It’s officially October, which is one of the greatest months of the year!
Need proof? Let me provide you with a list of the good things that come in October:
- I get to watch my favorite movie of all time, Halloweentown (yes, it’s actually my favorite).
- Reese’s pumpkins which have the perfect ratio of chocolate to peanut butter of all Reese’s products.
- General Conference which means I get to hear from my BFF Jeffrey R. Holland.
- The Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico which I WILL go to one day (it’s my dream).
- And perhaps most importantly — the patent for peanut butter was granted in OCTOBER 1884. Best thing to ever happen.
And since October is filled with so many of my favorite things, I thought I would share some of my other favorite things with you as well. Let’s get started!
Favorite Podcast Episode
Now even though I am a podcaster, I don’t tend to listen to too many podcasts. I mean, I listen to my own podcast with my kids for our scripture study a lot of the time, but I don’t listen to a lot of other podcasts.
But I recently listened to an episode of Awesome with Alison, episode number 120 in which she interviewed Lexie Kite of Beauty Redefined. And it. was. phenomenal.
Now honestly, I think that anything Lexie and Lindsay Kite do is phenomenal. If you are not aware of who they are, I would highly suggest checking them out on Instagram at @beauty_redefined. Beauty Redefined is a nonprofit that helps women see themselves as more than bodies, and to view their own bodies as instruments rather than ornaments.
I loved the episode Lexie did with Alison, because in it Alison shared some of the damaging things that happened in her childhood and Lexie helped to clarify the negative lessons we teach children through our well-meaning actions and words.
So if you struggle with body image, if you have daughters, or if you just want to get educated on body image resilience I would highly suggest this episode.
Favorite Gospel Book
My favorite gospel book has not changed in a really long time. And it’s actually a toss up between the one I’m telling here and Your Endowment by Mark Shields. But today I’m sharing my favorite gospel book for youth.
I think one of the difficulties of gaining a testimony for the youth of the Church is facing down historical and scientific facts that refute the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. It’s hard to have a small-but-growing testimony in the face of evidence like that.
Which is why I love The Little Book of Book of Mormon Evidences by John Hilton III. This book is small but mighty!
The book is filled with historical, literary, and scientific facts that verify the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. And there are TONS of them in this little book. As John says in the book this isn’t what your testimony is going to be built on, but it is great scaffolding to help support your testimony as it grows.
I highly recommend this book for anyone, but especially for the youth of the Church who are still growing their testimonies.
Favorite Gospel Resource
Okay friends, this resource is going to change your lives FOREVER. If you have kids still in Primary this resource is so phenomenal. I recently signed up for David Bowman’s Drawn In. It is a monthly subscription to get his Come Follow Me resources for kids and it is 1000% worth it!
Each week he provides two videos and multiple PDFs to help your family with their Come Follow Me study. And the videos are the BEST. They are the “funnest” way that I’ve ever experienced studying the scriptures. David is so great at bringing humor into his videos, but then also knowing when to pull it back and when to really dive in deep to the scriptures and get into principles and change your heart.
In the videos he shows the kids how to mark their scriptures, how to find gospel principles, and how to find power verses in your reading. It is the best money I spend each month and, as of the time I’m posting this (October 2020) the membership is ridiculously cheap– like less than a Chipotle burrito. So go get yourself signed up for Drawn In today!
Favorite Books for Girls
This one is not gospel related , but I recently discovered a squeaky clean book series that is great for girls! Now I LOVE reading but I also struggle to find books that are truly clean. I don’t love reading books with profanity, blashempy, gory violence, or sexual innuendo. Which means I read a lot of stuff from the 1800s.
But this new-to-me book series called The Four Kingdoms by Melanie Cellier is 100% clean. The books are re-tellings of famous fairytales that also intertwine the stories. I think it is so fun and perfect for girls. There are about 10 books in all the fairytale re-tellings she has done so there is plenty of content to keep your daughter reading for a long time.
Favorite Thing I’ve Spent Money on Recently
Oh, you guys. I cannot speak highly enough of this next resource: Family Tech University Workshop.
I bought this e-course for my 12-year-old to help prepare him for the internet and a cell-phone (which he still doesn’t have but I’m anticipating at some point in his teenage life).
The course is basically like drivers ed for a cell phone . . . and it is WONDERFUL! It helps your tween/teen build their own internal filter so that they WANT to make good decisions when they are spending time on technology. It brings up topics like the time spent on technology, pornography, gaming, online etiquette and so much more. I cannot recommend this resource enough for parents who want to help their kids stay safe on technology.
And that is it my friends! I hope you have enjoyed this list of my top 5 favorite things. Now tell me– what is your favorite thing you’ve discovered lately? Let all of us know about it in the comments below!
