Friday, July 21, 2017

Why you should watch Big Brother

This may be the stupidest post ever but I love Big Brother so much and I feel like no one else watches it. So consider this a public service announcement to tell my fellow tv lovers why you need to watch Big Brother hahah!

First, do you hate getting caught up on a show and you have to wait a whole week until the next episode? Ya. Me too. Well, Big Brother comes on 3 times a week. Sometimes even 4 times and it's the best! It's on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, so none of that waiting 7 days to watch the next episode nonsense. I really wish it was on 5 days of the week at least if I'm being honest. It's that good.

Second, the people are hilarious. The editing is awesome and these characters in the Big Brother house are nuts (Cody from this season, anyone?!). But I feel like I really get to know these people and they become my summer friends.. is that weird?

Third, the drama. I live for dramatic tv. I think it is so entertaining and I love listening to the contestant's strategies and to see how the twists of the game affect them and their alliances.

Fourth, it keeps you on your freaking toes. I honestly never know who is going home from one week to the next. The people who seem to be controlling the house one week could easily be on the bottom the next week and then have the power again the following week. It's insanity and such. good. tv.

Fifth, the challenges! They are so fun and creative and look like a blast! They are super entertaining to watch and it's very similar to Survivor if you like that show (another one of our favorites).

My family randomly draws names each summer so each of us have two contestants that are 'ours' to root for. We don't gamble but if we did, we would each put $5 or $10 in and whoever has the winning contestant would win the money. Matlin's won last year so she won the bragging rights. This draw adds a new twist because even if you hate the person you have because they are an idiot in the house, you still don't want them to go home! Can you tell I love it? hahah

So ya. You should watch Big Brother because it's the best of the best of summer tv! And if you do watch it, who are your favorites? I could talk about this all day so hit me up!

And a selfie bc I have no BB photos :P.


Happy Friday! xoxo, Chelan

Thursday, July 20, 2017

5 things to do each morning for a productive day


I'll be honest and say that I am not the most efficient person and I do tend to get distracted easily so my productive days where I just go, go, go the whole day don't happen as often as I'd like. So that's a goal of mine right now! To be more productive!

Parker is one of the most productive people I've ever met. He hates being lazy and loves that feeling at the end of the day where he knows he did everything he needed to that day. I love that feeling, too, so why is it so hard for me to be productive every day? Idk! To help me reach my goal of being more productive, I've compiled a list of things to do when I first wake up to ensure that I'll have a more productive day!



1. Wake up early (or semi-early). I am not a morning person. It is sooooo hard for me to pull myself out of bed. So when I say wake up early I mean 8 am is perfect. Not too early, but not too late. I can go to bed at midnight and wake up at 8 and feel well rested. I need about 8-9 hours of sleep to feel good. When I wake up at a decent hour, there's so much more time for me to do things while Parker is at school so we can spend time together when he comes home!

2. Pray. Starting my day off with prayer makes the biggest difference! Through prayer, I'm able to reflect on everything that I am grateful for and to really think about what my goals are and what I need to do. Acknowledging God's hand in my life at the beginning of the day just sets me up for a good day where I'm noticing His hand all day long.

3. Stay off your phone. Don't even look at it. I use my phone for my alarm so sometimes this is kind of hard but it's so worth it! I'm such a hypocrite for saying this since I stayed on my phone for an hour after I woke up this morning. Those dang notifications lol! But when I don't look at my phone right away I will get out of bed and be productive right from the get go. If I stay on my phone for an hour, then I feel just plain blah for that wasted hour of my life that I will never get back. There's never really anything super important on social media that won't be there later anyway, right?

4. Make the bed. I used to not do this.... ever. I didn't see the point of making the bed when I was just going to get back into it 14 hours later (or earlier if I were to have a nap lol). But I started making my bed first thing in the morning and it has made such a difference in my productivity! I'm more likely to keep cleaning and tidying if the bed is made. It gets me actually out of bed and KEEPS me out of bed so I'm not waking up, getting breakfast, and then climbing right back into bed for a few more minutes hours.

