September Bucket List

Hello Pals! Today I am enjoying a much needed day off - the first week of school really kills ya. Good news: the numbness in my toes is almost gone and my voice is back to full volume. Friday we hung with friends at a reception and got delicious tacos at Street 180 in Provo (go!!!), I spent Saturday up at Swiss Days with my sisters and MIL, Sunday at Church and lounging on the couch and today I'll be hiking with friends and family, getting caught up on laundry and cleaning, and working on my newly enrolled Masters program classes. I need to rest up, prep and recharge for a full and crazy month ahead!

September means the last few days of heat, school getting more regular and busy, The Beard starting his very intense program, his birthday and both of us speaking in church. Yikes and yay! My cute friend Aubry does her monthly to-do lists on her blog and I just love them. Not only am I a crazy list-maker, but I also want to make the most of my fall. Life is just better when we're making goals and seeing them through, rather than just chillin on the couch 7 nights a week.

So here it is. My September To-Dos.

• Go on a hike (checking this one off today! Bridal Veil Falls with my Holdaway girls!)
• Make homemade cinnamon rolls on a Saturday morning
• YogaYogaYoga - gonna try these at home and attend a few classes at Gold's
• Go to a football game
• Watch John Adams on HBO GO
• Finally use those rackets the Beard got me for our anniversary
• Finish 1 of my courses for my Masters program
• Wear my summer/warm weather clothes 1 last time before packing up
• Try a rich fall lip color
• Drink more water, less Diet Coke. 
• Soak up the remaining warm afternoons at the pool and in the park with Glen
• Wear a monochromatic look
• Throw a fun baseball-themed bachelorette party for my girl Kayla

Back to School Playlist

Today is the last "free" day of working in my classroom! During these three days, I've had faculty meetings, department meetings, a couple of PTA-provided meals, front office paperwork, and the remaining time is mine in my room to decorate and plan lessons. That means lots of Pandora, Grooveshark and Netflix Office Episodes to keep me motivated and awake.

Here are my latest tunes keeping me sane for your audio enjoyment:



Pompeii - Bastille
Great song to sing along to with a fake accent and punch-dance in the car.



White Nights - Oh Land
I skip around my room hanging stuff to this song. 



Gold - Britt Nicole
This is cheesy but the first time I heard this song on the radio I thought "Man. I wish all my kids knew that." It's a song that gets me motivated to love and help these little psychos.



1940 (AmpLive Remix) - The Submarines
The interesting layered sounds of this song just get me!

Pandora Station - The Gorillaz.
These songs are fast-moving and fun - my go to mix for a grinding 2 hour lesson planning session. 



Album - Marina & the Diamonds - Electra Heart. I've had this album on repeat for weeks. The Beard HATES IT. But I love the upbeat dance tempo and clever lyrics. Great for high-activity work.

What are you guys listening to? What should I add to this list? I'm always looking for new tunes to blast in my classroom (The Beard can't grumble at me there!!).

Wish me luck - Monday is our first day of school!

Apricot Lane Blogger Event/Giveaway!

I've teamed up with Apricot Lane Boutique

 to kick off a summer of style. 

We're throwing a party, and you're invited! Join us on Thursday, June 27th from 6-8pm at Apricot Lane Boutique in The Shops at Riverwoods. It will be a night filled with fun and fashion--you won't want to miss it! For more details, visit the event page on Facebook.

I can't go. :( I will be in Boston for a weeklong American Revolution Field Study, so I guess I'm not too sad about it. :) But you should all go check this blogger event out because Apricot Lane throws an awesome party. 

As part of our collaboration, Apricot Lane is giving away TEN $25 gift cards to spend the night of the event. Enter to win by using the Rafflecopter below. The more requirements you complete, the greater your chance will be at winning. 

Ten winners will be selected on Wednesday, June 26th and contacted via email. The gift cards will be awarded by Apricot Lane Boutique the night of the event.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's a 10 Can Day

I usually measure my days in how many cans of Diet Coke I need to get through it.

"Today was only a 1 can day! It was awesome!"

"Shoot me in the face. 4 can day today."

Today really isn't a 10 can day. But it feels precarious. For the last week I've been feeling a little like I'm barely keeping my head above water.

