Weekend Happs-High/Low

The weekend was a complete mix of really good and a little less good. My plans for Friday evening got re-scheduled which gave me time to get a few projects done at work. I knew I would be there a little later but planned to leave at a decent time. 

I got a lot done and was happy with my progress. One of the projects was glueing some small pieces of toys together. They are part of a bigger project that really needed to get started. I finished and they are so cute. I stood on the table to take a picture and ended up falling (taking a flying leap) off the table. It was bad and funny at the same time. Since I’m not a limber child anymore it didn’t feel that great, but it could have been much worse. I’m pretty sure it knocked the wind out of me, but I made myself get up pretty quickly. I applied a very generous amount of Doterra Deep Blue and woke up not nearly as sore as I was afraid I would be.

After flying off the table on Friday I was a little afraid I might not be able to run Saturday morning, but luckily I woke up feeling mostly ok. We changed the course a little, but we did my favorite run to Liberty park. Instead of running straight to the park, we ran towards downtown first. We made a little detour to Gilgal park. It is a small park of old stone sculptures. I have never been there and it was really cool to see. We ended up at the park and ran around a bit before getting a ride back to our cars. It was the perfect running weather and such a fun run.

I met Mandi in the afternoon for lunch and wedding dress shopping. She had no idea what she wanted or didn’t want. She looked beautiful in everything. She has been engaged for about a month but seeing her in a wedding dress made it more real. She is going to be such a beautiful bride. I loved sharing that magical experience with her.

After dress shopping I met Tiffany, Sage, and Michelle to celebrate Michelle’s birthday. We had so much fun laughing and talking all the night long. It look a while for our food to get there. We kept ourselves entertained while we waited. Towards the end of dinner, a lady at the table behind us asked Tiffany about her hair. We chatted with them briefly and asked them to take our picture. The server insisted on them being in our picture which made it pretty funny. We took a few more pictures and ended up in Michelle’s car talking for another hour. Time with these girls is always a good time. I left with a very full heart and a burned out headlight.

It was too late to do anything about my headlight on Saturday night since everything was closed. Driving with a burned out headlight doesn’t seem safe so I went to autozone to get it taken care of. The nice lady that helped me purchase the light also installed it for me without me even asking. It made my day that she was so nice. 

I ended up getting food poisoning Sunday afternoon. I wasn’t feeling well for most of the day, but then all of a sudden I was pretty sick. I was supposed to go to a dinner/Easter egg hunt at Alicia and Adam’s, but I obviously didn’t make it to that. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in bed. It was not a pleasant rest of the day. Mela suggested activated charcoal, and that seemed to really help. 

Even with the lows of the weekend, it was such a great weekend. Saturday was definitely my favorite. How was your weekend? Any exciting happs?

 photo aubrey-sig_zps0ck6qpqn.png

Recent Happs

March has been a pretty good month-a good mix of fun and down time. 

Mandi and I went up to Ogden to visit Jessi. We called Jen and convinced her to come over too. Jessi made yummy vegan food and we had lots of fun chatting and laughing until way too late. 

We went to the outlets for a little shopping and all ended up with new bags. I was supposed to get a new purse for my birthday so we’ll just call this a belated birthday gift:)

LeAnn’s mom planned a surprise party for her birthday. It’s fun to see the running friends outside of running. 

After several months of paying to get my nose waxed, I decided it made more sense to buy the supplies and do it myself. We were pretty scared, but that didn’t last long. After the initial fear, we became a little obsessed. 

Sharon hosted a breakfast last weekend to celebrate Judy’s birthday. She was surprised and we had a great time catching up with everyone. 

Beauty Time Tuesday-new products

Now that the bachelor is over, I can get back to talk about beauty on Tuesdays. 

Green color corrrector-my cheeks have been a little rosy lately so I bought the cheapest drugstore brand to drive to offset that. I honestly don’t know if it’s making a difference or not. 

Essie mod squad-my Barbie pink polish was hoppy so I replaced with this color. I love it!

Scrunchies-I can’t believe I bought these, but they really are great for putting my hair up while I sleep. 

Catwalk curls rock-love

L’Oréal self tanning wipes-I was scared to use these, but I finally did. They work really well. My left arm got a little streaky, but other than that they’re a good option for a little color. 

After paying to get my nose waxed several times, I bit the bullet and bought my own stuff. The first time was a little scary until I actually did it. It was so easy and didn’t hurt. This is one of my better recent purchases. 

