Hi there and welcome to our blog! We are Lindsay and Kallie, and we have been friends since grade school. We love to laugh, create, and be inspired. ” Smitten By…” was conceptualized in the middle of the night as we sat and discussed people and things that are bright spots in our lives, and wanted to create a forum to share them with the world! We sincerely hope that you will join our community and have a fulfilling experience every time you stop by with our  amazing monthly contributors from a variety of professions and walks of life. Authenticity at it’s best!

Our blog intends to inspire our readers and enrich your lives by giving away many things that make our lives sweeter, both in the form of advice, knowledge, and experience, as well as products through a variety of fabulous giveaways. Along with this life-changing community of writers, our website is unique in the fact that each month has a theme, where all our posts, contributors, giveaways, Pinterest boards and inspirational thoughts correlate. Come and join us! Find new friends, be inspired, get your business name out there, and perhaps find something new that you are “Smitten By…” along the way. Thank you for visiting and we hope to see you again soon!

” We make our own destiny.  We can satisfy ourselves with mediocrity. We can be common, ordinary, dull, colorless, or we can so channel our lives to be clean, vibrant, progressive, colorful, and rich.”

-Spencer W. Kimball

Kallie Dalley- Creator & Editor of Smitten By

Hi! I am Kallie Dalley. Yes, you read that right. 8 years ago I was blissfully in love and happily married into a rhyming name… smiling. Then reality hit & 8 years later it is still a constant work in progress not to laugh every time I have to say my full name out loud!

I am a wife to Brian and a momma to 2 crazy, adorable boys, who ROCK my world! They are a never ending adventure in what they will say and do next & I find SO much joy in that. I love to laugh and make others laugh too. I am always up for a good dance party with my kids, and live to see their eyes light up with laughter because of it. I am an avid reader, and a good book can only get better if I were sitting on the beach, basking in the sunshine and listening to the ocean.  I am smitten by interior design and old furniture. I love to take something old and broken and give it new life. I love lasting friendships, vacations with my family, and the feeling of being truly inspired.

Here on Smitten By… I will be openly sharing my road to recovery as I over come an Eating Disorder that has ruled my life. I will be sharing the ups and downs of my journey, along with the “ah ha” moments that speak to my soul and give me the courage to keep going.  I know in my heart that no matter your size, large or small, if you don’t love yourself  you will never be truly happy.  Join me on my journey of recovery, hope and healing.

You can also find me sewing pillows for my Etsy Shop at Urban Fringe.

Monthly Contributors

Lindsay Bowen- Monthly contributor helped create Smitten but pulled back the reins so she could spend more time with her kiddos.

Hello! I can’t express how happy I am that you are here with us! It has been an awesome experience for me to get to know so many of you and have the opportunity to stretch myself in doing what I love.

I am first and foremost a wife and mother who prefers hanging out with my family to anyone else. I have a talented husband whose dream is to live on every continent (yep, even Antarctica folks) and is loyal to the core. My 4 children are the light of my life.  I find strength in raising a bi-racial family, and understanding as I look at the beautiful world through their pure and unprejudiced eyes.

I am down-to-earth and continuously strive to find balance in following my dreams while being devoted to my family. I do the best I can every single day (okay, most days, let’s be real here) in striving to be faithful to God. I find joy in sitting on the beach, a gooey chocolate chip cookie, and organizing a hijacked closet. I love to make others laugh. I love children and teaching, and graduated from Brigham Young University- Hawaii in Elementary Education. When I close my eyes at night I still dream of living the slow-paced island life. I am always up for a good chick-flick with my husband in tow! I love seeking creativity and have a need to decorate. I am goal driven, but always up for a pit stop to embark on an adventure, hence “Smitten By…”!  I live by quotes, as you will notice, but the core words to my life are. ” You can have it all, you just can’t have it all at once!”

Amy Balderree – Life Coach & Energy Therapist

Amy Balderree is a gifted Life Counselor and Energy Therapist, with a B.S. degree in  Psychology and a B.S. in Human and Family Development. Amy has had extensive training in relationships, conscious and subconscious belief systems, stress management, cognitive and behavioral patterns, addictions, a vast variety of individual and family traumas, energy psychology and various energy techniques.  Amy is skilled at working with individuals of all ages, couples, families and businesses.  Amy is a believer  in healing the past, being triumphant amid present challenges, and joyfully moving toward the future!

Amy is smitten by all things happy, finding strength through struggle, and discovering the truth of the story. She loves to uplift and be uplifted! She lives with 3 beautifully unique souls who call her mother, and one devoted soul who calls her wife. Laughter, lyrics sung from the heart, a great movie, palm trees, fortune cookies, beach sunsets, mountain hikes, fast cars, travel adventures, seeing faces of friends whereever they may live in the world, a cozy blanket, and the sun shining on her face are some of her favorite pleasures!

Visit www.kymahconsulting.com to schedule an appointment that will Change. Your. Life!!

