STOP Changing the Clocks, Save Lives

A Timely Intervention:

Permanent Summer Hours Boost Quality of Life

Forty-eight percent of Americans find Daylight Saving Time a nuisance and want it eliminated, according to a poll from Rasmussen Reports. Daylight Saving Time, the semiannual changing of the clocks, was originally instituted to save energy. By manipulating time, one hour backward in the fall and forward again in the spring, people were expected to sleep during the darkest part of the night, thus reducing the need for light and electricity. However, the opposite is true. Habits formed during summer hours remain throughout the year, but in winter, people turn on more lights. 

However, the DST question involves much more than electricity. Arbitrary changes in time cause negative effects in health, safety, productivity, and overall energy consumption. However, many proponents of Daylight Savings Time (DST) argue that summer hours boost the economy and reduce crime. Based on the research, Americans can have the best of both worlds, by stopping the changes, and keeping summer hours throughout the year.  Here follows evidence that time changes are doing more harm than good, and DST, itself, is actually benefiting the American people.

Daylight Saving Time Wastes Energy

Although the program was originally instituted to save energy, research shows that Americans are likely to use more energy than they otherwise would. According to a study by students of the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, Indiana’s residential electricity use has increased by up to 4% per household since its adoption of Daylight Saving Time in 2006. Prior to this change, Indiana had some counties that did not use DST. This allowed researchers a clear reference point for comparison. People tend to continue the same schedule throughout the year, turning on more lights during the dark winter evenings. A continuation of summer hours would provide more daylight in winter, thus reducing the need for electricity.

The Jump to Daylight Saving Time Decreases Productivity and Safety in the Workplace

 Electricity, and the fossil fuels used to create it, is not the only form of energy at stake. DST wastes human energy too. Taking time to change the clocks, forgetting the change, and therefore running very early or very late to activities causes delays and confusion. Furthermore, the time changes actually decrease efficiency as the disruption of individual circadian rhythm leads to sleep deprivation, and tired people don’t work effectively. Dr. Till Roenneberg, a German chronobiologist, states that due to DST, “the majority of the population has drastically decreased productivity, decreased quality of life, increasing susceptibility to illness, and is just plain tired.”

Beyond the obvious slowdown at work, inability to think clearly, due to sleep deprivation, is responsible for increased accidents in the workplace. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, sleep deprivation is partly responsible for human errors that cause nuclear meltdowns, grounded ships, and plane crashes. One study by the American Psychological Association shows that on the first Monday following the spring forward time change, workplace injuries increased by 5.7 percent, and caused the loss of 68 percent increase in lost work days, due to injury. “We contend that the springtime change is associated with an increase in the number and severity of workplace accidents, especially for those engaged in jobs requiring a high level of attention to detail. . . Studies have shown that lost sleep causes attention levels to drop off, (The Society of Human Resource Management.") 

Workplace injuries significantly reduce profitability for companies, in terms of understaffing, lost work days, and distraction from assigned tasks, but the largest cost is often in Workers’ Compensation for injured employees. These payouts alone cost US employers and estimated $1 billion each week, according to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration.) While discontinuing time changes would not eliminate all such costs, it would reduce them, while improving overall health.

Time Changes Increase Risk of Suicide and Heart Attacks

All mental health requires adequate rest, and sleep disruption comes at a price. For some, it may be no worse than a day or two of feeling “a bit off,” while for others, it may become a matter of life and death. According to the Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, in Australia, male suicide rates increase in the week following the start Daylight Saving Time, compared with the rest of the year. Additionally, sleep deprivation is linked to “heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity and depression, (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.”) It is not surprising, then, that heart attacks increase by 5 percent in the weeks following the spring DST change, (The New England Journal of Medicine.)

In contrast, maintaining summer hours improves health, as more daylight invites people out of doors after work and school, and increases physical activity. This would make a drastic difference in winter, when the evenings are naturally darker, and when many children huddle indoors immediately after school.

Longer sunlit days also mean more exposure to the sun’s rays, which can help fight depression. Each year, 20% of the population is affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder, (SAD) or “winter blues.” This is related to the decrease in overall sunlight and the fact that people stay indoors more during cold weather. According to the US National Library of Medicine, vitamin D plays a role in decreasing depression. Since most people in the US have insufficient levels of vitamin D and direct sunlight stimulates the skin to produce it, longer daylight could reduce and potentially eliminate winter blues.

