Talking To My Son About Purity

When my girls turned 13, they were given a ring and were talked to about their purity and how important it was to me and how I hoped it would be important to them as well. Now, this was quite a number of years ago with them, so I’ll be talking about my experience talking to my 13 year old son on Good Friday.

I really hadn’t known what to get him. He just isn’t a jewelry guy. I wanted him to have something to wear, but didn’t know what and I ended up just putting it off over and over. I did finally find a really cool guitar pick looking necklace that had scripture written on it. I just hadn’t ordered it.

While we were in Minnesota, I went by the Lifeway bookstore to find some books for my youngest son and that’s when I remembered about the necklace. I looked and found a couple I liked, but figured since Buddy is so particular, I needed him with me.

So, on Good Friday, after I picked the boys up from spending the night at their sister’s apartment and we headed to the bookstore. I brought Buddy to the jewelry display and told him I wanted him to pick out something. I walked to the book section with Doodle while he looked.

lol He came back with a keychain. I had been texted Fred and when Buddy showed me the keychain I just thought, I don’t think this is the “reminder” I want him to have and thankfully, Fred confirmed my thoughts. I sent him back up front to choose again.

ha! He came back with this black and white plastic bracelet that looked like it’d last about 6 months.

See, the problem was, he didn’t know what he was looking for and why. I just told him to find something. I didn’t want to start the talk while we were there or before hand. So…back up he went. He finally found a NOTW (Not of this World) guitar pick looking necklace. Whew, acceptable.

As we were leaving the store, Doodle says to me, “Am I going to do the same thing when I’m 13?” Yes indeedy son you are!

When I got back to the house, I found a box and wrapped it in white tissue paper. It was that or Christmas paper. I called Buddy to the table and I started talking. I asked him if he knew what purity was and what it meant. He was clueless. Ugh, I have NOT been doing my job well. I explained it to him and then proceeded to tell him about scripture and what God says about purity.

I explained that scripture tells us that God created Adam and Eve, which he obviously knew, but they were told to fill the earth. It was important for him to know sex isn’t bad, in fact God created it and wrote an entire book about it, but it was created for marriage.

Next I gave him the gift. I explained to him this gift represents the gift of having sex for the first time with his wife. I made sure he knew that kissing, holding hands, and cuddling aren’t bad. It’s just that those things can lead to more stuff. You get into the moment and you’re having all of these good feelings and boom, the next thing you know, you’ve just had sex.

Here’s basically the conversation I had with him:

“So, you get your first girlfriend and it’s sweet and you go a little far a couple of times. I want you to make a couple of tears on the tissue paper. When you make these tears, they are a part of you. You can’t have a relationship and go too far without it affecting you somehow.

Now, let’s say you go out with three more girls and each girl you mess around with. I want you to make a bunch or rips all around the gift. And I want you to make several small rips underneath the gift as well.

Do you see this gift now? Do you see how destroyed it is? So many tears and all of this stays with you in one way or another. And the bottom, things happen in each relationship and we don’t always see how it’s affecting us, but it’s still there; the hurt and the pain.

And then, you meet the woman who will become your future wife. And you have this gift to give to her, but look at the shape that it’s in. Think about how it started out and the condition it’s in now. On your wedding night, THIS is what you’ll hand her. And not only will you be handing her this gift from you, but it’ll have all of the girls you’ve been with attached right along with it.

Is this what you want to hand your wife on your wedding night?”

I was in the moment with all of this, in my groove, so I’m sure I’ve left some stuff out, but that’s basically the gist of our conversation.

We talked about how he may meet someone and she may become his wife and he’ll only date one person. Who knows. It doesn’t change the fact that by having sex outside of marriage takes away the blessing God has for those who wait.

Then I handed him his necklace and said, “This is why I want you to wear this necklace. I want it to be a reminder to you, that purity is the best choice. It’s not going to be easy and you’re going to be tempted. Satan is going to make it very hard for you, and that’s why you need to establish boundaries when you’re dating someone ahead of time. That way you’re not in the moment and you give in to your desires.

I can’t make you make the decision to stay pure. All I can do is talk to you about it. It’s up to you to make that decision. I can’t force it on you.”

Sex, it’s good. It’s a good thing, but within the bonds of marriage. That I wholeheartedly believe. I want all of my kids to enjoy the fullness of giving themselves for the first time to one person.

