#1- A recent pic of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

Explanation #1- This picture was taken Friday October 10, just after purchasing a new backpack for Tyler.  I told him I could fit in it and he didn't believe me.  I sure showed him.

Explanation #2- I decided that I wanted to keep this post original.  Anyone who has read this blog already knows a lot of our quirks, so I tried to write only facts that have not previously been discussed.  It was much more thought provoking than I originally anticipated, but who doesn't love a good challenge?  Here's what I came up with:

1. We are of the opinion that girl pants are meant for girls. Period.
2. One of the times we feel closest to heaven in our home is when we’re cuddling.
3. People usually think we’re younger than we really are
4. We are huge fans of watching Office, Community, and Mentalist (I think I've already mentioned the Office on here before, but if I'm remembering right, the other two are new).
5. We are outrageously annoyed by sloppy dressers and have been tempted to offer makeovers to grungy teenagers on multiple occasions.
6. We get teased a lot because we almost never fight. Seriously. We are lucky enough to get along perfectly 99% of the time.  What people don’t know though, is that we are terrible at fighting. We’re both working on improving our communication with each other during heated situations. Our current attempt: monthly companionship inventory.
7. We both dream of owning a plantation/Victorian home in the future.
8. Our house is our baby. We constantly spend money on improving it. One day we’ll have a real baby and that practice will have to end.
9. Burping contests are a regular occurrence at our house.... I know, revolting, right?
10. One of our eternal disagreements = a board game.  I think Settlers of Catan (which I may or may not have spelled correctly) is one of the most boring games ever invented, but Tyler is crazy about it. 
11. We both played the clarinet as teenagers.
12. We are anti movie/dinner dates unless you're already married to the person.  Creative/cheap dates are always best, but definitely a must-have before marriage.
13. We both wanted to get married around the age of 25.  Instead, we met and opted for about 20.  Life rarely turns out the way you plan, but we wouldn't have it any other way.
14. We've spent 3 months sleeping on an air mattress.

15. The movie I am Legend scared the pants off us when we first watched it in our dark basement apartment.  Can you tell we're not huge horror flick fans?

Am I up to it?

My beautiful red-headed cousin Kylee has been doing this 30 day blog challenge and I can honestly say that I've enjoyed reading it!  I always love reading blogs (as most of you other bloggers know due to my frequent visits to your sites), but this one is particularly interesting.  I've known Kylee for, oh about 23 years or so  :) , and yet I've still learned things about her through reading her posts and I've loved it!  So... I decided that I want to try it. 

Here's the catch:  I've tried to make this our blog and not my blog.  This might be because the first blog I ever read was Taylor and Jodi's and they have one of the most interesting blogs I've ever read!  I always love to see what they're posting about and I think it's so fun that they both post regularly.

That being said, Tyler has made 2.25 posts (I'll give him .25 for posting a picture, writing a sentence, and then asking me to finish it),  so I oftentimes worry that it's too one-sided.  I don't blame him at all, since he does not like writing, but it is what it is.  As I'm answering these questions, I'm going to keep them as much "us" related and less "me" related as possible, in attempt to compensate.  Also, I can tell you right out the shoots that some of these posts worry me already.  Chances are that I'll end up amending some of them as time goes on, but I'll try to stick to the book as much as possible.  I'll start tomorrow.

Here is a list in case any of you want to give it a shot:

1. A recent pic of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
2. The meaning behind your blog name
3. A picture of you and your friends
4. A habit you wish you didn't have
5. A pic of somewhere you have been
6. Favorite super hero and why
7. A picture of something/someone who has the biggest impact on you
8. Short term goals for this month and why
9. Something you are proud of in the last few days
10. Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
11. Another pic of you and your friends
12. How you found out about blogs and why you made one
13. A letter to someone who hurt you recently
14. A pic of you and your family
15. Put your ipod on shuffle: first 10 songs that play
16. Another pic of yourself
17. Someone you would want to switch lives with for 1 day and why
18. Plans/dreams/goals you have
19. Nicknames you have, why
20. Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
21. A pic of something that makes you happy
22. What make you different from everyone else
23. Something you crave
24. A letter to your parents
25. What I would find in your blog
26. What you think about your friends
27. Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
28. A pic of you last year and now, how have you changed
29. In the past month what have you learned
30. Who are you?

Homecoming Beauty and Ute Fans in the Making?