Extending Summer Hours Year-Round Reduces Crime

More light also means fewer robberies. According to an article in Brookings Now, “When DST begins in the spring, robbery rates for the entire day fall an average of 7 %, with a much larger 27 % drop during the evening hour that gained some extra sunlight.” The article suggests that the change is due to the extra daylight occurring at the time when most people are leaving work. Even walking to the parking lot becomes safer when people can see threats, and are, themselves, more visible to passersby.  

The decrease in crime saves millions of dollars in damages. In 2007, when Congress extended DST by four weeks, crime rates dropped during those weeks, saving an estimated $59 million in robberies that did not occur. By continuing summer hours, the daylight lasts long enough for most 9-5 workers to make it home before dark. While it is true that mornings will be darker, most workers will be in or near their homes at that time, with a much shorter walk to the car, and quick access to help and safety.

Longer Daylight Boosts the Economy

Consumer spending increases during Daylight Saving Time, and decreases when it ends. More people shop, buy gasoline, and spend money during the daytime. According to ProCon.org, later daylight increases the retail and gas sales after work for the eight months of the year spent in Daylight Saving Time. Extended hours increased golf revenues up to $400 million in one month of DST. The barbecue industry, likewise, sees a profit increase $150 million during one month during summer hours. Los Angeles, California retailers report sales decreasing 3.5 % after the DST ends in the fall.

Keeping Daylight Saving Time Benefits Americans

\Americans can see a dramatic improvement in their quality of life by eliminating time changes and adhering to summer hours. With more efficient energy use, they can save money, while removing sleep disturbances helps keep them safe and productive. With adequate sleep, and its attendant improvement in health, comes the ability to enjoy life more. Crime reductions allow for greater peace of mind. People will have more time to shop and travel with a corresponding boost to the economy. Since time and the way it is used affect every aspect of life, continuing Daylight Saving Time has the potential to improve quality of human life in virtually every way. What could people accomplish if their greatest health challenges were removed, or eased? What could they build if their tax dollars were not used in crime investigations? No one knows for certain, but the prospects are bright. It's time to make a change that will save time, money, and lives, a new definition of Daylight Saving Time.

Works Cited

Barnes, Christopher M., PhD. “Saving Daylight, Increasing Danger: Daylight Saving Time Leads to Less Sleep, More Injuries on the Job.”  Wagner, David T., PhD. American Psychological Association. September 2009. http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2009/09/daylight-injury.aspx. Accessed November 15, 2017.

Berk, Michael. “Small Shifts in Diurnal Rhythms are Associated with an Increase in Suicide: The Effects of Daylight Saving.” Sleep and Biological Rhythms, the Japanese Society of Sleep Research. January 2008. Wiley Online Library. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00331.x/abstract;jsessionid=18E619378C325C1BFFBCBA1286843BB6.f02t02 . Accessed November 13, 2017.

“Business Case for Safety and Health.” Occupational Safety and Health Administration, United States Department of Labor. https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/products/topics/businesscase/costs.html. Accessed November 15, 2017.

Doleac, Jennifer L. “Fighting Crime with Daylight Saving Time.” Sanders, Nicholas J. Brookings Now, Brookings. October 29, 2015. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brookings-now/2015/10/29/fighting-crime-with-daylight-saving-time/. Accessed November 13, 2017.

Handwerk, Brian. “Time to Move On? The Case Against Daylight Saving Time.” National Geographic. November 1, 2013. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/11/131101-when-does-daylight-savings-time-end-november-3-science/. Accessed November 13, 2017.

Janszky, Imre, M.D., Ph.D. “Shifts to and from Daylight Saving Time and Incidence of Myocardial Infarction.” Ljung, Rickard M.D., Ph.D. The New England Journal of Medicine. October 30, 2008.            http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc0807104. Accessed November 13, 2017.

“Just 33% See the Purpose of Daylight Saving Time.” Rasmussen Reports. March 7, 2014, http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/march_2014/just_33_see_the_purpose_of_daylight_saving_time. Accessed November 13, 2017.

Kotchen, Matthew J. “Does Daylight Saving Time Save Energy? Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Indiana.” Grant, Laura E. The National Bureau of Economic Research. October 2008. http://www.nber.org/papers/w14429. Accessed November 15, 2017.

Maurer, Roy. “Workplace Injuries Spike After Daylight Saving Time Change.” Society for Human Resource Management. Mar 6, 2015. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/risk-management/pages/workplace-injuries-daylight-saving-time.aspx. Accessed November 15, 2017.

Penckofer, Sue , PhD, RN.  “Vitamin D and Depression: Where is All the Sunshine?” Kouba, Joanne, PhD, RD. Byrn, Mary, BSN, RN. Ferrans, Carol Estwing, PhD, RN, FAAN. PMC, National Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health, June 2010. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908269/. Accessed November 13, 2017.

