tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73882092608610592222024-03-13T10:21:06.299-07:00Away She Wenteveryday adventureSam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.comBlogger634125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-74401341561348260022021-05-26T06:00:00.005-07:002021-05-26T06:00:00.190-07:00Surprise! I’m Married!<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Oh, you didn’t know I was married? You didn’t even realize I was in engaged? That’s because I’m officially the worst blogger…can I even still call myself a blogger when I haven’t written a post in almost a year?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWJsgo3LlIflmQuIPEXsUG3Lj8V6ktyR_GMD1Op_rIEwZvjy7phbEUonnhOIV7oVHaLZ5qFsxHpeK7F8ymQr2nycsGNMd_W6Hh7hK28u8o0BZd3UsJHZZiTeWv5h1V6nvi3-ODcq78OWM/s600/Lost+Dutchman+State+Park+Wedding+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWJsgo3LlIflmQuIPEXsUG3Lj8V6ktyR_GMD1Op_rIEwZvjy7phbEUonnhOIV7oVHaLZ5qFsxHpeK7F8ymQr2nycsGNMd_W6Hh7hK28u8o0BZd3UsJHZZiTeWv5h1V6nvi3-ODcq78OWM/s16000/Lost+Dutchman+State+Park+Wedding+2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><i>(photos by <a href="https://www.alishahunsaker.com/">Alisha Hunsaker Photography</a>)</i></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Anyway, our five month anniversary was a couple weeks ago so I figured an update was long overdue!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Let’s jump way back to July 1, the day we got engaged (and the day after my birthday). Adam had been acting suspicious for a couple days so I thought he might propose, but I legit thought that every time we went on vacation or did something special, so I didn’t hold out much hope. But on the night of July 1st, in the middle of our kitchen, surrounded by our dogs, Adam asked me to marry him. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyre8rcocI-fcGYr6vSePxOKcaLtrr4zhyphenhyphen73zaOvCP2gL9xYo2kELpVbkidNOktlSTj19shqvfQ97kbb54cLck8j5j9y-BwBhcVgbUqmuzd3NgCUsK_RP3DNG-Qn27HrTwcbEDaNDsxw-4/s600/engagement+ring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyre8rcocI-fcGYr6vSePxOKcaLtrr4zhyphenhyphen73zaOvCP2gL9xYo2kELpVbkidNOktlSTj19shqvfQ97kbb54cLck8j5j9y-BwBhcVgbUqmuzd3NgCUsK_RP3DNG-Qn27HrTwcbEDaNDsxw-4/s16000/engagement+ring.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This happened in the middle of the pandemic (when the numbers in Arizona were the some of the highest in the country and the world), so we really weren’t sure what to do about a wedding. At that point no one really knew how long this would last, how bad things could get, or when it’d be safe to meet up again, so after debating a bunch of options, we decided to get married in December and have everything outdoors and socially distanced (plus masks). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So on December 12th at Lost Dutchman State Park, we were married surrounded by 20 of our closest friends and family (plus a few on Zoom who couldn’t attend in person). </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiMjvzaHZ_k20HEyyenpS0jtfVIAcW21NnoazWsOr3RmL2pyLv1NCTmyOJsxFcq7saeYfKedLKiaX1841A6xpXOQbnoGTay8TGfauHjPPG9inYNpweg4E-COztMEvPus6750WAom50M8H/s600/pandemic+wedding.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiMjvzaHZ_k20HEyyenpS0jtfVIAcW21NnoazWsOr3RmL2pyLv1NCTmyOJsxFcq7saeYfKedLKiaX1841A6xpXOQbnoGTay8TGfauHjPPG9inYNpweg4E-COztMEvPus6750WAom50M8H/s16000/pandemic+wedding.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpXNwVY7F6snHyVktwmZgpJSAzScK2pKQPupfYvn4P1RTz_FN8OR_m7OcXooFedGeg3vl-dhTmUhrlF8HOI8OsgVmZMrWS5KwZ7JCk2iZ4YGF5ARiJRfLWZ3YtlTqtkr6YNskVFwSrY0A/s600/favorite+wedding+photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpXNwVY7F6snHyVktwmZgpJSAzScK2pKQPupfYvn4P1RTz_FN8OR_m7OcXooFedGeg3vl-dhTmUhrlF8HOI8OsgVmZMrWS5KwZ7JCk2iZ4YGF5ARiJRfLWZ3YtlTqtkr6YNskVFwSrY0A/s16000/favorite+wedding+photo.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZV7M03pPMNThJ9m7PtPuMgFrKdI46TiC4PTXXJuQDf9uPEW-U3DHj_JkgYT0VjMVRHPCfUrf1yNakdiXarim9AvHmosBsJaUQCir-JCLC-aV0gWhdWCE-gwPw9EX9w4iQCrPlieFNliSk/s900/bride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZV7M03pPMNThJ9m7PtPuMgFrKdI46TiC4PTXXJuQDf9uPEW-U3DHj_JkgYT0VjMVRHPCfUrf1yNakdiXarim9AvHmosBsJaUQCir-JCLC-aV0gWhdWCE-gwPw9EX9w4iQCrPlieFNliSk/s16000/bride.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">After the ceremony, we hosted the reception in our backyard. Luckily the weather cooperated so with the addition of a few rented patio heaters, everyone was comfortable (and safe) outside. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYSmkizf1WUVJyoSh-vCElQJahEOSig7uJ6QipkxyDGXY-J4XaRQKJdTBw5phj8vbXYF44u8ctdR-KE2eyTruNuhhr9ykB_ger-rfB2wQXMccuz9mcMXqGT53aHOUSnuZqJPPSC58rUOn/s600/backyard+wedding+DIY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYSmkizf1WUVJyoSh-vCElQJahEOSig7uJ6QipkxyDGXY-J4XaRQKJdTBw5phj8vbXYF44u8ctdR-KE2eyTruNuhhr9ykB_ger-rfB2wQXMccuz9mcMXqGT53aHOUSnuZqJPPSC58rUOn/s16000/backyard+wedding+DIY.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsqZfyg6tQiRABjVyE18UKysTCFBcBgnps17essib7_110rkXGkRUkVG6xnOzwAojxIB9o7YBsNnanVpUKwI4qRPeE13fBlPQPKM69Sboa5JMA8zK57GegM1KbMCgYnYb2XVHkIMOl3CT/s600/covid+wedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsqZfyg6tQiRABjVyE18UKysTCFBcBgnps17essib7_110rkXGkRUkVG6xnOzwAojxIB9o7YBsNnanVpUKwI4qRPeE13fBlPQPKM69Sboa5JMA8zK57GegM1KbMCgYnYb2XVHkIMOl3CT/s16000/covid+wedding.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzIFkwKba8rG7yDUgLM4EML-eRAniT-c1NKlwE_6Hf-dtznj1sODsVXEb7SkAGMyeu5KzAy1Ht_UubZWk_ovcw6mLbLMkwraKk-U3VXFndBb8CALHw3cu5xPjcL5Y-P937_aAtKI6ugMmW/s600/backyard+wedding+dance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzIFkwKba8rG7yDUgLM4EML-eRAniT-c1NKlwE_6Hf-dtznj1sODsVXEb7SkAGMyeu5KzAy1Ht_UubZWk_ovcw6mLbLMkwraKk-U3VXFndBb8CALHw3cu5xPjcL5Y-P937_aAtKI6ugMmW/s16000/backyard+wedding+dance.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My friend Scott is a DJ so he set up and played music for us. We had Waldo’s BBQ cater dinner and we finished with a wedding cake from Sassy’s Bakery. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11hMCnJIJalX8tM-yLfWfQsXqzxTFitdtCCCJAb3myRF4IZRhMbMO-5UVB59ld0dS8Wb7dwPllbay8CyvNnHVRsdhYQhPZnzLBgm3qbzRSSf4QzWnN1aNvCfPY3hqRAbsU9NpLNTk1ZCH/s600/sassys+bakery+mesa+wedding+cake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11hMCnJIJalX8tM-yLfWfQsXqzxTFitdtCCCJAb3myRF4IZRhMbMO-5UVB59ld0dS8Wb7dwPllbay8CyvNnHVRsdhYQhPZnzLBgm3qbzRSSf4QzWnN1aNvCfPY3hqRAbsU9NpLNTk1ZCH/s16000/sassys+bakery+mesa+wedding+cake.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It wasn’t how I ever pictured my wedding, but it was a beautiful day and it ended up being pretty perfect. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iXzKl3mJ2_2_As9u-5wD9MLHDwVb4CeHE-urTlKjJTN9qOzaitiwkN7pAZOFNRuIH-e651SqLLg7TRP1Ad26mcOs1VOrQoo84ea0otpHqWnJFvn_zYm2dm2dWVbtUcvApL1y0UoKcGGa/s900/Lost+Dutchman+State+Park+Wedding.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iXzKl3mJ2_2_As9u-5wD9MLHDwVb4CeHE-urTlKjJTN9qOzaitiwkN7pAZOFNRuIH-e651SqLLg7TRP1Ad26mcOs1VOrQoo84ea0otpHqWnJFvn_zYm2dm2dWVbtUcvApL1y0UoKcGGa/s16000/Lost+Dutchman+State+Park+Wedding.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A huge shout out to our friends and family who braved a pandemic to celebrate with us and to our friends and family who sent gifts, best wishes and cheered us on from afar. We hope someday soon we’ll be able to celebrate together in person!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2Pm0c2mVXVRy6GBwbzJX6pvSWX7YSLbxizMEvW1-3_JlXc6yE2nHjHw8bh2UwyZM0BoX3-l_WKKYe-9l7URxmpjlR6RzmKoEQ6L5GCVN6AvVzvuKHRxLjDM4eCT3QeOEqozAK4MA3F7Y/s600/Abby+wedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2Pm0c2mVXVRy6GBwbzJX6pvSWX7YSLbxizMEvW1-3_JlXc6yE2nHjHw8bh2UwyZM0BoX3-l_WKKYe-9l7URxmpjlR6RzmKoEQ6L5GCVN6AvVzvuKHRxLjDM4eCT3QeOEqozAK4MA3F7Y/s16000/Abby+wedding.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p>Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-81241726111618479792020-06-30T04:30:00.000-07:002020-06-30T04:30:11.529-07:00The Joy of Treats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>This post is sponsored by WellPet but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now that we’re working from home, we get to spend so much more time with the dogs…and it’s the best! I love that I can kiss their little faces and yell about how cute they are all day long. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s been so much fun to learn more about their personalities too. Ringo is the nosy old man of the neighborhood. He knows everyone’s business and who’s coming and going. Abby is more playful than I’ve ever seen her and can now consistently catch a stuffy in her mouth. Jelly on the other hand, is the laziest dog ever. She spends almost the entire day sleeping on the guest bed (my WFH office is in the guest bedroom), like she won’t move for HOURS. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAsvE6yO4SuTOkwmFTYeKlxh2f1MUpAxga17LznQEZ_8w3UqXb7zYaHMxZtva_tGHVlYFxjtz3cT2uq0HUXWTyEzTqTJxVME51m7PxpDBMN5Q26AcSU5NBIMHec4uIhM_G74Z83k-0Wt0O/s1600/jelly+sleeping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAsvE6yO4SuTOkwmFTYeKlxh2f1MUpAxga17LznQEZ_8w3UqXb7zYaHMxZtva_tGHVlYFxjtz3cT2uq0HUXWTyEzTqTJxVME51m7PxpDBMN5Q26AcSU5NBIMHec4uIhM_G74Z83k-0Wt0O/s1600/jelly+sleeping.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another big part of working from home has been snack time. The first month we went wild with ALL the junk food, but now we’re settling into a healthier routine. Our favorite snack lately has been apple slices with vanilla almond butter sprinkled with cinnamon. It’s a great snack to share with the dogs too. Although they usually get just apple with peanut butter (because vanilla almond butter is $$$). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course we feed our dogs actual dog treats too. They’re creatures of habit and know that they get a treat after breakfast and a treat at night to bribe them out of our bed, plus extras because they’re cute and their joy brings me joy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my favorite parts of the day is giving them their morning treats. It’s so fun to experience their excitement and watch them show off their tricks. The girls have known how to shake with both paws for a long time, but we just recently got Ringo to do it. Before he’d only shake and high five with his left paw. We think it’s because he gets so into it that he throws off his balance too much to switch to the other side. But now he’s a double shake champion!</span><br />
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With three dogs we’ve bought A LOT of dog treats over the years. We have our list of go-to brands and must-haves for any treat purchase. Some of our must-haves include: a grain-free option (Ringo has grain sensitivities), all-natural/not full of preservatives, and we prefer a US-based brand – Old Mother Hubbard checks all of those boxes.<br />
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Old Mother Hubbard has been baking all-natural dog treats since 1926. They’re still based in Massachusetts, but are now available nationwide. Available in a variety of flavors, we went with the small size P-Nuttier and the Grain-Free P-Nuttier N’ Nanners in mini-size. Although our dogs are large, the smaller size treats are perfect additions to our apple snacks and a great for portion control.<br />
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Click on the links below to purchase Old Mother Hubbard dog treats in-store or using Online Grocery Pickup (OGP) at Walmart!</div>
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<a href="https://ooh.li/1f86ecc">Old Mother Hubbard P-Nuttier (small)</a></div>
<a href="https://ooh.li/ce6aeee">Grain-Free P-Nuttier N’ Nanners (mini)</a><br /><div>
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They make our dogs happy which makes us happy. Just look at that smile!</div>