I got a small sample of Fenty foundation to try and I’m really liking it. I don’t need to buy any right now, but when I do I will probably buy it. 

What else should I try?

Endure to the End

I have heard the phrase endure to the end basically my entire life. What does that even mean? The word in endure has a little bit of negativity associated with it. It makes me think I am barely surviving. There are moments when we all feel that way, but no one wants to spend their whole life barely making it. This article sponsored by the Mormon Channel answers that question along with tips to do more than barely make it.

What Does It Really Mean to Endure It to The End?

When His disciples asked Him about the future, Jesus often told them parables or referred to the fact that the future was in God’s hands and not something they should worry about. In the book of Matthew, though, He does provide some information for them. He tells them “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Matthew 24:13).

One message from that chapter is that things aren’t always perfect in this world, but God does have a plan and He wants you to endure to the end. That doesn’t mean silently putting up with problems that seem insurmountable or unacceptable. To endure to the end doesn’t mean simply tolerating life until it’s over – it means facing trials with patience, faith, and even joy, when possible. With Jesus, you can find hope and positivity even in times that may otherwise feel joyless.

Henry B. Eyring provides three helpful suggestions you can use to approach life and endure it, no matter what happens.

1. Pray

Satan wants you to feel hopeless and defeated; he wants you to live without joy or hope, because that makes it more likely you’ll turn from God. God wants us to overcome that hopelessness (D&C 10:5), and prayer is one way to do so. Prayer is also the way you can communicate regularly with God to better understand how you should live your life.

Here are some ways you can rely on God through prayer in times of sadness or loneliness.

• Talk to Him as you would a friend; you don’t have to specifically ask for anything, and simply sharing your burden can help you feel better.
• Make it a point to thank God for something real and unique every day; praising and showing gratitude reminds you of the joy that still exists in life.
• Pray for those who have caused you harm; praying can help you forgive, and forgiveness removes the burden of anger and helps you experience more joy.
  
  
  
  

2. Keep the commandments

Keeping God’s commandments is a way for you to demonstrate your love for God and others (John 14:15). It also helps ensure you follow God’s will in your life, and remaining within God’s plan is one of the best ways to endure to the end. In Philippians, Paul writes that he can “do all things through Christ which strengtheneth” him (Phil. 4:13), and that verse is true for you too. But that’s only true if you’re acting with Jesus.

3. Serve the Lord

It’s common when facing struggle, stress, or sadness to dwell on those things. That can lead to depression, anxiety, and lack of joy. One way to keep yourself from dwelling on negative things and to actively endure whatever you might face is to serve the Lord. For many people, that means serving others. Some things you might do to serve God and others include:

• Volunteering in the Church
• Volunteering in the community
• Making it a point to call or visit friends or sick community/church members
• Donating items or money to charities close to your heart
• Simply talking to others about your struggles and your hope in God
  
  
  

God wants you to be happy and provides a way for you to endure every challenge. Whatever you are called to face, you can endure it — and endure it well. By praying, keeping the commandments, and serving the Lord, you endure challenges hour-by-hour and day-by-day until your time on the earth is finished and God says, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21, 23).

Beauty Time Thursday-February empties

I didn’t use up many things in February but the things I did use are some of my faves. 

Big Sexy Hair hairspray-love

Bath and Body Works lotion and body cream-love 

Intuition razors-must have

L’Oréal teint idole 24 hour foundation-love

Becca primer-love

Lipsense bougainvillea gloss-LOVE-my fave gloss

Clinique chubby lash and lash lengething-love

blogging the bach 22.8

who's watching: the regular monday night crew minus Amanda who had to work late. Shawn and Rem watched for a few minutes and then left.

Lauren and Becca both meet the family. We were pretty distracted with kids and husbands and whatever else. The bottom line is everyone said they think Becca is a better fit.

Lauren and Arie go to Machu Picchu. They talk about how lucky they are to be there and be with each other. There is a whole lot of love talk and Lauren is sure Arie is picking her. Arie is also pretty sure of that...until the next day.

Becca and Arie have their date and Arie says he is thinking about Lauren-not a good sign. As the date goes on Arie gets more into it and remembers he loves Becca too. She makes him a scrapbook and we're really not sure what he thinks. He doesn't seem totally into it but then tells her his usual I love this. He kisses her against the wall and says good night.

