weekend happs

do you ever start out the weekend thinking it might be pretty uneventful and then it's more eventful than you planned?!? that was my weekend. i had a few plans, but i expected things to be a little more low key. friday started out a little annoying when i accidentally set my alarm for pm instead of am. i woke up in plenty of time to get ready for work but not enough time to go to the gym.  my friday plans got thrown off a little,but i still made time to get my toes done with co-worker michelle. the relaxation was long overdue. after the pedicure i had to finish up some work, hit the gym, and run a few errands.

i'm not running any marathons this year/until i get faster, but i'm training with my running friends. the day started super early which i was totally unhappy about, but i was happy to see the sunrise.

 one of the benefits of running with seasoned runners is always having something planned. they know a lot of cut through spots to get us from one spot to another. the neighborhood put up a gate on one of our most common routes. this was our last time doing the bear loop (called the bear loop because of the wooden life size bear we see on the way). if we're being honest, this isn't my fave run, but i have so many memories from this run. i'm sad to see the end of it.

 my saturday routine includes running, cleaning, and then various things. while cleaning, the bottom hinge came off the closet door. we didn't have any screws so we used a giant nail. and the #whyineedahusband hashtag continues.

REAL salt lake had their season opener on saturday. the game was a lot of fun even though the team kind of struggled. 

 during half time, a kid stepped on my foot so hard he broke my shoe. the stadium isn't the cleanest, and there was no way i was going to walk barefoot. i ended up getting duct tape and fixing it enough to make it the rest of the night.

i spent most of sunday doing church things and also baking. come back on friday to see what i did with girl scout cookies. how was your weekend? any exciting happs?

for the little tykes...kool aid play dough

last month i talked a little bit about messy play and how to make it a little more fun. kids love play dough. it's one of my favorite messy play activities. i'm a total brand snob when it comes to play dough. you have to buy the name brand...unless you make it yourself.

via kraft

i love making play dough with kids. they love to help, and it's a great way to get them to participate in something they may typically avoid. i let them help pour, stir, and pick the color (flavor). they love it and get so excited to see if actually turn into play dough. the recipe varies a little depending on the weather and climate.   ingredients 1 c flour 1/2 c salt 1 packet of kool aid 1 c hot water (or more) 1 tbsp oil mix salt and flour, and kool aid packet. add hot water (boiling is not necessary) and oil. stir until mixed. use hands as needed. store in fridge in air tight container for several weeks or longer.
remember to use a ziploc bag if your child doesn't like the mess.

