Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice....

T-Minus 15 minutes until conference starts.

I'm ready!

Bring on the personal revelation!

Megs

Today is my baby sister's birthday.

Happy Birthday Megan!

Except for she's turning 18, so she's not really my baby sister anymore. 

I just love her so much. I've missed her like crazy ever since I moved out. I wish I could see her every day!

She is the coolest, most creative person I know. She is so artsy and talented, and makes everything her own. Unique and one-of-a-kind don't even begin to describe her.

She's also drop-dead gorgeous; not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. Anybody would be extremely lucky to call her a friend. She has the sweetest heart and is a peacemaker.

All in all- she's my greatest friend and I don't know what I'd do with out her. 

I wish her the happiest of birthdays!

Organization Project #2

The fridge.

It was one of those things that got so gross, I couldn't ignore it anymore. 

I found lots of little surprises as I cleared everything out; food I'd forgotten we had, food that I thought had been (and should have been) thrown away, and lots of sticky messes. 

I also determined that we don't need to go grocery shopping for a very long time.

We have way too much food.

I attacked the inside and outside with a bucket of soapy water and the neatly organized everything inside.

Hooray for a clean and organized fridge!

***Just a reminder that you can still enter the Giveaway!***

Happiness is...

Yesterday was a pretty crazy day. I was in school from 9:45-1:00, at work from 1:00-5:00, and then back to school from 7:00-10:00. Chris and I left for school in a big rush and the house was a disaster. When I got home from work I sprawled out on the bed, on top of a mountain of laundry, and stayed there until it was time to go back to school. I probably should have done something more productive, but I just couldn't do it.
When I got home from my night class, I returned to a totally different apartment; all of the rooms were spotless and every single article of clothing was hanging neatly in the closet.

And there was my sweet husband, waiting up for me. I was deliriously happy.

He is my favorite person in the whole world.

One-Hundred

It's my 100th post!

I am so excited/happy that I don't know what to do with myself! It has been a little over 6 months since my very first post. Blogging has been a source of joy for me- its therapeutic to have my own little corner of cyber space. I am so grateful for all 27 of you who read this blog. :)

So, I think its time for the...

 1st Walk With Me Giveaway!

Here's what you're playing for:

A VS Fantasies Body Spray!

I have "Secret Craving" and I love it; however, there are 6 to choose from!

Ways to enter:

1. Follow my blog: Walk With Me

2. Follow my other blog: Sugaraholics Anonymous

3. Leave a comment on this post

4. Blog about the giveaway and leave the link to your post

 (up to 4 ways to enter in the drawing)

So, there you have it!

Give-a-Way starts now and ends April 2nd at Midnight.

May the odds be ever in your favor!

(sorry, couldn't resist)

WKND

Chris and I had a great weekend in Utah with our families.

Friday we went shopping with Teresa and John & baby Lillie. We went to the new City Creek Center (the mall the church built in SLC. It is fabulous.)

Saturday we went for a walk on the Jordan River trail, got pedicures, went to The Pie, celebrated Meg's birthday, and saw the Hunger Games.

the big "1-8"

he thinks he's funny...

Sunday was a healthy dose of R&R. We went to church, had a family dinner, and played some card games.

Love our weekends in Utah!

First Day

Today is my first day of work at Victoria's Secret. I love this adorable black dress I found at DownEast. I am a sucker for dresses with pockets. 

I can't wait to get that little pink measuring tape and 30% discount.

Turns out, I also get a discount at Bath&Body Works because they are both the same company.

:)

Also, I bought this fabulous nail polish.

[OVER]whelmed

I want to start off by saying this: Life is good. I am seriously so happy, and things are going well for me. If the following sounds complainy/whiny/pity-party-y that is not my intention.

Its "that" time in the semester; finals are looming, projects are piling up, and I'm just ready to be done with school for awhile. Add in 20-40 hours of work and you have me- a hot mess (::a state of disarray so chaotic that it's dizzying to look at. A mess that is beyond the normal range of disarray. Visual clutter that draws attention to itself).

I am proud of myself for being so organized, I really feel like I stepped up to the plate. I have my homework done almost a week in advance and have spent 1-2 hours the first day of each week planning out each and every detail of my life; when I'm going to do which assignment, where I need to be when, and when I'm going to work in eating and sleeping....all without causing a major emotional meltdown.

