blogging the bach 20.11:finale+after the final rose

i'm so excited to be in california, but i'm a little disappointed to be missing the finale with my regular crew.

who's watching:my mom has been watching the season, but she informed me earlier today she is only planning to watch the last 15 minutes or so. clearly she isn't as die hard as i am. watching on my own is much much less entertaining and fun than watching with my monday night crew. needless to say, i miss those people tonight.

since i'm not watching with my people, the format this week is completely different. we'll have a little recap+commentary. the word tally and tear tally aren't happening. i'm a little in and out. i've already heard amazing and love about 10 times each so i'm a little sad i'm not counting.

INTRO
ben is scared he's going to make a mistake. he told 2 women he loves them. i'm pretty sure he already made a mistake.

MEET THE PARENTS
ben tells his parents lauren has been waiting to meet them since their first date. (i forgot about that funny, awkward comment). i actually did meet one of my boyfriends' family on our first date. that's another awkward story for another day.

lauren asks ben's mom for advice for being with ben. smart move lauren.

lauren says she would marry ben tomorrow. according to chris harrison's intro it sounds like that's a very real possibility. but seriously, are they really having a wedding on after the final rose???

jojo is so nervous. i feel bad for the poor girl, but i would be the same. does she know lauren already met the parents? i wouldn't want to know.

jojo says you and i are on the same page. is that a question or a statement?

FINAL DATE WITH LAUREN
this could be their last date as boyfriend and girlfriend. does she remember he has another girlfriend?

lauren wants to know what ben is thinking about right now. i kind of think she might not want to know what he's thinking about right now.

my mom just walked in the room and said "i don't think it's her." i kind of agree with her. so many people think it's lauren, but i kind of don't.(edit-obviously we were both wrong)

ben keeps saying he loves lauren, but he hasn't said he is in love with her (or has he?) like he has jojo.

lauren says he is scared and terrified. from what we have seen so far, i think she has good reason to be scared. (edit-speaking of edits, they did a really good job with the edits on this episode. they totally had me thinking it was jojo)

ben tells lauren no matter what happens...it doesn't even matter what he says after that. that phrase is not good.

FINAL DATE WITH JOJO
jojo definitely got some sun in jamaica. i'm jealous. i either need some sun or a spray tan asap!

ben has become jojo's best friend. if i was her friend in real life i would be a little sad, how can he be your best friend? i'm not saying he couldn't be eventually, but right now i just don't think so.

now ben's talking about jojo being his best friend. is it because they haven't seen or talked to any of their other friends for 2 months?

what can i even say about the conversation on the bathroom floor? my heart is breaking for jojo except this is the bachelor so there is the element of competition.

NO PROPOSAL/PROPOSAL
even when jojo got out first i still thought it was going to be her. i am so surprised. i really hope she's the next bachelorette.

ben calls lauren's dad and asks for permission-classy move ben

ben proposes. lauren says yes. this is the first time in a really long time that i haven't accidentally seen the spoilers before the end.

AFTER THE FINAL ROSE
i am so happy jojo is the next bachelorette. she is going to be so fun to watch. i can't even wait.

celsey snapped me while watching and said this was the classiest after the final she's ever seen. i totally agree. everyone was so classy. the attempt to have a wedding in the last 5 minutes was a little weird,but other than that it was all really nice.

what did you think about the final night?

An InLinkz Link-up

random rambling...fly on the wall

a few months ago i met a couple of girl friends at pizzeria limone for dinner. we haven't seen each other for a while so we had a lot to catch up on. while we were there a group of about 20+ single people came in-many of whom i have met a few times. i sat facing them and felt a little bit like a fly on the wall.

the group didn't come in all together. a few came in and then a few more and even some people on their own. everyone was excited to see everyone. the greetings were loud and happy and fun. the interactions between the males and females were pretty much what you would expect in a group-lots of laughing and hugging and joking around.

