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Tuesday, August 29, 2017

blogging the bach..in paradise 4.something

the monday/tuesday situation this season is making it a little hard to keep up. i've been pretty good about watching monday night, but i've missed the tuesday night every single time. 
monday night tradish is on pause this week so i'm watching with tiffany and sage. they caught me up on what i missed last week.

kristen comes and drama starts. matt obviously wants to go with kristen and jasmine wants to make sure it doesn't happen. jasmine confronts kristen and then she cries. matt said he wanted to go. things are an unnecessary mess. they leave on their date and order a chocolate banana on a stick-not public food. the next part of the date is shopping for bikinis. (insert side eye emoji here). they come back and jasmine is not even a little bit happy.

tears more and more tears

taylor freaks out on derek. "she's not talking like a human. she's talking like a therapist."--tiffany. tears and freak outs and finally they're both sorry and everything is fine again.

no one really seems to know what they're doing with the rose ceremony. we thought for sure it was happening tonight, but they just really like to make us wait. instead of a rose ceremony, we get daniel. to be continued...

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Monday, August 28, 2017

Weekend Happs

Having friends in town makes me feel a little like I am on vacation myself except I get to sleep in my own bed. It was a fun filled weekend-one of those weekends you don't even realize you need.

Bill planned a surprise birthday party for Karen on Friday evening. It was a backyard dessert party and a lot of fun seeing everyone. They recently moved back to SLC, and it's fun having them back here. 
Tammy and Adi came to town for the weekend. I was lucky to spend quite a bit of time with them. It was so great meeting them in person and getting to know them on a deeper level. I love talking to them and so many other people online, but it is always so much better to spend time in person.


I missed the Pure Barre class they took that morning so I could get in my marathon training run. We ran the Jordan River Parkway trail. It was a really pretty morning. 
We met for breakfast after the class at Penny Ann's. It is next door to Pure Barre, but I have never been. The food was delicious, but there was so much of it. I got to meet a few other girls that I haven't met and that was so great. 
Angie invited us over to watch the fight at her beautiful home that night. We all hung out and chatted and ate and watched the fight. I was there much more for the social. It was a really fun night.

I did all the regular Sunday things-church, laundry, makeup brush clearing, meal prep, etc. I cooked black beans and rice separately in the instant pot. It was so easy, and I can't believe I haven't done it before now. I stopped by to see Tammy and Adi one more time and had more great conversation.

This weekend was really great. My heart is full.

How was your weekend? 
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Wednesday, August 23, 2017

functional technology

*this post is sponsored 

in our work meeting on monday we talked about confidentiality and the possible breaches of that confidentiality. for the most part we are all really careful, but after a recent car theft we need to step it up a notch. basically we can't leave anything in our cars with information. that makes sense and also means i need a new work bag to keep papers and files, etc. . on a separate note, all of my devices seem to need a little extra charge throughout the day...enter the energi backpack. I can easily transport all of my papers and files and also keep everything charged throughout the whole day. 

Why The ENERGI Pro Backpack Is One Of TYLT'ss Hottest Products
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beauty time thursday-new products

*this post contains products i received in exchange for this post. all opinions are my own.

