Our New Place!

It wasn't exactly like we remembered; however, we love it! It's super small, and was built FOREVER ago! It's nice and cozy and everything two poor newlywed college kids should live in! I definitely have a lot of cleaning and decorating to do! I plan to play on the vintage theme. Here is some pictures from our first visit! 

The kitchen! I don't know where we will put a table...but there is a lot of cupboard space!

Our living room! So small, maybe a love seat will fit?

 The bedroom! Hole in the wall included!

                                               

     All Dallin had to say about this one is "where is my cleaning brush?" :)

Wedding Registry Checklist and Comparisons

First of all, I want to say that registering at Target was 1,000 times easier than Walmart! Target had a beautiful checklist that helped me know where to start and what to get. It cut my time looking for things in half, and I know that I didn't miss anything! They were also way better on quickly adding things. Walmart had a 5 second wait time that changed the page so I ended up adding 20 things to the "cart" rather than the registry. Target's search engine was more efficient. They had it so it would search the whole store every time, but Walmart made you choose what "department" you wanted. I ended up looking for kid's decorations for 5 minutes before I realized I was in the kid section. 

So the checklist! Where do you start? What do you get? The answer is all at this link: Target's Checklist. It organizes what you want by the room "Kitchen", "Entertainment", "Home", and then sub categories. I could write about it all day, but it would be quicker for you to look at it! 

The Unplanned Christmas Traditions

-          For some reason there is a whole side to Christmas not advertised by Hollywood. Our holiday season comes and goes, and looking back over the last few Christmas’s I’ve noticed traditions that I never planned, but that are consistent through the years. I’ve found such a pattern that it’s led me to the top 10 Unplanned Christmas Traditions. 

1. Getting sick. I don’t know how, but it always happens every year, but you never plan on getting sick.

2. Traveling in bad weather. Surprise! Now you have to spend 2 hours digging someone out of the snow. Merry Christmas.

3. A Christmas afternoon surprise nap, because for some reason I never think about how waking up at 6 AM after going to bed at 1 AM will affect me.

4. Shopping. Apparently everyone in America decides to go to the same mall as me at the exact same time.  

5. Somehow I end up making a phone call to a customer service agent every year and my entire Christmas spirit is at their finger tips. 

6. Shipping time on gifts, no matter how many times it happens I always order at the last second and hope and pray they’ll get here on time.

7. Along with shopping, a tradition that I would rather not plan for it spending way more than I thought I would. Set a budget? Ain’t no body got time fo that.

8. Wrapping Presents ALWAYS takes longer than I thought…and it is not fun. I don’t plan on it, but somebody has to do it.

9. Making way more food than is necessary. This is a happy unplanned tradition. There is always a lot of food around the house.

10. Buying a gift for the “let’s not give presents this year people” because they ALWAYS end up giving gifts, and you don’t want to be the person who fell for that trick again. 

BONUS!!!

Returning gifts. It's America, go get what you really want. 

Merry Christmas everybody! May the odd's be ever in your favor. 

The PERFECT College Party!

Buh buh buh dah! A CEREAL party! My roommate Annie LOVES cereal! It was her birthday so we put two and two together to make a cereal party! Let me just say, this was THE BEST idea for a party ever! Cereal is super cheap, and the milk was fairly cheap, which means a cheap super creative idea. Everyone loved it. You could mix the cereals or, if you're like me, keep them separate. Lot's of food, and a good snack while we watched the BYU vs UofU game. Here are the pictures!

Fast Forward To the Happiest Time of My Life

Somewhere in the last 4 months my best friend got home from his mission (here's what that looked like)

He went to Ghana, Africa and these are their traditional clothes

And then this happened.....

And now I'm living the best time of my life. Of course being engaged sucks, but at least I have my best friend back now!!! Our wedding is in 36 days (Jan. 18, 2014)! The next few posts will be about what being engaged is like! 

Colorful Ways to Bring Art to Your Classroom

If you’ve got elementary-age kids, you’ve probably got some fun art hanging on your fridge that your son or daughter brought home proudly from class.  But you and I both know that art in schools is shrinking – we see less painting and dancing and music as the focus turns more and more toward succeeding on tests.  Well, a program at BYU is trying to teach teachers that it doesn’t have to be one or the other – art or math; dance or history.  The two can go hand in hand, as BYU Morning Show producer Jessica Black reports.