Arie still seems conflicted as he meets with Neil Lane. Chris Harrison reminds us this is the most dramatic and unexpected ending. I didn't purposely read spoilers, but I did hear and then read them. Even if I didn't read them I got an alert on my watch from People News with the spoiler. 

Arie says goodbye to Lauren even though he still loves her. He loves Becca too and proposes to her. Maybe it's because I know what is coming, but he didn't seem as serious about the proposal or as excited as Becca. It doesn't seem like a good sign.

Becca shows up in LA for a happy couple weekend only to find out Arie changed his mind. We spend the next 45 minutes hiding our faces as they show us the unedited version of Arie changing his mind. She asks him to leave multiple times. It seems like he is sticking around waiting for her to say it's ok. It's clearly not ok, and she isn't going to say it is.

The show ends with Becca watching it play back. We are mad really mad.

recent happs

Something about winter makes me want to hibernate and stay inside. Even though winter has been very mild this year, I still want to hibernate. I also laid low during the olympics and tried to watch as much as possible. Now that the olympics are over and we’re getting closer to spring, I’m getting back to a busier social calendar. 

I went to dinner with Dana, Julia, and Kelci. We’ve been trying to get together for months, and we had the best time reminiscing and catching up. 

The sky has been absolutely amazing lately and my obsession continues. 

Monday night tradition of dinner and Bachelor watching continues. Violet is kind of obsessed with baby Watson and thinks he is her baby. She is pretty cute with him/must be watched carefully. 

I kept things pretty simple for Valentine’s Day. I found these cute buckets at the dollar store and filled them with Hershey hugs and kisses. I got some fun treats from friends and neighbors and had a fun day. 

I still spend my Saturday mornings running with generation gap. It is always a good time with good memories. 

Winter is late this year and has hit a few times with a vengeance. We need the snow so I’m trying to be happy about it. It is beautiful. 

It was my turn to host bookclub. We met at The Chocolate. We talked about the book long enough to know that none of us read it and spent the rest of the night talking about all kinds of other things. We could have stayed all night and then some. 

Pure Barre is looking to change ownership. In the meantime some people are teaching their last classes with hope to continue teaching. April taught a Saturday class. It was packed, full of energy, and so much fun. 

My #anastrong bracelet chain broke a few weeks ago. I was able to fix it, but Bip and Bop offered to replace it for me. I got it back last week, and I’m happy to have it back. Their customer service is amazing, and I highly recommend them. 

Mandi and I went to visit Jessi last week. We called Jen on a whim and she came over. Jessi made vegan cheese sauce with savory steel cut oats, mushrooms and broccoli. It was delicious and such a fun night. We stayed later than planned and could have stayed for many more hours. It filled my heart to spend time with friends I don’t often get to see in person. 

blogging the bach 22.7

before we even sit down to watch I am already getting texts about the episode.

who's watching-We're at Celsey's tonight. So far only the girls are watching, but I am hoping the guys (and their commentary) join at some point. Megan and Rem are out of town so they're missing tonight.

date #1-Kendall and Arie have a date in the sand. We all agree we would kind of die at that date, but Kendall is totally fine/happy about it. The eat a bunch of sand, have a sandy makeout sesh, and leave to get ready for the night. Kendall says she is falling in love with Arie, they "stay up all night talking" even though her bra is on the floor, and wake up and eat eggs. We see more of the morning than we usually do.

date #2-Lauren and Arie get on a plane (aka crop duster). Lauren is in her head, and the date is awkward per usual. Arie spends most of the date kind of sad that Lauren might leave because she can't do this anymore. I don't actually think she will leave, but he is like a sad puppy about it. Amanda points out that their conversations the last 3 dates have been the same which is true until he says I love you. We all kind of died a little. He gives her the fantasy suite card and can't wait to get out of there. There's a lot of love talk. If he doesn't pick her, some girl is going to be mad.

date #3-Becca and Arie spend the day on a catamaran. They do the cheesy poses, kiss lots, and have some serious conversation about the future. Becca wants to tell Arie she loves him but decides to wait until the night. They have more serious chat. She says I love you. He says it back. They're in love and spend the night in the most glamorous tent we've ever seen. Whoever Arie picks, he is going to be in the biggest trouble.

Becca's ex Ross shows up. Becca is the love of his life, and this is his proposal to give. We all wonder why he waited a whole year to do something about this. This conversation with Arie and Ross is so weird. Arie respectfully suggests he talk to her and then move on if she chooses Arie. He doesn't reciprocate that respect. Becca isn't happy to see him. She lets him say what he wants but isn't having any of it. He is shocked. Becca goes to Arie. Things are a little weird although she was very clear that she didn't want anything to do with any of it.

