Will report back on Monday.

I am off to Utah.

Here goes nothing.

Will report back on Monday.

xoxo

Summer Tip #3

Well. First things first...

I got accepted to China.

Ahhhhh.

I honestly can't wait!! Like for reals..so dang excited!!

I will explain more about it later :)

Good things are happening, and I couldn't be more grateful.

When you live right and try hard for things, good things happen to you. I firmly believe that. It is what I am striving for.

As far as Tuesay Tip Day aka Summer Tip #3 here you go:

1.Date nights.

Going on dates is so important in a relationship, you MUST make it a priority. Leaders in the church have said even married couples must make the time to go out on a date. It is essential. Going on dates helps to strengthen the relationship. Whether you are just starting out dating or whether you have been married for 50 years, date nights are crucial. I hear all the time of couples who dont have the time to go out with their spouse because they are so busy with their children or have things they need to get done. Stop justifying. Make it a priority. It will strengthen a relationship more then you realize. As far as fun date ideas, even if your married, bring out the young side. Make it fun and new. Everyone makes marriage seem boring and old. Be fun and exciting!! Pretend it is the beginning and you are just starting out. Here is a fun date ideas for young teens or even married adults.

--Rent/borrow a vespa and go ride around tempe town lake.

Or if you arent able to get ahold of one, just take bikes. I have beach cruisers you can even borrow if you are in need of one!

After cruising around tempe town lake, stop for a treat at this delicious new shop called "Cookies on Mill" which is located between 5th and 6th street down Mill Ave. (If you know where Urban Outfitters or American Apparel is, it is on the same side as American Apparel)

Many of you have probably heard of the concept but what it is, is there are several different cookies to choose from (all homeade) and also several different types of ice cream. You choose which yummy warm cookie you would like to delight yourself with

and then you choose which ice cream you want to combine it with. You are then treated with a delicious homeade ice cream sandwich!!

Fun, right?

2. Movies and dinner are great and fun, but change it up a little! Another fun date idea is to go to your favorite Mexican restuarant and eat delicious greasy food. It will set the mood for the night because your next step will be to take a dance lesson with a professional dancer teacher!! Go take a fun salsa, ballroom, swing,or country dance class. Bring out the fun side of you that doesn't always get to come out anymore. Be young and alive! Revive your marriage. Or experience something different if you aren't married. I think this date calls for something totally fun and different.

Try it!

Look into trying it at:

1.Dance Fix Studios- (only 20 dollars for 2-30 minute sessions)

2.Arthur Murray- (Offering private lesson free)

3.Fred Astaire Dance Studios-(Offering a free dance lesson also!)

Treat yourself to something fun. It is time to step out of normal life, and make a date night a priority. See what difference it brings in your marriage. Or if you arent married like myself, go do something fun that you will always remember. It is time to again, just be YOU.

Tip #2

It is mosquito season. Wear insect repellent.

Enough said.

Also I am headed to Utah on Wednesday.

Ragnar Wasatch Back, here we come!!

Run. Drive. Sleep? Repeat. (x3)

Bring it on.

Xoxo

Overwhelmed with appreciation.

I have been overwhelmed lately.

Overwhelmed with people.

People who inspire me to want such goodness in my life.

I am overwhelmed of appreciation to the influence they have on me.

I sit here and am so grateful for the things I have in my life. I feel as though lately I have been able to open my heart and mind and see the greater perspective in life. I know what I want in life and am ready to do whatever it takes to get there. I truly believe life is what we make of it. People come into our lives for a reason. I believe nothing just "happens" but that the lord has a hand in all things.

I am blessed to have such amazing people in my life who help me try and reach my greatest potential. I feel inspired everyday because of the good people I am surrounded by. Friends and family are who pull me through when times get rough. Not only that but these sweet babies have some of the greatest impact on my life. They are my everything.

They are there to keep me happy and who make life an adventure.

Gordon B. Hinckley has a quote that I love and try and live by. It says,

"In all of living have much fun

and laughter.

Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured."

I love that. So much in fact that I have that quote framed and in my bathroom so that I see it daily. Yes life is hard, but make the most of it. Not only endure it but enjoy it.

Choose the people in your life who bring you up. A true friend is someone who will make you want to become better. Life is about growing and becoming what you can be. I firmly believe that. I am and will forever be grateful for the people in my life who help shape me into who I am. Stop and think about your life and really figure out who makes an impact on it... Run with that. Be who you can be. We need to stop worrying about the little things and run with who we are and what we want with nothing holding us back. If we want to be happy, be. Attitude is everything. Anything can be as great as you want it to be. Make the most of what you have and appreciate the people who are in it. Live NOW and prepare to become what we want to be tomorrow.

Happy Monday everyone.