5. Do something active. Whether that is making the bed, cleaning, going for a walk, 10 jumping jacks, or something else, getting the blood flowing is a great way to make you feel ready to tackle the day! Working out is a struggle for me and if it doesn't happen in the morning, it most likely won't happen at all that day because suddenly it will be 10 PM and I won't feel like running....
Image via Happy Thought Shop.

So there you have it, folks! My list of things to do in the morning to ensure that I'll have a productive day! What do you do in the morning to start your day off right?

Thanks for reading!
xoxo, Chelan

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Currently Reading: Lies & Letters by Ashtyn Newbold

It's been a while since I shared a currently reading post and that's mostly because I haven't read in a long time! I kind of got stuck in a rut with a book I didn't love in January-April (that's how long it took me to get through it because I just didn't like it) and have recently got back into reading and I'm loving it! I have so many books I want to read and I've recently read quite a bit which has been awesome!

I come to you today with one of my favorite new authors (a cousin of family friends of ours) named Ashtyn Newbold. She writes beautiful, compelling, captivating, heartwarming novels in the Regency era which is one of my favorites! The characters in her books are always so endearing and I end up loving all of them. Every last one!

Her latest book, called Lies & Letters is about a girl named Charlotte who is thoroughly obnoxious at first. I've never read a novel with a main character who I disliked so much from the beginning. As the story unfolds and Charlotte is faced with trial after trial, it was so fun to see this character grow through these experiences. The author is witty, clever, and creates stories that I will read over and over again. If you love romance novels or the Regency era or both, give this one a try! Her other novel, Mischief & Manors, may be my favorite out of the two but they are both truly fabulous books!

*I received both books free from the author and this did not affect my opinion in any way.*

Image via Pinterest.

What are YOU currently reading? I'm in need of some more books for this summer!

xoxo, Chelan

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Jumbled.

Well hey there! Parker and I just got home from 3 weeks of visiting family and it's bittersweet to be here. There is just something so nice about having a car and your own bed to come home to at night. However, I wouldn't trade the time we spent with our families for anything! It was even better than I could have dreamed and I'm feeling so grateful. So tonight, I come to you with some jumbled thoughts that I needed to get out of my head.

First, thank you to our families for having us these last 21 days. We had the time of our lives and we are so sad that it's over. I have gotten pretty good at goodbyes over the last 7 years of having to leave family over and over but something about this time just pulled at my heart strings a little bit more. I was a blubbering mess for two days and kept getting choked up along the way afterward. We went through Banff on our way to Calgary to fly home and as we were leaving the mountains, I couldn't help but get a little teary. I'm not very outdoorsy but those Rockies sure feel like home to me.

Second, Parker starts his 3rd year of medical school tomorrow. Can you believe that?!!! It's going so fast! I go back to work after having 3 weeks off and it feels like the perfect fresh start. We got home at a decent hour so I cleaned and unpacked (on the same day as arriving home, what what?!) and I feel ready to take on this new year. Even though the summer is far from over and I am not the one going to school tomorrow, tonight does feel somewhat like the night before the first day of school for me, too. The anticipation and dread but also excitement are real.

Third, I'm feeling grateful. I'm such a baby lately and have tears as I write this but life is so great and I can't help but feel so much gratitude right now. Family time was amazing. Being in the sun almost every day for 3 weeks straight was just what I needed. We spent a lot of time outdoors (which I usually don't love) but I couldn't help but notice God's hand in my life as I was surrounded by His awe-inspiring creations. I'm feeling refreshed, inspired, and hopeful for what this new year will bring. We are so blessed and God is good.


Thanks for reading! More details, photos, and a video of our trip(s) to come!

Happy Sunday y'all!
xoxo, Chelan