Our Future Apartment!

Do you ever get so excited about something that you can't stop thinking about it? Do you ever create a whole Pinterest board for that thing and save like a thousand pins to it? How about building a full-blown design moodboard for it?

No? Just me?

Well, let me explain before you assume that I'm crazy. Last weekend, Cob and I took a trip to Texas for a visit to Pariveda Solutions (the IT consulting firm he is going to work for after graduation). While we were there, we decided to check out some apartments and see what the options are for renting when we move this summer.

We stopped at The Village and asked them to show us some options. The first few apartments we saw were okay but nothing special. I was feeling a little discouraged. But, then we looked at some apartments in a community at The Village called "Northbridge" that were built more recently and have slightly better layouts. Spoiler alert: I fell in love. These apartments have open floor plans, separate living room and dining room spaces, a dishwasher, microwave, and FIREPLACE. It makes me giddy just thinking about it!

We haven't made an official decision about living at Northbridge, but I'm feeling pretty good about it and I haven't been able to stop thinking about our potential apartment since that visit. I made this design board to put together some of the ideas I have regarding furniture and decor. I love love LOVE thinking about our new apartment and imagining what it's going to look like. If you want links to any of the pieces on my moodboard, you can see them on my Pinterest board here. I told you I was extra!

Thanks for reading!

♡♡♡

Rebecca

Gratitude & Goal Setting

Have you heard of the book Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis?

I haven't read the book, but I've been listening to the Rachel Hollis podcast lately, and although I have my issues with Rachel (more on that later, her brand is kind of anti-intellectual and it drives me crazy), she does share some really valuable tips and tricks for improving your life and your business.

One of the practices Rachel talks a lot about is her journaling, which she does every morning. She says it's one of the things that helps her align her goals with her daily actions. She records 3 things she's grateful for, 10 big goals she has, and 1 thing she's going to do that day to get closer to one of her goals.

Rachel Hollis actually sells these journals through her company. I thought about buying one, but then I realized that I could make my own journaling pages for FREE (and, I knew I could design a cuter version than the one she has.

This is what my page looks like:

One thing I like about Rachel's practice is that she encourages you to write your goals in past tense, as if you've already achieved them. So instead of writing, "I want to save $60,000 for a downpayment on a house," you write, "I saved $60,000 for a downpayment on a house." Sometimes I write the same ten goals every day, and sometimes I just write whatever goals are on my mind. It's been a great way to put myself in a positive mindset every morning. I really love it!

If you want a printable version of this Gratitude & Goal Setting page, you can download it here.

Thanks for reading!

♡♡♡

Rebecca

Self-Love Reflection: People Who Inspire Me

I’m sitting here on the couch feeling sad and bad, so I found this “30 Days of Self-Love” Journal Prompts that I decided to try. I really love writing and expressing myself so hopefully this will help me clear my brain and not feel so depressed.

There are a lot of people who inspire me. I’m fortunate to have wonderful people in my life (both at work and at home) who help me see the kinds of things I do and don’t want to become. Here are the two people who really inspire me the MOST:

Marylynn Haymore Pace (Grandmother)

My paternal grandmother inspires me not so much because of what she’s done (although she has done some incredible things like raise a family of 10 CHILDREN) but because of who she’s become. Grandmother has seemingly limitless energy. She loves her family more than anything in the whole world and she shows her love through food and gatherings and music. Grandmother is over-the-top in every single way. She takes one million pictures at family parties, writes every email in ALL CAPS (I’m not joking), and always wants to play at least one game of cards when we visit. She’s 85 right now, and although her body has slowed down significantly, her spirit is bigger and brighter than ever. When I think about people who have truly influenced my life, I think about Grandmother. Because of her, I have 76 first cousins who I consider to be some of my very best friends. Because of her, I have a strong testimony of God and Jesus Christ, and the restored gospel. Because of her, I have a very high standard for homemade guacamole. Because of her, I know what it looks like to live with joy in all seasons of life. Because of her, I see my potential as a mother and a grandmother and it fills me to the brim with happiness for my future. I love my Grandmother with all my heart and I feel obsessively grateful for her life and her love for our family.