my friends and i sat talking about a couple of things-1. why aren't we over there with the group? and 2. why don't we want to be? my answer is pretty simple. that scene was my life 10 years ago. i traveled in a pack, met up with big groups, hung out with a lot of people all the time, and had the time of my life. i feel like that phase of my life is and should be over. i don't want to be right in the middle of that because that's not what i want in life. i want a husband and kids. don't get my wrong. i like to have fun just as much as anyone, but i don't necessarily want to relive my 20s.

it was interesting being on the outside essentially looking in. although i don't want to relive my 20s or go back to traveling in a big pack, i do need to meet new people. as fun as it is to go to dinner with friends, it is not getting me anywhere in the long run. so, where is the balance? how do i avoid slipping back into the life of my 20s and still meet new people? i'm open to suggestions. really i am.

churchy

have you ever heard of family home evening? it's basically like it sounds-spending an evening at home with your family. many many years ago, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints implemented family home evening. as the world gets more and more out of control, the need to spend time at home with the family seems increasingly important. 

if you're wondering what family home evening is or if it sounds like something you might want to try with your family, here is a short video explaining a little more.
watch the video

we all know i get together with friends on monday night. we have started incorporating a short spiritual message to our night. i love the difference it makes in the week. 

as always, let me know if you have any questions about family home evening or any other churchy things.

mini fitfam meetup

i love meeting new people. i love meeting people in real life that i know online. i love working out with other people. basically i love people!

last friday i had the chance to do all of the above. i started the csatt fitness program in january. i didn't tell many people, and i didn't make a big deal about it. i love so many things about the program. one of the many things i love is the community. it's so much easier to stick with a plan when you have an online community of supporters. it's even better when you connect with them in real life.

danielle and brad came to town to visit family so we organized a small meet up while they were here. 

we met for a quick breakfast at michelle's house. 

it was so fun and exciting to meet everyone in person.

after breakfast we went to the gym. cody put us through one of the hardest workouts i have had in a long time. it was intense and fast and hard and so good. it reminded me of my crossfit days. i miss working out that hard all the time.

danielle's daily #gymantics pciture

after the workout we had a little time to chit chat before everyone had to leave. it was such a fun morning and so great to meet everyone.

i wish we could all workout together everyday. 

fun weekend happs

it's thursday which means it's weekend eve (except it's really the weekend for me this week). maybe i already missed my chance to recap last week since we're basically at another, but i'm doing it anyway.

friday was pretty uneventful. i came home from work at a decent time and completely exhausted. i took a nap around 6:00pm-kind of late for a nap but oh well. i finally made myself get up and run some errands.

saturday was perfect running weather. it was a little overcast and the right temperature. we ran my favorite run to liberty park and even started higher up in the cove for a few extra miles. i haven't kept my mileage up as high this winter as i usually do. i think this was my first 10 miler all year. it felt pretty good, and i'm excited to keep adding miles.

jacque was in town for the weekend so we met up for lunch. i love any chance i get to see her so i was so happy it worked out.

saturday night i went with laurann and her family to see beauty and the beast. it was done really well. the costumes were amazing, and it was a really fun night.

sunday included earlier than usual church, a long sunday nap, and meal prep.

i'm headed out to california tonight so my weekend already started!

blogging the bach 20.10:women tell all

women tell all kind of depends on the season. it's not always my favorite of the season, but i kind of think we might see some good stuff tonight.

who's watching: celsey, alicia, amanda, and lacey

chit chat with the girls

what i saw
why is there a chicken there?
some of the girls look really good, and some...

what i heard
i hate when people we don't care about talk--cel
why did they lay off? she's about to blow--amanda
i'm really embarrassed watching this--lacey

what i thought
i don't really love the girls all attacking each other. i feel like i have to hide. i am also always confused why they spend so much time on people that left early. i wish girls could just say sorry and move on.