blogging the bach 19.12...finale

i love the bach. i really really do, but by the time the season is ending i'm kind of ready for the weekly commitment to end. who's watching...my schedule was all kinds of messed up this week so i watched a little monday and a little tuesday. night one-co-worker tiffany and roommate sage, co-worker michelle and husband dallin  night two-celsey, shawn, amanda, and bf brayden the virgin. she doesn't get a job. she's just the virgin--tiff only "could" change his life--tiff  whitney meets the fam what i saw is whitney wearing any pants? whitney seems pretty comfortable with the fam what i heard her dress, not winning-tiff his giggle...him and 5 year old girls--sage what i thought whitney really really loves chris. he obviously really likes her, but... becca meets the fam what i saw becca is so very different what i heard i don't know if describing someone as awesome means wife material--tiff you're digging yourself a hole girl--michelle farm country is beautiful--tiff it seems like the choice is clear. if you want to get married, it's not her--tiff what i thought chris really likes becca, but there is no way they are getting engaged at the end of this. we're pretty happy the time with chris' mom wasn't as terrible as the previews made it seem final date-becca what i saw i want becca's hair don't they usually have a full day+evening date what i heard not before he proposes, before the last rose ceremony--michelle we've got to get this date done so dallin can start making funny comments--michelle how did they even get through that because that's ridiculous--sage that date made me need a xanax--sage what i thought the whole time i kept thinking becca was going to leave. i still think she might leave. she definitely got the shaft with a night date only her points are pretty valid but not very realistic on the bach final date-whitney what i saw it's light outside. are they having a full day date? did chris say i love you at the door/ what i heard say amazing say amazing--sage that's a hefty necklace. it probably weighs more than she does--tiff her legs are so small. if she trips, her legs are going to snap--amanda her voice when she is crying does not get better. it gets worse--cel what i thought if whitney and chris don't get engaged, i'll be super surprised. she had the longest date ever especially compared to becca
the end-becca what i saw the dress, the dust, the barn what i heard what is this a shakespeare film festival--sage at least it matches the barn. and his tie--tiff if it was ashley s she would for sure get lost--sage i'm yelling at a tv. i'm a freaking wackado--sage after i yelled at dallin for not being funny what's with the rainbow lighting on the wall?--tiff  he's a little fruity--sage she looks like a vampire gone horribly wrong--sage the stylists totally sabotaged her--sage is that velvet? it's hideous, like my grandma--cel what i thought becca was too far behind from the beginning and never could catch up
the end-whitney what i saw shaking what i heard this dress isn't much better. it's like a choir dress-sage get her some albuterol--sage perfect. he's trying to use his adjectives--sage who are you going to tell? it's iowa. the cows, the dusty roads--sage at least there's no paparazzi--tiffany what i thought it seemed pretty obvious that he was going to pick whitney word tally (sage and michelle took over word tally) farm...9 journey...5 love...80 amazing...11 wife/husband...8 words to count next time...process, at the end of the day, virgin (bachelor season) amanda and brayden left so we're down to celsey, shawn, and me after the final rose what i saw becca looks amazing. we nearly saw whitney's rear end when whitney came out what i heard i feel like she's heard that love is like this thing--cel that dress is short. her butt is barely in --cel why is only part of her hair curled? it looks like she was in a hurry and only curled the top part--cel some things about her are cuter than the other girl, but she has a weird mouth--shawn is the mom talking about practicing making babies?--cel what i thought becca is a classy girl jimmy kimmel is really funny, but the segment with him is just kind of dumb, the cow especially named juan pablo was pretty funny.
predictions for next season in the words of kaitlyn...well, that's not ideal
let's hear your thoughts about all of this.

wwyd...with gold glitter+giveaway

kimberly and i are back for another round of WHAT WOULD DO YOU...

this month we want to know..

WHAT WOULD YOU DO...with gold glitter?

as soon as we picked gold glitter, i knew i wanted to do a decoration for st. patrick's day. my friend had a white pallet with gold glitter heart, and i knew i wanted to do something similar but with a canvas and a shamrock instead.

the hardest part of the project was finding the time to actually do it.

supplies

green paint in shade of your choice

12x12 canvas (try big lots or local craft store with a coupoin)

paint brush

shamrock stencil

glue

gold glitter

i got a silhouette for christmas and really haven't used it much. this was the perfect project. i purchased the shamrock from the design store for $0.50.

1. paint canvas and let dry

2. get or cut out a shamrock stencil

3. tape stencil to canvas

4. apply glue inside the stencil

5. dump glitter

6. remove stencil and let dry

7. shake off excess glitter

i'm really happy how easy this was and how quick and simple it was. i really love glitter and all things sparkly. do you love glitter? link up glitter posts below. speaking of sparkle, there's also a surprise below.

If you aren't familiar with it, Rocksbox is a jewelry subscription service that delivers designer jewelry straight to your door as many times a month as you like! Each box has 3 pieces of jewelry. You can wear the pieces as long as you want, then when you want new pieces, just send the old ones back and a new set will be on it's way to you in no time! If you want to keep any of your pieces, you can purchase them straight from your box at a members only discount!

Here's the best news: just in time for St. Patrick's Day 10 bloggers and myself are bringing you the chance to win a 6 month subscription to Rocksbox + $50 to spend on pieces from your box! How's that for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?

Brought to you by these lovely ladies!