Jacob Neil Peterson (Cob)

Cob is probably the best person I know. I used to think that was a cheesy thing to say because doesn’t everyone love their husband? But the older I get and the longer I’ve been married, I recognize that having a good husband is very rare. So when I say that Cob is probably the best person I know, I really mean it. I could list all of Cob's amazing qualities, but what really inspires me is his natural disposition to do good and be good. He is truly someone with a pure heart and clean hands. Someone asked me if I believe Cob when he gives me a compliment, even if it seems like he’s telling me what I want to hear. I told them it never occurred to me NOT to believe him, because he makes me feel like he sees the best in me. (I don’t know if that story makes sense, but I’m going to leave it for the sake of having some kind of example.) Another thing that inspires me about Cob is his work ethic. He has enormous capacity for work and focus and he can push himself to the limit mentally and physically without really blinking an eye. I don’t want to be totally braggadocios, but he’s been on the Dean’s List every semester since we’ve been married, which means he’s maintained SUPER high grades despite taking a honeymoon and other vacations, having a baby, working part-time, and a slew of other regular-life circumstances that could be used as excuse to slack off. Basically he is superman. On top of all of this, Cob loves me. He honestly and truly inspires me to love myself. He helps me see the things I’m doing well when I feel overwhelmed with the changes I need to make in my life. He is my better half and I feel so lucky that I get to be his partner forever.

July Highs and Lows

I know it's been a hot minute since I blogged. I'm laughing to myself as I type that, because nobody reads this blog except Cob. But I like blogging, and I like documenting my life, so I'm going to make more of an effort this month to share a more.

July was a blur! Here are some of the things I remember.

Highs

• Dallas! I made two trips to Dallas this month. The best part was really just spending time with Cob. We tried a bunch of new restaurants, swam every day, and spent a lot of time talking about our upcoming goals and dreams and projects.

• Photoshoot with Traivs J! My BFF Sarah Rodriguez and I are starting a little business, and we had a brand photoshoot with Travis J at his studio. It was a ton of work to put everything together, but I love the way it turned out and I can't wait to show everyone what we're doing!

• Peter got a tooth! He has a little tooth poking out from his bottom gum and it is the most adorable thing ever. He looks like a little monster and I love it.
• Swimming, swimming, swimming!
• I bought a few really expensive things that I don't regret at all: AMAZING Steve Madden wedges (sold out, otherwise I would link them here), an incredible haircut at a swanky salon in Dallas, and a new backpack/diaper bag that's a little more chic but still functional. One of my goals for August is to stop going to Target, because I am throwing away all my money! Those purchases were worth it, though.

Lows

• Being separated from Cob has been really rough. I have a hard time when I'm in Provo because I'm taking care of Peter by myself. But when I'm in Texas, I feel really isolated and lonely, and that's hard, too.
• My skin has been terrible. I hate hate hate acne so much! I'm 25, why do I still have to deal with this crap!
• I haven't been very good about creating or sticking to my personal religious routines this month. I'm trying to simplify and lower my expectations, so I don't get frustrated so much.
• Postpartum depression has been hanging around lately. Since I stopped breastfeeding in June, I feel like my hormones are still a little crazy (that's probably part of the #acne issue I mentioned above), so I need to deal with that.

July really has been a great month. I feel like 2018 is just flying by, and I want to make sure I'm doing all the things I hoped I would do before it ends. I can't wait to be reunited with Cob in just a few weeks!

The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.

Doctor Who

Thanks for reading!

♡♡♡
Rebecca

20 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was 20

This blog is taken from a letter I wrote to my sister, Eliza for her 20th birthday. Eliza is living in Argentina right now, serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She's young and full of life, but sometimes she can get discouraged, so I wrote her this letter to bring her a little joy and light for her birthday. Enjoy!

Eliza in Santa Fe, Argentina

Dear Eliza,

Happy Birthday! I’m so sad you won’t be here to celebrate with me, but I’m happy that you’re serving the Lord and doing what you love. The most important thing you can do (or anyone can do) is the work of the gospel, and that’s what you’re doing right now. I thought that since you’re turning 20, I would share with you 20 things I wish I knew when I was 20.

