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Thursday, October 31, 2013

throwback thursday...halloween edition

everyone loves a good throwback thursday post right?!? i basically only like dressing up for halloween when it involves a group costume and costs less than $10. i've been pretty successful over the years.


i can't find the group pic anywhere, but there were 5-6 oompa loomps walking around 

by far the best costume of my entire life
 sample anyone?
 the dance troop included 2 males, lots of sparkle, and a choreographed dance
 thankfully my co-workers go along with my ideas.

recycled flight attendant costume for youth dance. i can't find pictures from round #1.

tetris complete with music with the co-workers last year

this year has been a little crazy. the holiday totally snuck up on me. i didn't dress up for any parties or anything, but the 2 other teachers i teach with tomorrow and I have something fun in the works.

and a few non-halloweeny business items
1. are you in school? do you know someone who is? make sure to enter this giveaway
2. jacquelyn and I are just a tad obsessed with Kelly's daughter, Guinevere, and a bit ago we recreated a #whatguineverewore look from Kelly's instagram feed. Well, we're back at it again and this time we're inviting you to join us! All you have to do is recreate a toddler's look. Yup, it's that creepy. I mean, it can be your own kid but if you're like Aubrey and I and don't have any mini's then you have to borrow someone else's mini's look. Just do us a favor and get permission first, mmmk? You can also recreate the same look Aubrey and I have picked. We're sticking with Guinevere this month and will be recreating this gem. 20131001-155606.jpg
Yeah, I know. It's really too much. The linkup will be November 6 and is open all week so you have plenty of time to join! You can also grab the button and add it to your postypost. We're hoping to do this monthly and will announce ahead of time what outfit we pick! You can also follow us on Instagram to catch our conversations on #whatguineverewore.
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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Falling for Fall

last month i talked about falling into fall. i was looking forward to beautiful leaves and cooler weather. this fall is my favorite. the colors are unbelievable. i went up american fork canyon last weekend, but it was a little too late. the most vibrant colors are in the valley. the road by my work is such a bright yellow. even though fall means winter is inevitably coming, i'm trying not to think about that. right now i've completely fallen for fall, and i can't get enough.



books books books

***this is a sponsored post. all opinions are my own***

it's been a few years since i was in school, but one thing i really dreaded every semester was going to the bookstore and dropping tons of money on books i probably really didn't need. back in the day when i was in school, people didn't really order books from amazon or other online places. we all bought books at the campus bookstore. i seriously spent so much money. i for real wish renting books was even an option back then. lucky for you, it is now. rentback.com gives you the opportunity to save a bundle, donate to a good cause (operation smile), and still get the books you need.
Some perks are:
-save 40-90% off of bookstore prices
-free shipping both ways
-can highlight in the textbooks
-flexible renting periods
-donations to Operation Smile with each textbook rented
-and so many more

did you catch that? each textbook rented gives a donation to operation smile. what a great thing!

if you are in school or know anyone who is, check out CampusBookRentals.com and their new program www.RentBack.com . you can actually make (you read that right, make) money renting your books to other students. sounds like a win win to me.
it's your lucky day, one poor college student will get $25 credit towards book rental. spread the word. deadline for entries is nov. 5
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Monday, October 28, 2013

Weekend Happs

It's been a while since I did a weekend happenings post. It seems like my weekends have been more full lately which usually means more fun.
My plans for Friday fell through so I stayed at work a little longer than planned to wrap up some things. I ran some errands and honestly planned to come home and catch up on a few things. I came home to pumpkin carving. I'm terrible with things like that so it was fun to see what everyone came up with. 

Saturday morning was perfect for a beautiful fall run. We got started early enough to see the sun rise. I know it means pollution, but I love the pink hue. The fall leaves all along the way took my breath away. I really do love fall this year. 

There were a few Halloween parties going on, but I never found the time to pull together a costume. I ended up at a smaller get together where no one dressed up. We laughed our heads off and had a great time. 

On Sunday I went to visit my old ward (church congregation). It was so fun seeing everyone. I also wrote in my journal outside which was so nice. I love the fall weather. 

Weekends always go by way too fast. What did you do this weekend?

Friday, October 25, 2013

friday feature {life with amberly and joe}

we all know i love love love bloggy friends. i'm super excited to have one here today. amberly and i met through the blog world and finally met IRL at a blogger meetup recently. take it away...