Targum, Steven D, MD. “Seasonal Affective Disorder.”  Rosenthal, Norman, MD. PMC, National Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health. May 2008. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2686645/. Accessed November 13, 2017.

“Top 3 Pros and Cons of Daylight Saving Time.” ProCon. March 2017. https://www.procon.org/headline.php?headlineID=005345. Accessed November 13, 2017.

“What Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency?” National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. June 2017. US Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd. Accessed November 15, 2017.

I Am a Struggling Parent, And Why That's Awesome

It took my by surprise. Blew my mind, actually. I was sitting in Relief Society (that's a meeting for women in my church,) and sharing what our family does for Family Home Evening, and the teacher (who I like) told me, in front of the whole class, that I was doing it wrong. There it was, my least favorite phrase: "Wait until they're teenagers."

Least Helpful Words Ever

I hate hearing this because there's either no hope for me or there seems to be a melancholy satisfaction in the speaker when they say it. They expect, quite triumphantly, that I won't do any better than they did. It's irritating, disheartening and unnecessary, but mostly it's false.

That's right, Their assumption is false because it is based on exactly that--assumption. They don't have a full picture of what goes on at home and cannot possibly know how my kids are going to turn out. I haven't the least wish to compare myself to others--as if anyone could do it accurately! Even if parenting were a contest, I wouldn't take my coaching from the spectators. My children, husband and God know best what I do right and wrong. They're in this with me, and they understand the context of my decisions.

"Wait until you have teenagers." The phrase is annoying. Being called out in front of the class was not my favorite. But the biggest problem here is the erroneous idea that there is only one right way to parent; only one right way to have family home evening; only one right way to raise kids who don't fall away. (I'll come back to this falling away thing.)

The Story

There I was, sitting with all these lovely Christian women as they shared personal insights. I shared too. I admitted that I struggle with planning our FHE ahead of time and I mentioned that we typically don't do a treat or activity. I said that we make it as easy and simple as possible, so we can make sure it happens.

Apparently, this is wrong. Because I said that I struggled, they assumed that I wasn't consistent, even though we have Family Home Evening every week. Because I said I struggled, they assumed I wasn't doing a good job. Because I said I struggled, they assumed I was failing and that my children wouldn't learn the gospel.

This is wrong. Assuming is inaccurate, and we need to deal with some definitions here.

What Struggle Is Not

Struggle does not mean inconsistent. Struggle does not mean poor quality. Struggle does not mean neglect. Struggle means it was HARD. That's it. And it is hard.

What Struggle Is

Planning ahead does not come naturally to me. I'm not great planner, but even I know that the lesson comes out better if I prepare even one hour in advance. Planning is a struggle. It does not mean I've given up. In fact, to struggle is the OPPOSITE of giving up. If you gave up, that would be the end of that struggle.

Irritated Rant

And who decided that Family Home Evening had to be done the same way every time and by every family? Who decided that it had to follow a set pattern without variation? I find that boring, unnecessary and impractical. We have only ONE unassailable rule for our parenting and our Family Home Evening: We do what works. What works in one family may not work in another. What works for us now may not work later. Our plans change based on our family's needs. I think this will work forever, because we only do what works.

What I Shared in Class

We keep it simple. Simplicity in parenting is a goal, not an unfortunate by-product of laziness. It's a struggle to make simplicity out of chaos, but it's important to our mental health. I'm busy and can think of no benefit of making myself and everyone else grumpy.

I shared that we don't do treats and activities most of the time. I never said it was an accident, that I didn't feel good about it or that I wanted it to change. Because I don't. We choose not to do a treat because we care about our health and the obesity epidemic. It is by design that we make treats the exception and not the rule. Additionally, sometimes it's a struggle, but I don't want to teach my kids that FHE is just for the treat. I wan't to teach them that we love our family and we love Jesus. We don't always do activities because we don't always have time. This is also a struggle---and why we need simplicity. It doesn't mean that we don't spend time together doing fun things as a family throughout the week. We do. And the lack of constant treats and activities doesn't mean that my kids don't enjoy our family night. They love it. (We cuddle for most of it.)

But, "Wait until you have teenagers." As if that means the kids will rebel and leave the church, and if they do, that means failure.

Practicable Priorities

I think we need to rediscover our priorities here. I'm placing a higher priority on the Who, What and Why, of family and gospel living, and less on the How, When and Where. My priority is not to have a "perfect" family night or a "perfect" family. My priority is not even that the kids won't leave the church. My priority is to love, teach, guide and help them have their own relationship with God. When they can feel God's love, when they know that He is real, when they can talk to Him and receive answers from Him as with a best friend, they will know what to do to be happy. They will do it because they want to. Or, they won't.