1. This is the skinniest you’ll ever be, so stop hating on your body and enjoy all the foods you won’t be able to have when your metabolism slows down.
2. Friendship is important. Make friends with everyone! There are so many good things to learn and fun relationships to build right now.
3. Family is more important. Don’t forget to build relationships with your siblings and cousins during this phase of life. Friends, school, jobs, all those things are temporary, but family is forever. 
4. Marriage is the next big step you’ll be taking in life. It’s definitely important, but don’t forget to enjoy being single!
5. Pray, read the scriptures, and drink a lot of water every day.
6. Stop worrying about what everybody else thinks about your major or your apartment or your clothes or your skin. Nobody cares as much as you think they do.
7. Learn to manage your time. Use your planner, your computer, your phone, or even a sticky note. Become one of those people who does the things they say they’ll do.
8. Look for opportunities to serve other people, especially people who bug you. It’s the easiest way to see the positive qualities in other people.
9. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Especially when it comes to your personal style. This is your 20s! You’re supposed to dye your hair, wear trendy lipstick, get bangs, and go on weird diets. You don’t have to be so mature all the time.
10. Choose to be optimistic. Find ways to see the positive in every situation. Cultivate the ability to express sadness/displeasure in a positive, solution-minded way.
11. Develop your people skills. If you can learn to make conversation with anyone, you’ll be more successful in your job, in your calling, in your marriage, etc.
12. Don’t pick at your zits.
13. Learn to say NO. Say no to dates, no to situations that make you uncomfortable, and say no to opportunities that you don’t have the time or energy for.
14. Write down your goals. You’ll be surprised when you look back in 5 years how many of your goals you’ve accomplished.
15. Buy a pair of outrageous shoes. This goes along with #7, but you’re only young once, you can get away with wearing red heels. So go for it!
16. Take lots of pictures. Don’t feel guilty for wanting to document happy moments.
17. STOP LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE. Interact with real people.
18. Spend lots of time in quiet meditation/prayer, talking to Heavenly Father. Ask Him what He wants you to do with your life. Listen to Him.
19. Keep a notebook. Record your thoughts, ideas, and feelings there. Always be prepared to write down important thoughts and information.
20. Be happy! Be kind! Choose the right!

I love you so much and I’m so happy for all your hard work in your mission. I hope you have a wonderful birthday and I’ll see you soon!

♡♡♡

Rebecca

February Highs & Lows

Another month has come and gone. February seemed to pass by 10 times faster than January. So many good things happened this month, it was actually pretty hard for me to think of any "lows!" Here's the round up:

Highs:

• Going back to work this month was definitely a major highlight of this month. I don't mean to sound snotty, but everyone was so dramatic about my plan to return to work after maternity leave and it made me really nervous. I think some people doubted whether I would go back at all, and some people thought I would go back and be miserable and quit immediately. And to be honest, I had those concerns, too. LUCKILY, none of those thing happened. I wrote about this a little bit already, but I have really loved being back at work. It's more than just "getting out of the house." I feel really in my element at work. There are projects with concrete deadlines and meetings and big ideas. It hasn't been a perfect transition, but overall I've been really happy and I hope things continue this way!

Just a picture of me casually working! Lol!

• Valentine's Day! I feel obligated to mention Valentine's Day even though it wasn't necessarily the most notable part of my month. I tried to decorate a little this year and that made me really happy. Cob was a sweetheart and bought me flowers (even though I told him he didn't have to), and we went to The Greatest Showman and got sushi. It was a perfect day.

• Peter's baby blessing. After putting off Peter's baby blessing for the entire month of December (don't get me started) we decided to bless him at my parents' home in Salt Lake. There was a fairly small crowd there, but it was absolutely perfect. Cob and I talked a lot about what we wanted to give Peter and what Cob should say in the blessing, and these are some of the things I remember.

