Follow Me on Bloglovin'

Hello lovelies! I hope you are having a magnificent day. The big news today is that Google Reader will no longer be in service as of July 1st, 2013. As I understand it, this means that you can still manage your blog via blogger, but will no longer be able to follow and keep up with other blogs via GFC.

However, the great news is that Bloglovin' is already up and ready to go! You can follow my blog here, or by clicking on the button on the right side of my page! It is a very simple sign up process, and it will help you stay connected to both me and all the other blogs you love. They have made it really simple by offering an import process so you can easily import the blogs you already follow onto your following list at bloglovin'. 

I hope you'll continue following my "adventures"!

Pinteresting, Wouldn't You Say?

Okay, my titles are becoming totally cheesy but I have to mix it up! I hope you all are having a wonderful week. I am not happy it's already Wednesday because that means spring break is half way over! But for you who are still in school/work, YAY Wednesday!!

Source: younghouselove.com via Kari on Pinterest

Source: kristendukephotography.com via Elise on Pinterest

Source: homebasedbusinessprogram.com via Elise on Pinterest

Source: chicwish.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: jetheart.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: pliable.wordpress.com via Janelle on Pinterest

Source: indulgy.com via Pink Cake Plate on Pinterest

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

Have a wonderful rest of your week, and stay inspired!

Go No Poo!

First off, you may be wondering what the heck no poo even means. I promise it's not gross (well, you may think so)! No Poo is when you no longer use shampoo to wash your hair. I stumbled upon this post quite a while ago and found it astonishing. As you can read, she has been shampoo free for over a year!

The thing about shampoo is that it's not good for your hair. From what I have read, it eliminates your hair's natural oils, and then your scalp tries to overcompensate, which is why your hair gets so greasy so fast. I used to wash my hair every single day because if I went any longer than that, I felt really uncomfortable and insecure because of how noticeably greasy my hair was.

Despite all that, I am not completely "no poo." I could not stand my hair being that greasy for that long. Instead, I decided to compromise. For a little over two months now I have washed my hair with shampoo a maximum of two times a week. On the days that my hair is getting greasy, but I know I shouldn't wash it yet, I use a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with a tiny bit of water to wash my hair. This cleans my hair without stripping my scalp of the natural oils. On the days I use baking soda, I use a leave-in conditioner spray.

I can honestly say that it has been working! The amount of greasiness my hair would get after one day now takes about three days! I also just recently (yesterday) bought Dry Shampoo. I used it today and WOW does it work wonders! Another quick fix for oily hair is baby powder (but only if you're a blonde!).

I use:

The Cheapest Shampoo and Conditioner on the Shelf

Baking Soda

TRESemme Leave-In Conditioning Spray

Suave Dry Shampoo

Baby Powder

Use tea tree oil if your scalp gets itchy, and try different home-made hair treatments like this one for more natural ways to keep your hair healthy!

Do you do anything special to your hair? I am definitely not an expert in all of this, but I'm always looking for more ways to improve!

Beautiful Simplicities

<<Photo Credit: Emily Patten>>

Here are a few small and random things that have been going on lately. I am finding the beauty in simplicity, in these little happenings that may not get much attention, but have made me happy recently.

First, the picture used in my above graphic is a picture I took while in Canada with Dillon. We had such a fun time traveling by ourselves, and it is one of the things I am looking forward to the most in our future.

These were included in Dillon's Valentine's Day package. (I know, I'm slacking!)

Left: I used the washed out feature on Word to print out a picture of Dillon and I onto a lined sheet of paper and then I wrote a love letter to him on it.

Top Right: This is Rub-a-Dub Shaving in the Tub kid shaving kit. Dillon has been really into shaving kits ever since we saw the newest James Bond movie (because he uses shaving soap and a brush in the movie). I thought it would be a cute gag gift for him to open that first before realizing I got him a real one!

Bottom Right: This is the actual shaving kit I got him! I got it at Target, but I cannot find it on their website right now. He has used it a couple times and loves it! Shaving like this is supposed to better for their skin since the soap is less chemically harsh than shaving cream is. I would recommend it for your man if you feel it may be something he is interested in!

I also got him Junior Mints (one of his favorite candies) and colored him some inspirational quotes (super cheesy but I enjoyed coloring them at least!)

If you read my post about getting in shape then you know that as a reward for finishing my fab ab work out,  I was going to allow myself to buy a new outfit. However, I knew that it would not be smart for me financially, so I decided I would stick to one item. You can see the items I wanted to get...but I ended up getting something completely different!

I ended up going with a couple friends to our university's bookstore where they were hosting a Style Your Soles event. You could buy a pair of TOMS shoes and then they had artist's there to customize them for you! I have been wanting a pair of TOMS since forever, and to be able to get ones that were one-of-a-kind was just the icing on the cake! I am in love with them and am so happy with my purchase!

I was able to go home this weekend and hang out with my best friend Jamie! We have been friends since 7th grade, Est. 2004. We are the kind of best friends who don't have to talk every single day to know that we can see each other any time and still pick up right where we left off. I love this girl so much, and I am so blessed to have her in my life. We're both turning 21 soon...let's just say we'll have a good time. ;)

<<We starting writing on a piece of Styrofoam on the door of my dad's workshop garage, the earliest being from 2006!>>

By the way, I am now on Spring Break! This is my last spring break of my college career, but I am working all week...oh well. But I was able to go home this weekend without any worries of school, and it was such an amazing weekend. Friday night I sat outside by the fire with my parents (it was my daddy's birthday!) and had some amazing conversation. Saturday I hung out with Jamie. Sunday I went to church with my mommy, watched Mirror Mirror, and talked about weddings all day. We found this gem of a picture of my grandparents at my parents' wedding. So adorable!

