ice skating

Some friends and I snuck off to the city wednesday for a little ice skating and window shopping. Nothing puts you in the holiday mood better than ice skating to christmas music in union square under an 85-ft christmas tree.

Union Square in SF during the holidays is a magical place.

Free entertainment was included...

explore.dream.discover

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from
the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
-Mark Twain

I've been thinking a lot about this quote lately. I often think I'm playing it too safe in my life instead of just taking chances. Great words to live by. Love this quote.

party in the usa

I came across this video today and thought it was pretty awesome. I want to be their friend.

fun in the jungle

Last night I got back from a week long trip to Costa Rica with my sister Kari. It was incredible! It is such a beautiful country, every thing is so green and tropical. It was paradise. I was a little nervous about just the two of us going, especially because we heard a lot of bad things about the road conditions and the crazy drivers, but we didn't have any problems. Everyone we met was super friendly, and the roads weren't as bad as we thought. And we only got our car stuck in the mud once (luckily the next car that passed us didn't hesitate to help us, the guys wife was even knee deep in the mud trying to help).

Here's a recap of our trip:


We did lots of hiking through the rain forests to idyllic waterfalls.







Came across lots of exotic animals and reptiles.


Explored the jungles.


Ate a large amount of surprisingly delicious food.



Took a dip in incredible hot springs.




Relaxed at the beach.


And most importantly, survived the roads.

"Ditch the workout, join the party!"

I've been feeling guilty about not going to the gym as much as I'd like to, so I decided to try out one of the classes at 24 Hour. Zumba looked like it might be fun, so I gave it a try. It's high-energy Latin infused cardio dancing that ended up being such a blast! Ok, so maybe I don't have much rhythm, and can't shake it like Shakira, but thankfully lots others in the class don't as well. So I don't feel too pathetic. It's so much fun that the hour flies by, and I found myself wishing it would go on longer. I didn't think it was possible to have that much fun at the gym, let alone actually look forward to going. Go here to see if there are classes in your area and get your groove on! You won't regret it!

I found a new love...

and it's name is Yogurtland.

They have every fruity flavor you can think of, and of course even more toppings. Plus, since it's yogurt, you don't have to feel guilty about eating it. Because obviously it's healthy, right?


I don't know why it took so long for for the frozen yogurt trend to catch on in the area since they are everywhere down south, but thankfully it did.

I heart fruit

Saturday morning I went with the parentals to the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building in SF. It was fun wandering around and sampling all the fruit as well as everything from goat cheese spread to burnt carmel sauce. I've always thought it would be fun to live close enough to ride your bike or jog to on a Saturday morning since it's in such a perfect location, right along the bay.

cupcakes

Lately I've been craving cupcakes, so last night I decided to whip up a batch. I found this recipe for Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes with buttercream frosting, from the famous Magnolia Bakery in NYC. If you're ever in the mood for making cupcakes, I highly recommend these. They were delicious!

weekend update

I spent last Saturday afternoon here...

picking dandelions. Our ward was having a service project helping out the park services pick weeds. The weeds turned out to be yellow dandelions covering a HUGE grass area at Chrissy Fields. Turns out they are an invasive species. Who knew? The weather was AMAZING, and the view of the Golden Gate Bridge couldn't have been better. It felt so great being able to help out the Park Services and know how grateful they were for the little service that we rendered. It surprised me how many people, who were riding bikes or running along the trail next us, yelled out to thank us for what we were doing. What also surprised me was how sore my butt was the next day. If you ever feel the need to work out that part of your body, just sit and pick weeds for a couple hours. Cause that will do it for ya!

On Friday night, two of my favorite people were in town. After a delicious Italian meal at Tomatino's, we broke out the games, and had quite an enjoyable evening. I love these girls!

Adventures in Europe

Day One & Two in London:

We arrived in London Saturday morning and took a quick train ride to Paddington Station then made our way to the Taxi "que" (as they say in Britain) and got a taxi to take us to our hotel to check-in. After we got rid of our suitcases, we set out to do a tour on double decker bus. Unfortunately the weather was not so great to begin with so we had to brave the wind and rain on the top of the open air bus with ponchos and umbrellas.

First stop was Regent's Street, which is the most popular shopping street in London. We walked around a bit, then made our way to Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. By then we were all starving, and were in search of some authentic London food. After wondering some side streets we found The Sherlock Holmes Pub and had some tasty fish & chips, which did not disappoint.



We then made our way down towards the river Thames to see Big Ben, the London Eye, and Westminster Abbey. It was quite the surreal experience seeing them in real life. After wondering around a bit, we made our way back to Leicester Square and Regents Street for a bit more window shopping, then found our way back to our hotel for the night.