i have a lot of beauty faves. sometimes i think i will never find anything i like as much as my faves BUT i really do love trying new things. sometimes i replace my old faves, and sometimes i go right back to my old faves. old habits really do die hard.
i LOVE perfume and lotion and candles and all smelly good things. i have tried a black/white combo before and really liked it so i was really excited to try the kat von dee saints and sinners perfume. i got the cutest sample bottles. they both smell really good on their own, but i prefer to wear them together. the scents compliment each other really well. i can't even choose a favorite between the two. i like them both.
I take a ton of vitamins. i honestly never really know if they are doing much or not, but it is worth it for me to keep taking them. good gut health is so important for basically everything else in your body. i have done quite a bit of research on gut health or lack there of mostly for my job, but it applies to every single person. i have taken a daily probiotic for years, and it is one of the reasons i stay fairly healthy. i got the opportunity to try lovebug probiotics, and the company really has a lot to offer.
  • 15x more effective than any other probiotic capsule, chewable or gummy thanks to our patented BIO-tract technology, which protects our tablets from dissolving in stomach acid so they can be delivered to the gut, where probiotics are most effective
  • All products are non-GMO, gluten free, sugar free, yeast free, lactose free, soy free, preservative free, are made in the USA, and are packaged with organic cotton
  • use multiple strains in each specially formulated probiotic for adults, children, and babies.  This ensures that you are building the most diverse and robust microbiome, which is essential for maintaining a strong immune system.
i am really happy with lovebug and look forward to continued use of their products.
charcoal seems to be all the rage these days. i have tried the popular charcoal peel off mask a couple of times. it is really fun to peel off, but i don't know how much of a difference it makes for my skin. i saw a post about these say yes to tomatoes charcoal face wipes. they smell sooooo good, but they are not something that i can see myself using daily. i feel the same about the pixie eye makeup remover wipes. they are great for travel but probably not daily use. the mary kay charcoal mask is my favorite. it feels great on my skin, and seems to work really well. 
my hair has been on the serious fritz lately. something happened earlier this year that totally damaged my hair. things are finally slowly starting to get better with a lot of deep conditioning and several trims/cuts. this monat sample came at the peak of the dry, damaged, brittle stage. it smells good and made my hair feel amazing. i'm still in repair mode, but this definitely helped. 

have you tried any new beauty products lately?

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Tuesday, August 22, 2017

blogging the bach..in paradise 4.3

i love the bach. i really do, but i cannot commit to more than one day per week of the show which means i missed the second episode last week. megan gave us the 30 second skinny before starting this week.
since we didn't watch last season very closely, i am kind of confused about who everyone is. it seems like some of the initial couples are switching things around. i'm trying to figure out who is who and who is with who.

adam comes and goes on a date with raven. ben z might be in trouble. he would be happy to get back to his dogs, but i would be sad.

we're 2.5 episodes in and finally having a rose ceremony. what is the deal with ben and his dog? have we ever seen raven's hair up? we like it. amanda isn't ready to kiss robby and then immediately starts talking to nick. dean and kristina talk. he wants to slow things down. in real life that is probably a great idea. on this show, that might be the death sentence for him.

most of the roses are pretty predictable.
taylor-derek
jasmine-matt
raven-adam
alexis-jack stone
lacy-diggy
danielle-ben
kristina-dean
amanda-robby

danielle l arrives and everyone freaks out a little. she talks to several of the guys. we want her to take ben but she takes dean. Dean is quickly getting a bad reputation. in the words of megan "he is being a butt hole". he cuddles with kristina and then celebrates danielle's half birthday with a cake and candles in front of everyone.

to be continued...again.

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Friday, August 18, 2017

Foodie Friday-lemon pepper zucchini and a special request

''Tis the season of zucchini. There's nothing better than garden fresh vegetables. I seriously can't grow a thing so I'm always very excited when people share from their garden. Successfully gardens tend to yield a lot of zucchini this time of year. I'm always looking for new ways to cook it. I tried lemon pepper zucchini and it was a hit. 
Slice zucchini 
Spray pan with coconut oil cooking spray 
Add sliced zucchini 
Squeeze juice from one large lemon
Add 1 tablespoon minced onion
Sprinkle with generous amount of lemon pepper to cover zucchini 
Sauté until tender-about 5-7
The lemon flavor is pretty strong but not overbearing. 

On a completely different note...


If you live in Utah or have any relationships here in Utah, your heart has been affected by the discovery of the untimely death of Paul Swenson yesterday. Many of my friends have close connections to Paul and his family. 

With the news of Paul's passing, one can't help but want to comfort and ease their family's heartache.

Ashlee and Paul frequently refer to their daughter as their "ray of sunshine" or #poppyraeofsunshine. Knowing of Paul's generous and kind nature it's no wonder he's passed that to his daughter. He will continue to live through her. In order to spread sunshine and #lovelikepaul - anyone and everyone can pass on his love to his family. 