I hope you had an amazing weekend and have been finding the beauty in simplicity! Save my "There is Beauty in Simplicity" graphic and make a post about your beautiful simplicities!

Are You Pinterested?

Happy Wednesday! Wednesday's are actually my worst days...work at 8am, and then I'm at the school until 7pm. Bleh. But looking at beautiful pins makes it a little better! I have an exam and a midterm today, and then a big paper due Friday, and then it is officially Spring Break!! I am SO in need of a break from school, but aren't we all?? Anyways, I hope you have an amazing day!

Source: 4inspireddesign.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: dontcallmebetty.tumblr.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: theendlessmeal.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: beyondtherack.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Emily on Pinterest

Source: sunshineandpearls.tumblr.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: doityourselfpin.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Source: honeychurch.tumblr.com via Emily on Pinterest

Liebster Award

I have been chosen by the wonderful Haley over at A Long Distance Love to answer some questions for you! This "award" isn't anything fancy, it's just a way to connect bloggers. But thank you so much Haley! Seriously, go check her out. She is the absolute sweetest. :)

 Here's the Deal: 

Answer the 11 questions asked.

Leave a link back to the blogger(s) that nominated you.

Choose 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate

Write 11 new questions for them to answer.  

Questions by Haley, Answers by Me!

Why did you start blogging?

I mainly started blogging because I feel it is very easy for me to overlook the experiences I have. I wanted a place where I could write down my thoughts, ideas, and experiences in a way that would help me appreciate them more.

What's your favorite movie?

The answer to this question has been The Day After Tomorrow since seventh grade. It seems like an extremely weird movie to be a "favorite" but long-story-short, I attribute meeting my best friend to this movie.

Where do you love to shop?

You can almost never go wrong with Forever 21!

Beach or mountains?

This is a hard one! I would say mountains in the winter time for skiing!

What is the theme song to your life?

No idea...so I put Pandora on shuffle and it gave me "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" by Jack Johnson, which is eerily accurate right about now (missing my love!)

Do you believe in soul mates?

Absolutely! And I am so lucky to have already found mine. :)

If you had to give up a sense (smell, sight, taste, etc.) what would it be?

I would give up taste. Not being able to see or hear the people around me would be extremely difficult. As much as I love food, I think I could do without the taste.

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunset. Especially Arizona sunsets. They are so incredibly gorgeous.

What's your favorite holiday?

Thanksgiving, hands down. Not only is there delicious food, but it is the holiday I feel closest to my friends and family.

Best piece of advice you've received?

My Uncle's graduation advice to me was to listen to the song "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" by Baz Luhrmann. The song is full of advice to be happy. I feel like that's kind of cheating, like using a wish to ask for more wishes, but I promise you won't regret listening to that song!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Australia! I have always wanted to live there, pretty much ever since the Mary-Kate and Ashley movie Our Lips Are Sealed. Yes, I am a huge Mary-Kate and Ashley fan. 

My Nominations:

Melanie (Tyler and Melanie)

Lindsee (Home is Wherever I'm With You)

Janelle (Janelle and Dan)

Juliann (Juliann's World)

Carly (Magnolia State Reporter)

Questions for You!

1. What is your favorite song and why?

2. What is something beautiful (no matter how small) about today?

3. What is your favorite quote?

4. What is your favorite book?

5. If you could hop on a plane right now, where would you go?

6. What is the last thing that made you laugh until you cried?

7. What movie did you last see in theaters?

8. What piece of clothing could you not live without?

9. What was the last spontaneous thing you did?

10. What is your favorite season?

11. What is your favorite TV show and why?

Two Ingredient Cookies

As a student, I am very much on a budget. And being on a budget and wanting to cook all these delicious and fancy foods I see on Pinterest just don't go together. So when I can find a recipe that is delicious and cheap, well...that is just the best thing ever. So I stumbled upon this recipe and my first thought was: TWO INGREDIENTS?!? It seemed too good to be true, but I knew I had to try it. Luckily, nothing I had to buy was out of the ordinary. So here is what you need:

Two Large Bananas

1 Cup of Oats

Seriously...that's all you need!

*Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

1. Get two large bananas (using ones that are starting to brown on the peel are easiest to mix), one cup of oats (I used rolled oats because that's what I had in my pantry, but the recipe I found uses quick oats), and a large mixing bowl.

2. Throw the peeled bananas and cup of oats into the mixing bowl. (Okay, you don't have to throw...placing them nicely in the bowl will work, too.) I used a potato masher to mix the ingredients.

3. Okay, I know I said it was only two ingredients, and you can definitely keep it that way! But I decided to add cinnamon and chocolate chips. I used a teaspoon of cinnamon and just a handful of chocolate chips.

4. Mix all that together with a spoon!

5. Space them evenly on a greased cookie sheet. I just used my hands and shaped them into balls and tried to make sure they were all the same size.

Pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes and Voila! Delicious cookies that are cheap, simple, and healthy!

Read the original recipe for some extra tips (ex., not too runny, other add-ins, etc.)