Wear it Wednesday..custom jewelry

I grew up in the south so everything is monogrammed and names are on everything. My name isn’t necessarily unique, but it is also not the most common name. I rarely find my name on anything so if I want anything with my name, I have to find something I can customize. My niece is the same way. She has wanted a necklace with her name on it for awhile, but she hasn’t been able to find one in the stores. I have worked with oNecklace a few times in the past. When they reached out to collaborate again, I instantly thought to surprise my niece with a necklace with her name. She got it right as school was getting started for her. Even though she is full distance learning for now, it is fun to have a new accessory for those zoom classes. 

I told her mom the package was coming, but Karlee was surprised when it came in the mail. She never finds anything with her name since she has the ee spelling at the end of her name. It was fun to surprise her with something fun. It was very easy to get the necklace with her name. I sent them the necklace i wanted with the spelling and they shipped it right to her. If you are interested in something custom, oNecklace is a very simple and affordable way to go. Thanks to oNecklace for helping me surprise her. She loved it! 

Beauty Time Tuesday-Empties

When I started doing empties posts I used so many products and bought quite a few new products often. When I moved I realized just how many things I have so I am trying to use up what I have before buying more things. I am slowly using things up which is always my favorite thing ever. It’s been a while since I have done an empties post so things have built up quite a bit. 

Dove dry shampoo-this is supposed to be unscented, but it smells to me. I do not like the smell at all. 

Terre mere toner-This came in my FabFitFun box. It is very lightweight and I love it. I actually put it in a spray bottle, and I am loving applying toner that way. 

Batiste volumizing dry shampoo-I love this and need to buy more. 

Bath and Body works body creams-I switched to a cleaner lotion for a while. I really love this body cream. 

Murad Collagen cream-This also came from FabFit Fun and I love it. 

Tarocco foot cream-another fabfitfun product that smells so good 

Morphe lip gloss-light and a slight shimmer

Lancôme eyelash primer-I don’t necessarily have a preference on brand, but I do need a primer

Mary Kay mascara-love this as my final mascara

Tarte maneater mascara-I usually really like this mascara. Maybe this tube is dried out because I didn’t love it as much this time.  

Klorane shampoo-I got this sample with dry shampoo and liked it enough that I wanted to include it in this post. I need to buy the full size. 

Lancôme primer-I have posted about this before. I had no idea there was lotion primer as opposed to a gel. I really like the lotion so much better.  

Utah Family Vacation

I have been holding my breath since March hoping that my family would still be able to come to Utah this summer. Chelsea and Jeff were supposed to have a family reunion with the Vocana family and planned Kyler’s baptism around the reunion since his birthday was the same week. The reunion ended up getting canceled due to COVID, but the trip and baptism still happened. They spent a few days visiting friends before our family time.  

They came over to my house for lunch and to see where I live. It was fun to have them here. 

Mom and Dad flew in that evening and our first stop was Cafe Rio. It was only my second time eating in a restaurant since COVID started. There was almost no one there so that was nice. 

We didn’t have set plans for Tuesday morning so we went up to Silver Lake up Big Cottonwood Canyon to hike around. They kids loved all the little animals and the deer we saw. We packed a picnic and enjoyed the cooler temperatures up there. 

After being friends with Celsey and her family for years and years, she finally got to meet my family. Her parents invited us over to swim in their pool and then have pizza for dinner. The kids had fun meeting each other and playing together and it was fun to get the families together. 

Kyler celebrated his 8th birthday while they were here. He is pretty easy going and wasn’t super particular about what he wanted to do for his birthday. He started the day with birthday donuts and swimming. We went to In N Out for lunch and Classic Fun center for jumping and skating. The main thing he said he wanted was to go to a trampoline place. The kids loved running around and jumping and decided they wanted to skate towards the end. All of the kids ended up skating and having fun. I held Kenzie’s hands and helped her skate. 

It was pretty hot inside the fun center so the kids happily enjoyed a snow cone. 

Malea and her family were on their way home from Yellowstone and happened to be staying in Sandy that night. Malea and Abby stopped by for a quick visit. It was fun to see them. After they left, Jeff’s parents came over for dinner and birthday brownies and more swimming. I haven’t been with any of their kids on their birthday for a while so it was really fun to celebrate all day. 

Kyler’s baptism was one of the big reasons for the trip. With all of the restrictions we weren’t sure at one point if we would be able to have the baptism. Fortunately we were still able to have it, and Kyler had all the people that could be there in person to celebrate with him. It was a very initiate and special baptism since everyone there was there for him. Even his uncle Kyle presided over the baptism since he is in the bishopric. It was a different experience all being in masks, but it was still a special day. 

Kenzie put on my heels during the lunch and refused to take them off. She was very committed to wearing them even in her family picture and walking up the stairs. 

After everything was all cleaned up, we got checked out of the hotel and sent them on their way to spend a couple of days with the Vocana family. I took mom and dad to St. George. It was so nice to spend time with family after not really knowing how long it would be before we could see family with COVID restrictions. 