jubilee in the hotseat

what i saw
the replay of her time on the show makes me seriously wonder how she stayed on so long

what i heard
when she talks, it reminds me of shrek--alicia
he's just trying to make her cry and then she can leave--lacey

what i thought
this is clearly not the best show for jubilee

lace in the hotseat

what i saw
a tattoo or something of lace on some dude

what i heard
she's acting like she's coming back from recovery but we don't know what from--amanda
i drew a picture like that too in 10th grade art class--cel

what i thought
we all knew lace would end up on paradise

olivia in the hotseat

what i saw
olivia and her mouth
some seriously dark eye makeup
everyone is attacking her. she probably deserves it, but it is a little awkward

what i heard
she isn't wearing a peasant top. i can't believe it--cel about amanda
she was able to stir up just as much drama. nice work olivia--alicia

what i thought

if you are a severe introvert, i don't think the bachelor is the show for you.

caila in the hotseat

what i saw
caila looks like she's not totally over him. is that real?

what i heard
we got a little distracted and started chatting. basically we aren't watching anymore,

what i thought
i feel sad that she has to watch the replay of the season

ben in the hotseat
we mostly talked all the way through ben being in the hotseat. we're kind of over this season.
what i saw
becca being classy as always
what i heard
nothing-we were talking too much for anyone to say anything funny. mostly we were too busy laughing about amanda and her tinder experiences.
we were so bored at one point that we even started talking about politics.
what i thought
the bloopers were the best part of the whole show

tear tally-5

word tally
husband/wife-2
love-7
journey-0
connection-2
amazing-4

i like ben. he seems like a great person, but i am kind of over the season. i'm not sad that next week is the last week. what did you think about this week?

An InLinkz Link-up

one little word: march goals

did march sneak up on anyone else? february is obviously shorter, but i swear we just started the month. now it's already over. my march schedule is pretty packed so in some ways i feel like it's almost over too. it's time to check in on our goals for the month.

i have my yearly goal word of STILL as well as monthly goals. here's the update...

yearly goals to be still

1. morning and night quiet time-drive to the gym with no music/spend a few minutes each night reflecting on the day and writing 3 good things about the day-i've done really well with my morning quiet time. i've also added in doing a few pages of morning ramblings in a notebook. i haven't been as good at night. i even set my alarm on my phone to remind me. i need to work on that more this month 

2. attend the temple monthly-i went to the draper temple last week

3. color once a week-i usually color for a few minutes on sunday. i didn't do it yesterday. i like doing it. it is relaxing, but i didn't want to stay up even later just to color

4. prayer book-keep list of people i need to remember to pray for-i have the list by my bed. i use it pretty well.

january/february goals

1. wake up at 5:00am to go to the gym-i've done really well with this. i wake up by 5:00 almost every morning

2. clean up my diet-i have made so much improvement with this. my diet is much better than it's been for several years

3. i changed january's goal to one treat per week-for the most part i did really well. i don't ear nearly the amount of sugar i was eating.

march goals

1. drink apple cider vinegar every morning

2. do more cardio 2-3x/week

how are you doing with your goals? how about your word for the year? grab the button and link up your posts below

An InLinkz Link-up

5 little confessions

a couple of years ago i did a monthly collaboration with some of my blogger friends-5 little confessions. i'm a pretty open book, but i always seemed to have something to say. imagine that:) i like to bring it back every once in a while.

1. i LOVE this blog so much, but things have been coasting around here lately. i LOVE to post and stick to a schedule, but sometimes i just need to sleep.

2. i only wash my hair once a week, but i shave my legs every day.

3. i keep my nails painted basically all the time. i don't like naked nails at all. my nails were so bad last week. i took the polish off but ran out of time to paint them before i went to take pictures with bonnie. luckily there weren't many hand shots, but i definitely had naked nails. i did however have time for false eyelashes and hair extensions.

4. i'm supposed to review a book in less than a week. i'm pretty sure i downloaded it on my phone, but i haven't even looked at it yet. looks like i know what i'll be doing this weekend.

