A Good Reminder

I absolutely love these quotes.. It is so true that in todays world we get so caught up in the little things that mean nothing in the long run..We worry too much about what we should do to impress others that when it comes down to it, who would you impress if nobody could see? So what if nobody sees your posts or that you didn't get 200 likes..They mean NOTHING. 

 I sometimes get so caught up in posting that lately it has kind of freaked me out. I love Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat etc..But do they really define who I am? It freaks me out that I sometimes feel like I can't go a day without looking at social media..Don't let it be the boss. Don't be enslaved to your phone..

The other night I was thinking of ways to improve this and trying to think of the people I most admire and why people admire them. I thought of a few women in my life and the first thing that popped into my head about all of them was that they never have a phone or other distractions in their face.. They LISTEN and truly care about you when you are with them. They aren't constantly looking at a screen. They serve others and aren't busy checking instagram. They are also very confident with themselves and do not compare themselves to others.. In the moment you are with them all that matters is YOU. Another thing that I realized was that they NEVER had phones or social media growing up..not to mention they still don't even know how to use it which is bizarre for our age but to me that is so admirable. I know that if I were blind these women would be just as beautiful as I could imagine. 

Ive realized that a lot of girls are down on themselves because they look at instagram and other things all day..well duh you are going to feel that way when thats is all you do! I have felt like that too! Its hard not to when you see those girls with perfect skin, hair, clothes etc. But you know what? It doesn't matter OR define who YOU are.. and you can't really change to look like them so stop waisting your life wanting to live someone else's. People will be drawn to you if you serve others, smile a ton, truly listen, and not care about what others think. You don't have to impress anyone. A goal that I have set for myself is to get ready in the morning, look in the mirror one last time and then for the rest of the day not care what I look like but put other people first. Its easy to forget others when you are just worrying about if your hair looks good or not.

 The second quote really speaks to me. We do not need to shine with glory on Instagram or Facebook so that others can be envious..When I put it that was that sounds terrible!! Why would we want people to be envious? Or the other way around, why should we put ourselves down and be envious? Each time we look down on ourselves it makes our heavenly father sad because he was SO excited to create us and thinks that we are all beautiful..It's like saying that Heavently Father is a bad artist or something… All of his creations are beautiful and we are one of them. Sometimes we need that reminder that this world is not made for those things.. They are distractions that can make us forget why we are here. I am not saying they are all bad..I use them as well and that is how our world is communicating. Its pretty cool! So many people run businesses through social media, have gotten a lot of opportunities and have met people through social media and heck even the missionaries are spreading the gospel through Facebook. Oh and I am ON the internet writing this right now so… Hah! 

Sometimes when we get too caught up in it we need to think of the BIG PLAN. If Heavenly Father came to your home unannounced what would be the first thing you would do? You wouldn't pull out your phone and do a snap chat video saying, " GUYS look who is at my house right now!!!" You wouldn't DARE tough that thing..So sometimes I have to think of that..It's just a tiny box. 

People who are happy and filled with the gospel have an overall light about them that makes everyone wonder what it is that makes their eyes sparkle. That sparkle doesn't come from having a successful 201 likes on Instagram or a new follower..It comes from someone who is filled with the light of the gospel and has found that true happiness..If people are going to be envious at least let people be envious of that..and they will realize that they can feel that same way and will discover the gospel. 

My goals for this week is to unplug more and to only check my social media once a day and to spread kindness and the gospel through social media more. I need to make an Im a Mormon profile! 

Ashley 

Wish list...

Here are a few of my MUST HAVE spring looks for this year! 

 Okay how cute are these shoes?! At first when I saw people wearing them I thought they were hideous and it was a stupid trend…well I am obsessed with them now..whoops. I have found a few cute ones at American Eagle!

