blogging the bach 13.it's finally the finale

this season has been a struggle to say the least, but now that it's finally the finale i'm a little more invested. i'm still happy it's ending and getting excited for paradise.

the cliffhangers this season are killing me. can someone who knows someone please tell the producers that this is the worst?!? maybe that's part of the reason i have a hard time being invested in the show lately. by the time we get to the next week, i don't remember what happened the week before.

the show starts with the rest of peter's overnight date. it just really doesn't seem like things are going to work out with peter. he isn't ready for this, but he might be ready to be the next bachelor.

next up is bryan's over night. things are definitely different. he is ready to propose, and she seems ready to say yes.

eric goes home and i'm not really surprised. i just didn't see it with them. they didn't seem to have much chemistry at all.

at this point we're basically fast forwarding through the whole thing. this season has been much more about the food and the social than anything else. we' re so confused about what's going on and had to rewind to try to figure it out.
"i love you rachel"
"i love you too"
major make out sesh and then goodbye. i love this show. i really do. two people love each other. one wants a proposal. one isn't ready. sounds like real life.

5 minutes later rachel and bryan are engaged! shawn wins the bracket again. the end!

One little word-August

I know I say this all the time, but how is it already August? I have slowed down on some things this year and shifted my focus elsewhere which makes it feel like time should be moving slower. Time continues to fly and fly and fly. I probably should just accept the fact that time will continue to go at rapid speed.

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 switched to using my commit 30 planner and it's working well

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

*attend temple 12 times-my temple experience for june was outside the temple. i need to make sure to make it in for ordinances this month-july ended up outside the temple too so in august i really really need to make sure to do ordinances

*monthly journal-i made a list of things to catch up on, but i still need to catch up

*csatt/fitness goals-✔

JULY GOALS

i really loved my june goals a lot. i am basically sticking with the same things

*continue June soda rules (no purchased soda with meals during the week unless it is a combo or the only one of the day)-i did not do well at all. insert excuses, but mostly i wanted ice lots and lots of ice.

*handlettering 2-3x/week-i don't even know if i did 2-3x all month. i don't even know what happened in july

*eat prepped food-much much better

*SLEEP-some improvement

*blog catch up-i have 2 posts i've been putting off. i really really want to get them done, but they are going to be hard to do.

AUGUST GOALS
i plan to continue most of my goals from july and also focus on a few other things.
*spending/shopping freeze-i obviously can't completely freeze spending, but i'm freezing all unnecessary spending. after a few days, it's good for me to pay better attention to how i spend my money.
*SLEEP-11:00 bedtime or earlier. there is always an excuse to stay up late, but i want to make it a priority this month and hopefully continue
*meditate/de-stress-work has been getting to me lately. i have made a lot of progress with managing stress in most areas of my life, but i have a hard time using those strategies with work. i want to find an app to use for some simple meditation.
*the kissmybrave girls started our own fitness challenge this month. we are all doing our own thing for workouts, but the main idea is supporting each other and being more accountable to each other to stick to our goals. after a few days, everyone is doing so well. and i'm so excited.

this year has been really great. i am happy with how things have been, and i am looking forward to the rest of the year. how is your year going?

Easy bathroom updates

*this is a sponsored post by maykke

The Salt Lake county parade of homes is happening right now. It is one of my favorite annual traditions with Celsey and Shawn and their families. We love looking at all the homes and getting ideas of things we love and want to do someday. They are much closer to that someday than I am (as in they are building an amazing house right now). Even though I am no where near and may never be anywhere near building a house, the parade still gives me all kinds of fun ideas. One of the easiest and my most favorite places to start is the bathroom. A few small changes can make a world of difference.

Easy Bathroom Upgrades

Bringing your bathroom out of the past and into the present doesn't have to be overwhelming, expensive, or time consuming. Some small bathroom ideas can be completed over the course of a weekend, yet still provide a dynamic new look for your bathroom. Here are 5 helpful bathroom remodeling tips that can transform your bathroom from drab to fab.

Get Your Painting Clothes On

If nothing else, a fresh coat of paint can breathe new life into an old bathroom and is an easy task that can be done by almost anyone. Whether you're completely changing the color scheme of your bathroom, or freshening up old, worn-down paint, you won't find a much easier bathroom update that conveys as much change as a new coat of paint.

