blogging the bach 22.3

who's watching: The black plague has hit half the Monday night tradish crowd. We were hoping to watch together tonight, but everyone still isn't feeling completely well. We are determined to watch next week. Tonight Celsey , her dad, and I are watching together. Shawn watched for a while too.

date #1-it's all about the ring-miquel, jacqueline, lauren b, tia, marikh, becca m, bibiana, krystal

The date starts with wrestling coaching with ladies from the 80s. They are pretty intense and girls start crying. They get in costumes and get ready to wrestle. This date is kidn of weird and not our fave. Bibiana breaks the #1 rule of the show and wastes her time talking about Krystal. Krystal thinks she will for sure get the rose. When she doesn't she says she needs to step up her game. That's the last thing she needs to do.

date #2-lauren s you had me at merlot

Signs of being old-talking about bedtime on a date. When the bachelor is eating, it's not a good sign.

It was pretty obvious the date wasn't going super great. 

date #3-ashley, becca k, brittanie, jenna, caroline, chelsea, annaliese love can be ruff

The dog show is hilarious. None of the girls can get the dogs to do a thing. The rest of the date is mostly girls talking to Arie, wanting to talk to Arie, and talking about talking to Arie. He has a good amount of time with some girls. I still really like Becca and can tell Arie does to, but he gives the rose to Chelsea.

cocktail party/rose ceremony

Bibiana sets up a bunch of stuff outside and Lauren and Arie find and enjoy it as well as several others. Arie sets up a mini date with Tia. I like her. Arie obviously likes her. Annaliese wants to kiss Arie, but he doesn't want to kiss her. He kisses a few more girls before Annaliese comes back to chat more. I'm having a hard time watching. I feel embarrassed for her.

who's left-becca, chelsea, caroline, kendall, ashley, lauren, brittanie, becca k, sienne, krystal, tia, miquel, jenna, jaqueline, marikh 

word tally

amazing-16

journey-0

love-11

tear tally-9

so far tia, becca k, and caroline are some of my faves. we haven't done our brackets yet with all the sickness and we agree that annaliese would have messed them up.

2017 one little word recap-EMBRACE

We're 2 full weeks into 2018, and I'm still playing catch up with 2017. The year started kind of as a blur, and looking back the whole year really was a blur. I tried to make time for the things that were most important and let many other things go. It is difficult to accept that not everything can be a top priority, but it is a lesson I have finally (for the most part) learned. my overall goal and theme for the year was EMBRACE which helped me enjoy this season of my life and the priorities at this time.

via she's just smitten

YEARLY GOALS

*nightly gratitude journal-better-sometimes i was really good and sometimes i wasn't. i plan to continue this goal into 2018 

*do something that scares me/pushes me out of my comfort zone-✓

*attend temple 12 times-i barely made my goal of 12 times. i took advantage of an afternoon cancellation to go to the draper temple one afternoon

*monthly journal-same as nightly gratitude journal. sometimes i was good and sometimes i was not.

*csatt/fitness goals-csatt challenges were not on a consistent schedule and i let excuses get in the way at times. i got more focused the end of the year,

DECEMBER GOALS
*finish all Christmas(cards, gifts, mail, etc. by Dec 15)-for the most part i was done
*read daily Christmas scriptures-✓. i loved doing this and want to remember to do it again this year
*100 daily abs✓ish-i started out doing really well and dropped off once i left town
*gluten free for 21 days to support a friend recently diagnosed with celiac-✓-eating gluten free isn't as bad as it sounds although knowing i was only doing it for 3 weeks made it not so bad. i got used to reading all the labels which helped me be more accountable with my food
*follow #lighttheworld campaign✓-i wish i would have participated more, but i was happy for the times i was able to participate.

blogging the bach 22.2

apparently my post from last week never posted. oops!

who's watching-Celsey and me with a few pop ins from Gene

date #1-Becca K-Arie rolls up on a motorcycle and whisks her away to a day of being spoiled with Rachel Zoe dresses, Louboutin shoes, and Neil Lane jewelry. The night ends with a twist on the classic fireworks with  a confetti pop and lots of kissing. We like her.

