Sunday Walks

When I was young, my parents used to go on "Sunday love walks". Us kids would get left behind to do dishes while my parents took some quality alone time to walk around the neighborhood together. I always thought it was so cute and special that my parents would do that! Now I get to do this with my own husband. <3

Tyler and I have loved walking around the parks and neighborhoods around our condo - especially now that the weather is warm. This past Sunday I found the BEST surprise on our walk - peonie bushes!!! Peonies are one of my absolute favorite flowers! They only bloom the last half of May and first part of June and are VERY expensive. I was elated to see some growing right near our place so I insisted on picking some! I love having fresh flowers in my home. And I even get to enjoy some at work. Aren't they beautiful?!

Pallet Garden - My Summer Project

Tyler and I currently live in a condo with no outdoor space besides a small deck out back. I've always wanted to have a garden in my home and I thought I wouldn't be able to ever have one for at least a few years when Tyler and I were settled and had our own home. One day I was browsing Pinterest and came across the brilliant idea to turn an old pallet into a vertical garden!! I was super excited and decided it would be my summer project. 

I work for a company who ships out lots of product every day so I was able to snag an old small pallet for free! Score! I knew I wanted to have succulents, small flowers, and herbs in this garden so I began my research. I then went and purchased all the necessary items from local nurseries and Home Depot and planted it this weekend. I am so excited with how it turned out! I'm pretty sure this is one of the few, if not only, projects I've seen and attempted on Pinterest that didn't end as an epic failure. :) I can't wait to use all the herbs for fresh salsa and cooking this summer! I've posted pics with "how to" instructions below in case you ever want to do one of your own. :) 

Supplies Needed:

Pallet

Spray paint

Weed barrier material (I got mine from Home Depot)

Staple gun

Soil

Plants and herbs of your choice

Instructions:

Get yourself a pallet and clean up any loose boards or hanging-out nails you can see. Buy some spray paint in whatever color you want (I got mine at Hobby Lobby) and spray away! I did two-three coats of paint on mine. I also painted it a few weeks before I knew I wanted to plant it so that it would be nice and dry. 

Buy all the flowers, herbs, and/or succulents you want to plant. I absolutely love succulents! They look so cool and they don't need to be watered that often since they're a desert plant which is handy. :)

Use your weed barrier material to make small pots/craters for the plants to be planted in. This is a good way to hold everything up yet will still allow for adequate drainage. Take your weed barrier and cut out big rectangles that are large enough to make a small pot in the pallet shelf and hang over the edge some, as pictured below. Use the staple gun to secure it into place and trim off any extra material. I doubled mine to be sure they would support the plants and wet soil. I had Tyler help me with this part because it was easier with help!

Layout where you want to pot all your plants and begin planting each one. I wanted the succulents up top because they're so cute and small and I also wanted to be sure their soil would stay dry. I didn't want anything above them dripping water and keeping it more wet than it should be. Once you've planted everything, write the herb names on the pallet with either a Sharpie (that's what I did) or paint. You can even use a stencil if you want to!

There you go! You have an adorable, space-ideal garden! I had some extra plants so I got another container to finish planting them in. Be sure to keep your herbs watered and the soil wet (but not too wet!) Since there's not a lot of soil for them and they're not in the ground, they dry out very fast. I water my herbs every day and the succulents about once a week. 

A Much-Needed, Long-Awaited Vacation

Tyler and I were able to take a trip out to Portland, Oregon to visit some of his family in between semesters. We had such a great time soaking in the beautiful scenery of Oregon, visiting the ocean, and making up for lost time with family. This was mine and Tyler's first time flying together and it was a blast. We are looking forward to doing it more often in the future!

When we landed in Portland, we went to breakfast with Tyler's father and step-mom (Greg and Georgia) at this cute little restaurant in Portland. I got a peanut butter chocolate waffle and it was delicious. :) chocolate peanut butter anything is my favorite. After that, they took us on a drive around Portland. It was pretty rainy and cold (go figure) so we didn't get to walk around as much as I would have liked. We stopped and looked at some beautiful gardens, a mansion in the hills of Portland, and then ended at Voodoo Donuts. They have all sorts of delicious donuts! If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend you stop on in. :)

We then drove out to Greg and Georgia's house. They live outside of Portland in a small town called Yamhill. I say "house" but that's an understatement. They live in this adorable log cabin in the middle of the woods. It was so beautiful with the trees and greenery all around. We spent the rest of the night talking and catching up. It was so nice and relaxing with the rain pattering on their tin roof. 

