HOW TO: Throw Your Own Themed Backyard Movie Night

This post is a little late, but better late than never! At the beginning of the summer I had my own themed backyard movie night with my YSA ward and felt like it was a huge success! So if you are looking for something to do for one final summer get-together, here is a fun idea! :D



Step 1: Find a location. I insisted that we use my backyard because there was plenty of room and I had been DYING to throw a movie night/party for a while!



Step 2: Recruit your peeps. Because I had been planning on doing something like this for a while, I took on the job of providing most of the snacks/treats, but asked others to bring the essentials-popcorn and water. We borrowed a projector and screen. My family helped clean up the yard- I was in charge of mowing the 1/2 acre lawn (ugh :P)



Step 3: Choose the flick. We chose Fantastic Mr. Fox because it was a favorite among some of my friends and others really wanted to see it! It is best to choose something lovable, hilarious, and in my case- something that you can pair some fun snacks/treats with! This movie was the perfect choice!



Step 4: Spread the word!!! I haven't EVER met anyone who didn't love a summer backyard movie night! :D Invite all attendees to bring blankets, camp chairs, and bug spray.



Step 5: Prepare the snacks/treats. I came up with several different ideas that had to do with the movie.  - Chicken in a Bisket: Foxes eat chicken and squab ("What is a squab anyway?") - Donuts: You probably won't find "cider-filled" (hah!) so glazed will be just fine ;) - Apple/Grape Juice Boxes: ("Apple juice- apple juice flood") - Apples: Red ones with little yellow star stickers ("At least they have stars on them") - Swedish Fish: aka "Minnows", and don't forget - Blueberries: ("Beagles love blueberries!").............. *You can tell that I had fun with these. Everyone that hadn't seen the movie thought I was crazy before it started, but then laughed afterwards.*



Step 6: Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2igjYFojUo (Movie Trailer)

This movie is so great!! The first time I watched it I thought it was a little weird. I hadn't ever seen a Wes Anderson film so I didn't know what his style was like. But each time I've watched it with friends and family, I've laughed at different things and I've come to love it more and more! It is hilarious! :D *You have to have an interesting sense of humor like me to really love it! Haha* If you haven't seen it, go check it out! All of my friends have told me how much they enjoyed it. They've been renting and buying it to watch it again, and we all enjoy quoting it here and there! You'll be "cussing" with the rest of us before you know it! ;)

I probably won't get the chance to do another backyard movie night before summer is over, but I would love to do it again! I've already begun planning and talking with friends about the next movie night - NACHO LIBRE! - The perfect film for an outdoor BBQ - complete with hot dogs, hamburgers, refried beans, corn on the cob, salad, soup, toast,"bugs and grass", "eagle eggs" and "orphans' chips". Stay tuned!

Pinocchio Will Never Be the Same...

Today, I just had a fun memory of something my younger brother had said as a little kid. You know how kids say the darndest things... In my family we have many memories like this one, of hilarious things that my siblings and I have said when we were little.

But of all the funny things we laughed about over and over again, one of my favorites has to be the time when my brother was singing along to Pinocchio. We were listening to him hum and sing the words to the song "There Are No Strings on Me" but instead of these words from the chorus, it came out: "THE RHINO STINKS ON ME!"

 

 

Just a small fun memory... but I bet you will never listen to that song the same way AGAIN! I know that I sure haven't.... ;) 

Bucket Listing - Summer Ideas

Not too long ago, I had to explain to someone what a 'bucket list' was... I won't name names ;) but I was shocked that they had never heard of it before! I thought bucket lists were pretty stupid for the longest time (who has the time and money to do any of these things anyway) but when I was introduced to Pinterest, bucket lists suddenly became exciting to me! Sure, there is no way I can possibly get them all done (and most of them are just for laughs) but I thought that writing a few down somewhere I'll remember (and what better place than a blog?) will remind me of some of the fun stuff I could be doing this summer! Some of these could be helpful in planning activities for my YSA FHE group too ;)

1. Sit on a rooftop.
2. Water balloon slip n slide.
3. Go on a road trip with friends.
4. Put together a family cookbook.
5. Volunteer at an animal shelter.
6. Stargaze on a roof.
7. Order dessert first at a restaurant.
8. Stand in 4 states at one time.
9. Be part of a flash mob.
10. Witness a wedding proposal.
(CHECK!) 11. See my favorite band live.... See ANOTHER favorite band live!
12. Play hide and seek in a foam pit.
13. Have a huge water balloon fight.
14. Go white water rafting.
15. Let go of a floating lantern.
16. Go on a date to the zoo.
17. Learn how to tie a tie.
(CHECK!) 18. Go on a camping trip with all of my friends. (all of my ward friends)

Elementary Fun

This semester I have been taking a Communications course that counts for both my General Studies and Accounting degree. It has been one of my favorite classes by far. When I am sick and confused from math and science, it's nice to go into a class where I get to talk to fun people and we get to observe the different things we do everyday. I've had a lot of fun!

