Cruisin 2012

The reason I've been so MIA this week is because I was on a cruise in Mexico! Sounds like fun, right? Well, IT WAS. It was the greatest time. I was with the best people, doing the greatest things, having a grand time. Okay lets be real it was one giant party. From endless amounts of soft serve ice cream to sleepy cuddles and hilarious jokes, every minute was incredible. I'll give you a run down of some of the adventures we had!

lets start off with one of the highlights. Me getting totally rocked by this wave at Lover's Beach. There's a reason they put up signs that say to stay out of the water. 

Lover's Beach

The aftermath.

We went deep sea fishing one morning. Even though we didn't catch anything too big, we made a friend!

Sunsets from the boat were incredible. We loved those robes!

Unlimited soft serve ice cream. Thank you VERY much. 

It was an exciting thing to see what Luke was wearing any given day.

We paid this guy to take us around on his boat to a few beaches. We snorkeled and had other great adventures! He made us wear life jackets but they only lasted about 20 minutes. 

We saw a mountain, so we hiked to the top of it. Doug, Erik, and I make a great team. 

Spirit animal?

See that cliff to the left? We jumped off it. 

See that boat to the right? We lived on it.

One day on land, we rented ATVs and drove through the jungle where they filmed Predator to a private natural pool. This was one of the best, if not THE best day of the cruise. 

Overall it was one giant party. We'd wake up, I'd eat insane amounts of pineapple at every hour of the day, we'd lounge and play, run around the boat or Mexico, dinner, and then we'd hit the club. Sorry for not adding more detail but lets be honest people like pictures. 

I miss these people and i'll never forget the crazy memories we made on this fun trip!

50 Songs for Your Workout

I'm a very social person most of the time. I love going out, meeting new people, talking to friends, and talking to strangers! However when it comes to the gym, it's a totally different story. I put my ear buds in, turn my music up, and enter the portal. If I see a friend, I'll usually say hi, but I do my best to keep it short so I can get back to my work out.

side note: You know what  don't understand? When I'm in the middle of a set, or I'm running on the treadmill, does it seem like I want to talk to you? I mean I can hardly breath as it is, and I'm in the middle of an intense workout, obvi...does it look like i want to stop what I'm doing and have a meaningless, typical conversation? Gym talk. WOOF.

Okay so anyway, music is a HUGE part of my work out. Without it, I might as well turn around and go home. I take it very seriously. I believe the right songs can make a great work out!

I have 4 different gym playlists. That way, if i'm running, working out, riding the road bike, or cooling down, I'm good to go. One thing I try to do when putting together a gym playlist is to choose music I DON'T usually listen to. That way, It motivates me to work out. If I'm listening to the same old music I listen to daily, then It won't motivate me any differently. 

1. Running Playlist

I mostly use this one for the times when I'm going for a run outside. You see, I hate running. It takes me a little extra motivation to be able to run outside for long distances. Because of this, I made a playlist of running songs that either motivate me to run, inspire me to keep going, or just have a super sick beat that makes me want to move! Here it is. 

1. Animal Arithmetic - Jónsi

2. Between Two Lungs - Florence and The Machine

3. Breakin A Sweat - Skrillex

4. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall - Coldplay

5. GEESIX (Bare Remix) - Far East Movement

6. Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

7. If We Ever Meet Again - Timbaland feat. Katy Perry

8. Mal Poli - Yelle

9. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5

10. Super Bass - Nicki Minaj

11. Sweetness - Jimmy Eat World

12. We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris) - Rihanna

2. Spin Playlist

This playlist is a little different. Most of these songs are on here based on tempo. If you've ever been to a spin class, you know the good teachers because they pick music that makes you want to work, and you're always doing something to the beat of the music. It just works. (and thats why some of the songs are slower) When I do a spin work out on my own, there's nobody there to tell me what move to do next, so I let the music tell me! Whatever song comes on shuffle will tell me the type of move I'll do next. It's great. 

1. Womanizer - Britney Spears

2. Somebody to Love - Justin Bieber

3. OH MY GOSH (prod by will.i.am) - Usher

4. Club Can't Handle Me - Flo Rida

5. Pumpkin Soup - Kate Nash

6. Sun of a Gun - Oh Land

7. We Found Love - Rihanna

8. I Want You To - Weezer

9. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5

10. Ridin' Solo - Jason Derulo

11. Coming Home - Diddy

12. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) - Katy Perry

13. Just A Ride - Jem

3. Work Out Playlist

This playlist is mostly just really upbeat songs that make me want to move / motivate me to keep going. Weather its weights, or lunges, or supersets, or anything else I'm doing, sometimes I need a little extra push, or a power song. Because I'm not running or cycling, this playlist tends to have a lot more variety. 

*all of the running and spinning songs are on this playlist, these listed are the extras*

1. Baby - Justin Bieber

2. Bad Girls - M.I.A.

3. Call Your Girlfriend (Feed Me Remix) - Robyn

4. Diva - Beyoncé

5. Do You Remember? (Feat. Lil John & Sean paul)

6. Face Drop - Sean Kingston

7. Fergalicious - Fergie

8. Glad You Came - The Wanted

9. Here We Go Again - Demi Lovato

10. Intro - M83

11. Just Can't Get Enough [Schizo Mix]

12. Knock You Down - Keri HIlson

13. Quicksand - La Roux

14. Warp 1.9 - The Bloody Beetroots

15. When Love Takes Over (fear. Kelly Rowland) - David Guetta

4. Cool Down Playlist

Although it might not seem like it, IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO COOL DOWN AFTER A WORK OUT. When I'm done with my final cardio, I turn on this playlist and stretch everything out. Its my favorite part. 