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</span>Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-31078751090384044562020-05-28T10:28:00.000-07:002020-05-28T10:29:15.231-07:00Hello Again<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember me? I used to blog here regularly and then radio silence. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />So what happened?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Long story short – Back in 2018 I decided that I wanted to try to grow my blog and social media. I figured if I couldn’t make something out of it by the end of the year, it was probably time to call it quits (I’ve been blogging since 2011). I ended up joining a few Facebook groups with other bloggers and realized just how fake everything is (although I did meet a few cool people). I fell into the craziness of trying to perfectly edit pictures to make my Instagram feed cohesive, playing the follow for follow game to grow my social media numbers, only writing posts that would be pin-able and click-able to drive traffic and $$$, creating the perfect pins for each post and spamming them strategically all over my Pinterest boards. I was spending way too much time on my phone and spending WAY too much time playing the comparison game. It wasn’t healthy and ended up turning me off from blogging. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I took a break and haven’t posted anything meatier than quick notes/updates in over a year…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But now I’m back! I’ve accepted that this blog will probably never hit it big because I lack the time/energy/patience to do so…and honestly I don’t care. I didn’t get into blogging to make money. I got into it to share my ideas, meet new people, and to motivate myself/hold myself accountable. And I was doing all of those things! I don’t know why I let the rat race get me off track, but I’m back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OK, so I guess that wasn’t really long story short…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, let’s talk about now – Like many people, I’ve been working from home since mid-March (Adam is home too). In general I love it, but I miss having lunch with my friends. We’ve been having lunch together every day (except vacations, paternity leave, meeting conflicts, etc) for over 10 years! I hate not getting to see them every day, but I love spending more time with my dogs and working in my pajamas. I’ve set up an office space in the guest bedroom and it’s been working out great. I sit next to the window so I get lots of natural light and the dogs love sleeping on the guest bed near me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>*This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no additional cost to you. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although things are starting to open up again in our state, the numbers are not trending down, so we’re still staying home and wearing masks if we do have to go out. I’m bummed about the plans we’ve had to cancel (Miami-New Orleans trip, The Lion King touring Broadway show, Tucson weekend getaway, most of our Year of Dates activities), but in general I’m a homebody so I don’t really mind. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So what are we doing at home? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Watching TV |</b> Right now we’re watching the second season of Dead to Me and I’m watching Schitts Creek (currently on season 5). Before that we binge watched Deadwood (highly recommend – but there is A LOT of swearing). And of course we watched Tiger King like everyone else in the country (that shit cray). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Reading |</b> By some miracle we happened to go the library the day before it closed (we didn’t know at the time) and checked out a bunch of books. The best book I’ve read so far is <a href="https://amzn.to/2X8voRN">Where the Crawdads Sing</a>. It’s so beautifully written and the story is perfection. I couldn’t put it down! Right now I’m reading <a href="https://amzn.to/2BboPW4">The Dinner List</a> by Rebecca Serle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Playing Games |</b> Adam and I have been playing a ton of games, but consistently go back to either Uno or <a href="https://amzn.to/2Af5iU7">Sushi Go</a>. They’re both quick and fun with two people. Although the only BIG fight we’ve had during this quarantine was over an Uno game, so maybe we need to find something less competitive…If you have any recommendations for fun two-player games, let me know!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>House Projects |</b> Like most homeowners, we’ve been doing a lot of house projects lately. This biggest one so far has been limewashing our brick fireplace. Although it’s less than half done because I didn’t order enough limewash and it’s manufactured in Italy so the supply chain is trash right now. The company’s Instagram says it should be available at the end of next week, so hopefully I can wrap that up soon. We’ve also switched out the doorbell, replaced the entry light fixture (this is <a href="https://amzn.to/2M9hM2e">our new light</a>), and are prepping to have the exterior of our house painted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Eating |</b> Everything…jk (kinda). My quarantine snack has been kettle corn/cheesy corn. I’ve been ordering from a local company (Sonoran Kettle Corn) and have spent more money on popcorn over the past 2 months than I’ll ever admit publicly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've also been trying a lot of new recipes. Adam and I are obsessed with Nashville hot chicken so one night I made Hattie B's hot chicken and it was almost as good as the original (<a href="https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/hattie-bs-hot-chicken-3363027">recipe</a>). I've also been baking and this Carrot Cake Cheesecake was the best thing I've made so far (<a href="https://cincyshopper.com/carrot-cake-cheesecake">recipe</a>). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Other |</b> Like many I’ve been doing a lot of puzzles lately. One of my friends has been working on puzzles too, so we send pictures of our completed ones to each other. <a href="https://amzn.to/2Ac7Jqx">This</a> is the one I’m doing right now. It’s the cutest picture and my first 1000 piece puzzle. I’ll be doing this one for a while. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve also been sewing a lot of masks. I started in March when a neighbor posted on NextDoor looking for people to sew masks for nurses at a nearby hospital. Lately I’ve been making them for my parents, my mom’s co-workers (she works retail), and of course Adam and me. I’m happy that my high school sewing class skills are finally useful for more than making pillow covers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So that’s the story of where I’ve been and what’s been going on with us lately. I hope you all are staying safe and healthy! </span><br />
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<br />Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-63243646107734823392020-01-16T09:29:00.001-07:002020-01-16T09:35:14.055-07:0020 for 2020<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happy New Year and New Decade! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the past couple of years, instead of creating resolutions for the new year, I've been putting together a list of specific tasks/goals/fun stuff I want to do during the year. It started as 18 for 2018 and now I'm up to 20 for 2020. The idea came from the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast (you can read more about 20 for 2020 in her blog post <a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/2020/01/20-for-2020-list">here</a>). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2018 and 2019 I only managed to accomplish about half of my list, but it's still a fun activity and a great motivation to do things I might not have done otherwise. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my 2018 goals was to send out Christmas cards. It was my first time ever sending out my own cards and I don't think I would have done it if it wasn't on my list. I enjoyed it so much I sent out Christmas cards last year too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my 19 for 2019 goals was to try a new restaurant monthly. We definitely wouldn't have done this without the list and we ended up eating some delicious food! Monroe's Hot Chicken in Downtown Phoenix was our favorite because we've been obsessed with hot chicken ever since our trip to Nashville. We've been back multiple times...burns so good!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So all of that to say, today I'm sharing my 20 for 2020 list!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visit 2 New States Together<br />Re-Read the Harry Potter Series<br />Complete a Whole30<br />Declutter 4 Areas<br />Put Together Facts of Life Book<br />Send Birthday Cards to Family/Friends<br />Go to Theatre 12 Times (Movie or Live)<br />Make 2019 Photo Book<br />Have NYC Oil Painting Professionally Framed<br />Watch 3 Never Seen Classic Movies<br />Keep Up with Allergy Shots Schedule<br />Take a Pottery Class<br />Try 10 New Restaurants<br />Get Fitted and Buy 2 New Bras<br />Pay Down Mortgage to $75K<br />Take a Cookie or Cake Decorating Class<br />Volunteer 3 Times<br />Monthly: Clean Car<br />Find Local Dogsitter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I feel like this list is very doable and I should have no problem finishing way more than prior years. I've already made progress on a few of the items:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our next vacation will include 2 new states and we started booking flights this week! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm already on the second Harry Potter book. I haven't read them since they originally came out and I forgot how amazing they are!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm 11 days into a Whole30! </span></li>
<li>All of the January birthdays have passed and they all got cards (on time too)!</li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I cleaned my car last week, so 1 month down, 11 to go!</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Did you create a 20 for 2020 list or resolutions for the year? If you did, let me know in the comments what they are! I've already started a side list of items after reading lots of other 20 for 2020 lists!</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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</span>Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-67642385548820357742019-08-29T09:25:00.002-07:002019-09-03T13:04:55.981-07:00August 2019 Notes<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember me? I posted here regularly for years and then ghosted a few months ago? Well, I’m back, but I can’t say how regularly I’ll be posting. Honestly, I just got a little burnt out after realizing how fake some of the behind the scenes blog stuff is...I’m also pretty sick of trying to make everything perfectly “pin-able” and worrying about if my Instagram feed is cohesive enough. So I decided to take a break to figure out what I want going forward. I still haven’t really decided, but I had a sponsored post that I had to share (read it <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2019/08/teeth-whitening-for-sensitive-teeth.html">here</a> plus enter to win the giveaway) and I didn’t want that to be the last post hanging out there forever. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OK, I lied. I’m going to start with the end of July because we had a fabulous staycation and I MUST mention it. The last weekend of July we stayed at the Royal Palms Resort for a night getaway and it was amazing! One of my friends from high school/college works there and hooked us up with the best upgrade ever! We stayed in the Arcadia Villa and it was seriously the nicest “room” we’ve ever stayed in. I put room in quotes because the villa had a separate living room, bedroom, giant bathroom, and 2 private patios!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We also had dinner at T.Cook’s and everything was delicious! We both had steaks for dinner, plus mine came with Maine lobster risotto. I pretty much licked my plate clean. We also ordered breakfast room service the next morning. I’m still thinking about that avocado toast (topped with eggs, sundried tomatoes, and burrata).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale I order <a href="https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/nydj-stretch-knit-trousers-regular-petite/5434290">this pair of black dress pants</a> and they are my new favorite pair! They’re the NYDJ Stretch Knit Trousers and they are unbelievably comfortable, like wearing yoga pants! I seriously love them so much I’d willingly pay full price ($120) whenever this pair needs to be replaced.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For our August date Adam and I went to the Musical Instrument Museum. It’s one of the highest rated activities in the Phoenix area and neither of us had ever been before. The Geographic Galleries is the highlight of the museum. It’s sectioned off into five major world regions (Africa/Middle East, Asia/Oceania, Europe, Latin America, and US/Canada). Within each of those section is an exhibit for each country featuring native instruments and audio/video of them being played. They give you a headset at the ticket counter and the headset automatically connects to each video when you stand in front of it. We stopped at almost every country and listened so we were there for hours!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my coworkers is pregnant, so a couple weeks ago I surprised her with a baby shower. She knew that a group of us were going to lunch, but she wasn’t expecting her cubicle to be decorated and all of the treats that people brought in. I’d been passing around a card and collecting money, so we surprised her with lots of gifts too. She was so happy and it was totally worth all of the time and effort. I made a diaper cake for the celebration and loved how it turned out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My Fall 2019 FabFitFun box arrived a couple weeks ago and I’m obsessed with the lotion that was in the box. It’s the <a href="https://amzn.to/2zoHMjY">Human + Kind Body Souffle</a> and it smells AMAZING! Apricot oil is one of the ingredients and that’s probably the best way to describe the scent. It’s also vegan, cruelty free, and paraben free. I’ve linked to it on Amazon (*<i>affiliate link</i>), but if you use Poshmark, you can probably find people selling their box items cheaper. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />A couple weekends ago my mom and I went to California for the weekend to see my cousin’s band play. They were playing Friday night so we drove in that morning and meet my aunt and other cousin for dinner. When they arrived to set up, he was so surprised! It was totally worth the 5 hour drive. They also sound great and if you like rock music, check them out. They’re called The Fallen Electric and my cousin Jimmy is the lead singer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While we were in California we also stopped at the La Brea Tar Pits. My mom said she’d been there on a school field trip many years ago, but I’d never been. WE LOVED IT! We did the extra Ice Age Encounters and Titans of the Ice Age 3D movie too. It’s pretty crazy how strongly the pits smell of asphalt! I guess it makes sense, but I definitely wasn’t expecting it. It was such a fun day!</span><br />