Peter was blessed to be:
-Optimistic regardless of circumstances
-A bright and noble spirit
-An example to his family
-A close friend to Jesus Christ
-100% responsibility for his life
-Married in the temple
-A receiver of Priesthood and posterity
-Generous and full of desire to share his abundance

• Anything and everything to do with Peter. Guys. I am OBSESSED with this baby! He is so sweet. He sleeps through the night (usually 8-10 hours), he rarely cries, he smiles often, and he makes the cutest little sounds! I can tell that he loves me because his face just lights up when he hears my voice or sees my face, and it melts my heart. Having a baby is hands-down the hardest thing I have ever done, and I am terrified to do it again, but the love I feel for my Peter is absolutely overwhelming and empowering. I love being a mom.

Lows:

• Pumping at work. Let me tell you something: Pumping at work is THE ABSOLUTE WORST. I bought a hands-free pumping bra (look it up, it's ridiculous) and that has helped me a lot, but I haven't been able to really get a great pumping routine so I end up with no free time and clogged ducts and spilled bottles of breastmilk on my lap and sore nipples. My office has a mother's lounge with a nice recliner and a little fridge, but it's still a little icky. I'm glad that I've been able to breastfeed for so long, but I can't wait to be done.

I cropped the breast pump out of this picture #yourewelcome

• Work-life balance. I know I made it sound like going back to work has been perfect, but there have been some definite challenges. One is the fact that I used to have (almost) unlimited free time and now I only have about 5 hours a day of unstructured time. I'm also struggling with making the most of my time at home. I get home from work in the evenings and even though I would like to do something with Cob and Peter, I'm usually so exhausted I just collapse on the couch and veg for a few hours. I would really like to maximize my time with my family and do one meaningful activity every day. Yesterday I did some "Mom & Baby Yoga" but today I just sat in bed and watched The Office. Balance, right? Ha! I'm sure I'll get better at it.

• Social media. I know I talk about social media wayyyyyy more than I should, but I just can't decide how I feel! This month has been bad for social media. On the one hand, I've been really happy with what I've posted and I feel like I have a better idea of what I'm all about. But I've felt really discouraged following so many people who post affiliate link after affiliate link and one million "Like It To Know #LITK https://li.tk//" captions on their posts. Nobody shares anything important anymore. Nobody can just post a picture of their family or their kids. It's all about products and tutorials and coupons and crap that I don't care about! I'm slowly, slowly unfollowing accounts I don't care about and spending less time on social media altogether. I'll let you know how it goes.

February has been a great month. I feel overwhelmed when I think about all the good things that have happened this month and all the people that have looked out for me and helped me make adjustments in this new season of life. March is going to be great!

♡♡♡
Rebecca

Creating a "Daily Bread" Routine

I've been meaning to write this blog for WEEKS and I just haven't been able to make it happen. So today I'm setting a timer for 30 minutes and when it's over, it's over. Here we go!

Since going back to work a few weeks ago, I've felt just slightly out of whack. If I'm being completely honest, I've felt less out of whack than I thought I would feel, but there's still some big adjustments happening with my schedule and my time. For the first few weeks, I was comfortable operating in survival mode, but after a while, I started to feel like I wasn't in control. There were things I should be doing regularly (like showering) that just weren't happening and it was making me crazy.

I decided I needed to get back to basics. I looked critically at my schedule and all my responsibilities and identified the most important things to do every single day. I love to brand things, so I asked Cob to help me come up with a catchy title or phrase that would help me remember these things and internalize them. Cob, of course, is brilliant and came up with the perfect phrase:

DAILY BREAD

In the scriptures, Jesus Christ refers to "daily bread" as help and sustenance from the Lord. Sometimes it's literal bread, and sometimes it's physical or emotional strength. Daily bread is anything necessary for our physical and spiritual survival.

“It helps at times not to think too far ahead. Just do what the day requires. ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ We’re not anticipating the hardship or suffering that might be entailed. Sometimes just have to break it down to this moment; this day. While deliverance might not be immediate, you’ve got enough for today.”
-D. Todd Christofferson

Right now, my daily bread includes spiritual tasks (reading the scriptures and praying) as well as physical tasks (taking my medicine and showering). I'm hoping that thinking of these things as "daily bread" will help me remember how simple and necessary they are for my short-term and long-term success.

Because I just wouldn't be ME without some kind of visual, I made a Daily Bread Printable, which you can download here.

♡♡♡
Rebecca