Simply love others and document how you're doing it with #lovelikepaul. 

Campaign Details: To honor and remember Paul Swenson and his family, spread sunshine and #lovelikepaul through acts of kindness and random acts of service. For example...

-Volunteer at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen 
-Donate food to your local food bank
-Set up a FREE neighborhood car wash (teens)
-Use your connections to have business(es) donate a portion of a day's sales to a charity of choice
-Assemble hygiene packets for country/group in need 
-Host a FREE lemonade stand 
-Deliver donuts to firehouses 
-Make or donate blankets to a local women's shelter/safe house 
-Host a community talent show/concert/movie in the park
-Tape quarters to vending machines w/the attached #lovelikepaul tags
-Walk/wash dogs in neighborhood 
-Bring dog/cat treats to your local humane society
-Pay for the persons food behind you in the drive-thru
-Hand out Target gift cards randomly while shopping at Target (put sticker on the back of the card)
-Write a note/draw a picture to loved ones 
-Clean up trash at the park 
-Contact parks and rec to paint chipped fire hydrants 
-Make bird feeders and donate to a nature preserve. Or hang throughout the community. 
-Buy popcorn for strangers at the movie theater
-deliver flowers to new mothers at hospital 
-create smores kits and pass out to people enjoying public fire pits 
-pass out cookies to passengers on a tram/train
-write inspiration or uplifting quotes on cards and pass out

Attach the sticker or tag (to your act) whenever possible to help spread the word. Stickers will be available in the coming week. Stay tuned for how to pick some up! Document your acts with the hashtag #lovelikepaul and pass it on. Runs 8/15-9/13 (30 days for each year Paul LIVED). 

Please share this on your personal social media pages and listen to quiet inspirations of how you can multiply and magnify this effort of love and service. 

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Wednesday, August 16, 2017

beauty time Thursday-July empties

We're already halfway through August and I'm just getting to the empties post for July. I didn't empty very many things last month in comparison to some other months. 
Bath and Body Works body lotion-I mix up the fragrances, but this is always my go to lotion 
Witch Hazel-one of the best lipsense tips I heard was to use witch hazel on my lips before applying the lipsense. It really does work so well. 
Hempz lotion-smells so good and feels great
Dove spray deodorant-I converted to spray a few years ago and it's great. It's less of a mess. Dove is one of my faves. I have another brand now and I don't really care for it. 
Benefit Dew the Hoola-tinted primer/bronzer-this is one of my favorite makeup products. You'll think it's gone long before it really is. Take the pump out and use the handle of a makeup brush to get out excess product. It lasted another month this way. 
Bath and Body Works foaming hand soap in black cherry merlot-best soap, best scent 
Intuition razor refill-the only way I'll shave my legs ever. 
Most of these are staple products. I'll be back next week with some new products I've been trying lately. 

 

hydroflask vs fifty fifty

i am 100% obsessed with water bottles. i can never have too many. i love them! all of them! i especially love my hydroflask. i was a little anti for a minute until Sage bought me one for my birthday. i became even more obsessed when i got the insert for my car cup holder. it keeps my water cold in my hot car all day long. i pretty much thought it was the best thing ever...
....until i heard about the fifty fifty company. I don't even know if this is true, but i heard there was a divorce and a new company and different pricing for similar products. I haven't been able to verify anything other than the different pricing for similar products.

I am a brand snob and usually go for brand names on most things, but when i heard there was a possibility that I could get a water bottle like my hydroflask for less money i had to try it out.

