let's talk about pinterest

it's great right? i was addicted from day one. it's the fastest growing social media site ever and there is no mystery why. i wish i knew about it before the wedding -- instead i had to download and save all the pictures from the internet into my photo albums. but now you can just pin it with the click of a button! it's the perfect place to find cute ideas. outfit ideas, home decorating ideas, craft ideas, recipe ideas, etc etc etc. it's like eye candy, am i right?

but alas, among all the amazing things that pinterest has brought, i do have some pinterest pet peeves.

this blog talks about a few that I definitely agree with. (too many words in the captions, not pinning from the direct source, etc.) But I want to focus on one. My biggest pet peeve: girls pinning other half-naked girls onto "fitness motivation" boards.

i want to throw up in my mouth.

STOP PINNING SUPERMODELS IN THEIR UNDERWEAR.

if you obsess over looking like that you will live a depressing life. we need to learn to be happy in our own skin (myself included.) don't get me wrong, I don't want everyone to be lazy. i am 100% a fan of taking care of our bodies and being in the best shape that we can be. (heck, i just got home from the gym.) but you can be healthy and beautiful without being a size 0 or having the muscles of a professional weight trainer. our bodies have their own 'ideal' and sometimes that doesn't match up with the world's 'ideal.'

there is nothing wrong with pinning a quote or a motivating picture or some cool tips for exercising. whatever. I just hate to see pictures flying around pinterest of girls that are either models or anorexic. I usually unfollow those boards as soon as i see them, but more and more keep showing up and it's driving me crazy.

i laugh sometimes when i see people pinning picture after picture after picture of 'skinny motivaters.' you have been on pinterest for an hour, it obviously hasn't motivated you enough to take a run. am i the only one that feels this way?

sorry that this post has a negative tone to it. i don't mean to offend anyone. it just saddens me that society has put so much pressure on women to look a certain way. we have it tough enough as it is. we should be grateful for our bodies (again, myself included.)

i realize that i am 'skinny,' but i still don't view myself as the 'ideal' image. i hate it when people say things like, 'oh, you're skinny you don't have to worry about stuff like this.' i think that is ignorant. everyone is affected by the world's view on women. we should all try to change it. it starts with us.

What time is it?

(teen girl squad)

I know Valentines Day was so two days ago, but this week has been way too busy for me to keep up. (I am currently running on 3 hours of sleep. and a total of 8 hours in the last 48.) It turns out today is actually a special day for us anyway, so it works out.

Four years ago, today, Chris came home from college for President's Day Weekend. This was the weekend that we realized we couldn't live without each other.

We dated for a year in high school until September came around. Then he was gone. Thousands of miles away. Having a blast at college while I was stuck finishing up my senior year. I was miserable. After five long months of being apart we both felt like something was missing. We decided to try out the long distance relationship thing.

After that day there was a spiraling turn of events filled with goodbyes and i miss yous. We knew that if we kept this relationship going now, it would only be more goodbyes in the future (a mission.) Those three years were filled with many emotions and unexpected twists. I had some of my very best times in those years, and some of my very worst. I didn't always think Chris was the one for me during those years, or even right when he returned. About five months after he returned from Mexico I realized that I had always known. Ironically, the date was very similar to todays.

***

It seems like we are alternating when we celebrate the day of love each year. (That makes it easier for busy schedules, right?) Last year we celebrated February 16--I rewrote a flight of the conchords song with a lot of our inside jokes--it was awesome. This year we celebrated Valentines Day. I bought tons of chocolates to have around the house and Chris planned the perfect date for a week night. Not too lovey-dovey, but not thrown together at the last minute. Even though we were swarmed with homework and projects and tests, we reserved the night for some steak dinnnerrrrr at the Outback Steakhouse. My favorite.

The plan was to eat and get back home to finish some assignments. After we sat down I grabbed the pile of coasters at the edge of the table and started playing with them. I spread them out so I could play a game with Chris and to my surprise found two tickets for The Vow. Chris had somehow sneakily slid them in there. It is a Big deal if someone can surprise me. I mean BIG. I am always expecting the unexpected--even in the weirdest of circumstances. And if someone tries to surprise me, I usually just fake it. It's a curse. But that night I was very surprised. Even though it was something super small, I loved it.

Chris had been very vocal that he did not want to see that movie unless it was in the dollar theater. He even suggested that I see it with a few girlfriends. Lucky for him that didn't work out, because the day before Valentines Day he decided to try and surprise me. The part that tipped it off was that we had just found out that his brother was taking his wife to see The Vow and so I was teasing him about not taking me. Little did I know.

I won't say anything about the movie itself in case anyone who is reading this hasn't seen it. I hate hate hate when a story is spoiled. But I will say that I loved our date! It was amazingly simple and romantic. I hope you had a great Valentines Day, too!

This was supposed to post last week.

xoxo

six months

We've been married for half a year, as of yesterday. It has gone by so fast. I can't believe it's almost been a year since he proposed. Time flies. But, at the same time, I can't remember what life was like before august fifth. It seems like we have been married for forever. We have known each other for years now, so there weren't very many surprises or any major adjustments that needed to be made. I can honestly say I knew my man before i married him. But, even with five-six years of history behind our backs, it is amazing how much we continue to learn about each other with each new day. There is always more to learn because we are always changing, growing, and becoming. I love that I get to be married to my best friend and I am excited for what the future has to bring.

photo by julie parker

guilty pleasures

Last weekend we went to Zupas. and the week before that. and the week before that. If there is ever an excuse to go to Zupas, we're there. Mom's in town? Zupas. BYU basketball game? Zupas. It's our go-to, our guilty pleasure, our addiction.

I'm not trying to say that we eat out all the time. Not true. We try to limit ourselves to one outing a week, if that. But when we do go out, there are only a few places that we usually consider. And Zupas is number one. Being married to the pickiest eater alive, i kind of lucked out with his obsession for a soup/salad restaurant. right?

this is why we love it:

The paninis are my favorite. The worst part is having to choose between the Turkey Bacon Avocado and the Ultimate Grilled Cheese. No one should have to make that decision. No one.

The soups are pretty amazing, too. Good luck picking just one! My personal favorites are the Tomato Basil and the Chicken Enchilada.

And then you finish the night off with a refreshing chocolate covered strawberry.

It doesn't get much better than this.