Ginger Johnson- Cancer Survivor, Motivational Speaker & Activist

There are 3 things you should know about me. First, I don’t have boobs ( just sayin’ it like it is). Second, I love being alive. Third, my passion is to guide others to increased hope, health and happiness. As a young breast cancer survivor, mother of 3 and serial entrepreneur, I have found the greatest joy in life comes from identifying and living our truth. My truth is founded in God, my family and serving others.

When my grandmother made the comment, “If you can live through Ginger, you can live through anything”, little did she realize the whirlwind that would stir  inside my spirit after a diagnosis of breast cancer at 31, when 5 months pregnant. Like most survivors, I was completely blindsided, and being pregnant added an interesting twist to the diagnosis. I decided early on that I wasn’t going to let cancer win. It was my life. My choice. My fight. And I would win it.

Now I am a survivor, entrepreneur, national ambassador, motivational speaker, life and business coach, magazine publisher, mentor, volunteer,  daughter of god, and mother to 3.  You can find me ‘sharing the love’ at HappyChemo.com , increaseyourhappiness.com , or on Facebook.

Join in and let’s do some good together!

Whitney Tibbs- Health and Home Decor

Motherhood has always been a dream of mine, and now that I have arrived, I endeavor to find a little joy in every day. My 2 year-old daughter, Monroe, is my little gal pal, full of sweetness and spunk. I’m lucky to have a wonderful partner in my husband, Jeff.  He helps keep me grounded and happy, while working the crazy schedule of a CPA.  I love to learn and am always seeking knowledge.  I graduated in Health and Promotion from the University of Utah, and have a great passion for health and wellness. I also am a bit obsessed with home design and decor, which is mostly fueled by blogging and Pinterest.  For me happiness is about balance, and I’m always striving to seek just the right formula.

Carolyn Mohler- LCSW, Private Practice

I’m a wife, mom of six, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, exercise enthusiast, native Las Vegan (yes, we do exist), lover of food, and admitted chocoholic. I write about life and how I live it, what I think about things, and what makes my days. I’ll honestly expose my plate-spinning, role juggling, three-ring-circus struggles and even some of my failures as I try to raise my amazing soon-to-be amazing adults. I’ll share what I know professionally and personally because we could all use some free therapy once in a while! If anything you read here makes your day, I’ll consider it a mission accomplished!

Carolyn can be found riding the eye of her own tornado at : http://confoundedwoman.com

Emily Christensen- Organizing Junky

Hi,  my name is Emily!  I’m a stay at home mommy of 3 little girls, ages 5, 3, and 2. I like my husband A LOT, and have been married to him for seven years! I have a NEED to be organized. I have found that my household runs smoother and my family is much happier when things can be found and things get done around here. I am so excited to share with you all a few creative ways that organization can be PRACTICAL, FUN, and BEAUTIFUL!

Oh, and don’t forget to check out my Etsy shop where you can find exciting, functional, and pretty little things for your home.

YOUR thoughts and ideas are always welcomed by me!  Send them my way, em_n_em80@hotmail.com.

 Brook Hammond- Attorney and

Motivational Author & Speaker

Question:  “Why do you want to listen to anything I have to say?”  Answer:  “I haven’t a clue.”   But, I think we likely have something fundamental in common, which is that our lives don’t look and/or feel like we expected them to.  Each day I am learning to find joy in the unexpected.

My dream was to get married and be a stay at home mother of five kids.  I graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s in Family Science with the idea that I would always need that education because the most certain thing in my life was that I would surely get married and have a large family—ironic.   My girlish dream was to go to law school; so when I was not married and wasn’t having my five children at age 23, I decided to go for it.  It was more of an “insurance policy” in the event that my “unknown” but surely soon-to-be husband left me widowed in my unknown future.  I did marry and have one amazing son, but life changed dramatically and I cashed in on that insurance policy when I became a young single mother.  I do not have any more children(yet!), and I am not married(yet!).  But, I still have hope!  My life’s dream may have shifted a little, but I am happy and have been well cared for by my Heavenly Father.

Professionally, I have earned the right to belong to an exclusive attorney group called the “Million Dollar Advocate Forum.” I am a trial attorney and have been practicing personal injury law for ten years (licensed in both Nevada and Utah.)  A fun tidbit about me is that I am a part of Nevada’s history as Miss Nevada USA 1995, and a motivational youth speaker since 1991.  I am a monthly contributor to PRISTeen Magazine, a teen fashion magazine that focuses on girls’ inner beauty.

Franchesca Cox-Designer and Inspirational Blogger

I’m Franchesca, but most people in real life call me Fran. I love to create stuff, and usually have about 502 unfinished projects swirling around in my head.

Almost three years ago we lost our firstborn child. It rocked our world to the core, and my faith became something I had to figure out all over again. Life has never been the same without her, but it is beautifully broken. I believe in choosing joy every day. Picking up the pieces and living life, because life is too short not to enjoy. Letting God take it, when it’s just too much. Because I’ve learned He can handle it.