5. i met some people for a super early breakfast and workout this morning. i usually go to the gym with no makeup straight out of bed. i knew we would be taking a ton of pictures so i got up in the early 4s this morning to put on a little makeup. i expect a lot of teasing about it, but i feel better about myself.

let's hear it. what do you have to confess?

how we wore it:spring stripes

of all the different linkups and collaborations i do, how we wore it is one of my faves. i'm excited this month to style this fun outfit from mint arrow.

via Mint Arrow

things i noticed about the photo-army jacket, casual shoes, itty bitty purse.

photos bonnie

hair-irresistable me, jewelry-hey hune shop, agnes and dora skirt, gap t shirt, converse

i was a little nervous about this outfit. i never wear converse with skirts, but i ended up really liking this more laid back look. i wouldn't naturally put this look together, but it is something i will definitely wear again.

if you want to participate next month, head on over to deidre emme to sign up.

make sure to check out the other bloggers

Deidre at Deidre Emme

Katelyn at The Suitcase Blonde

Elise at Sparkle and Slippers

Amy at Harris inc.
Madeline at CaseyLand
Rachel at Rachel Sayumi
Amber at Amber Nicole Blogs
Brooke at Silver Lining
Berkley at Here in the Now
Kyla at FordOlogy
Robin at Penn & Quill
Ashley at Absolutely Ashley
Autumn at Stay gold Autumn
Aubrey at Aubrey Zaruba
Sierra at Sierra's ViewAlyssa at Impractical Composition
Justine at Little Dove Creations
Bekah at These Are The Days
Kylie at Love Always, Kylie

blogging the bach 20.9

i really really love the bachelor, but by this point every single season i am pretty ready for it to end. 

who's watching: celsey, alicia and adam, amanda, lacey

Caila

what i saw
ben and caila awkwardly sitting there not talking
a lot of awkwardness

what i heard
it literally looks like huckleberry finn--amanda
when in doubt..cel
i'm back in my right mood because all i want to do is makeout--lacey
i really love the bach, but i'm bored--cel
all they need is a good 'ol fashioned boink--amanda

what i thought
ben says he knows caila would be a great wife. really?
i don't see it with these two. 

lauren b

what i saw
ben in some shorty shorts-not the best look

what i heard
my comment last week about the short shorts and thick thighs still stands--cel
let's stop pretend like we're eating this food--alicia
it's really private with only 3 camera men and 7 producers--amanda
i love how they leave the sound on--lacey i hate how they leave the sound on--cel

what i thought

ben is not the smartest telling lauren he loves her. things are going to get complicated

jojo

what i saw
jojo's reaction to ben saying he loves her was the cutest thing.

what i heard
that is covering the bare minimum. she's got a very small margin of error on that--alicia
that's the cutest thing i've ever seen--amanda
there's no hope for caila--lacey
is her swimsuit lingerie? i'm unsure--cel
obviously because you told 2 people that--alicia
he has to. polygamy isn't an option--amanda when i said what if he send one of the girls home that he said i love you to
until you have that ring on your finger, sleep in your makeup--cel

what i thought
she started calling him babe. shoot!

caila leaves/rose ceremony

what i saw
caila comes so excited to see ben, and it's the most awkward thing
both girls are pretty excited when they realize caila is gone.

what i heard
who he picks determines-he's either a boob man or he's not--cel
my feelings and your body--cel

what i thought
jojo is more confident than lauren. i think lauren is going to make herself too nervous and pull back. jojo is confident and completely committed.

tear tally-only 3 all caila

word tally
husband/wife-4
love-69
journey-0-apparently not a thing this season
connection-2
amazing-10

what do you think is going to happen?

