All The Hikes

It dawned on me recently that I live in an awesome state filled with so many natural wonders to explore. My last post was about a visit Neil and I made to Arches National Park and I think that's what spurred all of this. I decided that I wanted to get out more, hike more and just enjoy all of the amazing scenery so close to me. 

Last week, my best friend and I went on a hike up Little Cottonwood Canyon in Sandy, UT. 

It was so much fun and aside from that, it was GORGEOUS. Everything here is Utah has been so green lately due to all the rain. Here are some pictures from our adventures. 

Sneaking Away

This past weekend, I surprised Neil with a weekend getaway trip to Moab/Arched National Park. 

It all started at the beginning of the month when he was feeling overwhelmed with all of the responsibilities he has. I decided that I would step in and make a relaxing vacation happen.

I set to work making phone calls to a couple people including his sister Anna. (We stayed at their lovely home in Monticello.) I made packing lists, made sure that our laundry was done, house was clean, etc. I planned and carefully avoided bringing it up. 

It. Was. Hard. 

When I'm excited about something, Neil is who I tell first! It was hard not to turn and be like, "I'm so excited to surprise you!" 

But I kept it a secret. When I finally revealed the secret, he was ecstatic. It was so much fun to see his reaction and to feel his relief that he didn't have to plan any of it. 

We headed to Monticello Friday night and spent almost all day Saturday hiking the various trails at Arches. It was so much fun that I'm thinking another surprise is due again soon. 

Sniffles and Sneezes

Last week I woke up and it was like I'd been hit by a truck. 

My head was pounding, my throat was experiencing that horrible combination of dry, sore and mucus-y. My eyes were watery and my nose was runny. 

To be honest, I think it was a mixture of a cold and allergies. I had a slight fever and chills for a day but the next day it was your typical allergy attack. Thankfully, however, I didn't have itchy eyes or an itchy throat. I can deal with the rest just fine but itchy eyes? No. And an itchy throat just makes me miserable. 

Anyway, I have learned that some things work for me and some things don't. Most nasal sprays don't work for me. And with this bout of sickness, I didn't know if it was a cold or allergies or both so I treated for both. Which in the end wasn't much different than if I treated for one or the other. 

Things that work for me:

 Just a note, I'm not getting paid to promote these brands I simply like them and they work for me. 

1-Water! Because water is good for everyone ALL the time. Drink it. Love it. Be cleansed. 

2-Nasacort Allergy 24: I don't actually love this one but I do use it on day one of my sick days. Just day one. 

3-Smith's (Kroger) brand Nose Vapor Inhaler: Honestly, it sounds disgusting but I like this because it's not liquid. It's like breathing in the Vicks vapor but more direct. And it loosens up my congestion pretty well. 

4-Puffs Plus with Lotion AND Vicks: Apparently, these aren't sold in stores anymore. Why? No idea, but you can buy them online. I bought mine on Amazon.com in bulk.

5-Tylenol Sinus:This little beauty saves my bacon. Every. Time. I like it for a couple different reasons. It works, the caplets are coated in some kind of minty stuff that makes them easier to swallow, AND it treats both allergy and cold symptoms. So, YAY! 

6-Burts Bees Lip Balm: My lips get very dry when I take decongestants so I make sure to keep this lovely lip balm close by. 

7-Vicks Vapor Rub: I actually use this and the Breathe oil to help me, you know, breathe. And I love it. 

8-Vitamin D: I have a Vitamin D deficiency so I take 10,000IU every day but I make sure I get enough when I'm sick. I've been told that Vitamin D is the boat that takes the medicine to your cells so without boats, medicines and other supplements don't really do much. 

9-Traditional Medicinals Seasonal Sampler: You get four bags of each flavor. It doesn't cost as much as buying all four flavors.

10- Essential Oils: There are a bunch of brands out there but I use doTERRA. I diffuse and topically use different oils all the time but I like to diffuse Breathe when I'm sick (along with a couple others). 