 I am in need of a cute and MODEST skirt…Actually I am in need of multiple long skirts. Either I grew or my skirts shrunk..( or those are excuses and I thought they were flattering in high school ) because I have just felt uncomfortable lately with how many short skirts I own! Not to mention when I get married they will all have to be burned ( maybe donated) because of my g's. I would love a few new skirts. I have been scouting out Anthropologie mainly to buy one soon..yes they are expensive but I would say its a good investment. The quality is awesome and they all go pretty long. Plus SO CUTE! You can buy cute and modest skirts..they don't have to look like grandma hand me downs. Another good place would be Down East..obviously!

 I am IN LOVE with denim on denim lately! Plus, how cute are those shoes?! I need some cute comfy shoes because I just go to my american flag boots every single day…Its pretty bad. Anyways, I love this outfit because its cute and comfy! Ive found a few cute denim button ups at Urban Outfitters and American Eagle.

 I am in need of a hair change… I hate dying my hair lately.. I throw it up into a bun or pony tail every single day anyways and curl it occasionally..It has gotten so healthy because of that. Now all I need to do is get rid of the dye and it would be awesome just saying haha.. I hate having damaged hair! My natural hair color is brown so I would go all the way brown again but I can't do it..Last time I did that I absolutely hated it. So the result would be this! Just a natural dirty blonde melt and then maybe in the future it would just go all the way brown but I would be able to adjust to the change a little better than I did awhile back. I don't want to dye it a ton over the summer because bleach and a lot of sun just kills your hair..What do you guys think? Also, short or long?! I just about chopped it the other day but pretty much had an anxiety attack in my chair and told her to stop right as she was getting the scissors.. I think we talked back and forth about cutting it for maybe 20 minutes.. So instead we just cut the dead ends to help it grow…but now I am regretting it. I miss short hair! HELP.

 Ahhh isn't this swimsuit to die for?! Its from Anthro…You don't want to know the price.. One day.

I'll go with this one..Its a little bit more reasonable.. Still super expensive.. Putting it on the wish list.

There ya go! Probably the most boring post ever but I wanted to jot down the things I want and put it on a wish list over here on the blog so I could remember. Maybe you guys will like these too. I am so excited for spring!

Ash 

Hey Y'all

Hey! I haven't done an update in a while so here ya go..

Lately I have been stressed OUT OF MY MIND. Not necessarily a bad stress but more just busy and kind of crazy with job changes. Life is about to get crazy..at least it is to me. Obviously stress isn't always a good thing but being busy and active actually is healthier for you! Fun fact: People that work every day live longer. One day I will work every day as a mom! That will be nice but still a very BIG job.

I get way more done when I have a tight schedule rather than nothing…usually I will have a long list of things I need to get done but if I don't have work or something I forget to do them..But if I am at work I am thinking about what I need to do when I get home and get it done because I know I will have work the next day so I get it out of the way. Does that make sense? I don't even think that does haha but it made sense in my head.

Recently I just started working with Albion fit! I absolutely love it! It's dangerous working their because their stuff is so cute. If you don't follow them on instagram stop reading for a minute and do that..or if you are a super social media human and probably have your phone while looking at the computer screen at the same time you can do both at once! We sell fitness wear and adorable swim wear! Not to mention we have the cutest MODEST swimsuits. Your days of long hard searching for that cute AND modest swimsuit are over..Seriously this world has come to almost wearing nothing while taking a dip in the pool..Lets stay covered. Go check out albion :).

Hear comes the stressful yet exciting news..I now have a second job as a nanny for the two most amazing kiddos I have ever met! 

So I am now taking on 25-30 hours a week at albion while a nanny on Mondays and Wednesdays ( Some Fridays) from 8am-5pm! Whoohoo! BRING IT ON.