Rose Ceremony-Arie talks to Chris Harrison about all the girls. He comes out and says he is confident in his love and that this will end in a proposal. He takes Kendall out to talk and tells her he doesn't see them catching up. She leaves and the other 2 get roses.

Word Tally
amazing-10
journey-2
love-68
tear tally-3

We haven't watched women tell all yet. What did we miss?

beauty time Thursday-January empties

I had a little issue with my blogger app (they made it a paid app and I couldn't get it to work) so my January empties post is coming super late.

jr watkin hand cream-works ok

l'oreal amino expert conditioner-love (I got this when my hair was on the serious fritz. It adds aminos to your hair and helps damaged hair)

bath and body works foaming hand soap-must have (I have been using something else and my hands are so dry)

non acetone nail polish remover-pink not my fave (I always buy the purple but bought this for some reason. It did not remove my polish well at all.)

bath and body works lotion-love

degree spray deodorant-love spray deodorant especially on my feet with heels or flats

batiste original dry shampoo-love

mint pear cleanser-i wanted to love this

pore refining cleanser-not my fave

intuition razors-must have (I used another razor a few months ago and cut myself so bad. Never again.)

laura mercier translucent powder-must have-I don't know why anyone would use anything else.

victoria's secret intense roller ball-love (I am so sad this is gone. I need to replace it)

clinique under eye cream-like

MAC eyelash primer-love

no bleeding lips secret liner-love (This clear lip liner is amazing. I thought I needed it, but I haven't replaced it since it ran out a month ago. I still really love it, but I don't think i need it.)

wear it Wednesday-dressing up a casual look

I almost always follow the fashion over function motto, but let's get real. I live in Utah where it is cold several months of the year, and I sit on the floor with kids all day long. Like it or not, my fashion tends to be a little more comfortable. That doesn't mean I have to sacrifice fashion. The key to be comfortable and fashionable is accessories. I am a huge fan of all accessories. I was really excited to get this new bracelet and earrings from the Happiness Boutique to go with the rose gold necklace they sent me a few months ago. They are subtle yet fashionable pieces that can easily be dressed up or dressed down a little.

top-costco, jeans-articles of society nordstrom rack, shoes-vans, purse-michale kors, apple watch, alex and ani bracelet, necklace, earrings, tiny ball bracelet-happiness boutique

I love everything I have gotten from Happiness Boutique. They have a good variety of styles and colors and their prices are very reasonable. Use code aubreyzaruba at checkout to save 10% on your order. 

blogging the bach 22.6

Who is watching Winter Games? We all know I love the bachelor and related shows as much as anyone, but I cannot commit to that much TV in one week especially when I am trying to watch the olympics. We decided to wait and binge watch the whole thing one Saturday in the next few weeks.

who's watching: the whole Monday night crew is here tonight.

I wasn't feeling super great after dinner so I got a slow start to the blog.

date #1-Kendall's hometown. We all think the taxidermy thing is pretty weird except Rem who thinks it is so cool. It's probably because I wasn't feeling well, but it was making me so sick. I couldn't even watch. I was afraid of actually getting sick while watching so I mostly didn't watch. Arie seems to like her. Does he really like the taxidermy wedding?

date #2-Tia's hometown in Weiner, Arkansas. Tia planned a racing date which was obviously perfect for Arie. They have a lot of fun before going to meet her family. We can't figure out exactly what is going on with her family.

date #3-Becca's hometown. Becca and Arie have fun picking apples or something. We aren't paying attention. They go meet with her family. Her mom seems the most sensible parent so far. She wants to see how Becca feels before being ok with the idea. In the end she gives her blessing. Becca opens up a little more,

date #4-Lauren's hometown. Arie can't belive they can ride horses on the beach. Have you ever been to Mexico dude? We all hope this date is less awkward than their previous dates. Their time together is less awkward, but meeting the fam is so awkward. We didn't see much emotion from anyone on the date. Arie doesn't act as much like he is falling deeply in love this week.

Rose Ceremony-We have no idea who is going on. Arie takes Kendall out to talk to her to see if she can really be ready for engagement in 2 weeks. She doesn't really give it to him, but it seems like he is going to keep her. When it gets to the final two, I realize Tia is more into Arie than he is into her, and she goes home. She is shocked and cries and cries. She is a pretty crier and totally being set up to be the next bachelorette.