Krystal-home is where the heart is. Arie takes Krystal to Scottsdale to see his high school, his house, and his parents. She feels really confident in their connection. Krystal tells Arie about growing up and her brother being homeless. She gets the rose. Of course there is a concert. Arie is really sweet with her, but the date seems a lot different than his date with Becca K.

Group date with 15 girls-Demolition Derby.Chelsea is prepared to do whatever it takes to win. Some of the girls are pretty creative decorating their cars. Annaliese is really scared after bumper car trauma. Arie tries really hard to be supportive of the emotional girls. Can you imagine dealing with this garbage?--Celsey. The girls are pretty aggressive and we all agree this would be fun. The competition gets a little more real at night when the girls fight for his time.

Cocktail Party/Rose Ceremony-week 2 and the drama is out in full force. Krystal gets the wrath of Bibiana. Becca K, Krystal, and Sienne have roses. Maquel, Jacquelyn, Bekah M, Jenna, Chelsea, Lauren S, Tia, Annaliese, Lauren B, Kendall, Brittany, Ashley, Marikh, Caroline, Bibiana

word tally
amazing-18
journey-0 or did I miss one or two
love-13
tear tally-3

Claws are out. Drama has started. This season is going to be good.

blogging the bach 22.1

another season of the bachelor starts, and we are all pretty excited for arie to be the bachelor. celsey and i watched and loved him on emily's season so we have high hopes for this season.

who's watching-Celsey and I with the occasional pop in from Shawn and Gene

the show starts and we're reminded of how much we loved him on the bachelorette. 

first impressions
chelsea-single mom from maine, she seems like trouble
caroline-real estate from florida, first out, white dress
maquel-utah photographer, race car
nysha-nurse from south carolina, skydiving
tia-weiner, arkansas, green dress, little weiner gift
kendall-taxidermy from LA, ukalale, so nervious
bekah-nanny from LA, rolls up in a convertible mustang
marikh-SLC, owns indian restuarant
krystal-health fitness coach, san diego, red dress, hands on heart
sienne-navy dress, elephant cuff links for good luck
bibiana-dark green dress
bri-sports reporter, softball, light pink
jenny-hot link, graphic designer
brittane-bumper sticker
jacqueline-
valerie-yellow
jenna-NC, blue dress, feet, all over the place
jessica-tv host, red dress, gratitude rock
olivia
becca-publicist, black dress
lauren s-black dress
lauren j-white dress, huge beads
lauren b-silver sparkle
lauren g-pineapple
ashley-another realtor, checkered flag
brittany t
amber-spray tan company
ali-pit stop
annaliese-kissing bandit

arie's first impression rose-chelsea. she says she's not competitive by nature, but that doesn't seem true. maybe he sees something we don't or maybe being mysterious really works

my fave first impressions-both utah girls, annaliese,tia, jessica

who gets a rose-chelsea, becca, marikh, kendall, lauren g, krystal, bekah, lauren s, sienne, caroline, brittany t, bibiana, annaliese, jenna, valerie, jaquelyn, jenny, lauren b, ashley, tia, miquel

who went home-jessica, amber, and several other girls they don't show

season previews-there's a whole lot of crying

word tally

amazing-10

journey-5

love-20

tear tally-2 jessica and amber were both devastated to go home on night one

what did I miss from night one? what were your first impressions?

Beauty Time Thursday-new products

Between birthday gifts, emptying a few things, and an Influenster opportunity I’ve tried a few new products lately. 

I ran out of my face wash both in the shower and under the sink. I didn’t love either of them so I was excited to try something new. Both of these are ok. The shea moisture feels like I’m trying to wash my face with lotion. I’ve been using it in the shower with my Clarisonic and it’s not my fave. The best face forward cleanser is decent. It’s a gel cleanser and I like it better. I should probably switch and use that in the shower. 

Tarte Maneater mascara was on sale at Ulta right after the holidays so I stocked up. 

The Sephora birthday gift was Tarte liquid lip and amazon clay blush. Both of the colors are so pretty. I’ve been using the blush almost daily. The liquid lip went on very smooth, but it did make my lips a little a little yucky. 