It's great to be organized, to plan and have a routine. It's wonderful if you can have an orderly, meeting where everything is planned and done right. However, if your priority is to have a perfectly executed Family Home Evening, you are placing your dependence on what other people will and will not do. This is even more true for kids falling away, or not falling away. If this is your priority, you may be disappointed.

The Illusion of Control

We don't have robot children. We have actual people and whatever their size, they resist being controlled. The older they get, the more they resist. This is partially why some parents dread having teens. There is not now and never will be a guarantee that our children will want the same things that we want or will do the same things that we do. They might, but it's up to them.

Parents have zero control over how their kids will turn out. They can teach, they can persuade, they can love and they can still fail, whatever their definition of failure is. On the other side of the coin, they can be abusive, cruel and neglectful and still have great kids who stay out of trouble and eventually, after much therapy, grow up to be happy, productive members of society. It's not common, but I've seen it happen. (I'm not advocating abuse here.) Generally speaking, the more you try to control, the less you are able to. Luckily for us as parents, we don't have to do the control thing.

Parents have healthy influence over their children's choices, inasmuch as their children want to please their parents. This comes without force and is a product of love and trust, similarly to how we want to serve Christ because of what He has done for us. "We love Him, because he first loved us." (John 4:19.)

I don't want my kids to get into trouble, and I hope they will find joy in the Church as I do. But I will not force them. Indeed, I can think of nothing more disastrous. The greatest gift of the gospel is the Atonement, which gives us our agency. We love agency. We, as humans crave it. I find that the truest part of parenting is that people will do what they choose, and they choose primarily what they want.

Influence And Logic

 My personal parenting philosophy is that kids should be taught as early as possible how to make good decisions on their own, which is one reason to hold a weekly Family Home Evening. I teach them about consequences so they can choose which consequences they want. They will struggle and it is good for them because they're learning self-control. (!!!) I hug my kids and tell them how great they are. I listen to their problems so that they know I'm their ally and not their enemy. Instead of blaming and punishing, we work on solving problems and learning from mistakes. We're flexible with Family Home Evening and other meetings and don't demand a rigid discipline on holding still or attentive listening. They're so young---and, let's face it, adults don't even hold perfectly still or listen all the time. We want them to like it, not be bored or nitpicked.

They do what I ask because they love me. Or, they do exactly as they please because they're human. If it's not irrevocable, I let it go. It's hard. It's a struggle but I trust them to find their way, and they're getting good practice. Will this guarantee that I have super docile teenagers? Probably not. I expect them to push back. I expect not to always enjoy it. But I also believe that they will turn out great and I tell them so. Basically, I follow my heart, and the Spirit.

And I actually love teenagers.

(I was a really nice teenager. Karma, you know.)

The Struggle Is Real

I am struggling though. Sticking to my decisions, following through with my plans, not throwing charity out the window on a stressful day, is difficult. Getting up each day and trying again, trying to better myself and realize my goals, trying to keep it all together and be there for my family, is exhausting. Trying to obey all the commandments and doing volunteer service, plus being patient in affliction and keeping my temper, is tough. Being patient with people when they make mistakes, trying to set a good example for others while not judging them or preaching at them, admitting when I am wrong, can be hard. Cooking three meals a day, while trying to stay on top of the laundry, dishes, pet care, errands, carpool, extracurricular activities, homework and still be willing to drop everything to listen to my son talk about how his day went, is a miracle.

Trying to be a sweet and accepting wife, and hardworking human being, and a clean, well-groomed, social and sane individual, while punctually balancing everything else I need to do, (read, budget,) is tricky. Fitting in a workout and a scripture study, is hard. Yes, I struggle, and that doesn't mean I'm failing. It means I'm a rockstar. It means I get up and do it again.  It means I'm a good mom. It means that nobody can do it better. I've got the Who,Why and What figured out. I will cut me some slack and the How, Where and When.

How to Make Miscarriage Suck LESS

I have had five  miscarriages. I've been pregnant seven times so that means I have a 71.4% failure rate. It sucks--It really does. And the more you have, the worse it sucks. (See my post.) There are times, especially in the first few weeks after a miscarriage, where nothing will help, at all, even a little bit, and you just have to endure, and pray, and get through one day at a time. However, while there may not be anything to make it better, there are a whole lot of things to make it worse and you can AVOID these. If it's too late to avoid the first two, you can still try the rest. Here's what you do.

