long winded posts when 160 characters (the maximum allotment for a tweet) will do. I promise this will save you from lying awake at night and wondering, "Would it have been better if I had not shared that?" Because let's be honest, we have all done that.

4. Hashtags rule!

Hashtags are such a dream. They allow you to follow a topic that interests you, to check a contest you want to enter, or to begin to trend a topic you feel like others will enjoy. They allow Twitter users to organize themselves, how empowering! If you are still unclear of what a hashtag is, here is a great article that explains the basics and how hashtags are used on Twitter. Hashtags are one main reason why any person who is looking to sell or market a product should have a strong Twitter presence, no questions asked!

5. Facebook is just for stalking, just admit it.

If you're like me, when you log into Facebook you have sincere intentions to check up on a close friend you are missing. Thirty minutes later you realize you're on the page of your 7th grade classmate looking through photos of a work party or a summer cruise. "What? How did this happen again?" You wonder. Well, this doesn't happen on Twitter! Facebook has developed more and more into a resume/photo album for individuals and will continue to. The nature of Facebook allows you to get lost in the pages linking from one page to another without ever reaching out to anyone. Twitter is based on actual interaction. If you are looking to really stay in touch with loved ones and have real conversations try Twitter, I promise you'll thank me. 

Are you convinced? I hope so. Sign up for an account and send me a tweet, I am totally looking forward to it. 

2012, It's Going to be So Good.

I can't stop talking about how good I feel about 2012. Like, I have never felt better about a new year. 2011 was filled with our highest highs and lowest lows as a family. I worked, played and prayed a lot. I learned A LOT about eternal families and the Young Women's Program in my church. I also learned how to: lift weights, be a mom, a stay at home employee and how to camp with a baby. Also, I got really good at watching television.

In 2012 I want to become a better friend, more aware of God's love, a mom who spends time teaching her kids, a reader and I want to eat a lot of delicious cheese. Sounds doable, right?

Whatever happens, I am just SURE it is going to be amazing. Who's with me?

PS One of the greatest things that happened in 2011 was that my husband, BTW, started photoshopping (he actually used Word and PowerPoint because we don't have Photoshop...) pictures of him and Jimmer together. See more on his Facebook page. 

Robyn

Have you seen this music video? Are Robyn's dance moves blowing your mind like they are mine?

My friend Emily introduced this video to me and then her, Roxy and I spent the rest of the night trying to learn the dance moves. A writer for SNL recreated her video and made it look so easy, we didn't do as well. This can be seen below.

Little Women

Confession: Every year in December I watch Little Women and cry through the whole movie. I literally start tearing up in the first few lines and let it flow until the last scene. Ha! When I think about how ridiculous I am I can't stop laughing. 

Which March girl do you think you're most like? Growing up I worshipped Jo, she even inspired our little Jo's name! Now I think I would like to be more like Mrs. March, their mom. She's such a powerhouse! 

Brian and I also always watch Elf every year and the Faulkner Family always manages to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Blake insists on it! What Christmas movies do you watch every year? 

Book Review: Why the Church Is as True as the Gospel by Eugene England

One of the best things about being Marilyn Faulkner's daughter is that you never have to buy books! Her library is better than any book store, and all of the books have these thoughtful comments in the margins. Score! While I was home this week she lent me a few books and yesterday on our drive back to Provo I read "Why the Church Is as True as the Gospel" by Eugene England from cover to cover. It is a series of essays that touch on topics relating to just what the title states, why the Latter-day Saint church as an institution is just as important to our progression as the core doctrine that makes up the gospel we believe. I highly recommend the book to any member of the Latter-day Saint church as well as to those not of our faith looking to understand a Mormon perspective.

Here is my favorite quote, "It is precisely in the struggle to be obedient while maintaining independence, to have faith while being true to reason and evidence, to serve and love in the face of imperfections, even offenses, that we can gain the humility we need to allow divine power to enter our lives in transforming ways. Perhaps the most amazing paradox about the Church is that it literally brings together the divine and human."

I am looking for book suggestions, leave any that have changed your life in the comments below. xoxox