Be that friend that you so badly wish you had.

xoxo

I am especially grateful for the inspiration this sweet lady gives me.

I watch this and am in awe of her courage and strength.

May we all be like her in some small way.

Jump start your summer.

Well you asked for it so here it is. This is not taking place of my tuesday tip day. It is something that has simply been on my mind because all you lovely people sparked the idea. I am going to enlighten you with some ideas as for how to help you stay healthy this summer.

--I was sent an email from good o'le doctor oz who told me about loosing weight in the summer. He states that due to increased sunlight it is easier to lose weight. Increased sunlight = increaded seratonin levels. Increased seratonin can decrease the amount of food that people want to eat. He also says that most people want to eat less when it is hot. Bringing the light in will reduce your appetite. Pretty crazy huh? Think about it for a second..if it is blazing hot outside and you are in your nice cool house and have bright sunlight shining through, are you craving a heavy plate consisting of lots of meat and hot potatoes? Yeah, me either. You crave a good drink, a yummy salad, or a light sandwich. So open the blinds and bring that light in!!

(K I know this is Christmas decorated, but I love how you can almost feel the sunlight coming through. Plus it makes me excited for Christmas!!)

--Now, most important..Water, water, water! With it being so darn hot outside now, your body will start to lose water and sodium in the form of sweat. Keep a bottle of water with you ALWAYS! Wherever you go, have it with you. They make bottles for a reason. It is very functional. Always have one with you so that you have easy access to keeping your body hydrated. Also when you are at a restuarant, have the mindset that you are going to get 3 refills on your cup during the course of your meal. If you are drinking your water, you're not eating. Plus it is giving you more water which should be all of our best friends. Drinking a lot of water is hard at first but work on it. We all have room for improvements. Make it a priority to drink more of it. It is a calorie free friend! :)

--Fruits and vegetables aid in weightloss. I know you hear it all the time "Eat more fruits and vegetables!!!" But really it is key. It will help you to stay full and will help balance your body. It is an essential nutrient for your body. Try this..Instead of flowers on your center table, replace it with a bowl of fruits. That will cause you to see it, making it more likely for you to eat it. Some important fat burning summer foods to consider are: Broccoli, Asparagus, Cucumbers, and peaches.

--Now.. this is crazy so listen up. A study was done and found that using a colored plate verses a transparent container to eat off of causes the person to eat less. A wopping 71% more food was eaten from the tranparent container. CRAZY! The color also does something to your mind. It makes you feel more satisfied. So bloggers, go buy yourself some new cute, bright, summery plates to enjoy your food on. Sounds like a good excuse for me to shop :). But really try it for yourself.

1. Anthropologie- Latte bowls- $30.00

2. Anthropologie- Verdant Acres Dinnerware- $10.00-$16.00

--Avoid real salty foods. Salt absorbs water, therefore eating salty foods causes you to swell. Being that it is summer, swelling it far from what we want. If you are planning a trip to the beach and are gunna be wearing a cute new suit, give yourself at least a week of preparation time on your diet. Avoid the salty foods to help your body not hold onto all that water weight. We want you lookin good for the beach!

We want to look like this:

1.Urbanoutfitters-Pins and needles polka dot V-neck one piece- $78.00

2.Urbanoutfitters-Billabong runway ruffle one piece- $120.00

3.Urbanoutfitters- BDG Henley One Piece- $88.00

Not this:

(Swollen belly. Blahh.)

--We all love treats. I am queen of them! So instead of going to cold stone and ranking in the calories and fat from ice cream, go and get frozen yogurt. Most places you go are going to be fat free and have much fewer calories then regular ice cream. Score! And to be quite honest, I would much rather prefer frozen yogurt then ice cream. Some yummy places to try are:

1. Yogurtland- (My fav)

2. Good o'le Mesa Fro Yo

3. Mojo's

4. Golden Spoon

5. Ocean Blue
(Each one is linked to it's website if you are interested in locations or menu items)

--Wear fitted clothes. Wear clothes that actually fit snuggly. It is a mindless way to keep you reaching your goals you have set out. It is a big reminder that you never want to feel stuffed after a meal. Wearing fitted clothes will make you want to eat light so you can keep feeling good in your nicely fitted outfit.

(Research shows that those who wear scrubs are more prone to gain weight because of the loose fitting feel.Interesting.)

--Eat breakfast! Breakfast is one of the BIGGEST essentials! After sleeping all night, your body needs something to wake it up and start your metabolism. I used to not be a breakfast eater at all. Now I wake up excited to eat!! If breakfast is hard for you to eat, then keep it light. Grab some fruit. But the key to breakfast is to eat something with protein. Protein will keep you fuller longer and will also give you energy to work off of. Some yummy breakfast ideas can include:

1.My number one favorite- Chocoloate/Peanut Butter Special K Protein Bar. (Meal replacement)

2. Oatmeal with some flaxseed, then add blueberrys and sliced almonds

3. Yogurt with berries and granola (mmm)

4. Grapefruit with whole wheat toast with some peanut butter on it (adding that protein!)

5.Cottage cheese and fruit
All of these breakfast ideas may help you in the direction that you are wanting to head in. Sometimes all you need is something written out for you to follow in order to keep on track.

