Free AudioBooks and EBooks!

What does a 30 day FREE membership get you? 

1,500 free ebooks

500 audiobooks

All on your smartphone!

I am a book fanatic. (I don't just write books, I avidly ready them too.) I listen to or read a new book almost every 3 days. But it can be very hard to find LDS ebooks at a reasonable price! Drives me crazy! So it is a great gift that I can FINALLY access the Deseret Book catalog, and listen to them on my phone. 

Deseret Book has launched it's new ebook and audiobook service called Bookshelf Plus. And for a monthly fee of $9.99, or an annual membership of $99/yr, you get access to thousands of books.

Fun fact- The subscription/membership (service) is called Bookshelf Plus - that's the membership/subscription service that allows you to read or listen to UNLIMITED ebooks and audiobooks.

The actual app you download (from the Google Play store or the Apple iTunes store) to your phone is called the Deseret Bookshelf. You can use Bookshelf without a Plus membership. You will just be limited to a small amount of free materials. You can still use the app to buy ebooks/audiobooks at regular price.

To clarify- you pay for a membership with Plus, and you get access to THOUSANDS of free books. Without a membership, pay regular price to buy ebooks. 

When you download the app, it comes with links/icons for official Church materials (Gospel Doctrine lesson book, Teachings of the Prophets, etc) right on the front. It even has links to the most recent General Conference talks right there the minute you download the app. That's links to both the audio and e-book version, which is really convenient.

There are even links to classic church talks, and to free literary classics (I immediately downloaded Les Mis and Large Catechism (by Martin Luther)).

You can see from my phone screenshots below how easy it is to download a book. You see it in the "discover" tab, click on it, then click download and open, and voila, it downloads. That fast and easy. And because you have your annual membership, you don't have to pay for it!

Don't forget the 30 day free trial membership if you aren't sure you want to commit yet! But you will want to commit, trust me. It's great!

Let's say you wanted to buy my first published book, "Beyond Perfection." If you check it out on Amazon, the Kindle version is $14.99 (of which yours truly gets something like 50 cents if you buy it.) (Seriously, moms, don't let your babies grow up to be authors.) 

On Deseret Book, you only have to pay $9.99.  But if you have a Bookshelf Plus membership and the Deseret Bookshelf app, YOU GET IT FOR FREE!

If you are a regular consumer of Mormon books, LDS Church materials, clean e-books, and uplifting audiobooks, you are going to love this new offering from Deseret Book. 

RECAP-

DESERET BOOK BOOKSHELF PLUS MEMBERSHIP

30 DAY FREE TRIAL!!

THOUSANDS of free e-books! THOUSANDS!!

Tons of audiobooks that you can't get anywhere else!

After your 30 day free trial, it's either $9.99/mo, OR $99/yr. 

And you can get it all on your smartphone. 

Affiliate Blogger Disclaimer- I did not get paid to write this post. I am a beta user and blogger of the product. If you use my links to purchase the Deseret Book Bookshelf Plus membership, I receive a commission. But it no way, shape, or form, effects the cost of your membership or purchases for me to receive the commission. 

My latest love

Introducing the Squatty Potty

Yes, it's a little stool you put in front of your toilet and rest your feet on.
I'm not saying you  need it.
I'm just saying once you've used one, you will never want to go back.
Especially if you have lower gut issues.
Just saying.
Carry on. 

Walmart Bestseller!

Take a good look, friends! There on the bottom row! Do you see it? It's small, but it's there! MY BOOK IS ON A WAL-MART BESTSELLER SHELF!

For an author it's a pretty big deal just to get into a Wal-Mart, because they don't sell all books, just bestsellers. But to be a bestseller of the bestsellers? I'll take it!

And it's coming just in time when I could use some promising good news.

I am moving this week back to Roanoke. The plan is to "make it as a writer." I'm scared. Completely terrified of how this will all go. Can I really make enough money to get by just writing? We're about to find out. 

So this exists

While looking up something completely unrelated on Amazon today, I found this-
the R2D2 sexy bathing suit. Or as they described it, the "Artoo sexy swimsuit."

