Yay for Ipsy!! I don't care to do an introduction today so I won't. If you haven't already joined Ipsy you can start by CLICKING HERE. (Affiliate Link) It's $10 a month for five different beauty products and a cute makeup bag! It's totally worth the cost, I promise!
For today's post I'll have links to the company and the product itself as well as letting you know the actual cost of the full-size product. This way you can hopefully see what a deal Ipsy can be.
Cost $19. Use the code IPSTERS for 30% off LAQA & CO website purchase.
If you're a fan of a good deal, check out Zak Detox Deodorant's new Super Smooth formula and use the code ZAKDANCE20 to get 20% off your purchase. You can also enter to win a free sample of the deodorant by CLICKING HERE. Thanks everyone for your support with my giveaway!
And, as always, if you want specific reviews on any of these products please let me know in the comment section below.
Yay! First fashion photos with my new hair! It's weird to both love and dislike something at the same time. I love the color, love the cut, but I dislike the fact that I cut off my long hair. I miss my long hair so much! And while the photos from the back make it look long, it's just not the same. Oh well, it's just hair. It'll grow back.
I wanted a photo from the back so you could see all the colors in it. Isn't it beautiful? My cousin Desi is so incredibly talented. I showed her a couple things I liked and she just went with it. If you live in Utah Valley and need a good hairstylist check her out. You can contact me for her personal details through email (thedancingcowblogger@gmail.com).
Fashion Fridays are back. I say that about six times a year, so we'll see how long until I'm saying it again. I have new plans for this blog, though, and making Fashion Friday more important is on the top of my list.
Don't forget to come back to the blog tomorrow at noon for the second part of the latest Heroes & Villains story! And if you haven't started reading Heroes & Villains, you can CLICK HERE to get all caught up.
You guys, I found the greatest dress. I'm in love. This last weekend we were in Park City for a family reunion and we went to the outlets and in Volcom I found this dress and it was on sale but still more than I usually would pay for anything, but I was so in love I convinced Chris to let me buy it. And then when he saw me in it he totally agreed that it was the best dress ever and now we're both in love. It's the greatest romance story there ever was.
I'm kidding. But I am in love with this dress.
So I am going to be giving my blog a makeover. Not in appearance, because I'm actually pretty happy with the appearance right now. I mean in posts. I'm sure you've all noticed my lack in posts recently and I'm going to change that, setting new goals to post more and post more of the things you like. So to help me gauge what my readers want to see I've created a quick survey for you to take that will help me figure out what you like, what you don't like, etc. Please just take a minute to fill it out at the bottom of this page, you'd be doing me a huge favor!
This month is literally crazy for me so realistically there won't be any changes until August, probably mid August. But I am planning on posting something every day for the month of September, so that'll be a fun challenge for me. And, remember that writing project I promised you for June? Well I'm still working on that. I'm thinking September or October that'll be ready for ya'll. I'm very protective of my writing and that's why it's taking so long, it has to be perfect.
Anyways, so many little things. Here is my new favorite dress and my favorite shoes that I wear all the time and you're probably sick of seeing. Also, enjoy the lovely tan lines on my arms.
For this post I'm starting at the very beginning, which means Valentine's Day morning. It all began with me waking up and getting ready like it was a normal day, because at the time it was. I've never been a fan of Valentine's Day so the fact that it was February 14th didn't faze me (except that I was happy for my parents because it's their anniversary).
When my husband woke up he hurried and got ready and we decided to head to Kneaders for French Toast. I was super excited because I've been wanting Kneaders French toast since forever but things always come up and we could never get there in time for breakfast. But this time we did and it was delicious!!
P.S. All the pictures were taken with my new phone and are shaped weird, but they honestly turn out better than if I take them with my camera.
Then I had class to get to and Chris went off to go find my Valentine's Day gifts, which included beautiful earrings, chocolate covered strawberries and a super cute card! It was simple, but honestly, we both knew we were going to St. George and we're trying to save up our money so it was perfect.