Anyway, those are my top ten "go-tos" for when I'm sick and they definitely helped me heal quickly so I could carry out my surprise out-of-town trip! That's coming on Thursday.

The oils I use when I'm sick.

My Oils "Bible". It helps you learn which oils to use for different ailments AND how to use them (Topically, Aromatically, Ingestion...yeah)

The mixtures of teas I drink in addition to the Seasonal Sampler.

Antique Window Painting

You might think that there are a million pins of Pinterest detailing the absolute best way to paint words on glass. In this case, an antique window. However, I was quite surprised when after an hour and a half of searching, I couldn't find even one! There were some pins that came close and others that said they were painted on but were really vinyl cut. It wasn't frustrating, simply baffling. 

Then I realized that all those talented people who have all the tricks for painting on windows are probably Etsy shop owners so no way would they "sell their secrets". I can't really blame them, I mean, they probably make a good amount of money off those things. Even so, I simply could not find a tutorial that helped me do what I wanted to do. 

So, I improvised and here is what I did. 

I gathered my materials:

Antique window from a local antique shop

Paint pens-I used the Tree House studio brand from Hobby Lobby but have also seen DecoColor and Craftstudio brand paint pens and they look like they would work also. 

Fabric

Teapot and Teacup designs

Scissors

Elmer's glue spray adhesive
a single edged razor blade

After I made sure I had everything I needed, I went to work. 

The first thing I did was find free graphics for the teapot and and teacup. Of course, I went to Pinterest for this. And I found a pin and it took me to these free graphics courtesy of Vintage Glam Studio.

I downloaded the document and printed an enlarged version so that my cutouts weren't tiny.
After printing a larger version of the graphics, I cut them out and traced the outline onto my fabric. Then I cut the fabric.

It was about this point that I stopped taking pictures because the project started to become very involved. (Erm, I forgot.)

Then I flipped the fabric over to the "wrong side" (is there a technical term for this?), laid it on a piece of paper and sprayed it down with the adhesive spray. Then, of course, I had to move it to the glass. I already knew where I wanted it to go so I gently placed it on the glass then smoothed it out. It dried pretty quickly so I only had a short window (yuk, yuk) of time to work with.

After the fabric teapot and teacup were secured on the glass, I went to work on the painting.

This was trickier and I went through 3 different techniques before finally just free handing everything.

Something to keep in mind: I printed a design from word so that I could copy from that to the glass. What I should have done was print a large version of the design and tape it to the back of the window so I could "trace" the letters with the paint markers. But that didn't happen because I didn't think about that until it was too late. I won't go into detail about how I did it because it's complicated and took way too much time. Do what I should've done! It'll save you time and energy.

Even though I spent more time than I needed to on this project, I enjoyed the process because I can share with you the things I learned. Like, how to cut out 3 hours by printing a design and taping it to the backside. Let me know what you think! AND if you would like one made for you or someone you know, let me know in the comments and we can work something out!

My Post-Graduation Plans

I don't have any. 

Not really, anyway. 

The funny thing is, I don't even mind. I really don't. I am happy to be at home every day cleaning, cooking and just being free! I'm sure the feeling will wear off at some point but for now, for the summer, I only have plans to enjoy my summer working on my Family History, taking vacations, helping my parents move across the country, spending time with friends, really getting a handle on my health, reading books (of my own choosing) outside in my new lawn chair and sleeping. 

I suppose that is a plan. It's just not the plan I think people expect to hear when they ask, "So, what now"? And I'm not offended by the question, I just don't think I have the typical answer and for the silliest reason, I have been having a hard time answering when people ask.

Why? Why not be proud of my decision? It's a temporary thing and even if it wasn't it would still be a good decision for me. I want one summer to myself without school or work. I want one summer that I can pamper my hardworking husband and welcome him home every day to a clean house and a nice, hard earned meal! What is so weird about that?

