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xoxo Aubrey
Guest Post: Consistency
I was recently asked to do a guest post for the My Time to Blossom crew, so I thought I’d share to my blog as well:
There are many things in my life that have brought me happiness, but one thing that I recently learned of is the power of consistency. To truly understand this characteristic, one must go to the source: God. He is 100% consistent. As stated in 1 Nephi 10:8, “[God] is the same yesterday, today, and forever”. As a teenager, I didn’t see the wisdom in consistent living. I went to bed at a different time every night due to homework, friends, or social media. I skipped meals because I didn’t prep for school lunches appropriately. I would set a goal and only see it through for a few weeks. I finally asked myself a simple question: is this what my Heavenly Father does? The answer, of course, is no. I can’t say that I know exactly what He does on a regular basis, but I have a pretty good idea of what He doesn’t do.
My deepest desire is to become like my Heavenly Father, so I thought about how I could obtain this goal. I decided it was necessary for me to be more consistent in all aspects of my life and develop a routine. I used the scripture, “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6) as my guide and came up with the following goals:
- Get ready for bed at 8:30 pm so that I can be in bed at 10:30 pm (it takes me forever to get ready for bed since I’m so tired!!)
- Wake up at 5:30 am for the gym every morning
- Pre-plan meals and eat every 3-4 hours (this is what works best for me!)
- Read scriptures every morning after the gym
These were things that I was already doing sporadically, so the goal was to make them daily occurrences. I always thought that in order for me to become perfect, I would have to do this great act, like start an organization or save millions of lives. By studying the scriptures, it became apparent to me that this was unrealistic. I knew I would have to change “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” (2 Nephi 28:30). Consistency was the means to this end!
I developed a metric system to track myself on how I was doing every day. At first, my new lifestyle seemed robotic and uninteresting. I didn’t feel like myself anymore because I didn’t stay out late with my friends, and I almost felt too responsible. These feelings quickly resided as I trekked along for about a month. It was amazing how I actually developed a love for going to bed, waking up early, staying home instead of vacationing, and so on! It is amazing to see how far I have come and how much farther I have to go, but the point is that I am no longer living in a maze. This characteristic is eternal, and I know that as we strive to live more consistently in the way that we care for our bodies, the way that we show love to others, and the way that we come to know our Heavenly Father, we will find greater happiness in this life and in the eternities!
My Two Year Mission
^My gift to Joe was a poem that I wrote one night when I was half asleep… I was surprised that it actually made sense the next day!
My husband, Joe and I celebrated two years of marriage on October 12th! We took Levi out for breakfast, went to a movie (mostly for the comfy seats at Cinemark…), and painted at As You Wish since Joe knows I’m into that kind of stuff. 
Any time a landmark like this occurs, it’s natural to reflect on all that has taken place since “the greatest day of our lives”. It’s safe to say that we have had many great days since, including:
- Living in our first apartment together
- Moving in with my in-laws
- Joe graduating and beginning his Master’s program
- Welcoming Levi into our family
- Learning that both Joe & I may or may not be the most stubborn people ever (lol)
- Learning that parenthood is most successful when we work as a team & support one another
- Becoming an official freelance calligraphy artist & starting my own business (Aubrey Kash Designs) – YAY!
Before we got married, or even before were engaged for that matter, I thought that going on a LDS mission was what I wanted to do. I had a dilemma because at the same time, I knew Joe was the perfect guy for me – he actually understood who I was!! – so I didn’t want to risk losing him. I spoke to many people, and one in particular laid it out simply for me. He asked me my main goals in life. My response was that I wanted to start a family of my own, have lots of kids, and become better through it all. He then helped me realize that I need not travel to serve a mission and dedicate my life to God, but that I could do just that by getting married now. After that, it was clear what I wanted to do, and I am so glad that I did because I have learned more from becoming a wife and mother than I could have ever imagined! And it has only been two years so I have so much respect for the wise couples who have been married for so much longer. It hasn’t been all sunshine and roses (we are two different people), but sometimes it takes living with another person to realize your own flaws and to change. I am grateful for Joe and for the lessons he continues to teach me 🙂
Here’s to another great year, love! ♥
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Summer 2015: Photo Diary
It has been a terrific summer filled with hot days, weddings, nannying, learning to be more consistent, and of course enjoying our Levi. School starts tomorrow for Joe & I – he begins his Master’s program in Industrial Engineering & I am graduating this December with a degree in Family & Human Development – yay! I really enjoy school so it will be interesting to finally be done with my formal education after about sixteen years!!! It has definitely flown by and I am grateful for all of the fond memories & people I have met at ASU. Here’s to another great semester!