I found the fifty fifty bottle at Harmons.on sale. I love the color, and I really can't tell a difference between that and hydroflask. They work the same. Everything seems to be the same except the price. I still love my hydroflask but I really really love my fifty fifty bottle. 
Speaking of being a snob..I'm a total water snob. I want it either bottled or filtered. I really try to avoid drinking out of the tap. I keep a Brita pitcher in my fridge at home and now I have one to keep at work. The Brita stream is perfect. The water filters as you pour so it's freshly filtered every time. No more sitting and waiting for it to fill up and filter. I'm a big fan. 
*i received the Brita for testing purposes

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Tuesday, August 15, 2017

blogging the bach..in paradise 4.1

does anyone know what season of paradise this is? we think 4 but maybe it's 5. i'm sure i could look it up, but i'm afraid of what else i might see if i start googling things.



we see the intros and all decide dean and raven should get together.

it's a good thing they tell us what season they are from because we're having a hard time remembering several (or maybe most) of them.

demario arrives. chris harrison is surprised he is there, and demario is surprised he was invited. it basically seems like he is there to clear his name-ummm has he seen this show ever? problems seem to start with him 5 seconds in.

corrine comes and very clearly says she does not have a boyfriend. do we even address the corinne and demario situation or just pretend like it didn't happen?

people start talking about connections. how do you have a connection after only 3 seconds?

jorge leaves to pursue his dreams and wells comes to tend the bar.

kristina gets the first date card and everyone is jealous. everyone is back at the house looking for connections. people start pairing off and more dates and one on one time happens including jasmine and matt's drag bar date.

there's a 12 to 8 ratio of boys to girls. and the guys start scrambling to secure a rose. things seem to be going pretty well until everything haults. in true bachelor fashion-to be continued...


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Monday, August 14, 2017

Weekend and other happs

The weekend got off to a little bit of an early start with the Sandy hot air balloon launch. I see people post about it every year, but this was my first time actually going. It really is a pretty cool thing. How does one get into hot air ballooning?



Friday evening we celebrated Stefanie's birthday at her fave, Fran's. We had our favorite server Russ and laughed and laughed and laughed. After dinner I went to the biggest, most expensive Parade of Homes Treehaven house. I run past the house all the time and had no idea it was a parade home.
Saturday was busy and full of fun. The day started as usual with a long marathon training run. We kind of combined 2 different runs together, and I really liked it a lot. The canyon was so pretty, and it was the perfect weather.
Jacque was in town for her baby shower on Saturday. She is one of those people that is so fun to be around. It was great catching up with her and a few other blog friends.
After the shower Celsey, Shawn, Amanda, and I saw a few more parade homes. We saw one of my favorite homes and had a fun afternoon. evenings and Saturdays seeing houses. Brenna joined us during the week. We spent a few This is one of our favorite yearly traditions. After seeing houses, we went back to their house and visited for a while and had dinner.

I had a long list of things to accomplish after church on Sunday including laundry, meal prep, and some cleaning. It was good to get things done and start the week off feeling accomplished. In the middle of my to do list on Sunday, I was chatting with some friends about needing a husband. Jen wrote this, and it's pretty much the best thing ever.

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Friday, August 11, 2017

Foodie Friday-coco loco and Mexican corn

It's hot and unusually muggy here lately, and really all I want is ice and sometimes a cold drink. My cute friend Emily (@emiemiemi82 on instgram) was on Good Things Utah last month and made the most delicious summer drink. I wish I was sitting by the pool in Mexico sipping this delicious thing all the rest of the summer.
Frozen Coconut Limeade
5 cups ice
3/4 cup Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut or Coco Real Simply Squeeze bottle
6 tablespoons frozen limeade concentrate
3 tablespoons water
Blend until smooth. 3 batches uses the bottle of cream of coconut and frozen limeade
Speaking of sitting by the pool in Mexico, Mexican corn goes great with the coco loco drink.
Soak in water bath 30 minutes with husk on
Shake water off
Grill on medium heat for 15 min
Peel down husk leaving it on the end
Slather in mayo, Parmesan, and chili powder

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Wednesday, August 9, 2017

wear it wednesday-a little heel goes a long way

i sit on the floor all day for work so i tend to dress more casual especially during the day. i also take my shoes off over and over all day so that keeps things casual too. i have plans with friends after work often, and i like to be a little less casual. one of the easiest ways to dress things up is to change into a heel or wedge shoe.










buckle shirt|articles of society jeans|old navy flip flops|steve madden wedges|alex and ani bracelets|mantra band bracelet|bip and bop bracelet

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