Five Reasons Why Cats ARE Awesome.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

#MyCatMyMuse #CollectiveBias

Cats have a bad reputation. I know, I know. Cats can be neurotic and kind of, well, not nice. Haha. But I am here to set the record straight with kitties. They aren't as bad as you think, people. I mean, I love dogs, too. Hello, we all know that I am obsessed with Saylor, the pup (let's be honest, I am just an all around animal lover.) I love hanging out with Boo and Luna and Boo's other little kittens at my in law's house. They are so dang cute! Here are the reasons why cats are alright in my book:

They will (sometimes) cuddle with you. 
I had cats growing up who would let me walk with them. They would walk me to the bus stop every day and they would cuddle with me. If you get the right cat, they are awesome, adorable, cuddly and fun.

You can plot with the cat when you're planning to kill someone. 
Sometimes you look at a cat and they look like they just want to kill you, someone, or just something. They give you that death stare and it's ridiculous. But, if you want to kill someone, you can always ask them ;) #ChronicMadFace

They kill mice! 
We all hate mice, lets be honest. They are disgusting, rotten creatures and we all want them dead. Here is where the cat comes in to save the day.

They are easy to take care of. 
You don't have to put them on a leash and take them outside to use the restroom, you don't have to take them the groomer, or take them for walks. You can leave food out for two weeks and leave.

They don't try to mooch off you like your dog does & you can feed them yummy cat food.
Saylor will literally sit there and stare at me as I eat. It is so annoying. Anytime that I walk into the kitchen, she will run in and sit at my feet. Cats won't always do that. They like their own food.

My favorite food to give Boo and Luna, the kitties that I share with my in laws is the

Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food

I like to give Boo and all of her kittens this particular cat food because with Muse you don’t have to choose between natural nutrition and food that tastes great. Your cat can have both when you choose Muse.  Muse cat food is only available at PetSmart and I love to buy it there because when I get Saylor's dog food, I just double whammy it! This product is natural and the kitties love it so much; it is a quality food product for my cats. 

Muse cat food has delicious wet recipes available in Chowder, Broth, and Paté. They are made with real fish or poultry, no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives are included, and it is a 100% complete and balanced meal for adult cats. With Muse, there are 30 different recipes and 24 grain-free varieties that you can choose from.

mmmm yummy cat food ;) 

It looked so yummy that Boo had to come in and try it! (Flash hurts her eyes! ha). 

Natural has never been so delicious. Put Muse to the test with our clean plate guarantee. Boo and Luna definitely did when I gave them this delicious wet cat food. 

I found this product in the "cat chow" aisle at my local PetSmart. 

Use this coupon to get your own Muse cat food today!

What are some other reasons why you love your kitty? 

Back-to-School Survival Supplies for the Ladies!

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

#CycleSurvival #CollectiveBias

Y'all ready for this? ;) 

I go back into to my class in a little over two weeks. This gives me a little bit of anxiety because, as a teacher, I hate to see summer coming to an end. Of course, I love to meet my new students, but the idea of "Back to School" makes me a little anxious. I am not ready to say goodbye to summer yet. 

"Cycle Survival" can sometimes not be the most fun thing in the world. Period symptoms are not very fun, I will tell you that much. But there are so many remedies nowadays that can help with this process, and for that, I am VERY grateful! I always keep a little basket of Survival Supplies for me (and for my girl students if they need!) just in case. Teaching 6th grade means you get to watch out for the girls in this manner! 

Sometimes it is challenging to deal with these side effects. Yet, there are also so many POSITIVE aspects of being a woman. I always remind myself how grateful I am for the opportunity to have things that help me every month, instead of just living in pain constantly. I am grateful that I can have supplies that make me feel more confident as I deal with this process every month! 

My Cycle Survival Supplies usually rotate in and out, but there are always three products that are constantly repeated: 

U by Kotex CleanWear® by U

BiC Shaving Products

EOS Lip Balm

The U by Kotex CleanWear® has protection, but it doesn't even feel like you are wearing anything, that is why I love them so much!! It has a 3d Capture so you don't have to deal with embarrassing period stories (Oh my…I can't even begin to tell you some of mine) while being very comfortable. 

I usually add in some Excedrin Migraine (because headaches and migraines always come during the special time of month) and a yummy treat. Pop Tarts are perfect to have in the basket in my classroom because I can warm them up in my faculty room. And is it just me or do we all need a little something sweet during those "sweet times." ;) 

I keep all of these products in a cute little basket in a cupboard in my classroom. It is the perfect little "Cycle Survival Kit" for me during the school day. I add in some tampons in case the girls need to use them as well. 

You can find these products in the "feminine care" aisle at your local Walgreens. 

You can find these two products in the "shaving" and "travel size" aisle at your local Walgreens. 

As of right now, if you buy $15 of participating U by Kotex / EOS / BIC products, you will receive 3,000 Balance Reward Points at Walgreens. I currently have ten dollars to spend at my local Walgreens because of my rewards points card! 

