Author: The Wild Gems

We are all like precious stones. We all come in different shapes and sizes. It is when we are cut and polished that we begin to live a more radiant life.
The Wild Gems hopes to inspire you to live life to the fullest and to enjoy every moment!

Back To Basics

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Give a child a cup of plain vanilla ice cream, and they’re going to light up with delight. “Yummy! This is so good!”

Now, the next time, you offer them ice cream—but this time, you’ve added sprinkles. They love it even more.

Then you take it a step further: a scoop of ice cream with sprinkles, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Of course, it’s the ultimate treat!

But what happens when you go back to offering just plain vanilla ice cream? They refuse. “Where are the sprinkles? The whipped cream? The cherry?”

What once felt like the best thing ever—just vanilla ice cream—has now become “boring.”

This scenario isn’t just about ice cream. It’s playing out all around us, with everything.

In a world constantly trying to one-up itself, we’ve forgotten how to appreciate the simple things. We keep piling on sprinkles, whipped cream, and cherries in every area of our lives—whether it’s material possessions, experiences, or even the way we seek validation from others.

The problem is, when we get caught up in all the add-ons, we lose sight of the essence. We stop noticing the “ice cream” itself. Its flavor and joy are drowned out by all the extras.

This is why “going back to basics” is so important. At first, it may feel dull or underwhelming. But over time, you start to notice the richness in simplicity—the way life was meant to be enjoyed.

Not everything needs sprinkles, whipped cream, or cherries to be special. Sometimes, the simplest things, enjoyed as they are, hold the most joy. Save the extras for rare, special moments—and watch how the beauty of the basics begins to shine again.

To Give People Back Beauty And Color In Their Lives

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What is your mission?

You know what I really strive for……I really try to give some peace back into peoples lives.

My mission is to alleviate some of the stress and chaos that one has in their life.

To give hope.

I understand the fragility of this life and I want to give people back their time. At least I try to.

This is why I write. Ultimately it’s to help others. To give people more beauty and color and freedom.

Doesn’t the world need that?

Order Is The Antidote To Chaos

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I was listening to a podcast the other day with Andrew Huberman and Dr. Jordan Peterson. At one point, Dr. Peterson said, “Order is the antidote to chaos.”

I just loved that.

Synonyms for order include words like sequence, organization, and arrangement. Synonyms for antidote are remedy or cure.

Ponder that for a moment: Order is the antidote to chaos. Organization is medicine for disorder, disarray, and confusion.

In other words, take a look around—what does your home look like? Your car? Your desk? Your bedroom? Even more importantly, what’s going on in your mind?

The cure is decluttering. The cure is setting a routine. The cure is giving everything a home. The cure is embracing the philosophy of less is more. The cure is, quite simply, to “get your life in order.”

As a mother of four, I’ve learned just how necessary order is in our household—not only for myself but for my children and their well-being. They may not fully understand the impact of their surroundings, but I do. When there’s order, there’s peace, and that peace benefits everyone in the home.

By establishing order, it’s possible to alleviate, or even eliminate, things like anxiety and depression—or at the very least, to minimize them. A great reward awaits when you take the responsibility to bring order into your life. It isn’t always easy, but it’s absolutely worth it.

Take the time to find order, and you’ll discover more clarity, focus, and peace.

If You Never Fail, You Never Grow

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I recently started reading Different Kinds of Minds by Temple Grandin. It’s incredibly insightful and thought-provoking. In one part of the book, she shared a fascinating rat study. Researchers found that rats who had to dig up their treats became far more resilient when faced with challenges compared to rats who were simply handed their treats.

The rats who didn’t have to work for their reward gave up more easily when obstacles appeared.

What an eye-opening observation!

This speaks to a universal truth: challenges and failures aren’t bad things—they’re vital. They build strength, resilience, and perseverance. Struggle teaches us to appreciate the rewards of our effort.

The hard work, the setbacks, and even the failures are what shape us. They’re the chisels that carve out our character and growth.

So remember, with growth comes failure—and that’s how it’s meant to be. Failure isn’t the end. It’s a stepping stone to something greater.

One Thing……

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Tell us one thing you hope people say about you.

One thing…..

Hmm…….

I would hope people say that I am luminous in a way.

I choose that word because I do want to be a light for people, especially for the ones I love.

I want them to feel comfortable, safe, loved, seen, heard, believed….every time they are in my presence.

Anytime someone is in my company I would want them to leave feeling hopeful in some type of way.

Soften The Heart: Devotional #26

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding

Proverbs 3:5-6

As I witness my children grow, I also witness their world expand.

They ask more questions, are hesitant on their choice of words, they remain curious, and there is more confidence that I see.

As their world begins to take a shape they believe they understand it all. The connections are beginning to take place. Children are incredible observers. Since they do not have much life experience they are able to hyper focus on what’s in front of them.

It’s like they see things through a magnifying glass.

I think deep down they know they don’t know everything but who wants to admit that. Even adults don’t want to admit that.

