Just for Fun Friday--Cinderella Inspired Shoot

Okay, so I've been pretty excited for Cinderella to come out. Here are the reasons why:

*It's a clean, lighthearted fairy tale (yes, please)

*It stars Lily James from Downton Abbey (I love her!)

*It's full of pretty gowns and beautiful cinematography 

I'll be honest, I decided months ago that I wanted to do a Cinderella inspired shoot! If you know me, you know I l-o-v-e dressing up. Halloween, my birthday, a movie, Flag Day--I' will find any excuse! It's just too fun. So since I already had the blue dress and the dreamy location, there was nothing else left to do but dress up! I mean, if the shoe fits, am I right?

P.s. after this shoot I found this gem from when I was little!

Birthday Week!

Guys, I must be a little kid, be I a) still get SUPER excited for my birthday b) love rainbows so much that I could run up and down my street declaring my love for them, and c) wanted to eat pizza and have a dance party for my birthday. Yeah, I think I'm like roughly 10 years old???

Last week my husband asked me to make a birthday list of everything I wanted to do on March 4. He's cute, and he did everything he could to make sure we a) took silly family pictures b) had a rainbow dance party, and c) played night games with my family.

I was worried when the morning started out rough, because the thing with babies is they don't care if it's your birthday or not, if they're grumpy they WILL let you know. Luckily friends, family, and one sweet husband turned the day around and made it an epic night of rainbow-happiness-dance-party-and-all-things-magical kind of night.

At the risk of sounding cheesy, I'm not afraid to say that spending time with my family was the best birthday gift I could ask for. AND I added this birthday to the list of best birthdays ever, along with my sweet 16 and my 21st Disneyland birthday.

So I'm one year older and hopefully wiser too!

Smile! It will make you healthier and happier.

I had braces from fifth grade to ninth grade. So you better believe that when those babies came off I was a grinning fool! I've always loved smiling, I mean, who doesn't? It's such a great way to express happiness and just makes you feel confident. 

And you know what's awesome? Smiling has TONS of scientifically proven advantages! 

Smiling: 

Makes you look younger

Relieves stress

Boosts your immune system

Releases endorphins in you brain

And according to Ron Gutman, smiling can be as stimulating as 2,000 bars of chocolate! 

You can watch his TED talk below or read this fascinating article here. 

Remember, keep smiling! 

Just for Fun Friday--Wedding Edition!

Why is it so fun to get dressed up? I really wish I had an excuse every week to put on a pretty dress. My writer's group decided to all dress up in wedding gowns and that was the inspiration behind this post. I thought if I was going to wear the white dress, I might as well do wedding hair and makeup! 

I love braids with loose curls, and these ringlets are really easy. You can find out how to do them here. 

It was kind of fun. I explained the look a little more in the video below. Now...to think of my next excuse to dress up...

Five Steps to a Happier Day!

With cold weather and short days, winter can get you down. BUT there are some simple solutions! Here are five tips to help conquer those winter blues to have a happier, healthier day!

Eat fruits high in vitamin C. Fruits like oranges, pineapples, and blackberries are high in vitamin C, which is known to be mood-elevating! Not only are they delicious, they'll make you feel better too. Pass the pineapple!

Have a dance party in the kitchen. I know, it sounds crazy. You have a pile of dishes, laundry, or some other chore that's screaming for your attention. My advice? Turn up your favorite tunes. This always helps me get through my to-do list. I turn on my favorite Spotify station and feel a jolt of energy. Yesterday I literally started singing and full on dancing to Katy Perry while cleaning the kitchen. Not only did my baby get a kick out of crazy, dancing mommy, but I had FUN cleaning. Also, it was my exercise for the day!

Speaking of exercise? Do it! Exercise releases dopamine in your brain, which makes you happy. It also makes you less stressed and more confident. So whether its riding your bike, running, or dancing around the kitchen, leave some room for exercise!

Consider taking vitamin D. The sunshine vitamin can be hard to come by in winter! Look into taking vitamin D to fill in the void during these cold months and help beat winter blues.

Reward yourself after work. January is the time for new resolutions. It seems like everyone I know is either on a strict diet, overloaded at work, or just working hard to accomplish goals. Working towards goals is wonderful! That's why I think it's okay to reward yourself after a hard day. Whether it's some quiet time in the bath, a girl's night out, enjoying your favorite show or book, or even dessert at the end of the day, reward yourself. You work hard and you deserve it!

Those are a few of the ideas that kick my winter blues to the curb. Try them out and let me know what you think!

Happy New Year Darlings!

What a year! Isn't it crazy to look over the past twelve months? Though some days might feel insignificant, all together the ups and downs of everyday life make for an amazing year in review. I decided to share some of my favorite memories from 2014.

The husband and I were thrilled to find out we would be having our first baby.

And after endless guesses, we found out it was going to be a girl! 

A little later in the year, I was so excited and absolutely honored to be a part of UVU's Alumni magazine.

Then the pugs and I celebrated birthday month in March--like party animals.

 

Then came third trimester in late spring.

Then in May I released the final book in my Shapeshifter trilogy, The Secret of Darkwood Castle. I was overwhelmed by your support! 

In early June I celebrated my five year anniversary with the love of my life. 

Then.........Our sweet baby girl came in late June! 

Our lives became completely centered around our little girl, and were were so excited to bless her in September.

A little later in fall we went on our first family trip to Florida (traveling with a baby was a whole different experience).

In the past couple of months, we watched this blue-eyed babe grow up WAY too fast before our eyes. 

So much happened in 2014 to our little family and I can't what to see what new adventures 2015 has in store. I hope you had a wonderful year and wish you much happiness and success in this new year! 

Lovely and long. My favorite loose ringlets.

These loose ringlets are my favorittttttte. I love them because I can let my hair air-dry and then just go over the top. After adding in shine serum, I brush through the ringlets and let them blend together with my natural waves underneath! Theses ringlets also create the illusion that your hair is longer than it looks. You can watch the tutorial below to see how easy it is! Also, sometimes I have a hard time keeping a straight face for pictures, but I'm getting better at it.