I won’t ever have the luxury of knowing what that was like. I’ve had my gift torn to shreds. Some pieces were torn by me, other pieces torn by someone else. I’ve heard from those who have given themselves for the first time to the person they married and their sex lives have been extremely healthy as well as their marriages.

Will my kids make poor choices? Possibly. My girls are 21 and 20 and I know for a fact that they are as pure as the driven snow. We had our discussion and then it was up to them to make the choice, and they did. There’s nothing to say that my boys will do the same thing. All I can do is be available to talk to them as they make those decisions.

There’s something to be said for staying pure until marriage. I hope my kids choose purity.

Learning to Change the Cabin Air Filter! #cbias #FresherCar

Ok, so a couple of weeks ago my dad showed me how to change my oil. Then last week I found out Social Fabric was working with Fram and I joined their group! I mean, c’mon, it’s about cars, of course I joined. What I didn’t know when I joined was that they had a “shop” for an air filter!

Ha! Yes! I was going to learn to change the air filter in the car. We’ll come back to this “task” in just a little bit. Let’s just say I had a total girl moment.

My mom drives a 2008 Lexus and I love driving it! So much nicer than my 2001 minivan. I figured her car was a great guinea pig and she was all for it. So, I went to Walmart to find the right air filter for her car.

I started going through the Fram automated air filter finder and searched for my mom’s make and model. I searched through the list and found the right filter number. But I wasn’t finding the right one. This guy from the tire shop came out with someone else and asked me if I was finding everything ok. I told him what I was looking for and he told me the numbers would be the same from one filter to the next.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t right. The basic air filters have one number and the cabin air filters have another. Take note of the word “cabin” for future reference. I found what I thought was my mom’s car model and made the purchase.

The next day, as I was talking to my mom, I said, “You have the GS, right?” and she said, “No, it’s an RX.” Buddy of course was sitting right there and says, “Even ‘I' knew that! Her license plate…” Oh, right.

So, I headed back to Walmart and turns out that the reason I spaced the first time I was there was because the electronic finder didn’t have my mom’s model listed. Thankfully, they also have the Fram catalog right next to it and that had her make and model number. Second time was a charm and I walked out with the right one!

Dad and I headed out to mom’s car to change the air filter. lol Here comes my girl moment! He had the hood up and I was propping the box up to take pictures and my dad says, “Wait a minute! THAT’S not an air filter!” Oh boy, he was right. lol It was for the “cabin”, as in inside the vehicle! He’d never changed that one before so we were both going to learn a new lesson!

He got his manual out as I went inside and pulled up the Fram website to watch the video so we knew how to change the filter. Dad came inside and told me he found it in his manual. He’d never taken the glove compartment off before so he had quite the time trying to figure it out.

Funny thing was, once he got the door undone. he realized that he was just trying to hard. It was much simpler than he realized he was making it. Isn’t that the way it always is?
You should’ve seen our faces once he pulled out the old cabin filter which they had never changed (and we never knew existed). The filter was black, had various leaves on it and a dead moth in one of the grooves! Just gross! We inserted the new one into the holder, tucked it back into the slot and away we went! It was crazy easy! I couldn’t believe how fast it went!


My mom has allergies, but not at all like me and my kids. We all have seasonal allergies and as soon as it starts to warm up, we become the sniffiliest people! I have a feeling changing these out will do us a world of good when we’re out and about! It'll also help since my parents will have to help with baseball game drop offs and pick ups. The boys will be with them a lot!
Right now you can get a Fram Rebate. You can’t beat getting money back! You’ll also be able to see my entire escapade getting the right filter with my Google+ album. =)

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and FRAM #cbias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own.

A Walgreens Like You’ve Never Seen

Ok, well, unless you’ve been to one of the other flagship stores, you’ve never seen a Walgreens like the one I went to this past week. I hadn’t done any research about what a flagship was, although Fred did, and even though he read to me what it was, I honestly didn’t grasp what I was about to experience.

I headed into Washington D.C. to check out this new Walgreens. I mean, c’mon, it’s a Walgreens. We’ve all been in them. We know what they look like. lol Oh boy, I was about to totally be surprised.

First it’s a 3 story Walgreens. That should tell you right there that it’s different. When you first walk in, there’s a small ramp you go up and it looks somewhat like a health deli. Actually, the middle floor had SO many people walking around it I feel like I have to go back to get a good grasp as to what’s on that floor. I’ll get back to this floor in a minute.