New Electrical Outlets and Light switches

Nothing screams "worn out" like old, builder-grade light switches, electrical outlets, and faceplates. As long as you have access to your fuse box or circuit breaker, these drab eyesores can be easily and inexpensively replaced. Like many other bathroom fixtures, electrical outlets, light switches, and faceplates come in a variety of styles, from brushed nickel, to designer woodwork. If you're repainting anyway, take this opportunity to replace these eyesores while the faceplates are off.

Pull the Plug on Your Old Tub

To really make a splash during your bathroom remodel, pull out your old, basic wall-mounted tub and replace it with a modern, sleek freestanding bathtub. For an added sense of elegance, consider a cast iron clawfoot tub to bring out the character in your newly remodeled bathroom.

Upcycle Your Vanity

Modern sinks, such as vessel sinks, are designed to allow you to bring your creative side out during a bathroom remodel. Rather than relying on a manufactured bathroom vanity, hit up local garage stores, flea markets, and thrift stores to find an old dresser or table that can be redecorated and repurposed as your chic new bathroom vanity. Not only will this unique centerpiece steal the show, but it will be a one-of-a-kind piece of bathroom furniture that truly shows off your creative ability and style.

Freshen Up Those Faucets

Installing new bathroom sink faucets is inexpensive and can be completed in just about an hour in many situations. A touch of brushed nickel, or an elegant oil rubbed bronze faucet may just be the finishing touch that you need to tie together your new bathroom remodel.

wear it wednesday...summer stripes

*i received this dress in exchange for my post. all opinions are my own.

i'm obsessed with stripes, and lately i'm super obsessed with navy. navy stripes are even better. the material of this dress from cleo madison is so lightweight. it is perfect for summer and will easily transition into fall. the dress originally came in the mail for me, but it was a little on the small side. i would definitely suggest sizing up. it is a size larger than mandi typically wears, and it fits perfectly. it pays to have a babe of a best friend to model for me:)

dress-cleo madison|shoes-|alex and ani bracelets|michael kors watch|grandmother's ring|lipsense samon

since most of our pictures together are sweaty post workout selfies, we attempted to take advantage of actually being more put together.

beauty time tuesday..the black hole of lipsense

have you ever fallen in a black hole? specifically a beauty products black hole? more specifically a lipstick black hole? i have a confession...

i am deep in the black hole of lipsense (insert monkey covering eyes emoji here). i wasn't going to try it. i tried it, and honestly i didn't love. i wasn't going to try it again. i tried it again, and i LOVED it (insert emoji again). i wasn't going to buy it. i bought it. i wasn't going to buy more. i bought more. you can see where this is going. the next thing i knew i had too many colors for the cosmetics bag I started carrying them in, and i LOVE it. i love that it stays on all day. i love that i can mix colors. i really love that. i love the vibrant colors. i am so far down that hole, but i told myself no more. i mean it.

weekend happs

basically crammed a whole weekend into saturday. i worked late on friday and did my usual sunday things (church, laundry, meal prep) things on sunday.

saturday started out well before bright and early. in fact it was pitch black when we started running down big cottonwood canyon. it was starting to get light by the time we got to the bottom of the canyon. we ran around town for a while until people needed to leave. andrea drove me back up the canyon and i ran down again. it is so beautiful. it is still so green. it is a pretty steep downhill so training for the marathon there is pretty important.

 

i finished running in time to run home and change before heading to the pure barre 5 year anniversary celebration. they previewed the new Empower class launching august 14. it is such a fun, sweaty class. the pace is much quicker, and the energy was so high. it was so much fun and a killer workout. after brittany finished teaching, we went to protein house for lunch. it is so fresh and clean (the food and the place itself).

the rest of the weekend was spent meal planning.prepping and general goal setting and planning for the week and month ahead. there's something about sitting down and making plans that gets me all kinds of excited. 

how was your weekend? any exciting happs?

Define.Destroy.Stengthen

This is a sponsored guest post. This topic has been on my mind not only lately but for the past year and a half-not so much the depression part but the idea that we have a choice about how we handle and respond to situations. I am very much in the learning process, and some circumstances are easier than others. While we don't all deal with depression, we all have hard times. The suggestions in this article definitely give us all something to think about.

The Ultimate Choice: Define, Destroy or Strengthen

A common saying you’ve probably seen in articles or on Pinterest is, “When something bad happens you have three choices. You can let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.”

When we see these options, it’s easy for us to say that of course we’d choose to let some problem or trial strengthen us. That’s easier said than done, though. But like with all trials that come your way, even with a clinical conditionlike depression, you have a choice to make—do you let it define, destroy or strengthen you?