To have been a child and then to an adult is humbling to say the least on how ignorant and innocent we were. How much we really didn’t know.

But also recognizing that in a way we are still very much children but in these “adult” bodies.

What is it that we don’t know yet but will find out soon enough? Or, what do we think we know but really are only sitting at the top of the iceberg?

I believe many of us lay in our beds just wondering. Wondering all sorts of things.

Wondering. Wondering. Wondering.

And it’s frustrating that we don’t have the answers. We have a difficult time trying to figure out where to start looking too.

But what if, we just aren’t ready. We just aren’t there yet.

We have to wait.

And we can wait with frustration or we can wait with confidence because that is how much we trust God.

Surrendering to God is not a one time thing. It is something we must do daily.

We have to give all those anxious thoughts and worries to God and know that God is guiding us.

This world if full of pain and sadness as many of us know and we cannot endure this place without Gods hand. We need Him. You need him. He waits for us.

This I do believe.

Easy Poblano Green Creamy Sauce (Culichi Sauce)

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What You Need:

3 poblano peppers

2 teaspoons of minced garlic

A handful of cilantro

2 cups of hot water

1 tablespoon of chicken bullion seasoning

1/3 cup of Mexican cream

1/3 of a block of cream cheese

1 small onion chopped

Steps:

  1. Place the poblanos on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Broil each side for about 5-7 minutes or until they are nice and charred.
  2. Once the poblanos are roasted immediately place in a ziplock bag, seal, and allow to steam for 10 minutes.
  3. When the peppers are down steaming place in a blender with the remaining ingredients and hot water (except the onion) and blend well.
  4. Sauté chopped onion with a little bit of olive oil until soft and translucent. Pour sauce into skillet and simmer for 5-8 minutes.

That’s it!

My favorite way to enjoy this sauce is with some cooked shrimp and rice on the side. Mix the shrimp with the sauce and then scatter shredded Monterey cheese and broil until nice and melted.

OR, this taste great with some spaghetti noodles and shredded rotisserie chicken. Top with cilantro!

Enjoy!

Top 5 Grocery Items — What We Buy The Most

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List your top 5 grocery store items.

lol, the is a silly one. I like it.

  1. 4 gallons of milk every time (how my kids drink so much milk is beyond me)
  2. Strawberries and bananas every time (my kids favorite fruit, and we love making smoothies with the bananas or banana bread)
  3. Chicken thighs or ground beef (just yesterday I made chicken and dumplings, so good. Sad thing is my husband forgot to put the leftovers away!)
  4. Cheese — cheese sticks, shredded cheese, cheese slices (we make a lot of quesadillas for when my girls have their friends over, or school snacks, or sandwiches)
  5. Some type of latest snack craving (salt n vinegar chips, trail mix, kettle corn chips, smart popcorn….whatever)

Now I’m going to go read yours!!! 🙂

Back When I Was Active In The LDS Church

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Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech?

Sure, I’ve done stuff like school dance recitals and little plays here and there but what sticks out the most to me is the talks I would get called to do in church.

I was pretty active in religious activities during a few high school years at the Latter Day Saints Church.

Every Sunday, your bishop speaks—shares something spiritual—followed by members of the church (all ages) who get to speak and share something as well.

When you are called to give a “talk” the bishop usually pulls you aside and asks if you can give a talk on forgiveness, grace, gratitude, etc. Whatever really.

And you do have the choice to accept or decline but I always accepted because I guess, it felt right.

I honestly didn’t mind whenever I got an opportunity to talk to the whole church because you were really listened to.

If we want to dig deeper on that, that could be in fact why I did enjoy it. I was being heard, where at home I felt ignored. It wasn’t like my parents didn’t talk to me, it was all just surface level conversations. We never talked about hard stuff. I was always just given books to inform me. The stuff I wanted to discuss in person just didn’t happen.

Anyways after you gave your talk people afterwards would come up and make polite remarks about what you shared. Truthfully, I enjoyed it.

Interesting though where we find strength and comfort in talking to a whole group or audience versus talking in front of a group of peers at school (highschool/college).

That’s another story. Never enjoyed those.

When Others Are RAW – I LOVE That

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What is something others do that sparks your admiration?

What sparks my admiration in others is their willingness to be vulnerable.

There’s something profoundly beautiful about someone revealing a raw, intimate side of themselves. It takes courage to truly let others see you. I believe some people would rather get physically naked in front of a stranger than emotionally exposed, it’s that terrifying to some.

But when someone allows themselves to be raw, it creates this type of bridge. It’s in those moments of vulnerability that I feel the strongest connections to others. I love hearing their stories, understanding their experiences, and seeing the world through their eyes.

Maybe that’s why I’m so drawn to memoirs, they’re a window into someone’s truth, a reflection of their courage to share the parts of themselves that are often hidden. When people share those things willingly, I can’t help but feel a deep admiration for them. Vulnerability, to me, is one of the most beautiful acts of bravery.