Our story actually begins on the 3rd floor. The Look Boutique. When I got to the third floor, I felt like I heard angels singing. It was so beautiful. It gave me the sense that I had just entered a department store beauty section. I honestly didn’t feel like I was in Walgreens anymore.

They have a nail salon that you can just walk up to without an appointment! And the price…$12! How amazing is that?! As a single mom, that is SO doable. I felt like I was wide eyed walking through all of the make-up selections. They had lines I’d never heard of before.

This Gosh Cosmetics line is from Europe and is exclusive to Walgreens and DuaneReade! How about a mascara with a light inside the wand? The colors are definitely fun!

While we were waiting to talk with Marcia, I actually didn’t know she was one of the women who had passed me while we were waiting by the nail bar. There was a lady with her who looked extremely familiar, but I had no idea why. I just blew it off to the woman having a familiar face.

Turns out that woman was Vera Moore. She used to star on Another World, a soap opera I used to watch when I was a kid. I KNEW I recognized her! We had a chance to talk with her and her daughter who created a make-up line perfect for any skin color.

We walked around with Marsha as she shared about the different make-up lines and how she chooses who will be in the stores. Some are obviously familiar lines, but others, she sees the potential in and brings them on board.

One of the things that has really sold me on the Look Boutique is that all of the people who work there have been trained by all of the lines.They aren’t there to promote a certain brand. They find out what your needs are and then work with you to get you what you want. I also like that they won’t hover, waiting for a sale! I’m sorry, but it drives me crazy when they do! I’m one of those people who, if I need help, I’ll ask.

I do my best to take care of my eyebrows, but I could use some better tips for plucking. How nice to go Walgreens and have them taken care of for me! I had never heard of this line before, but it’s a make-up line to the stars! Their goal is to have people say “she is beautiful” not “your make-up is beautiful”. (Thanks Fred for remembering!)

Our group then headed down to the main level where you walk into the store. Again, you would hardly believe you’re in a Walgreens. They have healthy on their mind, and the evidence is everywhere.

You can purchase fresh fruit and they have an amazing juice/smoothie bar and, having sampled them, wow, very delicious! We were treated to much of the food and beverages they have available. Trust, me, this is absolutely one-stop shopping.

Unfortunately, or maybe for my waistline fortunately, I didn’t have one of their gourmet cupcakes, but I certainly wanted to try one. Man, they looked delicious!

Look at all of this amazing fresh fruit. They also have an entire cooler of fresh food!

Next we headed down to the lower level where the Take Care Clinic is located and where you’d find most of your pharmacy products. This is amazing and I haven’t seen anything like it in any other Walgreens.

We got a fabulous tour of their cutting edge technology that gave us a better idea of how streamlined the entire Clinic is. When you get to the pharmacy, you won’t see any medication behind the counters. That’s not the impression they want you to start off with. They want the focus to be on the care of the people.

With how they have the Take Care Clinic set up they’re seeing a 4-8x increase in patients interacting with pharmacists. With their studies, they found 1/3 of the pharmacist’s time doing technician duties.

The Clinic has Board Certified Family Nurse Practioners. The can see patients and access them. If someone needs lab work done they can send people to get them done and there in the Clinic they can do a wide variety of procedures. One of the things I liked the most about the Clinic is their “truth in advertising”. There are no hidden costs! The visit cost, any procedures, etc are all listed for everyone to see!

They have a nice couple of rooms to do procedures in and a private consultation room to speak to a pharmacist.They have point-of-care testing which means they can do quick strep and mono tests right there!

I left this Walgreens feeling like I had just found my new favorite pharmacy. Sure, I’d have to drive an hour to get there, but having experienced it, know that it would totally be worth the drive!

Oh, and least I forget, I wanted to thank Fred who showed up and stood around for a very long time while I took a tour and talked with people from Walgreens and didn’t have one complaint at his utter boredom waiting for me. You rock honey! And yes, he totally photo bombed my camera when I wasn’t paying attention! =) This is what he gets for bombing. ha!

Be sure to connect with Walgreens via Facebook, Twitter and Google+!

I also have an entire photo selection (even more than here) in Google+! You'll be able to see more of this awesome day there!

* I was invited to the opening of the Walgreens store opening by Collective Bias. I was compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and Walgreens #cbias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own.