Well bloggers, thats all for now. These are simple ideas to try and do while still handling your busy lives. Diets don't work. It is all about life changes. Here's a start to a better summer YOU!

xoxo

Information was found from-
Heather Baurer- RD

Dr. Oz

Nutrition courses taken in College

Also enter this giveaway. I REALLLLLY wanna win!!

Tuesday Tip Day. Summer Tip #2

Its been quite a busy weekend for me. Thank you to all of you who share the love with my new buttons. I appreciate it a lot, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. Lately, a lot has been going on in the thoughts of littlemisscrum. (Like always :)) But I will share my thoughts with you all later this week. As for today it is..

Summer Tip # 2.

I am excited to delight you with some fun summer tricks that will help your summer start off right.

1. The new polish color of the summer is pale pink. It makes a statement even though its more of a quiet color. It says color but isn't screaming for attention. This helps to not look like your trying to hard. It goes with everything and is so soft and pretty and has a vintageness about it (I think I just made up that word, ha). It can be the finishing touch to making you feel put together. And I know for me, when my nails are done, I feel prettier.

There are plenty of cute pale pink colors to choose from, but this one from urban outfitters caught my eye. Don't worry I have already ordered it for myself. Check it out!

Urbanoutfitters.com- Nail Varnish. -$5.00

There is also this cute one from forever21.-$2.80

2. Also for tuesday tip day, gold is the new you. Gold is soft and subtle but so sophisticated. It is also perfect for summer! It is natural but gives you an edge. Using gold eye shadow will revive your eyes, and give people something to look at.

Because the gold has a hint of metallic, you don't have to dress it with much. Simply lining your eye with gold shadow and adding a hint of pink to enhance the color will give you the perfect summer look. Top it off with a black mascara to make you look put together, yet give you the summer beachy feel.

Wearing the gold as a liner will highlight your eyes and give them a whole new life because the gold will actually enhance your eye color.

To dress it up, try for a darker liner on the outsides and lighten as you come in. Using a dark liner throughout your whole eye, narrows the eye, making them look smaller. Keeping a dark liner on the edges draws people out, giving the allusion that your eyes are much bigger. Gold is perfect for any occasion. It helps to not over due the make-up yet makes you still feel beautiful. Plus with this eye shadow you can add a bright lip color!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Don't over due it this summer. It is time for you to just be YOU.

Thats all for today, tune in next week for Summer tip #3.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

xoxo

ps check out this give away

pps thank you to mrs. alexa hall for helping me with my buttons.

Attention bloggers. Please share the love.

Attention all bloggers.

I have 2 new buttons. So exciting! We are now out with the old and in with the new. Simply copy and paste the code into an html gadget. Thank you for the love. Have a great weekend!! :)

Option 1

Option 1 code

Found on the left sidebar...!

<-----------

Option 2

Option 2 code

found on the left sidebar...!

<----------

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Summer Tip #1

Rule #1....

Do not go to Walmart at midnight..

This is what happens when you go to Walmart with your sister at midnight on a Tuesday night...

Buuuttt I did find some awesome steals. Who knew I could love Wolly World aka Walmart so much! :)

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1.Checkered Shirt- $5.00

2. Watch for running- $9.00

3. Adorable one piece suit (designer brand)- $20.00

4. Swim skirt to go over the one piece- $15.00

Overall: Definate success!

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Summer Tip #1:

Stripes.

I love them and so should you.

{When paired with the right pieces, stripes can really enhance your figure and keep you looking up-to-date. Designers are now mixing stripes with florals to give it an edgy vintage feel.

For Example...

Anthropologie paired this stripe shirt with a bright floral skirt.

Love it.

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If this look doesn't seem to fit you then wear stripes with just one print and match it with a solid. For example, a striped shirt looks great with white pants or jeans. Vertically striped pants or skirts can make you look taller and in style when you wear it with a solid-colored tee. Having stripes on the bottom allows your legs to look longer, giving the allusion of you looking thinner. In addition, horizontal stripes are great on shirts and can help to create a curvacious feminine figure.}

Solid pant with a striped shirt. Mmm Hmm :)

Go treat yourself to something of stripes you lovely bloggers!

ps. Happy Wednesday!

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Stay tuned every Tuesday for new summer tips including topics such as beauty secrets, fashion do's and don'ts,make up tips, date ideas etc...

Don't Miss It!

xoxo