Loving this look for a summer date night or night out with girlfriends!
dress // necklace // bag // sandals – on sale $79
Fiesta Friday: things to celebrate
Check out this simple and classy hairstyle.
Looking for new lipstick recommendations? One of my favorite bloggers, Naomi (Love Taza) shares hers here.
Stunning images of Fashion and Nature
What your dermatologist wants you to know – your thoughts?
How to make a great first impression
City Spotlight: Edinburgh
We had the opportunity to live in Edinburgh, Scotland while my husband was interning with the Scottish Parliament! It was my first time in the UK and we absolutely loved Scotland – the country, castles, amazing landscapes, people and culture. We would move back in a heartbeat!
We arrived not having a place to live (!) but luckily we found the perfect flat just a few minutes walking from my husband’s internship. We found the flat through Gumtree, which is similar to Craigslist.
Edinburgh is an amazing blend of old, historical buildings and new and modern shops, restaurants and businesses. They have a pretty great public transportation system in the city, we got everywhere without a car.
See & Do
Edinburgh Castle – take a tour of the beautiful Edinburgh Castle, set atop a hill overlooking the city, it even includes a pet cemetary!
The Royal Mile – the main street that starts at the castle and ends at Holyrood Palace, lined with shops, restaurants, pubs, etc.
Holyrood Palace – The Royal Family residence when they are in Scotland. Tour info here.
Scottish Parliament – The building across from Holyrood has a very unique architecture (which you’ll learn the significance if you take a tour)! Tour info here
Princes Street/Old Town Edinburgh – centrally located shops, bars, restaurants, hotels, and gardens.
Climb the Scott Monument – named after Sir Walter Scott, one of the most admired men in Scotland.
Football – or soccer as we call it in the US 😉 There are two main clubs based in Edinburgh, Hearts and Hibs (Hibernian)
National Museum – free admission
Elephant House – One of the tea and coffee shops where J.K. Rowling penned Harry Potter. They also serve pastries and have a great view of Edinburgh Castle!
Arthur’s Seat – an easy hike up the mountain, you will be rewarded with amazing views of the city!
Edinburgh is cold in the winter and usually gets a small amount of snow. The sun sets in the late afternoon. The summer days are long, similar to Alaska.
There are lots of other amazing things close by:
Glasgow – the largest city in Scotland is a short train ride from Edinburgh’s Waverly Station
The Highlands and Islands – you would need a car to get there, but there are lots of tours that leave from Edinburgh, like Highland Exhibition Tours – be sure to check out Loch Ness!
St. Andrews – the “home of golf”, St. Andrews Cathedral, St. Andrews University
Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument – about an hour from Edinburgh, you can take a tour of the castle and also hike the monument.
I may or may not have a price alert set to Edinburgh! Hoping we can make it back one day!
All Made Up: Part 2
Second half of ‘All Made Up’ featuring beauty products I love. Today, my go to skin makeup products:
Fiesta Friday: things to celebrate
This weekly series will focus on happiness, awesome tips, and things to celebrate because there’s so much good in the world!
The ’10 Commandments’ of a clutter free life! I love when I’m in a purge mood and spring is the perfect time.
How to look your best in pictures– I’ve benefited from the blush tip 🙂
I’m in love with all these rugs
Hosting a party? I’ve made these a few times with turkey instead of ham, easy and a crowd pleaser.
Top 10…Healthy Habits to Develop
I majored in Exercise Science as an undergrad at BYU, with an emphasis in Fitness and Wellness. I love exercising, being active and helping others achieve their fitness goals!
Wellness is not just being physically strong and able but also includes other aspects that helps one be well rounded:
Top 10 healthy habits that are small and simple changes anyone at any age or stage can do:
- Drink more water – aim for 8 cups a day.
- Regular and consistent exercise -find something you love to do that’s not a chore.
- Practice stress relief like meditation, deep breathing, stretching, yoga, etc.
- Walk more – take the stairs, walk on your lunch break, park farther away.
- Get enough sleep! – you will be mentally sharp and more able to maintain a healthy weight. One of the factors of obesity is a lack of sleep.
- Eat breakfast.
- Fill your body with whole foods – the less processed, the better it is for your body.
- Lift weights – You don’t need to become a body builder, but strengthen your muscles and bones.
- Look on the bright side – make an effort to focus on the positives instead of the negatives, don’t compare yourself to others.
- Serve and reach out to others – both parties will benefit in countless ways.
Here’s to being healthier and happier!
Blogs that inspire
I’ve been reading blogs for the last decade and there are a few that continue to inspire me creatively and that I look forward to reading daily. Some of them inspired me to start a blog 9 years ago shortly after getting married, that ‘family’ blog went on hiatus last year and has been re-branded and revamped to what you’re reading today.
