What was your 2013 soundtrack?
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12.30.2013
My 2013 Soundtrack
I love wrapping up the year with all of the songs that meant something to me this year. So here is my soundtrack for 2013 for Musical Mondays this week. Feel free to write down your list, or make up one, and link up with us! And click on the links to listen to the song and see why I chose it!
12.27.2013
A Year in Review: Part 3 July - September
Hey lovers, can you believe the year is almost over? WOW! It's week 3 of the Review Extravaganza with Emmy Mom and her cohosts! This is a fun link up where you review the year three months at a time each week in December.
In July I:
- Shared the following songs for Musical Monday: Cassiopea by Sara Bareilles, 1000 Times by Sara Bareilles, Jessie's Girl Glee Cover, Come Back, Be Here by Taylor Swift, and Radioactive a cover by Lindsey Stirling and Pentatonix.
- Celebrated Shawn's and Tia's birthdays with lots of drinking.
- Did more awesome blog design.
- Wrote about Blog Sponsorship in the New Blogger Series.
- Shared my Top 20 Most Beautiful Female Celebrities list.
- Answered 11 Questions about me.
- Spent some time with my godkids and their dog.
- Road Tripped to Seattle! See Part 1 and Part 2!
In August I:
- Shared these songs for Musical Monday: Just the Way You Are by Chantilly, On We Go by Nancy McCallion, Red Hot Tears by Eric Himan, and Everything I Never Knew I Needed by McCall Erickson.
- Wrote about Accepting Sponsors for the New Blogger Series.
- Received an awesome Local Flavor Swap package.
- Shared some Handmade Items that Make My Soul Ache.
- Went camping in a Rattlesnake Habitat and almost got washed away by a monsoon.
- Shared some more info about me in the Blogger ABCs.
- Went back to school, which was a lot of change.
- Participated in the PJ Party Swap.
- Shared inspiring slam poetry from a guy with OCD.
- Went swimming at a muddy reservoir and celebrated my grandmother's birthday.
In September I:
- Shared these songs for Musical Mondays: Johnny Iovine by Macklemore, The Fox by Ylvis, Au Revoir by The Front Bottoms, Same Love by Macklemore, and Ego by MC Souleye.
- Started making some skulls and hung out with awesome friends.
- I wrote about Hosting Linky Parties and Running Giveaways with the New Blogger Series.
- Dressed up like a sugar skull for bingo and crafted with my bestie and her family.
- Studied so much I felt like I had no social life at times.
- Went to ComicCon which was SO much fun!
- I shared 6 Things You Could Know About Me.
- Worked on painting masks and went out with friends.
Come back next week for the last installment, months October - December!
Christmas Photo Dump
Hey lovelies! How was your Christmas? I've had a fantastic week! Last weekend I was able to go to my aunt & uncle's house for a family Christmas party. It's always so great to catch up with them, and it makes me sad that I don't see them as often as I should. I love seeing everyone, and playing with all the kiddos.
1 // My little brother sitting on my lap and my mom photobombing. 2 // Ashlyn loved wearing my glasses. That's her and her handsome daddy. 3 // My dad loves tormenting kids, but Evan really took to him. 4 // Eulayla and Ashlyn playing in the car. 5 // Momma holding baby Kira. 6 // Kira.
After that party I hurried home to celebrate my Neighbor Navi's birthday party. It was a lot of fun! I also got my very own Cards Against Humanity card in the mail!
I spent Christmas Eve and Day with my family. That was a lot of fun, and the gifts I got Shayla and Arianne were a big hit! The gifts I received were utterly fantastic too. My momma got me some Doctor Who shot glasses, Ninja Turtle PJ Pants, and Sugar Skull Cookie Cutters (yeah she knows me well now). My Sister in law got me pretty holographic nail polish, rainbow pencils, the book 1000 Journal Projects, and an emergency googly eye kit. My little sister made me a scarf. My baby (well, 17 year old) brother melted my heart when he told me he likes to buy totally random gifts for me in an effort to make me think of him since I'm so far away. And there were so many more thoughtful gifts!
1 // The necklace I got Ari. 2 // The keychain I got Shayla. 3 // Cole, Ari, and Harley in their new hammock. 4 // Harley Babushka. 5 // My cat Emma. 6 // Harely sleeping on top of Ari. 7 // Lexi the derpy dachshund. 7 // Allie the double dapple dachshund.
The weather has been cold but bright-I'm so glad the big snowstorm last week blew out the inversion and pollution, it was really hard to breathe! Now we get white tipped peaks against blue skies!
How was your Christmas?
12.26.2013
7 Can’t Miss Entertainment Deals
Looking for the next scoop on a concert ticket, or just trying to figure out what to do for the weekend? Whether you’re headed out of state or out for the day, entertainment is expensive if you don’t know where to buy your tickets. Tricks like joining a mailing list aren’t common knowledge, but if you want to avoid pricey markups you’ll need to get used to proactively shopping for events.
If you’re the type that loves last minute deals and coupons galore, read on for tips to get more value out of the most popular forms of entertainment around.
Join Mailing Lists
The secret to getting great concert tickets usually involves mailing lists. Joining a mailing list often gets you presale codes for concert tickets, allowing you the chance to purchase tickets from the vendor without the markup costs. The recent Monty Python reunion sold out in 43 seconds, so you can’t even rely on tickets being available once they go on sale. You shouldn’t expect a free ride, and you probably won’t find discounts at the venue, but you can avoid fees and book your plans ahead of time.
Coupons
Coupons can encompass everything from meal deals to cutting the cost of cable. Increasingly, companies are offering discounts on their introductory rates to drive business. You can find coupons for Verizon Fios by clicking here, or by searching the web. Honey is another great plugin you can use for the Chrome Web browser that looks for active coupon codes before you make a purchase.