The Ulta gift was a beautiful red Clinique lipstick and Elf lip crayon. Clinique lipstick goes on really well, and it’s so pretty. The Elf crayon goes on pretty well but doesn’t last long. I wore it with a bare minerals moxie gloss on top. 

I’ve heard so many things about seche vive and wondered if it lived up to the hype. I like it. I don’t live it. It’s not necessarily better than the other products I’ve used in the past. The Essie gel setter works better in my opinion. 

My hair is a lot better than it was several months ago, but it can definitely use a deep condition regularly. I was excited to get the L’Oréal Elvive conditioner from Influenster. My hair feels so soft. I really like it. 

Jenn gave me a few new masks to try with my secret Santa package. I love face masks and I love trying new ones. I liked this, but I didn’t love it. I like some other masks better. 

Aly tagged me on Instagram about this Not Your Mother’s beach babe dry shampoo. I don’t remember ever using it, and it was time to replace. I like it so far. It seems comparable to batiste tropical. 

I bought Essie gel setter because seche vite wasn’t working for me. My nails chipped too quickly. 

I ordered dr. Brandt no more baggage after seeing some bloggers talk about it. I’ve used it for about a week. I like it, but I haven’t noticed a lot of change. 

Have you tried anything new lately?

Beauty Time (not) Tuesday-December Empties

I emptied a few things in December I will definitely buy again and some I probably won’t.

PMD toner-not my fave
Clinique/Mary Kay mascara-love
Aveda cream-my hands were so dry. I liked the feel of this, but my hands were still so dry.
Forzea probiotic cream-love
Bath and Body works body cream and hand soap-love
Sephora lip gloss-very light and smooth. I haven’t replaced it yet, but I would buy it again.
Benefit Dew the Hoola-love-one of my fave beauty products
Monistat chafing gel-dupe for smashbox primer and works great. I’ve used it for years and love it
Intuition razor refill-love

Wear it Wednesday-Sweater Dress

My mom always wants us to have a new dress for holidays-Christmas, Easter, etc. I looked and looked for Christmas and couldn’t find anything I liked. I was about to give up when I heard The Loft was having a sale. I went and found this sweater dress and another skirt. It’s soft and comfortable and can be styled so many different way. I chose to style it with tights and heels and a red necklace for Christmas. It would also look great with black or gray booties. The accessory options are pretty endless. It’s the perfect winter dress. 

Dress-The Loft

Shoes-Jessica Simpson from Marshall’s 

Tights-Target (tip-buy a bigger than normal size so they don’t fall/roll down)

Another Year Older-Birthday Celebrations

I haven’t exactly been looking forward to this birthday-not the day itself but turning another year older. There’s obviously nothing I can do about it so I might as well embrace it. 

I was lucky to have a couple of birthday celebrations this year. I celebrated with Tiffany, Sage, and Michelle before they left for the holidays and again with my family on my actual birthday. 

We met for dinner at Tsunami. Dinner was delicious and we had a lot of fun chatting. Tiffany brought yummy cupcakes for dessert. 

After dinner, dessert, and a quick stop at the gas station for drinks we went to Christmas in Color. I knew driving through a field of lights would be cool. It really was incredible. I love light of any kind so it was the perfect birthday celebration. It meant a lot to me that they made sure to celebrate before they left. 

I went to California the day before my birthday so I got to celebrate there too. That celebration was very similar-dinner, dessert, and Christmas lights. It was fun to be with family and celebrate with them. 

This house is amazing. The house was covered in lights and the whole presentation blew me away. 

We ended the night with a birthday treat. It was so great hearing from so many friends and family throughout the day. My heart was filled with so much love and joy. 

Foodie Friday-gluten free sundried tomato pesto pizza

I’ve been eating gluten free for the past few weeks to help/support a friend in her transition to eating gluten free. For the most part I just avoid foods that contain gluten rather than looking for substitutes. I’ve been wanting to try cauliflower crust pizza for a while, and this was the perfect time to do it. I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was. I cheated a little and bought the crust and chicken already made. 

