Channeling My Inner Scottish Lass

 My future Sister-in-law, Robbie's fiance Lindsay, does Scottish dancing, aka Highland Dance, and her sister teaches it, so I've started taking lessons!  I've only had one class, but I'm loving it so far.  So much fun.  And I love the music, which makes it all the more enjoyable.

At some point I'm going to need to buy the proper shoes and costume, which are crazy expensive, so I'm saving up.  I want to start performing and competing next year, so I have a little time to piecemeal the outfit.  It's going to be a lot of fun picking out the tartan for my kilt :0)

I've been to a couple Scottish festivals this year, and I love listening to the bagpipes.  That's another bucket list item I have: play the drums in a Scottish pipe band.  That would be so much fun, as well, but I don't know anything about playing the drums.  I've got a great sense of rhythm and tap danced as a kid, so I wonder how hard it would be for me to learn the craft.

All things in their proper time!

Right now I'm going to enjoy dancing.

And I'm going to have fun channeling my inner Scott.

What I've Learned While Earning a Yellow Belt in Taekwondo

This last quarter was a tough one.

 I was super motivated while earning my white/yellow belt.  Had really good attendance.  Etc, etc.  But these last few months hit me pretty hard, and attending class became a struggle.  I only attended one of technique sections, and completely missed the poomsea and self defense section.  A week before testing I only had 9 attendance days in 3 months, a minimum of 16 attendance days is required to test, so in a week I made up those final 7 hours and passed off each section.

I was so close to quitting.

Both my Mom and my brother Robbie dropped out.  Taekwondo isn't a good fit for my Mom.  She prefers other sports.  My brother Robbie is getting married in a few months, so his priorities have shifted.  Now it's just my brother Michael and I.  He's loving it, so it's a fun activity we both enjoy.

I'm glad I fought through the feelings of quitting.  Quitting is never worth it.  I wouldn't know what could have been if I didn't follow through.  Earning a black belt isn't easy.  Man, all those mental blocks I'm working through.  There's so many.  Ehhhh, and I worry about injury.  I've heard so many stories of getting injured in Taekowndo from my classmates.  I don't want to brake a toe.  Or bust a knee.  Got to remember the proper way of doing all those various kicks.  And remember the proper techniques.

Oh!  And I got Best Tester again!

Ha!

The power of sticking it through!

And now I've started board braking.  Wow, oh wow.

Always Stay Close to the Light of the Gospel

"If we remove ourselves from the light of the gospel, our own light begins to dim—not in a day or a week but gradually over time—until we look back and can't quite understand why we had ever believed the gospel was true."

~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

July 2015 POPSUGAR Must Have Box Review

I love this box!  Love it so much I actually ordered two of them, and the second box arrived yesterday.  I don't know if I'd say this box has a super 'wow' factor, as the items lean more on the side of practical, but I love it just the same, because the practical items are neat.

POPSUGAR Must Have is a monthly subscription lifestyle box for gals.  The cost is $39.95 a month, free shipping, but it's cheaper when you subscribe with a 3, 6, or 12 months subscription.  On any month you can receive goodies for home, a book, fitness, snack, makeup, pampering, fashion, etc.  You never know what you're going to get, only that it will be fun and worth around $100, give or take a little.

 The big reveal!!

Henri Bendel Signature Stripe Canvas Dopp Kit, $28.

This is a really nice little bag.  Good for storing makeup or traveling toiletries.

It opens up nicely, and I love the material.  Feels sturdy and the zipper works nicely.

Plus it's cute, which is always a bonus :0)

Yes to Blueberries Cleansing Facial Towelettes, $6

I don't use facial towelettes all that often, just a couple times when I'd visit a hotel that provided one.  I've used these Yes to Blueberries towelettes a couple times, and they're really refreshing.  I typically use Clinique to wash my face, but in situations where I'm really tired or in a hurry, these have been really nice.

