day trip

Boyfriend and I headed north to go hiking at Sycamore Canyon and explore Jerome afterwards. The drive was quick, and the weather was perfect when we arrived. We drove some bumpy roads to get to the canyon, but we made it in one piece. We trekked down the canyon with our snacks, water, and dawning our swim suits. We arrived at the waterhole and no one was around. We ate our snacks, went in the water, and hiked up some cliffs. It was a great afternoon in nature.

Next, we drove a short amount of time to Jerome. Oh, and on that drive we ran into some wild horses! They were beautiful. When we got to Jerome, we visited the Grand Hotel and had the heeby jeebies the whole time. We didn't stay long due to the eeriness. We followed that up with some delicious burgers and drinks at the Haunted Hamburger. We kept exploring Jerome until it was time for our ghost tour in the evening. We were given flash lights and EMF readers. It was a lot of fun, filled with great stories, but no sightings. Our EMF readers did go crazy in some of the hotels. I was less scared than I thought I would be, but that could be due to the alcoholic beverages I consumed beforehand.

Overall, it was a really fun and spontaneous trip. Here are some snapshots...

 

what i'm lovin' wednesday

1. Working from home

Since I'm off for the summer, I've been spending my time working on my upcoming ebook. It's nice working from home and spending time with Boyfriend and our pups.

2. The zoo

Boyfriend and I relived our first date by visiting the zoo, and feeding our friendly giraffes.

3. Dominic's

Boyfriend enjoyed the most delicious steaks ever to celebrate our anniversary. We got all fancied up and enjoyed our night.

clouds

I posted about the inspiring young man, Zach Sobiech here. I thought I would share his song, Clouds, and the celebrities who showed their support for his amazing life story.

sunday spark

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anthropologie wish list

I love unique touches to a home. There is something about a cool piece that can bring the whole place together. That's why I love Anthropologie. Yes, there items are expensive (which is why it's a wish list), but they have really neat stuff.

You Are My Sunshine Pillow

Union Jack Frame

Cordona Mirror

Sealife Tea Set

Soapstone Globe

Paused Rope Floor Lamp

foodie fridays

I love eggs and cheese and veggies. I will eat them all scrambled up or as an omelet. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's how much I love the combo. Here is my recipe for a frittata that is just plain delicious.

metabolism boosters

These are some of my favorite foods to boost my metabolism. I think I eat them every single day, if not every other. They are definite staples in my diet, and they are so versatile. Here are some ways I eat them...

Almonds: Ground up as almond flour. Mixed with dark cacoa chips and dried cranberries. On salads.
Yogurt: Mixed with granola. Topped with fruit. In smoothies. Topped with chia seeds or flaxseed.
Green tea: Warm or cold with honey.
Oatmeal: In turkey muffins. Served warm with peanut butter. In oatmeal cookies. As cold overnight oats. Protein pancakes.
Apples: Dipped in almond butter. On salads. In oatmeal.
Eggs: Hard boiled. Egg white omelet. Fried egg over Ezekiel toast.

This is how I mix them up in my diet. How do you eat yours?

what i'm lovin' wednesday

1. Coconut Oil

I love cooking with coconut oil, and now I love putting it in my hair as a hair mask. It makes my hair so soft!

2. Jillian Michaels

I'm seriously having so much fun doing these workout DVD's that boyfriend bought me. Man, they are a calorie-killer.

3. Nike

I ordered myself a new pair of Nike Free 5.0 shoes as a graduation present/end of my "Back on Track" challenge (here). I LOVE them.

live

This video is a reminder to live and love to the fullest. I was teary-eyed through the whole thing. If there is one thing to gain from this story (out of the hundreds of things to gain) is that you have to live each day like it's your last. Forget the little things that you let ruin your day. There is such a bigger picture. There is so much more to life. There are so many things that could be worse. Touch people in a positive way and live a happy life.

brandy melville wish list

While it stinks there isn't a Brandy Melville in Arizona, it doesn't stink that there is an online store. I love the simplicity, funny puns, and low prices of the clothes. I especially love my "You can't sit with us" shirt that just came in. I can cross that one off my wish list.

Evelyn Amry Print Pants

Heather Skirt

Chiyo Top

Carolina Stay Weird Top

Darlene Dress

Turquoise Stone Cross Bracelet

sunday spark

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 There's about to be a shift in your life. Get ready for your blessings. You've been through enough and a breakthrough is on the way. Don't doubt it, just claim it!

-Tony Gaskins

on being happy

I've learned there are people in this world who would give anything for others to fail. These are the same people who spend their time exerting negative thoughts into the world and saying belittling words. These are all actions of unhappy people. These people are missing something in life and in themselves. This missing piece causes them to act callously and blackens their heart. They try to fill the void by putting others down, in order to lift themselves up. By putting other people down, they feel like they are bringing others down to their level. They feel equal. It's a vicious cycle that never truly ends until they can heal themselves from the inside out.

If you have someone like this in your life, maybe it's time to take a few steps back. Their toxicity isn't welcome in your life. You can't grow with them constantly trying to drag you down. Goodbyes are scary, but sometimes necessary. It could be a friend, a family member, or an acquaintance. The world has mean people in it, it's nothing new. Don't let them affect you. It can be hard not to question yourself, doubt yourself, or wonder what you're doing wrong. But don't. Move on, and realize it's them. Not you. All you can do is feel compassion for them. All you can do is hope they can heal themselves and fill whatever void they have. It's their journey, not yours. It's not up to you to fix them, and you definitely shouldn't be knocked down because of them. Be happy.

foodie fridays

I love protein pancakes, and all the different versions there are of them. These are definitely up there with my favorites. Coconut pancakes!

one year

Happy one year anniversary to my love. You turned my whole life around, and I'm so glad life has brought us to where we are. From a longstanding friendship, to nervous first dates, to the strongest and most loving relationship I could imagine, we really are blessed.

You will forever by my always.

what i'm lovin' wednesday

1. Meal prep

I love having my meals prepared for the week because they are readily available, easy, and I won't stray from my eating plan. Fail to plan, plan to fail!

2. 100 by Summer

While I'm on my own challenge, the Tone it Up girls started a distance challenge that I had to jump on. The challenge is to walk, run, skip, move 100 miles by summer. You have six weeks! Join!

3. Roses

My dining room table is filled with these beautiful roses. I love the smell and all the different colors that just brighten up the kitchen.

petswag

My cute friend and her hubby started up a company called Petswag, and I'm absolutely obsessed with it. They carry the most adorable items for my furry friends. Their items are unique and will definitely make your pet stand out. My little Charlie and Nugget were born to stand out, so why have them settle for anything less. We just received their new collars and a few toys, and the pups are loving their new things.

Besides for dogs, they also sell items for fishies and kitties. Everyone can enjoy their amazing products!

Nugget in the Found Rope Collar; Charlie in the Wildebeest Bandana Collar

TOYS! TOYS! TOYS!