I just thought you all should know.

Also, this-
Wrong, so wrong.

If you're curious, this is what I was actually shopping for-

eShakti is having another sale!

Just because I love you so much, I thought I'd let you know eShakti is having another 2 for 1 sale! With free shipping!
YEAH!!!

You can still get a custom fit, made with sleeves or without sleeves, altered to fit your heart's desire, adorable dress in time for New Year's!

(You know you want to! Go buy one now!)

Here's the dress I'm in love with today- the Colorblock Collar Dot Print Dress.

Since the fun and point of these dresses is having it custom fit to your preferences, I would have it made to fit my body measurements perfectly, add short sleeves or cap sleeves, and make it knee length.
I wouldn't get it for New Year's though. Mostly and only because I have no New Year's plans. I would just get this dress because I love it.
Although if I had a reason to wear a fancy dress on New Year's, I'd probably get this one, the beaded tulle overlayer dress. But I'd add elbow length sleeves and make it a boatneck.

Shopping (again)

As mentioned [a few dozen times] before, returning to the full-time office lifestyle has meant updating and modifying my wardrobe. And since I have developed an aversion to the mall, and I like getting a deal, I've been shopping online- a lot.
Tonight while looking around www.modcloth.com I came across this pair of shoes-

Now here's the thing.
ModCloth has a few dresses over $100 from time to time. But for the most part everything is reasonably priced between $50-70.
So you can only imagine my surprise when the price on this pair of "Cottontail Twinkle Heels" is $438!!!
Glitter covered, bunny ear, heels.
$438??
SERIOUSLY??
GLITTER COVERED BUNNY SHOES???
So I did my research, hoping maybe this was a mistake.
But no, it's true. The glitter covered bunny shoes (properly known as the "Hare Multi Glitter Heels" on the designer's site) really are that ridiculously expensive.
If glitter covered bunny shoes are right, I really just want to be wrong.

Inside the Shopping Side of My Brain

Let's take a little walk through the mind of a woman and how she approaches picking out an outfit for work.
My new job is awesome in many ways. One way you might think I love my job is because we have a very flexible and easy dress code.
But no.
Somehow it's the flexible dress code that causes me the most stress.
Dumb, I know.
But yes, it is the pretty much, almost anything goes dress code that stresses me.
You can't be too formal and professional (men don't wear ties or suit jackets), and you can't be too casual (although some of the less professional departments do wear shorts and t-shirts). Jeans are acceptable, but jeans and a t-shirt is a little too casual for my department. (A t-shirt and a nice skirt is okay.)
Of course, when I packed and moved I purged a ton of clothes. And I'm really wishing I hadn't done that. I really could have used some of those shirts now. 
So even though I have no money to buy clothes, I spend a ton of time online shopping for the perfect classy, nice, but not too professional outfit.
I'm in love with this dress-

Who doesn't need another little black dress, right? And hello, it's $300 off right now!
But honestly, it's probably too nice for work.
Which means I'd need some other place to buy it. In theory, I could wear it to church, and I would. If there is anything you can say about my new singles ward, it is that it is a weekly fashion competition. (not that there is anything wrong with that) I'd love to pretend I'd wear it on a date, but when is the last time a date actually called for a dress that nice? (How awesome would it be if dates actually involved hot dresses and sexy shoes?!?)
Speaking of hot little black dresses that could go on a date, to church, and to work, I'm also loving this one-

 But really, I should just be looking for shirts.
And after an hour of pouring over Amazon, this is the only shirt I could find that I liked (for work). (It comes in several colors. I liked all but the white.)

Depending on size and color it's anywhere from $17-34 in price. I might actually have to buy this one. 
When did shopping become so complicated??
I miss my teen years where I liked everything and everything looked almost good on me.

I came, I saw, I shopped

I got a little wild and crazy today. 

I got paid. 

And therefore, I shopped. 

A lot. 

And I did most of it online. (But not all of it. Obviously I also had to go to Target and other places. The national economy can thank me later.) 