I need to remember one important thing though…I WILL NOT stress myself out..That distracts me from the gospel, my family, and myself..Sometimes I get so absorbed in other peoples needs that I forget to take care of myself..Thats sounds sort of like a good thing but its not..I will be too stressed and worry more about the importance of the job that I am not being myself, smiling, laughing, and not having family time. So I just say that I am not stressed. Sometimes you tell yourself, " Oh my gosh I am so stressed." When really people have it way worse than you do. So I remember my dad who goes to work every day for us, my friends who are going to school right now plus 2 jobs, and the president of the united states ( Yes Obama is probably very stressed too..most of the time when he isn't golfing in hawaii)

The second thing I need to do and what everyone should do when they have a tight schedule is to meditate, exercise, laugh more, and READ YOUR SCRIPTURES!! In the morning before you start your day and at night before you go to bed no matter how late it is..It really does help me.

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it..Even if it is 5 minutes in your car before work..Just breathe. Sometimes I will do yoga before I go to work and after work I go and walk around the salt lake temple. I also got a gym membership at the city creek gym so that if I have any time after work I can get some exercise in. Even if its short it really does help.

Also, this is a very big thing.. Instead of getting frustrated with things I am learning to just laugh it off.. Some things will ruin your entire day unless you just decide to shake it off.. ( T swizzle knows) because really its pretty funny. I have laughed at myself so many times this week..Wanna hear about a few?

1. Locked my keys in my car after FHE..After looking for 20 minutes I checked the car and yep there they were right on the driver seat, doors locked. Ahui had to drive me all the way back to daybreak ( 40 minutes away) to get my spare keys and then drive all the way back so that I could get my car and drive back to daybreak once more. I got home at 2 am. But after all of this Ahui and I just had to laugh because really this would happen haha.

2. My girlfriends and I have a big group text every day and we were in a deep conversation as I was getting ready to shower…I got in the shower and I had brought my stupid phone in with me and didn't realize I was texting while under the shower head until I needed to grab the soap and my hands weren't free…Social media fast coming soon? Seriously. But I did laugh at loud that I would do that..Time to unplug!!

3. Got in the shower fully dressed..

4. Struggling to get clothes on one of our mannequins at Albion and I broke off her hand and leg… She looks kind of weird. Don't worry I fixed it..

5. Found a dog at the store and tried to put it in my car because I thought it was lost…then its owners came out and asked what I was doing.. I just started laughing and said wow your dog is so obedient! Sorry I tried to kidnap him!

6. Walked into the gym…Got hungry..Walked out of the gym.

7. Went to my guys house and they didn't have toilet paper so we went to the store and bought a toilet paper role just for me to go to the bathroom at their house..Ugh. Hahaha. But the highlight is I saved all of the other girls going over there later.

So there ya go. My life is about to be pretty hectic..But it is alright. I love my work, I love my family, I love my girlfriends so much that I can't get away from my phone even for a shower, I love these cute kids, and I love life!

Ash

Things that keep me going:

 Pottery throwing! 

 Silly brothers.

 My besties.

 This cute girl.

 My favorite boy

Minutes before I discovered my lost keys.

Ahui trying to set me up with our cousin?? Its fun to be best friends with your family<3

Madisons Bridals

Meet my beautiful cousin Madison! I had such a fun time taking some bridals for her the other day and I am so excited to share some on the blog! It was seriously so much fun. And can I just say how easy it was?! It seriously is not the camera at all..its' the subject! Madison is just so fun, smiley, and bubbly and it made the photos so absolutely beautiful. Love you Madi!

P.s I will do a longer post on this later on. Stay tuned :).

-Ash

The Very Berry Smoothie

The Energizer Smoothie! Or according to my dad, the sugar booster…. Thank you.



So have you guys ever had an acai bowl?! Well if not you are missing out. Sadly for a poor college student I can't just go buy the $18 dollar acai powder at sprouts…I have to improvise. This isn't acai obviously but it's just as good in my opinion! Lets call it a smoothie with granola. HAH. Yeah thats pretty much what it is! But when you put it all together you might as well be eating an awesome acai bowl and saving some money.


