Do you use snapchat? There has been some controversy over it (SO scary!), and I don't use it very often, but when I do...
Valentine's Recap
by
Chantelle
- 9:42 AM
I just realized I never posted about Valentine's day!
This year I handmade all of my valentines. It was a LOT of work, but they turned out pretty cute! Some of my favourites include:
To the back of each valentine I stapled these plaid hand warmers.
On Valentine's morn, I delivered some goodies to my favourite littles and their mom! (They're not chocolate fans, so those "Hershey kisses" are actually ginormous rice krispie treats about the size of a softball.)
(Later that night, Gizette's fiance brought me flowers too! Haha! Battle of the Boyfriends FTW)
We also celebrated Valentine's Day in Relief Society the Sunday before! Each of these hearts has a name of one of the girl's from our ward, and on the back we wrote a little note to each of them.
This year I handmade all of my valentines. It was a LOT of work, but they turned out pretty cute! Some of my favourites include:
Then after class I went and bought myself flowers.
(Later that night, Gizette's fiance brought me flowers too! Haha! Battle of the Boyfriends FTW)
The house was decorated, but I forgot to take a picture before I took everything down. This chalkboard is in our livingroom, and we had a whole bunch of apothecary jars filled with candy in front of it.
My inner holiday fiend definitely rejoiced mightily this February.
Best of the Internetz 2.0
by
Chantelle
- 11:53 AM
I am so over winter. I've been daydreaming about bike rides and planting a garden basically since the snow first hit. Like, is it possible to contract snow blindness from looking outthe window and only seeing white? I NEED SOME GREEN IN MY LIFE.
In the meantime, here are some awesome things to enjoy while you rot away indoors:
- I love these words from the down-to-earth Oscar-winning actress, Nupita Lyong'o
-I've had 29 roommates in three and a half years. (It's true!) Some of them looooved leaving notes, so this made me chuckle.
-Spring fever and wanderlust are a dangerous combination. Look at this darling little apartment I found in Paris! It comes with a cat and it's cheaper than a hotel!
-A four-year-old and her mom create amazing construction paper dresses
-Have you seen this powerful video on bullying?
-This couple is like the Danish version of Romeo and Juliet. They're also my great-great-great grandparents!
Why I need to be buried with my laptop
by
Chantelle
- 2:30 PM
Are you a googler? I am. I google everything. Here's a selection of my recent search history:
-If you lose weight do your feet get skinny
-What is the name of the purple mountain Crayola crayon
-Star Wars fonts
-Sanjaya Malakar's ponytail
-what is my hawaiian name
-buy a tortoise
-minimalist lumberjack print
-genuinely nice celebrities
-pulchritudinous
-angry muskrat
-is it legal to marry your second cousin
-why can you see the moon during the day but not the sun at night
-female bodybuilders
-songs that are 180 bpm
-care bear name generator
-free stickers
-why are you supposed to drink tea with your pinky up
-What type of fart are you quiz
And those aren't even the REALLY weird ones...
Weekend Music: Room Cleaning
by
Chantelle
- 11:19 AM
Saturday. It's room cleaning day. And laundry day. And dance party day! Here's what I'm listening to today:
1. Money on My Mind- Sam Smith
2. Girls Chase Boys- Ingrid Michaelson
3. Happy- Pharrell Williams
4. King and Lionheart- Of Monsters and Men
5. Trouble No More- Mindy Gledhill
6. Danse- TAL ft. Flo Rida
Happy Valentine's Day Eve!
by
Chantelle
- 3:57 PM
Do you have plans? I do! I'm excited!
There's a big Sweetheart's Dance for all the young adults from church on Saturday, but I don't think I shall go. Being in a room filled with people alll hopped up on sugar and hormones is not my idea of a fun time.
Nope, my plans do not include any traditional romantic activities whatsoever! Instead, I will be having a Galentine's Tea Party, handing out valentines, and telling all my favourite people that I love them.
There's a big Sweetheart's Dance for all the young adults from church on Saturday, but I don't think I shall go. Being in a room filled with people alll hopped up on sugar and hormones is not my idea of a fun time.
Nope, my plans do not include any traditional romantic activities whatsoever! Instead, I will be having a Galentine's Tea Party, handing out valentines, and telling all my favourite people that I love them.
I think that's so much better than being grumpy. Or desperate.
(Hold the pitchforks please, bitter, single humans.)
Speaking of desperate, have you seen this?
The scary part is, I KNOW people like this.
P.S. This post was officially dubbed "The Valentine Post" on Frazzles&Co. Have you read it?
I Didn't Love My Neighbour
by
Chantelle
- 9:42 PM
When I was seven years old, my family moved from a small town into Saskatoon. We moved into a quieter part of the overwhelming city, a house in a new development with empty lots for neighbours and so close to the airport that we fell asleep to the sound of planes landing.
A week or two after we got there, a little girl from down the road asked me if I wanted to play at her house. Delighted to have a playmate other than my brother, I ran in the house to check if it was okay, then followed her a couple houses over. The minute we got through her doorway though, I froze. A huge wave of discomfort and anxiety washed over me, and not knowing what to do, I made up an excuse to go home.
My mom looked at me puzzledly as I walked in the door. I'd only been gone five minutes.
My seven year-old brain couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation as to why I didn't stay. All I knew was that I had a bad feeling, wanted to go home where it was safe, and felt embarrassed about it. I didn't think she would understand, and knew I needed to tell her SOMETHING. So I said the first thing that came to mind.
My mom looked at me puzzledly as I walked in the door. I'd only been gone five minutes.
"What are you doing home? You weren't there very long!"
My seven year-old brain couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation as to why I didn't stay. All I knew was that I had a bad feeling, wanted to go home where it was safe, and felt embarrassed about it. I didn't think she would understand, and knew I needed to tell her SOMETHING. So I said the first thing that came to mind.
"Um, I just didn't want to play with her."
"Why not?"
"Her house smelled funny. And her skin is a different colour."
Momma Froc's face turned a sickly ashen grey. I don't remember exactly everything she said. I remember her explaining that the little girl's house had lots of people living there because families come in all different sizes. I remember her explaining that the house probably smelled weird because they ate different food than we did. I remember her telling me that things that are different are not always bad, after all, my little sister was different wasn't she? And then she told me that she never, EVER wanted me to not play with or say mean things about people who had a different colour skin than I did. Because everyone was a child of God and that's what was important.
I was so ashamed.
* * *
That episode from my childhood has played over and over in my mind throughout the past couple weeks. Lately there has been so much hate, so much prejudice, in the world around me, and it's making me heartsick to think about it.
I've been blessed in my life to be surrounded by people that are different. People have been placed in my life with all manners of disabilities, both mental and physical, that come from broken families, that suffer from crises of identity, that have different ethnicities and cultures, that are of different faiths, and have dealt with trials I can't even imagine. Every one of those people was put there to teach me something, whether they left a positive mark or not, and I'm grateful for them.
I never saw that little girl again, you guys. We ended up going to different schools, and that was the only interaction I ever had with her. I don't think I even apologized. I've felt guilty about it ever since, and have tried my best to never be that unkind again. Now, I don't profess to be perfect, but thankfully I've learned a couple things since then.
It is not our job to judge. Our only job is to love. It doesn't matter if people are making bad choices or if they have a lifestyle different to your own. Someone's choices shouldn't be a requisite to kindness. I've found that you can always find a glimpse of the child of God that person is if you look hard enough.
Don't forget to love people. You never know who's going to need it.