And now I need your feedback. 

Just a few of the things I purchased today-

It is time for another Brazilian Keratin Treatment. (I'll do a full before and after report after the weekend.)

See?

And since the brand I have used previously has TRIPLED in price, I'll be trying this one out now.

And obviously I needed a rice cooker, right? (I used to have a great one, but it has been sitting in storage forever. I miss it.)

A few months ago I bought this dress when I was in a major rush.

(Except my dress doesn't have the ruffle thing.) I love this dress, but because I was in a rush, I didn't realize just how far down the arm holes go. I will never understand why dresses (and shirts) are made this way. No one wants to see into your armpit and to your bra. It's just ugly and tacky.
But with it being a red dress, deep v-neck, empire waist, short sleeved, etc., I'm finding it very hard to make it work.
So today I bought this "nude" camisole (that I'm hoping will barely be visible under the dress, and yet provides the coverage I need), and this long sweater.




I'm hoping the long sweater will help make the dress work a little bit better for winter.
And then I decided that OBVIOUSLY I need shoes to go with the dress, sweater, and all of my other clothes too.

And that is how I came to buy these cute little booties. I'm still not convinced that I like booties with dresses. The fashion world wants me to believe that the look goes together, but I'm still not a fan.  I actually have no shoes that will work for the winter, so this wasn't too much of a stretch to convince myself to buy. And I'm pretty sure the boots will look cute with the sweater, (and I'll at least try them once with the dress).

I also bought a hand mixer, carpet runner, Swiffer thingy, and a bunch of other random things. Oh and a lot of hummus. I've been craving hummus big time. I have no explanation for that.

Now, I must go. I have this ridiculous urge to go use the Swiffer and "mop" the living room. Funny how new household items can do that to you.

In which I drive 600 miles just to amuse myself in a hot pink dress

At some point on Friday I realized I had nothing to do this weekend. As in, not one real dang thing. I tried to entertain myself by going to see "Men in Black III" (which did not disappoint at all). But I was still faced with 2-3 days of nothing. 

As always my summer schedule is ridiculous. Starting with this upcoming weekend I am booked every single weekend for the next 2 straight months. Two singles conferences (one I am attending, one I am speaking at), youth conference, girls camp, the Faith and Freedom coalition, family reunions, and my parents visiting, are just some of the activities I have going on in June and July. (And I'm still trying to find a way to get myself to the GOP Convention in Tampa in August.) I mean, who needs sleep and free time, right?

So naturally, faced with busy, crazy weekends for the next 8 weeks, I figured, hey, what they heck, I should drive to DC and have a little fun this weekend, right?

And so I did. I needed to do some shopping (and I did), visit my sister (and I did), visit some wonderful friends (and I did), and there was a singles party concert thing (and I went). It was completely insane to make a last second trip up there and then come right back, and I am EXHAUSTED for it today. But it was worth it.

It met my goal of doing something social and meeting people for the week.  And I got to see some of the most beautiful Virginia countryside. If you have never had the pleasure of driving along the back roads of Central Virginia (also known as horse country and hunt country), you are just missing out. It really does not get more beautiful than that part of the world.

Speaking of shopping-
I found a cute, long, blue maxi dress that I really liked. It came in 4 colors, but only in my size in hot pink. I have made it a personal choice to never wear hot pink. Why? Because my blond hair stands out enough. And there's just something about blonds in hot pink I never care for. Some girls can pull it off, but I'm just not one of them, in my opinion. You just stand out way too much. WAY too much! But I had convinced myself I needed this dress. Therefore, I bought it in hot pink. And sure enough, I got more comments about wearing pink, and looking like a Barbie doll in one night than I have had on any outfit I have ever worn in my life. I ended up wearing it to church today because I was running massively late. (Normally I would not consider it to be nice enough for church.) And AGAIN with the comments. (But all of the 12 yr old girls were in agreement that they liked it. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing though.)

And yet, not one person commented on the fact that I cut 4 inches off my hair!!

