Life Lately

So ironically instead of keeping things updated on this blog, I've created two new blogs altogether. 

Here's the link for my mission blog, which has everything from pictures to my mailing address in Perú. aaaaaaand....

Here's the link for a fashiony blog, starring the lovely Hannah Jane. About a week ago, we started a "30 Day No Pants" challenge that we are documenting on ze blog. 

Life lately has been crazy and hectic, but I love it! It's insane that finals are approaching so fast, I feel like I was just barely moving into my apartment again. Time has sure come and gone by freakishly FAST! On April 13th, I'll be flying home and headed to South America just 4 and a half weeks later.

Happy Tuesday & hope you Enjoy!

bucket list

It was really slooow at work today & I made a bucket list! Lately I’ve been doing some really fun and adventurous activities...namely hot air ballooning, hiking the Grand Canyon, and running 30 miles. Promise to blog about each soon:) I’ve been blessed with these opportunities and am lucky that I’m not in school right now so I have time to play hooky. I thought it would be fun to make a rough draft list of all the many things and places I want to see, experience, enjoy, and love. Announcing the rough draft:

Bungee Jumping

Learn a new language

Be in NYC for New Years’ (and get a kiss for the new year)

Run a legit 26.2 mile marathon

Read all of the Harry Potter books. I’m on Order of the Pheonix & its my 1st time reading them! gasp, I know:)

Backpack across Europe

Graduate from college

Help with a doctors without borders or other humanitarian project

Get Lasik eye surgery

Become a nurse

Serve a full-time mission

Run Rim2Rim 
Study abroad
Be an EFY counselor

Host a foreign exchange student

Invent a new cookie flavor

Hike Subway

Travel to Thailand, New Zealand, India, Australia, Paris, and Italy

Fall in love & get married in the Temple

Change someone’s life

Spend an entire day at the spa, probably after a triathalon or something

Get a dog

Remain pen-pals with close friends through all my life

Become involved with a non-profit organization

Have twins-name them Olive & Oliver (one boy & one girl)

Road trip round two with Hunter

Live in a big city with Hannah Jane

Sky diving

Help deliver a baby

Have a lovely Thursday eve!

bondi band review & giveaway

I received this beautiful teal bondi band in the mail yesterday & I already love it!! I used it on my run this afternoon and it kept my ears warm in the chill wind. I love that it's a wider headband, so it really keeps my hair out of my face while I exercise. Some headbands are too tight on my head and hurt after a few hours, but this stretchy wicking fabric is very comfortable. 

And now it's your turn to enjoy an awesome Bondi Band!! I have a neon green "shut up and run" headband to offer as a giveaway! Just use the rafflecopter widget to enter. Good luck & keep running! 

*Disclaimer - I received this headband from Bondi Band at no cost in return for my blog review on their company and product. They are sponsoring my giveaway for 1 Bondi Band, so please be sure to enter before it ends on November 3rd! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

wood chopping to welcome fall

October already?!? seriously crazy. AND my second consecutive day of blogging? Almost as often as I wash behind my ears. rad. Welcome the fall season-beautiful leaves, crazy deer, pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies, and wood chopping!! Today I worked grill from 5:30am-2:00pm so I could go with a group of coworkers into the Kaibab forest to chop wood for the wintertime here at Jacob Lake, Arizona.

It was so much fun! After quite a few attempts, I was able to get some decent sized logs. My friend Juni is seriously an insane beast and always got it right on the first swing. I've given up on trying to figure out how he has the strength/energy. Afterwards, we hauled all the logs in the work truck and made an assembly line to stack it all nicely outside of the lodge. Henry Ford status! In reward for our hard work, management treats us to a delicious dinner & dessert in the dining room.

It was really odd ordering off the menu, instead of receiving the order and cooking it for the usual customer. I almost wanted to put my apron back on and head back to the kitchen and make my meal myself. But my coworkers did a great job, no doubt:) Ahhhh the cheese tortellini with a grilled chicken on top!! Kind of annoying to make for the late prep shift, but so woth it. I was in heaven. And with grilled zucchini slices, cheesy-brocolli soup, and rice pilaf! Sean works in the store, so he made all of our shakes too. Vanilla with a pumpkin chocolate-chip cookie was divine. We had a wonderful time together eating, while still super dirty from chopping. I was shocked to see later how filthy my face got from hauling all the logs!! Mary Poppins, anyone?