From their website:

"We’re suckers for a good multi-tasker, and these handy towelettes are something of a skincare cure-all. Both oil-free and hypoallergenic, the travel-friendly wipes will remove the day’s debris while delivering a boost of moisture. Thanks to their blend of natural fruit extracts, we’ve been on a steady diet of bright, smooth skin with zero pore-clogging residue. Plus, with 1% of all company profits going to fund community gardens, we’re not the only ones getting a healthy boost."

Sorial Card Case, $28

 This is a little card case with a gift code.  The handy size is just right for an I.D., credit card, and a little cash, for those moments when you don't want to lug around your wallet.  Nice and slim.

The $28 price tag is a bit of a joke.  Seriously?

Supergoop! Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50, $28

Another item I love!!!  I don't like putting on facial SPF, it comes in the makeup foundation I use, and that's usually enough, but on long days in the sun I hate slathering on thick smelly lotion all over my face.  This 3-in-1 (SPF, makeup setter, oil control) mist spray provides SPF 50 for two hours in the sun.  The smell is a little off putting at first, but it quickly goes away, and you don't feel the weight of the SPF like other brands.

Shake well!

POP Dental Silver Portable Sonic Toothbrush, $20

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

For the longest time I used another Sonic like tooth brush, but I hated how bulky it was, and the inconvenience of plugging it in all the time.  But this sonic toothbrush is battery powered and sleek.

It works so good, too!!!!!!

This is the main reason I got a second box :0)

SPECIAL EXTRA

Hallmark Signature Cards

These cards are so nice and high quality.

With all the POPSUGAR boxes that's been sent, they sent out a variety of cards to all the POPSUGAR subscription boxes.  Ironically between my two boxes and my Moms one box, we got these three cards each time.  I've seen pictures of the other cards that have been sent out and they're really nice, too.

 

The Good Bean Fruit and No Nut Bar, $2

I should probably get around to eating this.  Doesn't look appetizing.

Final thoughts.

Love this box!  Makes up for the June box which items remain un-removed.  And Popsugar needs to hire a new snack coordinator.  The snacks in these boxes use to be so awesome!!!!!  Now they're like 'meh'.

Ant-Man, Mini Movie Review

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Ant-Man.  Marvel's latest foray into the land of Super-Heroes, featuring a man that doesn't just shrink down to the size of an ant, but he can communicate with them as well.

First of all: I hate ants.  Everybody in my family knows this.  Somehow I have magic "discover ants in the house and kill them" powers.  And I'm really good at spotting searcher ants.

I shed no tears when an ant dies.  No candlelight vigils here.

But despite my great dislike of ants, I really enjoyed this movie about the cat burglar Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) turned superhero, attempting to pull off the greatest heist of all time.

And what I really like about this expanding Marvel universe, is that there's something for everyone.  I'm more on the Captain America/Thor side of the spectrum, but Ant-Man holds his own.  I really enjoyed the humor.  There's a nice mixture of drama and laughs.

Plus this movie is a must watch for all Marvel buffs, simply because of the introduction of the Quantum Realm, an alternate dimension in which time and space becomes irrelevant, which will play a role in the Doctor Strange movie headed up by Benedict Cumberbatch.

If you love the Marvel universe, movies involving espionage and infiltration, or good ol' fashion fun, you'll enjoy Ant-Man.

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence. 

Read Parents Guide Here.

 And Remember: Baskin Robbins Always Finds Out

Is it too late to change the name?

 

May You Be Gifted With Beautiful Fireworks

Happy 4th of July weekend.

I hope you have fun activities planned, and that you're celebrating 1776 in all it's glory.

But for now I have some pictures from a local Summer Fest last month.  They're not Independence fireworks, but they're still festive.

Not Now, I'm Dancing

"Not Now, I'm Dancing"

I saw this little dancing Charlie Brown figurine at a Hallmark Golden Crown Store.

And when I saw this something came to mind: Big Band Swing.

Abstract, but not really, because I had Swing music blasting through the house one afternoon and realized something very important: It's impossible to be in a bad mood when you're listening to swing.

So the next time you're in a bad mood, or just having a bad day, put on some swing music and dance around.  You'll be happy in no time :0)