Friday, December 21, 2018

THRILLED (yes, all caps!)  to have this article published over at kidsaretheworst.com
http://kidsaretheworst.com/blog/2018/12/11/shift-from-getting-to-giving-this-season
Read on to hear about how I was the worst...and...how, over time, I became not the worst.

My first year at summer camp, I was flummoxed by the white rose ceremony held at the last night’s fireside. I discovered after it was too late that the leaders awarded one girl from each cabin a white rose in recognition of their service towards others throughout the week. I didn’t know I could have been competing for such an honor!
The next year, I went in with a plan. I swept the cabin every night without being asked. I volunteered for extra chores. I finished my dish duty in the mess hall in lightning speed so I could help the girls who were on mopping…and I made sure to do all of these things within eyesight of a leader. I skipped to the rose ceremony, picking up litter on the way.
There, my leader held the most beautiful, snow white rose, and began describing her cabin’s winner:
This girl went above and beyond. Check.
This girl looked for ways to help without being asked. Check.
This girl made room by the campfire for a girl who had felt left out.  
This girl comforted a crying, younger camper who was missing her mom.
This girl stayed up late talking with another girl who was struggling with her faith.
This girl lifted up those around her, unaware that she was being watched.
I was not this girl. I wasn’t even remotely close to being this girl. I couldn’t believe my rose had been snatched up by someone just because she was NICE, when I had voluntarily cleaned latrines! Luckily, I held back from demanding the recount I thought I deserved. I spent the next year thinking about how my plan had failed me. I didn’t just need to volunteer and do extra work, I also had to act like I cared about people.
Fortunately for that pre-teen, selfish soul of mine who craved recognition, I grew up. I learned from mishaps and life experience, but mostly, I met my husband. He would have taken home a camp rose. He is far from perfect—let’s just get that out of the way right this second—but he has a genuinely compassionate heart. He has taught me how to give freely, to be attentive to others, and to look for ways to love and lift someone every day.
The great news is, compassion can be taught. I do believe some people just have a gift to love and give and feel the need to relieve others’ suffering. To be honest, it wasn’t natural for me—but with a lot of practice, it has become a large of part of who I am, and who I want my children to be.
I have four kids who are involved in a million things. My husband and I both work full time. Like everyone else in the world, we are crazy busy, but also like everyone, we make time for the things that are most important to us. We make conscious choices daily to help our children learn how to be compassionate.
The most successful thing we do in this arena is free and easy: we talk. When the kids were younger and we weren’t pulled in four different directions each night, we would sit around the kitchen table at dinner and take turns telling about how we each were able to help someone that day. We heard stories of inviting the new girl in class to play four square at recess, or sharing a snack with someone who forgot theirs, or staying inside to color with sister instead of playing with friends since she couldn’t get out of bed with her broken femur.
Nowadays, we have these conversations, and still ask the same question, “How were you able to help someone today?”  as we drive to volleyball practice, or during halftime as we sit at brother’s basketball game. The stories have changed a little as the kids have gotten older, but the moral is the same: Look. Be aware. Find a way to lift people around you.
The holiday season is a perfect time to focus on compassion with your children. While it’s easy for kids to get excited about all the things they may be getting for Christmas, with a little effort and planning, you can help shift their focus to what they can give this season. Children of every age can enjoy the gift of giving.
Young children love the magic of surprise service. Let your children randomly choose the name of a family member out of a hat (or paper bag, or vase, or whatever you have handy). From now until Christmas morning, they get to be that family member’s Service Elf. Their mission as a Service Elf is to look for ways to serve their person each day. They might unload the dishes when it’s their person’s night. They might leave a treat with a love note in their person’s lunch box. They might sneak to make their person’s bed in the morning. As they perform their daily act of service, they should leave a little “from your Service Elf” note. On Christmas morning, each family member can reveal who they were an elf for. We grow to love the people we serve. This tradition is one that will bring more unity, thoughtfulness and gratitude into your home during this hectic season.