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Adam and I are going to NYC at the end of October! It’s our first time going, so I would love any tips/tricks and must-see/eat! We already have Crown tickets for the Statue of Liberty!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Adam and I are currently binge watching Veronica Mars. I’ve seen the old seasons and movie, but Adam hadn’t seen any of it. I had started to watch the new 4th season one night while he was busy, but then he sat down and started asking questions and talking during the show, so we decided to just start from the beginning so we could watch together. I’ve always been 100% Team Logan, but after rewatching, I’m kinda liking Piz more and I hate myself for saying that. Adam is totally team Piz and thinks Logan is a douchebag. He’s not wrong…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(ETA: We're now in the 4th season. I'm back to loving Logan and Adam even likes him now too)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">National Dog Day was August 26th and it seemed like a perfect time to get an updated picture of my pack. It took A LOT of treats and outtakes, but I finally got a cute one of them all together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What was noteworthy for you this month?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-57564062467073917852019-05-29T04:30:00.000-07:002019-05-29T07:07:46.865-07:00May 2019 Notes<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know I say this every month, but can you believe it’s almost June?! It officially summer, but the weather here has been surprisingly mild so far. Last week we had a few days in the 70s…in Phoenix, in late May. The weather is pretty much the only thing that anyone talked about that week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>*This post contains some affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no additional cost to you.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For one of our dates (from our <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/12/year-of-dates-gift.html">Year of Dates</a>) we took a day trip to ride the Verde Canyon Railroad. This was technically for our April date, but it happened after my April Notes post, so I’m including it here. I bought tickets for the first-class car, so our trip included food and a champagne toast at the start of the trip. The seats were also a lot nicer, but we spent most of our time in the open air car, so that didn’t matter as much. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m obsessed with <a href="https://www.target.com/p/women-s-monterey-pocket-v-neck-short-sleeve-t-shirt-universal-thread-153/-/A-53162356?preselect=54297425#lnk=sametab">these pocket V-neck t-shirts</a> from Target. I have them in 3 different colors/prints and they are my go-to on the weekend. They’re comfortable, not see-through at all, and fit really well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Like everyone else, we watched the final season of Game of Thrones. I’m not going to post any spoilers, but I didn’t hate it as much as everyone else. I wish they would have done more episodes so everything didn’t feel so rushed though. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Earlier this month we went to Charleston and Savannah for vacation. I’d never been to either state before, so it was fun to cross a couple off my list. I think I’ve been to 27 states, so I’m more than halfway there now! Anyway, we had an amazing time on our trip and I’ll share a full recap someday soon. Also, I gained like 8 pounds on this trip because southern food is fried, full of butter, and absolutely delicious. Full post coming soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my 19 for 2019 items was to read 19 books…and I’ve already done it! Last year it took me until the last couple days of the year to finish my goal of 18 books, but this year, I’m done in May. I got REALLY into the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich and my mom has all of them, so I was able to read through them at a crazy pace. I’m currently on book 20 (of 25), plus I’ve read all of the extra novels. They are super cute, funny, and very easy to read. Also, Joe Morelli is my new fictional boyfriend. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I was also able to cross off my goal of “Visit 3 New States Together” with our South Carolina/Georgia trip. I’m on a roll this month! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I recently ordered <a href="https://amzn.to/2QtlFRb">these reusable bamboo cotton rounds</a> to replace the disposable cotton pads I use for removing makeup and applying toner. I’ve been really impressed with the quality and feel so much better about using these and creating less waste. Ignore the one negative review, I honestly don’t know what she’s talking about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aside from reading the Stephanie Plum books like a mad woman, I’m also reading Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker. I heard him on Young House Love’s podcast a while ago and really enjoyed what he had to say. I’ve been on the library waitlist for his book since then, but was finally able to pick it up last week. Adam and I are both reading it, so we’ll see how our house evolves as we go. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of Joshua Becker, <a href="https://www.becomingminimalist.com/convenience-fallacy/">his article </a>about visual clutter and the Convenience Fallacy is one of my favorite recent articles. He makes a really great point using a toaster as an example of something that is left out for convenience, but is only used a few minutes a day, so we deal with the visual clutter of it for the rest of the day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For Memorial Weekend, we packed up the dogs and went to Flagstaff to celebrate the long weekend. It can be pretty chaotic traveling with 3 dogs, but we had a great trip overall. We stayed at an Airbnb with a fenced yard and it was perfect for our stay. We went hiking, checked out the local breweries, and met up with the rescue lady that had Jelly before us. She was so excited to see Jelly and we’ll be forever grateful to her for bringing Jelly into our lives. Also, if you’re in Flagstaff, you have to try Tourist Home Café for breakfast. We had their breakfast sandwich with bacon and avocado and it was delicious! Plus it’s served with breakfast potatoes, which is one of my favorite foods! </span><br />
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<br />Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-46217109241375133472019-04-24T04:15:00.000-07:002019-04-24T06:58:49.350-07:00April 2019 Notes<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Can you believe it’s almost May? We’re supposed to have our first 100 degree day in Phoenix this week, so for us, summer is here. I’m not looking forward to the heat, but I am looking forward to some allergy relief. My allergies have been terrible the past couple months and I’m so over it. I’m sure my coworkers are sick of hearing me sneezing and sniffling all day too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So technically we did this in March, but it was the last 2 days of the month and so amazing that I had to include it. For one of my Christmas presents last year, Adam booked us a Grand Canyon train getaway. We took the train from Williams, AZ to the Grand Canyon, stayed the night in a hotel at the canyon, and then took the train back the following afternoon. He also booked a sunset bus tour and the whole thing was AMAZING! I’ve been multiple times, but not for a really long time. Adam had never been to the Grand Canyon before. It was a little chilly and a little early in the season, so it wasn’t super crowded. It was a really special weekend. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In honor of Earth Day earlier this week, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qWHJ29-s4U">this video</a> on America’s Shopping Addiction is pretty eye opening about the amount of waste and products we consume. I’ve definitely been guilty of coming home to a stack of Amazon boxes on the porch, but I’ve been trying to make an effort this year to buy less.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last weekend we saw Wicked! The touring show has been to Arizona before and I’ve been wanting to go for years, but it just never worked out. I was determined to see it this season, so I bought tickets as soon as they went on sale last year. We went to the Saturday matinee showing and really enjoyed it. I loved the story and the actors’ voices were amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love <a href="https://seths.blog/2019/03/busy-is-not-the-point/">this short message</a> on Seth’s Blog about being busy. No points for busy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Who else is watching Game of Thrones? I wish I would have rewatched the prior season before this new season because it’s been so long that I forgot some of the details. I don’t think I’m emotionally ready for this weekend’s Battle of Winterfell. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adam won tickets from work for the DBacks opening day earlier this month. It was pure chaos and took me for-ev-er to find a place to park, but it was a really fun experience. The Dbacks won too!</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adam also won tickets from work for the Phoenix Rising soccer match the following day. Neither of us had ever been before and I was really surprised by how many people were there and how enthusiastic they were about the team. There was a whole section full of fans with flag and drums chanting and going wild the whole game. The game ended in a 0-0 tie, so that was a little disappointing, but it was still a fun, new experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last week I ordered new pet tags for all 3 dogs. They’re pretty pricey if you buy them at PetSmart, but <a href="https://amzn.to/2IRdhJd">these ones</a> from Amazon are only $3.59. I’ve ordered them before and have been pleased with the quality. Just a heads up that the tags are custom engraved, so they take longer than the 2 day Prime shipping. So worth it though!</span><br />
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<br />Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-79265577528070752172019-04-17T04:15:00.000-07:002019-04-17T10:30:38.015-07:00A Weekend in Austin, TX<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A couple months ago Adam and I went to Austin, TX for a long weekend. We flew out Thursday night and came back Sunday morning, so we had 2 full days of exploring! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Day 1 | Politics and Beer</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b></b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />We started our first day with an Austin staple – breakfast tacos at Torchy’s. Actually, I got one breakfast taco and on regular taco. We also split an order of chips and queso. It was all delicious, but The Wrangler breakfast taco was my favorite!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />After breakfast we made our way to the state capitol. The capitol building is open to visitors and they offer free tours every 30-45 minutes (reservations not required). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />We lucked out that a tour was just about to depart when we arrived, so we didn’t have to wait. Our tour guide was very informative and I highly recommend taking a tour. You’ll learn so much more and find everything so much easier. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The capitol building is full of so many great details. The hinges on the doors were my favorite, but I also loved how Texas is spelled out in the light fixtures in the House. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />After our tour of the capitol we headed to the LBJ Presidential Library. This was what Adam was most excited to see and if I’m being honest, something I wasn’t very excited about. Turns out I was wrong and the LBJ Library ended up being one of my favorite places on our trip!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />We watched all of the videos and read all of the events on his/the country’s timeline. I knew very little about LBJ before our visit and was blown away by what I learned. In his 20s he was a teacher at a Mexican-American school in South Texas and witnessed firsthand the poverty and discrimination that his students faced. So as President he was a champion for education, urban renewal, passed Medicare, and of course the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act. He also appointed the first African American cabinet member and U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall. LBJ and the First Lady also supported environmental beautification and conservation and supported the arts and humanities. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, his legacy also includes the Vietnam War (that he inherited). LBJ ended up not running for a second term hoping that new leadership would help the country get out of the war. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don’t want to get too political, but I got a little emotional witnessing the stark contrast between a President who cared about the poor, minorities, and the environment vs. our current sack of garbage President. Also, watching some of the footage of civil rights protestors from over 50 years ago looked way too similar to the racists marching in Charlottesville less than 2 years ago. Sigh…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />ANYWAY, after we finished at the LBJ Library we decided to walk around the University of Texas Campus. We walked by the football stadium and all the way to the UT Tower. It was about 1.5 miles roundtrip, but it was really pretty and mostly shaded. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For dinner we went to Pinthouse Pizza and shared a pizza plus more beer. We ordered the Ooh La La pizza and it was excellent! It’s the second time we’ve ordered a pizza with a drizzle of honey while traveling (Spicy Salami pizza at Oven and Shaker in Portland) and we’ve loved both so maybe tha</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t’s the secret to pizza perfection. I know it sounds kinda weird, but it’s delicious! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That night we had grand plans to go out and take two step lessions at The White Horse or listen to live music at one of the bars, but we ended up just going back to the hotel and relaxing. And honestly, it’s exactly what we needed. We’ve been super busy lately, so just lying in bed doing nothing was perfect! Oh, and we walked to Popbar for dipped gelato bars…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Day 2 | Food, Food, and More Food</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b></b><br />Our second day in Austin was all about food. If you’ve been following for long, you know that we love to do food tours when we travel, so I booked the <a href="https://www.austineatsfoodtours.com/tour/austin-food-truck-tour/">Best of Austin Food Truck Tour </a>with Austin Eats Food Tours. The tour met near the SFC Farmer’s Market, so we got there early to walk around the market and split a pastry. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The tour stops seem to change a bit, so I won’t list out everywhere we went, but we had brisket kolaches at Kerlin BBQ, BBQ brisket and pork at LA Barbeque, Nashville Hot Chicken at Tumble 22, campfire churros at Churro Co. and more! Everything was delicious! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />It was our first time having kolaches and you know we love hot chicken, so we thought the tour was pretty perfect. We definitely got way more food on this tour than others we’ve taken. Plus that dessert was ah-maz-ing! The only downside was that I had to split it with Adam…give me all the churros!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />After our tour we decided to explore a bit of South 1st Street. Of course we had to stop at the Greetings from Austin mural and get our picture taken.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />We also stopped at Art for the People to do a bit of shopping. I love finding unique, handmade souvenirs when traveling, so stores like these are 100% my jam. They had SO many beautiful items all made by local artisans and the people in the shop were incredibly friendly. We ended up buying <a href="https://artforthepeople.vendecommerce.com/collection-of-eli-s-dish-towels-notebooks-prints-and-water-bottles/products/eli-halpin-crowned-bison-on-tribal-cream-mini-framed-canvas-print-10x5">this</a> Eli Halpin framed bison canvas print, a hand painted Austin magnet, and <a href="https://artforthepeople.vendecommerce.com/cards-stickers-temporary-tattoos/products/houndoggle-art-mamas-don-t-let-your-baby-grow-up-to-be-bulldogs-card">this card</a> of a bulldog dressed like Willie Nelson for Adam’s dad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />OK, and here’s where we made our fatal mistake. We split a donut from Gourdough’s Big Fat Donuts…after eating all of that food on the tour. If you couldn’t tell from the name, they aren’t regular sized donuts, they’re massive and covered in delicious toppings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />So we had planned to either explore Zilker Park, walk the boardwalk, or check out Rainey Street’s bars and restaurants (we did go to Craft Pride on the food tour), but we ended up at the hotel feeling too uncomfortably full to do anything. Eventually we dragged ourselves out of bed and walked to dinner. We couldn’t decide where to eat and it needed to be walking distance, so we went to Fareground. It’s a food hall with six local vendors so we were able to each pick our own meal. I had sushi at Ni-Kome and Adam got a burger from Contigo. We both liked our food and it ended up working out really well for our indecision. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Overall, we had an amazing time in Austin. Our trip ended up being more about relaxing than seeing/doing everything, but that’s exactly what we needed. We’ve both been super busy and stressed at work, so we just needed some time away. We’d both love to go back for another weekend and see/eat everything we missed on this trip!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Travel Notes:</i><br />We stayed at the W Austin (thanks to a killer Priceline Express deal). The location was unbeatable and it was very swanky, but I would never pay full price to stay there. They don’t offer free wi-fi and parking is valet only. All of the extras add up when you’re already paying for an expensive room. BUT, it was worth it for the price I paid on Priceline (over half off!). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We stopped at Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co for dinner/beer the night we arrived and loved it! The beer was good and the food was delicious! Adam loved their wings! Highly recommend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-1894425312486830842019-03-13T04:10:00.000-07:002019-03-13T04:10:01.849-07:00Pinned It, Made It #8<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over the weekend my friend Michelle and I had our monthly craft day. Can you believe that we’ve made over 20 projects in the past couple of years?!? Today I’m sharing our most recent three projects. If you want to see any of our past crafts, I put together a list at the bottom of the post.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />For our January craft we made wreaths. I really wanted a winter wreath that I could use between Christmas and spring, so I made a yarn pompom wreath. I’m obsessed with how it turned out. It took for-ev-er to make all of the pompoms, but it was so worth it. I used <a href="http://www.twineandtable.com/winter-wonderland-pom-pom-wreath/">this tutorial</a> from Twine and Table as my color/design inspiration, but I ended up buying <a href="https://amzn.to/2CftHXU">this pompom tool</a> to make all of the pompoms (instead of using cardboard). I used 4 different yarns and 2 different sized pompoms for the wreath. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Michelle was able to make two wreaths in the time it took me to make all of those pompoms. She made the burlap wreath using <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk6uGXFLlOQ">this video tutorial</a> and the Welcome wreath was inspired by a few different ideas on Pinterest (like <a href="https://www.thedreameryevents.com/2017/05/08/diy-embroidery-hoop-wreath/">this one</a>). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In February we decorated flour sack towels. I did a Valentine’s theme and Michelle made a Valentine’s towel and a Doctor Who one. She used a picture of a tardis as a guide and hand stitched the outline (her towels are the 2 on the left). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the double heart Valentine’s towel I printed out a picture of heart and used it as a cutting guide. I hand stitched the hearts on and I love how it turned out. For our second towels, we used <a href="https://www.clumsycrafter.com/diy-heart-tote-bag/">this tutorial</a> from Clumsy Crafter for the paint stamping. Instead of using pencil erasers, we used q-tips and it worked out perfectly. I think they turned out so cute and it was such an easy way to add a little Valentine’s spirit to my kitchen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />And finally, this month we stenciled signs. I was sent the stencils courtesy of <a href="https://www.stencilrevolution.com/">Stencil Revolution</a>. I used their Thanksgiving Truck and Christmas Truck stencils to create this reversible holiday sign. I was also sent an Easter truck stencil, but that sign didn’t turn out (user error). I still love that stencil and was able to clean all of the paint off, so I’m going to try it again before Easter rolls around.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Michelle painted the two gray signs below. She used spray paint to create the Happily Ever After sign and we were both shocked at how well it turned out. For the rest of the signs we used acrylic craft paint. We learned a lot of lessons on this project…like the trick to seal your stencil with Mod Podge works on raw wood, but not a painted surface (see Easter Truck disaster above). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />We still haven’t decided on our April craft project, so if you have any ideas, leave them in the comments! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2016/10/pinterest-craft-nights.html">Pinned It, Made It #1: </a>Burlap Wreaths, Reversible Scarecrow/Snowman and String Art<br /><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2017/03/pinned-it-made-it-2.html">Pinned It, Made It #2:</a> Christmas Ornaments, Wood Door Tags, and Painted Signs<br /><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2017/07/pinned-it-made-it-3.html">Pinned It, Made It #3: </a>Patriotic Rag Wreaths, Wood Sign Post, and $15 Dollar Tree Craft Challenge<br /><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2017/10/pinned-it-made-it-4.html">Pinned It, Made It #4: </a>Fall Pillows, Painted Mason Jars, and Wood Slice Pumpkins<br /><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/03/pinned-it-made-it-5.html">Pinned It, Made It #5:</a> Winter Pillows, Holiday Wood Blocks, and Hanging With My Peeps Sign<br /><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/06/pinned-it-made-it-6.html">Pinned It, Made It #6:</a> Spring Pillows, Twine-Wrapped Letters, and Leftover Supplies Challenge (Herb Markers/Mason Jar Lights)<br /><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/12/pinned-it-made-it-7.html">Pinned It, Made It #7:</a> Monogram Pumpkin Signs/Pumpkin Blocks, Wood Lanterns, and Twine/Burlap Christmas Trees</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-19924788338002033392019-02-27T04:15:00.000-07:002019-02-27T04:15:07.910-07:00February 2019 Notes<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happy almost March! How has everyone’s February been? I caught a terrible cold at the beginning of the month. It started out as a head cold, but quickly turned into bronchitis. Luckily, I went to the doctor, got some prescriptions and it cleared up in a few days. Although the cough is still lingering…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For my friend Michelle’s birthday we booked the Penguin Encounter at OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale. We got to pet the penguins and play with them in their enclosure. It was as adorable as you can imagine! They have the softest bellies!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Everyone is talking about Marie Kondo and decluttering right now, but <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/decluttering-only-helps-so-much-if-youre-still-buying-too-much-in-the-first-place/2019/01/14/02a5239a-1423-11e9-90a8-136fa44b80ba_story.html?utm_term=.b6f28765da7d">this article</a> from the Washington Post makes a great point about needing to change your buying habits to really make a lasting impact. This is something that I’m really trying to work on this year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">February Craft Day: Valentine's Flour Sack Towels</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I finally caught up on the first 2 seasons of Riverdale available on Netflix. The third season is on TV now, but the first few episodes aren’t available on the CW app, so I’ll have to wait until they’re available at the end of the season or when they’re added to Netflix. It’s such ridiculous teen drama and the only decent person in that town is Archie’s dad, but I still like it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adam won spring training tickets from work, so on Monday we went to the Padres vs. Cubs game. The weather was slightly cool and it was so nice not to bake in the sun like usual. Javibear (based on Javier Baez) was walking around and I got my picture with him. He kept messing with my hair and petting my face, so my face is covered with his paw in every picture lol</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my 18 for 2018 goals is to try a new restaurant every month and to see a show (movie or theatre). We tried a new restaurant this month (MOD Pizza), but didn’t see a show…I didn’t even make it 2 months on that goal…whomp whomp</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This article about <a href="https://www.manrepeller.com/2019/02/trap-of-turning-hobbies-into-hustles.html">“The Modern Trap of Turning Hobbies Into Hustles”</a> really hit close to home. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this blog and how/when/if I should grow it into something more. I really enjoy the process of writing and sharing, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel jealous when I see all of the sponsored items/travel and money that others are getting. Last year I tried to work on my social media and grow my numbers, but I just ended up feeling miserable about my blog and discouraged about how fake a lot of it is. So, for now, I’m keeping it a hobby and enjoying the occasional perks that come with it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Weekend Getaway to Austin, TX (full post coming soon)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adam and I finished Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes on Netflix and we both liked it. If you’re familiar with the case, it’s nothing new, but it’s interesting to hear such an obvious example of malignant narcissism. Plus it’s true crime and I love true crime. Now we’re watching The Great British Baking Show…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">February Date Night: <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2019/02/az-goat-yoga.html">Goat Yoga</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What was noteworthy for you this month?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-66364730701241575572019-02-20T04:05:00.000-07:002019-02-20T04:05:03.914-07:003 Days in Washington D.C.<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are SO many amazing things to experience in Washington D.C. that it would be impossible to do them all in 3 days. Luckily with a lot of planning (and a TON of walking), we were able to see most of the major sites during our trip in October. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Day 1| Memorials, Monuments, and Museums</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b></b><br />Our first day in D.C. was spent exploring the National Mall. We started our morning bright and early at the Washington Monument. The elevator was under construction while we were there, so we could only view the outside. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tip: If traveling by public transit, the Smithsonian underground stop is the perfect place to start. <br /><br />From there we walked to:<br />WWII Memorial</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All of the memorials were beautiful and so much more impressive in person. Pictures definitely don’t do them justice. The Lincoln Memorial was my favorite, but it was also the busiest and I was getting super annoyed at some people. Seriously, how many selfies do you need in front of Abe?!?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From there we hopped on the Circulator Bus (only $1 per trip) to the museums on the other side of the mall. For lunch we ate at the Mitsitam Cafe in the National Museum of the American Indian. I had read that instead of crappy cafeteria food in the other museums, they have stations with authentic food from the various regions/cultures featured in the museum. We split a bowl of buffalo chili and a fry bread and both were very good. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We didn’t spend much time in the National Museum of the American Indian because we have a similar museum in Arizona that we’ve been to recently (the Heard Museum). Instead we went to the National Air and Space Museum. Oh, and I should mention that all of the Smithsonian museums are free to visit! <br /><br />The Air and Space Museum is one of the most popular of the Smithsonian Museums, so be prepared for crowds. If you’re interested in aviation or anything related to space, this is the museum for you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Adam wanted to see the contemporary art at the Hirshhorn Museum, so that was our next stop. I really liked the Mark Bradford Pickett’s Charge exhibit, but some of the really abstract pieces I didn’t get the point. It’s just not my jam.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our last museum of the day was the National Museum of American History. My favorite part of the museum was the First Ladies exhibit featuring gowns worn by the First Ladies throughout history. I loved seeing the different styles and designs – from a gown worn by Martha Washington to Michelle Obama’s inaugural ball gown. I also really liked being able to see how tall/short/small each of them were. I wish I would have taken pictures, but Grace Coolidge had the most fabulous flapper dress (you can see a picture <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalmuseumofamericanhistory/6358605901">here</a>)!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />You can also see an almost 200 year old, 30x34 foot American flag in the Star Spangled Banner exhibit, Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz, and a replica of Julia Child’s kitchen at the American History museum. <br /><br />I wish we would have had the time/energy to see the Natural History Museum, but I was so over it by the time we finished at the American History Museum. So we decided to grab a beer and some food at Capitol City Brewing Company. We also split a slice of the chocolate malt cake at the nearby Milk Bar. Heavenly! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br />Day 2 | Capitol, Congress, and Supreme Court</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About six weeks before our trip we contacted our Representative and were able to book a staff led tour of the Capitol. I highly recommending visiting the Capitol that way if you are able to. There was only one other couple on our tour vs. the large tour when booked directed with the Capitol. Of course it all depends on the staff’s schedule, so booking could be hit or miss. Most likely your guide will be an intern or low-level staffer, so I imagine the quality of the staff led tours can vary greatly. Our guide was really nice and we really enjoyed our tour with him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We met our staffer at our Representative’s office in the Longworth House Office Building, so we got to take the tunnel from the office building to the capitol. The tunnel walls feature artwork from artists in every state. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Capitol is such a gorgeous building and it’s filled with so much history. Of course the most impressive part is the dome. It reminded me of all of the beautiful painted domes I’ve seen around Europe. Although I think the Library of Congress' ceiling is prettier...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The House and the Senate were away on break while we were there, but our guide provided us passes to view both chambers and they were still worth seeing. There was a lady answering questions on the Senate side, so we sat for a bit to listen to the questions/answers. Our visit was right after the Kavanaugh confirmation, so there were a lot of questions about the protests and what happened to the protesters. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After our tour of the Capitol we took the pedestrian underground tunnel to the Library of Congress. If you use the tunnel, you don’t have to pass through security again. The Library of Congress is free to visit and no tickets are required. The interior is gorgeous, so it's worth a visit just to see the inside and ceiling!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s mostly self-guided, but to view the Reading Room, you’ll have to wait in line and visit in timed groups. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After touring the Library of Congress we stopped for lunch at We the Pizza and enjoyed a couple slices of pizza. From there we went to visit the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is also free and no tickets are required. You’ll enter from the doors on each side of the main steps…don’t try to go up the main steps. Court wasn’t in session while we were there, so it was pretty quiet and didn’t take long to explore the building. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From there we took the bus to Georgetown. Unfortunately it was rainy, so we didn’t get to walk around enjoying the area like we planned. We ended up stopping at Laduree for macarons and walking along the river to The Watergate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We picked up a cab from there and went to ChurchKey for a beer. For dinner we ate at PJ Clarke’s because it was near our hotel and we were exhausted. I had the lobster roll and it was pure bliss. Adam was seriously regretting his order after tasting my lobster roll. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br />Day 3 | Mount Vernon, Old Town Alexandria, and Arlington </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For our third and final day, we decided to get out of the city and explore a few of the surrounding historic sites. Our main stop of the day was Mount Vernon. We didn’t have a car, so we had to take the subway and a bus to get there. If you are taking public transit, take the Yellow Line to Huntington Station, exit to the lower level, and catch the Fairfax Connector Bus #101 to Mount Vernon. It’s about a 20 minute bus ride to the entrance gate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Tickets to tour the mansion are timed, but you can explore the rest of the property at your own pace. We started with a tour of the mansion and really enjoyed it. The tour itself was really interesting and it’s honestly kind of surreal to walk up the same staircase as George Washington.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After our tour of the mansion we checked out a few of the nearby outbuildings and walked to the Washington Tomb, the final resting place of George and Martha Washington. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We also explored the Upper Garden and spent some time in the museum. They also have a really nice gift shop. I bought the prettiest Mount Vernon Christmas ornament for our tree.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From Mount Vernon we took a Lyft to Old Town Alexandria. We could have taken public transit back, but we were both hungry for lunch, so it was worth the extra money to get there faster. We had lunch at Virtue Feed & Grain (restaurant located in a 1800s feed house) and the food was delicious. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From there we walked up King Street stopping in the cute shops along the way. If your feet are tired, there’s a free trolley that runs along King Street from the metro to the waterfront, stopping every two blocks. I kinda wish we would have taken it for part of the way. I’ve honestly never walked as much as we walked on this trip. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As we explored King Street and all of the shops we took a little detour to see the Spite House. It’s the skinniest historic house in America at just seven feet wide. A private residence located at 523 Queen Street, John Hollensbury built it out of spite in 1830 to keep loiterers out of his adjacent alley. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once we made it back to the King Street metro stop, we hopped on and headed for Arlington National Cemetery. The cemetery has its own exit, so it’s impossible to miss. It’s free to visit, but we ended up paying for the shuttle because I was exhausted from walking all day for three days and the cemetery is very hilly. It was worth every penny.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The shuttle stops at all of the major sites, but does take a while to circle around. We ended up getting off at the stop for the JFK gravesite and then walked to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for the Changing of the Guard. Then we hopped back on the shuttle from there for the rest of the trip. The cemetery is such a beautiful, moving experience and the shuttle was a great way to see parts that I probably wouldn’t have had the energy to walk to. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Changing of the Guard ceremony runs every hour on the hour from October – March and every 30 minutes from April – September. If you go to the cemetery, it’s a must see.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once we got back into the city we decided to visit the two memorials that we missed our first day. The Thomas Jefferson Memorial and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial are on the opposite side of the Tidal Basin as the rest of the memorials, so it takes a little extra planning (or walking) to get over there. Both are worth seeing so I’m really happy that we made the effort to visit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For dinner we went to Jose Andres’ Oyamel Cocina Mexicano. It was definitely a splurge, but everything was delicious. Definitely order the camarones al mojo de ajo negro! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had such an amazing time in Washington D.C. I would love to go back someday to visit the places we didn’t have enough time for on this trip. If you’re planning to visit, my #1 advice would be to wear comfortable shoes. I’ve honestly never walked so much in my life! Also, use the metro! It's a great way to get around while avoiding the traffic! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We stayed at the Capital Hilton and the location was perfect. It was an easy walk to great restaurants and the White House, plus the McPherson Square metro station is REALLY close. It was worth the extra money for the convenience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because we stayed so close to the White House, we stopped by on our way to dinner on the night that we arrived. We saw the north side and all of the protesters during daylight hours and then circled the entire White House block at night on our way back from dinner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I would have loved to tour the White House, but we planned our trip last minute, so there weren’t any tickets available during our stay. I also would have liked to see the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and National Archives, but we just didn’t have enough time. Next visit! </span><br />