Some of my favorite lifestyle blogs I’ve been reading long-term:
A Cup of Jo – Always interesting and thoughtful posts, I especially enjoyed her series about motherhood around the world which highlighted American mothers living abroad.
Reading My Tea Leaves – I love Erin’s minimalist lifestyle. She finds beauty in the smallest things.
ExPress-o – Diana always posts beautiful images and insightful posts.
Cupcakes & Cashmere – I love Emily’s style in fashion and home decor. She has cute ideas for festive food holiday decor that are classy, not tacky.
Any blogs you love? Please share! XO
Skin Savers
Like most people, I’m not blessed with naturally radiant and flawless skin – luckily, I’ve found a few golden skin products that I couldn’t live without! Growing up in San Diego I’m used to a bit of humidity which keeps my skin from drying out. When I moved to Utah for school (BYU), my skin went crazy dry, especially in the winter! I currently live in Utah so these are products for me are must-haves! What are your skin savers?
Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Facial Wash (for oily skin) – helps prevent blemishes, easy on your skin.
Witch Hazel – at any drugstore also available on Amazon – tones skin, 100% natural!
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion (online or also at Ulta) – acne spot treatment, best acne product I’ve tried that doesn’t break the bank.
Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Charcoal Mask – shrinks pore, feels super clean without being overly dry
Gold Bond Rough and Bumpy Skin Cream also available on Amazon – after trying about a dozen lotions specifically made for dry skin, this one was the most effective and I had much softer skin within a few days.
Clinique Take the Day Off makeup remover – the most efficient makeup remover I’ve tried that doesn’t require a ton of product to remove mascara, eyeliner, etc.
City Spotlight: Washington, DC
I had never been to the East Coast before we moved to DC and it’s one of my favorite cities. Its very beautiful, especially in the Spring (Cherry Blossom festival!) and the fall with towering trees and changing leaves. We left Utah in January to drive across the country to our apartment in NW DC and arrived shortly before Obama’s first inauguration which we were lucky enough to attend – an amazing experience which would need a whole separate post 🙂
See & Do
Smithsonian Museums on the National Mall: My favorites were the American History Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the Museum of Natural History. Also located just off the mall is the Holocaust Museum (reserve tickets online beforehand). You could literally spend weeks at the museums and most of them are free.
Monuments: from the Washington Monument, Iwo Jima, Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Veteran Memorial, WW2, Lincoln Memorial you will be amazed by the history and reverence of these monuments. Tip: they are also cool to see at night- a lot cooler temperatures and less people!
White House: tours need to arranged prior to visit
US Capitol, Library of Congress, National Archives – where you can see the Declaration of Independence and Constitution!
Arlington National Cemetery: Very accessible by Metro (the stop is literally across the street), make sure you watch the changing of the guard (The guard is changed every hour on the hour October 1 to March 31. From April 1 through September 30, there are more than double the opportunities to view the change because another change is added on the half hour and the cemetery closing time moves from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.)
Mt. Vernon: George Washington’s home on the Potomac River, tours are approximately $20 and is located 15 miles out of DC. Book tickets online for $17.
Georgetown: lots of great shopping, restaurants, movie theater. Metro accessible. Also original location of Georgetown Cupcakes, my favorite cupcake place!
Nationals Ballpark: catch a ballgame with one of MLBs most exciting teams, metro accessible. Food selections include Ben’s Chili Bowl and Shake Shack.
Eat:
(all of these are on/near Capitol Hill except Ben’s Chili Bowl)
Ben’s Chili Bowl – a DC landmark known for their chili dogs, metro accessible.
Old Ebbitt Grill – historic bar and grill with traditional American cuisine.
Good Stuff Eatery – delicious burgers and shakes, located next door to We The Pizza
Georgetown Cupcake – second location in Bethesda, they have classic flavors and daily and seasonal flavors. The Vanilla Squared and Chocolate Ganache are two of my everyday favorites.
Getting Around:
DC has a great Metro system and most things you’ll want to see as a tourist will be metro accessible. Check out their website for travel info, stop locations and predicted travel times: http://wmata.com/ . A friendly tip for visitors: while on the escalator, stand on the right, walk on the left 🙂
Sweet dreams, baby
When I had my first baby, who is now 4, I was pretty clueless about how to teach a baby to nap. This can be frustrating for most new parents since napping and sleeping well through the night are usually related and all new parents need sleep!
I would highly recommend the book “Happy Baby Healthy Sleep Habits” AND I came across this post from Chelsea of Life With My Littles and it’s spot on about napping babies! Her tips are awesome and a white noise machine made my list of top baby items.
Jen Holtkamp 