Let it be known, I am retiring the dress, and resuming my no hot pink mantra.

Stuff Somebody (YOU) Might Want for Christmas

Apparently there are some people who really do their Christmas shopping before December. Personally, I've never understood that concept! Going out in December in the cold, moving in the crowds, and seeing the decorations is all a part of the Christmas experience for me! But I have to admit now that most of my family lives in far flung places I do most of my shopping online and have it shipped directly to them.
As you probably have noticed by now, I have a few advertisers on this here website. If it wasn't for these lovely little ads I wouldn't get to travel to crazy places or keep my dog entertained with squeaky toys. Oh, who are we kidding? I make just enough off of ads to treat myself out to a burger and fries once a month. Except I've sworn off eating out for the rest of the year. Instead my cheeseburger fund has been rerouted and will be donated to the Riverkids Foundation. And now you can add to that fund by buying these awesome items that Barnes and Noble tells me are going to be big Christmas sellers!


I love John Grisham books and I can't wait to get to this one!

Did you know the Nook Color has a fun feature called "Lend Me" where you can "borrow" books from friends who also have Nooks? So if you are thinking you wouldn't want a Nook because you wouldn't have anything to read on it, you are wrong! We can be friends on there (I have one and I LOVE it!!) and you can borrow all my books (and I have about 50!). 

And for all you people who think that e-readers don't feel like real books (trust me, you get over that in about 30 seconds of actually holding one in your hands) did you know you can get fun book covers for your Nook? (I have the Paterson quote cover and I love it.)


In my humble opinion, Barnes and Noble is one stop shopping for Christmas. There is something for everyone there! (And I'm not getting paid to say that. I really believe it. Just ask my family.) Your kid isn't a book reader but loves Angry Birds? No problem! (Did you know you can play Angry Birds on your Nook? True story. Also, its way better on a Nook than on a phone because it is so much bigger!)





(hmm. the picture of the Angry Birds 16 Inch Plush is currently not showing. hopefully it will magically appear soon!)

I have to admit, I think this series looks totally cute. I may have to read it just to find out.


And let's not forget the best gift of them all- the gift card!  The gift that says, "You are impossible to shop for, so go buy it yourself!"


Another fun and interesting fact- if you are concerned that someone may have a Nook, and therefore you wouldn't want to give them a book, you can always give them a gift card. Nook users can apply the gift cards to their accounts to buy eBooks.

Free Shipping on orders of $25 or more at BarnesandNoble.com!

Brazilian Blowout Before and After

Here goes nothing!
The truth about my hair!
The truth is I have very wavy, almost curly, thick, and hard to manage hair. I have to spend way more time than is reasonable on my hair to only manage to make it look like I don't spend much time on my hair. It takes me a good  thirty minutes to blow dry my hair, using "silky serum," a round brush, and a paddle brush to make it almost, nearly lay down flat.
Leave it naturally curly you say?
I wish! Sadly it turns out more like a fluffyfrizzbobob, which is totally a real word.
Here's the proof-

Natural, air dried hair. 

Not so pretty.
But sometimes, maybe, after hours of scrunching, product, gently combing, and then more scrunching and product, I can get a few minutes of nice curls out of it.
What's worse, is what it looks like if I try to blow dry it without all the tools of the trade-

Have I mentioned I have more hair than a woolly mammoth? It's true, I do.

So when I started hearing about the virtues of a "brazilian blowout" or "brazilian keratin treatment" I became interested. My only regret? Not doing it a year ago when my cousin first told me about them!

A brazilian blowout is nothing like getting your hair straightened. It isn't some awful chemical treatment that straightens your hair. Instead, it is a massive protein infusion into your hair. It can be an extremely expensive procedure at a salon. Here in my fairly inexpensive small town it is about $250-$350 to have done.

I don't have that kind of money.

