5 Staples for Every Real Woman's Wardrobe

I'm sure you've all watched the Today Show or Oprah when they have the segment on "Staples for Every Woman's Wardrobe."  I have to laugh when they do these segments.  I mean, really?  Does every woman really need a trench coat?  Uh, no.  If you happen to live in Texas, you own a winter coat, a cardigan sweater, and a denim jacket.  And does every woman really need a little black dress?  No.  When was the last time you needed your LBD for a cocktail party?  (I think it's been 3 years for me and I'm surrounded by Dallas self-proclaimed socialites every week.) 

I wanted to be a little more realistic and offer 5 Staples for Every Real Woman's Wardrobe.

1.  A well-fitted pair of jeans.  You can wear them almost anywhere.  You can dress them up and dress them down.  And the right pair of jeans will make you look slim and trim.

2. A pretty dress.  We all need dresses for Easter, graduations, and weddings.  But it doesn't have to be a little black dress, it just needs to be a dress that we would feel comfortable wearing for any occasion. The dress should flatter you and you should consider it your go-to item when all else fails.

3. A pair of black pants or a black pencil skirt.  The black pants or skirt provide a blank canvas for any top.  Some women look better in pants and should embrace the pants to give them curves and shape.  And curvier women need the skirt.  Just be sure to play with color on top.

4. A suit.  I know this sounds old fashioned, but you always need a suit when it's not convenient to buy one.  The suit is a must-wear item for a job interview.  (I was even hired once because the hospital administrator said she liked my suit.)  The suit is appropriate for for funerals.  The suit is necessary for court or other important meetings. And the suit is always appropriate at church.  Pick a flattering color suit and DO NOT wear a white blouse unless you know it makes you look hot.  Just remember that black and white done wrong can make you look like a nun.  So if you pick black and white, you better accessorize well.

5.  A cute, matching sweat suit.  As a wife and mother I understand the advantage to wearing comfortable clothes when I'm getting groceries or doing the laundry.  But if we want to keep our men happy, we have to fight the "give up" look.   The right sweatsuit matched with make-up and flashy jewelry can make you look like a rock star.  So invest in cute Juicy sweats or Calvin Klein work-out clothes (great deals at Ross!) and be comfortable in style.

Everything else in your closet should be an expression of you!  So buy the silk blouse you've been admiring.  Or take a risk with the lace shrug that intimidates you.  Wear these with one of the staple items in your closet and you can't go wrong!  All the pictures are from items currently available at http://shop.nordstrom.com/.  They offer petite and extended sizes as you can see from the cute plus-size sweat suit. Check them out!

Take it To the Lord In Prayer

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6-7

What a comforting verse.  I did a research study last year on mental health issues and medication for disorders like anxiety.  Researchers have found that purely medicating people with mental health problems doesn't cure them.  Medication just masks the problem.  That's why treating anxiety disorders requires more than just Prozac.  Psychiatrists try to prescribe combination treatment with medication and behavioral therapy--both of which are expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to administer.  Meanwhile, Philippians tells us that Christians don't have to have anxiety because we can have peace--and not just any peace.  God promises us peace which surpasses all comprehension if we just give our requests to God in prayer. 

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

--What a Friend We Have in Jesus, Joseph M. Scriven

J-E-L-L-O

My toddler is refusing to eat most foods.  As a nurse, I know this is normal child development and I really haven't freaked out about this yet.  Instead, I've been trying to get him to try new things with the anticipation that he'll find a new food or flavor he likes.  This week, we tried Jello.

I was very proud of him when I found this:

But then reality set in when I discovered his secret.

How to Have Beautiful Feet

"...As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!" Romans 10:15

Paul uses the words of Isaiah to describe messengers of the Gospel.  He says that the people who bring the good news of the Gospel to unbelievers have beautiful feet. 

