Movie Mania

I just realized I have seen a lot of movies in the theaters lately (well, a lot for me at least). In the last three months, I've seen the following movies at the theaters. Here's what I thought of them:

• Twilight - I really liked this one and will probably end up buying it. Gotta love Edward (and the rest of the Cullens!)
  
• Australia - Beautiful scenery, amazing cinematography, great story.
  
• Four Christmases - Totally corny, I couldn't wait for the movie to be over.
  
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - AWESOME! Such a unique story and the acting was fantastic.
  
• Bride Wars - Pretty cute. Most of the funny parts were in the previews, but I totally love Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson. If you haven't seen it, you can probably wait until it comes out on video :-)
  
• Taken - Talk about intense! I saw this one last night, and it was action packed from the first minute. There was seriously not a single scene that I wasn't on the edge of my seat. I loved this movie, and will most definitely end up buying it!
  
• New in Town - Cute, but predictable. I did laugh a lot though.
  

Boise Young Professionals

Lately I have been feeling like I need to get more involved... more involved with my community, more involved in professional organizations, more involved at church, etc. I guess I have been feeling kind of like a slacker this winter, as I've found myself watching way too much tv. As we started this new year, I set a goal to join Boise Young Professionals. I felt like this would be an excellent way for me to network, meet new people, and give back to my community. Earlier this month I attended my first BYP event (the BYP monthly luncheon). I really tried to go out of my comfort zone... I introduced myself to several other members of BYP and I joined the Civic and Community Involvement Committee.

I know this will probably sound silly, but the entire luncheon, I was just super excited... excited that I was finally getting off my butt and trying something new, excited for the opportunities that I know I will have as part of this organization, excited to make some new friends that have some of the same goals and ambitions, etc. I can't wait for our next event, and am looking forward to helping plan and participate in events from which I can learn and grow and serve.

Yep, That's Me!

A year ago, I had no texting included in my phone plan and I paid 15 cents per text. Then, when I started at my new ward in March, I realized I would need at least a basic plan, as all announcements/reminders/party invites were sent out via text, so I upgraded to 250 texts per month. I soon decided that wasn't enough, as I kept going over my limit, so I bumped my plan up to 500 texts per month. I now have unlimited texting and can't imagine going without. I loved this comic my mom sent yesterday... it's so true - texting is one of the easiest ways to communicate and in many cases has replaced many of my other methods of communication such as email (people always have their phones with them, but aren't always at their computer checking their emails). How about you... does this comic ring a little too close to home?

I'm A Dork

I was really looking forward to Step class today at the gym. I walked from my office all the way across campus to the Rec Center, opened my locker, and THEN remembered that I didn't have any gym clothes. Ugh. There went my workout. Now I'm just sitting at my desk, wasting time, waiting for my lunch hour to be over. I know, I could skip lunch and just work, but it's Friday and I wanted this break :-)

I love Garden Valley

I promise, one day I will own property in Garden Valley, Idaho. I fell in love with Garden Valley a few years ago when Robin was kind enough to share her cabin with us. I enjoyed several outings to her cabin - girls camp, a family reunion, a weekend camping trip, and even one winter trip with a group of friends. It is so peaceful and beautiful, and the best part is it is only an hour outside of Boise, so you can make a quick weekend trip without a ton of driving. In the summer I enjoy the cooler temperatures, floating the river, and performances at Starlight Mountain Theater.

This weekend, I got a group of friends together, and we rented a cabin in beautiful Garden Valley. We had an excellent time relaxing by the fire, watching movies, and playing games. We also had a blast at the new tubing hill. The hill has six different lanes ranging from easy to hard, and a tow rope to take you back up the mountain. My favorite was lane three - it wasn't too technical, and the ending was straight and REALLY fast. They told us you could get going up to 27 miles per hour, but I think we may have gone faster than that... they kept moving us down the mountain because the runs were so fast (so they couldn't start us in the normal position or we would get too much momentum and not be able to stop at the end of the run).

It was also nice to get up out of the inversion we've been experiencing in Boise - I loved the blue sky and sunshine! The scenery on the way back down to Boise was stunning. At a couple of places, I wished there had been a good place to pull off the side of the road to take a picture - it was breathtaking!

Resolution Revolution

Remember Troy McClain from The Apprentice? I loved that show, and rooted for fellow Boisean Troy the whole way.
Well, a couple weekends ago, I had the chance to see him live and in person as he presented at "Resolution Revolution", a workshop put on by a local fitness company (Fitness Together) about making and setting goals and changing from the inside out. There were some great speakers, some excellent ideas on setting attainable goals, and all proceeds from the event went to the Special Olympics, so that made it even better! I liked one of the things they shared and thought I'd post it here. It talked about making "SMART" goals. So go back, look at any resolutions you have set, and think about altering them based on these suggestions. Goals should be:
Specific - set specific short-term and long-term goals
Measurable - make sure that you can measure your progress
Action - there should be action steps set to reach each goal
Realistic - don't set goals so high that they are unreachable, but do stretch yourself
Time - set a deadline for each goal

24-Hour and 3-Hour Shoes

I recently purchased two new pair of shoes. The first pair I got at the Black & White store, and I think they are just adorable!
After wearing them to work all day (for a total of 10 hours), and walking all over campus, I realized that I didn't want to wear them to work again... my feet were sore (you can't really tell from the picture, but those are 4-inch heels)! I decided that they were now solely church shoes, or my 3-hour shoes. I really don't know how people wear shoes like this all day long!

On the other hand, I now live in my new 24-hour shoes - my Uggs! I know, not anywhere near as cute as my new black shoes, but they are oh-so-comfortable! Jen has been telling me for months now how much she loves her Uggs. .. how warm they are, how soft they are, etc. I mentioned to her that I was thinking about getting Ugg slippers, but she convinced me to get boots and just wear them around the house like slippers. And that's exactly what I do! I wear these boots/slippers without socks and my feet are enveloped in comfort. Mandy tried them on and said that it felt like her foot was wrapped in a warm blanket. Thanks for the great suggestion Jen - I love my Uggs!

If I Had a Million Dollars...

Last night I got my second massage ever. It was fabulous, amazing, wonderful. It really just feels so good. The owner of the massage center informed me that it is important to get a massage at least once a month in order to flush toxins from your body and help with decreasing tension and something about muscle memory. Sounds great, right? Well, until you look at the price. A 55-minute massage at this particular place was $65. You also are expected to tip the massage therapist, which is $13 if you do a 20% tip, bringing the grand total to $78. Yes, they have a special if you sign up for a monthly package, but I calculated it out with tip, and even with the discount, you'd still be spending over $700 a year for monthly massages! So anyway, since I'm not made of money, I think I'll just stick to the once or twice a year plan :-)

Nomophobia

I have nomophobia, do you?

Happy New Year!

It's 2009, and I'm looking forward to a good year :-) I have lots planned, including a Caribbean cruise with Jen, trying to stick to a budget so I can save enough money to buy a new car, learning to love going to the gym (is this possible?), cooking more and eating out less, taking a pottery class, and more. This evening I plan on sitting down and making a list of my New Year's Resolutions... I really think it helps to write down my goals and refer back to them often. I actually made a goal collage last year with Katrina's family, and I accomplished many of the things I set out to do! Hooray! I hope that everyone had a good time ringing in the new year. Here's to 2009!