So I turned to the interwebz, YouTube, and then Amazon, to see if I could do this at home and save a lot of money. After a great deal of research, I found CoCo's Brazilian Hair Keratin Treatment Kit
 on both Amazon and YouTube. Before buying it I went to a local salon and asked if they thought it could be done at home. I found out that this is the brand they would have used and charged me roughly $350 to do (I get the most expensive price thanks to my extra long, thick, and copious amounts of hair). And they fully admitted it is easy to apply at home and even suggested I save the money and do it myself. The price online? (the product linked above and way below) $69!


So I did it. Well, really, my mother did it. 
The instructions implied it would take 2-3 hours to do. Maybe it was our novice, amateur status, or my ridiculous amount of hair, or just painstaking caution on my mother's part. But it took us closer to 4 hours to do. 
The process- 
1. Wash hair with special clarifying shampoo. (Does this stuff make a difference? Absolutely. My hair felt very different after using it. Not its usual texture at all.)
2. Dry hair to 80%. (Used blow dryer to do this, took a good 30 minutes in this humidity to dry.)
3. Apply keratin using little paint brush thingy. (Did not come with the kit. Purchased at Sally's for about $0.99.) This took us a full hour to do. 
Important note- many of the different "brazilian blowout" brands will have a horrific smell. Many will even say you need to ventilate well. One of the salons here in my town will even make sure no pregnant women will be in salon at same time, and will turn on fans it smells so bad. The Coco's brand smells like chocolate, and smelled good actually. I was quite hungry by the end. 
4. Blow dry hair out to about 90%. To save my life I couldn't get my hair actually dry with all that keratin in it! I tried blowing it out for a good 45 minutes before giving up and going to step 5.
5. With the hair dry but still laden down, use a 450 degree flat iron. (I checked my iron before we started and discovered mine only went up to 350, so I bought a $20 one (on sale from $69) at Sally's. I still saved money over paying a salon.) Flat iron hair, piece by tiny piece, about 10 times on each piece. Steam will come off hair the entire time. This step took us a good 2 hours. We were very tired by the end. 

My hair immediately after flat ironing it with the keratin in it. As you can see, it looked fine for going out in public.

6. Ta da! That's it! The end! 
7. Sort of. You actually now leave your hair just like that (in my case feeling a little bit like I had used way too much hair serum) for 48 hours before washing it. (Note to self- next time don't do this over the hottest 2 days of the summer.) Also,  no pinning hair up or using a rubber band during this time. It will leave a crease in your hair if you do!
8. From here on out use only sulfate free hair products (including shampoo and conditioner) to preserve the life of the blowout. 


So the big reveal! What does my hair look like now?
This is my hair after washing it (finally) today, and blow drying it without a hair brush. JUST my fingers! (full disclosure, I did run a brush over it once after drying it)

It took me about 5 minutes tops to dry it with the blow dryer. To make it look like this before would have taken me an hour of blowing it out with a round brush or paddle brush, plus another 30-45 mins with a flat iron. Seriously- 5 minutes. 
And it feels super silky and nice. I can't stop playing with my hair right now. I'm in love with it! It is bouncy, silky, flowy, and gorgeous (even if I do say so myself.). And it looks like this on a miserably hot and humid day. It is unbelievable!
Before and after pictures-
On the top, what my hair looks like hand blow dried before, on the left, my hair hand blow dried after. 

YOU CAN BUY IT ON AMAZON FOR $59 HERE. 
*updated May 17, 2017* I've now purchased this twice a year for 6 years. Still works. Still love it!*


Would I recommend this product to anyone? Absolutely!!

For those wondering how long this will last, the answer is still up in the air! In theory, according to the product, it will last 3-4 months! Considering my upcoming trips to Girls Camp and then Cambodia, I will just be happy if it lasts through the end of August. Anything beyond that will be icing on the cake. 
Tomorrow I will be going to the lake all day with the youth. I'm looking forward to seeing how well my hair holds up. Normally a beach or lake trip would mean having to put my hair in braids to keep it from becoming a tangled mess all day. (I do not come up out of the water looking like this!) I'll report back in and let you know what happens.

Truly all-natural me - just the way I prefer it! No makeup, no hair fuss, no nothing, just a bad tan line!