An InLinkz Link-up

weekend happs

last week was CRAZY! i got off to kind of a bad start by staying up way too late on sunday night. it was a bit of a downhill slope the rest of the week. i barely slept, and i was way too busy. i was so looking forward to the weekend. even though it went by really fast, it did not disappoint.

friday night after work i went to the temple. after a week of complete crazy, it was so nice to sit in peace and quiet.

i went running for the first time in a month. we ran to liberty park-my favorite run! it was sunny and warm and such a beautiful day.

i met bonnie for some blog photos-coming soon.

the rest of the evening was all about relaxing. tiffany and i got some dinner, did our nails, and watched fuller house on netflix. we made it a little more than half way through. i have so many flashbacks to growing up. i love it!

if you follow me on snapchat (aubreyzaruba), you've seen my nail polish obsession. i bought this pink (bachelorette bash) last week and couldn't wait to use it. i LOVE it! it's the perfect pink.

sometimes i feel like sunday isn't really part of the weekend which is so weird. it's not the weekday so i don't know what in the world i think it is. 

how was your weekend? any exciting happs?

foodie friday...taco stuffed peppers

there seems to be a bit of a food pattern around here-quick, clean, and easy. as much as i love to cook, i don't have time to make food that takes forever and ever. when i find something i like, i make it a lot and eat it for days. these taco stuffed peppers are one of those foods.

i originally saw the idea for taco stuffed peppers from tasty on facebook. it sounded really good so i modified it to make it my own.

ground turkey-1 pound

taco seasoning

1-2 cups salsa

chopped onion

quinoa and brown rice packet from costco

black beans

mexican blend cheese

bell peppers

saute onions. cook ground turkey. add taco seasoning and cook per instructions. add salsa. simmer for a few minutes. add black beans and quinoa/rice. stir and simmer. add 1/2 cup cheese. stuff filling in peppers. bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. it's so good!

random rambling...a birth story

i had the most amazing experience last month. before i get to that, there's a little bit of backstory... 

one of the saddest things to me about getting older is the very real possibility that i may never have children. i'm not saying i won't for sure, but the window of time is definitely closing. it's not something i talk about a lot, but it is something i think about a lot. i know i can adopt, freeze my eggs, have kids until i'm old, and every other thing you might be thinking to tell me, but unless i meet the man of my dreams pretty pronto, it might not be in my life plan.

as i have thought more and more about that recently (especially the last year), i realized i also may never have the experience of birth (either my own story or witnessing someone else's). it's not the kind of thing i would necessarily ask someone. i would never expect anyone to invite me to be present for their delivery, and i would never be upset if someone offered and then changed their mind.

somehow this topic came up at bookclub in december. mauri was pregnant with baby #6 and talked about how she didn't really care who was in the delivery room-parents, students, whoever. she invited me to come to her birth. i assured her over and over that she didn't have to, and she also assured me that it was totally fine.

the week came and we exchanged several texts about the plan. she would be induced sometime on sunday-probably in the morning. she again assured me that she was completely comfortable with me being there.

sunday morning came, and she let me know she was at the hospital. she invited me to come and be there for as much of the process as i wanted. i got to the hospital after they started her on pitocin and gave her the epidural. we spent the next several hours visiting in the room. her husband was there of course and her parents came. her mom watched the monitors. the nurse came in about every 15 minutes to check the baby's heartbeat, and we waited.

eventually her midwife came in and broke her water, and we waited some more. we chatted throughout most of the afternoon, and eventually she got tired and took a little rest. the room was so peaceful and quiet. the midwife checked her a couple of times, and the progress was a little slow. she came back to check in the early evening. she checked her and then said it's time to have a baby.

i wanted to make sure to be completely out of the way, and everyone else wanted to make sure i could see. since it was baby #6, things went pretty quickly. the delivery went very well. the whole thing was so incredible. mauri was completely calm the whole time. she talked a little between contractions, and it seemed almost effortless. i saw the baby's cute little head, and i could barely contain my emotion. the baby was born, and there were tears in the room (the baby's, grandma's and mine for sure). words cannot adequately describe the sweetness of the experience.  

i stood back and observed as they finished taking care of things and taking care of the baby. i didn't plan to stick around too long after the baby was born, but i did wait until everything was pretty wrapped up. dad held the baby and then passed her to grandma and grandpa. i got to hold the baby before i left. there is something so completely precious about a brand newborn. i held her for a few minutes and savored the sweet experience. as i congratulated my friends on their new arrival and thanked them for the experience, i felt so much emotion. i witnessed a miracle that day, and it is something i hope i never forget.