Ingredients:

* ICE
* ( 1 cup) Kirkland Natures Three Berries ( Frozen)- you don't have to get the huge bag.
* ( 4-5) Strawberries
* (1) Banana
*(1 1/2 cup) Silk Almond Milk
* ( 1/2 cup ) Frozen Orange Juice
* ( 1 1/4 tsp) Vanilla
*Honey
* KIND granola ( If you are gluten free )
* Kiwi

1. Put crushed ice in the bottom of the blender. I just try to estimate how much will be enough..I would say about 2 cups of ice but it depends on how thick you want it. 

2. Pour in the cup of frozen berries. Yeah I know, it would be ten times better with fresh berries, but both work! If you have fresh berries on hand thats great! 

3. Add 3-4 strawberries. I still use frozen ones but I thaw them out so that they aren't rock hard and don't destroy your blender. 

4. VANILLA! I have a sort of obsession with vanilla..which doesn't make this perfectly healthy. I put 1 1/4 tsp in but it's your preference.. If you don't want to taste it then 1 tsp or less will do. I think it makes it extra tasty though! 

5. Add your ripe banana to the cluster of berries!

6. Add your almond milk! Its important to get the milk to mix into the berries and not just sit at the top. This is when I stir it all up with a spoon so that there will be enough liquid getting to the bottom to make it blend..This is a super thick smoothie and you don't want to destroy your blender! If it isn't blending well keep adding that almond milk but don't go overboard..then you have berry milk.

7. Final ingredient.. 1/2 cup of frozen orange juice! This too doesn't make it the healthiest but at least we aren't adding 2 cups of pure sugar to it. You can always choose not to add this though.

8. Again, if it's too thick, push all of the ingredients down with a spoon and mix it around to get liquid at the bottom! You may even have to do that several times in between blending it. 

9. VOILA! Isn't it pretty? And it's so good! I make this smoothie way too much. 

10. For the Acai bowl effect, add some yummy granola, honey, and some kiwi! It really does help your craving for an acai bowl…Or just go get one..either way..Some people are just lazy and poor like me..No shame. Hope you like it!

XOXO,

Ash

Knowing When to Persevere and When to Change Direction

Recently my family and I started a secret family fitspiration page and have been sharing fitness goals, healthy meals, and other things to inspire us to be better. My sister Amanda just shared a talk that my beautiful grandmother shared at a BYU devotional in 1992 and its exactly what I needed to hear right now!(Thanks for sharing Manny and I love you Nana Janet! ) I hope you find it helpful<3 Have a happy Tuesday the 17th!

p.s sorry for the random posting..catching up on the blog because its a free day! 

-Ashley 

Janet G. Lee, wife of Rex E. Lee, gave this devotional address at Brigham Young University on 14 January 1992.

When my daughter Stephanie was five years old, I took her to register for kindergarten. When we arrived, she was invited to go into a classroom to “play games” with the teachers and other children. As a former elementary school teacher, I was certain the “games” were a method of testing for placement purposes.

A teacher was sitting just outside the room with a box of crayons and several sheets of blank paper, and I smiled confidently to myself from across the hall as Stephanie was asked to choose her favorite color and write her name. “She could write all the names in our family,” I thought to myself. “She is so well prepared, there isn’t anything in that room she can’t handle!” But Stephanie just stood there. The teacher repeated the instructions, and again my daughter stood still, staring blankly at the box of crayons with her knees locked and hands behind her back.

In the sweet, patient voice that teachers use when they are beginning to feel slightly impatient, the teacher asked once more, “Stephanie, choose your favorite color, dear, and write your name on this piece of paper.” I was about to come to my daughter’s aid when the teacher kindly said, “That’s okay. We will help you learn to write your name when you come to school in the fall.” With all the restraint I could muster, I watched Stephanie move into the classroom with a teacher who believed my daughter did not know how to write her name.

On the way home I tried to ask as nonchalantly as possible why she had not written her name. “I couldn’t,” she replied. “The teacher said to choose my favorite color, and there wasn’t a pink crayon in the box!”

I reflect on this incident often as I watch my children grow and observe life in general. How many times are we, as Heavenly Father’s children, immobilized because the choice we had in mind for ourselves just isn’t available to us, at least not at the time we want it?

