for me to remember...

my eldest brother is, amongst many things (including an almost-papa to a baby girl! i'm going to spoil that chunk come june!), an anthropology student. he's stuffed full of information + findings about the human race. at dinner this sunday, he told me that there is a new study that found that mommy bloggers are generally happy people because they choose to only share + highlight the highest and happiest moments of their life which 1.) makes them feel like their life really is that high + happy and 2.) gives them something sweet to reflect on months later when they forgot that the disneyland trip really wasn't all that merry.

interesting, no?

so, here's some high's and happy's for me to reflect on come three years when i forget all about the giant slush-puddle i stepped in today or the chronic headache i had for most the day... :


dear brooke three years from now,

please tell me you aren't pregnant? you aren't pregnant, are you? and for the love of pete, what is the state of jef + emily?

onwards. on this day, january 13th, three years ago, you had the most splendid day. let me tell you about it...

in utah, it was a balmy forty degrees. you said to hell! to work (because you say those kinds of things in 2013) and spent your day wandering the aisles of target+ playing in the almost-sun. you are so spontaneous in twenty thirteen! so spontaneous that you don't feel any anxiety at all when your schedule at work magically changes overnight or your sweet husband springs superbowl plans on you. you f l y by the seat of your pants! look at you go! you should highlight your hair, or something.

furthermore, you woke up on time. no wet-haired bun for you! your hair was perfectly coifed, per always, and you weren't wearing black-stretchy pants that you could kind of see-through in direct sunlight. pffft, you would never. also you weren't late like you always are for your job (...that starts at ten a.m...). oh wait, you didn't go to work! who am i kidding?

when you got home from your errands + adventures, dinner was cooked! the dishes were put away! and yes, you did smell dessert. there were no comments about your affinity towards microwave meals + cereal nights(!!). no, there was none of that! rather there was a display of chicken legs + fresh veggies + dinner rolls. what are the likes? there was also a mariachi band but you shooed them away because they kept giving you side-eyes due to your taut physique. that happens a lot in twenty thirteen, particularly from men with vihuelas.

and finally, it was bed time. oh how time flies, when you're having fun! and it's the last day of january, to boot.

hope 2016 is treating you nicely...and that you are not pregnant. p l e a s e say that you are not pregnant.

best of wishes,

brooke of 2013.

beauty tips for the mediocre looking and budgeted.

tell me you've read tina fey's bossypants. you have, haven't you? well, if you haven't, she has a chapter all about her beauty tips. she talks about her hot-sticks and creating a wardrobe completely full of 'express' and other laughable words of wisdom about looking youthful and fresh. after reading that (...and reading it again, and then listening to it twice on long road trips back from idaho; what? jeff + i love tina), i constructed this post in my brain all about my beauty snafus and pseudo secrets to my allure. it was all very funny and all very self-deprecating. 

but then last night happened. after one too many diet dr. pepper's and three hours on pinterest reading inspirational quotes that are probably not intended for people who spend three hours on pinterest...i got a bit self-righteous. these things happen. and so, without further adieu, i present to you: 

beauty tips for the mediocre-looking and mediocre budgeted: a post in which i take myself almost completely seriously and share with you my most favorite beauty secrets on the cheap. and no, i am not looking at anyone in particular in the picture below. i just like my profile, okay? 

and we're off!

• say it with me five times: st. ive's timeless skin + collagen elastin facial moisturizer. okay, you don't actually have to say it five times because golly, is it a mouth-full! but this moisturizer is butter. it comes in a giant tub and usually sits on the bottom shelf of most superstores and it's cheap. i usually slap on a hefty serving of this stuff right when i wake up, right before i go to bed, and right after i've put on foundation to make it look less cakey. and i use it everywhere. get creative if you must! in my nose, on my lips, all over my neck -- every nook and cranny, people. also apparently dr. oz dubbed this the best + cheapest facial moisturizer ever? promise i was using it before that. can we just give me credit, please?