The next day, Tyler went on a ride-a-long with Greg. Greg is the Chief of Police in Yamhill. They had a blast and Tyler got to see some of the things police officers deal with. In the 4 hour time span Tyler was with Greg, there were 2 reported stabbings and a naked lady running through the streets. I'm glad that's not my job! I think Tyler's favorite part was getting to go 120 mph in Greg's charger. What a rush! 

Once the boys got back, we took a drive out to the coast. We stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory (one of my favorites places to visit on the coast!) and got some of their tasty ice cream. I got my favorite, chocolate peanut butter! We then drove to Mo's in Depot Bay and had some of their famous clam chowder. Afterwards the sun came out long enough for us to spend some time on the beach. We drove up to this look-out area on a cliff above the ocean and watched huge waves crash in on the rocks just as the sun was setting. One of my favorite things about the Oregon Coast is the land terrain. You get the beautiful mountains and pine trees right up next to the ocean. It's such a stunning sight. We made sure to get lots of beautiful pictures. When we made it back home, Tyler's brother, Nathan, came over to visit. They were up till 6am talking and catching up! Poor Nathan had a prom date the next day so he was running on no sleep but I think it was worth it. :)

Our final, full day on vacation was a sunny one! Yay! We spent the day on the four wheelers driving all throughout the woods by the house. It was a blast! Everything was so green from the recent rain storms and we were covered in mud! Greg also smoked some AMAZING ribs for dinner and I was in heaven. I don't think I've ever had anything so delicious. The evening was spent visiting and watching Family Feud. What a great ending to such a fabulous trip!

Tyler and I were so sad to leave the next morning. One of the worst parts of a vacation is knowing it will end and that you have to go back to reality. We were so thankful we had a little break to spend time with family in such a beautiful place. Tyler is now back in school and preparing for the GRE and I'm back at work. Needless to say, we can't wait for our next vacation and are excited for all the time we will get to spend with our families this summer who live so far away. 

*Warning, picture over-load below. :)

At the gardens

There weren't any rose bushes in bloom yet but the bushes and plants sure were pretty!

Gotta love a man in uniform ;)

The view from the cliff look-out

Nathan, Tyler, and Greg 

On the quads!

Like I said, so green!

So muddy!

Well Toto, We're Not In Idaho Anymore...

JTyler and I took some time this last weekend to visit Temple Square and see the beautiful Christmas lights. We went with some friends in the ward and it was so much fun! Just walking round the Temple grounds brought back so many memories of when Tyler and I got married :) The weather was perfect and the grounds so lovely. For those who have never done this, this is a must do if you're ever in Utah during Christmas. :)

       Our dear friends, Katie and David, and their adorable daughter, Regan!

On a side note, this post title actually does relate with what I'm writing about. :) We found out after Thanksgiving the bitter/sweet news that my parents will be moving to Kansas in January. My dad received a job promotion within the company he works for, but unfortunately that included a relocation. I'm super bummed that my parents are going to be so far away, but I'm excited for my dad and this new adventure he and my mom will have. They will be moving to a small town called Chanute in the south-east corner of Kansas. I say small town, but in actuality its twice the size of Fruitland! My dad has already been featured in the town newspaper so it seems they are ready to welcome my parents right in! I'm sure they will enjoy all that is about to change, I just hope they don't get swept off to Oz in a tornadoe. 

The older I get, the more I realize that life is all about change. In fact, it seems that's the one thing about life that doesn't change - the guarantee of change. It's so important to appreciate the good things that are thrown your way and make the best of life, no matter the situation. I know that no matter how far, my parents will always be there for me! And thanks to modern technology, I won't even need to buy myself some ruby slippers to see my parents or get over to Kansas! ;)

Happy Holidays! Enjoy the time you have with those you love and travel safe!

Maybe Christmas, Perhaps, Means A Little Bit More...

 

It's here! It's finally here! I LOVE Christmas! You can sense the change in the air as the world brightens up for this special season. Lights glimmer on houses that once were dark, trees sparkle in homes, kids are eager with excitement, and people are just a little bit more kind.