Choosing one of the first two is the easier way out. In a sense, letting depression define or destroy you means choosing to do nothing. Instead of fighting and positively dealing with it, you let it overtake your life.

Strength doesn’t come from letting your life lead you; it comes from choosing to lead your life. You can let this difficulty break you down and make you resentful, or you can choose to let it refine you and make you stronger.

So how do you choose a refining path when you’re living a life with depression?

Fix your choices.

Choose optimism over pessimism. The latter comes with depression. It’s what makes having depression so depressing. Pessimists don’t see choices—optimists do. By definition, trials are going to be trying. They’re going to test you physically, mentally and emotionally. But when you choose optimism, when you choose to see the good and blessings in your life over the bad, it will help you make it through each day.

A speaker at a BYU devotional learned first-hand how important choices are. “I’ve learned that the way I respond to trials can have a great effect on whether they become roadblocks in my life or expressways to learning and growth,” he said. “When I anguish over difficulties, the experiences only serve to weigh me down. But remembering that these trials are part of the great plan of happiness helps me to see them as opportunities to grow and learn.”

Finish something, anything.

Disappointment and failure happen to everyone. So when you have depression and one of those comes your way, turn disappointment over onto its head by finishing something on your to-do list. Even if that just means doing the dishes that have been in the sink for a couple of days or reading one chapter in a book. Completing something you’ve wanted to do will point you down a more positive andmindful road.

Rely on others.

You can only bear so much on your own. Let other people help you through your tough times. Strength comes from relying on and trusting in others. This could mean talking to family members, friends, teachers or even getting treatment from a doctor or counselor. Another person who is always there to help you is God. In Psalm 105:4 it reads, “Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.” God will never give you a trial you can’t handle, even though in the moment it may seem more than you can bear, and with Him you can have the strength you need to overcome any challenge.

Not everyone is going to be completely healed from depression. But sometimes that healing power you need and are given is the understanding and strength to bear your daily burdens.

While the suggestions in this article could potentially apply to many of us, it is not intended to replace personalized individual help from a trained professional.

blogging the bach 13.hometowns

after last week, i am finally getting into this season. i am kind of excited for hometowns and to see how the rest of the season plays out.

who's watching-celsey, alicia, amanda, megan

hometown #1-Eric in Baltimore

-basketball, kissing, brother/friend, more kissing

-meet the fam-"that's a lot of women"--amanda

i'm just not sure i see it with them

hometown #2-Bryan in Miami

-dominos at domino park, calle ocho-food, dancing, family talk

-meet the fam-tears from mom

-bryan tells rachel he's in love with her

hometown #3-Peter in Madison

-meet the friends-they all love each other

"he has a matching gap so they're kind of cute"--celsey

-rachel is afraid peter might not be ready to propose. i am afraid of the same thing.

hometown #4 Dean in Aspen

-picnic in the middle of a field-Dean tells Rachel about his family

-poor Dean is so nervous and admits to burying every emotion he has

-rachel likes the energy of the home

-Dean talks to his dad while Rachel talks to his sister-lots of emotion

-working out years of intense emotion on national tv is probably not the best idea

-Dean and Rachel are falling in love with each other

back in Dallas

-Rachel chats with Chris Harrison-where has that man been all season?

-Bryan, Eric (we all thought he was going home), Peter all get roses

-we all predict Dean might be the next bachelor

next week per usual looks intense

All the pictures

**This post is sponsored by chatbooks. All opinions are my own.

Remember the days of scrapbooks??? Does anyone still scrapbook anymore? I kind of miss those days, but there is no way I could ever catch up on ALLLLLL the years that have passed since I stopped. I shouldn't say I stopped completely. I stopped cutting out pictures and paper and shapes and designs and stickers and all of the things, but I still like to document my life. 

One of the biggest reasons I started a blog is to document my life. I have good intentions to print it out, but you know what they say about good intentions and the road to hell being paved with them. I have made my share of digital scrapbooks, but the BEST THING EVER is chatbooks. 

There are many different print options including limited editions covers as well as subscriptions. I have mine set to print my instagram posts, but you can also print from albums on your phone or many other options.

Chatbooks currently has a collaboration with Rifle Paper Co. The covers are seriously so cute, and I am obsessed with them all. 

It's your lucky day (well tomorrow is actually the lucky day). It's the chatbooks summer sale. Use code GROW for discounts on your purchase. What are you waiting for? Do it now. I promise you won't regret it.

summer running

**this is a sponsored guest post

i run year round. there are pros and cons to different seasons. i love summer. i even love running in the summer, but it is really hot. last saturday was so warm. by the time i finished i literally could not take one more step. summer running is awesome..if you are careful.