• you've always wondered how i maintain my pumpkin-like glow, haven't you? answer(s): weird genes, a short stint working at the tanning booth, and, most importantly, banana boat summer color self-tanning lotion (in deep dark). i know, i know. a self-tanner, really? but quiet your skepticism because my classiest great aunt with an english accent and affinity for the finer things in life uses it so...you know. but! there is a method to this madness! and because i am taking myself very seriously, i shall divulge: 
1. take a shower that's extra-steamy (open ye pores!) and exfoliate with such gusto that your arms are sore the next day and your whole body is bright red.
2. dry off almost completely and slap on a thick layer of lotion and just let it sink in.
3. when it's almost completely sunken in to your skin, put s'more lotion on your awkward parts. no, not your lady business. your awkward parts. your knee caps, your ankles, your elbows, and your hands. 
4. grab the self-tanner and apply in circular motions. therapeutic, no? 
5. finish off with some more lotion (perhaps some that has a delightful fragrance? this stuff stinks) and wash your hands vigorously. 
6. now for the best part: spend the next two hours naked! or in a loose t-shirt and shorts if you have roommates or large glass windows. 
7. voila! your alabaster skin is a thing of the past and you're a tan little monkey! 
8. ...pray that you have no streaks. 
• let's talk about dry shampoo, okay? i had a moment during my senior year where i discovered dry shampoo and loved it...then i hated it, then i thought it was gross, then i thought it was great!, then i never showered ever!, then i threw it out and vowed to never use it again...and now, i like it conditionally. my conditions: dry shampoo is not a crutch or an excuse to never shower again and there are only a few good dry shampoos and only those should be used. i use (and love) dove invigorating dry shampoo. and you know what, i feel invigorated! i really do?


• if you're going to wear bright lipsticks, you must wax your upper-lip. if you wear powder foundation, you must wax your upper-lip. if you are on any branch of my family tree, you must wax your upper-lip (i'm blaming it on genes, people!). it's just sort of a twisted right-of-passage into ladyhood. i prefer to do it at home and use the gigi all-purpose honee and nuke it in the microwave for two minutes or so. it's given me no problems and i have fairly sensitive skin. i also use the non-woven waxing strips found at any beauty supply store. and i use obscenities, lots of 'em. 


• i'm going to shoot it to your straight: fill in your eyebrows. if your eyes are the windows to your soul, think of your eyebrows as the fancy drapes. was that the worst metaphor ever? i started filling mine in mostly because half of my eyebrow disappeared after i got in a bike accident (...i fell of my bike while trying to make a music video, but bike accident sounds far more traumatic); i'm fairly convinced i am going to sneeze it out one of these days. i use the eye brow pencil by m.a.c. and like it because it stays on throughout the whole day and doesn't look too harsh. or at least so i hope? 

there you have it, friends. the secrets to my allure. you were curious, no? i know you look to me as a beacon of beauty and healthy and youthfulness so, why not share? following these tips coupled with drinking at least 44 oz. of some soda riddled with fake sugar and syrup will have you looking like me in no time. and isn't that we all want? ;)

it's friday. thank heavens.

this morning i had to talk myself out of two outfits which both involved tattered leggings and a pair of god-forsaken ugg boots. so, yeah, t.g.i.f. and t.g.j.i.a.o. (thank goodness january is almost over -- i thought long and hard about that joke and still feel it's pretty vanilla. courtesy laughs?), know what i mean?

let's talk about this week. for starters, i drank (drunk? partook?) 88 oz. of diet coke at the sonic drive through on wednesday. well, lies: 44 oz. of diet dr. pepper and 44 oz. of diet coke (with lemon + vanilla!). and morgan + i always like to justify that there's a few handfuls of ice in each cup so...basically it's only like, 32 oz.... which isn't that bad. but it's so so bad. i did the math while in the kitchen (gasp! i cooked this week! well, nuked some ikea swedish meatballs, that is... i'm the worst) looking at my measuring cheat sheet. 88 oz. is basically 3 quarts which is almost, almost one gallon. 

...and now that we've gotten through one entire paragraph about my diet coke consumption and tendency to round numbers up to whatever sounds the best (...never ask me what time it is or how much i spent at target -- i will always round up or down depending on the situation...)...let's talk about target s'more. 

i ran to target today and only bought one thing. well, three. but a pink lady apple and soda to snack on are necessities. i didn't peek at their home decor section and only did a quick browse of their 70% off rack. is this adulthood? perhaps? have i finally outgrown my childish habits like not knowing the price of things ($5 for a box of honey bunches of oats is fair, right?) and buying things i don't need?

or laughing into my hand and doing the is anyone else feeling awkward about this?! look-around when colbie caillat's song 'bubbly' came on over the store speakers and she said she gets the tingles in a silly place? ...actually nope, haven't outgrown that one. c'mon colbie, a little discretion goes a long way.

happy friday, my dears.

edited to add: i am rereading this and cringing. i talked about...nothing. at all. this all reminds me of this time that i was browsing through my friend's middle school yearbook and was reading this long-winded, mushy  rambling...signed: love brooke mosman. i had no idea i was capable of writing something so terrible! that was the first time that i realized good grief, i am an annoying writer. and also that my handwriting has seriously gone down the tubes since eighth grade.
but hey, t.g.j.i.a.o.

