easter

Mother Nature opened up her arms of warmth for one single day of egg hunting.
Then it promptly snowed.
But we had some fun while it lasted!
And the Easter festivities with my family are showcased in the video down below:
https://vimeo.com/160565915
Password: Easter
Let me know what you think :)

lazy girls guide to spring

Well, ever since Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow it has definitely been feeling like Spring.
Less coats and more sandals around here and I ain't mad about it.
(Except for that day that it snowed. ...I had higher hopes for you Mother Nature!)
But there are so many things to do to prepare for Spring!!
So instead, just do yourself a favor and do it the lazy way:

>In regards to Spring Cleaning: skip it. It will get messy in five minutes anyways. Just put it off until Summer. Everyone does Summer Cleaning, right?

>Start a new Netflix series. Instead of using all of that effort to work on your bikini ready body, just flush that dream down the drain. Watch a lot of Netflix and eat lots of ice cream and then wear that bikini anyways.

>Buy a swimming suit online instead of in the store. Nothing easier than buying a swimming suit while eating a cake in your pajamas. And you can never have too many cute swimming suits. I compiled my ultimate suit list here.

>Paint fake eggs rather than hard boiled ones. Less mess, less stress, less effort. And equally as adorable. Plus then you don't have to do it next year. Checking things off next year's To-Do list already? You go girl.

>Buy an at-home waxing kit to clean those legs up. We all know that they've been hiding away in your sweatpants and leggings. And now your inner lazy can't get away with just shaving the bottom front half of your leg. So go easy on yourself and wax it all off so that you don't have to worry about it until August!

Happy Easter!!!!

a satirical post on marriage

6 months into marriage and I know exactly what makes my man tick.
I know when he's hungry, when he's tired, when he just WANTS SILENCE.
I would say that I've got this wife thing down pretty well.
So I figured that I would let all other wives out there know how to make their man happy with my five favorite wife essentials.
1. My ceramic knife. This baby spreads Mayo like a dream, can open a bag of jerky in a pinch, and even slices meat with precision. What way to be a better wife than to make your man food? Happy oven, happy husband.
2. Argan massage oil. After a long day of working so hard all he needs is for me to give him a foot and back rub without being told. And the scent of this oil makes that hour each day just fly by.
3. Makeup. I wouldn't want to do him a disservice by not looking my absolute best for him. I don't want to embarrass him of course! So I always make sure to wake up 10 minutes before he does and put on some makeup so that he gets to wake up next to an angel every morning.
4. His megaphone. Now, instead of having to strain his voice to call for me; all he has to do is push the button on his megaphone and I'm there, at his beck and call. Less strain on him, which means less strain on me....
5. The remote. Having a remote is my saving grace. I would never let him get up and change the channel, but it tires me to have to do it all of the time. I ain't complaining, but it is nice to give my feet a break sometimes. Our remote is a heaven send.



*Note: All thoughts and opinions in no way reflect how are marriage actually is...entirely.
**Double Note: He actually does own a megaphone.

uncut sunday

Image
There are so many examples of people who let their anger run away from them.
To a point where they can no longer control it.
And it's really scary.
But it's even scarier to imagine what I could be capable of if I didn't know to control those feelings.
And it's not just anger.
Any negative thought that is left to grow has the potential to become terrifying.
So I have a mantra to keep those terrifying thoughts at bay:
I can't control what other people do.
I can only control what I do.
And what I do isn't necessarily better than what other people do.
It's only better for me.
Everybody gets to choose how to live their lives and I can't let it affect me.
I can't let it affect how I choose to live my life.
I need to learn to let go and live my life the way that I want to.
Not the way that my thoughts dictate me to.
People aren't alive to accommodate my every need.
I need to work on accommodating my own needs instead.
Because only I can fix what I know is wrong.

a new discovery

Exercise.
Is this like a new thing?
Or am I just discovering it?
I feel like there should be buildings dedicated to this activity.
We could call them……Jim’s?
No…that’s a man’s name.
But it sounds pretty good!
Eh. I’ll think of something later.
It all started one day when I found something really heavy and just started lifting it over and over again.
And apparently it’s called exercise, according to Google.
Anyways, I’m a fan!
Because even though it turns my whole body to jelly, it invigorates me enough to feel pretty much invincible.
Also it makes me look and feel like an Amazonian Goddess so I’m not really opposed.
If I was president I would make everybody start doing exercise so that we would all feel this good!
We could make mini cars that only hold one person and have only two wheels and is run by manpower.
And we could make all sorts of equipment to make being active easier and more enjoyable….
The details are still fuzzy, but I’m excited to learn more.
Discovering exercise was the best thing I could’ve done for myself.
So vote McKenzie for president:
Exercise-coming to a city near you.