The next day we hopped back on the double decker bus and made our way to the Tower of London which was once a palace, fortress and prison. It was where Anne Boleyn, mistress of Henry VIII, was held and later beheaded. It also holds the King's and Queen's Crown Jewels which were pretty incredible to see.

After the Tower of London, we went and saw Buckingham Palace, took some quick pictures then ate lunch where I had the greatest panini ever! They make them on loaves of baguettes here. It was quite delicious. We then wandered to the Victoria Station and found a taxi to take us the the famous department store Harrod's. It was fun wondering around to the different departments looking at the amazing displays and ridiculous price tags. We couldn't believe kiwi's in the produce section of the Food Hall were selling for over £30/kg! Pure craziness!

After being awed in Harrods, we found our way back to the London Eye and took a ride on the gigantic ferris wheel. The views of the city were incredible, especially looking down on Big Ben with all the pretty lights.

Day Three & Four in Paris:

We woke up bright and early to catch the Eurostar Train to take us to Paris. We arrived in Paris around quickly figured out the Metro system, and headed towards our hotel. Soon after getting off the metro, Kari was quickly welcomed by a Gypsy (they were everywhere, making up sob stories and begging for money) who tried robbing her by sticking her hand in her purse while she was carrying two suitcases up the stairs. Luckily Kari had quick moves and pulled her hand out of her purse and gave her a nice little yelling at. When we stepped up from the underground, we were in awe of how beautiful Paris was. The buildings, the people, the food, everything. The first thing Kari and I thought was how well people dressed, which made us feel a little out of place, and kinda made us want to go shopping.

We found our hotel, dropped off our luggage, then walked a couple blocks down the street to the Louvre. We saw the Mona Lisa, and a bunch of other famous statues and paintings, then were off to the next stop. We walked a nice little walk down the Seine River to Notre Dame. The gothic style architecture was really amazing. Inside, there was an opera style singer who was giving a concert. He gave me the chills, he was so good.

We wondered towards the Left Bank/Latin Quarter and found some delicious crepes, with Nutella and coconut then made our way towards the Eiffel Tower. Wow, what a sight this was. We took the elevator to the very top (a little scary, but a must do). By the time we got to the bottom, we made it just in time to see the sparkly blue lights that go off for 5 min at the top of the hour once it's dark. It was AMAZING!



The next morning we hopped on a quick train and went to Versailles. This is a must see, if ever in Paris. The palace was unbelievable. It was home to Marie Antoinette and her husband King Louis XVI and it was fun being able to see their extravagant rooms. We spent a couple hours wondering and getting lost in the gigantic garden behind the palace, then headed back to Paris.



Next stop was the Arc de Triomphe. We took the stairs to the top, took pics of the view of the city, then took a nice stroll down the Champs de Elysees for some window shopping.


Day Five & Six in Bruges, Belgium/Paris:

As kind of a last minute decision we decided to take a little side trip to Bruges, since it was only a 2.5 hour train ride from Paris. We all feel in love with the charming little medieval town. We spent the day walking around the town, browsing the cute little chocolate shops, wondering along the canals that run through the town, eating Belgian waffles, Belgian fries ("French" fries actually originated from Belgium, and they are kind of a big deal here. They even have over 20 sauces to choose from to dip them in), and of course Belgian chocolates (yes, we ate pretty healthy), and cruising the canal on a river cruise.

The following morning, we packed our bags and hopped on the train back to Paris. When we arrived, we set out for the Sainte-Chapelle (a Gothic chapel where the upstairs was covered just about floor to ceiling in stained glass) and the Conciergerie (a former palace and prison where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned) but first stopped for some savoury ham, cheese, and egg crepes. And, savory they were!

Day Seven & Eight in Paris/London:

For our last day in Paris, we decided to go to Monet's house and garden in Girverney, about 30 min. outside of Paris. Girverny is a quint little town that felt almost like a dream. Immaculate gardens, and ivy covered stone buildings were everywhere. Monet's garden was pretty spectacular. It's no wonder he was so inspired. The only not so fun part was the crazy amounts of tourists and the two hour line to get into the gardens. We made our way back to Paris that evening, and stopped by the market for some baguettes and cheese for a lovely picnic in the park.



The following morning came early, since we had to catch the 7:15 train for London. We toured through Westminster Abbey, The British Museum, walked around outdoor market on Portebello Road, then made our way back to Harrod's for some tasty desserts to bring back with us to our hotel for the night.