Life Could Be a Dream // Wetherills Say I Do // Fashion and Feathers // Aubrey Zaruba To Travel & Beyond // My Little Sunshines // Elizabeth Loves // The Suzie Lou Blog A + Life // Becoming Adorrable // A Prioritized Marriage // Letters to Sophia

To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter below. Please be honest, as entries will be verified. The giveaway begins at 12:00 am EST on March 11th and will run until 11:59 pm EST on March 16th. Our winner will be announced on St. Patrick's Day. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. May the luck of the Irish be with you! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

random rambling...the weirdness of social media

i'm mixing up the schedule a little this week. here's what you can expect.. monday/yesterday...weekend happs tuesday...random rambling wednesday...what would you do...with gold glitter?+giveaway thursday...blogging the bach friday...for the little tykes i love love love social media. i love connecting with friends and family new and old, but social media is a little/a lot weird. social media gives all of us a false sense of keeping in touch with people. we see people's lives online, and we feel like we know them and their lives. on the other hand, it does make it a lot easier to keep in touch with people. it's easy to make a quick comment on an instagram picture or like someone's facebook status. i'm friends on social media with people from every part of my life-including high school (days before social media of any kind). my parents no longer live where i grew up. i haven't been back to visit my hometown in over ten years. i'm facebook friends with a lot of people from high school. i see pictures of their kids, see status updates about their jobs, and houses, and events, and they see the same from me. it definitely gives that false sense of being in touch with people i haven't actually seen or even talked to in over 10 years. recently a friend from high school tragically passed away in his sleep. i am so removed from the situation and the people there, but something about social media made me feel more connected to the situation. he regularly posted pictures of his darling family, and even though we haven't had any contact in years, it was extremely emotional. i literally could not stop crying about it. i felt and continue to feel completely heartbroken for his family (that i don't even know). this wasn't the first time i thought about the weirdness of social media, but it definitely brought it to my mind again. i love social media and the connections i have because of it, but it really is weird.
i would love to hear your thoughts on social media.

weekend recap

i had a random rambling post planned for today, but i didn't have the appropriate time to gather my thoughts. i'll be back with that later. in the meantime, my weekend was pretty fun.
on friday afternoon i took engagement pictures for tiffany and ken. 
after the pictures, i met some friends for dinner.
saturday, i went running first thing. i love starting out the day that way.
i spent most of the afternoon doing a blog course online. i learned a lot and got some great new ideas.
we celebrated kristie's birthday with dinner. we laughed and had a great time.

this weekend went by super fast, and surprisingly I didn't take a lot of pictures.  how was your weekend?

5 little confessions

i haven't done a 5 little confessions post in a while so here you go...

1. i've eaten out so many times this week i can't even keep track,

2. i can't seem to cook from a recipe anymore. i always seem to feel the need to change something. it would be a lot easier if i just followed the recipe.

3. i brushed my hair on sunday after washing it, and i'm pretty sure i didn't brush it again until yesterday morning. yikes but true!

4. i get major anxiety picking out a nail color to use. i have so many options, and narrowing it down is just too hard #firstworldproblems

5. my email inbox is completely out of control. i need to get on top of that immediately.

now it's your turn. spill it...

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unintentional accessory

i remember getting glasses the first time. i was in 6th grade. my eyes weren't that bad, but i definitely couldn't see the bottom row on the eye chart. i think my mom thought i was lying. maybe i was. who even knows. i remember i couldn't always see everything the absolute best, and i remember i really wanted glasses. what was i thinking?!?

glasses are actually totally annoying. i can't believe i wanted them. thank the heavens my eyes aren't terrible. i can see well enough to pass the vision driving test without them, and i can go to the gym in the morning without contacts. they definitely make it a lot easier to see.

 maybe they are annoying, but they can also be a really cute accessory.

 #matchymatchy is my fave

 i have a pair of more practical glasses so the last time i ordered i decided to go with something a little more fun. i definitely don't regret it.

i don't want glasses as much as i did when i was 12, but if i have to wear them, at least they're cute. i ordered these from firmoo. the process was unbelievably easy, and they came pretty fast. i have always been nervous to order online, but it worked out so well. i uploaded a picture so i could see what they look like on my face. if you need new glasses, check out firmoo. use code AUBREYZARUBABLOGS4 to save $15 on frames through the end of march.