Not water. Quicksand. Quicksand filled with razor blades. And alligators.

Wow. That got very Tarantino very fast.

Every time I cross something off my big "To-Do List" (I actually have 4 different to-do lists, categorized in Evernote. Thank you Evernote. You keep me sane), I add at least 2 more to it.When I try to relax I feel guilty and when I try to do everything I feel futile.

Between End of Year lesson planning, school check-out, squirrelly excited kids, getting roped into planning half of girls camp, working on a secret surprise for Ed's 50th, required study for my Boston Seminar, research for my 30 page paper, planning for back to back Hawaii and Boston trips, playing on soccer and softball teams,  and staying on top of basics like laundry, dishes and exercise.... HELP.

Is this real life? Is this being an adult? Because it SUCKS.

It's not all bad. I have so many awesome things to look forward to - Mitch's Graduation and State Tournament games. It's getting warmer every day. Memorial Day Weekend (maybe in Sunny St. George?). Lagoon Day. School getting out. A trip to Hawaii. My Boston Seminar.

But today with the cozy rain, my cuddly puppy and a to-do list begging to be abandoned - all I'm doing is fantasizing about laying in bed and leisurely reading something that has nothing to do with school, a Masters program, a book club or girls camp. 

Instead I'm repeating this mantra. As I drink my 10 cans.

Who Wears Short Shorts? Not me. Gross.

I'm having a love affair with these shorts. Praise you, St. George Gap outlet. I got them for less than $20 and I should have bought every single color.

Awkward photo brought to you by SnapClap - the app I'm still trying to figure out since The Beard HATES taking outfit photos more than losing to the Yankees. I'm serious. And that's a lot. 

I wanted to wear them the first possible day that I'd have a chance to sit in the sun - and I planned on going to Mitch's Senior Day game today. (Unfortunately didn't happen as the game wasn't at 3:30 as planned. booooo)

However, shorts on the job is generally frowned upon if you are a professional of any kind. Here's my take on dressing them up so you CAN wear them to work and still look semi-serious about your job. Even though we all know you're daydreaming about summer and looking up the beaches of Kauai on your breaks. Just me? Oh. Welllllll

Fancy up your shirt. A classic button down is the way to go. Black was my option because... it's in the name of my blog. I love black. Dressy chiffon blouses or shells work well too.

Belt it! A coordinating belt ties it together and makes it look intentional. Also I had to buy these shorts a size too big so they'd cover up my testimony, so I have to wear the belt or I look like I'm a gansta.

Class it up on the ground level. Shoes, I mean. Pointy stilettos and shorts is such a cool look (see below. Drool. Repeat). A little much for school though, so I wore my trusty black sandal wedges.

"Mrs. Holdaway! You're so tall!!!" Now they can see me coming when I try to sneak up and steal their cell phones. :(

As Dry as the Books to Which I so Desperately Cling

Bonus points to anyone who can name that movie/book.

My skin is dry. Incidentally, I also love books so it was kind of perfect.

As it is warming up and I'm kind of sick of boots and leggings (I'll never REALLY be sick of leggings. Come on.), I decided it's time to take care of this wrinkled, fading, scaly skin/nails/hair of mine.

This week at the grocery store I impulsively bought the Garnier-Fructis Moroccan Oil because it was tiny and on sale and I'd spent every in-between moment at school picking at my dreadfully straw-like split ends. I'm the Tiger Woods of impulse buys - really good and no listening to my conscience. (zing!)

I'm sold. Seriously. I shampooed and conditioned my hair normally, then wrung it out and applied about 2 teaspoons into my damp locks, combing it through with my fingers and then wrapping it up in a towel for a few minutes.

Effects: My hair is pretty straight, so I can't speak to it's relaxing powers, but my hair dried silky soft and there is noticeably less damage on the lower third of my strands. I accidentally deposited too much on one part of my scalp (I was trying to concentrate on the bottom half, but failed) so it was slightly greasy - but one blast of my brand new Paul Mitchell Dry Shampoo solved that it under 5 seconds. Yahtzee.

The week before, I was wearing a tee shirt and looked down at my normally dry/scaly forearms to see DANDRUFF. Well, not dandruff. But my skin was literally flaking off. It was disgusting.