In the class, we are required to do a 12 hour service project. I know what you're thinking... "12 Hours?!! That's ridiculous!" Yep I know. The friends I've talked to that have taken the class in high school or early college have all said that they had to do a 8-10 hour project. If you don't know by now, my year has been a bit 'unlucky' right now so I've kind of just learned to deal with stuff like that. Something like that is bound to happen to me at some point.

But in all honesty, I wish the project had been LONGER. Once a week in February, my group and I would go to a local elementary and help the teachers with pretty anything they needed help with for about 4 hours. Sometimes we would help the students during class, other times we would grade papers, take displays down, put displays up, distribute papers, go to assemblies (we went to one teaching the kids about procrastination ;)), anything like that.

My favorite days were when we were actually able to work with the kids. The first graders were my favorite! They were so sweet and did the funnest things! They were learning how to use 'Paint' on the computer and we would have to help them learn how to use different tools. So much fun! We would pull kids out individually and have them read a story to us so they could practice their reading. After a couple hours, the first graders and I had a special bond. As the day went on, I started to love these kids more and more and they started to like me and my friends just as much as we liked them! One little girl came in from recess and gave me a big hug as soon as she ran into the classroom. She then said something like: "What'syourfavoriteprincess?!!!!" (Yes she really did say it that fast). I laughed and said: "Probably Rapunzel, but I also really like Tiana and Belle." She yelled: "Me too! Which movies do you have?" I was starting to feel like I could really pull off this first grade teacher thing. Maybe I should switch my major? But by the end of the day I had changed my mind...haha.. NO....

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE little kids. But when you have a classroom of 20 to 30 of them running around crazy, you start to wish that there were only 3 of them. I was asked to start a game of Bingo. I don't know what it is, (some weird chemical in the game box perhaps?) but every kid LOVES Bingo! It must be something in those little colored chips (you know those colored thin circles that every single teacher from your old school used to have) that makes them crazy!!! By the end of the game, there were chips scattered  all over the room, Bingo cards on the floor, and I had temporarily lost my hearing from a couple of boys yelling "BINGO! BINGO! BINGO!" in my ear every 10 seconds.

After the games with the first graders, I walked out into the hall with 2 other guys from my group. We each breathed a sigh of relief and my hearing was restored. The hallway also smelled fresh ;) Then and there, I decided that teaching was not for me (at least not with that many kids) and I wished that the teachers got paid more. We headed over to the 4th and 6th grade classes where it was MUCH nicer.

This was such a great experience for me and the members of my group! As crazy as it was sometimes, I kind of wish I still had a little more chaos like that in my life to make it more exciting. Teachers have such a hard job! I can now appreciate them so much better! I was also able to get to know my group members better. Sometimes as we were correcting papers and organizing supplies, we would talk about our favorite movies, foods, celebrity crushes (like whether or not we would leave whoever we were with for Harrison Ford or Katy Perry ;)) and the one married group member would give the rest of us single 19 year-olds marriage advice. :)

If there were one thing I could say to each of those kids it would be to enjoy this time you have now in your younger years because it flies so fast!! One day you're a little kid learning how to read, playing Bingo, learning about the solar system, and the next you're in college trying to figure out what in the heck you want in life. It's so confusing!

I found this the other day and I just had to smile... http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/things-that-look-just-like-childhood. It brings back fun memories!

Happy Valen-tunes! ♥

I recently found this song from Kina Grannis on Spotify. It's a cute little song for Valentine's Day and I looked up the music video for it. Her videos are fun and creative!

This is my favorite song of hers! My mom showed me this video a long time ago and it has always been one of my favorites! It took 1,357 hours and 288,000 jelly beans to make it! Definitely a fun one! I will post these 2 songs on my playlist for February! ♥

Looking Forward to 2014

As I am sitting home with a bad cold, reflecting on the past few weeks of the new year, I haven't failed to notice that bad luck has seemed to be following me around.