ALMOST romantic.

this evening after work, i curled my hair, put on four layers of mascara, and outright demanded a steamy date night. our groupon to mt. fuji sushi bar was expiring, after all! and i had FOUR layers of mascara on! four layers of mascara is not just meant for sitting around the house, you know.

and, oh. was it steamy. jeff + i made intimate conversation and played footsie under the table as we sat...and sat...and sat waiting for the waitress to take our order (she made up for forgetting us with a free bowl of edamame. these things happen). it was downright romantic!

...and then it was all ruined when i said i had to make a quick stop at walmart on the way home to buy cloth waxing strips to take care of my lady stache. 

married people dates are a funny thing...

today i...

+ wore my most furriest jacket just to spite jeffrey. the jacket was almost a deal breaker for our relationship when he did the post-first date facebook browse and thought really? when i put it on this morning he gave me the same really? eyes so i gave him the we are sealed for eternity and now i am going to wear this all day long just to irk you! eyes. ...we get each other?

+ described myself as an insane person to my home teachers; ...it's so funny! i always just have thousands of little voices in my head and i never know which one is mine! they just gave me 'the blank stare' followed by 'the uncomfortable laugh.' (you pretend that human reactions are menu items sometimes too, yeah?)

+  took the longest, drooliest sunday nap.

+ analyzed, reanalyzed, and then analyzed again the group date we went on last night. or was it a date? either way, we brought my morgan-friend and kept making sister wive jokes that weren't getting much of a rise. at least we tried! (also, let it be known, morgan + i were on our a-game. jeff even said so! yet...no laughs? but polygamy jokes are funny? and so is bringing your best friend on group dates!)

+ taught sunday school class and kept doing 'the hand gun' at people. the world is my stage, folks!

to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die (the meet-cute of jeff + brooke)

i've said it once and i'll say it again: the courtship of brooke mosman + jeff stapleton was fast. but it really didn't feel all that speedy. i never felt rushed or panicked or out-of-control. rather i felt excited and invigorated and alive! exclamation point and more synonyms for the word excited!

that said, exactly one year ago from today, i met jeff stapleton. it was a frigid january day, much like this one, and i was skipping class to grab a diet coke (school is hard, you know?) and ran into my avery-friend. she begged me to walk her to class and we sat outside on a bench, freezing and chatting, when jeff + his friend walked up to chat with avery. they were family friends from california and cafeteria-buddies.

all i can remember is that we shook hands and he went on and on and on about how he had spray-painted the design on his baseball tee-shirt he was wearing. i was freezing and diet coke-less and was mildly interested...mostly because i though the was cute and partly because i found it interesting how interesting he found himself (self-indulgence will be a trait our kids will surely inherit). also how did avery have a friend i didn't know about?! i cute one, at that? the dreaded possessive friend, ready go!

intrigued and bored, i told avery about how i thought he was cute. and tan. and was he always like that? we facebook stalked him to insure that he was single (he was! very!) and normal (he was! sort of!). i remember scrolling through his statuses and one of them was: to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die.

...a sensitive type? or aren't those smith's lyrics? ...is he stable?

nonetheless, avery + i composed a hilariously forward message laced with wit and delight and movie quotes. in the light of the day, we composed one hell of a creepy message.

...and one week later, he called me and we went out (i think he needed some time to stew over the message)
and the rest is history. or something like that.

happy friday, friends! feel free to celebrate the meet-cute of jeff + i with some cryptic facebook statuses and a diet coke or three...i'm making up for old time's sake because, thinking back about it, i don't think i ever had one that day.

edited to add: jeff peeked over my shoulder and said that i am such a liar! apparently he mumbled three words about his shirt and claims that our whole encounter lasted less than thirty seconds. pffft.

five things you probably don't know about me and, subsequently, probably won't care to know.

his post has nothing to do with my dog. because, why would it? but here's a picture of her summing up how i feel about january. blergh. oh! interesting fact 5.1: i only sometimes like my dog. those sometimes are when a. i am with someone and trying to show off my warm and fuzzy side and b. ...shoot. maybe i only like her then. 