1. Don't Tell Anyone You're Pregnant.

OK, you should tell your spouse and your doctor. Otherwise, Nobody. Not your mom, not your boss unless you absolutely have to. If you don't tell anyone you're pregnant you'll never have to tell them you miscarried. This way, you don't have to talk about your loss to anybody you don't want--and you can avoid hearing dumb questions over and over. Once you feel strong enough, you can tell select people that you've miscarried, and they can give you support.

2. Have Health Insurance

It really helps if you don't have to worry about medical expenses and it may even cover therapy, which I recommend.

3. Take A Break

You need a week or two off for grieving, to say nothing of physical healing. Work can wait. Get a letter from your doctor to make it official, then stay home and sleep in. You'll be crying, dizzy, unable to think straight, having no motivation and little physical strength, with occasional seething rage. (And the possibility of a bleeding mess.) Trust me. A sane boss doesn't want you there. Take your rest and do some things that you want. Continue for as long as it's helpful. See # 7.

4. Avoid the Person, Place or Activity That Is Most Painful

Pick one or two things that bother you most and feel free to skip them. Refuse to feel bad about it. My personal choice is baby showers. I avoid baby showers like bubonic plague and conjunctivitis. I also minimize my contact with chatty pregnant women. (You can probably think of a few. They don't mean any harm but they can't stop discussing pregnancy and it's seriously annoying.) There is no reason to exacerbate your difficult situation by forcing burdens on yourself. Once you feel ready, you can pick up where you left off.

5. Get Enough Sleep

Really. In the first few days, it may be the only relief you get emotionally. Don't stay up late. Sleep deprivation causes every kind of mischief. Plus, the physical and emotional stress you're experiencing places increased demands on your body. You'll need extra rest, perhaps for a long while. Give yourself a break and go to bed as soon as you want. Take naps. Sleep in sometimes, perhaps often. If anxiety or depression keeps you awake, sleep with lights on, have a good cry, do yoga before bed, turn on soft music or read a low-stress, spiritually uplifting book. Ask your doctor about sleep aids, natural and otherwise.

6. Keep Taking Those Vitamins

It may be hard for you to do anything for you, and it may seem pointless when there is no longer a baby to benefit from your self-care. Do it anyway. With or without a baby, your body now has to heal and transform itself to a non-pregnant state. It's almost as much work as growing a baby. You don't want to become deficient in vitamins and minerals--that makes everything worse. Keep taking them regularly. If you can't make yourself do it, ask a friend to remind you and make you accountable.

7. Make Yourself Get Out And Do Stuff

When you wake up in the morning and your body says "Get up" and you mind says, "What for?" that's normal. You do need to get up though. After your initial rest, staying in too much will not only lose it's usefulness but actually cause more depression and anxiety. It's time to get back in the world. You may hate everything you used to love and think nothing sounds fun, but chances are, it will end up being more fun than you thought. And it will help you, little by little, to get out of the rut. For me, having a (flexible, non-demanding) job was the best thing. It forced me to get dressed, to comb my hair and to focus on something other than my misery for a few hours.

8. Exercise!

Relieve stress and occupy your thoughts with something you CAN control. Exercise does it all. I have had great results from hiking every week. Think about it. You've climbed a mountain! You've accomplished something difficult. You're getting fresh air, sunshine, exercise and a change of scene all in one. You'll have positive memories to look back on. And, if you're feeling fat or slobbish, a workout helps with that too.

9. Try Not to Think Too Much

Make time for physical activities. Thoughts and feelings are important, but don't make negative thoughts the center of your life. Get things done. Work with your hands. Try something new. Don't get caught in the guilt-building nightmare of "I should have," "I wish" or "If only." Instead try, "This is the situation. This is how I feel about it." Allow your feelings. Process them when it helps and distract yourself when it doesn't.

10. Don't Go Back

You'll need time to grieve and cry. Give yourself this time. It's a process that may take years. However, once you've got past the most painful time, (probably several months,) don't keep going back. Dwelling on the pain long-term will not help you. Instead, try to focus on the positive as much as you can.

Things will get better. There is always hope.

There is one more thing that really helped me. I tried to think of what purpose God might have for me and why I kept having miscarriages.

I found one; so personal, so wonderful. And I received a special witness that my children are real, mine, and they love me. My Leif, Jenna, Alice, William and David. I do have seven children after all. And despite all naysayers and advice to the contrary, I do not believe that I'm done. God has a purpose and I will not fight it anymore. His way is always the best way.