The room full of about 50 teachers is stretching their arms in ways you wouldn’t expect from the authority figure in front of the classroom. Like gymnasts preparing for a meet, they lean and bend and contort their bodies.

 “We do it in my classroom every morning” “You do?” “Oh yeah, and my kids before we have a big test say (gasp) Mrs. Leslie stop we need to do the brain dance before we do this. Oh, they’re believers.”

 “I do it in my classroom too, and my kids believe that they get better test scores if we do it because it helps their brain work on both sides of their head.”

Kelleen Leslie and Deborah Hansen – they teach 3^rdand 4^th grade. And "The Brain Dance" is just one part of a whole array of art forms they’re learning to incorporate in their classrooms. It’s not just for fun. The dance gets results, says Hansen.

 “I have a couple of students in my class who are very stressed about testing. And um, we’ve struggled like if they have to do a timed test or something like that, they just, they start breathing heavy and they get really nervous about it and worry and then they can’t seem to focus on their test and they kind of bomb it. And so whenever I say we’re going to have a test they go “(gasp) Oh no! Oh no!” and so if we stop and we do the brain dance and they are able to calm themselves down, they are able to do the test, and they do well on the test because they know the material they’re just afraid of testing”

The arts integration program doesn’t stop at dance; Dolly Sharf a 5^th grade teacher took a normal persuasive essay and put a holiday Grinch twist on it.

 “We just drew wonderful Grinch’s and they are hanging out in the hall they are about life size they are fabulous, and we’re writing letters to the Grinch to persuade him whether or not he should take Christmas away or let us celebrate, and they are excited to write letters. They are essay persuasive letters which has been a part of the core for a long time. Doing that same letter without a fun person to tie into was not nearly as productive.”

Making the idea of art come to life is something Julie Christopherson, a fine arts coordinator for her school district, has seen first-hand.

“We have seen children as they are doing reviews sitting there in their seats. Taking the test and moving. And retaining the information they have learned. We should not pull out of kids and negate what they’re hardwired to do when they come to school. They play, they sing, they dance, they move, they draw, and we want to foster that rather than just rob them of it by the time they hit the 6^th grade. “

And this is something she believes will have a lasting effect.

“And we have seen some life changing experiences both in the parts of the teachers and in the students. For example, we had a classroom teacher after they had a visual art training, ask the students, now who would come on a weekend, and she thought all these girls would raise their hand, but one rowdy little boy said, “If I had art I would come every Saturday. If you would teach me art.” And that’s what it’s all about. We realize that this is something they carry through with them the rest of their lives, and the classroom teacher, bless their hearts, they are the stalwarts they’re the bastions that have to carry the whole load. We’re trying to ease that load by showing them exciting ways they can use the arts and use them with their children to make a difference. We have seen teachers just amazed. “That child never participates.”  Did a drama lesson. “He raised. He participated.” And the teachers were floored. So it’s so important for kids. It’s something that we all know and that we’re all working toward the same goal.” 

Whether it's through literature, paint, or dance art in the classroom doesn't have to be a distraction, but an aid.

Making A Resume Reel

    The broadcast world is full of cut throat journalists bidding for seconds of time in the spotlight. Now that I am entering the dog-eat-dog arena I am learning the trade. In the broadcast program at BYU I have several classes using a "resume reel" as a final assignment, but this is just the beginning. I am having to balance getting it done quickly and doing it right. Here is what I have learned so far.
    How to make a resume reel:
            1. Make sure you are calm yet very entertaining so people won't take their eyes of you
            2. When choosing footage try and get as many shots where you are not looking like you're homeless
            3. As you edit use YouTube for references, you'll probably end up copying from some other broadcast student from a different school and level the playing field
            4. Show you are creative, but don't go outside of the strict guidelines of what everyone else is doing on their resume reels
            5. Finally, "have fun" right. All you have to do is get a job in less than 5 minutes.