I am concerned- concerned that I will never have time for anything but work and school. I want to have time for my husband, friends, church, and fun. I know that there are people out there who do it; who work more than me, go to school, maintain relationships, and fulfill their callings in the church. My question is: how?! How do you know when to say no to work and yes to friends, or vice versa? How do you meet your financial goals without eliminating everything else in your life?

I know I can do this. I've balanced work, theater, school, and relationships...the situation now is just slightly different. Help me, oh wise ones!

THINGS ALL HUMANS SHOULD KNOW

#1. Don't talk on your cell phone inside public bathroom stalls. Its awkward for the people around you, and I'm pretty sure its awkward for the person you're talking to. Unless you're dying right then and there, I'm sure it can wait until you're finished.

Employment

Oh the irony!

Most of you know that I have been job hunting for quite sometime...even when I had a job as a janitor, I was putting out apps like crazy. I wanted a job that I wanted, not just something I had to take because nothing else was out there. About 2 weeks ago I was blessed to get hired at the ticket office. I quit my custodial job and was very happy in my little corner window of the cashiers office. Well, then the rumors started flying. Then they were confirmed; the position wasn't going to be around much longer and there were no guarantees that I would have a job after March. Boo.

Then, the heavens opened and jobs started falling out of the sky. An old family friend (who just happens to be in Rexburg now) contacted me and I start work with her on Tuesday- organizing costume rentals and doing some minimal repairs. The next day I get a call from Victoria's Secret (I had put in an application 2 weeks ago and had totally forgotten about it) wanting to interview me the next day. I show up for the interview and get hired on the spot. 

So, for the next 3 weeks I will be working 3 jobs (20-40 hours a week, depending). I'm not complaining! Yeah, I'm a little stressed. Yeah, I'm a little overwhelmed. Yeah, I'm a little nervous about finals. However, about 7 months of prayers have been answered and I know things happen for a reason. It is such a relief to know I will have the work I need for the summer, and (most likely) the next few years while we're here. I'm excited to finally be able to save a little money for the future (babies? house? etc). 

I am feeling blessed. I am so excited for my jobs!

A pound of prevention...

Once upon a time I was a really bad procrastinator.

Last night (Sunday), I realized that tomorrow was the last day to take my Anatomy Test. Usually, waiting until the last day doesn't really stress me out because my schedule is pretty open. Well, I have a new job and that takes up all of my afternoon (12:30-5pm), the testing center closes early for FHE, AND I had a class this morning. Well, I was quite panicked (to say the least) and to make things worse I had also procrastinated studying for the test until Monday morning. I woke up at 7 this morning, did my oil pulling, and quickly got ready so that I could devote until 10am to study. I was antsy during class, trying to retain all that I had shoved into my brain. I ran from my class to the testing center and took the test in the wee 45 minutes I had before work. Whew. What an awful feeling. I never, ever want to submit myself to that kind of stress ever again; especially if all it takes is a little planning and a little less procrastination. 

I made this big ToDo list (3 pages long...) of all the things I have to do for the next week. The beauty is, if I do everything when I'm supposed to I will not have any assignments to do over the weekend, no homework on Sunday, and the load each day gets smaller as I catch up. Hopefully by putting in a pound's worth of prevention against procrastination, the cure to stress will only take an ounce.  Maybe I will be the first college student in history to overcome procrastination.

Organization Project #1

I received some more Pinterest inspiration today (I've been on a roll, really...look here, here, & here.) Its a new take on Spring Cleaning. Basically, instead of overwhelming yourself by trying to organize/declutter all in one day you pick one project at a time and complete it in one day (usually in about 1-2 hours). You make a list as you go, to see all of the progress you're making. Lovely.

Aside: for you Mac users...I LOVE this app. Its free & called "CheckCheck."

 My desk has been on my ToDo list for quite some time so it will be #1. I spend a lot of time here, and the messier it is, the less productive I am- funny how that works. See for yourself...

Clearly Stressful

 I started by taking everything off and wiping down everything; especially in the drawer.
Then, I sorted everything into piles: School, personal, and work.