You can find more inspirational and awesome posts about Cycle Survival here. 

Five Reasons Why You Need a Dog.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PetsLoveBeyond #CollectiveBias

1. It's fun to spoil a dog. 

See, with kids you can kind of spoil them, but not really, because you don't want them to be brats. But with dogs, you can spoil them as much as you want. You can give them treats and cuddles and let them sit on your lap in the car. It's like being a grandma except this "kid" doesn't talk back. I love spoiling Saylor with Purina® Beyond® Grain Free pet food. She LOVES the Ranch Raise Lamb recipe because, well, MEAT! Because of her mix, she is allergic to grain (diva) so we love to give her this food that doesn't upset her stomach and this works great. It has all natural ingredients and includes real meat--which is Saylor's favorite. 

H-E-B is my preferred retailer for Purina® Beyond® Grain Free Dog Food. You can find this product in the "Dry Dog Food" Aisle of your local H-E-B. Mine was located at the top of the shelf. 

2. Sometimes dogs are cuter than kids. 

I mean, come on, guys. Let's be real here for a second. There are a LOT of beautiful children (AKA anyone in my family…duh), but there are also some really unfortunate looking children. As of right now, I don't know if I'm willing to take the chance of having an ugly kid, people. Because it could happen. If that child gets Tanner's teeth with my mouth…not good. Anywho, you can choose a dog that is as adorable as Saylor. She's a mini aussie doodle and she's kind of the prettiest dog out there. 

3. Dogs love you more than anything. 

I leave the house to take the garbage out and I come back in and she's just as excited to see me as if I left for ten hours. I can't tell you how awesome it is to have an animal adore you no matter what you do. It's amazing. 

4. You have an excuse to get outside. 
I love having a dog because even if I don't have time to do an excessive hike or go to the gym, I always walk my dog. She loves to be outside so I get that time to walk her and get some fresh air myself. I love having a buddy that goes on hikes, walks, and hangs outside with me when I'm reading in my hammock.

5. It brings your family closer together. 
I know this sounds weird, but Saylor has brought us closer. We love to take her on walks together, we love to play with her. I swear…42% of our conversations revolve around having a dog. (I didn't know you could talk about a dog's poop so much?). She is so fun to have around. If you have kids, the kids all play with her together. It was so funny to watch all of my nieces and nephews play with her this past week. They all wanted to give her commands, lay on her, play fetch with her.

I mean, hello. Dogs are the best (specifically, Saylor.) 

Yes, I know. Go have a kid. blah blah blah. 

What Grain Free dog food do you use for your favorite furry friend? :)
What are some other reasons why you love your dog?

HomeMaker. Yikes.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PowerfulProtein #CollectiveBias

Sigh. Homemaking. The ever so controversial topic. ;)

Being a religious woman, I feel an immeasurable amount of pressure to be the perfect homemaker: to cook, clean, design & furnish a home, do laundry, garden, etc. Please don't tell me that I am the only one who feels this? Is this just a religious thing or do most women feel this way?

I am a horrible cook, so I rarely do it. I love to clean, but I am a perfectionist when it comes to cleaning so I will spend 3 hours on one bathroom and that is just too much time for one little space! I love to design and furnish my home, but I don't have the budget that I want. Ha.

This past week, I had my sister and her four kids staying in my cute little home. It was hectic, but I loved having them here (and so did Saylor!). I wanted more than anything to be able to have my home all completely moved in (yea, we still have some boxes here and there) and furnished. I wanted a kitchen table and a couch and a coffee table. My problem is that I am quite particular and have such a distinct taste, but nothing I find is even close to my price range. I have expensive taste, unfortunately. I felt bad that I didn't have a big enough couch for them to sit on, or a big enough kitchen table for all of the kids to dine at. I know that THEY didn't care, but I did. I love to host and I want people to love to come to my home and feel comfortable.

But, see, what I realized as I was thinking about this is: That is a huge part about being a homemaker. That's what I think some people fail to understand! People don't care what kind of couch you have or what your kitchen cabinets look like--they want to feel comfortable and welcome in your home. THAT is what makes a good homemaker, in my opinion.

I've also learned this: I have never met a woman who is amazing at every aspect of homemaking.
I know women who are amazing cooks, but their home is not super clean.
I know women who have immaculate homes, but they will avoid laundry at all costs.
I know women who will garden for hours, but not cook their own meals!

I mentioned above that I am a horrible cook. I thought that I would learn to love it because I am a creative person and maybe now that I have a bigger kitchen, I might. But who knows. As of now, I don't love it. Even after 2 years of marriage. Especially after a long day of teaching, the last thing that I want to do is put together a meal. Plus, it is really hard to cook for two people! I don't particularly want the same leftovers for 5 days.

So yes, sometimes I am a wife who just doesn't have time to prepare from-scratch meals for her husband every day. And that's okay. On nights when I am gone, working late, or simply out on the town, I simply give my husband a STOUFFER'S® Fit Kitchen meal to cook. These meals are easy and balanced and have an incredible source of protein with 25 grams each. They are so convenient it only takes ten minutes to prepare. 

