|| Peace & Happiness ||

As I sit here in the Seattle airport waiting to board my 3rd and final flight of the day, I am overwhelmed with a feeling of peace and pure happiness. Travelling all day long by yourself leaves a lot of time to think. I feel so completely blessed to be living the life that I am. As I was saying goodbye to Brett this morning, so hard by the way, I kept thinking how is this my life? Do I deserve to be this happy? Did I cheat the system somehow? How does one girl get so much. I have the sweetest husband who makes me laugh and laughs at my stupid humour and honestly makes me feel so loved and needed. I have the single greatest family on the earth. I am so excited to see them in a few hours. This is the longest I have ever gone without seeing them and I miss them so much! I was able to hear from the leaders of my church this past weekend and it was so uplifting and inspiring. Conference always gives me a push to try a little harder and be a little better. I know I belong to the only true church on the earth and that knowledge is the greatest blessing in my life and it makes all the other blessings in my life so much greater. I am going home to do a job that I love and am so passionate about! I am blessed.

I guess it just hit me hard today that I need to be better at acknowledging the many things that my Father in Heaven has given me. As I was so sad to leave Arizona but so excited to get to Alberta today I realized I have so many people in this world that care about me and that I care for in return. My heart is full today and I am grateful.

|| One Year and Paper ||

photo by alixann loosle

Can you believe it? I have been a real married girl for a year now! Time really went fast. Like lighting speed fast. It is kind of freaking me out actually! I swear I was just picking out flowers, dresses, table linens, and center pieces yesterday. To say that this year has been incredible would be an understatement. It has been the best year yet! I have had so much fun with Brett this year and we have done a lot! I have loved the new adventures that living in Arizona have brought and I hate thinking that we only have one more year here! We aren't sure what the future will hold for us as far as where we will live, where Brett will work, if he will specialize or not, the whole kids thing, and so many more choices to make but I am so glad I have such an amazing partner to go through it all with!

I am currently working on a wedding day post (a little late I know) so look for that in the next week or so! I just wanted to share with you something that I made for Brett for our anniversary! I am a pretty traditional girl and I knew this list existed so I looked it up to see what I was "supposed" to get Brett for our one year anniversary, it said….

Okay paper it is! I will be making sure to show Brett this list come our 30th anniversary and on! I can't wait for my diamond at 60 years! So during one of my late night Pinterest sessions I came across this idea! I knew I could make it myself so I whipped it up :) I think it makes for a good idea and a cute decoration!

{FYI blogger is making the colours look terrible for some reason!}

I think it's a nice keepsake we will have of our first year of marriage! As we move I will update the "we live" part but always keep the past copies.

Ane because I LOVE it so much I think all of you should have one too! For $10.00 I will email you a JPEG image that can be printed, it is 14"w 11"h. All I need from you are the places you met, married, and live and the colour you would like the banners to be! This is a great wedding gift idea too! If you are interested just shoot me an email at meghaneholt@gmail.com!

Happy Friday Everyone!!

|| My Top 10 Must Have Drugstore Beauty Products ||

I always LOVE when other people blog about this kind of stuff so I thought I would give it a shot! I think a lot of girls I know are in the same boat as me with the whole makeup budget thing… as in it is under the category of "spend as little as freaking possible". This wasn't always the case for me though. I used to be a high end makeup buyer and a frequent Sephora, Mac, Makeup Forever, Bobbi Brown customer but as of a year ago that all changed! I am now a Covergirl, Maybelline, Revlon, Aveeno and other such drugstore brands customer! At first it was hard, I missed my regular makeup ammo but now I am growing used to the new guys. It has taken me a year of sorting through crappy eyeliners, cakey foundations, and clumpy mascaras to come up with this list! It was a struggle. Seriously. I still can't really find a good foundation that I love though. If any of you know of one PLEASE let me know! I hope if you are on a budget like me and are struggling to find good cheap makeup, some of these products will help you out too! Happy shopping!