I call my blog+projects below the beautiful mess she left behind and I hope you’ll agree. The projects all got started at different times, and for different purposes, but mostly to inspire healing in the lives of those that are hurting, peace, joy and love. It means the WORLD to be able to share this big chunk of my heart with you…

subway art / design studio / card line

You can also connect with me on Facebook & Twitter!

Kylee Low- Bereaved Mother and Blogger

Hello all, I am Kylee Low. A lover of Baseball, shopping, and all things crafty. A believer in love, laughter as the best medicine, and God. What defines me above all is that I am a bereaved Mother. In June 2012, I lost my son, Clutch, at birth. Losing him shattered my “close to perfect” world into a million pieces. My faith has since been tested, my love for him has deepened, and I know without a doubt that I will see him again. He is forever a part of me, and with every beat of my broken heart I miss him and love him more. Ever since I was a little girl, being a mother was my ultimate dream. I am a mother, just not in a way I would have ever expected to be. My husband and I struggled with infertility before conceiving Clutch, and now we are on the journey to adopt a little one into our arms. I hope you join with me as I post about loss, infertility, adoption, and finding joy in the little things.

FACEBOOK: BLOG

Kim Fidler- Travel Planner with Get Away Today

 Kimberly Fidler is the Internet Sales Director at Get Away Today Vacations.  She has worked in the travel industry for 12 years and loves to get away with her husband anytime they can.  Their favorite trips include visits to the Disney Parks, San Diego, Arizona, cruising, and anything international.

Melinda Chaffee

I am a mother of “four”: ages 4, 4, 2, and a bun in the oven.  I love to laugh, learn, sing, write, dance in the kitchen with my kids, stargaze on the trampoline, go camping and backpacking, and spend time with my best friend and husband of almost 5 years, even when he gangs up on me in Settlers of Catan.  And I HATE to get my hair cut (even from the time I was a little girl).

I used to be a runner and am anxious to get back to it after Baby #4 and FINALLY complete my first Marathon!!! I am passionate about understanding and empowering our bodies, about engaging and inspiring women to tap into their potential, and about creating instead of waiting for my Happily Ever After.

In my pre-”Mommy” years, I earned my M.A. in Rhetoric and Composition, taught College Composition, and ran my own editing business for a time.  But my favorite “jobs” hands-down were working as a Volunteer Coordinator and Service-Learning Educator at two universities and volunteering as an event coordinator, trainer, and motivational speaker.  Though someday I absolutely plan on getting at LEAST two more degrees (did I mention I love learning?), I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to stay at home now and raise my children. 

For the last year I have also been blessed to work my own hours from home, working as a designer, copywriter, editor, and weight loss coach for JillBirth.com. I am also passionate about helping families find physical and financial freedom as a Health and Business Coach for Isagenix International.

You find Melinda at:

TheMommy15.blogspot.com - www.facebook.com/themommy15.

Kristen Clove- Graphic Designer for Smitten

Hi! I am Kristin. I love pretty things. I love color. I love making areas beautiful. I love finding beauty in unexpected places. I love modern. I love vintage. I love words. I love design. I love making people happy.

I have always loved designing things for people – mostly it has just been a quote for my mom, a shower invitation for my sister, a baby announcement for my baby. In 2012, I decided to turn my hobby into, well, a more productive hobby.

I am a mom of two beautiful girls – almost 5 years old and 1 year old. My awesome husband teaches high school Biology and business and coaches, well, whatever is in season. I love to spend time with my family! Besides designing word art and growing a photography business, I do try to find time to read, garden, and occasionally (oh, SO very occasionally) take a nap. Lately, I have been a cooking disaster, so I am trying to get better at that as well.

Check out my latest work at my blog: CdotLove.blogspot.com, my etsy shop:www.etsy.com/shop/CdotLove or on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Cdotlove

Lindsey Redfern- Blogger/ Adoption Advocate

Lindsey Redfern is the creator and writer of The R House. It’s the story of her family who is living (and loving!) within three open adoptions. She offers help, hope and humor to others along the way. Married to a social worker (and foodie), she and her husband own an adoption consulting firm, The R House Adoption Consultants. She also creates sterling silver jewelry keepsakes and gifts of hope with her two best friends at The R House Couture.

Lindsey has seen first hand the heartache and joy that couples infertility and adoption. She chooses to seek the good. She has survived (is surviving) infertility, Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) issues leaving her stranded for 42 days on the other side of the country with her newly adopted baby, an 18-month contested adoption, several adoption scams, a failed adoption, a reversed adoption and lived to tell (write) about it. Although painful, the three successful adoptions their family has experienced has made it all worth it.

Additionally, Lindsey has been featured in countless magazines, blogs, newspapers, podcasts and television spots about her passion to bring sensitivity to the infertility community and advocate for open adoption. One of her favorite things to write/talk about are the monthly gifts she sends to her boys’ birth mothers–lots of photos, funky socks and an art project from their child. Her blog is full of birth parent gift ideas.

You can connect with Lindsey Redfern (she’d love it!) via The R House Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, The R House Couture shop, and @therhouse on Instagram.