Is progress halted when acceptance into a chosen major is denied, when enrollment in a required class is closed, when a desired job doesn’t come through, when that dream date doesn’t progress beyond friendship, or when the money hoped for isn’t there? Are we ever, for reasons that are hard to understand or beyond our control, faced with a set of circumstances that we did not have in mind for ourselves? In other words, what happens when we look in the box and the pink crayon just isn’t there? It is so easy to lock our knees, put our hands behind our back, and do nothing when things wished for and dreamed about are beyond our reach. But to do so would defy the very reason we are placed here on this earth. As hard as it sometimes is to understand, stumbling blocks are essential to our progression.

Remember what the Lord said: “If thou art called to pass through [some] tribulation . . . know . . . that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good” (D&C 122:5–7).

I have often wondered how Joseph of old must have felt as his brothers sold him into Egypt. Did he think that the good life was all over for him, that he would never again experience joy? What about Abraham and Isaac? Did they wonder why that horrible, sacrificial commandment had fallen to them? How did Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Hannah feel as they bore the stigma of being barren, when in those days it was interpreted as a sign of God’s displeasure? How did Lehi and Sariah feel as they fled from their home and friends in Jerusalem to live in the wilderness? And in this dispensation, would Hyrum and Joseph ever have chosen the difficulties they faced?

In each of these cases, as we observe the lives of men and women in scripture, it is easy to see how people can triumph over adversity. But in our own everyday lives it is often difficult to see beyond our own frustrations, to remain focused, to see the end from the beginning.

Elder Richard G. Scott wisely instructed in the October 1991 general conference:

Trust [the Lord], even when in eternal perspective it temporarily hurts very much. Have patience when you are asked to wait when you want immediate action. . . . The path you are to walk through life may be very different from others. You may not always know why He does what He does, but you can know that He is perfectly just and perfectly merciful. [“Obtaining Help from the Lord,”Ensign, November 1991, p. 86; emphasis added]

When my son Tom was twelve, his dream was to be a professional basketball player. Even though he practiced into the night, he was worried that he wasn’t the best on his team and even more worried that he was too short. I remember one night when he asked me, “What will happen to me if I don’t reach my goal?” We talked for a long time about choices and individual differences, about challenges and how to know when to persevere and when to change direction.

Tom made the high school team, but when it became apparent that there were other things he could do better, he changed direction. The crayon he would have chosen as a teenager just wasn’t there for him. He had to color his life with other choices. At twelve he thought his life would be worthless if he couldn’t play pro ball. At twenty-seven he feels successful in what he is doing and is happy in his profession.

Life is like that, and what we might want at twelve or twenty or forty-two or even seventy-two might have to be adapted to the opportunities and options that are available to us at the time.

A few years ago my sister and I were walking along the beach when we began a very serious talk about life, its challenges, and our growing ability to handle whatever came to us. “I think I have lived long enough now that I could handle any challenge given me,” I naively stated.

“I think I could, too,” was my sister’s quick reply.

Then the question that I will remember forever came from her: “Janet, what would be your most difficult challenge?”

I didn’t even need to think. I already knew. “The hardest thing for me,” I began, “would be the death of my husband. I can’t imagine life without Rex.”

“That would be hard,” she answered, “but I think divorce would be even more difficult for me.”

The preposterousness of our fears was interesting. Rex was running marathons and the picture of health. My sister’s marriage seemed very much intact, and so, of course, we laughed at suggestions that couldn’t possibly become realities.

Just eight months later Rex lay near death in a hospital and my sister’s divorce proceedings had begun. Remembering that day and the year that followed will always bring back bittersweet memories for me. My sister and I most certainly would not have chosen those colors from our box of choices, but we had to pull our lives together from the colors that were there. Today she is happy in a new marriage to a wonderful man, and my life with Rex is rich and full. My choice would not have been to experience what was given me to do, yet, as a result, each day is filled with deeper meaning, greater understanding, and new insights. If I could trade it all back now and take the challenges away, I would do so in a minute. I don’t like the fact that my husband has cancer. It is definitely a deviation from the life I had in mind for us. But if I could turn back the clock, would I also have to trade in what I have learned? I wouldn’t want to give that part back. Always having our first choice might mean giving up unknown benefits. As Emerson said, “For everything you have missed, you have gained something else” (Essays: First Series[1841], “Compensation”).