I believe He really will wipe away all our tears. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning"-Psalm 30:5

10 Reasons You Should Be Glad You're Short

Wish you were taller? Think again.The air isn't better "up here." Really. It's exactly the same as "down there." And there's a lot more to it. I am almost six feet tall and can tell you it's not all roses. Here are my top ten reasons you should be glad to be vertically challenged and give your self esteem a boost.

1. Tall isn't skinny. Skinny is skinny.

I sometimes hear people saying that if they were tall, any extra weight would be more evenly proportioned and their overall appearance would be improved. I don't like to be the one to contradict, but this makes no sense. Tall people already have "extra weight" simply by having more vertical mass. Since bigger bodies require more energy and nutrients to maintain, tall people have to eat plenty of food. What that means is, if you have the same health habits as a tall person that you had as a short person, the weight gain would increase in proportion to the new size. Here is the nicest way I can say this: When I have extra fat on me, I look like an ogre.

2. Tall people still have to use stools and stepladders.

An extra 6-10 inches is not the same as an extra 3 feet. I still have to use a stool to reach into, and see the back of, all but the lowest kitchen cupboards. I frequently find myself standing on a chair.

3. Tall people do not make better basketball players.

Strength, agility, speed and great hand-eye coordination (and a whole lot of practice and dedication) make great basketball players. Height can help in some positions but it's not the end all. Some amazing players are short. See this link.

4. Height does not mean you should be a model.

Some of my sisters have been models and none of them are more than usually tall. Some are quite short. Anyone can be a model. If you have healthy hair, you can be a hair model. If you have nice hands, you can be a hand model. Nice neck, feet or skin? You get the picture. Plus, with all the photo editing, the magazine pictures of models don't even look like themselves. The only thing required to be a model is work. It's a work I never wanted to do. I simply don't care enough about my appearance to want my paycheck to depend on it.

5. Being a tall girl makes it harder to find taller guys.

If you don't care about this, good for you. I, however, do like my date to be a leetle taller than me. Tall guys are not exactly in short supply (see what I did there?) but the chances of hitting it off don't increase just because you look good together. Finding the right person for you is hard enough as it is. Now try adding height into the equation. I feel blessed that my hubby is one inch taller.

6. Clothing challenges rise to new levels

If you can find pants long enough, it's like a miracle. A very expensive miracle. When you do find long ones they are usually too big around. The perfect fit is pretty much only available at the mall and runs approximately $70. If you're still growing (and you can never tell!) it's pretty pointless.

All too short. And that shirt I'm wearing, it's a dress. 

All my favorite knee-length dresses have become thigh-length dresses. And they were so cute! Sniff. Shopping has become something like a bad dream. You're looking and looking for something. You can't find it anywhere and then you realize all your clothes are missing. Aaaah! Wake up! It's not real. Oh, wait. It is.*%^&

Beautiful dresses that would be stunning on a shorter person look like a shirt on me. A weird, evening gowny shirt. (Or maybe lingerie.) Speaking of shirts, they are made for short torsos. The designers can't/won't lengthen them without also increasing the width, so finding one long enough pretty much guarantees you a tent. Did I mention that you can't trade clothes with your short sisters?





7. High heels make you a giant

This is bad for two reasons. One, all the really cute shoes make you taller than all the really cute guys. (The guy I liked in the beginning of my sophomore year in high school was six inches shorter than me by the end of it. Not cool.) Two, you're so tall that if you trip, you fall for miles, or so it feels like. Even when you aren't falling, you're like a floating head. Just floating around above everyone else's heads. It's even worse on skates.

8. You hit your head on things

Low doorways. Crawl spaces. Attics. When you sit in the back seat of a car and your head bumps the rear window the whole drive, life is pretty ridiculous. I haven't even mentioned leg room in cars and planes.

9. Sinks and counters are too low to use without stooping.

Short people are always complaining that they have to stand on their tippy toes to reach things. Well, tall people have to do that too and at least it doesn't destroy your posture. It gets super annoying having to bend so far all the time just to do the dishes. And they should make counters taller. I'm taking my protest to new heights. Seriously. I may refuse to cook.

10. People always think you're the oldest

People will think that your younger siblings are your children. Your older sisters will be mistaken for your younger sisters and people think you're a grownup when you're sixteen.That's not all bad (hee hee) but you'll never blend in at your old high school (just in case you were sent there on assignment like in Never Been Kissed.)

If this doesn't pump some gratitude into the hearts of all you short people, I know something that will. Just think of all the closet space you can fill with your smaller clothes. Extra room for all those super cute high heels. I hope you trip. XOXOXO

Happy Crazy Backwards Day--True Confessions of a Working Mom

Being a mom is hard work. Being a Mormon mom is a blessing with lots of responsibility. Being a working Mormon mom is like trying to juggle EVERYTHING! Show up. Look nice. Be nice. Get the job done. Try and keep your priorities straight.