at five thirty, i marched in the door from work and told jeff all about my plans for the night. i was going to go to the gym and try to improve my swimming skills (i'm convinced my mother ripped me out of swim lessons too early leaving me floundering and gasping for breath at pool parties galore) once and for all and then i'd pick up some groceries? read a book? cook an actual meal? the world is my oyster!

but first, nap.

six (seven?) hours later, here i am. finally waking up from that nap.

oops.

the thing is, january is a rather uninspiring month. in fact, january sixteenth was declared the most depressing day on planet earth. and other people agree! talking about how lame january is is the new chevron on the blogosphere. but isn't it the truth? just today i tweeted that i would rather have a month full of mondays over january. did i just break a rule there? is it weird to talk about outside social networking activity on other social networks? ...probably not as weird as it is to ask rhetorical questions to yourself on your blog.

anyways, in the effort to make myself seem more interesting, let's play a game? this is going to be one of those real self-indulgent games where the game ends after my turn and it was clear i only played the game so that i could share my thoughts and feelings. and the game is called...

five things you probably don't know about me and, subsequently, probably won't care to know:

1. i'm a born thespian. which looks an awful like born lesbian and sometimes when i'm watching movies featuring gwyneth paltrow, emma stone, or meryl streep, i really think i could be. but no, a thespian. i had my first acting gig when i was nine as the little girl in a play called the doll house at the college near my house. i had one line and i'm fairly certain i cried my way through it. stage fright, it's real. i've been acting never since.

2.  during my senior year, i ate a beet for lunch almost every day. on that note, i think i'm three-parts rabbit. at parties, i strategically place myself right by the crudite platter and go wild; ranch dripping, carrot bits flying...i'm a party.

3. i'm a political machine. i had my first taste in politics as the sixth grade school president. wait...as i typed that out it doesn't feel right...a  part of me believes that i lost that election and am just trying to surpress those thoughts? perhaps? i did! i think i did! and now i am remembering i lost the election in eighth grade too. my running mate was my friend jordan and we made these terribly obnoxious posters and confidently plastered them all over the school...only to realize we had been blown away be our competitor and people found our slogans a bit...annoying. ha!

anyways, i was always involved in the student body in some way....some how. i just might be one of the most forgetful and lazy people i know, so it was always a good mix. my selling point during my speech for senior class president was my mom is kim mosman! and we all know she will plan some great reunions and class parties! in retrospect, it was all sorts of pathetic.

4. i went through a blonde moment. let's not talk about it.

5. i misspelled my middle name well up into my teen years. it wasn't until memorial day when we were visiting my grandfather's gravesite that i realized it. it was a tender moment, really. we were all reminiscing and admiring the new headstone when i became dumbstruck and just. kept. staring. my dad patted my back and asked if i was doing okay? ...is that really how grandma spells her name? b-a-r-b-a-r-a? it definitely lightened the mood. sure enough, i had been spelling my middle name b-a-r-a-b-a-r-a on all of my documents and papers up until then. great.

and now, off to try, try and sleep. and dream up my next political campaign.

some things on my chest (besides lady lumps, of course)

i took these pictures of my morgan-friend a few weeks ago and...hi morgan!...was looking over them today and thought i'd share. i have the prettiest friends.

here's the thing, these past two weeks have been the stinks. and i never say that! i feel like i am, at my core, an optimist. (especially if the person i am talking to isn't; complain to me and i will bail on you hard...it's really a terrible habit i developed by listening to too many country songs about farmers) but i feel like i can have a free pass in saying that it has been the stinks.

i was hit hard (like the rest of utah) with the cold + flu. i blame it on this frigid weather and the fact that i am a firm believer in the five second rule. and also that it's january and january is the pits. i went to bed at FIVE THIRTY one night! or evening? or afternoon, in my vampire sister paige's instance. do you even realize what happens to a person when they go to sleep at five thirty? i woke up at four a.m. completely famished and feeling like i was forty three years old.

...why did i feel like i was forty three? no reason. and why are we still talking about my sleep schedule?

anyways, i am sure you have missed me. things have been pretty quiet over here because, frankly, i had nothing exciting to write about. my good news of the day was that my most favorite water bottle that i had lost at work is back in stock at macey's. oh! and i went to powerpump and didn't clear the back of the room. what is it about squats that makes me so...bubbly?

oh, bother. what am i getting at? ah. yes. my chest and the things on it. ready, go:

+ do people still watch biggest loser? and has there really been fourteen seasons? for some odd reason, that show makes me weep big girl tears. i like to watch it on the treadmill or at work...or really in any situation where you don't want to be crying over jillian michaels screaming that she wants to create fire breathing dragons and people fainting on treadmills. but good riddance, that show is touching! or is it just their soundtrack? they always play pink's singles at the exact right moment.