Tyler and I set up our tree for FHE right after Thanksgiving. This was the first year I decided to add burlap to our tree and I love it. :) I've had the fireplace mantle decorated for a while and Tyler was a good sport to help me with that too. We sure enjoyed being able to hang our stockings by the chimney with care this year!

I also made the burlap wreathe that's on our door this year. I had a craft day with my twin sister Ashley, and cousin, Kambria. We had such a blast making them and it was so easy! 

Tyler and I have much we want to accomplish this season such as seeing the temple square lights, making sugar cookies, and wrapping up the Christmas shopping, but we are trying hard to remember the true meaning of Christmas. How thankful I am for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and his love for all mankind. I am so grateful for this time of year where we can all take a moment to remember him and the special gift he gave to us.

As the stress, craziness, and excitement of the season begin to swarm around, please remember to take a moment to ponder what Christmas is truly about. Share kindness, share the gift. Merry Christmas!

Sorry, poor lighting!

Our little tree!

It's Beginning to SMELL A Lot Like Christmas...

The other day I was glancing through Pinterest, and I found tons of stove-top scentsy recipes that were supposed to make your home smell like Christmas. Since I have been trying to hold off to decorate our home for Christmas until after Thanksgiving this year, I decided to mix a few of these recipes together and give it a whirl. The results were heavenly! If you are like me and want a little bit of Christmas in your home, try this out!!! This batch is supposed to last for a while, even though it starts to look real brown from being cooked. So far, I've been using it for a week and it still smells amazing! Recipe below :)

1 Orange - sliced up into quarters
1/2 C Cranberries

1/2 - 1 C Apple Juice
2 C Water
3 Cinnamon Sticks (I didn't have any and couldn't find any at the store, so I just used 3 TBSP of Cinnamon instead)
1 TBSP Nutmeg

1 TBSP Cloves

*Combine all ingredients in small-medium sauce pan. Put on stove on lowest heat setting and sit back as the delightful Christmas scents fill your home. Stir occasionally.

All Hallow's Eve

Happy Halloween! October has definitely been a busy month for us!

October is my favorite month because:
1. My birthday :)
2. The leaves start changing colors like crazy
3. Halloween! Which equals FREE CANDY and fun traditions such as pumpkin carving and parties.
4. Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner.

For my birthday, Tyler surprised me with a trip to Park City. I know, best husband ever. :) We had such a fun time up there and spent way too much money. I even bought some glue-on nails from Claire's. I love putting some on for a week :) I usually hate having long nails so my normal nails aren't the best... it's fun to have them long and pretty if only for a while. The leaves were beautiful on the drive up there. We stayed in a beautiful room that felt just like a lodge. In fact, the place we stayed was called The Lodges. ha It was so nice to get away from the stress of every day life, if only for a weekend. :)

Tyler and my twin sister, Ashley's, husband, Jonathan, had also planned a surprise party for us. We enjoyed spending our birthday with friends and family. We didn't get any pictures, but managed to capture a video of Ash and I blowing out our candles. Ash and I used to always share a cake and I'd always end up blowing out all the candles before Ash could ever get a chance. haha This year, we each had our own cake and candles to take care of, however Ash couldn't manage to get her's blown out in one breath (probably from lack of practice :D) so I took care of them for her. haha Enjoy the video!

This month we also got to throw a baby shower for Ashley. My mom was in town so she got to attend! We had a great turnout and played some pretty fun games. It was the first baby shower in our family so I enjoyed putting it together!

To celebrate Halloween, we went up to my Aunt Cindy's house in Ogden and had a party with my grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We had a blast carving pumpkins, dressing up, and stuffing our faces with delicious food. Tyler and I didn't feel like dressing up too much this year so we put some aprons on, grabbed our oven mitts and rolling pins, and became bakers. Get it?? BAKErs haha :) For our pumpkin we recreated Cinderella's carriage. It came in second place! We had so much fun putting it together.

I sure hope you all have had fun this month doing family traditions and are gearing up to celebrate the holidays to come!

Drive up to Park City

My nails!

Happy Birthday!

Baby Shower!

The table - I did the vase arrangements :)

Heather, Ash, Me, and Mom

Carving our pumpkin!

The final results! I love how it turned out :)