I have to confess that I don't share the actual Gospel message very often.  I defend conservative, Christian views frequently.  But I have failed to share the message of the Gospel on a regular basis.  So here is the Gospel message straight from Romans:

1) All people are sinners.  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

2) As sinners, we all face the death penalty as our punishment.  "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23a

3) God has given us the gift of life and the opportunity to escape our death sentence.  "...but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23b

4) God made this gift available to us by having His Son, Jesus die in our place.  "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

5) After Jesus died, he didn't stay dead but He rose again. If we confess that we our sinners and believe that Jesus died for us and rose again, He will save us.  "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." Romans 10:9-10

6) Salvation is for anyone who is willing to confess and believe in Jesus. "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13

7) Once we become Christians, we ought to live in a manner pleasing to God.  God gave us the gift of eternal life, and we need to show our gratitude and love by living lives that honor Him! "Therefore, I urge you brotheren by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12: 1-2

Fellow Christ-followers, share the Gospel message today and work on making your feet beautiful!

These Boots Were Made for Summer!

Every girl needs to have an awesome pair of cowboy boots.  And I don't mean boots that you would actually wear at a ranch or in a horse stall.  I'm talking about boots with a delicate heel, a pointy toe, and a pretty design. 

When I was pregnant, cowboy boots saved my life.  They were easy to walk in, and they were so incredibly comfortable.  I even treated myself to a pair of boots for Mother's Day last year so that I could continue the cowboy boot trend after my son was born.  I'm so glad I did.

Every girl needs to make the investment for the perfect pair of boots.  I think many girls hesitate to purchase boots because they're afraid of looking too western, but here are the top reasons why every girl needs a pair of good cowboy boots:

 1) They are the most comfortable pair of shoes you will own
2) Everyone's legs and ankles look good in a pair of boots.  No cankles, varicose veins, or ugly toes are visible!
3) Boots are versatile and they look good with skirts, pants, and shorts.
4) They last forever.  Seriously, get a little polish and you can wear the same pair for years.
5) They look better than flip flops and tennis shoes.

I've posted pictures of the boots I've been admiring this year.  And they're even on sale now!  To find your own favorite pair of boots, visit your local Cavender's or visit their website at http://www.cavenders.com/.  Cowboy boots are a great purchase for yourself or a great gift idea. 

Once you go cowgirl, you won't ever want to go back.

My Not So Green Thumb

I'm not even going to pretend to have a green thumb.  I barely know the names of plants and flowers.  I just know what looks good.  So, since I can't grow my own, I've started buying live flowers every week to put in my kitchen.  And you know what?  They make me smile and they make me want to be in the kitchen more!  Try it out.  Add flowers to your grocery list and see what happens. 

Workaholics Anonymous

"Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint."  Proverbs 23:4 NIV


The downfall of having my colorful, red personality (see previous blog post) is that I'm a workaholic.  I don't intend to be, but I get really antsy when I'm not working.  The only way for me to truly relax is to remove me entirely from the places where I can do work--my house included.  Vacations were invented for people like me. And when I don't take vacations, I get tired and I wear myself out.

This verse was written for all the workaholics out there. People like me need salaries. We need to know that even if we kill ourselves to finish our work, we're not going to get paid anymore.  The hourly wage and incentive system is awful for the workaholic.  We're always thinking, "if I could just put in a few extra hours then I could buy this..."

This verse is a reminder to me that we have to show restraint by creating boundaries for ourselves.  How? I know that for me, having a salary takes away the lure of overtime and extra money.  And volunteer work is even better, because I'm not even worrying about the payoff and can focus on what I'm doing.  Being a stay-at-home mom has taught me to be smarter about how I spend money since we don't have as much coming in.  Staying away from job boards to look at potential jobs is good too.  Walking through model homes of houses that I might be able to afford but really don't need is bad.  Shopping at Willow Bend at Neiman Marcus is bad too.

Let's show some restraint and stop tempting ourselves because as verse 5 says "cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." 

Are you Politically Informed?

 I'm curious to know how much women know about politics and current events.  Every lady's magazine has a quiz to help you self-evaluate.  So I wrote this quiz to help you test your knowledge of politics.  (The answers are at the bottom of the blog post.)

1. When you filled up your car this week, you noticed that the price of a gallon of gasoline has finally surpassed the price of your Starbucks latte'.  Who is to blame for the increased gas price?
    a) NAFTA
    b) Enron
    c) Conflict in the middle east
    d) OPEC

2.  The First Lady, Michelle Obama, is trying to fight childhood obesity.  As a part of this effort she has done which of the following:
    a) Created a line of work-out videos
    b) Hired a tofu chef to help her write a cook book
    c) Became an apiarist (beekeeper) and started raising bees at the White House
    d) Decided she will no longer eat meat.  She wants to lead by example.