***i received these glasses from firmoo in exchange for this post

wear it wednesday...build your blog attire

one day soon i'll talk about my weekend at build your blog, but today i'm just talking about what i wore. i didn't do the best job taking pictures, but i did capture some of my clothes. day 1...total picture failure. mirror selfie will have to do

target cardi, gap v neck, lularoe skirt, famous footwear boots
day 2...shoes during the day

jessica simpson shoes
evening gala i was pretty unprepared for this conference including what to wear. i didn't have time to find something fancy to wear. i'm glad i didn't. people were much less decked out than i thought.

nordstrom cardi, h&m dress, diba heels
thanks looks for lovelies for the pics

blogging the bach 19.11...women tell all

women tell all can go either way for me. sometimes it's really great, and other times it's boring. we'll see how tonight goes. who's watching...co-worker tiffany, roommate sage and me. celsey and fam had some medical things this week so I watched with a new crowd. if you want to say a little prayer for them, that would be great. 
no comments on the viewing parties because unless they come to ours, who really cares?!? season recap what i saw replay of parts of the show that were bad enough the first time around what i heard if i tried out for bachelor, i would at least practice pretty crying before i went--tiffany what i thought  the girls are crazy to think it's not about friendship. only one of them will end up with him. 
in the hot seat..britt what i saw carly got some new extensions why does kaitlyn always wear crop tops? what i heard shut up you clucking chickens--sage about all the yelling some things never change since elementary school. people are always mean to the pretty girl-tiffany what i thought i really like britt. it makes me pretty sad to see girls being so mean to her. or maybe it was mostly carly. she never had much of a connection with chris so she got air time by talking badly about britt.
in the hot seat...kelsey what i saw kelsey got a new haircut but still looks like a mom what i heard they should probably have an age limit--tiffany about mackenzie the hot seat needs an eject button--tiffany maybe she should use that kleenex and stop sniffing--tiffany what i thought kelsey had her time on chris tells all. why are we hearing from her again? lots of talk about love and amazing, but none of it has anything to do with chris
in the hot seat...ashley s what i saw the onion gift was hilarious best dressed so far what i heard if we learned one thing, she likes to ride bikes--tiffany pretty comes with a price--sage can you imagine if she zoned out like that while she was cutting your hair? next thing you know you have a mesa verde haircut--tiffany what i thought part of the time ashley was making fun of herself, and the other time it seemed like she had no idea what was going on.
in the hot seat...jade what i saw jade looks different than on the show what i heard she's already had enough pictures--tiffany after i said i didn't want jade in my photo a day pic what i thought poor jade. choices like that are going to give you lifelong consequences. also, number 4 thinks they are going to be his top pick, but the reality is he liked the other girls more 
in the hot seat...kaitlyn what i saw making the girls re-watch the hard parts makes me pretty sad her hair looks really good what i heard their outfits look like they stole it from a hostess at a chinese restaurant--tiffany about bali what i thought this show is crazy and fun to make fun of, but i'm genuinely really sad for her
in the hot seat..chris what i saw chris squirming akwardness with jade what i heard this whole season he just sputters over his words--sage and tiffany they needed someone to coach him--sage what i thought britt ended really classy, and that's why i like her it would be really awkward to face all the girls-obviously
word tally farm..2 journey..3 (not a big word this season) love...24 amazing..10 wife/husband..4 (probably mostly from kelsey)
what i predict kaitlyn will prob be the next bachelorette. britt was way too emotional. chris still has no idea how to handle the women. hopefully he does better with his final choice.
what are your predictions for next week/next bachelorette?

2015 goal update...FOCUS on...LOVE

i promise i'll try hard not to talk every month about how fast the year is going by, but seriously how is it march already?!? february's FOCUS on LOVE was good.

how did my goals go?

1. explore online dating-check

i talked to people about options, and i have a plan. now time to implement the plan...