I think nowadays it's odd for a woman who doesn't have any children (and isn't pregnant) to want to be a homemaker. Women with kids already have a lot of opposition facing them that it seems bizarre that someone without kids would subject themselves to staying at home to be a homemaker, right?

I don't think that I'm being judged and I have never heard anyone say that I'm less of a person for wanting this, I have simply felt this attitude expressed by others. Truly, I don't think it's a conscious attitude but I do think it exists. What I'm trying to say is typically if you aren't employed as a woman in the culture I'm surrounded by (Provo...a love/hate relationship for me) you are one of the following: a mother or a student. At times, it feels as though you are qualified to be unemployed because of those two things. But choice? That doesn't seem to be a good enough qualifier, it only makes you "lazy".

Now, I know that the culture I'm surrounded by is not the best example of the real world. Let's be honest. Provo is a bubble for many reasons and in many ways. It's not a fair sampling but it's still the culture that I'm exposed to the most at the moment. That being said, I'm learning to move beyond it.

I will not live here forever, thank goodness, and I fully intend on being employed full-time come the end of the summer but if I didn't plan on that, that would be okay too! I'm not ashamed to say that this summer is "my" summer. My summer to share with my husband. My summer to explore, relax and focus on my health.

So, if you wanted to know what my post-graduation plans are, now you know.

Crock Pot Freezer Meals

I'm trying to be healthier both physically and financially. 

In most of the health and fitness plans I've come across, I've noticed that all of them suggest to plan your meals and prep your meals ahead of time. The purpose is so that you are able to just grab a meal or throw one together easily when you're hungry instead of having to sit and ponder about it and then end up going out and grabbing a pizza because it's easier and quicker to do that than to make something healthy.

I've never done this before because the idea of prepping a million meals all in one day just didn't sound exciting. However, I decided to stop dragging my feet and just do it! I hopped on Pinterest and found this website (through a pin) that was truly a game changer. I am kind of a picky eater so I went through all of the recipes and picked out recipes that I knew I'd like and recipes that would limit the variety of what I had to buy. She also has a meal label you can print off and I did that too! Anyway, I picked the following meals:

1. Garden Veggie Soup

I made two batches and added chicken.

2. Chicken Teriyaki

3. Honey Dijon Chicken 

I made two batches of this as well. She made hers with pork but I'm trying to not eat pork so I swapped it for chicken.

4. Shredded BBQ Chicken

but I also wanted to make a couple other meals that she didn't have recipes for:

5. Beef & Broccoli 

6. Taco Soup

(Two batches)

7. Dr. Pepper Pot Roast

I add in potatoes and carrots the last couple of hours

My meals, ready to go!

I also made some meals for breakfast including:

1. Egg Muffins

I made 24 of these and could've easily made more.

2.  Refrigerator Oatmeal

I used Greek God's Vanilla and Honey Greek Yogurt and Almond Milk and I made 12 jars.

3. Fruit and Spinach Smoothies

I could've also made more of these but only made 8

Smoothies. I'll be making more.

So, I've got breakfast and dinner covered for the rest of the month and will be working on the lunches soon. These batches are perfect for two people and will leave a good amount of left overs so that they'll last for a couple meals rather than just one.

 I went to Costco and Smith's and spent about $175 total (I know, it seems like A LOT...and it is) on groceries and items needed for making my meals.

I ended up buying:

(From Costco)

Raspberries

Blueberries

Strawberries

Oranges

Organic, hormone free Chicken Breasts (12 lbs)

Carrots

Black Beans

Corn (canned)

Frozen Veggies

2 Dozen Large Eggs

Babybel Cheese

Bananas

Avacados

Quinoa

Lettuce

Spinach

Rotisserie Chicken Breast Meat

(From Smith's)

Low Sodium Teriyaki sauce

Low Sodium Soy Sauce

Zucchini (x2)

Yellow Squash (x2)

Onion (x1)

4 lb Chuck Roast

Beef Stew Pieces 

Chicken Broth

Beef Broth

Beef and Onion Soup Mix

BBQ Sauce

Gallon Size Freezer Bags

Quart Size Freezer Bags

I think I'm forgetting a few things but you get the idea. 