After class Chris went and got his new driver's license because he's 25 and old now. Then we ate at Carl's Jr. and started driving through the snowy canyon to my in-law's house.
Ugh! Worst picture ever! And why is it a different size? I don't get it!
Once at my in-laws, we transferred all our stuff to their car and we took of for St. George!! I was super excited to get away from the stress of school and just relax! On the way there we stopped at a gas station/petting zoo where I found a souvenir with my name spelled right!!! It's honestly a rare occurrence.
We arrived in St. George late that night and we visited Chris's Grandma Joyce before heading to our hotel (which was beautiful and amazing). We fell asleep soon after in the most amazing bed and now I really want pillows like that...
The next day was MY HUSBAND'S BIRTHDAY!!!! We woke up, ate pancakes and bacon and went off to the soccer tournament! My father-in-law coaches a team of twelve-year-olds that were playing in the tournament. While there, I ran into my best friend! Her dad is a soccer ref and he was down there for the tournament and I got to talk with my best friend Lauren and her mom, which was so wonderful! I miss them so much! They are seriously like a second family to me.
After soccer we went bowling! And I sucked!! I seriously don't think I've ever done that badly before! However I think I know why. Friday in class we learned about Social Anxiety Disorder and they gave us a mini-test to see if we had it and... yeah... there's a very great chance I have it. And looking back on my life I realize just how much I really do probably have this. I don't know what it means for my future, but I suppose it's a good thing I finally figured it out. Anyways, while bowling I feel incredibly anxious and stressed because I don't like being put in the spotlight, so when I go up and bowl and they all either cheer for me or say "oh, that's alright", I get this tension throughout my body because I don't want to be the center of attention. It's always happened, but I never knew it was a part of Social Anxiety Disorder. When I'm bowling with just Chris, I don't feel that pressure because I'm so in love with him and everything is comfortable and different around him, but apparently when I'm with other people I suck at bowling.
It occurred to me this morning as my sweet husband was asking me what I wanted for Christmas that I haven't even thought about what to get him. I was so concerned (upset) about the fact that I can't afford to buy great gifts for all my family, in-laws included, because we just don't have the money. And somehow I forgot about the most important person in my life.
So later while taking my shower (because all great ideas come to me in the shower) I knew suddenly exactly what I had to get him and it it by far the greatest idea ever and I am so excited!!!
... but I can't tell you yet. Because my husband occasionally (but very rarely) looks at this blog and I can't risk letting him see what it is. But I can tell you that it's amazing, cheap, mostly homemade, and I will be doing a tutorial of it after Christmas. So be prepared for that!
I realize this post is so short and pointless but I just got so excited about this gift and had to tell someone! The only trouble now is finding alone time to make it... and a car to buy the necessary items for it... with only four days left till Christmas... This will be fun.
Have you ever given the most perfect gift? Tell me about it below by leaving a comment!
Last week I posted my 2013 Holiday Gift Guide... which was a joke. I hope people were aware that that was a joke. Although some of the products you have to admit were pretty awesome. :)
With Christmas coming up I think it's time I put up my personal Christmas Wish List, and if you would like to buy me anything from the list please send it to... just kidding. Please don't buy me anything. But leaving comments on blog posts would be a great Christmas gift! And if you do that for me you'll get your Christmas gift from me, a Spotify playlist of all my Song of the Week Saturday posts. Which is actually a pretty cool playlist, but I could be biased. Hey, if you want your favorite songs to be on there you have to share them with me first.
Anyways, this year I have two lists: things that I want and things that I need. These lists are obviously very different. Also, this list is for my family and friends but I still hope it's enjoyable to my regular readers. If not, leave a comment to let me know.
THINGS THAT I WANT:
A sewing machine
I really do, I don't know why... Pinterest probably
Clothes
Because what girl doesn't need more clothes? And I'm incredibly sick of my current wardrobe.
iTunes gift cards
Because music is incredibly important to me and I always want more!
Beta fish
But my apartment technically doesn't allow it... But honestly, there are beta fish at my work in the offices and I just love to sit and watch them swimming around, it makes me happy. I need one!!!
