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!