Thursday, February 20, 2014

Thailand {Floating Villas & Erawan Falls}

After playing with elephants we drove
north about another 30 minutes and arrived
to another section of the River Kwai. When
booking our hotels we decided we wanted to splurge
and stay in a really nice place in the jungle. Upon looking at different
reviews we saw that the Float House River Kwai got
excellent reviews and was in our price range.

We arrived by long tail boat and were just in awe at how
enchanting this place was! We kept pinching ourselves
because the thought of staying in a lush jungle was cool enough,
add the fact that we got to stay on floating villas, I was ecstatic and giddy altogether!

Our rooms were breathtaking, every detail in the rooms was well thought out.
Our showers were located right outside our bedroom, with the ability to look up and see
the sky, since there was no roof,  so we could get the full jungle experience.

That night we lounged around, then went for a hike into the forest.
Afterwards we ate dinner and got ice-cream sundaes because
with a day like we'd had, it was worth celebrating.

The next day our guide took us to the much anticipated Erawan Falls.
If you plan on going to Thailand put this place on your must-do list.
It's a hike into the jungle with different waterfalls that you hike to along the path.
In total there are seven waterfalls that you can hike to. We decided we would
do all seven and it was worth it. The last waterfall is breathtaking and just beautiful.
We were allowed to swim in some of the natural made pools along the way. We decided to
jump into the pools on our way back down. There were 'doctor fish' that nibble on the dead skin.
That part freaked me out a bit, but all I could feel were little stings.
^^Our boat taxis that took us to our villa.
^^First sights of the villas.
^^Our bedroom.
 
^^Early morning gearing up for the hike to Erawan.
^^The view from the villas.
^^One of the first falls.
^^One of the many bathing pools.
^^The last waterfall!
Up next...back to Bangkok to the temples!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

A few of my favorite beauty products...

Over time I think most woman gain
some wisdom on what beauty products work for them
and make life a bit better and help you with your confidence.

I've compiled a list of some of my favorite beauty products
that I can't live without anymore, they're that good!

1. Moroccan Oil - this stuff is simply the best. It smells amazing and makes my hair shine.
2. Style Edit Hair Concealer - This stuff sprays out like a hairspray other than it's a color
that comes spraying out to help conceal that nasty regrowth in between my hair color appointments. This stuff comes in all shades, it's my life saver, I love it.
3. Burt's Bees Blemish Stick - I'm sure I'm not alone when it comes to those
unpredictable pimples that appear out of nowhere and need some tender loving care. This blemish stick
helps move the process along a lot quicker.
4. Benefits They're Real Mascara - My aunt gave me this mascara this past Christmas. Her and
my cousins raved about how awesome it was and that I'd never go back to another brand. I was skeptical, but I'm now an avid fan. Extends my lashes longer than ever while thickening them.
5. MAC Paint Pots - I love putting this on my lids before applying eye-shadow. It prevents creasing 
on my lid and my eye-shadow stays on all day. 
6. NARS Roman Holiday Lipstick - I discovered this color last year. It's the perfect pop of color. On lazy days I put on this lipstick with mascara and feel like a million bucks.

What are some of your must have products? Please share the wealth!

Friday, February 7, 2014

Playing in red rock country.

A couple weekends ago, some friends and I headed
to southern Utah where the sun is abundant in red rock country and there are
zero signs of snow and we got to enjoy the warmer temps (60 degrees!). It felt amazing, 
since I'm sure most of the country can understand it's been a cold winter.

While there we decided to head out to the desert to do some exploring.
We had a good time riding around on the trex, went on some walks to see
dinosaur fossils and soaked up that sunshine as much as we could.
 ^^Getting ready to speed up and down the hills.
 ^^ So picturesque it looks fake.
I sure could use that 60 degree weather this weekend,
however since it'll be snowing all weekend I've got plans
to watch the Olympics and relax indoors with a cup of hot tea.

Happy weekending!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Snow adventures with kids.

 A few weekends ago my sister-in-law had to leave town for a family emergency.
With my brother working full time I volunteered to take my three nieces for the weekend.

The kids had watched too many movies, colored to their hearts content, 
and were getting cranky being inside. So we put on our snow-gear and
headed outside to play in the snow. We made a snowman, went sledding and
made snow angels. It was the best idea to get them out of the house, 
while getting their energy spent on having fun instead of going stir-crazy.

It was a win/win in my book. We came back inside, had hot chocolate, 
and the crankiness was left on the turf and before I knew it they were taking naps.
 ^^Odin, my nephew, likes to show off how strong he is at every chance he gets. He's so cute.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Getting through February

Around this time of year I'm counting down the 
days until warm weather is consistent and the
white stuff on the lawn is out of sight. Usually I try to 
have some sort of vacation planned to sunnier destinations, 
it helps so much.

So I've compiled a little list of things
I plan on doing this February to help lessen the blow
that it's still winter and we here in Utah have at least another 
two months of freezing temps.
{Taken while snowshoeing up Provo Canyon}

*The Winter Olympics start this Friday, which is always 
a fun thing to watch and get involved in.
*Snowshoeing - My fave way to enjoy the season for the fact it's a cheap, 
great way to explore my surroundings and an awesome workout.
*Bubble baths - I think nothing can transport you better than being able to relax
with some lit candles, music, and a warm bath.
*Reading books - In the summer I'm busy with bike riding, 
picnics, playing at the lake, so I hardly get any reading done. I'm currently 
reading The Book Thief and I'm loving it. Any good recs?
*Movie nights - Nothing better than some favorite snacks and a good movie.
*Museums - I love them year round, but for some reason I tend to go more
when there's no sunshine outside.
*Learning a new recipe. I am always up for a new recipe. So this month I plan on tackling that.

What are some of your favorite things to do to get you through the winter blues?
Please do share!