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</span>Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com8Washington, DC, USA38.9071923 -77.03687070000000938.7094553 -77.3595942 39.104929299999995 -76.714147200000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-12855003721580790242019-02-06T04:15:00.000-07:002019-02-06T04:15:05.146-07:00AZ Goat Yoga<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For our February date (from our <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/12/year-of-dates-gift.html">Year of Dates</a>) we did something truly unique – GOAT YOGA!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />April (a goat farmer) and Sarah (a yoga instructor) started Goat Yoga in Gilbert, AZ in 2015. It’s now one of the top 10 things to do in Arizona! Classes are offered year around and most are on Fridays and/or Saturdays. We went to a morning class, but they occasionally offer sunset classes too. Classes are $15/person and are worth every penny.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Our class started at 10 a.m., but we arrived about 20 minutes early and were able to get a spot in the inner circle and had time to pet the goats before it got crazy. You’ll need to bring your own yoga mat to the class. Otherwise you’ll have to rent one for a small fee. Honestly the yoga moves are pretty basic, so if you don’t have a yoga mat, a beach towel would also be fine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />There are about 100 people in each class, but don’t stress about not having enough time with the goats. The class is about an hour long, but that last 15 minutes or so is mostly just to take pictures of poses with the goats. The helpers will bring around the goats and you’ll have an opportunity to get your picture with one. You’re also welcome to hang out afterwards for pictures and baby goat cuddling. I was worried during class that I wouldn’t have a chance to hold one of the babies, but I had plenty of opportunities afterwards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I mentioned above, the poses are very basic, so if you’ve never done yoga, no worries. It’s mostly just a good opportunity to stretch and play with baby goats. By the way, did you notice the costumes? All the goats are dressed up in different costumes and it’s adorable! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Be sure to bring friends or make friends with the people next to you. You’ll need them to take pictures of you with the goats. There’s a professional photographer at every class, so you don’t HAVE to worry about pictures, but we got so many great ones on our own and thanks to the lady next to me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had such a great time at goat yoga. Everyone is friendly and excited to be there, so it’s a really fun atmosphere to be in. They also have a pair of alpacas (Napoleon and Kip) available for photo ops. Isn't that little alpaca the cutest thing ever?!?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adventure: Goat Yoga Class<br />Location: Most classes are held at Welcome Home Ranch in Gilbert, AZ<br />Price: $15/person when booked ahead of time; $20 drop-in fee (call for availability) <br />Website: <a href="https://goatyoga.com/">Goat Yoga</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-47728103020535586132019-01-30T04:10:00.000-07:002019-01-30T04:10:10.676-07:00January 2019 Notes<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For 2019 I decided to switch up my monthly Friday Five for a less formal, but more personal post about my highlights and favorites for the month. I’m calling this series Notes and I’m going to share it on the last Wednesday of every month. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have to credit my fellow AZ lady <a href="https://misadventureswithandi.com/">Andi</a> and her Currently series for my new Notes idea. I really enjoy reading her Currently posts every month and I feel like it’s such a fun way to get to know the person behind the blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">January Craft Day: Pom Pom Wreath</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My sweet Abby turned 7 on January 3rd. I can’t believe she’s already 7! She is the most loving, loyal, amazing dog and I'm so grateful that she's in our lives.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I got an air fryer for Christmas (<a href="https://amzn.to/2TeTENE">this one</a>) and I’m kinda obsessed with it. It’s the only way I cook bacon now (380 degrees for 8-10 minutes depending on thickness/doneness).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adam and I are currently binge watching The Office. I’ve seen the older ones like 10 times, but I don’t think I’ve seen the last 2 seasons. Adam has never seen any of it. We’re halfway through season 6 right now and we’re loving it (of course). Jim and Pam are just as adorable as I remembered. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Starting this month the company I work for is shifting to an alternate work schedule. We now work 9 hours Monday –Thursday and get every other Friday off (the other Friday is an 8 hour day). I had my first Friday off last week and it was AMAZING! I got so many things done around the house that I never have time for during a regular weekend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of work, last week I celebrated my 10 year work anniversary! I honestly can’t believe it’s been 10 years! I feel like college wasn’t that long ago, but I guess it was…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adam and I are doing a major landscaping project in our front yard and we’re SO close to being done. When the landscape was originally put in (before I lived there), they didn’t put down any weed plastic/barrier. We are constantly having to pull weeds (or letting them get out of control until we get an HOA warning) and we’ve had enough of it, so we decided to fix the landscaping ourselves. We’re pushing the rock back, laying down weed barrier, and then putting the rocks back. The rocks were pretty sparse in some areas, so we had 5 ton of rocks delivered a couple weeks ago. It’s taking us hours every weekend, but we only have 2 sections left! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">January Date Night: <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2019/01/japanese-friendship-garden-of-phoenix.html">Japanese Friendship Garden</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m currently working my way through Apartment Therapy’s <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/collection/the-january-cure">January Cure</a>. It’s a monthly challenge with daily tasks to get your home fresh and ready for the new year. I’ve missed a few days of the challenge, but I’m trying my best to keep up. Today is the final day and I’m feeling so much better about my house. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s officially Girl Scout cookie season, which is pure torture if, like me, you’ve cut sugar out of your diet. Fortunately, Carolyn from All Day I Dream About has put together keto-friendly recipes for <a href="https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/homemade-thin-mints-low-carb-and-gluten-free/">Thin Mints</a> and <a href="https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/samoa-bars-low-carb-and-gluten-free/">Samoa bars</a>! Get in my belly!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />What was noteworthy for you this month?</span><br />
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<br />Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-546937628068863312019-01-23T04:15:00.000-07:002019-01-23T06:28:12.711-07:00Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A couple weekends ago Adam and I went to the Japanese Friendship Garden in downtown Phoenix for our January date (from our <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/12/year-of-dates-gift.html">Year of Dates</a>). Neither of us had ever been before, so it was fun to experience a new place together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Opened to the public in 2002, the Japanese Friendship Garden is an authentic 3.5 acre Japanese stroll garden with tea garden and tea house. It’s a little oasis tucked into the chaos of downtown Phoenix and surrounding luxury apartments and skyscrapers. Named Ro Ho En, the garden represents the relationship between the City of Phoenix and its sister city Himeji, Japan. RO is the Japanese word for heron (a bird symbol of Himeji City), HO is the Japanese word for the mythical Phoenix bird, and EN is the Japanese word for garden.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The highlight of the visit for us was the koi pond with over 300 colorful koi fish. The garden sells small baggies of koi fish food for $1. BUY AT LEAST TWO! Picture me screaming that because it’s an absolute must. We only bought one to start and ended up going back to buy more (I saw another couple going back to buy more too). I know it doesn’t sound exciting, but it’s seriously crazy watching the feeding frenzy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are a lot of ducks in the pond and they have mastered the art of stealing the fish food. It was almost a game trying to throw food to the fish without the ducks getting it. They are just so much faster and smart enough to watch you throw the food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For our trip to the garden we used our library’s culture pass program to cover our admission. The Mesa Public Library is part of a culture pass program that allows free admission for 2 people to participating museums twice a month. We also used this program to visit the Heard Museum for <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/05/visiting-heard-museum.html">our April date last year</a>. It looks like most of the Phoenix-area libraries use the same program. I also found similar programs in other counties/states, so there may be something similar available near you. It ended up working perfectly and it’s such a great cheap date idea!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To complete our Japanese themed date we had sushi at Squid Ink Sushi for lunch. Our sushi was delicious (although pricey) and we had fun trying a few new rolls in addition to our usual dragon and rainbow rolls. It also worked out perfectly with my 19 for 2019 goal to try one new restaurant a month!</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Japanese Friendship Garden also hosts public tea ceremonies on the third Saturday of each month. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Guided tours of the garden are available Wednesday and Thursdays for a small additional fee. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The garden is closed to visitors during the summer months. The hours are limited starting in June and the garden is close July to September.</span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">For more information, including hours and admission fees, click <a href="https://www.japanesefriendshipgarden.org/general">here</a></span></div>