Summer Break 2020

There are a lot of great things about my job. One of them is our frequent breaks. Every year we get a week off around the 4th of July. I often like to go on vacation, but with COVID this year was a little different. I really wanted to go somewhere but couldn’t decide if it was a good idea. I went back and forth a few times and ultimately decided it was best to stay home. I took advantage of the time to relax and also get some things done. Chelsea suggested a goal to get one productive things accomplished each day. That really helped me to not waste the whole week. I also made some time to do a few fun things too. 

Ale and I hiked around silver lake in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was nice and cool and so beautiful up there. It was nice to get outside and enjoy nature. 

July is wildflower season and I tried to take full advantage of flowers I saw

Lisa was in town so we met for an outside lunch with Jackie. 

I am hiking more this summer than over before and it has been so fun. Brooke, Ale, Stacha, and I hiked in Suncrest on a Friday evening. The weather was perfect and the sunset was beautiful. 

This summer and summer break like most of the rest of 2020 are different than the norm, but I am trying to make the best of it. It is much slower paced and home based which is kind of nice at times. 

At Home Spa Weekend

I think we can all agree that 2020 is anything but normal. Like many others I have fond myself at home way more than ever. I went from being home basically to shower and sleep to being home most of the time. It has taken some creativity to adjust to being at home so much, and I am finding there are some things I really like doing at home. This article gives me some new ideas of things to try. If you are looking for some good things to try, check out this article for things to enjoy some relation while we are all stuck at home.

A Spa “Weekend”: Right in Your Own Home

By: Robin Noble

After the longest semester of my life—one that was spent almost entirely in “Zoom” classrooms instead of on-campus—I’m finally all wrapped up with my courses, and I’m ready to wrap myself up in a cocoon of self-care. Two weeks ago, after a particularly grueling writing session for a few classes’ worths of final essays, I drew a hot bath, mixed in some “bath bombs” and Epsom salts (along with a splash of tea tree oil), cranked up the Enya Spotify station, read a dozen chapters of my favorite Jane Austen novel, rubbed a deep conditioner into my scalp for at least thirty minutes, and scrubbed my body with an exfoliant. I felt like I was in figurative heaven. After that well-needed soak, I indulged in a glass of wine, and decided that I’d need a “spa night” as many nights throughout the week as possible—and, why stop there? Why not develop daily practices that would revitalize me every day? I started experimenting with a morning and evening routine that—once I had it dialed in—made me feel as fresh as the morning dew: even before I’d had my morning coffee.

Clear Skin, Clear Mind

The first step in maximizing my self-care “spa” treatment time, I dedicated myself to waking up a half-hour earlier than usual to give myself more time to complete my skincare routine. If I'm going to be outside facing the harshness of the daytime sun—or wearing makeup—I have to take care of that skin barrier first. After a few weeks, now I just feel a little incomplete if I skip what I’ve come to learn is a vital step for my health. In the wee hours of the dawn, I rinse my face with cold water (for now, I’ll skip the cleanser, as I will typically cleanse the night before), apply an alcohol-free toner, and then let that dry for a few secs. Then I'll apply a vitamin C serum and let that dry for a couple of minutes, followed by moisturizer and sunscreen. No matter how rushed I might possibly be, I never leave the house without applying an appropriate sunscreen. I give all of that time to sink in as I finish other morning steps (eating breakfast, preparing work correspondences). I sometimes struggle with the tedium of using multiple products, so I’m considering investing in a sunscreen with moisturizing properties that will allow me to skip the moisturizing step. By the time I’m done, I feel fresh and ready for the day—even if I’ll still be working from home, the sunscreen protects my skin whenever I head out for brisk walks about the neighborhood or garden breaks. 

Yoga, You Will Do

In the evening, after enjoying a day of awakened skin, I also want to “awaken'' my entire body as a part of my new “spa” routine. Depending on the day, it takes me a while to get warmed up to full strength or flexibility, so I practice with a specific intention in mind. Since sleep “resets” me every night, I like to prime my body to be fully warmed up by the end of my evening movement flow, to maximize my nightly rejuvenation. I start with dynamic stretching, do some semi-ironic “sun salutations” for ten or so minutes while focusing on strengthening my core; afterward, I loosen myself with backbends and downward dogs to ensure that my back will tighten up less as I sleep. 

Mix (Drink) it Up

The final step of the evening? Getting myself into that tub, with snacks and a mixed drink to wash down as I wash away my COVID cares and torrid troubles. When I think about my favorite spots in my hometown of Salt Lake City that I frequented before the pandemic, nothing can beat some of the downtown hotspots that turned up the “beat” every night: like the open-air stages at Gracie’s, or the sexy underbelly at Lake Effect. However, since I’m trying to work through some of my tensions at home, I’ll just have to borrow some of the best meal and drink ideas that my favorite establishments have to offer. For me, nothing—and I mean nothing—tastes better than chocolate-covered strawberries paired with Rosé: except chocolate-covered strawberries paired with Frosé. I play myself some of the melodic, moody jazz themes that others might be listening to live at Lake Effect’s “The Rabbit Hole,” and I float away on a musical cloud, with a pink, slushied wine in my hands. Throughout the day—and well into the evening—I’ve created for myself an experience that others would pay top-dollar for: all in the quiet and safety of my own home. Bring on another month of lockdown—I’m ready for even more time to myself.

Let me know if you decide to try any of these ideas. I definitely want to implement more of a self care routine.