He's very focused while watching tv. Typical guy.

Don't mind my messy, unfurnished home. Ironic ;) See how focused he is while eating his yummy meal?

You can find these meals at your local Walmart in the frozen meal aisle. 

How would new STOUFFER'S® Fit Kitchen fit into your lifestyle?

Follow for more info: 

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What do you love about homemaking?
What don't you love about homemaking? 
What are things that make the process of being a homemaker easier for you? 

Five Places to Roadtrip in Utah.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.  #FuelTheLove #CollectiveBias

T Money and I just bought a house in May.

Which is awesome. 

This also means that we have to build our money back up and we are poor. Ha. 

So, for this summer, we are hanging around Utah and doing little fun day trips. There are so many exciting things to do in Utah, especially in the summer. There are so many activities, explorations and adventures that I didn't even know about in Utah until recently, so we are taking the time to do some awesome (semi) local activities. 

Piper, my 2013 Subaru Outback,  is an awesome car. She gets good gas mileage, has all wheel drive, has lots of room, and is just pretty. Maybe its the Oregonian rooted in me (get it? Trees…) but I love my car. And taking care of my car is very important to me! In order to do these road trips, I have to take care of her well. 

In order to prepare for these mini road trips, Piper needed an oil change. Just recently I took her into the Walmart Automotive Care Center while I was doing my shopping in my local Walmart. It was so awesome for the car to be done while I got to do my shopping! 

Also: From June 10th to September 9th, Pennzoil oil changes will be on Rollback at Walmart Automotive Care Center stores. The High Mileage price is $35.88, (Industry standard prices are 46$ or more!). The Platinum Full Synthetic oil price is $45.88, (Industry standard is 66$ or more!). 

My car takes Synthetic Motor Oil, which is what the Car Center put in. The Platinum (synthetic motor oil)  is best for cleanliness and protection when it comes to the Pennzoil line-up. 

Some other things that I have learned about Pennzoil oil after I have taken it in is: 

• All Pennzoil products help clean out the other oils left behind. 
• Pennzoil is designed for complete protection and will allow you to drive an extra of 550 miles per year--which is seriously awesome! 
• It is great protection from friction. 

Follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more info!

T Money got to look at fishing gear and new tires while the oil change was being done. It was very efficient! This is how she looked after. Ain't she pretty? :) 

After Piper had her oil change and was ready to rock and roll, T Money and I were ready to spend this summer doing our day trips. Now, I know that there are tons of other places to visit in Utah, but these are some of our top five favorites places to road trip in Utah (so far)! 

1. St. George, Utah. 

The red rock should be enough of a draw to this awesome place! 

2. Zion's National Park 

T Money and I love to visit and hike down here. This is a place that everyone needs to visit :) 

3. Alpine Loop, American Fork Canyon 

One of my favorite drives to do in the Spring and Fall is the Alpine Loop over the American Fork Canyon into Midway. It is absolutely gorgeous!! 

4. Strawberry Reservoir 

This is up Daniels Canyon near Heber. Take the road out and you will get to this awesome fishing location. T Money and his dad have spent many days and nights hunting, fishing and camping out here. 

5. Deer Creek Reservoir. 

Deer Creek is just up Provo Canyon near Heber City. It is a gorgeous reservoir located right against the mountains. This is where T Money proposed to me. We have many fond memories of boating, fishing, and playing here. 

photos via Instagram. 

Where are your favorite mini road trips? 

What do you do to keep your car taken care of?

The Cure for an Active Husband.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MySignatureMove #CollectiveBias

I am an introvert. I know that this shocks many people that I am around, but, I promise that it is true. I love to cuddle up and watch Netflix, read a book, take a bath, go for a walk with my puppy, etc. I love to spend time alone. I truly love it. Especially after spending 8 hours a day with 12 year olds. 

My husband, however, is an extrovert. He loves to be around people and BE MOVING. Holy cow, my husband is one of the most active people I know. He is always rock climbing, playing some sport, hiking, fishing, etc. I love it because it gets me out and moving. 

I also don't love it because when he comes home, he is so incredibly stinky. Oh. My. Goodness. In fact, one time I sprayed him with Febreeze when he walked in. He loved that. 

T Money loves to smell good. He doesn't like smelly anything. He is, actually, quite particular in his body wash smells. He has chosen Irish Spring Hydrating Body Wash and Bar Soap before and both of us love the smell! 

Tanner is super stoked for his new yummy smells!!! 

It smells so good that Saylor even wants a smell :) 

I am so happy that I get a yummy smelling husband with these smells!  

I found these products at my local Walmart in the "Hygiene--Body Wash" section. 

Also, if you purchase one of the new Irish Spring Signature products, you will get $5 off a VUDU purchase! Take a picture of your receipt and then go to here to upload your receipt. Next step, enjoy watching!