A new laptop
Because this one is incredibly slow no matter what I do and it's just incredibly frustrating to use.
iPod
Because I love my iPod nano, but it's full and I can't add more music and I can't find any music from it to get rid of and it's just sad that I can't put my new Ariana Grande CD, Yours Truly
on there.
iPhone
Or just a smart phone in general. I know this is not going to happen, but I am so bored of my phone and just want to join the smart phone club. Also, I've been stalking my friend's Instagram pages and would like to join that club too.
I understand I most likely won't get anything on this list. Except maybe clothes. And I'm totally fine with that. I honestly don't need these things and I will (eventually) be able to buy them myself. I'll be happy whether I get them or not because here is the list of what I actually need.
WHAT I NEED:
A good snow coat
I have a lot of really cute pea-coats and I love them to death, but it gets really cold here and I need a good, warm, water/wind proof, sturdy coat for winter. With a hood. Because I have a fairly good snow coat right now with no hood... and it's short... I want something I could play in the snow in. And I found all my gloves and hats so I'm good there. But I want to be able to pick it out so I don't know if I want someone just buying it for me...
Snow boots
I also have a good pair of boots but for some reason the designer was like "Let's make the best snow boots with great traction and warmth... but we'll add a three inch heel to it". And I love heels, but for running around in the snow sometimes I'd rather do without the heel. I'd also want to pick this out myself so...
Money for the above two items... or school or rent or food
Actually things are looking up for us money-wise, but some extra money in our account is always worth it, because we just eat soup or pizza from Chris's work every night and I get bored of it.
This post ended up much longer than I expected and I admit it's not the most exciting. But regardless, what's done is done.
What's on your Christmas Wish List? Leave a comment below and let me know!
Are you struggling to find the perfect gift for your friends and family for Christmas? Well look no further! This guide has all the best gifts for the odd ones on your Christmas list. So sit back, look through the list and check it twice because you're sure to find something nice. ;)
The "Kneel Before Loki Family Sticker" for the family who enjoyed that attack on New York or the mother who secretly is in love with villains.
The Bang-Bang Handle, for the hunters, gang members, and jailbirds in your life.
The Emergency Underpants Dispenser, for the kindergarten teachers in your life (ha ha, I'm going to become one someday) or those who tend to have accidents.
The Barbie Head USB, for the little girls that you'd like to shatter their hopes and dreams.
Okay! This November was full of stress! So much stress! But it was a good month, I suppose. :) Things are looking up now so hopefully this December will be better. But I always love November because it's my birthday month and Thanksgiving was fantastic. To read all about my November, keep reading! To see my other Monthly Review posts CLICK HERE.
First I have to add something from the very end of October. Halloween night after work one of my coworkers hid in a garbage can and scared me. We then pushed him around in the garbage can, scaring other people as well. It was so funny when he scared this random girl walking down the hall, she screamed so loudly! Later, after I had left, they scared one of the nightshift girls and recorded it. I watched it on Facebook and it was so funny and sad! She fell on the floor, screamed, it was crazy! I wish I could share the video on here, but I can't, it's not mine. So I'll just share this random trashcan scare video:
...Luckily that didn't happen at my work. :)
This month went by in the biggest blur of my life. I had so much school work today I honestly don't remember doing anything but homework. But I'm going to try and do this post as accurately as I can.
November 4th was my birthday and one of the best birthdays of my life. You can read all about it by CLICKING HERE. It was so wonderful and I'm so grateful for my family and my husband for doing so much for me that weekend. I had the best time!
I started up Month of Gratitude on my blog again, this time using my Twitter account to write my daily gratitude. My goal was to write a post at the end of each week with all my Twitter posts of the week, but I was only able to do it that first week. I can't decide if I'll write a blog post with all the other Twitter posts, but leave a comment if you'd like me to.
My husband and I celebrated 6 months of marriage!!! Half a year! That's more than some celebrities. Our marriage only gets stronger every day and more than that I just keep loving him more every day. I love Chris so much and I think I could never love him more the next day, but it always happens. It just keeps getting better every day.