Pre-teens often need a little encouragement to look outside themselves, and creating a Service Tree is a perfect nudge in that direction. A service tree is decorated, not with ornaments and tinsel, but with suggestions for service. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It can be a small, fake tree with printed slips of paper attached with clothespins, or it could be a hand drawn tree you tape to your wall, covered with sticky notes of service ideas. What it looks like is not nearly as important as the feeling that is put into the giving. Have your children choose one service item from the tree at a time. They can replace the item with an ornament once the service has been rendered. The goal is to have all the service slips replaced with ornaments by Christmas day, and to share then how serving brought light to both the giver and the receiver.  
Some fun ideas to include on the tree:
  • leave a snack and note for the Amazon delivery person on the doorstep
  • sit down and read a book to a sibling
  • visit with a resident at an assisted living home
  • reach out to someone at school that might be lonely  
  • match all the socks in the laundry bin (please , can someone please come to my house and do this for me!?)
  • brighten someone’s day with an act of kindness
  • write a note of gratitude to a teacher
  • create a handmade gift for Grandma
  • take a name off the giving tree in the school’s lobby and purchase the item to donate with your money earned from chores
  • do a secret service for a neighbor
  • help a sibling with their homework…the possibilities are endless!
Teenagers are capable of big giving. There are many organizations that provide help and service during the holidays that can utilize teen volunteers. Check these sites to find opportunities to serve in your area:
  • volunteermatch.org
  • justserve.org
  • allforgood.org
Alternatively, working with your teens to create their own service project might fit better into their busy school/extra-curricular/work schedules while still providing the mindset shift from getting to giving.  
Last year, we decided to launch a local clothing drive & give away. Our teenage daughters were instrumental in the process. Together, we made and distributed fliers, talked to schools, and decorated donation bins. We marketed via social media. We emptied the bins of all the donated bags of clothes every day for two weeks. We got the neighbor kids involved with sorting all the clothes. We found an organization that let us have a free booth at their farmer’s market to give away the donated items. A few amazing friends came to serve shoulder to shoulder with us all day. We set up tables and racks and hung and folded clothes for hours. My daughters helped families sort through clothes to find sizes and styles that would work for them, and we cried with people who were overwhelmed with the generosity of our community.
One man came to the give-away looking for a pair of work shoes so he could get back to his construction job. His shoes had worn through, and he wasn’t welcome on the job site without proper footwear. There was, in our row of donated shoes, a nearly new pair of work shoes, in his exact size. He held the shoes tight to his chest, and whispering, asked, “For me? Free?”  He took only the shoes and a pair of socks, and left before the tears in his eyes spilled onto his cheeks. To someone, those shoes were closet clutter. To him, they meant the ability to feed his family.
We got to be a part of several stories like his that day. It was eye opening for my children to see such need, right here in their own town, and it was a gift to be the hands that helped our community help each other. It took effort. It took planning. It took our attention away from the greed that can slip in to the season, and it filled our family with gratitude for the ability we have to work together and to lift others. My girls didn’t need a white rose. They earned so much more.
If planning a service project or starting a service tree or being a secret elf seems overwhelming this year, start by just beginning the conversation. Bring giving and mindfulness to your children by simply asking, “How were you able to help someone today?” and then listen. Chances are, their answers will inspire you.


Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Choosing Family Photo Outfits: 7 XMAS PIC TIPS

   It's that time of year again! Time to gather the troops, slap on some coordinating (but not matchy) outfits, and bribe the best smiles out of them. Like most things, it's not as easy at is sounds. Today, I'm sharing my Simply Cumorah SEVEN XMAS PIC TIPS with you, and BONUS: I'll provide shopping links to the clothes I curated for our recent beachy Christmas shoot.

Credit for the skilled photography, and for waking up SUPER early on her vacation in order to shoot our pics
goes to the one and only: Tisha Barlow - based in Queen Creek, AZ -  @tishabarlowphoto

1. CHOOSE A COLOR SCHEME
I've never done our family photos in traditional Christmas garb, and I decided it was high time. Honestly, I got giddy about juxtaposing a warm, gorgeous beach with bright Christmas colors. Those reds and greens pop against the tranquility of the ocean...and, I like how I look in green...which is important. If you're in charge of what people are wearing, YOU get to choose a color that looks good on you, and build around it. That's the way the world works, people.

2. FIND A STANDOUT PIECE
When choosing family outfits, I find one dynamic piece in the right color scheme, and I build from there. I knew I wanted red and green, but which shades? Would we go lime & brick, hunter & burgundy, kelly and candy apple? The color question was answered as soon as I found the standout piece. I was looking for a dress with a large, bold pattern and I came upon the red & white stripe dress from Liligal. Yep. That was it. This dress was the jumping off point for our shoot.

Liligal.com Maxi Dress
Liligal.com Stripe Maxi Dress $38

 3. GET THRIFTY
 I waited for that darling dress to arrive on my doorstep, and then I hit the thrift stores. I love utilizing second hand stores for occasions where I'm looking for particular colors, because all of the clothes are organized BY COLOR. It's a super efficient way to find what you need. At Once Upon a Child, I found the cutest green reindeer sweater you have ever seen (which answered the question for our green shade), the white collared shirt, the boys' shorts and the red gingham button up shirt - in the perfect shade of red to match the stripe dress!

 
Amazon.com Alex Stevens Reindeer Sweater $25 (I snagged mine, used, for $4!)


The Izod, red gingham shirt was purchased at a second hand store for $5, but I found a similar one online for a tad more.

Next, I hit up Goodwill, on the off chance someone had donated a perfect white or green holiday dress, and wouldn't you know it, Jackpot! Some sweet soul dropped their Calvin Klein white, petal cocktail dress at the Goodwill, and I snatched it up for a whopping $16.
 I've searched the web, and can't find the exact dress for sale...but this one by Adrianna Papell is pretty dang close.
4. PERFECT YOUR PAIRS
While I want the overall family colors to coordinate - I also know that I'm going to want pics with just my man and I, so I ensure that our outfits work together, and that we don't wear predominantly the same color.  I mean, how embarrassing would that be if we both showed up in plaid suit coats?
 








5. ACCESSORIZE
Accessories are a fabulous way to spread your color scheme across every person in your pic. Caution! It's easy to get carried away with this. Not every person needs an accessory. I've made that mistake before - and it turned into an overly stylized - matchy-matchy mess. The use of accessories should look well placed, and effortless - like something that person might actually wear in real life - not like you forced them to wear it to match the family. (I admit, that is how Bella felt about that poinsetta scarf...but I think it worked, and sometimes you just have to take one for the team.) A well chosen hair bow, neck tie, bracelet or belt can be the perfect little thing to bring it all together.






6. MIX & MINGLE
Don't be afraid to mix patterns! It gives depth and interest to a photo. In these photos we have stripes, checks, plaid, print, floral and solids. That's a lot going on! Scale is the reason it works. The geometric patterns don't compete with each other because the stripes are a large pattern, the plaid is medium sized, and the checks are small. Be sure to balance pattern with solids & use different types of patterns to keep it interesting.

7. LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!
This is a tip that isn't exactly about choosing outfits, but it is such a huge part of your family pics - I'm going to include it. Choose a location that is either meaningful to you, or that you find beautiful. For me, this beach is both. And, huge perk, no coordinating shoes to buy.  Barefeet are the best feet! We don't live by the beach, but we love to vacation there. While it takes some extra effort to set up a photographer on location - it is lovely to have your photos professionally taken in a place where you have built lasting family memories. Take your photog on your family's favorite hiking trail, or to the outdoor seating area of your favorite restaurant, or the park where your kids grew up playing flag football. As my kids get older, I feel an urgency in capturing their youth. In holding on to what we have right now, today. Truth be told, it's not about the perfect outfits, or the perfect smiles, or the perfect lighting, it's about capturing the best of who we are, together. 













Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Designing for Jesus

I once was in a church production where the lighting & audio technician spent hours of his free time making sure the show went off without a hitch. I thanked him for all of his hard work and he said something simple, something small, but something extremely powerful. I will never forget it for as long as I live.
He said, "We all just do what we know how to do - to move this work along. This," pointing to his microphones and cables, "is what I know how to do."
Well, I have never looked at using my talents for church service the same since.
What do I know how to do?
Sing. Dance. Create. Lead. Speak. Teach. And...make some kickin' invites & posters. I cannot even count how many posters, invites, logos, t-shirts, etc. I have designed in the name of the Lord. And, I love it, because This. This is what I know how to do.
This is the invite for a ladies' Christmas activity last year:

And this logo is hot off the presses!  I just created this for the project my dad, a Bishop, is implementing within his congregation. 
What do you know how to do? So many things, I am sure.
In what small ways do you help spread the love of the Lord? 
Probably in more ways than you can even think of.  
God bless you, sweet thing. God bless you. 

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Invitation to a Love Story

I love a good wedding. I love the love stories, the decorations, the music, the dancing, the flowers, the sneaky kisses when the couple thinks no one is looking, darling little nieces blowing bubbles as the bride & groom leave the chapel, and seeing all of the work that a mama, her daughter, and/or a wedding planner have stressed for weeks/months/years/a lifetime over - come to fruition.
When I get to be just a little part of someone else's big day, I get a teensy bit giddy. I was honored to design this adorable couple's wedding invites. I'm slightly proud of them. OK, more than slightly. The great thing is, since they are custom - they fit this bride & groom to be to a T.
So, you know...if you ever are getting married...or graduating...or throwing a party...or starting your own business...or hosting anything really, I sure would love to create something that fits you too. 
You can always reach me at CumorahMcomber@gmail.com. 
xoxo,
Cumorah

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Easter is the new Christmas


It is official. I, Cumorah D. McOmber declare that:

Yes. You read that correctly. I have decided that Easter is the new Christmas, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Don’t get me wrong. I adore Christmas. I am confident it will stand forever as my number one, absolute favorite holiday. But let’s be honest, Christmas gets a lot of hype. It is a month long parade of cookie exchanges, work parties, church dinners, family functions, community events, public school “Winter Festivals,” sledding dates, mall visits, late night crafting, early morning wrapping, advent calendaring, card sending, wassail & peanut brittle making, tradition keeping craziness. And I love it. I really, truly, honestly do. (take a peek at my family blog for a taste of how we do Christmas ) But, I will tell you a little secret. It is stressful. And after all that preparation and work, and lack of sleep, there is that inevitable snippet of letdown intermingled with a snitch of family drama.
Have you ever sworn on December 26th, that you will never let yourself get that carried away again, only to find yourself in the same exhausted, bleary eyed situation the next year? Well, my dears, I may have found the solution for you, and it’s a little something I like to call Easter.
I believe I can turn Easter into the one big holiday in the year that we host all of our family, and still genuinely like everyone afterwards. I have decided after a splendid trial run with only two of my sisters, one niece and one brother-in-law visiting for this sacred holiday, that this is going to turn into the must-do, feel-good, family gathering holiday of the year.
Why should you consider Easter instead of Christmas for your big family get together? 
Number one: IT IS EASY. Easter has been around for a good long time, of course, but it’s just gaining in popularity (thanks in part to the advent of Pinterest and all those cutsie ideas on how to make Easter fantastically special.) I sure hope it stays small though, because currently, no one really expects anything out of Easter. No one expects you to give them an Easter present. There is no laboring over which friend may or may not be giving you an Easter gift, thus no stockpiling gifts to have on hand just in case. There is no expectation that you will show up on all of your neighbors’ doorsteps with a professionally photographed and PhotoShopped family greeting card affixed to a heaping homemade plate of Easter treats while you sing songs of the Resurrected Christ. Little ones are thrilled with a small basketful of dollar store trinkets and a few plastic eggs stuffed with Jelly Bellies and egg shaped Snickers. And I have ZERO misgiving about my husband not picking an Easter gift up for me. He shouldn't!
 The second reason being: IT IS BEAUTIFUL. The account of the resurrection is filled with hope, and faith, and unconditional love. Studying the magnitude of the atonement and resurrection with your family will draw you closer as you feel of the Savior’s love for you and all of humanity. Gathering for church services with your family on that Sacred Sunday can be a very powerful, bonding experience.

