Adventure Is Out There

I LOVE THIS BAG. I'll give you five reasons, to keep it brief. BACKPACK. One strapped diaper bags have a way of swinging off my shoulder at precarious times, nearly hitting my children whom I am bending over to pick up. It also is much more comfortable to wear and lug around.  POCKETS. I love well designed products that think of their users and their needs.  There are insulated pockets to keep bottles warm Microfiber lined sunglasses pocket Wallet pocket Phone Pocket Water bottle pockets on the exterior sides Laptop sleeve (I use it for a changing pad) Pockets lining most of the interior, great for separating all the small stuff ZIPPERS. This bag was made with great zippers. They are high quality, smooth, strong, and run deep on the sides of the bag, letting you open it as much or little as necessary.  NEUTRAL. The coloring is perfect for any outfit, whether I'm wearing it or my husband.  SIZE. When I needed to upgrade my diaper bag with the bir...

A Few of my Favorite Things for $20 or Less Plain Baseball Cap - NORDSTROM $15 - ALDO $18 For those days when not even dry shampoo can save you. Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara - TARGET $5.89 I love the intensity of the black with this mascara, when a little bit goes a long way, you can move extra quick when you're running late.  Revlon Color Stay Moisture Stain - TARGET - AMAZON - $7.99 This lipstain comes in beautiful colors, is easy to apply, doesn't dry your lips out, and comes off without taking a layer of skin with it. Neutrogena Micro Mist - TARGET - AMAZON - $8.99 Light, even, smooth coverage with a surprisingly refreshing scent (for a sunless tanner). Jergens Natural Glow - TARGET - AMAZON - $7.79 This lotion is great for subtle color, smells okay, and develops over several days to avoid splotches and streaks.  Ouchless Clear Rubber Bands - TARGET - AMAZON - $2.99 These babies are super smooth, perfectly clear, have a tight hold, and disappe...

Lily Rey Monson   4-22-2016 7:23 pm 8 lbs 2 oz 21 inches I was up all evening on April 19th with consistent contractions every 3-8 minutes. With Calvin's delivery process I was sent home from triage FOUR times, and as a result I am incredibly paranoid about raising the alarms for just the early phases of labor. I sent my mom a text suggesting she get on a plane in the next 24 hours, then went downstairs to watch Harry Potter for the billionth time and to try to get some sleep.  The next few days were such a treat. My Mom had flown into town and was ready to jump into baby delivery action. We walked, shopped, walked, ate, walked, talked, walked, and walked some more. Between her and my two sisters who live nearby we must've walked a marathon in 3 days time.  One evening we walked my sister Chelsee's neighborhood in Holladay for 2-3 hours. It was pitch black by the time we got back and I realized with horror that my wedding ring...

Calvin James Monson March 28th, 2014 12:27 am 8 lbs 11.5 oz 22 inches long It all started on Monday, March 24th at 12:00 am. I woke up in a puddle of fluid in our bed. David was in the bathroom and I hurriedly called out to him that my water had broken! He came out and observed it closely, including a nice close sniff to insure that it was not urine instead (he always has been a brave soul). We drove out to Banner Estrella Hospital in Avondale at 3:00 am and were introduced to the joy of OB GYN Triage. They tested me (three different times) for a ruptured amniotic sac and each test came back negative. They sent us home packing at 5:30 am. I was disappointed and embarrassed to be going home, but knew it was only a matter of time before labor started out on it own naturally. We followed up with our Doctor at his office in Goodyear that afternoon and he stripped my membranes to progress labor. He then discretely suggested that if we were to come into the hospital while...

Hiking in Lamani, Belize As many of my Instagram and Facebook photos indicate, we do a lot of hiking in our little Monson family. I have received a lot of skeptic looks and prying questions as to whether or not I really enjoy being "outdoorsy." The truth is: I would never do the biking, diving, hiking and/or camping that we do without the enthusiasm and encouragement from my guy Dave. Scuba Diving with Sharks in Grantsville, UT Which lead me to wonder, why is it that women are told, taught, and expected to hate being outside? My thoughts: It is really hard to go pee. I mean, talk about a messy, dusty, unsanitary, and an awkward balancing act. I'm not even going to go into the fear you feel when you realize too late that you've chosen an exposed location... Spiders. Enough said. Make up.. do you wear it to at least look decent for the first hour of the adventure, only to have it melt and fade without hope for correction or touch up? Or do you take...