Analysis of Fox: The Five

The chemistry on “The Five” was great! The journalism was barely present. It was definitely a bias. I usually do not watch Fox because the lack of objectivity makes me gag, but I felt great as far as the conversation between the anchors. Whenever you talk about politics it becomes an argument, and even then they were still able to feel like friends. I felt like I was sitting in a living room at a family party (my family always has these kinds of conversations as well). Bob wasn’t everyone’s favorite, but they need some conflict to make a show. Bob actually was the one who had the most trustworthy opinion because he was willing to say no to the bias of the other anchors. A lot of this show was giving opinion, and it was not considered news. I do have to commend the anchors on being able to not talk over each other. Despite their disagreements they were able to keep the debate organized. Near the “Obamacare Fallout” they got really heated. The show was built on the drama of disagreement. Eric was very upset, and they left at the climax. I don’t think this was on accident, they like to build on drama, but it seems to me that once the cameras are off, and the debate is over, the anchors would be good friends. 

How to Make A Bridezilla

I’ve recently entered the new status of “engaged person” as people call us. We are known to touch a lot in public, have a glazed look over our eyes, and be completely oblivious to everyone around us…outside of our significant other of course. Now, this is understandable. We have finally gotten to the point in our lives where we can marry our best friend, and we want to get a good look at who we are going to have to wake up to every day. And while all of this love is in the air, eventually someone reminds the blushing bride that she has to plan a wedding; equipped with music, cake, food for 500 or more people, look like a model, which includes finding a dress that makes her look good, order dozens of flowers, and book a photographer just to name a few, all while keeping her budget in range of a few thousand dollars. I, like you, think bridezilla’s was just a funny phrase that only happens to really high maintenance girls. But now I am quickly coming to the realization that this is a much more common phenomenon then people give credit, not only does it happen more than I thought, but it is happening to me! My once rational thought process for organization and common courtesy is slowly sinking down the drain, and I find myself cutting people’s sentences off, demanding my way, and starving myself to look good. This wasn’t something I would have ever guessed for myself, but planning a wedding does something to you. So, I wanted to give you a personal experience of how to create a bridezilla’s, and let me give you a hint, it’s not by taste testing too much cake.

Number one if you want to create a bride-zilla offer to help her find a wedding dress and show her pictures of size 0 models. Remind her that her body is a lot bigger than those and that she should probably find a dress that fits her “body type”. This will begin

the process of wedding dieting that is the first step in creating a grumpy bride.  

Give her an impossible budget to work with, basically this is anything under a million dollars.

Take her to every reception you can find, to remind her of the stiff competition she has to compete with. It would also help if you told her that this reception is her way of exhibiting herself to, basically, everyone she knows and that this is about the only time in her life that her style will be on display.

When she mentions the small progress she has made, make sure you read off the entire list of other things she still needs to do. This will put her into a panic and she will feel like she hasn’t made any progress at all. It is imperative that whenever she marks one thing off her list you add another forgotten task.

Listen to her ideas then replace them with ones that were popular in the 1980’s.

Fill her schedule with school work so she has absolutely no time to plan, and then remind her that her wedding won’t plan itself.

Surround her with fattening food, so that when she is getting stressed out the first thing she grabs in the chocolate to make her feel better. This will make her fat and make her feel guilty for being so over weight, and put her right on target to starve herself this will in turn make her more upset and more mad than ever.

Remind her every other day that she will have no financial support from her parents in the next month or so. A week is just the right amount time for her to relax, by remind her on a weekly basis she will then become stressed again at the thought of being cut off financially. If, by chance, your bride doesn’t react to the reminder, you can always list off the new bills she will be responsible for.

Make sure you play every break up song you can just after she has a fight with her fiancé, preferably the tear jerkers, this will remind her that love never lasts and that the chance of this marriage is 1 in 10.

And finally, NEVER give her time with her fiancé. This will take away her one stress reliever and ensure she forgets why she is doing all this work to begin with.

There ya have it! That is the recipe for disaster and for all of my fellow bride-zilla’s out there, don't worry, it’s not you, it’s everyone else. 