  My buddy Mitchell. Don't you just love the dirt mustache?

We were too busy being lumberjacks to take any pictures while we were working, but this is what the truck looked like after about an hour or so of chopping.

I cannot wait to enjoy those cozy nights right in front of the fireplace on those chilly nights in the lodge lobby:)

google plus

where a family chat can go from looking like this

to this 

 to this 

 to this 

 to this 

 ...and a Dr.Seuss inspired hat blowing out a birthday candle.

haha we had such a blast with the silly effects on google plus. man I miss my crazy family! 

ps.I'm gonna try to update this blog with the past year-ish of my life. Ahhh there's just so much that has happened & I wanna document it all. stay tuned! 

New Year's resolutions UPDATE

wow. I'm quite far behind with blogging about my life lately. SO many things have happened in the past few months...I really wouldn't even know where to start. Here's an attempt...so 6 months ago from today, I made a list of goals for the year 2012.(see here).Here's an update to how my ambitions and goals have turned out thus far:

 1.      Blog more. (obviously) oops.

2.      Run a half marathon in progress...

3.      Develop better study habits DONE!! all A's right now, yeah baby!! hoping to ace finals.

4.      Read more great books thats what summer's for, right?

5.      Get into the nursing program!! haven't applied yet.

6.      Become more organized not really. I forget/misplace everything.

7.      Go on a road trip to CALIFORNIA! DONE!!

8.      Volunteer & give back to the community not as much as I'd like to, but I just helped with a gardening service project!

9.      Create & keep a workout plan KINDA. I go to the gym & burn cals. what else do you want from me?

10.  Spend more time with my lovely mother DONE!! (and in progress:)

11.  Make plans to study abroad my savings account is currently too busy having fun.

12.  Become a “morning person” ha.ha.ha. like that one was every possible. my yummy green monster smoothies help me be happy at 7am.

13.  Keep a journal of grand adventures YES!! a little behind, but what's new?

14.  Hike Rim2Rim again in 12 hours I'm planning on hiking it in november!!

15.  Attend ALL my 7:45am classes…we’ll see about this one. I actually have!! wierd.

16.  Eat real, nutritious foods YEP!! lots of fruits & veggies. be proud mamma:)

17.  Go snowboarding KINDA. I went night skiing for the first time instead of attempting to snowboard.

18.  Become better at letter-writing EH. give me a few days

19.  Learn how to ballroom dance DONE!! my dance class even had a competition too, so booyah

20.  Develop a habit of scripture study every night IN PROGRESS. My Docterine & Covenants class has been awesome, so thats helped:)

  

There's still exactly 6 months until 2013, so I still have some time to check-off more of these resolutions. I've never really been great at making & keeping goals, but I've been more committed this time around. And it should also be noted that I went cold turkey off sweets/treats for AN ENTIRE MONTH!! My close friend and roommate Hannah has been inspiring and motivating when it comes to making daily, weekly, and monthly goals. I want to start making a bucket list of things I want to do sometime in my life. What are some of the goals you have made & been successful with?

specs.

I had an eye exam this morning & was impressed by how high-tech everything was. I had pictures taken of my eyeball that checked for glaucoma and anything irregular in my retina. You should be glad to know, everything checked out perfectly normal! Except for the minor fact that I’m getting more blind....After the exam, I bought two pairs of spectacles on eyefly. Their prescription lenses and frames are only $99! Pretty sweet. I haven’t worn glasses in over a year, so they’ll be a nice break from contacts. With a webcam photo, you can virtually try-on the frames and see how ridiculous they look. I couldn’t decide between two different frame styles, so I just got both. Which do you like more? 

Union Square is on the left & Lexington Avenue is on the right. 

Ps. yeah I got grills! I really need to be better at updating! sorry:(