Anyway, I followed her advice and printed my recipes and labels before putting everything together.

All in all it really did take me almost all day to make the meals but I'm grateful that I did it. I've loving only having to clean up the rice maker and crock pot after dinner that I've decided to raid my freezer and see what else I have for freezer meals. I haven't found anything for the shrimp but I do have some things planned for the Salmon and the left over chicken that didn't get used this time around. (About 4 lbs.) I'll post about that round of freezer meals once I've done them. 

In the mean time, I'm going to enjoy the fact that I don't have to buy groceries or worry about dinner or breakfast for the next month.

Graduation

I graduated. 

College. 

Or University, whichever you prefer. 

Anyway, the point is that after 6 and 1/2 years, I have finally graduated from a post-secondary educational institution! With relatively good grades and zero job prospects on the horizon, I'd say I'm pretty much caught up with the other graduates out there.

Anyway, I'm enjoying this new part of life and all of the fun things I have for this summer are keeping me exited for what the future holds! 

My best friend, Erin!

Julie, Erin and Me

So many graduates!

I'm so lucky that Emily came and supported me!

Selfie. Because my make-up, hair and general look was just WORKIN!

Best friends since '05. Graduated High School and College together! I really love this girl!

Fabric Covered Books

I have a "crafty" streak in me. 

I do all sorts of crafts and I love it. It's therapy.

Recently, I've been staring at some shelves in my house wondering what about them was bothering me because something was. 

And then it placed it. The Jane Austen Books + Jane Eyre that I had bought from Barnes and Noble a million years ago weren't quite blending with everything else. I wanted to give them a facelift.

Before

For graduation my sister Julie gave me a notebook she made that was covered with fabric. It's adorable. I'd seen this done with paper (and it's gorgeous) but there was something about this notebook that sparked an idea. So, thanks Julie!

I decided to cover my books with fabric! As soon as the decision was made, I hopped on Pinterest and found this tutorial from the Six Sisters Stuff blog and it looked ideal. Perhaps because her copy of Mansfield Park is the same version I have... Anyway, it was simple and I was able to cover all 7 books for about $35. 

After

 If you're looking to use this tutorial I do have a few tips!

1. Buy Fat Quarters and use coupons. 

I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't know what a fat quarter was before this. I don't do much by way of sewing or quilting but my Mom and another one of my sisters does so I just felt like this was something I should've known. Anyway, a fat quarter, if you are like me and don't know, is a half of a yard cut in half. So, typically a quarter of a yard would usually be 9" x 44" but with a fat quarter you get a piece that is 18" x 22". It's like cutting a sandwich into squares and having 1 of the 4 squares rather than cutting your sandwich into 4 strips...clear as mud? Anyway, my point is that for my books, the fat quarters were the perfect size and I even had a little left over. You can save money this way and you can save money by using coupons. So, yeah. 

2. Iron your fabric before you use it. 

My fat quarters were pre-cut by the store I go to. So, they had been folded long enough to have pretty obvious creases. I really hate this part but it saved the aesthetic of the books in the end.

3. Wear gloves?

The Elmer's glue spray adhesive was seriously no joke. I had glue ALL over my hands by the time I was done so if you don't like having to scrub your hands for 20 minutes, you might want to consider wearing gloves. Or just don't be as messy as I was...hmm.

4. Use a tarp or large piece of cardboard to cover your work area. 

Again, that glue man! It'll get everywhere if you aren't careful but at least it works. I used a large piece of cardboard so that my table didn't get covered in a rough, gluey mess.  

I am thrilled with the results of my books and now I want to cover all of my hardback books with fabric. But I won't. Probably.  Either way, I think I have acheieved the "facelift" I wanted for them and I am loving it. 

Reading outside with the most delicious oranges ever.