Hello friends, I'm Amberly and I'm excited that Aubrey has invited me to take over her blog today! My blog Life with Amberly and Joe is all about our lives as a married couple. I love to make date night bucket lists, set goals that help me be a better wife, share our secrets to making money a happy topic, and tell the story of how we came to be. I'd love to be your bloggy friend, so please stop by and introduce yourself, after you read this post of course!
I have a really busy schedule with not a lot of time to just relax and enjoy life. With a full time job, a Saturday job, almost full time school hours, a blog that I love to keep up and the normal day to day responsibilities, I am always on the run. It's easy for me to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and forget to take time for myself. I'm sure a lot of you can relate to the worn down, stressed out, overwhelmed feeling that I get far too often. I have to prioritize and decide what's most important to me and usually the thing that ends up at the bottom of my list is my health and my sanity.
Over the last few years I've learned that I have to make time for myself. I may have a million things going on, due dates galore and people asking me for favors, but me time is needed every day! At least a couple of times a week, I try to do something that makes me happy and relieves stress. It's a great way to unwind and helps me remember what I love and what's important to me!
Some of my favorite things to do during me time include:
  • Bubble baths with a good book
  • Watching a chick flick and drinking hot chocolate
  • Going for a long run/walk to my favorite music
  • Date night with my husband
  • A craft project
  • An hour at the piano, singing my favorite songs
  • Taking a long nap
  • Making and eating my favorite treat
  • Coloring, playdoh, bubbles
  • Planning vacations, date nights, parties, etc.
When life gets too crazy and you're feeling overwhelmed, take some time for yourself! Do something that makes you happy and forget about all of your responsibilities for a while. It may seem like the easiest thing to put off, but your sanity and happiness is really the most important thing, as selfish as that may sound. I know from personal experience that working yourself too hard and never taking a break can affect your health as well.
What are your favorite me time activities?
Where are you most happy?
Amberly
i am so bad at this. i always say i'm a chronically busy person. this is such a good reminder to take a little time to myself. thanks so much amberly.

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Thursday, October 24, 2013

throwback thursday {not so baby karlee}

i was looking for an old picture last night, and i found this cute little thing. karlee was probably 2 in this picture, but look at that hip pop. we've been teaching her to pose her whole life.
chelsea posted this on instagram on sunday, and i just about died.
1. when did this little thing get so big and grown up?
2. where did she get her sass?
they always say she's like me. i'll take that as a compliment.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

girls night with the co-workers

my current and former co-workers always have so much fun together. we have been planning to go to dinner and see the witches at garner village. it must have been witches night out or something because the place was a complete zoo. we walked around a little before giving in and going to dinner at pei wei                                  

me, jessica, aly, anne, kimber, charity
 GNO trainee. i'm so sad we didn;t take pictures of her darling outift
 i love this witch!
 even though our original plan didn't really work, it was still a fun night. i love these girls so much and can't wait until the next one.


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Monday, October 21, 2013

random rambling {autism awareness}

i talk a lot about autism in april which is autism awareness month. i wear blue everyday in an effort to do my part to raise awareness about autism. autism is part of my life almost every single day, but i don't talk about it here very often when it's not april.
i want to share a little about autism today-when it's not april. 
autism is not a rare disorder. you probably know someone with autism. it is such a complex disorder, but what exactly is it? autism speaks is my favorite place to go for the most current research based information. you can find basic information on the disorder as well as current research and treatment information.
did you know the incident rate of autism is 1/88 children and 1/54 boys? the rate in utah is much higher at 1/47. when i started working with children with autism 12 years ago the rate somewhere around 1/188. autism is not going away. it is on the rise.
i saw this video on facebook a while ago. it melted my heart. i know jackson and his parents. the whole point of this video is to increase awareness so aubree happily gave me permission to post. 

autism is a struggle every single day. 
kids make progress., but it is still really hard. these families are amazing! 
i am so blessed to be a small part of these amazing families.

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PS...i was so touched when sheaffer from pinteresttoldmeto.blogspot.com put together a giveaway for a mom of a child with special needs. i loved the idea so much and hope to piggy back on her idea. my hope is to put something together for a christmas giveaway. if you're interested in donating goods, services, or money, please email me. thanks

Friday, October 18, 2013

friday feature {kiss me darling}

remember the pumpkin inspired outfits from the first what would you do post? originally i only planned to post the recipes, but when i started talking to the girls of kiss me darling about pumpkin inspired outfits, i got all sorts of excited for that too. their fashion is literally to die for cute. their clothes are really cute, but what i really really love are their darling accessories. we all know how i feel about accessories.

i'm so excited to have 1/2 of kiss me darling here today talking about fashion.

bethany the brunette
danielle the blond

danielle is off enjoying a sunny vacation so i interviewed bethany about fashion.