Enter Skin Milk. Purchased at our fancy local Smith's (super cheap), this body cream is thick, creamy and plain. With a slight vanilla smell and the real milk proteins, it made my skin feel (and smell) heavenly pretty much instantly. I  spread it on generously while my skin is still damp from the shower to lock in moisture. My skin has much more life and feels less like an alligator. The Beard approves. Glen wants to lick it because he thinks it's frosting.

As for my peeling, dry, hangnail prone fingertips - it's all about the cuticle oil and cutting down on harsh nail polish removers. I try to only use nail polish remover about every 2 weeks, giving my nail beds a few days to chill before very carefully polishing them so the color will last and not chip. Every couple of days I dot a drop of Orly cuticle oil or cuticle lotion on my beds and trim off any dead skin.

If you get peeling nails or lots of dead skin hang nails along your nail beds this is a necessity.

On a semi-related note:

Do not get L'Oreal Sublime Bronze self-tanner. Don't do it. It might be on sale. You might think "Wow. L'Oreal is a pretty good brand. This is probably a step up from my Jergens standby. I'll give it a try. Only $4, so it can't hurt, right?"

Wrong. It can. It can make you look like you have hickies and also got attacked by an army of cinnamon-sugar toast. I really was trying to be careful too. (It looked worse in person. Trust me.)

The Jamba Juice girl made me realize what my students were whispering about. It wasn't Justin Bieber. It was my "hickies." Yikes.

Don't forget to enter the Giveaway!!!

Kick the Bucket (List)

During the last couple of weeks of school, while my kids were diligently working on their final projects, I started compiling the perfect summer bucket list. I scoured the internet, recalled past fun summers and searched pinboards.

Unfortunately the summer is 2/3 over, and I haven't even scratched 1/3 of the items. Help?

Some of the items - stargazing, picnic, and camping will hopefully be accomplished this week on a camping trip with the Findeises. I know. I'm as surprised as you are.

I have less than a month to finish off the rest of the list.

• Swimming at the Res
• Provo River Trail (non-raping hours)
• Temple Square
• Hogle Zoo
• Clark Planetarium
• Feed ducks
• Try tennis
• Visit Art Museums
• Free concerts
• Sunrise Yoga
• Tour State Capital
• Try a new temple
• Hike the Y (any takers?)
• Bike Ride
• Burraston Ponds
• Lagoon!
• Midnight food run at the hospital. What's up Oreo shake?!
• Gilgal Sculpture Garden
• Try a crazy new restaurant. I'm thinking ethnic.
• "This is the Place" Monument
• Red Butte Garden
• Drive-in Movie
• Living Planet Aquarium
• Tracy Aviary
• Rock climbing (Ashby's?)
• City Creek
• Keys on Main

Sometimes, Always, Never - Summer Shoe-la-la

The majority of your summer should be spent barefoot... but if you can't be barefoot...

Sometimes

Flats seem stuffy to me. If you must, wear them in a bright color.

Sneakers or Toms are great for the summer hikes, or when you are traipsing through fields to find the perfect stargazing spot.

Always

Gladiators are clearly the superior option for summer. Classier than your basic flip-flop but still light and easy.

Anything open-toed. Paint your toes something bright and let them shine.

Never

I have said this before and I'm going to say it again and I refuse to apologize.

IF IT IS TOO HOT TO WEAR PANTS IT IS TOO HOT TO WEAR BOOTS.

Why? Why do you do this? How sweaty are your feet? Were you anticipating a stampede that would require your expert cowgirl knowledge? 

Oh you're just a slut? Ok. Great. Don't snag your nasty belly button ring on your torn apart Daisy Dukes.

Sometimes, Always, Never - Summer Face

I'm a firm believer in changing your makeup with the seasons. My skin tans very easily, and I'm also super anemic. That means I can look Latin in the summertime and Helena Bonham-Carter in the wintertime. I have 3 foundations that I rotate through and varying shades of eyeshadows for the seasons. Summertime is my biggest adjustment to my daily routine, and it's a lovely adjustment because it means LESS.

SOMETIMES

Makeup trends like bold lipstick or a smoky eye are awesome. But be careful, and adjust. It's far too sticky to rock this during the day, so stick to fun concerts and night events for your statement makeup.