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Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-14733129333697528362019-01-16T08:10:00.001-07:002019-01-16T08:36:48.172-07:00Simply Earth January Essential Oil Recipe Box<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Does anyone else feel like they’ve already missed the new year, new me train? I had grand plans to start exercising regularly, eat keto again, and get organized this year, but we’re already halfway through the month and I’ve made very little progress on any of those. And now the fresh start feeling of a new year is starting to slip away…ANYWAY, if one of your goals this year is to live more naturally and reduce the chemicals in your life, I’m here to introduce you to a fun, easy way to do that!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The Essential Oil Recipe Box from <a href="http://simplyearth.com/?rfsn=1477819.c23173">Simply Earth</a> is a monthly subscription box that contains 4 essential oils, 5-7 recipe cards, and most of the supplies needed to make the recipes. Each month’s box is a fun, new theme (this month’s is all about natural skincare). All of the oils are 100% pure therapeutic grade with no added chemicals or bases. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Disclaimer: I received the January Essential Oil Recipe Box from <a href="http://simplyearth.com/?rfsn=1477819.c23173">Simply Earth</a> in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains some affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no additional cost to you.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The essential oils in the January box are Bergamot, Myrrh, Ravensara, and Farewell Scars Blend. The recipes for the month are Lip Rejuvenating Lip Balm, Relaxing Textured Massage Bar, Skin Renewal Skin Scrub, Uplifting and Calming Body Butter, Confidence Booster Diffuser Blend, and Skin Healing Boosting Roll On. The box even includes the tapioca pearls and soap mold for the textured massage bar, plus containers for the lip balm!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve always wanted to try making soap, so I was really excited to see the massage bar recipe. Technically it’s not soap, but I feel like it’s similar process, so I was able to scratch my soap making itch with this recipe. The January box includes everything needed to make the recipe except coconut oil and beeswax, which are both included in the Big Bonus Box (see below how to get it for free with your first box).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I used a glass bowl and pot as a double boiler for this recipe and it worked out perfectly. Honestly I was a little nervous about adding the Ravensara essential oil because it smells like black licorice and I’m not a huge fan. BUT the woodsy, musky Myrrh toned it down and together make a nice unisex scent. Adam and I are in the middle of re-doing the landscape in our front yard, so our sore muscles will definitely appreciate this textured massage bar! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />This box is such a fun way to learn more about essential oils if you’re a beginner like me. All of the different oils and recipes can get overwhelming on your own, but this box makes it easy and manageable. As I’ve mentioned before, I also love what Simply Earth stands for. They sell direct to customers at fair and honest prices without any MLM schemes. They also donate 13% of their profits to help end human trafficking. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />If you’re interested in trying the Essential Oil Recipe Box for yourself or gifting a subscription, it’s $39/month and shipping is free! Use the code AWAYSHEWENTFREE to receive a Big Bonus Box and a $20 gift card to use on a future purchase! The gift card can even be used on your next box! <a href="http://simplyearth.com/?rfsn=1477819.c23173">Learn more here.</a></span><br />
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Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-26523774444484501202019-01-09T04:45:00.000-07:002019-01-23T06:37:53.224-07:002018 Recap + 19 for 2019<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happy 2019! I’m sure you’re all sick of reading 2018 recaps and talking about resolutions, but I like sharing my goals as a way to hold myself accountable. I want to start by quickly recapping my 2018 goals and then I’m going to share my 19 for 2019 list! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let’s jump right into <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/01/2017-recap-2018-goals.html">the goals I made for 2018</a> and talk about how I did:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />#1 Take More Pictures</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I was terrible about taking pictures in 2017, so my goal last year was to take more pictures. I missed a few photo ops that I regret, but overall I feel like I was really successful with this one. It definitely helped that we traveled a lot last year plus all of our Year of Date activities. There were a lot of opportunities to take photos last year! I’m not putting this on my list again, but I definitely want to continue to take lots of pictures! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(my most liked picture on Instagram in 2018)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">#2 Read M</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ore</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My goal was to read 18 books in 2018 and I did it! I finished #18 on December 31th, but I still did it! For reference I read 10 books in 2017, so 18 books was a pretty sizable increase. This year my goal is to read 19 books in 2019!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />#3 Clear the Clutter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />My goal for 2018 was to declutter/organize a room every month. I started out great and then fell off in May. This one was a total bust and something I still very much need to work on…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />#4 Be More Active</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Last year instead of the cliché goal to exercise more, my goal was just to move more. I work at a desk all day, so I live more of a sedentary lifestyle than I’d like. Honestly, I’m not sure how to score this one. I bought a new Fitbit and I feel like that has definitely helped, but I really didn’t exercise regularly. Although I guess my goal wasn’t specifically about exercise, so I think it’s still a win? I don’t know…anyway, I’m not adding this to my 2019 goals, but I did get a standing desk/chair at work before we left for winter break, so I think that will definitely help with my worries about sitting so much! Sitting is the new smoking! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Also, I joked that I wanted to lose 15 pounds in 2018…and I did lose 15 pounds! I actually lost about 20, but went a little overboard during the holidays, so I ended 2018 down 15 pounds! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />#5 Finish 2 Rooms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I did it! I finished our <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/05/orc-week-6-guest-bedroom-reveal.html">guest bedroom</a> during the spring One Room Challenge and finished our <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/11/guest-bathroom-reveal.html">guest bathroom</a> during the fall ORC. I’m so excited to have those 2 rooms done and I love how they turned out. They’re such a great representation of my style! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OK, let’s talk 2019! Instead of making my usual list of goals, I’m doing a 19 for 2019 inspired by the <a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/podcasts/">Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast.</a> I also did an 18 for 2018 last year, but I only accomplished 8 items from list, so we don’t need to focus on that. Although I did use a few lessons learned from that list when I put together my 2019 list (make sure to add a few smaller, easy to cross off items and include at least 1 thing that can quickly be crossed off for momentum). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><br />19 for 2019</u><br />1. Visit 3 New States Together<br />2. Read 19 Books<br />3. Make Sushi At Home<br />4. Learn to Braid My Own Hair<br />5. Put Together Facts of Life Book<br />6. Spend All Gift Cards<br />7. Monthly: See a Show (Movie or Theatre)<br />8. Make 2018 Photo Book<br />9. Take a Class (Photography, Pottery, etc)<br />10. Buy 2 New Pairs of Work Pants<br />11. Prime and Paint Patio Cover<br />12. Finish Decorating Master Bedroom<br />13. Monthly: Try a New Restaurant<br />14. Walk/Run a 5K<br />15. Organize Christmas Decorations for Next Year<br />16. Plan Tucson Trip to Visit Ben<br />17. Whiten Teeth<br />18. Get Fitted and Buy 2 New Bras<br />19. Donate Blood</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I already crossed off #15 while I was putting away my Christmas decorations last week! I donated a huge box of stuff that I wasn’t using/no longer wanted and was able to fit everything into my current bins (last year I had 3 large containers of ornaments that didn’t fit in the bins)! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">I also created a tab on my blog (at the very top) to track my 19 for 2019. I'm going to update it throughout the year, so check there for progress and pictures! </span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How did you do on your 2018 goals/resolutions? Did you make any new ones this year? </span><br />
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<br />Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-41728017157565758912018-12-28T04:15:00.000-07:002019-01-07T08:56:51.394-07:00Friday Five: December 2018<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1 | Zoo Lights</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A couple weekends ago Adam and I went to Zoo Lights at the Phoenix Zoo. We’d never been before, but he won tickets at work so it was the perfect opportunity to go. The lights were so pretty and it felt so festive. Of course most of the lights were animal themed, so it was all really cute and would be great for families. However, the only real animals we were able to see were reindeer, camels, and flamingos, so if you’re planning to go to see animals, you’ll be disappointed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Anyway, we had a really busy weekend that weekend, so it was so nice to just grab a beer and walk around enjoying the lights and Christmas spirit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>2 | Christmas</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! Adam, the dogs, and I went to my parents’ house for Christmas. My mom got me an air fryer and I'm so excited to try it. If you have one, please leave any tips/tricks or favorite recipes in the comments! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adam surprised me with a 2-night Grand Canyon Train weekend getaway (in March) for Christmas! It's one night in Williams (where the train starts) and one night at one of the hotels at the Grand Canyon! Plus a sunset tour of the Grand Canyon! I'm so excited! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>3 | Pete Souza</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back in November Adam and I went to see Pete Souza at the Orpheum Theatre as part of his Shade book tour. We saw him back in January and we both really enjoyed his presentation, so I had to buy tickets when I saw that he was coming back to Phoenix. If you don’t know who Pete Souza is, he was the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama (and President Reagan). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />As expected, his presentation was amazing. I laughed, I cried (when he was talking about Sandy Hook), I felt inspired. I also loved that he included some personal videos in his presentation, like one of his morning routine of chasing Bo around the table. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>4 | Narcos: Mexico</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adam and I just finished season 1 of Narcos Mexico and it was SO good. We’ve all heard stories about how corrupt some of the government officials and police are there, but it’s so shocking to see it play out. It’s based on the true story of the Guadalajara Cartel and of course it’s dramatized, but from what I’ve read most of it is based on real-life events. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />If you have seen it, did you know that Rafa was released on a technicality in 2013 and is currently on the run? He’s on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List and there’s a $20M reward! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b>5 | Wedding</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last month one of Adam’s friends got married and the wedding was beautiful! It was at the Blackstone Country Club in Peoria and everything was so well done. The flowers were absolutely gorgeous and the weather was perfect for the outdoor ceremony and reception. We had such a fun time drinking, dancing, and celebrating the new couple. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wishing you all a Happy New Years! </span><br />