Deal of the Day
Many websites like Woot feature a “Deal of the Day” that is often entertainment related. Subscribe to sites like Reddit to find video game deals and more by subreddit. Amazon emails customers sales that may interest them based on product recommendations. Check with the vendor too. They may have a cheaper cost because they cut out the middle man.
Last Minute Deals
Last minute deals on hotels and flights can help you travel on a budget if you’re flexible enough. Search the airlines and check the destinations you want to visit to see if you can book a flight at a cheaper cost. These deals usually occur in a last ditch effort to fill up a flight, so it’s helpful to check in on a few airlines for the best results.
Affiliate Offers
Offers through an affiliated organization, like Triple A, can cut the costs of your travel and allow you to enjoy more perks. Discounts on restaurants, insurance and attractions are all part of the member benefits Triple A members enjoy. Before you leave for your vacation, check with restaurants in the area to see if discounts are accepted.
Vacation Rentals
Vacation rentals can be cheaper than a hotel, or offer a unique experience in your vacation spot. A rental is more like staying in a home, perfect for those seeking a “slice of life” experience. Sites like AirBnB and Amazon Local are helpful in locating rentals. The cost is not always cheaper, but the experience may be worth the money. Before you book the same old motel, check a rental site to see what you can find.
Points Programs
Points programs offer users the chance to accumulate a score over time for using services, and then cash in those points for rewards. Dining clubs like Open Table reward users for eating at their favorite restaurants using discounts and free perks. It’s common for stores to offer buy ten get one free deals, where customers are rewarded with an extra side or entrée for frequent visits. These small discounts add up over time and encourage customer loyalty.
12.24.2013
A Very Happy Christmas Eve
Happy Christmas Eve! I have so much to be incredibly happy about today/this week/this year. There is just so much joy around here! First of all, I'm happy that I get to be alive for amazing historical events. When I was passed a link to the local newspaper's website Friday afternoon saying that Federal Judge Shelby struck down Utah's Amendment 3 as unconstitutional-I thought it was a joke. I mean I knew that marriage equality is a giant rolling ball that cannot be stopped at this point, we had 17 states who'd passed it already-but I never in a million years expected Utah to be number 18. We're a red state. We're controlled by a heavily right-wing religious (with a religion that actively spends millions of dollars trying to prevent "gay marriage") group of people. I expected Utah to be one of the last few.
But the reports kept pouring in. It was real. It was happening. Just a few hours after the judgement was passed Utah had it's first same-sex marriage on the books. Hundreds more followed excitedly! It was all anyone could talk about and I sent links to nearly everyone I could think of-this was momentous. This was history in the making.
As Sunday evening rolled around and the Governor and his cronies actively begged for a stay while they prepared their appeal. Couples camped out overnight in front of the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office hoping to get their licenses early before the process could be halted. At 6AM on Monday morning my very dear friend (and work-husband) Shawn texted me to alert me that he was in line with his partner Justin. They were couple 152 in line and everyone was nervous they wouldn't make it in before court began at 9AM and the judge could rule whether or not "gay marriage" would be stayed in Utah. Judge Shelby stood by his first decision and denied the stay. Marriage continued, and Shawn and Justin were legally wed right here in our home state. Something I didn't think we'd see for many many years. My heart was so full.
Last night we all went down to the rally/Celebration for Marriage Equality in Utah to celebrate. The crowd was large and gathered at the courthouse to celebrate. There was singing, there was cake, there were speeches, and a live marriage performed right there on the steps in front of us all. The energy was amazing. For the first real time I was proud to be a Utahn with people I love so close around me.
When the celebration ended, we weren't ready to stop-so we met up with Callie (Callie, a good friend of ours that works for the city, actually married Shawn and Justin earlier that day!) and Brigg and walked down to the pub for drinks. We drank beers and shots with the happy couple, and several other happy couples in the bar.
Suddenly the music changed and all of the sudden the entire bar jumped out of their seats to sing along with "We're going to the Chapel and we're gonna get married..." and there was dancing, and celebration, and so much joy. The energy and the love in that room was so intense I almost started crying right there!
As we left the bar we were all a little tipsy and highly elated. The day was monumental, not only in our lives, but in the course of history-and we were all awed that we were able to be alive to see it-and be surprised by it. My heart is so full for all of the wonderful couples who were able to legally marry the loves of their lives over the last few days. It makes me happier than I can possibly express.
Linking up with:
*Negative or hateful comments will be blacklisted-so keep them to yourself.*
12 Days of Giveaways Day 12: 2 Bottles of Philly Loves Lacquer
You all know I'm a nail polish junkie, but recently I've really only been interested in Indie polish and a few brands that I'm really following. One of those brands is Philly Loves Lacquer, which is a cute little indie shop based out of the city of brotherly love. This shop is run by one of the worlds sweetest women, Esther, who I am happy to have come to know through nail polish groups over the last year.
It has been so fun to see her brand grow from a small Etsy shop with a few glitters and creams to her most recent re-branding and launch of her new huge website and several lines of top-notch colors, including lots of beautiful holographic colors. I'm a sucker for a good holo! These babies are beautiful and they're starting to be highly sought after! I mean just look at her new limited edition colors she created for Black Friday, 2AM Coffee Run, That Barbie is Mine, and I Bleed Sales. Stunning.
Esther is giving one lucky winner their choice of 2 colors from her Holo-Day on Broad Collection. Let me tell you that I own this collection myself and I couldn't part with a single color of it while destashing. They are BEAUTIFUL, and a few of my favorites. See swatches HERE.
Enter the Giveaway
Open Worldwide - Ends 1/6/14 at 12AM - See Rafflecopter for further T&C
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