Instead of a gray or black smoky eye, try green or blue. Think mermaid.

Instead of a bright red or wine lip, try a hot pink, or my personal favorite - a sunny coral.

ALWAYS

Sunscreen. Your mom was right. It's good for you. I still don't wear it on my body like I should, but I've been establishing a good habit of layering a sunscreen with moisturizer under my makeup, or using Mary Kay's tinted moisturizer with sunscreen on its own. Try Aveeno Daily Moisturizer, especially if you've got dry skin like me. It's easy to make your own tinted moisturizer by mixing it with your favorite foundation on the back of your hand and then brushing it on. You'll feel like a bona fide makeup artist.

Creme Blush. This will play up your tan just right, without caking like a powder. I like Maybelline Dream Mousse blush in Rose Petal.

Lip Balm. Duh. Get yourself a nice stick of Burt's Bees.

Exfoliate. St. Ives Apricot Scrub is a miracle product. It removes dead, dry skin and just makes you glow.

NEVER

Liquid eyeliner needs to hibernate until sweating and swimming aren't daily possibilities.

Thick foundation or powders. Switch to a light tinted moisturizer that won't cake or look weirdly matte. Your skin will thank you.

Any foundation, powder or cream that does not match your current skin tone. I think this is Paris Hilton. It's hard to be sure with all the bronzer and the fact that it isn't 2004.

Summer Fever

Each day gets more and more beautiful. Each day the kids get more and more antsy. Each day we count down the remaining number of days that they'll have their butts in my seats.

Summer is so close I can almost taste it. Well, I can taste it. I have been having grapefruit for breakfast every day and it just feels so summery. I am pulling out my wedges and flouncy skirts. My gladiators beg me to wear them each morning.

Last night was warm and gorgeous. We took advantage of a beautiful evening drive and the 1/2 off Sonic shakes after 8 pm. We hit the swings at Mapleton Park and just enjoyed the warm air and cricket soundtrack.

As I posted about my outfit planning earlier this week, I thought I might try some outfit pics. The Beard laughed and laughed and made fun of me, but we had a great time.

Warm summer nights with my best friend? Marriage is the best.

Sometimes, Always, Never - To the Max(i) Dress

I was slow to adopt the Maxi trend. They just seemed frumpy to me. They were in garish prints, only sold at skeezy tourist gift shops on cruises and pretty much swallowed everything up. But they sophisticated with time, as all things do (that's what I keep telling myself when I'm looking at these students of mine). Now? Can't get enough. After the ever stylish Eliesa bought a glam maxidress, I followed suit. I impulsively bought a black Hawaiian/floral print tube top maxi at Target and it immediately commandeered my summer wardrobe.

Then this winter I went one step further and decided to try the maxi SKIRT. I was just browsing Old Navy online (like I do every day that ends in -y) and saw their jersey maxi skirts were on sale. I had their knee-length jersey skirts and loved them for their ease and comfort. I clicked "shopping cart." But then I got a little wild. Instead of my comfort food - black - I kept finding my eye attracted to the "wine red" skirt. So I took a gamble. I bought it. Turns out, Danica LOVES wine red. I love that I can rock it with black and gold for a luxe look, gray for easy neutrals, and white/blue nautical stripes for a spring transition.

That's what a great purchase is - something that stretches your wardrobe and makes you want to find new outfit combinations to keep wearing it.

As we approach summer, I encourage you to look into this enduring (and modest. And comfortable. And glamorous) maxi trend. But as always, be tasteful.

SOMETIMES

Dress it up for school, church or a date. The primary function of a maxi is for easy days at the beach, pool, hotel or any other easy-breezy summer activity. It can be worn to more formal places and activities, but you HAVE to dress it up. This means:

• Lose the flip flops and gladiators. Opt for pretty flats, wedges or anything peep-toe. Well, no pumps. That should go without saying. 
• Wear a blouse, blazer or pretty, belted cardigan instead of your basic tank top, tee, or maxi on its own. This says "I meant to do this. I didn't just get here from Seven Peaks."
• Along with that, DO YOUR HAIR. The carefree, beachy mess is awesome. But not if you're trying to pull off a maxi as a real-life, in public outfit. 

ALWAYS

Belt it. If you don't, you're gonna look like a tube of Pringles.