Let me share with you part of a letter someone wrote after hearing the story of Stephanie and her crayons.

I don’t have all the colors of crayons that I want—but I do have all the colors that I need. When I need new or different colors in my life, Heavenly Father will make sure that I have them. I know that he will never give me a challenge beyond my reach or beyond the tools he has given me to work with. I also know that the challenges and trials I have are in reality blessings, and I will be better and stronger for having gone through them.

I bear my testimony that God lives, that he hears and answers our prayers, that he will help us through life’s challenges because he loves us and wants us to return to him. It is my prayer that we will color our lives in a beautiful way with whatever colors are available to us, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Quote of the day

" There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

- Good old Albert Einstein

This week I am grateful for:

-Silly Sisters

-Nature

-Temples

-Family

-Obviously grateful for puppies..they are miracles too.

xoxo 

Calling All Ladies

Hello and happy Tuesday!

 Today I am going to share 3 of my favorite MUST HAVE products. If you know me, I have piles of unused foundations, random face washes, and all sorts of products in my bathroom because I always buy new products and then hate them and store them for when I run out of foundation and need a backup for a few days..( Poor College Kid Probs) Or I guess I could have returned them and gotten money back to pay for my life…Didn't realize that till now..just kidding ;). That only really goes with foundation though..I actually am always switching out face washes because I truly believe that if you use a face wash for too long your skin gets use to it and you start breaking out all over again. BUT I am here to share with you that I have now stuck with THE SAME foundation for over 6 months and a face wash routine that has made my skin feel amazing and has latest longer than 4 months and that I hope to keep! Maybe thats not long for you but really..thats long for my skin. Listed below are my new faves and where to purchase! 

Tea Tree Oil: For Utah readers, this is found at " The Body Shop" I found mine at fashion place mall! 

I dab this on any blemishes after I go through my face wash routine( coming soon) right before I go to bed!

So Boscia is da bomb. I can't believe I have lived without it all these years. Its kind of cool too..It's a black cleanser that makes your face all warm like a mud mask and seriously makes your skin feel amazing. You can find Boscia at Sephora along with Boscia's entire line of scrubs, masks etc. BTW I tried the mask too and it's AH-MAZING. As you peel it off you can actually see all of the dirt coming off of your face..gross but cool. 

Lastly THE best foundation…Its nothing fancy but I love it. Sorry this isn't that great of picture but its Cover Girl Tru Blend ( my skin tone: L2) The only concern I have is that you guys HAVE to test it out to get your exact color..I didn't do that at first and I looked orange and hated it.. So even go a shade lighter than you think you are. Mine is the second lightest. I love this foundation because it's almost like it erases your pores! Seriously, your face looks so smooth and clear. You know how some foundations are thick, some are caked, and some don't even cover anything? Well this bad boy takes care of it all..Its super light and lets your skin breathe still but it really covers everything! I love how it looks smooth and not caked and it sometimes even looks like you aren't wearing any foundation because it doesn't clump in areas or make a mask( Depending on if you get the right color which I struggled with haha) So I am in love with it..The only thing is it isn't a mouse or thick foundation..It can make you look a bit shiny so I just dab a little powder over after I put it on! If you are interested I just buy cover girl powder as well. ALL FOUND AT WALGREENS. BOO YAHH. Haha seriously, no need to go get $40 foundation. Anyways…try it, don't try it, but its awesome. 

Heres my beautiful sister wearing cover girl Tru Blend! First time trying it and she loves it!

 HAPPY TUESDAY!

Xoxo,

Ash