+ ...i have been trying out this whole paleo lifestyle for the past two weeks. why the italics? because whenever i bring it up, i say it in this really self-righteous voice that makes jeff stapleton's eyes roll five times over. but i must be strong! no...sugar... (...in front of jeff; i made him drag me to the grocery store and snuck free samples of donut holes. i have a pride problem, i know)

+ i finished book of mormon girl last night and i feel so fed. i feel like the author articulated everything i have been feeling and thinking in ways that i never could have. i feel like she put her arm around me and said 'hey, you big weird! you are okay for having your opinions and doubts and occasional bouts with resisting from stringing together curse words. and you are loved through it all.'
did we just get too deep there? perhaps. so...something light...

+ the bachelor! can we talk about the bachelor? i am all about it this season. first off, sean is looking less pink which is all sorts of a relief. just hope that they don't go on a caribbean date because that boy does not tan pretty. also i love the bridal consultant. what's her name? and has anyone else noticed kacie b's side-eye glances during the cocktail party? oh, kacie b. she's so wise.

+ oh! speaking of! i got a new job! well, another one. i needed an outlet, you know? anyways, i'm a bridal consultant at a bridal store. that less party was terribly redundant, but these things happen. it's like say yes to the dress every saturday! except with smaller budgets and less excitement when i awkwardly mumble "so...are you saying yes to this dress?" ...doesn't anyone watch tlc?!

+ and finally: i want to blog more. i really do! no one will mind if this blog becomes more of a quantity over quality type of thing sometimes, yeah? or maybe i should just do more exciting things? it'll be a give and take.

ask and ye shall receive, pt. 1. (or, more selfies!)

at heart, i am a people pleaser. i just love being loved, you dig? i remember in junior high my mom would always make me the most delicious peanut butter + jelly sandwiches (the perfect ratio of peanut butter to jelly you know the type). she packed two of them because i had an extraordinary appetite (and metabolism! r.i.p. fast metabolism).

there was this boy, this tan-skinned (...elephant in the room that i don't know how to address: he was african-american. and asian, too!) that never, ever packed snack so i always gave him my second sandwich. and oh! how i wanted that second sandwich! i would stare at him longingly as he ate my second sandwich, partially because i had a secret crush on him (i hope he never reads this; this will give him far too much satisfaction) but mostly because i wanted that second sandwich!

phew, i am still not over this.

anyways, the point of this all is that i know in my heart of hearts that you all wanted me to post more of my pictures i take of myself that are hidden away in my phone's memory. so! the first selfies of 2013 explained!

ready, set...

1. have you ever been out on a date with someone and they are just such a remarkably bad dater that you actually can't remember if the date was but a dream? have we ever been out on a date before? because i am a hellishly bad date. i'll say that we can eat wherever you want! because i'm so spontaneous! but then i'll knock down all of your ideas (for good reason! my body needs some low-cal options, here!) and we will somehow wind up exactly where i wanted to go along. but i'll be very passive about it. then! then i'll insist we will share something because i have such a small appetite! because i'm such a lady! ...and then i'll eat 3/4 of our meal. and the worst part of it all? i will undoubtedly eat too much and get sick after our meal. so sick, in fact, that you will have to pull over at the mcdonald's two blocks from our house so i can waddle inside and spend fifteen minutes on the toilet playing scramble with friends and wallowing in my sorrows.

but at least i will send you pictures from the bathroom to assure you that i am okay? and you can maybe, maybe pick the movie (...from my pre-approved option, of course!).

2. i'm one of those people who can convince themselves that they are having fun or that the $12 plate full of cow brains they stupidly paid for is so, so delicious! if i pick the movie, it's going to be good simply because i picked it. you know? in other words, i'm stubborn. on new years day, i created this wonderful new tradition for jeff + i to embark on. we would run thirteen miles...because it's 20THIRTEEN after all. jeff laughed at me but i was intrepid! i would carry on! you guys, i wouldn't wish two hours on a treadmill in an empty gym upon my worst enemy. boredom struck early on and i spent most of my time yelling to my mother + sister on the telephone begging them to tell me really long stories! like, hour long! and explaining to them how i was sort of going delirious.

and! if any of you wish to run thirteen miles on a treadmill and are looking for ways to pass boredom, use this horrible trick i made up that will slowly drive you insane: listen to the same song over and over again for the whole duration of your mile. or maybe for two miles! use counting crows one week if you want to go extra insane!

but i had fun! okay! it was so much fun! (see? i'm stubborn.)