Safety Tips for Runners during the Summer

By Alek S.

Many people view the summertime as an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and be active. However, just as the longer days and lack of wet elements open up the outdoors to us, the summer sun can be just as dangerous as black ice on a winter day. This is especially true for runners.

This summer has been especially hot in the west. And running yourself ragged in 100 degree weather is a quick way towards nausea and exhaustion. Don’t stop running just because the sun tells you to, though. Here are some safety tips to remember when running during the summertime!

Always stick with your pre/post workout routine

Just as with any season, it’s important to have a routine that you adhere to both before and after your run. On top of taking nutritional steps before and after you run, this involves stretching and getting your heart rate up before actually engaging in the bulk of your activity, and then bringing your heart rate down gradually after your run. This keeps you nimble and helps your body feel more balanced, which helps protect you from the heat. Just jumping right into an intense run in the summer sun is horribly unhealthy, and is likely to prevent you from further running down the line.

Stay hydrated

One of the most important things to remember with any exercise at any time is to stay hydrated. This is doubly as important in the summer heat, when dehydration and exhaustion can have incredibly dangerous effects, and even lead to fainting. Staying hydrated means more than just drinking water. It also means maintaining the right level of electrolytes and potassium to keep your energy level up. These minerals help you hydrate quicker. This can be accomplished through either supplements or classic sports drinks. Be sure to bring these things with you on your run, so that you can refuel wherever you’re at, instead of trying to hydrate just before and after.

Know how to train properly

Some people just run because they love to run and they need an activity for fitness. However, a great deal of runners are also working towards a larger goal, such as a marathon. For these runners, it is important to stick to a training routine with little deviation. However, when it comes to the summer heat, you still need to adjust your training to the fact that temperatures are rising. Failing to train properly greatly increases the risks of injury or health problems that emerge from dehydration. Here is a list of great training tips for runners that are training for a marathon.

Don’t run midday

During the summer, the best time to run is right before the sun comes up and right after the sun goes down. Early morning or evening runs help you get your running in at a moderate temperature, while the sun isn’t bearing down on you and pushing you to heat exhaustion. Much of running during the summertime involves a game of avoiding the sun. This means you have to arrange your schedule so that you can run around these times. Sure, you could try to fit in a good run on your lunch break, but it might be difficult to go back to a work day after a physically exhausting run in 90 degree heat.

Avoid unhealthy foods and drinks

If you are regularly running during the summer, you need to avoid foods that are going to bog you down or are a waste of energy. One of the most obvious examples of this is soda pop, which is high in sugar and can make you feel drowsy after minimal physical activity. However, eating heavy foods also gets in the way of safe running, and drinking alcohol regularly while engaging in a strenuous running routine increases the risks of heart problems. You should be trying to eat healthier anyways, if you are regularly running, but it is even more important to do so in the summertime.

Let Freedom Ring

I love the 4th of July! I love fireworks and patriotic songs and BBQs and celebration, and most of all I LOVE AMERICA! This year I was lucky enough to celebrate twice.

On Saturday, Tiffany, Sage, Michelle, and I had a pre 4th celebration. We spent the afternoon at the pool before going to Provo for Stadium of Fire. We left early enough to find decent parking and have dinner before it started. Hunter Hayes, Little Big Town, and Brian Reagan performed. The fireworks were amazing, and we had the best time. 

Tiffany won a round trip ticket for 2 to California so we are all planning to go and split the trip.

I started out the day of the 4th with a killer pure barre class with Brittany. It was the best way to start the day. The rest of the day was pretty laid back.

Celsey invited me to spend the evening with her family at the last minute. We had a BBQ and did fireworks in the street. Their house is set up a little bit so we were able to see a lot of the valley. It was such a fun evening and the perfect celebration.