 I love being a wife, a mom and a Mormon. Especially with angelic help, which I believe I am entitled to. I  try hard. I really do. HOWEVER, sometimes, I get a little mixed up. Or a lot mixed up. And it's usually funny. (If it's not funny now, it will be in ten years.) If I can't be perfect, I am at least going to laugh. Here's a story of how all my ambitions and good intentions went completely backwards.

 The backwardness actually started with my working all night, and then going to bed while my family was waking up. Things just got crazier from there. I sat around all day trying to wake up and forgot to eat, so I was starving by the time I left my home, where my husband was MAKING DINNER, to go hang out with some girlfriends, where I knew there would be no food. I even had a headache coming on. That backwardness was just the beginning. I realized that I had forgotten my sewing machine, that my hair and makeup were not done, and I was headed to a craft night with two very pretty ladies who never forgot to do their hair and makeup. This is going to be good.

When I arrived at my friend's house, I found that no one was at home, they all having gone to the fabric store. One friend had sent me a text of the change of plans but it was unclear to me (probably I was reading it backwards) and the other friend's text ended up somewhere in Hawaii (where I would like to be but in the interest of opposites, reversals and backwardness, I was not there to receive my text.) My husband advised me to come home and bring back a movie for us to watch together. At that point, I really wanted to, but my friends felt so bad for the crazy communication that leaving now would have been cruel and insulting.

I sat there in my car, watching the house and being as creepy as possible. (Actually, I was watching Internet videos and so missed the exact moment of arrival.) After forty minutes of this, I finally went inside and had a great time eating candy and popcorn for a nutritious dinner and watching the same movie I would have seen with my husband that night. No crafts after all. Once the movie was over, I declared that I needed to go home, sent a text to my husband to that effect, and then proceeded to stay another twenty minutes.

 Having asked hubby to get a movie for us to watch, I went home expecting to snuggle up in my messy house. What I found was a much tidier house than I had left. Backwards, but a good backwards. There was no movie. I checked my phone, (which had been on silent the entire night!) and found a message from my love, asking me to get the movie, as the kids were in bed. There was no time for it anyway. Oh, well. Might as well go to sleep, which he immediately did. Having slept all that morning, a REM cycle was much more difficult for me to achieve. I knew I was going to be up late, which was bad, because I expected company in the following early afternoon and the house was not up to par. I finally drifted off into a troubled dream state and that was the official start of my Crazy Backwards Day.

The alarm must have rung eighty times before my husband got up and took our oldest son to school. The knowledge that my youngest boy would tear apart the whole house in short order was enough to drag me out of bed too. Hubby and Denny were gone and hot cereal was on the table. Perhaps it was a nod to Opposites Day but whatever the reason, my husband had switched the bowls--not the portions, just the dishes around, giving the toddler a giant bowl and reserving the baby bowl for me. Good, I thought, I'm just going to embrace it all. If this is backwards day, bring it on.

I ate my breakfast, calling down blessings upon my hubby's head for it, and then decided to clean the house. I was totally exhausted, but GUESTS WERE COMING and the house must be in order. I started by unloading the dishwasher of all the dirty dishes that I had put in there clean the day before. (Backwards is beautiful.) I planned the meal I would cook, (pasta with homemade sausage) and grabbed all the grody towels and stuffed them into the washer. I went to dress and was combing my hair when a ginormous wave of fatigue jumped on my face and beat me into submission.

"You need a haircut and a bath," I told my son as I changed back into my pajamas. "I'll cut your hair in a little while" and I lay down on top of the blankets in my unmade bed. "You have time to get some cleaning done while Mommy is napping." With that, I slept like a baby, which means I woke up all the time and screamed. "Leave the fridge alone! Don't break that! Turn the water off! Did you clean your room? That's too loud!"

I eventually got up. It was time to pick up my son from school, so naturally, I started frantically cleaning my house again. After a while, I knew that my guests would be arriving, so I immediately left the house. They texted me that they were running late. Perfect. Me too. I picked up my son, and returned home to find peeps on my porch. They looked surprised to see me in my pajamas but I just smiled and asked if they'd been waiting long. Once we got inside, I wanted to be the best host ever, so I left them all alone in the living room while I changed into slacks and a sweater.