We ran out of money at an extreme level and had to make some major changes. I wrote this post and it became my most popular post this month. I'm glad people enjoy the tips that I put in it. Next year I have another post planned with a similar feel to it on how to save up your money and make extra cash, but it won't be written for a while, so stay tuned. THANKS FOR MAKING THIS SUCH A POPULAR POST!!
On November 13th by brother-in-law Sheldon came home from his mission. Since then he's spent a night with us in Logan, we spent a weekend down there with him and I've gotten to know him really well! He's so much fun and it's great to have another brother around!
On November 15th I developed a fear of boxes due to a traumatic experience at work. I don't think I'm as scared as I was near when it happened but it still was a crazy experience. I didn't like it. But it was nothing compared to the experience my favorite blogger had around the same time.
This month I got over 30,000 page views and I can't explain how much it means to me to see that number! I just feel so continually blessed by my blog readers! You guys mean so much to me and I love that you support me in what I'm doing. THANK YOU!!!
I announced this month that my husband and I were moving. It's a big change for us and the place we eventually found isn't nearly as pretty as where we are now, but it will save us money and it will be good for us. Here's the story though, we were hoping to get into the University Family Housing because it would be the best deal (about the same rent price but utilities, cable, and internet was all included, and it was closer to campus so we could save on gas money). We paid the $150 application fee and filled out the form and were excited to move in. There had been constant ads in the paper so we knew they had openings, but we were wrong. Apparently the ad is just constantly in there and they didn't have anything open.
At the same time our current manager told us that our apartment had been rented out and we had to move out the 20th of December. So we thought we might be homeless. I cannot begin to describe how stressed I was at the time because of this (and a ton of tests, presentations, and essays due in school at the same time). My wonderful husband quickly realized how stressed I was and told me to focus on school and he'd find us an apartment. In one day he visited about five different places and texted me and said "I found our new home!" I'll be honest, it wouldn't be my first choice, I'd much rather stay where we are, but we just can't afford it. We can afford this new place and I figure we're only going to be there till we're done with school in about three years, I can handle that.
So in a few weeks we can start moving into our new place. It'll be a crazy time for us but I'll be happy when we get all settled in and can finally start decorating for Christmas. We have so many friends willing to help us and both our parents have trailers and want to come help. We are truly blessed! But the place is unfurnished, so if anyone has a couch they'd like to give us, that would be fabulous. :)
On November 26th I donated plasma for two reasons. 1. I love helping people and 2. I am desperate for money. But the experience that happened did not go as planned and I went through such a stressful traumatic experience.
My Thanksgiving this year was fantastic! It was the first Thanksgiving I wasn't with my family, so that was weird, but my in-laws are great too. We had a traditional dinner around 1:00 on Thanksgiving day, everything was very delicious and I loved it all! Afterwards I played ping-pong with one of Chris's cousins and we were jumping around, claiming that it helped us do better. :) Then we watched The Hunger Games so Sheldon could see it because we were going to see Catching Fire that night. I then got to experience Walmart Black Friday... on Thursday... and it was crazy!! I wish I had brought my camera in there to show you all the crazies I saw. We got a ton of movies for way cheap and my in-laws bought them for Chris and I for Christmas. Yay! Then we saw Catching Fire...
I cannot fully describe how much I am in love with this movie!!! When I got out of the theater I was jumping around so happy and wanting more. Yes the movie made me cry multiple times but it was made so brilliantly that I just loved every second of it. I highly recommend seeing this movie if you haven't already! So so good!!!
On actual Black Friday I went shopping with my mother-in-law and she got me a very cute infinity scarf. She's fantastic! Then we got burgers and Chris and I drove back home so he could get to work.
After all that it was the end of November and nothing substantially exciting happened. I went in to donate plasma again but they denied me because I don't have a proof of address, how rude. But they sent me a card so I can get my proof of address and a $10 when I bring it in next week.
I hope all my readers had a fantastic November! I hope your Thanksgiving was amazing! I love all my readers and am so grateful for each and everyone of you!
on there. 