3.  True or False--The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) says that marriage is between one man and one woman.

4. This person is not a United States Supreme Court Justice:
    a) Samuel Alito
    b) Harriet Meirs
    c) Anthony Kennedy
    d) Sonia Sotomayor

Bonus: What is the best state for shopping? (Hint: They don't have sales tax)
    a) Nevada
    b) Delaware
    c) Hawaii
    d) Tennessee

If you had trouble answering any of these questions, it's time to start thinking about politics, current events and government.  Log on to http://www.foxnews.com/, watch shows like The O'Reilly Factor, go to Barnes and Noble and pick up a book by a sitting Supreme Court Justice (Justices Thomas and Scalia are my favorite), start talking politics with your husband/boyfriend, or start listening to Talk Radio.

As women, our opinion matters.  As mothers, we need to teach our children the truth about law and politics so that they don't learn it at public school.  And as wives, I think our husbands find it rather attractive to have a wife who knows why the price of gas went up! 

This quiz is your reminder to learn something new today.

Answers: 1) d; 2) c; 3) True; 4) b; Bonus--Delaware! 

Parenting is Not for the Faint of Heart

"Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death." Proverbs 19:18 NIV

Wow! This verse kind of says it all.  If we don't discipline our children, we are an accessory to their downfall.  And the message is clear.  We have to discipline our children.  We don't negotiate.  We don't tolerate.  We don't just pray and hope they act like good people.  We must discipline.

I think a lot of moms feel like the task of disciplining belongs to fathers.  But they're wrong.  Justice is swift, consistent, and needs to be done when the child can connect their bad act with the consequences of the action.  That means that it's ok to spank your child when he's screaming in Super Target.  I mean, come on, you can't use time-out at Super Target.  Yes, it is legal for a parent or grandparent to spank in Texas, even in public places!  Section 9.61 of the Texas Penal Code and section 151.001 of the Texas Family Code both discuss the parental right and DUTY to discipline one's child. (But these sections do not apply to Foster children.)

§ 9.61. PARENT-CHILD.

(a) The use of force, but not 
deadly force, against a child younger than 18 years is justified:
  (1)  if the actor is the child's parent or stepparent or 
is acting in loco parentis to the child;  and
  (2)  when and to the degree the actor reasonably 
believes the force is necessary to discipline the child or to 
safeguard or promote his welfare. 

§ 151.001. RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF PARENT.  (a) A parent of a 
child has the following rights and duties:
  (1)  the right to have physical possession, to direct 
the moral and religious training, and to designate the residence of 
the child;
  (2)  the duty of care, control, protection, and 
reasonable discipline of the child;

Just keep reminding yourself (I have to do this a lot), that if I discipline my son per the instructions of Proverbs, there is hope!

When it Comes to Fashion, Size Doesn't Matter

Shopping should be fun for all women, but sometimes it can be a downer.  Have you ever tried on a cute outfit and realized that you needed a size 2 or 3 times larger than what you normally wear?  It's not your fault.  Blame the fashion manufacturers. 

It doesn't make sense mathematically why a person can wear a size 2 in one store but needs a size 9 or 10 in another.  It sounds like I'm exaggerating, but you if you looked through my closet, I'm confident you can find an assortment of sizes--all of which actually fit me!  The only answer I can find to this conundrum is that each manufacturer uses their own sizing.  And there is no such thing as standard sizing for women's clothing. 

What does this mean?  This means you have to try clothes on.  Even if you know your measurements, you still need to try things on.  And if you have to buy a size 3 times larger than normal, who cares?  Fashion is not about how skinny you are or whether you can fit into the newest trend.  True fashion is about knowing what looks good on you and wearing what flatters you.  If you find something that fits like a glove, no one will notice your lumps or your bird legs.  If you have curves, find clothes that make them look sexy.  And if you're all skin and bones, find clothes that give you a shape. 

But stop worrying about what size you wear.  Start wearing what looks good.  And start loving how you look!