1. Be Be Your Love - Rachael Yamagata

2. First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes

3. Flightless Bird, American Mouth (wedding version) - Iron & Wine

4. Gravity - John Mayer

5. Nocturne In E-Flat (Chopin) - David Glen hatch

6. Volcano - Damien Rice

7. Collide - Howie Day

8. Fireflies - Ron Pope

9. In My Veins (feat. Erin McCarley) - Andrew Belle

10. Toxic (Britney Spears Cover) - Yael Naim

Well there you have it. 50 songs to use in your workout. Now get your iPod hooked up and make your workout more effective & efficient!

R&TC on iTunes

Incase you didn't know already, we released an EP last month. I could be slightly biased, but I think it's great. I've made so many great memories with the group. They're not only the guys I play music with, but they've become some of my best friends! It's been a great year playing with this guys, and I'm going to miss playing shows this summer (Robert is in Jerusalem).

Anyway, check it out. The EP is on iTunes. You can find us on Spotify too! (pretty great, right?)

Buy the EP on iTunes here!

Wilderness Adventures

Well, finals have ended, and summer (Spring) has BEGUN! I can tell by just this last weekend that this summer is going to be a good one.

It is bitter sweet, though. With the end of the year comes change, and I don't just mean the fact that my cousin Chloe is moving in with me (I'm so insanely stoked for that). I mean people leaving. People graduate, go on study a broads, or just move for the summer, and I don't like it! Maybe it's just me. If there's anything I know about myself, I know that I'm the WORST at saying goodbye. Even if they're just leaving for the summer, I get bad anxiety saying goodbye to friends! I know they're moving away and on to better things, and it's great. 

So anyway, I've got quite the summer planned with the kids who are sticking around. We kicked off the summer of adventures last saturday with a grueling hike. Okay maybe grueling isn't the best word to describe it, but lets just say I came home with some gnarly cuts all over my legs. People keep asking me if I own an cat, and I'm just like...

Hard core, right? Dogz Rule, Catz Drool. 

Our hike started off as a walk up to some Pagan Temple, and ended up being an journey of destruction. We hiked up a trail through a canyon and up the back of a mountain up to the very top so we could see the whole valley. It was an amazing view!

When we got to the top, we realized we were short on time getting down. We decided instead of going back on the trail, we'd go straight down the side of the mountain. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but we ended up pretty much running through trees. What a great time though. I love these kids. We're going on another hike this morning that's supposed to be more challenging. I don't know if that means more blood, or just a better work out, but either way I'm stoked!

What are your favorite Utah hikes? I want to hit as many as I can this summer!

Brainwashed.

I've been brainwashed, straight up. 

I love fashion, I really do. But mostly for the aesthetic pleasure. I have no idea what most things are called, but can usually describe them until my friends know exactly what I'm talking about. 

However, one thing I've come to know is color blocking. A little because of Pinterest, a little from magazines and blogs, but mostly from my best friends talking about it NON STOP. I'm okay with it. So while I had color blocking sitting in the back of my mind 24/7, I decided to watch a whole season of "Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami." As as result, this is what happened: 

Sorry I'm not sorry this happened. Enjoy these fashion blogs, they're my favorites:

Oh Pish Posh

Tomboy Style

Face Hunter

Jak & Jil

Happy stalking!

Kill the Easter Bunny

While others are posting about their classy glittery home-dyed Easter eggs, and their gorgeous Easter dresses, or how they look like a pseudo-playboy bunny with some bunny ears on, I decided to avoid the poser-route and just go straight for reality.

Let me make one thing straight first. Easter is about a lot more than getting candy in a basket, or eating enough Peanut butter Reeses Eggs to kill a man. Easter is first, a religious holiday that reminds us of our Savior's sacrifice for us. To learn more about why I celebrate Easter, go HERE.

However, for now I'm talking bunnies. Easter bunnies. Yeah, it seems like a pretty great idea. A soft, chubby bunny, carrying around a basket of colored eggs, and bringing kiddos candy. But some things just don't add up.

First, how do bunnies even carry eggs? THEY HAVE NO THUMBS, making most of their duties near impossible. 

Second, WHY BUNNIES. They are annoying little rodents who haunt the roads in North East Mesa, or who crowded out soccer fields growing up. (We'd either see how many we could catch, or how many we could take out with 1 soccer ball.) Seriously, so random. Could they have picked a worse animal?

Third, Easter Bunnies are downright creepy. Don't believe me? Here are some pictures of some with little kids. 

Believe me now?

Happy Easter everyone! Try not to eat too much candy. 

Really. Try. Please.  

Girls Bunco Night!

Last week a bunch of us girls got together for a huge Bunco Night.

Where did this come from, you might ask? Well, growing up, my aunts and cousins would have a big girls Bunco night once a year, when we would play and have a ton of fun! We always had such a great time. I've been wanting to do something with all these wonderful ladies for the longest time, and I just couldn't wait any longer. I had to introduce them to the spectacular game.

And they loved it.

The games got super competitive. There was laughing, and even screaming! The boys in the building across the field from us said they could hear screaming from their rooms. Can you blame us? This game is a riot! And so are these girls!

(mixing Instagrams & real photos, tacky, i know..)

Prizes

Round 2 anyone?