ThredUp...

Hey everyone! Recently I discovered ThredUp...an online consignment store.  Brand name, like-new, clothes and shoes for up to 90% off retail price without having to leave the comfort of your home...it doesn't get much better than that in my opinion! I for one was thrilled to find their website and have already ordered some shirts and a pair of sandals. My one drawback was being unable to try the clothes on beforehand, but they have a thirty day return policy for most items. You can also sell them your clothes for money or store credit.  And speaking of which, if you use this link, you will receive ten dollars in store credit plus free shipping! And,when you purchase something, I also get ten dollars in store credit...so everybody is happy all around.  I have found lots of stylish, modest clothing just from the few times I have browsed through the collection, so I'm sure you can find something lovely to spend your ten dollars on.  Happy Shopping!

Five Lies About Modesty...

When I first began dressing modestly I was pressured on practically every side by our culture to give up.  I was only about twelve years old so it was my parents who decided what I was going to wear or not wear, and I didn't understand at first the importance of their decision.  The biggest problem, I think, was that I literally knew NO ONE at all who dressed modestly.  This is a big problem when you are a young girl because you don't want to stand out or look "weird". Once I met a girl my age at our parish who did, everything became easier, but it wasn't until I was in my late teens that I began to research the whys and wherefores of dressing in a "Mary-Like Manner".  What I learned was that most girls and young women (including myself) have been and are being presented with a false image of what modesty really is...if more of us could see the truth about modesty, the world would be a much nicer place.  I could go on for hours about everything that's currently wrong with the world but for this post I am going to limit myself to clearing up the top five lies about modesty.

1. Modest Means Frumpy...

I really, really prayed that this wasn't true when my parents first changed our clothing standards.  I had no one to look to for inspiration when I was a teenager, so I thought I was the only girl who wanted to look stylish and yet modest at the same time.  Thank Heaven, I was VERY WRONG.

The Church's position on modesty is:

"A dress cannot be called decent which is cut deeper than two fingers breadth under the pit of the throat; which does not cover the arms at least to the elbows; and scarcely reaches a bit beyond the knees.  Furthermore, dresses of transparent materials are improper." (The sleeve length was raised to at least a quarter of the arm)
As long as your clothes fit into these standards, you're free to mix, match, and style as you like! I have found a wealth of inspiration from people like Olivia Howard from Fresh Modesty  and Colleen Hammond from Dressing With Dignity, not to mention several lovely ladies of my acquaintance who always try to dress in a stylish, yet modest, manner.  The internet is full of blogs by young women trying to bring back more feminine styles, not to mention the Pinterest folders! You can see my personal collection here.  To sum up, women were dressing modestly and stylishly for thousands of years before the mini-skirt was invented.  

2. Modest Clothing Restricts Your Movements, So You Can Do Nothing But Sit Inside And Knit...

Firstly, I like knitting.  And secondly, I have never had to pass up a single activity (short of rock climbing...and I probably could have joined in on that if my skirt had been longer) that I have wanted to partake in at any time of my life because I was wearing a modest skirt.  I have gone tubing, jogging, bouncing on the trampoline, dancing, tree climbing, motorcycle riding...and not once had a problem.  A dear friend even rides horses and and can beat her brothers (and mine!) in a race...depending on the style of skirt you are wearing, you can do pretty much anything in a modest way.

3. I Shouldn't Have To Be Uncomfortable To Keep Men From Committing Sins; That's Their Problem...

Sigh...Okay, there are men out there who will be committing sins regardless of how you dress, but there are also many, many men (young and old) who are trying to keep their minds and souls pure, and we really should try to help them out.  Men are designed to be attracted to women's bodies, so when you dangle forbidden fruit in front of them continuously, you are making it that much harder for them to avoid mortal sin.  Wearing sleeves or a long skirt does not make you that much more uncomfortable than you would be otherwise, but even if you felt like you were being broiled in an oven from the extra material, what is that compared to the immortal souls you will not be putting in danger? The Bible says that we are "our brother's keeper" and we should all be helping each other avoid sin as best we can, men and women alike.  What really made this hit home with me was the remarks my brothers have started making as they've gotten older about how much easier it is to talk to a girl when you're not constantly having to fight a battle in your mind because of her scanty outfit.   

4. It's Impossible To Find Modest Clothing...

Yeah, right.  See the links on number one.

5. Guys Don't Notice Girls Who Dress Modestly...

This is the part where most people say "Guys may chase girls who dress like that now, but when they get married they'll want a nice girl" and I'm sorry, but I don't believe that is a very helpful thing to say.  If a young man does not have enough self control to refrain from "chasing girls" because they dress in an immodest way then he probably wouldn't make a very good husband anyway.  Believe it or not, there are good young men out there, and though they be rare, they are not so extinct as to give you the excuse to give yourself to a man who does not deserve you.  Guys do notice the girls who dress modestly, and they do appreciate it, even if they don't say anything to you.  It makes most guys uncomfortable to even admit that they have a problem in this area, but don't think just because they don't flirt with you they don't think you're special.  The fact is, they see you're different and respect you too much to waste your time and emotions with flirting.