Pilot Shortage

What happens when there are not enough pilots to fly the planes? This question is going to be hitting every major regional airline in coming years. There are currently not enough student pilots to fill the spots of those retiring pilots. Why? The major airlines continue to push down regional pilots pay. It is now to the point that the average regional First Officer pilot is making $40,000 a year; this isn't enough to cover the student loans that got him in the cockpit to begin with. One Skywest pilot asked his corporate executive how he feels justified that his pilots qualify for food stamps. This is just the beginning of the story on what we can expect to see in the next coming years when we hit this deficit. So, before you go planning that trip to the Bahamas you may want to check up. Stay with us, for the in detail story.

Sequestration Hits Timpanogos Cave

One of Utah's most treasured trails closed 2 weeks earlier than normal because of the sequestration. Timpanogos Cave National Monument sold out all weekend and rangers say it would have this next weekend too, if they had the budget to stay open. Almost 2,000 hikers went to the top of the mountain this weekend. They are the last visitors to see the cave this year.

Donna Barron, a hiker from Texas said, "We have these beautiful national parks and people want to be able to enjoy them as many months as possible so i would hate to see any reduction in the hours."

Since the cuts in Washington organizers have struggled all year to try and make the most of out of their funding. Rangers say they took a 5 % reduction in their budget., and that means cuts all across the board.

The Superintendent at Timpanogos Cave, Jim Ireland said, "We cut out all unnecessary travel. We cut our supplies budget, but really the bulk of our budget goes into our personal services."

The Timpanogos team would have stayed open over UEA weekend but they couldn't afford it, even after spreading the work among fewer employees and reducing programs.

Public Relations Ranger BJ Cluff said the kids are the ones really being impacted. She said "We've had fewer school groups that are able to come up and take advantage of going on field trips."

Timpanogos cave won't open again until next may. Until then, rangers will prepare the trails for winter and repair damage from recent rainstorms. Timpanogos administrators say they hope they'll have more money to work with next year, and if not they will continue to make cuts where necessary.

International News for September 11, 2013

This newscast aired at 8:30 AM on BYU Radio 

In remembrance of the nearly 3 thousand people who died 12 years ago on September 11^th more than a thousand people gathered in Manhattan, and 2 million people are expected to join in a tribute motorcycle ride in Washington D.C.

Iran is ramping up its threats to the United States even as President Obama put any attack on Syria on hold.  They are warning that any military action against Syria will cause a military and terrorist reaction on U.S. targets and allies.

A powerful car bomb killed six people near Libya’s Foreign Ministry building and injured 17 others. The explosion happened in the heart of the eastern coastal city of Benghazi, exactly one year after an attack there killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.

Two Colorado Democrats who provided crucial support for new gun-control laws were voted out of office in a recall vote widely seen as a test of popular support for gun restrictions.

A powder artificial egg’ goes on sale in supermarkets for the first time today. Made from plants and named “Beyond Egg’s” can replace eggs in everything from cakes to mayonnaise.

International News for September 10, 2013

This newscast aired at 8:30 AM on BYU Radio,

Syria has accepted a Russian proposal to put the country's chemical weapons sites under international control, in hopes of avoiding a U.S. military strike. While skeptical, U.S. officials said they would work with Russia on the idea. France's foreign minister promised to bring the idea before the U.N. Security Council today. President Obama is to address Americans tonight at 9 pm Eastern Time.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will open landmark hearings in the nation's capital that could ultimately lead to the legalization of marijuana.

Apple is announcing a new iPhone today at 1 pm. Some expect a fingerprint sensor for extra, while others guess the company will show off two iPhone models: a high-end 5S and a lower-cost 5c.

Pakistan will release former second in command of the Afghan Taliban as soon as this month to help advance peace efforts in Afghanistan.

U.S stock index rose this morning putting the S&P 500 on track for a sixth day of gains.

Salt Lake City Welcomes First Comic Con

Superman and Star Wars fans filled the Salt Palace this weekend drawing quite the crowd for Utah’s first Comic Con. Just 2 hours into Saturday's first ever Salt Lake City Comic Con  event staff sold 50,000 tickets, but despite the tight fit there was plenty of room to let your freak flag fly.

                Comic Con organizer Emilee Bertot said, "Whether you’re young or whether you’re old, you either like the video games or you like the movies, or you want to see a star you've known from the past that you grew up with, or anything there is kind of something for everyone here."