The past couple of weeks have been fabulous and this post proves that I'm finally getting better at taking pictures.  About time!  They were all taken on my phone, so sorry if they're a little funky.  Here is a little documentation to display what we've been up to:

1.  Homecoming- My adorable little sister let me do her hair for Homecoming this year and it was so much fun!  I was really nervous because hair was always such a huge deal to me back when I was in her shoes but I think it turned out alright, all things considered.  All of the Wall girls had so much fun talking and laughing and dolling her up together.  What a blast!  It was all I could do not to throw on a dress and join her.  Formal dances were always a fabulous time! I totally miss them.
Anyway, I feel so lucky to have been a part of this.  What a top notch young lady! It's hard to believe that the girl whose diaper I used to change on a daily basis has now outgrown me.  She is such a beautiful girl!

2. U of U Games -  Thanks to some good friends, we've been able to attend not one, but two football games at the U!  I've never been before, so it was super exciting!  I was so thankful to have a husband who could give me a quick Football 101 lesson so I could actually understand what was going on (I've never followed football before).  Once I understood the basics, the game became even more exciting. 



3.  FHE- We've been trying lately to host Family Home Evening more often and it has been a great experience.  Poor Tyler looked very suspicious when I dragged him to the couch last week and handed him a list of words for our FHE activity.  Once he warmed up to the idea of writing, it turned out to be a lot of fun!  Here are some of my favorite responses:

(By Tyler)

If Shaela were a shoe, she would be a stiletto - fashionable, sometimes practical

If Shaela were a season, she would be fall - cold and pretty

If Shaela were a cartoon character, she would be little mermaid - skimpy clothes and nice abs (LoL.  If only)

If Shaela were a car, she would be a mini cooper... not any mini cooper the one from Italian Job.  Little, but fast.

(By Shaela)

If Tyler were a cartoon character, he would be like Prince Eric - My perfect match! I know he'd kill a sea urchin for me.

If Tyler were a place, he would be a cruise - offering more than one destination because he is well rounded and offers the best of everything... a buffet of a man.

If Tyler were a food, he would be healthy cheesecake because I'm addicted to him, but he is also good for me (if only I could say the same for cheesecake).

...Okay, mine weren't nearly as funny as his, but I couldn't very well make this one-sided.

Until next time,

A very random read unrelated to my personal life :)

A coworker who is well aware of my love for facials, brought this advertisement to my attention today and I was so amused by it that I had to share.  A headline offering a steal on microdermabrasion caught our attention so naturally, we pulled it up to do some price comparisons.  It didn't take long to figure out that the Groupon ad could not beat what I currently pay whenever I get around to having this done, but the text within the ad kept me reading.  What on earth is this?!

The listing, adorned with a bejeweled cat floating on a cloud, compares facial treatments to flirty, friendly banter.  Continue reading and you'll find that not only does microdermabrasian infuse your face with moisture, it miraculously provides you with a supply of Mickey Rooney trading cars until you, "surrender to relaxation like a buttery balloon caught in an embrace."

Bahaha!  I don't know what a buttery balloon has to with anything, but I certainly don't want it anywhere near my face. 

After barely making it through that sentence with my professional demeanor still in tact, I wandered into the next section which discloses planetary secrets that have been revealed through macrodermabrasion.  Whatever was left of my calm composure flew completely out the window when I read that the planet Pluto is simply a babushka doll whose core is made up entirely of a profaned golf ball.

I don't know who wrote this gem, but I want to find them and hang with them sometime.  I'm convinced it would be an entertaining experience.

That said, do you think they wrote this as a creative approach to grabbing the attention of customers?  If so, it seems to have worked.  According to my current link, they have sold 266 of these since placing the ad and now they're getting a shout-out from the random blog of a crazed PR graduate.  Additionally, it's a safe bet that I'll be keeping my eye out for more advertisements from a company I knew very little about until this morning.  Well done folks! Well done.

See it for yourself at the link below:
 http://www.groupon.com/deals/skincare-charlie-salt-lake-city

Money Matters (Part 2)

Last summer I posted about various penny-pinching techniques I’d been using at the time. As mentioned in the original post, my goal is to develop more of these skills as time goes on. That said, I thought it only appropriate to report on some of my progress. This has been a fairly eye-opening experience since I haven't kept tabs on my progress this year and frankly, I think it's lacking in the "find easy household tricks" department.  Nonetheless, here are my new discoveries. 

If any of you have some cool frugal tips, please share!

1. Bountiful Baskets: This is definitely my favorite find this year. Every Saturday, Bountiful Basket volunteers drive around the state with promises of deliciously fresh fruits and vegetables to lure me out of bed at 6:30 in the morning. This is a huge accomplishment considering the fact that Saturday happens to be my only day to sleep in and I so look forward to extended sleeping hours. But $15 for an entire laundry basket full of fresh, locally grown produce rings my bell … and I cave.