I have just started my 4th semester of college with some difficult courses. I was planning on taking 5 classes, but had to drop one because I couldn't afford it with textbook costs. I am currently taking Survey of Accounting II, Interpersonal & Small Group Communication, Intro to Microbiology, and Business Calculus. Everyone I've talked to about them has said things like: "You are crazy!", "Those are hard!", and "That is a big load!" But honestly, I love to learn and the classes have all been great so far! :D Better yet, after this semester, I will finally have my Associates degree out of the way and I can move on to getting my Bachelors in Accounting! :)


The first week and a half at school we got lots of snow, and if you know anything about Northern Utah weather, it's not fun- especially when you're driving and when you're walking (or should I say slipping and sliding) all around the campus sidewalks. I like a little snow but I do get sick of a lot of snow. However, one of my favorite things to do after a big snowstorm is walk down the main sidewalks on campus where everything is beautifully draped in white! I wish I could find a great picture of it! It is the neatest thing!


The second day of school (perfect timing don't you think?), I went to go start my car when I soon found out that it had a dead battery. I had to wait (wrapped in a couple blankets) for my dad to come save me in the school parking lot. One day and almost $400 later, (for a new battery and a fix on the power steering) I thankfully had my car back. This probably wouldn't bother someone else, except that I just had a few other parts replaced and paid for registration/insurance less than 2 months ago. I've probably spent close to $800-1000 on my car since November.


So here I sit - with a cold I've had for a week, trying to stay caught up on school and work, surviving the snow, almost completely broke.  But, honestly this has probably been the happiest I've been in a while!


This January, I have noticed how grateful I am for so many things! (I know-probably weird to hear when it's not even close to Thanksgiving! haha)
-I am thankful that I can go to school to get a great education and continue learning lots of new, cool and interesting things and decide what kind of career I want.
-I am grateful for a car that works (for now haha) with heat and drives great in the snow!
-I am grateful for a great job, working with great people that will work around my schedule and help me whenever I need it.
-I am thankful for great friends that are always looking out for me and making me happier each day! True, I can't really go somewhere and spend a lot of money with them, but you don't need money to have a good time!
-I am thankful for a loving and supportive family that are always there when I need them! My parents were able to drive me from place to place when I was without a car and have helped me financially with repairs. They have also supported me in all the choices I've made, especially these past couple years after graduating high school.
-I am thankful for the Gospel in my life. Without it, I would not be improving and always trying to become a better person. My Institute class, church classes, callings, and activities help keep me sane and take my mind off complicated school work and other difficult things in my life.


I recently read something that said this time of year is 'the most depressing time of the year'. But just because society says it is, doesn't mean you need to make it that way! Eleanor Roosevelt said: "No one (or thing) can make you feel inferior without your consent." Here's hoping that the start of a new year will bring happiness and excitement to what's ahead in 2014! :D



The Head and the Heart

So as I said, I will definitely be writing a lot about music. Music is an important thing in my life. I took piano lessons for 10 years and I have played the organ for church for the last 4 years or so. Very rarely, (and I mean rarely-maybe once in every 6 months) will I go without music while I'm driving. I think that if my radio were to break, I would go crazy! I am in love with Spotify and have a giant 1,100 (more or less) random song playlist that I am constantly updating. I listen to it while I am picking out my clothes for the day, while I am fixing my hair, when it's quiet at work, or when I'm browsing Facebook and Pinterest. I am one of those people who probably wishes that life had its own background music. (As long as it was playing something I really liked, and wasn't overplayed. ;) )

Getting back on track here...I would now like to introduce a group that I found a while ago. Introducing...The Head and the Heart!

 

 

Yeah I know, you probably haven't heard of them. Not very many people have. Sometimes I feel like I am the one designated to make them more popular. They are a small group from Seattle and sing folk, indie rock type of songs.

 

I found out about them when I was flipping through channels one night. I stopped on BYUtv for a minute to see if this band sounded any good, and I finished watching the rest of the episode! I really liked how unique they were! I checked out their CD at the library, and I loved it! (You can check out the episode here: http://www.byutv.org/watch/8f193803-a523-48c1-834d-152bcaacfedf/audio-files-the-head-and-the-heart)

 

Since they are pretty different, there might not be very many people that say they really like them. But I definitely think they sound better than some of the other groups you hear on the radio now! They remind me a little of 'Of Monsters and Men' or 'The Lumineers'. I got their first CD for Christmas. They released a second CD earlier this year, but I haven't listened to much of the songs. I haven't decided if I like it yet. If you are looking for some music that's a little different from what you usually listen to, I suggest listening to some of their stuff! Starting in January, I will post a whole bunch of their songs on my playlist, so check it out!