I tackled my supply organizer- my excessive pen & highlighter collection made that it's own task.
Next, I sorted out what would go in the drawers and what would be stored elsewhere.
Finally, I put on the finishing touches and lit a candle for theatrics.

voilà!

DIY Blackhead Removal

Blackheads. Ugh. 

They never go away, and if they do they always come back.

Yesterday I was on a mission to find an at-home, organic way to clean the blackheads off. I've tried the Biore strips, the scrubs, all of it- and the result is usually red, irritated skin....which usually just makes the situation worse. 

Pinterest came to my rescue. I found this awesome site with 5 natural ways to clean the blackheads out, instead of ripping/scrubbing the crap out of my skin.

The big secret: lemon juice & sugar. Mixed together and gently rubbed all over your face for 3-5 minutes...as often as you want.

Genius.

Go ahead, give it a try. 

 

iPad

So, apparently there's a new iPad coming out soon. This is probably age-old news and I'm just behind (as always).
This reminds me of when the iPad first came out back when I was in high school...I heard everybody talking about it in my choir class, but I had no idea what it was. I was too embarrassed to ask, so I just smiled & nodded & pretended. In my head I was picturing a tent-like structure that was all decked-out and technological...like a bachelor pad but for people who like Apple products; A portable place for cool people to hang out. iPad. It made so much sense to me that I just went with it and didn't research it any further.
Long story short, I was very surprised when I saw my Bishop carrying one around at church and I asked my friend what it was....yeah. Anywho, I feel like I've come a very long way and am now an iPad owner (well, my husband has one that I steal and call it mine). Cheers to the new iPad, hopefully I'm not the last to know.

Sidenote: Maybe I should submit my original iPad idea to Apple 

and become a millionaire.

Steve Jobs would be so proud.

Wedding Nostalgia

I was on Pinterest today...and I see tons of pins of wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, decorations.....and I got super wedding-hungry (kinda like baby hungry but for weddings). My wedding was the best day of my life & I wouldn't change a thing about the day. Is it normal for me to want to live it over again? I know my sweet husband would rather not stand in a line for 2 hours and be in dress clothes all day...but, I feel like, for girls, it's different. Any and all of you married people out there, is this normal?

From my little corner window...

Things I learned today at my first day of work in the cashiers office:
-Giving people too many options makes things harder on everyone
-Having a job where you can do homework is the biggest blessing
-If you get a degree, you get your own office
-When packing a lunch, packing carrots next to crispy things is a bad idea.
-Sitting up straight in a high waisted pencil skirt for extended periods of time is a must if you don't want to look pregnant or cut off the circulation to the lower half of your body. Score for bettering my posture.
-Everyone but me has an iPhone 
-Working in an office setting makes me more organized
-I love highlighters. 

 Oh wait, I already knew that.

Cheers to a great first day of not being a janitor!

Review: Red Tails

Last night, Chris and I went to see Red Tails. I know, its in dollar theaters now, we're a little behind. But, I really enjoyed it. I wanted to put a plug in for those of you who happen upon it at a Redbox or something. I would definitely see this movie again!

12[in]2012 Recap: February

Well hello! I cannot believe that February has already come and gone. How is it that a month can drag by and also fly by at the same time? If you remember February was Fitness month. I was successful in becoming more aware of my health and was unsuccessful in meeting my original goals.

-I did well with my soda fast- not perfect- I definitely drank less soda and more water.
-I failed in the exercise area....I probably went less than 5 times last month. Boo.
-I have definitely become more conscious and I have started a food journal and a weight log.

My intervention regarding my suguaraholism came late in the month, but I've already made some big changes. I've been making dinner; real, planned out, healthily balanced meals. I've been working on my diet-one meal at a time. I started a blog to track my progress on this new journey.

Fitness does not end in February, this was just my start for the year. I think that I will always need improvement in this area....a perma-goal!

Now, I'd like to introduce to you....March!

 And this goal couldn't be more timely. This last month I have noticed that productivity and being healthy go hand in hand. Sitting on my butt and watching Netflix all day definitely takes a toll on my eating habits and then causes me stress because I don't get anything done. I think that getting into a routine will help all areas of my life....especially with my new jobs and finals fast approaching.

Happy March!