1. Aveeno Positively Ageless (Face Wash | Day Lotion |  Night Creme) - I love these products. I am obsessed actually! I wanted to get a jump start on the whole anti aging thing and thought I would try these out. Best decision ever.  The lotions aren't to heavy but still leave your face feeling creamy and soft and the face wash totally washes away all my makeup at the end of the day. 

2. Revlon PhotoReady Concealer - This concealer is great. I don't get as many zits and blemishes as I used to (thank goodness) but I do still get some and this hides them so well! Also it helps hide my perma dark circles I have under my eyes. It also blends into my skin really great so it doesn't leave behind a light coloured ring around your zit because no one wants that.

3. Revlon Custom Eyes | 020 Naturally Glamorous - Another great Revlon product. I usually just use 2 colours from this palette the one with arrow pointing to it and the lightest cream colour! The brown is perfect for the crease of my eye to just give it some depth. It lasts all day and I love it! 

4. Maybelline Master Drama Eyeliner - I use this eyeliner a lot. I like it for making the cat eye effect or just for a little darker line. It goes on so easily and lasts a long time. The only downer is that I find that it transfers onto my upper eyelid sometimes so I don't love that!

5. NYX Matte Lipsticks - Okay ladies if you buy anything from this list let it be these lipsticks. They are the best ever. NXY makes the funnest colours and I can't wait to buy more! Right now I have Hippie Chic, Euro Trash, Eden, and Indie Flick. They are great by themselves or with a bit of clear gloss on top! Also I know these aren't from a drugstore technically… but they are drugstore cheap so I am counting it! Don't walk, RUN and get these now!

6. Maybelline Baby Lips - I live in the dessert. Dry and chapped lips are a constant struggle. This amazballs lip chap comes in and saves the day! Also it has a little SPF 20 action which also helps with all the sun I get! 

7. Not Yours Mother's Hair Products (Dry Shampoo | Curl Cream) - I came across this product line through Cara Loren's Blog. I love the curl cream because it doesn't make your hair crunchy! I can't stand when I want to do my hair curly and it ends up all stringy and crisp. Yuck. This stuff its great! Just makes my hair a little beach wavy and no crunch insight! The dry shampoo is fabulous. I am someone who needs to shower about every 2-3 days for sure! Sometimes it's everyday if it's windy or my body just decides it's going to be greasy. This dry shampoo works wonders on my very thin fine hair! 

8. Bumble and Bumble Quenching Complex - Okay I am cheating again on this one but you have to know about this product so I don't care! First off this stuff lasts FOREVER! I have had it for over 2.5 years and use it every. single. day. My hair gets frizzy and full of static in the dryness found here in AZ and in Southern Alberta when it's windy and this stuff calms those problems right down. This is another must have in my books.

9. Annebelle Blush | 018 - I couldn't find a link to this one but I know you can buy it at Walmart and Target! This great product was recommended to me by my very own momma! It is really great stuff and I love the deep colour that it leaves. I think it looks best on a more olive or tan skin tone. So if you are fairer than me maybe go for a lighter colour! 

10. Revlon ColorStay Makeup - I'm just going to be honest with you from the start about this one. It really isn't my favourite but it's the best I have found. This is another product thank to Lisa aka my mom. The only thing that I don't like about it is that it's a bit heavy for me. It's perfect for those days you want your skin to look perfect though! Like date night, a wedding, family photos or any big event! I just don't love it for my everyday use. So again if anyone has any recommendations, I'm all ears!

11. Covergirl Professional Remarkable Washable Waterproof Mascara - Hollaaaa for the best mascaraaaa evaaaaaa! Yep it's that good. So good I had to add it to the list as a little bonus! It's the best drugstore mascara I have found. It stays on all day and washes off so easily and for a waterproof mascara that's a freaking miracle. Am I right? But it is waterproof so when you go swimming it stays on! Which I will be doing a lot of soon since the weather is getting perfect here! Yay for summer in March :) Oh and it's also under $5…. ya you hear me, under $5!!