Learning To Change My Oil

So, I’ve always wanted to learn how to change my own oil. I know that might not seem like something exciting to most people, especially women, but growing up with a dad who loves cars and did all of his own maintenance, I inherited his love of them as well. I just never had anyone to show me how and I wasn’t about to teach myself.

My van was in serious need of an oil change and he sent me out to get the oil and oil filter. Thankfully the day we chose to change it was beautiful! lol It would’ve seriously stunk if it had been miserable winter weather. =)

We headed out on Saturday and got underneath my van.

Ok, the worst part was riding it up onto the ramps. Thankfully dad was there to tell me when to stop. lol I probably would’ve rolled right over the front! Even still, the thought of my van falling was always in the back of my mind!

Now, I’ve always known how to check my oil, where it’s located so I could fill as necessary, etc. I’d just never had the opportunity to actually change it. In fact, I was about 1000+ miles overdue!

I’ve heard about people having issues with getting their oil changed at certain places and their plug not being put on tight enough or losing their plug. At least now I know where to find mine!

My dad was so great teaching me how to do all of this. He would either get something started, like undoing the oil plug and letting me finish or he’d point out what I needed to do and then let me have at it!

I can’t even begin to tell you how black my oil was! It was horrible. My van has 240K+ miles on it and leaks oil. It was nasty! What I didn’t realize was, the oil filter has a lot of oil in it as well even when the vehicle isn’t running so after we emptied the oil from the van, we had to loosen the filter so it could empty and then it came all the way off.

I had asked my boys to come out and take photos of me and my dad working together, but they were too busy watching cartoons and playing pool. I was really bummed because this was the first time since I was a kid learning to drive a stick shift that my dad’s taught me anything and done something like this with me. It was extremely meaningful. I know it’s just changing oil, but I won’t forget the time we spent together doing it.

Thanks dad!

Transformers: Beast Hunters Give Away

To say that my boys love Transformers would be an understatement. I can’t even tell you how many times we’ve watched those movies! When I saw that Hasbro was starting a new line, I knew that the boys would be interested.

Of course, as soon as my 9yo got his Predaking out of the box, the first thing he figured out to do was shoot the hydrafire blasters. lol Boys will be boys, right?

Something I found very interesting with the directions was there are only pictures! Each step is detailed and highlighted as to what should move next to transform your Transformer.

Interestingly enough, we had to call in my older son because there were a few steps that my younger son just didn’t understand. Well, he just wasn’t sure how to move part of the Transformer. I love getting my older son to help his little brother out!

I had to run out for the day and asked them to keep plugging along at it! They help me out with so many reviews, they even took a picture of the end result for me! My boys rock! And I didn’t even know it until I started putting my review together! lol

I actually liked that it challenged my younger son. So many toys are so easy for him to figure out, he gets bored rather easily. With this Predaking, he can undo it and redo it getting better each time!

Here’s you chance to win a Transformers: Beast Hunter!

*I received this product for review. The opinions expressed are our own.

<!--more--!>a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spring Into Play Toy Give Away

What better way to kick spring into gear that with an awesome toy giveaway? We've brought together a diverse set of toys great for all ages, which means no one is left out if you win! You're going to love what we have for you! Check it out:

A Fabtastic Blast to celebrate Toys and Games!

Hosted by Fabtastic Bloggers

Spring Into Play Toy Blast >> giveaway package

One lucky reader will win this #fabtastic #toyblast $425 prize package of 13 newest toys and games, including:

• The sophisticated RoboSapien (WowWee): Loaded with attitude and intelligence, it's the first robot based on the science of applied biomorphic robotics. With a full range of dynamic motion, interactive sensors and a unique personality, RoboSapien is more than a mechanical companion -- he's a multi-functional, thinking, feeling robot with attitude!
• The fun and funky YGlider (Yvolution): this kid-powered mini scooter allows younger children to comfortably enjoy scooting at their developmental stage and helps develop their critical balance and coordination skills.
• An Xbox LIVE 12 month Gold membership (Xbox): connect and play with friends around the world and watch thousands of HD movies instantly from Netflix.
• The iDollhouse and iFirehouse iPad play cases (AppVentures): a brand new line of interactive playhouse fun for the next generation of digital savvy kids that you can take everywhere you go and bring to life with the touch of a button.
• The Weird & Wacky Contraption Lab (SmartLab Toys): Standing over two feet tall, the Contraption Lab has 60 mix-and-match pieces to build an unlimited amount of contraptions. Kids can dream up crazy courses, then build and test them using the easy-to-construct Velcro®-like system.
• The Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Clash Alley strategy board game (Wonder Forge): Beat the bad guys in this action-packed 3D strategy board game. Run, climb, and leap as you race through the 3D warehouse on important missions to rescue April, recover objects – and even pick up a pizza!
• The Disney Easter Matching game (Wonder Forge): The classic game of picture matching gets all dressed up for Easter with Mickey, Donald, Tinker Bell, and all your favorite Disney characters
• favorite Disney characters show their Easter spirit in colorful matching tiles.
• A Fashion Angels Disney Princess Velvet Posters and a Sketch Portfolio (Fashion Angels): Combining two things that every little girl wants -- drawing/coloring and princesses. Sit back and watch them create all kinds of cute princess fashions.
• The Crappy Birthday game (North Star Games): the hysterical party game about pranking your friends with gifts they don’t want. It’s the perfect gift to give a party host instead of the traditional bottle of wine.
• The Clubs board game (North Star Games): Clubs combines trick-taking fun with a hint of risk. It’s simple enough for kids, strategic enough for adults.
• AppGear Foam Fighters (WowWee): Take to the skies with WWII fighter planes for immersive aerial combat. Strap in for fast-paced action and wing your way to victory over the Pacific, Britain or Europe. Compatible with iPhone and Android smartphones.

Thank you to all our wonderful sponsors for their generous contribution to our blast!  

Spring Into Play Toy Blast >> giveaway rules

• Must be 18 years or older to enter.
• Open to US residents only.
• Must use a valid email address or entry will be considered invalid.
• We appreciate your following our gracious sponsors; all follow entries are optional and increase your odds of winning this fabtastic prize package.
• No substitutions allowed on any of the giveaway items. Cannot be traded for cash value.
• Winner will be announced on this blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Be sure to follow so you don't miss the notification. Better yet, sign up to our email updates and never miss a thing!
• Winner will be notified via email and must respond to notification within 48 hours or an alternate winner will be selected.

  Disclaimer/Disclosure We have been provided the toys for this giveaway. The prize items will be sent to the winner individually, from their respective sponsors. Fabtastic Bloggers is not responsible for prize fulfillment or any issues arising from the shipment of the prize, the quality of the products, or anything else related to the prize items. Any and all taxes due on the prizes are the winners’ responsibility. Not affiliated with Facebook or Twitter. No purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law.

Ends on 4/8/13. Please enter via the form below. Good luck!

 

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Tabletops Unlimited Dutch Oven Give Away

I love dutch ovens! I’ve always wanted one. And then I had the opportunity to partner with Tabletops Unlimited! I was so excited you have no idea. We were actually supposed to work together for the Holiday giveaway back at Christmas. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get the 4-quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch oven by Denmark until the week before we moved. As soon as it arrived I almost cried. I literally had no room in my van for it. I t was stuffed.

The week I was leaving one of my best friends came over to hang out for a little bit and that’s when it dawned on me. SHE could help me with the review! Yes, I was extremely sad that I wasn’t going to get to keep or use it, but I knew it would be going ot a good home and it would be well taken care of. She also told me she’d take lots of pictures and help me with telling you all about it!

And that’s exactly what she did. Check out how great this baby is and what her experience was like with it!

“It was an enchilada bake....and was really nummy.

It says that you can brown the hamburger right in the dutch oven on top of
the stove....but I was too nervous to use it on top of the glass....seems
like the bottom is a bit rough.  So I just browned the hamburger in a
regular pan.....because it would have to be removed from the dutch oven
anyway to complete the recipe.

Clean up was pretty easy....comparable to a crock pot....soak a bit and
wash by hand.

Can't wait to try a yummy stew in here :)”

Seeing her pictures only makes me want one even more! lol I’ll have to make her cook me something when we go home at the end of the month!

And I absolutely love the color of it. The reddish-orange with the stark white inside. The size of it is also what sold me on this particular one! So big you could cook a meal in it like L.K. did or take it to a brunch/potluck!

One day this sweet dutch oven will be mine! Ok, not this one specifically, but one exactly like it!
So, with that, we have an awesome giveaway for you, too!

*I received this product in exchange for a review. The opinions shared are from L.K. and they are her honest opinions.

Training Up Your Children: What They Wear

Sometimes starting a blog post is the hardest part. How to start, what to say. I know what I want to talk about, but how do I begin?