Plus, they make healthy bread that Tyler and I can’t get enough of for $2 per loaf. They also offer special packages each week in addition to produce and bread if I’m looking for even more excitement.

We usually go every couple of weeks and split our basket with friends or family because they give you so much. One of these days I’m going to work up the courage to arrive extra early and volunteer for them so I can get free additions to my already bountiful basket :)

Visit bountifulbaskets.org on a Monday night to get in on the magic.

(Bountiful Basket x 2)

2. Mini Facials: I read about this on Kandee the Makeup Artist’s website and I love it. Basically if you like facials, buy yourself some organic lemon juice and organic sugar and go to town. It’s as easy as this: dampen your face with warm water, wet a cotton round with the lemon juice and sprinkle with a teaspoon of organic sugar. Rub the mixture all over your face and then wash it off. It feels wonderful! Check out her website if you want to see it legitimized on the face of a gorgeous makeup artist (her link is posted on our sidebar). She also has a cheap teeth whitening technique.

3. Birthday Clubs: I’ve joined so many restaurant/department store birthday clubs I can’t keep count. But the freebie birthday/anniversary/thanks for joining coupons they send out make it all worth it (check out Aveda, DSW, Marie Callender’s, TGI Friday’s, IHOP, etc…)

4. Hydrogen Peroxide: This stuff works as an awesome disinfectant/bleach substitute that is less than a dollar per bottle on sale.

5. Restaurant.com: Especially around clearance time at the end of each month, you can get some steals here! I paid $2 for a $25 gift certificate to a nice restaurant in the area. The downside is that most certificates require a minimum purchase. Play your cards right though, and it ends up being a pretty sweet deal.

6. Hotwire.com: Cheap hotel stays? Yes, please.

7. ACN: Oddly enough, most people sigh when we tell them that Tyler joined a company that brokers landlines, cell phone plans, television, internet, etc…. but like it or not, it has helped many people who have met with him to save money on monthly payments that they're already paying. Sadly, it couldn’t beat our current phone package that we get through my Dad’s business account, but at least it has saved other people money, right? If you ever want him to see if he can save you any or not, just say the word and he’ll look into it. Because if he can’t save us money, he may as well save some for other people to make it worthwhile.

8. Wal-Mart Samples: I’m a little embarrassed to write about this one for some reason. Basically I check Wal-Mart’s website frequently for free samples and order them whenever they’re available. I can’t even begin to count how many mini packages of free girly products I’ve received this way (tampons, etc…), along with travel sized shampoos and toothpastes (my fav. for camping). Many of the samples are just small handouts, but now and then, we totally score.

9.  Dryer Sheets: I have yet to do a price analysis on this due to an unforeseen hiccup along the way, but we really like it so that's got to count for something.  I bought a couple of bright colored wash cloths so they wouldn't get mixed up in our current towel supply.  We periodically soak them in liquid laundry detergent (purchased on clearance of course) and lay them out to dry.  Throw those puppies in the dryer and they work awesome as dryer sheets and last a long time (provided your husband doesn't accidentally wash them with the rest of the towels...  Yes, I'm talking to you Tyler).


Also as an update from last year’s post:

• We are officially x-fans of cheap brownie mixes. They’re great and affordable but once we started making them from scratch, there was no turning back. They simply don’t compare.
• Beingfrugalisfabulous website is no more.  Tragic.
• Still doing the online surveys and delighting in the free American Eagle clothing articles they provide.

Grammatically Speaking

This post is dedicated to the girl who once asked me how to spell e-mail; who wondered why people today are still named Jesus; and who made me cringe on a daily basis by constantly writing perchis instead of purchase. I still remember you and I hope that somehow this article finds its way onto your monitor.

I read this article a few weeks ago and found myself wondering if we could somehow require that every American citizen read it in its entirety.

The article discusses ten common ways in which people slaughter the English language. It's not long, poetic, or particularly thought provoking. It's short, sweet, and straight to the point. Hallelujah!

Read it. Learn it. Love it. I'm sort of preaching to the choir by posting this for other bloggers who clearly know the difference between your and you're, but I just had to share.

What I wouldn't give to pass the message along to Facebook users...

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/10-common-errors-spell-check-won-t-catch-2039083/#poll-86A687227A3211DF922CE2CA55AE989C

Farewell Summer

I've been going back and forth about whether to post about these or not. Let me explain. Since the Spectacular, Tyler and I have striven to cram all our summer activities into the past month so as not to waste a perfectly good summer on a lack of adventure. These adventures have included various camping/hiking trips, along with a trip to Lake Powell.

Unfortunately while undergoing these adventures, I completely forego makeup or really any form of making myself look presentable. This is fine for the two of us since my dear husband frequently reminds me that I look beautiful in spite. However when it comes to posting online or for anyone else to see... frankly, I find it highly embarrassing.