Okay there you have it, my top 10 11! After I was done though there were a few products I left off and felt bad about it. So here are a few "honourable mentions" ;)

1. Summer's Eve Fem Spray - Just get it okay. You know why.

2. TONI&GUY Flexible Hold Hairspray - This stuff is great. Like I said earlier I hate crunchy hair especially crunchy hair from hairspray. I like to run my fingers through my hair and not get stuck halfway due to the sticky hairspray I just applied. This stuff holds your hair in place but still gives you a some movement!

3. Aveeno Stress Relief Products (Body Wash | Lotion) - Mmmm these are so lovely. They smell amazing and make my skin so soft. Even Brett loves the smell. He prefers the regular Aveeno lotion though, I guess it's more "manly". Anywho this set is great and I highly recommend it!

4. Orla Kiely Makeup Bag - Cause you gotta have a place to put all your products! I actually just bought this baby. Yesterday. So I can't really say how great it works yet but I think it's gonna be super duper awesome! It has lots of pockets and such and is perfect for all the travelling I do :)
p.s the link is to ebay for about $20 more than I spent at Target yesterday but I couldn't find it on the Target website… sorry!

WHEW that took a lot longer than I had planned! I hope someone benefits from this post! I now have a new appreciation for bloggers who do this type of stuff all the time! Anywho hope you all have a great rest of your week!

Here is just a little iPhone pic of me actually wearing the above beauty products! 

Lipstick - Hippie Chic w/ Euro Trash on Top

|| The Great Outdoors ||

Living in Arizona is awesome. It's January and I have been hiking twice this week! It's warm, sunny, and wind free every single day! I am really trying to take advantage of living here. I made some goals at the first on the month and like everyone some of them had to do with my fitness. I am trying to do it in a fun way by being more active in all aspects of my life and not just going to the gym everyday. So far so good! Hopefully it will last!

Since my husband is the best and so supportive he planned a hike on Martin Luther King day! We went with Chase and Allison and hiked Camelback! We had so much fun. It was pretty challenging but I'm glad I finished it! The view was really cool and we could see the whole valley! I actually can't wait to do it again, hopefully soon!

Then today I went on a easy and fun hike with Tera! It was a lot more fun than running on the treadmill, that's for sure! 

I hope I can keep up my new "lifestyle"! Also anyone that wants to come and visit me, you can come hike with me and enjoy this perfect weather… ;)

|| Year in Review: A 2013 Survey ||

Hello fine people! Welcome to 2014!! Whoop whoop. I decided before I give a recap of my Christmas/New Years I would do a little survey all about my BIG year in 2013! Feel free to do this, it was kinda fun, but let me know you did it so I can check yours out!

1.What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before?
Well I got married. It was a first for me! Also I moved to another country!

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions, and will you make more this year?
Honestly I can't even remember if I made any last year. I was in the middle of planning a wedding so I bet my resolution was not to go insane before Feb 23rd and I did that soooo yep I did!

3. What is something crazy you did this year?
I didn't really do anything crazy… Maybe fly back and forth from AZ to Canada upwards of 8+ times?

4. What places did you visit?
New Mexico, Salt Lake, Denver (does the airport count), California, Vegas and Montana.

5. What dates from 2013 will remain etched in your memory, and why?
Jan 2 - I went through the Temple for my first time. It was such a great experience and so amazing to have all my family and friends come and support me. Feb 23 - Our wedding day. Because I got married. You know kind of self explanatory.  April 27 - Brett's Birthday. It was the first one we had spent together! We went to a drive in movie and it was a really fun day!   July 4th - We got to go to New Mexico and I got to meet the Holt side of Brett's family. It was such a blast! Can't wait for their next reunion!   July 17-Aug 9 - I got to see almost every member of my immediate and extended families! Having two reunions back to back was so special and I am so grateful I was able to make them both.   Aug 30 - Mitch returned from his 2 year mission! BEST DAY! Missed the crap out of him.

6. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I know this is going to sound lame but it was definitely getting married. It's not an easy thing to do you know. I had to search long and hard to find Brett and I feel like I won big time with snatching him up. I spent a lot of hard/happy long years in the YSA looking for him. I seriously couldn't have married a better person for me. He makes me better and helps me when I am down and celebrates with me when I succeed. I am pretty much obsessed with the guy.

7. What was your biggest failure?
This one is a little embarrassing but it would have to by my overall fitness. I really slacked off this year and have a few extra lbs to show for it. I kept setting goals and then coming up short with them. I have recommitted this year though… so wish me luck!

8. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Well just the same one that I have been for almost 5 years now…. the dreaded Celiac!

9. What was the best thing you bought?
A photography mentorship with Jalene Taylor. She was the sweetest, most helpful girl! She has helped me take my photography to a better place and I owe her BIG time!

10. Where did most of your money go?
Straight to Mid Western University's pockets!  You are welcome Mid Western for taking all of my life savings. I hope you didn't spend it all in one place...

11. What did you get really excited about?
I was actually super excited to be in my own house and decorating it however I (and Brett of course) wanted! It still sometimes feels like I am playing house and Brett isn't my real husband.

12. What song will always remind you of 2013?
Hunter Hayes - Wanted

13. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I had done more socializing. I was pretty much a hermit and to afraid to meet new people. I had lived in an area where I was always around my life long friends and never had to really make new ones and meeting new people was/is really scary for me.

14. What do you wish you'd done less of?
I would have to say T.V watching… Ya it's a bad habit of mine. I kind of love it….

15. How did you spend Christmas?
We spent most of it in Raymond and Magrath with our families! We did go to the cabin in Montana for a few days and had a blast! Christmas was seriously the best ever.

16. Did you fall in love in 2013?
How about more in love?

17. What was your favourite TV program?
Ah as I said above I have a love/hate relationship with TV. My favs were Vampire Diaries, Greys, Extreme Weight Loss, Biggest Loser, Elementary, and Modern Family.

18. What was the best book you read?
The Elisabeth Smart book. It was REAL good.

19. What did you want and get?
The Husband spoiled me rotten on my bday and got the 85mm lens I had been wanting forever!

20. What was your favourite film of the year?
42, Monster's University, and the 2nd Hobbit. (this was hard… we watch a lot of movies)

21. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I went to the zoo, dinner, and got real spoiled! - see here - I turned 25 years young...

22. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
Uhhh leggings, baggy shirts and flip flops? Is that a fashion concept? Maybe lazy.

23. What kept your sane?
My husband. Through all the ups and downs he was my rock.

24. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
This is random but probably Hillary Duff. I am sick of seeing Disney stars go crazy for attention and I liked how she had a baby and has a family and is normal and doesn't care if that's all over the news.

25. Whom did you miss?
I missed my family a lot. You know moving FAR away for the first time and all. Other then those guys I would have to say Katelyn. The last time I moved away she moved with me so this was different. It's hard not seeing your bff all the time. Especially when at first I had no real friends. Sometimes texting/facetiming/socialmedia just doesn't quite cut it.

26. Who was the best new person you met?
I can't even answer this one! I have met so many great people this year!! My whole ward is awesome and I have met a ton of great people through Brett!

27. What was a valuable life lesson your learned in 2013?
Somethings are worth waiting for.

27. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"We're having such a good time together and it's only just begun..." -Easton Corbin

28. What is your favourite memory of 2013?
That would be the family dinner/ program we had on our wedding day. I just think about it and it puts a smile on my face. If I could go back in time and relive that moment again and again I would.

29. What was the best vacation you were able to take?
I would have to say it was our road trip to Provo this summer. We got to spend time with Kylie which was awesome! Brett showed me around his old stomping grounds at BYU and we just did a lot of fun stuff that week and laughed a lot!

30. Sum up 2013 in one word.
Change