2. prep birthday cards for the year-check

i have names on envelopes for the year

3. weekly random acts of kindness-check

this was my favorite

MARCH is FOCUS on the BLOG

1. set up sponsorship program to start april 1

i have an account with passionfruit ads. it's time to start using it

2. follow up with brands from build your blog

send follow up emails. make list of things to change based on classes

3. start planning slumber soiree

find a venue. pick a date. make a list of potential sponsors

hopefully my reward for focusing on my blog and accomplishing my goals is a natural reward of blog growth. i'm also going to a conference in may which is also a reward.

how are your 2015 goals going?

churchy...families can be together forever

one of the most basic and meaningful of all of my beliefs is the idea that families can be together forever-not just for this life but for eternity.


i posted this video and thoughts few months ago, but it's on my mind and heart again this week. someone i grew up with passed away in his sleep a few days ago. i cannot imagine the tragedy and horror of losing a husband and father. my heart is absolutely broken for this young family, but i find comfort in my simple yet powerful belief that there is an opportunity for this family to be together again someday. 

if you want more information about this or any other churchy posts or a packet of testimonies from some of your favorite bloggers, feel free to email me aubreyzaruba {at} gmail {dot} com 

teal nacklace

a couple of weeks ago, kimberly posted a sneak peek of a dress from her spring line for her etsy shop. we posted back and forth a few times about the dress and additional accessories for a photo shoot she had coming up. i got home that night and realized i had some supplies to make a quick necklace for her. 

i love how it turned out. it was so simple and took about a half an hour to make.  paint wooden circles dust with fine silver glitter let dry hot glue to rope tie

for more info on the photo shoot and products, check out the following on instagram Mint lace scarf and headband: @corababywraps
Mint and cream lace scarf: @everydaypitpat
Moccasins: @willowandfig
Aqua and mint headbands: @holly_blossoms

Aqua circle necklace: @aubreyzaruba

Dresses: @shopolivethethings

Photographer: @redheadmemories

blogging the bach 19.10

after last week's marathon bach watching, i wasn't sure we would make it another week, but here we are. i can't believe we're already at this point in the season.

who's watching...celsey, amanda, me
date 1...kaitlyn what i saw... her booty-where's the black box? what i heard/said  romance is outside of your comfort zone? eeeww don't put me in your armpit--cel why isn't he in a breathable t shirt--cel i hate animals, but those baby monkeys are so cute her hair looks awful-cel and me at the exact same time i'm falling in love with you as well--chris--is that even allowed? what i thought kaitlyn says she's falling in love, chris doesn't have a clue how to respond so he just says it back. they close the blinds in the suite and we can all use our imaginations about what happens next. we're pretty sure she's going home.
date 2...whitney what i saw we were all pretty distracted by her tan situation also an unfortunate dress situation what i heard/said all of these dates are always the same-on a boat, exploring the town, how annoying--cel she looks like she took a bath in a bag of cheetos--amanda did she have a ross gellar moment in the tanning salon--amanda  small is an understatement--cel about arlington what i thought

chris was sweating bullets talking to whitney about arlington=he really cares about her

date 3...becca

what i saw i usually love beeca's wardrobe choices, but these fabrics are no bueno what i heard  she wants to die--amanda her hair...what happened? and did she lose her suitcase--cel did she find a 5 foot asian woman and borrow her dress--amanda do they not allow sunscreen?--cel could they make the card any more awkward? i'm kind of getting sick of her saying she's a virgin. definitely should have counted that. i feel like it's not that big of a deal--cel what i thought being a virgin seems preferable to someone who has a shady past we're pretty sure there must have been some editing. he was totally fine with her telling him. we're also pretty sure they don't have sex. he's not going to do that to her on national tv.
rose ceremony what i saw traditional outfits terrible hair poor girls what i heard/said bump its went out so long ago--amanda whitney looks super confident-as she should. becca looks terrified. tell us how you really feel whitney--cel do you hear their heartbeats?--amanda what i thought when he came back with becca, it was pretty obvious she was staying kaitlyn is a strong contender for bachelorette 
word tally farm...1 journey...1 love...51 amazing...8 husband/wife...3
what i predict it seems like chris really wants it to be becca, but i don't know if she can get to the place she needs to be. we really like becca a lot, but we're worried for her. we're pretty torn on what we think. what are your thoughts?