One of my best friend’s wedding!
This is what happens when I work out at home… 🙂
The fam all together for Mother’s Day ❤
I have the best view at church 😉
My sis is engaged!
Roseola 
Meet Brian & Helga lolz
Like father like son!
On our way to Tucson! First timers.
Unique Antiques
I love when Olive comes to visit!
4th of July
More weddings! ❤
Joey’s 24th birthday
LOTS of swimming
My boy gives the best kisses!
The beautiful SLC temple
Levi & his uncle hehe
I’m working on some new calligraphy projects…stay tuned! 😀
NEW HAIR! This is as short as it’s been since I was 2 & I love it.
Thanks for stopping by! ❤ Aubrey
New Talent: Calligraphy
One of my favorite pastimes has always been doodling. Let’s just say that when I opened my school notebooks, I could usually find my name written out in different types more than actual school work… 😉
I recently bought an ink dip pen and have really developed a love for calligraphy! It’s like my own personal therapy. 🙂 I wanted to share my talent with others, so my sister kindly agreed to be my guinea pig with her wedding announcements – although for many of the letters I didn’t have my “fancy” pen yet so I used a gold sharpie or ballpoint pen instead.
My sister was happy with the results and I thought others might appreciate my work, too! Feel free to contact me if you or anyone you know would like a scribe for wedding invitations, announcements, thank you notes, etc.! I carry white, gold, and black ink.
*Email me at aubreykash@gmail.com or call/text at (480) 878 – 8501 for more information.
As always, thanks for stopping by! Xoxo Aubrey
Potty Training Your Baby
After posting this picture of Levi on Instagram with the caption, “this babe used the ‘big boy’ potty today!”, I have gotten some questions regarding his early potty training. Here’s my answer!
Background: I am studying Family & Human Development at ASU & was so impressed when I learned about how different cultures view potty training. For instance, in some African communities, babies are trained very quickly because they never wear diapers in the first place. After some research, I realized that there are so many takes on this subject, even in the United States. My friend (who also introduced me to homebirth) told me about her experience with potty training, so I give her credit for expanding my knowledge!
Basically: Providing miniaturized versions of common household items helps babies and toddlers feel independent and self-sufficient. That’s why the baby potty is so useful! I didn’t really like the idea of cleaning out a plastic container, so I wanted to try out the infant toilet seat instead. It’s mess-free and I like it because it has handles and includes an aiming guard. Use your best judgement when deciding which route to take. 🙂
Baby potty training doesn’t always mean running wild without a diaper – Levi is only 7.5 months old! It can be a goal once your child can sit up without assistance. Here’s what I do:
- 3-4 times a day (in the morning, twice in the afternoon, and before bedtime) I take off Levi’s diaper & set him on his potty
- Make “potty sounds” for him while he laughs
- Clap & tell him good job
- Remove him from the seat and replace diaper
And that’s all, folks! After three days of this, we were really excited because he actually went yesterday!! I pay close attention to Levi’s expressions, so when I saw him grunting, I rushed him to the toilet. He’s a natural. 😉 All in all: I’m no expert, but I love this technique because it gives the child freedom and also helps him get accustomed to the big “hole in the ground”…haha!
Thanks for stopping by! Please comment with any questions or suggestions that you might have.
❤ Aubrey
Free Spirited 