Get one that skims the top of your feet. Any longer and you're gonna look like a wizard.

Just wear it like Sydney. She's always an always.

NEVER

Please. PLEASE. I'm begging you. Stop wearing maxi dresses OVER a tee. No. Don't do it. If it's a tube or spaghetti strap (which most of them are) I get that you need to be modest. More power to you! But get a lightweight linen or cotton cardigan to wear OVER THE MAXI. I wear a short-sleeved, cropped black sweater with mine and it's perfect. No one wants to see your white shade tee underneath that bright pink floral maxi. Come on. 

  

(I realize this is just a tank top, but the same rule applies.)

Sometimes, Always, Never - Sandals

Summer Summer Summer. With the warm weather, toes have been making their appearance. And I couldn't be happier about it, as long as people respect the rules. Here they are.

SOMETIMES

Old Navy $0.99 flip flops are only ok if you are in a swimsuit. Basically heading to, from and around a beach, pool or lake. Or in a gross public shower. No other exceptions. We don't want to see these in the workplace or at the mall. Grow up and put on real shoes.

Ankle-strap sandals. Only if you don't have "cankles." Trust me. These are beautiful but they will make your cankles look like sausages.

ALWAYS

Anything other than the "Sometimes" or "Never"s with a nice pedicure. You don't even have to pay for one. As long as you are clean and patient, you can give yourself a killer pedicure.

The slingback wedge. When in doubt, put on a slingback wedge. They are my favorite. Leg-elongating, comfortable and effortlessly chic. Get a pair in a fun color and throw them on with anything. I CANNOT WAIT TO BUY SOME TOMS WEDGES.

NEVER

Are you Bear Grylls? No? Ok then. These should never be worn around humans.

This too.

Sometimes, Always, Never - Sunglasses

I'm still in the summer mode, obviously. As you read this, I'll be chillin in sunny St. George (if all goes according to plan). My little brother is playing in the legendary Sunshine tournament, and we love baseball, as if we need a reason to jet down to the Geezy.

Also, I'm obsessed with cheap sunglasses. Walking out of Forever 21 without them is my Vietnam. But even I know their time and place. So without further ado, here is this week's Sometimes, Always, Never.

SOMETIMES

Giant, bug frames. The kind you see on movie stars. Ever-so-glamorous and perfect for thwarting the paparazzi, right? I firmly believe these are an enduring trend and not a classic. Usually pretty good, as long as you are outside and doing a sunny activity - preferably by the pool. Try pairing them with a headwrap or scarf headband. Voila! You are an international sensation that happens to vacation in Utah County.

Unacceptable on athletes, indoors or when they overwhelm your face. Round faces should avoid these, as they make you look more like the Walmart Rollback Smiley Face, i.e. your round face is even rounder. Also, pick a big bag or big shades. Not both. Believe it or not, it does NOT make your hips look smaller. You just look like a cat lady.

ALWAYS

The classic aviator. Looks great on every face shape. Is appropriate for every age. Never looks contrived or ridiculous. I stack up on these in silver, gold and a color or two every summer because I know they are in my daily rotation.

The surprising "Always" up and comer is the cat eye. The aviator was my first love, and now all I seem to want to wear is a pair of cheetah print cat eyes I bought last summer. These are more dressy and chic, less of a pool staple and more of a driving, social staple.

NEVER. EVER EVER.

The white-framed wayfarer. Sorry, LMFAO, but these make you look like you only wear Axe. Girls, do you WANT to look like this?

Blue or otherwise ridiculously tinted lenses. Please no. I can live without or without these.

Kanye "blinds." I call them blinds because they remind me of windows. And I really just wish I could shut them.

Goodbyes Are Such B*tches, You Guys.

I don't know who decided to fill my dream summer with bittersweet moments, but it wasn't me. And don't start into the whole "You can't have the bitter without the sweet." I know. I get it. But still. I spent a decent amount of my summer saying goodbye to things I loved.

First, The Office. Well, The Office as it should be. I WILL still be following The Office this fall, without Michael Scott. But we all know it will never be the same. Laugh all you want at Little Miss Danica, but The Office means a lot to me. It defined me during formative years. It nails my humor in a singular way. There have been times when I've felt lost, discouraged, depressed, and the only prescription that seemed to work was the friendly Jim/Dwight rivalry, a handful of ignorant Michael Scott comments, a dash of wacky Creed, and general Office camaraderie.