    Thirdly: THE FOOD IS GREAT
            Easter dinner rivals Christmas dinner, just minus the stress of every other holiday meal & gathering that leads up to Christmas. (There’s no Easter Eve dinner or special cookies to bake, decorate and leave out for the Easter bunny, or traditional Easter breakfast that must be prepped and cleaned before you can start in on Easter dinner. And the menu: comfort food defined. Ham, funeral potatoes, asparagus, confetti jello salad, homemade rolls, spinach & strawberry salad, lime & raspberry punch, with strawberry jelly rolls for dessert. How could you go wrong? Throw in some Cadbury mini eggs, and I’m pretty sure that’s the type of meal I will be lounging with in the heavens.

 Fourth, and perhaps most importantly: EASTER EXUDES VERY LOW LEVELS OF FAMILY DRAMA. (Our gathering had NO family drama, but it admittedly, did not include the entire family). I cannot guarantee you no family drama should you choose to host your family for Easter, (maybe your family has an uncle that is loud mouthed and offensive at every occasion) but I feel confident in guaranteeing  you less family drama than you usually have at Christmas time. With everyone’s expectations low, people get really excited about doing things like roasting s’mores with peeps – no drama regarding inequality of gift giving, or who spent more time/money/thought on said gifts. Can you even imagine adult tears over what candy the eggs were filled with? Or arguments over how to properly hang the Easter decorations? No. No you cannot. Take that Christmas. 
            Because the world hasn't caught on to the Easter craze just yet, your time will not be divided between so many activities you have to/want to attend but just can’t squeeze in, or do squeeze in at the detriment of your already over-partied family, and you can actually spend your time enjoying each other!
We laid by the swimming pool while the kiddies swam, played kickball at the park, rode bikes, attended the Mesa Easter Pageant, roasted peep s’mores, took a hike, visited the children’s museum, crashed a local Easter egg hunt, attended church, went to Zumba class, and did a science fair project. (That last one was a have to, but was 100% unrelated to Easter, so not sure that it counts.)
            All in all, this is just a really long winded way for me to announce that I had a fabulous Easter with my family. I mean really, really fabulous. I couldn't love my sisters more. (sure wish sister #3 was able to be with us too!)
They are fantastic. And next year, I really do hope that we can gather the whole family, and enjoy each other during this wonderful expectation/drama/stress-FREE holiday season. Happy late Easter and early Christmas to you and yours!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Just Roll With It

This post is for my newfound friend, Karen. We met at a preschool Thanksgiving feast, where we gabbed over plates of stuffing & chicken nuggets & homemade rolls. She graciously asked me for my roll recipe. I happen to LOVE my roll recipe. It is the ONLY one after many failed attempts that I can get to work out here in the high altitude of Colorado. And may I say, they are scrumptious.
So here's to you Karen {you sweet thing!}, and all roll lovers everywhere! Enjoy!
1½ cups warm water
1 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP yeast
1½ cups warm milk
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 beaten eggs
6-7 cups bread flour


In a separate bowl, activate yeast, warm water, 1 TBSP sugar, and yeast; set aside until bubbly.

Melt butter in milk, then add sugar, salt and eggs.
Add 3 cups of flour to the milk mixture, then add the yeast mixture.
After combined, add the remaining 3 cups of flour. If dough is too sticky, add up to another cup of flour.