I really do love America! Although it has been many years, spending several months living outside the country taught me what it really means to be proud to be an American. I am thankful every day for the freedoms I have and for the many men and women that sacrifice daily to make that a reality.

blogging the bach-13.who even knows

monday night tradish has been a little off track the past few weeks. if i'm being honest, that's not even the reason i have no idea what is going on with this show. i just am not into this season. confession #2-i read the spoilers. i had to. ok i didn't have to, but i kind of felt like i had to. it seemed like the only way to have any sort of clue what is going on. i will not be posting any spoilers here, and i will blog as though i don't know what's happening. don't believe it..check out most every other season. for several seasons, i ended up finding out one way or the other (usually social media and sometimes friends). i won't ruin for you. i promise.

we forgot the show wouldn't auto record because celsey moved. we walked in at the end of rachel's date with bryan. we are still pretty lost as to what's going on. are hometowns next week? i'm a little sad we didn't see more of that date.

next up is dean. i have heard his name a bit, but i have no idea who he is. i'm pretty religious. i love church just as much as anyone, but i don't really want to go to church on a date. rachel asks dean to talk about his feelings and he asks about her favorite dinosaur. dean is fun, but he might be headed for paradise rather than hometowns. dean finally opens up and gets a rose. i still think he is headed for paradise.

peter has the next date. the helicopter comes out. i haven't watched enough to know how many helicopters we have seen this season. they have more real conversation than we've seen so far. rachel is scared and doesn't know what to do which basically means she will go to his hometown.

the group date card comes. the word difficult doesn't sound very good. they're on a boat in coats. that doesn't seem that fun to me. rachel says goodbye to matt and there are tears-mostly from rachel. we spent all of the group date trying to figure out when will got sent home. turns out it was last week.

the previews kind of confuse me. it looks like all 4 guys are still there until the end which we all know isn't true. this is the first time all season that i actually have half a clue what's going on. i'm a little excited for the rest of the season.

Beauty Time Tuesday-June empties and more

Wow! I used up a lot of products in June. No wonder I kept feeling like I had to buy more stuff.

Matrix sleek conditioner-love the conditioner especially since my hair has been more damaged lately. 

Bath and Body Works foaming hand soap-love

Bath and Body Works body cream x2-love

Clinique toner-love. I tried another brand recently and really love Clinique. I've used it for years and plan to keep using for more years.

Nail polish remover-I love the purple.

Good night sleep tight lavender pillow spray-I don't really love lavender generally, but I LOVE this pillow spray. It is cool and calming, and I need to buy more.

Cinema secrets brush cleaner-LOVE for the everyday cleaning of my makeup brushes

Living proof dry volume blast-like

Colgate optic white toothpaste-Love but I'm a little bit allergic to Colgate so i can't use very often

Elizabeth James nirvana black and white-LOVE LOVE LOVE this perfume especially together

Intuition razor-love on repeat

Perversion mascara-LOVE-need to buy more

They're real eyelash primer-not my favorite-won't buy again 

Mary Kay lash love lengthening mascara-Love for finishing mascara and bottom lashes

Clinique high impact mascara-love

I received a sample of clix it to try. My skin is really not that bad at all, but just like everyone, I do have the occasional breakout. It is really easy to use. You click the pen and a little bit of product comes out-just enough to cover blemishes. It is white but easily covers with makeup.

I also received L'Oreal revitalift from Influenster for testing purposes. I participated in the 14 day #revitaliftchallenge. I really like the moisturizer a lot. It feels really good on my skin and smells good. It is hard for me to know how well it works with wrinkles because I have Botox for that. I don't think my before and after so show much, but I would definitely buy it again.

**This post contains products I received free for testing purposes. All opinions are my own.

One little word-July

june is the month that really feels like summer. the weather is warm. the pool is open. the nights are perfect. june might be my favorite month of the year. although there are a lot of months i could say that about, i really loved june this year, and like every other month, i can't believe it's over. 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 switched to using my commit 30 planner and it's working well

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

*attend temple 12 times-my temple experience for june was outside the temple. i need to make sure to make it in for ordinances this month

*monthly journal-caught up on a trip from last year. i still need to write about june

*csatt goals-✔

JUNE GOALS

*no purchased soda with meals during the week unless it is a combo or the only one of the day-i did pretty well. i specifically remember 2 times not sticking to the rule, but overall i was happy with it

*handlettering 3-4x/week-started the month strong and fell back toward the end

*pure barre 10 in 15 challenge (10 classes in 15 days)-i almost made it. i went to a high fitness class with mandi one saturday instead of pure barre which meant i didn't get all 10 classes in. the high fitness thing was really fun, and it was great to spend time with mandi. it was totally worth not meeting that goal.

*blog catch up-i am so close. i am off work this week and i will be caught up by the time i go back to work.the end.

JULY GOALS

i really loved my june goals a lot. i am basically sticking with the same things

*continue June soda rules

*handlettering 2-3x/week

*eat prepped food

*SLEEP

*blog catch up-see above-i need some sort of consequence if i don't do it. it is completely ridiculous.

the year is half over-sad face but also happy because it's been a good year. how are your goals going?