The house was presentable, sort of. The bathroom was cleaner than it looked and the living room looked cleaner than it was. I started making a late lunch and needed my apron, only to remember that it was still in the washer. I didn't get a chance to talk much. My kids were doing plenty of that anyway. My four-year-old got so excited that he kept shouting. Every time he did this, he disturbed the baby, which disturbed his mama, which disturbed all of us. Things were going great.

After a while, my guests said they had to go visit other friends and so departed with hugs. My oldest son burst out crying because they couldn't stay, and screamed after they left because nobody would leave him alone. He got a timeout and then we ate our pasta and sausage by ourselves. It was delicious. Heedless of the cold outside, my boys ate huge glasses of ice and played Ghost in the Graveyard in daylight.

This has been about the best Backwards Day ever, although, my poor guests got the brunt of it. Someday I'll have them over again and I will be at home, on time, and dressed. The only thing I want to do now is watch the second half of a girly movie and then cuddle to sleep with my love.

 My boss just asked me to come in for an evening shift. I guess I'd better change into my work clothes. Now if I can just pull these pants over my head and work my feet through the sleeves of my work shirt, I'll be set. I'll head to my job as soon as hubby gets home from his. When I come back, I'm starting this day over. When you run a backwards day in reverse, it comes out right. (If you get enough sleep.)

8 Foods I Never Have to Buy Again

I'm no chef and there are days when I don't like cooking, but there are just some foods that I make myself, as opposed to buying them. Okay, so some of these my husband has to make. Still, they're always tasty. Most are cheaper and all are healthier than the store-bought versions.

1. Yogurt
Yogurt is so easy to make and so much cheaper than buying it, making your own is a no-brainer. All you need is milk, a thermometer and a tiny bit of plain yogurt to start with. If you save a little bit from every batch you make, you'll never have to buy it again. You can read these recipes and here's mine. Heat 1 Qt. milk to 110 degrees F, in a saucepan, stirring constantly. Add 2 Tbs yogurt and whisk in. Pour all into a Mason jar, tighten the lid and wrap in a dishtowel. (I stuff mine into an oven mitt sometimes.) Place in oven, close the oven door, turn on oven light and set timer for 8 hours. I always remove the knob so nobody can turn my oven on. Yogurt is ready in time for breakfast. Refrigerate when done. (If you want fruit or berries, add them at the end.)

2. Salad dressing
            Ranch: Use some homemade yogurt and add just a few small pieces of garlic and onion. Salt, pepper and dill to taste. (You can use fresh or dried garlic, onion and dill.) It tastes better after at least one day in the fridge. This stays good for about a week and a half.
            Vinaigrette: 3 parts olive oil, 1 part vinegar. Diced onions, garlic and peppers if desired. Salt and pepper to taste. For variations, try different types of vinegar or add a dash of sugar. You can refrigerate this but I don't.

3. Barbecue Sauce
Start with a tomato sauce base. For 12 oz of tomato sauce, stir in blackstrap (no sulpher) molasses until the sauce is the color you want (dark red-brown). Stir well. Add a dash of mustard powder and a spoonful of vinegar. Add a sprinkle of garlic powder, paprika .Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Hot Chocolate
Heat some milk, add cacao and your choice of sweeteners until it tastes the way you like it. I like honey. For variety, heat a cinnamon stick or peppermint leaves with your milk. Or, in place of half the milk, try substituting your favorite tea (blueberry is delicious.)

5. Peanut Butter or Nut Butters
Toast the nuts (toast them in the oven on broil and stir), put in blender, run until smooth, smash it down as you go, salt if desired. Try this link.

6.Egg Nog
It tastes even better than store-bought and you don't have to wait 'til Christmas. 1 Qt. milk in blender. (I like to add extra cream.) 1 raw egg*.  Add a couple tablespoons of sugar--or more if you like, and a sprinkling of nutmeg. This recipe sounds good too but I'd leave out the alcohol. *Note: uncooked eggs may contain harmful pathogens.

7. Hot Wings
Frozen chicken wings, some butter and a bottle of Frank's Original Hot Sauce. The recipe is here. Way cheaper to make than buy, and super good made fresh.

8. Granola
The nuts, seeds and berries for this dish make it expensive to get started, but you can make many batches before you have to buy more. It also has no dyes, artificial or "natural" flavors, no preservatives and it tastes really good. My husband is the granola maker in our home and he varies the type of nuts and fruits based on what we have in the house. It always turns out yummy. We use all organic ingredients so it's pretty expensive, but not as expensive as buying organic granola. Here is the recipe.

I still want to try making my own gelatin, flavored and colored with fruit juice. Someday I'll jerk my own beef. I love learning new recipes. Which ones are your favorites?