Well, there are the top five lies most girls are presented with about modesty.  I hope I was able to encourage you all to move further away from the world's standard of how to dress and closer to a more "Mary-like Modesty", because we should always be progressing forward in this area, as in every area of our lives.

From The Kitchen...Cherry Macaroons

Hello there! Today I'm sharing a recipe for an amazing and healthy treat that my mom and I love to munch on from time to time.  These Macaroons are very much like the Hail Merry Strawberry Macaroons you can find at Whole Foods or any other Health Food store, except I make them nut free and with freeze dried cherries.  We love Hail Merry's version but they are too expensive to consume in the quantity I would like, so I blended several different recipes and added some touches of my own to make my own, much cheaper version.  If you do not have a dehydrator, get one.  It is one of the most marvelous inventions since cheesecake.  Until then, you can use the oven to make these by baking them at 300 F. for twenty-two to twenty-five minutes, or until they are dry on the outside.

1 Cup of Coconut Butter (just blend 5 cups of shredded coconut in your food processor until smooth and creamy)

1/2 Cup Maple Syrup

1 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla

2 Cups Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

1 oz. Freeze-dried Cherries (or strawberries if you prefer)

Pulse the cherries in your food processor until they are course and well ground.  Add the remaining ingredients minus the shredded coconut and blend until well mixed.  Fold in coconut with a spatula and mix well.  Roll mixture into little balls (or use a melon ball scooper) and place on your dehydrator trays (or cookie sheet if using the oven) and place in the dehydrator.  Dehydrate on 110 degrees for 12-24 hours and try to avoid eating any until they're done (this may be difficult).  When they're done, put them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge until you finish them off (it won't be long).  Enjoy!

Print The Recipe Here


(And in all honesty, Mom actually made this batch...)

Weekly Roundup...

What I Liked...

...celebrating my twentieth birthday!!!...and everyone thinking I was either turning sixteen or twenty-one...

...attending our community's first dance...we had lessons beforehand (thank heavens!) so we could all get the hang of the waltzing and swing dancing.  It was a lovely, family-friendly way of starting the New Year, and we all are requesting another dance as soon as possible.  I haven't had that much fun in years!

...an unexpected parlor with my favorite monk

...seeing the Russel Crowe "Robin Hood" for the first time

...the "Napoleon Dynamite" birthday card my family made me

...the birthday video my brother made me...my hair used to be sooooo loooonnnnggg...

...starting "Plato's Republic"

...shirataki pasta with cheese sauce

...Bulletproof Coffee

What I Didn't...

...having a head cold for nearly two weeks

...four degree weather with NO SNOW

...reading a few chapters in "The Woman In White" before bed...BAAAADDDD IDEA...

What Made Me Laugh...

...my brother and I trying to practice the "crowbar" dance move

...our poor ducks trying to swim in the frozen water trough

...Blimey Cow's "Seven More Lies About Homeschoolers" video

...finding battleaxe hair sticks...with actual blades

What I Accomplished...

...building my very own fire 

...dancing a half-hour long "Virginia Reel Marathon"...now THAT is the definition of fun...

...finishing "The Adventures In Odyssey Novacom Saga"...I've been waiting twelve years to hear the last four episodes...

...starting to do all the bookkeeping for our seed business

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Our Christmas was very peaceful...for once...

Christmas Eve we decorated the house with fresh greenery and baked goodies for most of the day, while singing along to the Christmas playlist I had put together the week before.

 My brother and I made our Christmas wreath together at the expense of my hands...I somehow acquired a severe allergy to cedar this past year...

Our Christmas tree was the smallest we've ever had (we usually get one close to ten feet tall) but it was so full and just plain lovely that no one could complain.

For the past three years we have had an unofficial battle with our next door neighbors to see whose house looks the most "Christmassy" when everyone comes home from Midnight Mass.  Last year we ran out of lights and lost...and this year we were literally checking each others houses all day to see who had more decorations...

Dad put the tree on a box to make it look taller, and after we finished decorating we decided it's the best on we've ever had.

Christmas Morning we woke up to find new, steerable sleds...one of which is big enough to hold all three of us...

(As you can see, my taste in movies is rather diverse =))

For dinner we had a Christmas turkey, cranberry sauce, broccoli rice casserole, mashed potatoes, spicy creamed spinach, and cheesecake for dessert.  It was delicious and we were too full for Christmas candy afterwards...
And after getting only four hours of sleep the night before, I was most certainly ready for bed.

Right before New Years, Mom and Dad took us all to see "The Hobbit, Battle of the Five Armies" at the new Warren Theatre.  It just opened a week or two ago, and, even though we had already seen "The Hobbit"  once with a friend, it was worth breaking our One-Theatre-Trip-A-Year rule...

 Mr. Warren did a WONDERFUL job making the theatre an enjoyable experience...and we are already trying to find an excuse to go back ("Kingsman, The Secret Service", anyone?)

After the movie we had a company meeting at a nice restaurant...

I hope you and your families had a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!!!