The clock just would not stop ticking as the "Goodbye Michael" episode neared. I didn't even want to watch it. I felt like a part of me would die or be lost. The Office without Michael is like chips with no salsa. Coke with no Diet. Danica with no Beard. OBVIOUSLY I was gonna watch it. But I was scared. Especially to watch it with The Beard. I knew I'd be emotional. And I've never really been a crier. But it was inevitable. The Beard would have to see that side of me sooner or later.

Well, it was sooner. I fell to pieces. Absolutely fell apart. Ryan's white tee sleeve was streaked with mascara. I couldn't believe it was happening. The moment between Jim and Michael melted my heart completely. The years of frustration and anger dissolved in the cathartic goodbye that wasn't. They did a fantastic job. It was hard, but it was time. I said goodbye.

Then it was goodbye to the LAO. No need to dwell on that. It's all been said and done.

When a student is struggling with a concept, the recommendation is to increase the FIT.

Frequency

Intensity

Time

I practiced my crying by increasing all three of these during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2. It didn't stop. My head was throbbing. The Beard watched with me and concealed his embarrassment. That's why I love him. It was really hard to say goodbye to Harry Potter. Again, something I've loved since I was probably 11. Harry Potter is amazing. J.K. Rowling saved books. Twilight is ridiculous (although I read them), Hunger Games are pretty awesome, and there are other respectable options for young adult and universally appealing fiction. But I think I'm right in saying nothing will touch Harry Potter. Ever, probs. I love to reread them. The movies got better and better. The geek humor of following Harry Potter religiously is incredibly endearing. Thank you, J.K. Rowling. Thank you Harry Potter.

Finally, I said goodbye to my last name. Danica Budge had such a nice ring to it. That's been my name. It's everywhere. Email, Twitter, all kinds of social media, all my online shopping accounts (which are numerous, I assure you). Social Security was a bit of a hassle. Changing my information with Nebo School District took a while. I still haven't even dealt with BYU. It's still a little weird when I habitually sign my name "Danica Budge." Have 200 kids call me "Mrs. Holdaway!" or "Mrs. HALDaway!" all day has helped with the tradition.

But you know what? I love being a Holdaway. I didn't shed a tear over that one. I've joined another family that I'm so proud to be a part of. I like to label myself as The Beard's by taking his name. It's an indication of our new little family. I'll always be a Budge. But now I'm a Holdaway. And it feels great.

The First Day of the Rest of My Life

I suppose I have joined the masses of people who blog about their lives. I can't keep up, but I am hoping I will have enough interesting things happen to me to keep the wheels turning.

The real reason I want to keep a personal blog is because I will be going to Wales (and other cool places) this summer, and a blog is the perfect way to document the experience for myself and those I love back home. I will be leaving early in July, so until then I will try to get the hang of blogging.

SUMMER. It is here for me. I finally finished Winter Semester, after going to school since Fall Semester 2008. Burnt out. I feel much like Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes) when I think about all the nothing I want to do this summer and how little time I have to accomplish it.

Things I want to do
1. Read. I have quite the list of books to tackle in the next 2 months. The first is the sequel to "The Hunger Games" - "Catching Fire".
2. Yoga. I have my own cool yoga mat, a living room perfect for a sunrise session, and a hot yoga instructor at my local Gold's.
3. Make solid use of my recently acquired Netflix account. I have already added a substantial number of movies and TV series to my queue. I just received "Gone with the Wind" in the mail after the harping of my office friends to watch it.
4. Cook. I am excited to reinstate "Treat Monday" in the LAO (Library Administration Office) and to learn how to cook lots of cool things. I found an awesome site and I'm constantly adding recipes to a list of things I want to make.
5. Laying by the pool. Obviously.
6. Softball/Baseball games.
7. Nintendo 64
8. Go to every local music show physically possible. I love them. Velour and Sammy's always deliver.
9. Make some bad decisions.
10. Sleep.

This is a pretty good list. It's making me antsy. I also need to plan my trip, but that'll come. I will continue to post about my plans for Wales and any other interesting things that happen to me. Long live the blog.