Women Tell All looks great, and we can't wait.

beauty time Thursday-new products

I love trying new products, but I am really trying to be less ridiculous about buying new things just to try them. 

Victoria's Secret roller balls are my current fave. They are subtle scents but so good. This duo was on sale, and the ones I currently have are almost gone. I love both of these scents, and it's my new fave.

I got this root touch up from Influenster. I recently got my hair colored so I don't have any roots to touch up. It is a great idea especially for people who have pretty significant roots. 

I've heard great things about Drybar dry shampoo. I usually have 5-6 dry shampoos because I feel like my hair gets too used to one brand. I love this. It smells so good and works great. 

exercise your way to better mental health

Anyone that knows me very well at all knows I am a very regular gym goer. I go to the gym Monday-Friday basically without fail. I like working out, but I also like the way I feel (both physically and mentally) when I make time for the gym. It doesn't matter if it's a gym or yoga or boxing or running or barre or any other form of exercise. They all have so many benefits including better mental health.

The Ways that Exercise Affects Your Mental Health

By Aurora McCausland

Everyone knows that exercise is a vital part of their health. Staying fit and active keeps your body toned and in peak physical form, which helps your overall physical health. Among all of the physical benefits of exercise, there are also mental health benefits that many people don’t realize! Many people will tell you that exercising helps keep them “sane”, and that exercising is important to help them feel in control of their everyday life.

An elevated mental state

There is a lot to be said about the mental benefits of exercising on a consistent basis. At first glance, it wouldn’t make sense that something very obviously meant for your physical health would have such an impact on your mental state. But it really truly does help you refocus and clear you mind. In fact, many addiction recovery programs incorporate exercise into their recovery programs, and it has really good results. Addiction is a mental health disease, so using exercise to assist with addiction recovery definitely begs the question of whether or not there is a mental benefit to a regular exercise regime.

Different forms of exercise

Just like you would use different forms of exercise to train and perfect your physical body, you should use different forms of exercise to train and affect your mental state. Many different types of exercise are specifically geared towards helping you clear your mind and become more connected to yourself on a spiritual level. One specific type of exercise that almost anyone will tell you would help your mental health state, is yoga. Much like previously mentioned, yoga is one of the most popular forms of exercise for mental health programs, mostly due to its power to control triggers and provide stress relief. Practicing yoga gives you a chance to focus, slowly, on different parts of your body and working on them individually. During many yoga routines, specifically during a teacher led class, you’ll be instructed to focus specifically on different muscle groups as you stretch and strengthen different areas of your body, one at a time.

Meditation often goes hand in hand with yoga. You may roll your eyes, but countless people have found that through combining meditation with their daily yoga practice, they are able to connect with themselves on a deeper level. During meditation, traditionally, you attempt to clear your mind. A lot of people struggle with this concept, even people who avidly meditate on a regular basis. An easier, and sometimes more effective way to meditate, is to instead of trying to completely clear your mind, focusing all of your energy on one specific thing or thought. By pondering and focusing on just one thing, you’re able to put all of your energy to something and you’re able to be more effective and more precise with decision making.

Music and what to listen to

If you’ve ever stepped foot into a gym, you’ll know that music is deeply intertwined into most people's relationships with exercise and fitness. How and what you listen to, is up to you. Most people want something that has a strong beat, which can help them stay on pace as they go through their workout routine. When thinking about music in concerns with your mental state, think a little bit about what you’re actually listening to, before you make your workout playlist. When music is blaringly loud and filled with distracting lyrics, you’re not always able to focus on the mental benefits of exercising. If this sounds like your experience when you listen to music during your workouts, maybe take a moment to rethink the kind of music you choose to listen to when you workout. In yoga classes, the music that is played is more mellow and relaxing, and this helps cultivate a healthy mindset and the ability to focus. Find music that helps you clear your mind and focus on what’s important.

For some people, they feel more productive during their workout if they listen to a podcast or audio book rather than music. There is a lack of beat, but they’re able to use their own rhythm to keep themselves moving, and instead seek inspiration from the words that they’re hearing. And for others, they prefer to workout in silence. The silence helps them ponder on their thoughts and focus on their mental health.

Exercise is such a good way to improve mental health for so many including myself. Sometimes it can also be really good to talk to a professional for even more improvement.

*this article is sponsored