Friday, June 29, 2012

Our time in Washington looked a little something like this.

We had a blast in Washington last week. It was fun having my little brother tag along for part of the trip!  We spent a lot of time at the lake house, went to Daniel's cousins wedding, spent a lot of time with family, and went to an adorable Norwegian village where we ate fish and chips.  I can't even tell you how fun and relaxing this trip was.  Now we're back in Montana (staying with mom & dad Bridge).  We'll be here for the summer, and I am getting very excited for all the fun things we have planned!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

What to get your birthday boy.

1.  ALL CLEAR CAMELBAK WATER BOTTLE  This is the perfect gift for the outdoorsy type of guy.  This water bottle is really awesome.  There's a UV light attached to the cap that will purify your water in 60 seconds!  Now he can drink water from any lake or stream without any worries.
2.  WATERPROOF KINDLE CASE  Several months ago, I actually thought I was the first to come up with this brilliant invention until I googled it and someone else had already thought of it.  Dang.  Anyway, these waterproof Kindle cases are great if he wants to read in the bath tub, in a swimming pool, while doing the dishes, or any place his Kindle might get wet.  My husband loves his kindle and takes it everywhere.
3.  PROOF WOOD WALLET  This slim wooden wallet is great if your guy doesn't like the bulkiness of a regular wallet.  This wallet is very similar to the money clip.  It may surprise you with how much stuff it can hold.
4.  NIXON WATCH  Everyone needs a good looking watch.  He'll look really hip in this one.
5.  BALLISTIC LUDLOW VANS  I'm really loving the OTW line of Vans.  If your guy is anything like mine, then he goes through Vans really fast (they're his go-to shoe).  He loves them and wears them a ton!  I think it's time for a new pair.

This year we're doing presents a little bit differently.  I'm letting Daniel pick one of these items, so I can be sure to get him something he wants.  What's your favorite item?  And if you have any other gift suggestions then I'd love to hear them!

26.

I sure do love you.  Get excited for some birthday cake and some major partying!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Banana Banana Bread.

This bread is so flavorful and packed full of bananas.  I love to bake in my free time and this bread was easy to whip up.  Daniel ate half the loaf by himself because he loved it so much!

(Recipe adapted from ALLRECIPES.COM).

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups mashed overripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
It's extra delicious when you eat it while it's still warm.  I love it with butter or honey...or both!  You can just mix them together to make honey butter!    

Monday, June 18, 2012

Oh, the places we've been.

Today I'll be guest posting at WHAT I LOVE ABOUT TODAY.  She has a great blog, so be sure to stop by!  I'll be sharing what I love about where we've lived.  

Friday, June 15, 2012

DIY Painted Tray.

I love spray paint.  Just give me a can of spray paint (metallic gold is my fav) and I'll paint everything! Here's a fun and simple tutorial for you.

First, find a tray that you like.  My mom had an old tray laying around the house so I snagged it.  You could probably find one at a thrift store.  You'll also need some spray paint and painters tape.  
Use painters tape to tape the design you'd like.  Make sure you tape the corners down really well so that the paint doesn't leak underneath.  Take it outside with newspaper and spray away!  I sprayed three coats of paint, letting it dry for about 10 minutes between each coat.Once the paint is dry, peel the tape off carefully.  Here's what the final product will look like.  Gold and shiny!  

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Our time in Utah looked a little something like this.


1.  Daniel went to Moab for a BOYS ONLY trip.  My sister-in-law and I got to hang out with them for a few hours before heading up to Salt Lake from NM.  Lucky us.
2.  My good friend Carly got married!
3.  Finally got to see what all the hype about City Creek mall was about.  It really is as cool as people say.  Plus I got to hang out with my bestie and I bought a cute skirt at H&M.  
4.  Surprised our cousin, Sister Jardine, at temple square.
5.  Found a bunch of awesome skirts while thrift store shopping.
6.  My first ever IPod is now alive after being dead for a few years .  It's nice to have 30 gigs of memory back.
7.  Went a little crazy with gold spray paint.  My sister and I crafted all weekend.  You can expect some DIY tutorials soon.
8.  Dr. Pepper flavored ice cream at SUB ZERO is our weakness.
9.  Went on a hike with my other bestie.
10.  Little brother and I went on a date to In-N-Out Burger.
11.  Went to World Market (I think 4 times) in a matter of two weeks.  I guess you could say we're a little obsessed.
12.  Celebrated Father's Day early since we won't be there for real Father's Day.  My sister made the cute label and card.  Oh, and that tray with the gold stripes... that was a product of our gold spray paint frenzy.
We had a really great time in Utah visiting friends and family.  I am so excited that we'll be back again in August.  Next stop Seattle, Washington!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Let's climb these mountains together.

Utah has the most beautiful mountains.  I grew up in Utah and I never appreciated them nearly as much as I do now.  Daniel and I went on some great hikes together.  We also did some hiking with friends.  Can you believe we saw a moose!  It was only a few yards away.  I've never ran up a hill faster in my life.  Daniel, on the other hand, had to stop and take a picture.  These pictures were taken at Dog Lake and at Donut Falls up Big Cottonwood Canyon.  

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Lonestar Taqueria.

If you are ever in Cottonwood Heights City, Utah then you must stop by LONESTAR TAQUERIA.  This is one of our favorite places for delicious and authentic Mexican food.  It's just down the street from my parent's house!  My parents and I just took Daniel here so he could experience it for the first time.  He fell in love with their carne asada and fish tacos.  Those are my favorites too.  They also have burritos that are really delicious and happen to be the size of your forearm.  I love that they have huge serving sizes so you never leave hungry.  I'm warning you...this place is really good, which means you'll probably have to fight through a crowd.  Every time I've been here the line has been out the door, but the line goes fast and it's totally worth the wait!      

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Here it is.

The BEARD has been blown up and is now hanging up on our cousin Bethy's wall.  I thought you should all see it.  I don't think I've ever seen anything cooler.  Brandon, you should be honored because you have a shrine on the wall dedicated to your awesome beard!  Beth has the best ideas and amazing style.  I mean, just look at how adorable her living room is.
And she has adorable kids too.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Hawaii Reunion in Utah.

We had a little Hawaii reunion this past weekend!  Our good friends Brian, Lisa, and their adorable two-month old baby, Kohana, drove all the way here from Oregon.  Brian and Lisa were one of our very first friends in Hawaii.  It's been about a year since we last saw them.  Courtney and Garrett were our next door neighbors in Hawaii and now they live here in Utah (how convenient!)  We hang out with them every time we are in town.  It was so fun getting part of the old gang back together and catching up on old times.  (We missed you Candace, Beau, Ashley, Alden, Chad, & Megumi!).
Our weekend went a little something like this:
Campfire up Millcreek Canyon, tin foil dinners, and s'mores...
The next day we had a picnic at the park, but we had the hardest time deciding what we wanted to eat.  Finally we narrowed it down to either Panda Express or Chick-Fil-A.  It was too hard for us to choose between the two, so we just got both!  It's the perfect combo if you ask me!