Since I plan on eventually having some of this blog published to serve as a journal of sorts though, I absolutely must post about our summer adventures because they have been off the hook! So with that in mind, please bear with me. The pictures you are about to subject yourselves to are not for the faint of heart. If you can't weather the storm, turn back now while you still can.


#1) Camping Trip- We went on a camping trip with our good friends Lori and Jarom and their two darling kids. It was just a quick overnighter, but was exactly what I needed! We had tons of fun, got very dirty, and rode like crazy. The highlight of our trip was waking up in the middle of the night to head lights coming at us. Tyler and I set our tent up late and put it on a through road that went through our campground. Yes, it was a risky move and we knew it. We ended up picking up our tent and moving it in the middle of the night. We both laughed so hard!

Our first trip with my beautiful new bike and new "girly" gear. Tyler told me that since I ride like a boy and wear boy riding gear, some people might not know that I'm a girl when they see me riding out there. So he insisted on buying me girly gear. I refuse to wear pink so that made things difficult, but we finally settled on these babies and they turned out quite nice. Plus, I still fit into the kids sizes, so they were at least $100 less than they would've been otherwise. HOT DOG!

Tyler with my beautiful bike. He is wearing his riding pants and has finally earned himself a jersey (my old manly jersey).

#2) Anniversary Trip- For our anniversary this year, I told Tyler that I did not want any gifts or fru-fru dates, I just wanted a camping trip with no cell phones, no people, and no schedules. I wanted to go to bed when we wanted and wake up when we wanted and eat when we wanted, period. And that's exactly what we did. It was WONDERFUL! We found a darling little campsite that was totally free up by Mt. Timp, which we've always wanted to hike. We have both hiked to the cave before but let's be honest, that's a pretty wimpy hike.
We were under the impression that the trail up the mountain was 4 miles long, which sounded exactly like what we were looking for. Upon arriving and hiking for hours however, we found out that it was in fact quite longer than 4 miles and we actually took the harder route than people traditionally take. Great. We ended up going about 13 miles, almost to the very top, and hitting a lightening storm that scared the pants off us.
We sprinted the entire way down partly because of the storm and partly because my bladder was exceptionally full and in need of a potty break. At one point, Tyler displayed his chivalrous ways when he turned around with his arms out just in time to catch me falling into him with full force after tripping mid-jog. Whew.
The hike was beautiful and much more advanced than we originally anticipated, but we loved it. We plan on going at it again next year when we're properly equipped.

Just before heading up the mountain
Tyler made me this awesome contraption for carrying water, since we decided we might need more than we could carry in our pack. Thank heavens we did!
One of many beautiful waterfalls

Look what we found near the lake... GOATS!

So cute! A baby got stuck going up the mountain and was screaming, "Mom" and I nearly died.

The meadow near the lake was breathtaking!

We found this cool moose with her baby by the road as we drove back to our campsite afterward.

#3) Lake Powell- Our awesome neighbors invited us to stay on their houseboat with them in Lake Powell last weekend. Neither of us have ever stayed on a houseboat before and we were in heaven! The trip ended up being very eventful, so I'll try to be brief.

First we tried wake boarding. Tyler was a natural and I totally sucked. We figured we'd try it again the next day until the beautiful, sparkly Mastercraft boat hit a rock and broke a prop. Instead we were towed back to the marina and found ourselves boatless for the remainder of the trip. I was sad to miss out on tubing, but the fabulous wave runners helped lessen the blow.

They had two wave runners there that I instantly fell in love with. They were an absolute blast!! Equally fantastic, was cliff jumping. What a rush!

Tyler out on the boat with the kids. This was just minutes after hitting the rock.

We saw some beautiful, enormous red cliffs. As usual though, we were terrible at taking pictures so this is the only cliff image that made its way onto my memory card.

On the third day, we got to see a Lake Powell rain storm and man was it cool!

Here is the view from the houseboat deck during the storm.

And here is the view after. Quite a difference, eh?

We all decided it would be cool to jump and slide off the house boat during the storm and we were right. What fun!

Exhibit A : Ty's Can Opener

Exhibit B: A Toe Touch?

I am silly. And very sunburned.

On the last day, just before we were about to leave on our last wave runner ride, Tyler decided to dive off the house boat and fillet his toe.

He was distraught.

Scott to the rescue! Thankfully he is an EMT, so he was able to fix it up for us.

Last but not least, here is one of the videos we captured trying to see who could make the biggest splash. For the record, I won with no video footage to prove it.

It has been an excellent summer!!

-THE END-