Trader Joe’s cauliflower pizza crust (frozen section)

Trader Joe’s pesto with quinoa “sauce”-much thicker than traditional pizza sauce but so delicious 

Trader Joe’s grilled chicken

Sun dried tomatoes 

Cheese of your choice 

Bake the crust per directions on the package. Layer ingredients. Broil to melt cheese. 

Wear it Wednesday-Cozy Sweaters

Winter is here! There is no snow (and I’m not complaining), but the temperatures definitely say winter. Big bulky warm cozy sweaters are my new favorite. I kind of want to live in them all the time. 

My current uniform is big cozy sweater, t shirt, skinny jeans, booties. Wearing a coat is a little tricky, but I’ve had to do it a few times. 

Sweater-Lucky

T shirt-H&M

Jeans-Joe’s jeans

Booties-Toms 

Beauty Time Tuesday-New Products

I’m really trying to use the products I have rather than buying a lot more things. However, I do love trying new products. 

Beaugenix mask-I ordered this from Groupon and still haven’t tried it. It’s a peel off mask and seems more fun to use with a friend rather than on my own. I brought it to Mandi’s house one night and also to Boise, but we were having too much fun to use it. Maybe I will try it over the holidays. 

Immuno Gum-I don’t usually post about vitamins and medicines, but this is good enough to post. I typically have a really good immune system, but I have been really sick the past month. I had a sinus infection and who even knows what else. I went to the pharmacy several times and brought every single thing I could see. This gum supposedly helps the immune system after chewing for 5 minutes. Who knows if it really works or not, but I am going to believe it does (winky face). 

Urban Decay nocturnal pallet-This pallet was a great Black Friday deal. It’s a great small pallet, and I really like it. 

Have you tried anything new lately?

Generation Gap holiday party 2017

We planned the running group holiday party at Sharon’s house right after the Saturday morning run to keep things simple and save time. Sharon and Greg made a yummy breakfast and it was fun to visit with each other especially those we don’t see as often. The party ended with a white elephant gift exchange and donations to the local homeless shelter. 

Beauty Time Tuesday-November Empties

Most of my empties this time were Bath and Body Works, Big Sexy Hair, and Clinique. 

Clinique clarifying lotion/toner-love

Bath and Body Works body cream-love. use daily. 

Big Sexy Hair Spray and stay-a little too firm hold. 

Bath and Body Works shower gel-always have in the shower-often use to shave

Bath and Body Works foaming hand soap-love 

Intuition razor refill-love

Big Sexy Hair dry shampoo-love. gives great texture. 

Clinique concealer-used forever and loved. switched to another brand. 

Clinique mascara-love

Anastasia Beverlyhills brow duo-love

One Little Word-December

2018 is right around the corner. 2017 has been a good year, but in a lot of ways I feel like it has flown by without me even noticing. I’ll do a full recap on my word EMBRACE at the end of the year. As we approach the end of the year, it is something I have been thinking about a lot.

via she's just smitten

my overall goal and theme for the year is EMBRACE even though my monthly goals don't always match that theme.

YEARLY GOALS

*nightly gratitude journal-better-i'm still using my commit 30 planner. i am either really good or really not good. i had good intentions especially with the month of Thanksgiving, but I did not do so well   

*do something that scares me/pushes me out of my comfort zone-✓

*attend temple 12 times-i visited the Meridian, ID temple open house. i need to go one more time this month.

*monthly journal-just caught up

*csatt/fitness goals-i signed up for csatt again. i really love the accountability of the group, and it's nice to have a set plan each day. so far i'm really liking it and doing well with my goals. 

NOVEMBER GOALS
I am keeping things pretty simple this month.
*NO SUGAR NOVEMBER-no treats/avoid added sugar. Thanksgiving is an exception. I did really well before Thanksgiving and things haven't been great since.
*50 burpees daily (except Sunday)-I ended up deciding to do Monday-Friday with running on Saturdays. I did the burpees everyday except one when I totally forgot.

DECEMBER GOALS
*finish all Christmas(cards, gifts, mail, etc. by Dec 15)
*read daily Christmas scriptures
*100 daily abs
*gluten free for 21 days to support a friend recently diagnosed with celiac
*follow #lighttheworld campaign

It's the very end of the year. Are you still working on goals? How are they going?