what the bachelor taught me about marriage

I have to admit, I love the Bachelor.
It really helps me to feel less crazy to watch all of these people make fools of themselves, ya know?
(Also, who doesn't love some Monday night drama in their lives?)
But I also think that this show can teach us a lot about love and marriage.
Or....what NOT to do.
The first thing that I thought of was that love shouldn't be that hard.
You shouldn't have to fight for the attention of the one you love.
You may not be competing with 25 other girls but you could be competing with hobbies or other things in life.
Or other girls....
Either way, you shouldn't have to constantly be scheming how to get his attention every day.
He should be happy to give it to you.
Along the same lines, you should not feel that insecure in your relationship.
It is very humbling to have some insecurities, but too many is not healthy.
Most of the show consists of girls crying about not having enough time with the bachelor or worrying that his relationships with other girls are far better than his relationship with them.
It's natural to have some insecurities, but in real life you have to remember that he picked you.
He picked you once and everyday you're together he is still picking you.
Feel confident in that and remember that you're good enough.
And those dates?
I mean, who doesn't want to swim with pigs and hot tub in the middle of a field?
But the most fun and connection comes from the silly little things.
Like cooking dinner together or playing a horrible round of mini golf together or going on a walk.
Do not even fool yourself into thinking that just because you aren't being taken to California on a jet plane that it won't be romantic enough or that he doesn't love you enough.
And last, nobody likes a gossip girl.
Sure, every couple shares secrets and vents about others.
However, if you spend more time talking about other people than you do about your relationship, what is the point?
So, while the Bachelor is a fun guilty pleasure to have;
You can learn a lot about love and marriage.
Or....what NOT to do.
How are you treated in your relationships?
How do you treat others in your relationships?

sunday funday

^^Loved by all.

 ^^Scary face swap.

^^Such beauties

^^The happy couple

 

There are only a few things that are important enough to justify skipping church and dedicating a Sunday Funday.

And family is one of them, of course.

I like to think that Heavenly Father is happy enough that we are building our familial relationships to just look the other way when He doesn't see us lining up in the back row benches.

And after a LOONG weekend of family fun, we just decided to extend it another day and enjoy the company of the out-of-staters.

(Pictures above depicting the fun and adventure that Sants bring to a party....which is clearly a lot.)

I don't know what I did in Heaven to deserve such a great family, but it must have been some sort of servitude for someone high up in the decision-making ranks, I'm sure of it.

Now I don't want to make this a lovey-dovey post, but instead make it one of laughter.

So I will end on a quote given by a young child as her grandmother walked past her:

"Ah, her butt just punched me in the face!"

(I hope I didn't butcher it, but I certainly could not do it justice.)

Now, cheers to the rest of eternity with this funny bunch!

*Roll the credits*

(Sorry family, I'm not ACTUALLY gonna type all of your names...I've got a paper to write... But you know who you are.)

budget shopping

Derek and I are both in school right now so money can sometimes get tight.
So we have officially started our budget (which actually should have been started months ago...).
And usually the hardest part of a budget to maintain is the food.
Two people eating 3 meals a day everyday is SO much food!!
Especially when one of those people is a very very hungry man.
But I have found some ways to make the budgeting a little easier:
>Eat Ramen. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That comes to a total of roughly 10 dollars a week for the both of us. I'm sold.
>Stay away from berries. They are delicious but they are the fruit of the rich. 5 dollars for a package of berries the size of my fist?? I'll just head over to the week old apples.
>Opt for the turkey bacon. Bacon can get pricey, but grabbing the not-so-popular turkey bacon will keep your spending amount down. Whether it's a party pleaser is not important when you're on a budget.
>Next to berries, nuts are also not a food for the poor. No matter what kind of nut you buy you are pretty much eating money right out of a hard shell. Stick to eating those at your mom's house.
>Remember the golden rule: Expiration dates are a suggestion. When you're looking through your pantry trying to create dinner without spending money at the store and you stumble upon the cans of tuna that expired 4 years ago...eat it anyways.
>Eat meals with only one ingredient in them such as eggs. Or ramen. Or frozen pizza.

I hope these tips are helpful for any of you people out there on a budget!

on the mat

Yoga has taught me that there are some things that my body can do with ease, some things my body can learn to do with practice, and some things my body just cannot do.
And yoga also taught me to learn to be OK with that.
I can't be the best but I can be better than what I was yesterday.
There is always somebody that can do a move better than you and there will always be someone who can't do as much as you.
But that's not the point.
What you learn on the mat about your body and about yourself helps you learn how to handle your daily struggles.
Your practice shouldn't be about who you do better than.
It should be about personal growth.
Having anxiety, learning to breathe through difficult moves on the mat helps teach me to breathe through difficult circumstances off the mat.
So using this form of exercise to be able to focus on all parts of myself is very important.
But besides breathing, there are other ways to get the most out of your practice:

>Clean your mat. Yoga mats can get so dirty! Putting your dirty feet and sweaty body all over them is bound to leave lots of bacteria. So keep it clean by wiping it down with this cleaner: Fill a small tinted glass spray bottle with 3/4 water, 1/4 Witch Hazel, 10 drops Tea Tree Oil, 5 drops Eucalyptus Oil.

>Attend a class. Even though your practice is for your personal growth it can be fun to get out and join a class. You could learn new things, meet new people, and be able to deepen and correct your moves.

>Diffuse. Even if you don't believe in the healing benefits of essential oils, you can't deny that you feel so much better when you're smelling something good. Diffuse or put a few drops on your mat the oil of your choice (Lavendar, peppermint, Eucalyptus, Wild Orange.....). Or light a candle that you love.

>Listen to meditating music. We like to play classical music in our house quite often. It frees up the mind so much when you're not busy singing along to lyrics that you may or may not know. So play some classical music or look up a yoga playlist to listen to as you practice.

>Know the form of yoga. What do you want to get out of your practice? You should decide before you go to a class since there are many different types. Do you want to feel relaxed? Energized? Strong? The main (and most commonly known) types are Hatha (basic techniques and breathing), Vinyasa (fast-paced), Bikram (hot yoga, flexibility), Ashtanga (physically challenging), Restorative (relaxing).

So go enjoy some yoga.
(Also, replace the word 'yoga' in this post with 'life' and you've got yourself a relief society lesson.)