Those attending say dressing up and letting out their inner child is one of the best parts of Comic Con. You can be anything you want at this venue whether you're a Princess Leia junky or a classic comic book lover.

Chassie Stevens who attended the event said, "My favorite part, personally, is people watching, because, I don't know. There is so many different people here."

It wasn't just Utahans good taste in fashion that drew the crowds. Major comic celebrities were attending as well William Shatner and Adam West, along with marvel mastermind Stan Lee.

               Organizers say they plan to host this in Salt Lake for many years to come. After reaching full capacity by 3 pm they felt safe saying the event was a success.  Organizers tell us the total number of tickets they sold was between 50,000 to 90,000 which break attendance records compared to any other first time Comic Con in history.

International News for September 6, 2013

This newscast aired at 8:30 AM on BYU Radio,

President Obama is holding a press conference on the potential attack on Syria right now hoping to gain support. The President says he plans to address Americans on the issue Tuesday and that the attack would be stronger if Congress and the American people understood why he thinks military action is what the US should do.

A ThinkProgress analysis of the public statements of the House of Representatives has found the majority has either decisively ruled out attacking Syria or say they are unlikely to back it. Just 44 members of group say they will definitely or likely vote in favor or the resolution. The earliest they could vote on the measure is Monday.

Last month’s U.S. jobless rate was at 7.3%, slightly lower than July’s rate, and the jobs created in August was at 169,000.

Islamist’s have taken over the town Dalga in Egypt. It was part of a wave of attacks in the southern Minya province that targeted Christians. 

If you want to take a flight to space it’s just $200,000. A commercial spacecraft had a successful test flight over California. Billionaire Richard Branson plans take customers for a two-hour ride to break the sound barrier. He plans to have 600 bookings in the first two years.

Salt Lake City Comic Con

Have you ever wanted to shake the hand of batman? Join 30,000 others at the Salt Palace this weekend, and make your dreams come true! Comic Con is coming to Utah, and Jessica Black has the story. See comic classic stars like Lou Ferrigno (original hulk), Burt Ward (original Robin), and Adam West (original Batman). Stay tuned for more information on the event! 

>http://saltlakecomiccon.com/

Surprise Summer!

This is Alex's wedding! It was so much fun! I've missed my roommates more than I thought I would. The bridesmades dresses were a bit of a joke at first, but after taking a good 3 inches off the bottom they ended up looking alright after all! This summer is turning out to be a lot more fun than I thought. 

Me and my mom painted my room. 

I go fourwheeling with my guitar, and I went to NYC. 

I've been running and eating healthy and in a month I lost 8 pounds. Me and my mom went shopping and got a bunch of new stuff! The only thing I wish I would do more of is go hiking and stuff like that, but in all actuality it has been an awesome summer and I'm glad I came home! I don't know what it would have been like in Provo, but I do know that I am enjoying my time here. I'm glad for this time with my parents and I truly feel like the Lord wanted me here, in Grantsville, for the summer. 

It is 2 weeks from tomorrow that I will get to see the love of my life and I can't wait to hug him! I have SO many feelings going through me right now. I don't want to have any expectations for him when he gets back. He can be super awkward or jump head first into dating, either way I'm letting him take the lead. I decided this after EVERYONE and their dog tried to tell me how to live my life. I started getting really stressed about it, and then I realized I can't control ANYTHING right now, so there is no need to worry about it. In his letters he seems really excited to see me and I'm sure it will all work out great :) I got him all signed up for housing with Jade, and his classes will be hard, but they say RM's can study really well so he will be okay. I hope so! His parents only signed him up for half a year for housing because we might get married mid semester. I hope so. I am sick of being single and I want to move on with my life! Last year of college coming right up! I'll write about him coming home, but I think this was a pretty good catch up for now!

Back in the Armpit of Utah

I'm back in Grantsville. Ugh....I don't like it here. There are just a bunch of people not doing ANYTHING with their lives. There are not many people my age here, no one to date, and every time I go to Provo I just want to nail my feet to the floor so I can't leave. So, why am I here? My mom. She was unbelievably happy to have my stay here, and I couldn't disappoint her. Welcome to the worst summer of my life.