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your blog. " We are Bethany & Danielle from Kiss Me Darling. We are best friends- both mommies of two, and share a passion for fashion. One thing that is special about our blog, is that we each share our own  different individual styles. We believe that fashion is a way of expressing yourself, and that there is NO such thing as too much clothes. ;)
2.  What's your signature fashion item? Shoes of course. ;)
3.  How do you deal with a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear? Sometimes its fun to pull things out, and plan outfits by mixing and matching new and older clothes. I've surprised myself with the awesome outfits i've thrown together
4.  What's your most embarrassing fashion story? We've each had our fair share. ;) I once had a pair of these gorgeous purple heels. They were way too small for me, but i refused to admit it. I wore them for too long at work once, and it made my feet swell to the point that my boss was ready to send me to the ER thinking I was having an allergic reaction!!! I had to explain to him that it was because my heels were too tight. So embarrassing!!!
5.  What's on your fall wish list? I would love a maroon colored tote bag. So perfect for the fall!

these girls are absolute dolls. it sounds like they are the perfect candidates for #fall30x30 don't you think?!? my most embarrassing moment of my whole life is fashion related and also involves shoes. i agree with bethany. i think i neeeeed a maroon colored tote bag. want to see more of kiss me darling. head on over and check them out. outfit details also on their blog.


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Thursday, October 17, 2013

parents in cali part 2

a few announcements to start off
1. #fall30x30 with modern camelot is happening in november. if you have any interest at all, email me for details/convincing
2. WHAT WOULD YOU DO...with $20 at Target is also happening november 13. get your post ready and join us.
3. round 2 of #whatguineverewore is also coming up. get taking your pics.
and now onto the post for today...

did you catch part 1 of my trip to california with my parents? in between mini golf and the beach we spent time at the house swimming, jumping on the tramp, playing games (karlee teaching my dad to play candy crush), going to school with the kids, and enjoying our time together. 
i wish the weather was a little warmer at the beach, but it was barely warm enough to take some pictures and play in the sand a little. we all got a little more wet than we planned from the waves which made karson less than happy, but he survived. after the beach, we hit cafe rio mostly for my mom. here's another photo dump.
karlee loved climbing.
 kyler didn't have any problems with the sand, but he did have a little harder time walking




 kyler probably would have run right into the ocean all by himself if someone didn't hold him down.
 i love these kids a whole lot, but taking pictures is nearly impossible



 since they live all the way in missouri, my parents aren't on the blog too often. it was fun being able to spend time with them.
 karson was upset about being wet and cold so picture taking didn't go so well.

this was my 4th trip to california since they moved there, and we finally made it to the beach. there's just something about being at the beach that makes me so happy. even though it was a little wet and cold, i was really happy being there.

the rest of the california trip included sunday lunch with friends in town from vegas, playing at the park, and the kids hiking up a whole ton of stairs. as always it was a fun little getaway, and i didn't want to leave.
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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

wear it wednesday {color}

i'm not a neutral colors dresser at all. people make comments a lot about the way i put color together. i most often hear things like...
"i would never think to put those colors together"
"i could never wear that, but you pull it off"
"teach me how to do that"
"how do you know what goes together?"
so i'm helping you out a little. i found this dress on clearance at the gap outlet last month. the first thing i thought was wow i can wear that with so many colors.
step 1-pick a color to start with
step 2-add another random color in the form of a cardi, scarf, shoes, other accessories
step 3-if you're feeling really brave, add another color
sometimes (ok a lot of times) i get matchy matchy and have matching shoes and cardi or something else. this time i preferred a complimentary color rather than matchy matchy (i'll be back talking about that soon).
while i was in california i had my sister do a little photo shoot on the beach of this colorful outfit.

cardi-gap outlet
dress-gap outlet
leggings-forever 21
sandals-target


we didn't plan our outfits or talk about it at all, but we all ended up coordinating. chelsea doesn't usually put random colors together so i was proud of her for wearing a colored instead of neutral cardi


side note...this might be the biggest bouffant bun i have ever seen. karlee told me i looked like i was going to a wedding.
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