I want to talk about my kids and how I raised them. This post will be about the modesty I tried instilling in them from a young age. I’ll mostly be talking about my girls in this post. I may talk about my boys down the road.

Right away, when my girls were young, it was important for me as a mom that my girls growing up having a positive image of who they were in Christ. I wanted their value to come from the Lord and what He thought of them, not what the world said was important. I never talked about weight or our appearances. I wanted them to be secure in the beauty they had naturally.

When we were living with a dear friend in Washington I remember the day she told me that you can’t really control what your kids wear. Now, she had older girls and mine were about 4 and 6. It really struck me when she said that because I thought, “what does she mean? How can you as a parent not control that?” I just couldn’t accept that! lol She told me to just wait and see.

Obviously when your kids are really little you don’t have to worry about what they’re wearing. As they grow older and start to develop their own tastes and want to “fit in”, it can definitely become more of an issue.

Now, I had several factors in my favor. I didn’t have money for my girls to be fashionable. I couldn’t afford to shop at American Eagle, The Gap, or Holister. Well, maybe more like Justice and a few tween shops like that, too. I was also close to other families who were training their kids up the same way as me. Their friends dressed the same.

As they were growing up, they didn’t wear bikinis. I knew that it would be so much harder to tell them as tweens and teens they couldn’t wear them anymore because they were developing and showing more skin just wasn’t ok. It was easier to start out with a standard than trying to reverse course down the road. Besides, when they did any youth group events, girls had to wear t-shirts over their bathing suits.

My girls grew up in the Britney Spears era, “Hit Me Baby One More Time” was the song of the day. If I’d see her occasionally, I’d tell my girls, “Why is she wearing so little? She’d be just as beautiful wearing clothing that covered her.” In check out lines, I’d be the mom turning the half naked magazines around in the rack or asking the store manager to cover up the risqué ones. Seriously, the world just pushes and pushes sexuality onto us and our kids. We have to draw a line somewhere.

Baby, my oldest, chose a more “feminine” route of apparel and appearance. I never told them HOW they had to dress, I just guided them. If you’re wearing a skin tight tank top, then you have a sweater or something over it. C’mon people, let’s get real, boys are looking at our girls starting at a very young age and the last thing I wanted my girls to become were sexual objects to boys in their schools.

And yes, I did talk to my girls about their part in how they dressed and what it did to boys around them. Ok, not “my” girls, but other girls. If your daughter is wearing a bikini that is barely covering her chest or her behind, every dude on the beach will be oogling her. It’s just the way it is. You have on a spaghetti strap tank top that molds to your body, where are a guys eyes drawn to? mmmhmmm And my oldest looked adorable in them, but she chose, on her own, to wear tops over them.

My 2nd daughter went the more sporty route. She played basketball and tennis. She was in sweatshirts, t-shirts, sports pants, etc. Worked for me. I mean, there’s very little when it comes to revealing apparel in the sporting arena.

Let me state for the record, I’m not talking at all about personal style. You could be goth or punk, rock or western. No matter what style you choose, you have the option of being modest or immodest. I didn’t want my girls to dress in their own personal style, in a way that made them feel like they had to promote their sexuality to get attention.

Their beauty was on the inside. How many girls do we have in this world who are utterly insecure about their looks because they’ve bought into the lie that the only way they’re beautiful is by revealing themselves? Who have listened to what society has determined to be “beautiful”? Who don’t feel like they measure up because the world tells them something different than what really is important? I didn’t want that for my girls.

I did talk to my daughter over the weekend too see if she felt (in this area) that I was too strict or she felt stifled because of my rules. She made sure to let me know that she wasn’t phased by it at all. It was our life. It was a standard set in the beginning, in a loving, guiding way and they knew it wasn’t meant to control or harm them, but out of a love I had for them. I was so thankful for that!

And lest you think I’m some stick in the mud, check out what I allowed my daughter to do when she was 17! We have to pick our battles and my girls growing up with inner beauty was extremely important to me!

My girls are beautiful young ladies and the physical beautiful is only a reflection of the godly beauty that each posses on the inside. I’m so thankful for the gifts my girls are to me and how I’m constantly blessed by them!

The moral of my story, is that yes, you definitely have a say in what your kids wear. You purchase their clothing. You’re the one who sets the standard. You are the parent!

How are you raising your kids in the area of their appearance and their style?