3. you all got jipped on brother in laws because i firmly believe i have one of the best brother in laws in the land. he got me these fancy earrings (and a necklace! and a fancy shirt!) and i texted him this picture as a way of saying hey thanks shane stapleton! you are the literal best! ...and got no reply. i have decided nothing in this world is more awkward than sending some a picture of your face and getting completely and royally ignored. it's kind of comparable to getting 'next'd' on that awful mtv show next? kind of, definitely.

4. stop drinking diet coke did not make it on my list of new years resolutions this year. cheers to you, 32 oz. of diet coke (with fresh lemons and vanilla -- thanks jennie!) and cheers to you, realistic resolutions!)

5. ...we were pretending to be people at different colleges? you are familiar with the hat steal, right? ...yeah, vocalizing it just makes it more stupid.

6. can we have a moment of silence for my beanie for a second? moscow really brought out the angsty teen in me (that once existed as evidenced by this picture my sister posted today...!)

now, back to being mad about that second sandwich! (he was a lousy kisser, too!)(ha! only kidding. kind of.)

two thousand thirteen.

happy two thousand thirteen from jeff and i. jeff with the scarf and face that can resist flinching for any ten-second self timer....err, i mean, large group of friends that took this picture at one of the loud and boisterous new years parties we attended? 

now, let's talk about two thousand thirteen. i'm a closeted goal-oriented person. i usually aim low so that i won't fail...i know, i know, this may point to some serious internal issues but, hey! who wants to paint my nails? but this year, i'm aiming high! what's that quote? shoot for the stars and if you fail you'll land on the clouds? something like that? how terrifying that i know that quote...and the thought of falling through space and hopefully, hopefully landing on giant cotton balls, for that matter.

and, without further adieu, my goals(!):

+ run, baby run! : i go through phases of loving running and hating running and right now, i love it. i've signed up for...get ready... two marathons this year to run with my brothers and the thought of it makes me sort of want to crap my jeggings but shoot, i'm excited. (will the man-card forever be in my pocket? step up your game, jeff stapleton! ;)

+ shoot my brains out: eww. that sounded horribly violent. i don't actually want to shoot my brains out, but i just want to shoot so much that my brain will feel like crawling out my mouth and plopping itself on the couch next to me. i love taking pictures of people and making them feel like 1,00,000 bucks so i might as well get better at it, right? (umm, please look at this picture of my sister mckenzie -- she's a beauty)

+ violently wave my hand around in sunday school: you guys, i secretly have always wanted to be that kid who waves his or her hands around like they are directing air traffic. actually i've always wanted to secretly knock that kid upside the head with my scripture case but, you know. two thousand thirteen is a fresh start. my point is that i want to know the answers and be so confident in what i am about to say that i am squirmish to share. there is so much about the gospel that i don't know and want to learn and mark my word, i am going to learn it and wave my hand violently! (...or just shoot death glares at the person who does...)

+ be more...accessible: i stink at keeping in contact with people. ask any of my friends. i won't return texts for days or will forget to call them back. in other words, i royally stink. with all my friends leaving on missions and my family a whole state away, i need to be better at keeping updated on the people i love. (wait, snapchats count, right?!)

+ deeply inhale and be grateful: i remember the first day of my freshman year at college, i walked by this girl who stopped in the middle of campus, dropped her arms to her side, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. i laughed then but i admire it now. (well, kind of -- she was holding up all sorts of traffic and made me walk straight into a man because i was staring at her) she was fully present and fully grateful ...or maybe she was just really strange? let's go with grateful. this year, i want to be more present and grateful for everything in my life; i want to jump on opportunities and be brave. and i also really want to walk into byu campus and hold up traffic with a giant inhale.

+ love the guts out of my jeffrey.

+ (i'm stealing this one from my sweet mama) make everything around me more beautiful: i was talking to my mom today and she told me that her new years resolution was to make everything around her more beautiful and i loved that. i want to fix anything that's bugging me and make it beautiful (or find the beauty in it); be it our ugly coffee table or my messy hair that's always, always, always in a top knot.

...now please remember to forget these come march when i'm curled up in a ball watching fifteen episodes of friends and lacking any sort of motivation?