Cover and let rise for 1-2 hours.
Punch dough down and form into rolls. Let rise for another hour.
Bake at 375ยบ for 12-14 min.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Failing with grace

On June 7th, 2012, I won a little radio singing contest. I called in and sang my heart out to Take Me Out to the Ballgame. The DJ’s, with their discreet taste in crooning, crowned me the singing contest winner. My heart pounded, I called my family in to hear momma sing on the radio a few minutes later for the replay. The kids laughed and squealed. Daddy smiled, kind of rolled his eyes, and asked, "Well, what did you win?"
That’s when a slight panic set in. My prize was four tickets to the local minor league baseball game the next night…AND…the glory of throwing the first pitch out at said minor league game.
All very exciting, except that I had not thrown a baseball since I was nine years old. And, may I say, I was not an exceptional little leaguer. In fact, my coach scared the living daylights out of me, and I volunteered to sit the bench whenever possible.
My sweet hubby agreed to help me practice pitching, and a beautiful blog post about “getting out of your comfort zone and in to your improvement zone” started brewing in my little head. I had grand ideas about laying out the details of how I put myself in a highly uncomfortable position...practiced a new skill…and triumphed as I entered my improvement zone.
This process started well enough. I had indeed got myself into an uncomfortable position. I had agreed to pitch my first baseball in 25 years in front of a live audience of thousands. I did indeed practice this new skill. Dan and I got up early Friday morning and threw the ball back and forth for two and a half hours. When he came home from work, we practiced for another hour. {my shoulder was sore for days!} And by the end of training, I was feeling fairly confident. I could throw with decent accuracy, and with enough heat on the ball to at least make it over the plate – something that prior to my training sessions would have seemed miraculous. This ‘comfort zone to improvement zone’ post was going to be good!
And then, the moment of truth was upon me. I stepped up on the mound {after the seven other “first pitches” of the night were thrown – sure wasn’t expecting that} wound up, and chucked the official Skysox baseball about fifteen feet in front of me – straight into the ground.

My nerves got to me and the ball slipped out before I could finish my real throw. I walked past the cameraman for the local news with my head hung in shame, and cringed when one of my neighbors caught my attention from his seat and yelled out, “Hey, way to go Cumorah!” At the moment, I was hoping this event could go unnoticed, and undocumented, and unspoken about – forever. I believe mortified is the correct word.
It has now been two months since this event transpired, and I am finally ready to talk about it.
The pitch was not a triumph. In fact, if you look solely at the experience as my pitch from the mound at Skysox field, the entire event would look to be a complete failure. But I’d like to let you in on some behind the scenes successes from this story. I am clearly a better singer than I am an athlete. But, my adorable husband is an athlete.

He has large, lovely muscles. He played basketball for his Jr. College, and is my favorite soccer player of all time to watch in person. I love spending time with him, and spending time with him doing something he is great at is even more rewarding. I absolutely love it. That fateful Friday morning, when we got up early and donned our gloves to toss the old baseball around, will remain one of my most memorable mornings with him. It was the kind of morning where dew lingered on the grass, even while the sun kissed our cheeks. We laughed liked little kids. He coached me. And not like my loud little league coach, but lovingly, tenderly. Our children woke after we’d been practicing for awhile, and giggled when they found us outside playing baseball. They disappeared back inside the house, and reemerged with a homemade breakfast of toast, fruit salad, yogurt and orange juice. We took a break from training and sat down to a beautiful outdoors breakfast with our four bed-headed children. We talked and laughed and licked our plates clean.
That night, we went to the game as a family, ate stadium hotdogs and nachos, and those sweet little chitlins cheered wildly for their momma, even after her pitch came up short.

Sometimes failure is laced with unexpected successes.
Looking at this experience two months later, I can put the embarrassment of failing on the mound behind me, as I recall and cherish the beautiful moments this failure created for me and my sweetie and our four little ones. Thank you Skysox and 95.1 for giving me this blessed opportunity to fail and love it.