<br />Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-78145530954368021522018-12-21T04:15:00.000-07:002018-12-21T07:35:14.865-07:00Pinned It, Made It #7<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last weekend my friend Michelle and I had our monthly craft day, so today I want to share a recap of our most recent projects. Can you believe we’ve been doing craft days for over 2 years now?!? We’ve missed a few months over the past couple years for various reasons, but we really do try to make it a priority on our calendars. The funny thing is that we both agree that our very first craft, <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2016/10/pinterest-craft-nights.html">burlap bubble wreaths</a>, is still our favorite project. If you want to see our past projects, I put together a list at the bottom of the post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In September we made 2 different pumpkin crafts – monogram pumpkin signs and pumpkin blocks. We used <a href="https://www.craftcuts.com/community/home-decor/diy-pumpkin-monogram-wreath/">this tutorial</a> for the monogram signs and ordered the pumpkin cutouts from <a href="https://amzn.to/2GncoZj">Amazon</a>. Honestly, I don’t love how mine turned out, so next year I’ll probably paint the pumpkin black with white polka dots.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Our second project was these 4x4 pumpkins using <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/217720963221014155/">this picture</a> as inspiration. I like how mine turned out in general, but I feel like they need something more. I think they might end up getting reworked a little when I put them out next year too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />In October we made wood lanterns. Michelle’s is the blue tardis lantern and mine is the rustic wood one. I used <a href="https://www.prettyhandygirl.com/diy-rustic-wood-lanterns/">this tutorial</a> from Pretty Handy Girl to make my lantern. We couldn’t find detailed plans for the tardis lantern, but <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/217720963221201622/">this picture </a>was Michelle’s inspiration.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I LOVE how my lantern turned out and I still have supplies to make a taller, matching one, so that’s on my to-do list. This project would be SO easy with a nail gun, but I don’t have one so it took a lot longer to hammer each nail in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We missed November because of busy schedules, but this month we made burlap and twine Christmas trees. We had a crazy amount of twine and burlap left over from other projects so we just had to buy the foam cones and wooden stars. Michelle’s are on the left and mine are on the right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This project is pretty self-explanatory, so we didn’t follow any tutorials, but<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AW506gQDIPvEpJ_jZNHEkBQZH1E_eYPBDWwWzJ3uGgaccXIv1QPJ-dg/"> this picture</a> was my main inspiration. They took way longer than planned, but I’m happy with how they turned out. I started running out of the striped ribbon, so that one didn’t turn out quite how I imagined, but it’s still cute. I can always buy more ribbon and fix it too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />We still haven’t decided on a project for next month yet, so if you have any suggestions. Leave them in the comments! We’re always looking for new ideas! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2016/10/pinterest-craft-nights.html">Pinned It, Made It #1</a>: Burlap Wreaths, Reversible Scarecrow/Snowman and String Art<br /><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2017/03/pinned-it-made-it-2.html">Pinned It, Made It #2</a>: Christmas Ornaments, Wood Door Tags, and Painted Signs<br /><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2017/07/pinned-it-made-it-3.html">Pinned It, Made It #3</a>: Patriotic Rag Wreaths, Wood Sign Post, and $15 Dollar Tree Craft Challenge<br /><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2017/10/pinned-it-made-it-4.html">Pinned It, Made It #4</a>: Fall Pillows, Painted Mason Jars, and Wood Slice Pumpkins<br /><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/03/pinned-it-made-it-5.html">Pinned It, Made It #5</a>: Winter Pillows, Holiday Wood Blocks, and Hanging With My Peeps Sign<br /><a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/06/pinned-it-made-it-6.html">Pinned It, Made It #6</a>: Spring Pillows, Twine-Wrapped Letters, and Leftover Supplies Challenge (Herb Markers/Mason Jar Lights)</span><br />
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<br />Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-60704623251413331422018-12-19T04:15:00.000-07:002019-01-23T06:28:42.022-07:00Year of Dates Gift 2.0<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last year for Adam’s birthday I gave him a <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2017/12/a-year-of-dates-gift-idea.html">Year of Dates</a> and it turned out to be one of the best gift ideas ever! It was such a great opportunity to spend quality time together and try new things/see new places around the city. I also love the idea of gifting experiences instead of just buying all the things. Because we had so much fun last year, I decided to give him another Year of Dates for his birthday last weekend. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />If you’re not familiar with the idea, Year of Dates is a gift of 12 pre-planned and (somewhat) pre-paid activities. I originally got the idea from Camille from <a href="https://fridaywereinlove.com/">Friday We’re in Love</a>, so if you need more date ideas or want to see other ways to package them, check out her blog! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Anyway, last year I put together a binder for all of the dates. I had a page for every month with a description of the activity and the other page was for tickets, brochures, menus, or any other info for the date (see more <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2017/12/a-year-of-dates-gift-idea.html">here</a>). I wanted to do something different this year, so I ended up using these cardstock sheets decorated with washi tape. Then I used some baker’s twine to bundle the cards together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I love how it turned out and it was really cheap to make. I already had the cardstock and baker’s twine, so I only had to buy the washi tape. Michael’s had their individual washi tape rolls for 3/$1, so I bought like 18 different ones. I probably didn’t need that many, but I wanted plenty of options and didn’t want to have to go back to the store.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I ended up handwriting all of the cards because I think it looks so much more personal than printing them out. Although I probably did all of them at least 3 times, so maybe I should have just printed them and saved paper!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I was a little worried about coming up with 12 more date ideas after using all of my good ones last year, but it ended up being easier than I thought! I ended up with way more than 12 ideas, so I saved a list for next year. Honestly, the hardest part is matching up dates with months. We live in Phoenix, so I didn’t want to plan anything outdoors from like May - October. I also wanted to stick with activities we’ve never done together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I also tried to have a good mix of expensive dates (UTV tour, Verde Canyon Railroad, Staycation) with cheaper dates (Japanese Friendship Garden, Goat Yoga, Musical Instrument Museum). Our library has a great culture pass program that covers admission to certain museums for free, so our January date will only cost me lunch! I’m also going to use a Groupon for the Classic Cooking 5-Course Dinner + Wine date to save $$$ (don’t forget to use <a href="https://www.ebates.com/r/SWHIRA?eeid=28187">Ebates</a> to earn cash back on those Groupons).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The gift was perfect for Adam’s birthday because I could use the December date for his birthday adventure, but it would also make an excellent Christmas present or anniversary gift. It also doesn’t need to be for a significant other. You could plan a Year of Adventure for your parents, children or friends. It take a bit of planning, but it’s actually a lot of fun to put together. I used a spreadsheet to keep track of my ideas and sort them into months. I rearranged everything about 100 times, but I’m really happy with the list I ended up with. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />December: <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/12/off-road-desert-adventure-tour.html">UTV Tour</a><br />January: <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2019/01/japanese-friendship-garden-of-phoenix.html">Japanese Friendship Garden + Sushi Lunch</a><br />February: Goat Yoga<br />March: Electric Desert at Desert Botanical Garden<br />April: Verde Canyon Railroad<br />May: Agaves & Tequila Tasting Class<br />June: Classic Cooking 5 Course Dinner + Wine<br />July: Staycation<br />August: Musical Instrument Museum<br />September: Glass Blowing Class<br />October: Downtown Phoenix Food Tour<br />November: Saguaro Lake Boat Cruise</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you’re planning your own Year of Dates and need more date ideas I recommend checking out<a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2017/12/a-year-of-dates-gift-idea.html"> last year’s post</a>, reading <a href="https://fridaywereinlove.com/">Camille’s blog</a>, searching Groupon, looking at local event calendars, and searching Tripadvisor for popular sites/activities in your area. I ended up planning all of our dates as outside activities, but you could also plan a few home dates too. I think a chocolate or wine taste testing date at home would be such a fun idea!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">P.S. We've already gone on our December UTV tour date! You can see all of the beautiful desert pictures and read about our first time off-roading together <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/12/off-road-desert-adventure-tour.html">here.</a></span><br />
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Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-33798850125864332322018-12-14T04:45:00.000-07:002018-12-21T07:27:36.405-07:00Off-Road Desert Adventure Tour<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last weekend for Adam’s birthday I surprised him with an UTV off-road adventure (as part of <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/12/year-of-dates-gift.html">our next Year of Dates</a>)! And I’m not joking about the surprise…I didn’t tell him what we were doing or where we were going, I just told him where to turn as we were driving. I knew he was going to be excited because he lusts after the Polaris outside of Costco every time we’re there. Although now that I think about it, this will probably make him want one even more...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I booked the 2-hour sunset tour with <a href="https://www.desertmonsterstours.com/">Desert Monsters Tours</a> and it was perfect! We ended up being the only ones who booked for that time slot (they also have morning and afternoon tours), so we basically had our own private desert tour! They also provided the bandanas, helmets, goggles and water, so we didn’t have to bring anything. Our guide was excellent too, so I would highly recommend booking with them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The vehicles are 2-seater 2018 CAN-AM Maverick Trails, so Adam could drive while I enjoyed the scenery and took pictures. It was beautiful out there surrounded by mountains, saguaro cacti, and lake views – sometimes I forget how pretty the desert can be. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We made one stop halfway through to enjoy the views of Saguaro Lake, stretch and drink some water. You can switch drivers at that time too, but I let Adam do all of the driving since it was his birthday and he was so into it. It was such a fun way to celebrate his birthday and ended up being the perfect present. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />If you are interested in going on your own off-road adventure my only recommendation would be to use the bathroom before you get out there! There’s no bathrooms anywhere near the trails and it’s in basically the middle of nowhere so there’s no nearby gas station or rest stop. Oh, and prepare to get dusty af!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adventure: Off-Road Desert Adventure Tour<br />Location: Highway 87 and Four Peaks Road (Northeast of Scottsdale/Phoenix) <br />Price: $300 ($150 per person double occupancy); $200 per person single occupancy<br />Website: Desert Monsters Tours <a href="https://www.desertmonsterstours.com/">website</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-20556986122665315022018-11-29T08:36:00.000-07:002018-11-29T08:37:21.446-07:00Simply Earth December Essential Oil Recipe Box + Coupon<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Can you believe there’s only 25 days until Christmas?!?! I CAN’T WAIT!!! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Have you started your shopping yet? Are you an early shopper or do you wait until Christmas Eve to start shopping? I like to get my shopping done early, but Adam is 100% last minute. It stresses me out, but he hasn’t dropped the ball on a present yet, so I can’t complain. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />If, like me, you already have Christmas presents on the brain and are looking for ideas, I highly recommend gifting a subscription box. There’s seriously a subscription box for every interest. Plus it’s the gift that keeps on giving! The Essential Oil Recipe Box from <a href="http://simplyearth.com/?rfsn=1477819.c23173">Simply Earth</a> would be a great gift for anyone looking to learn more about essential oils or trying to live a more natural, chemical-free life. </span><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The <a href="http://simplyearth.com/?rfsn=1477819.c23173">Essential Oil Recipe Box from Simply Earth</a> is a monthly subscription box that contains 4 essential oils, 5-7 recipe cards, and most of the supplies needed to make the recipes. Each month’s box is a fun, new theme (this month’s theme is obviously Christmas). All of the oils are 100% pure therapeutic grade with no added chemicals or bases.<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Disclaimer: I received the December Essential Oil Recipe Box from Simply Earth in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains some affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no additional cost to you.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The essential oils in the December box are Peppermint, Clove, Patchouli, and Breathe Easy. The recipes for the month are Vanilla Mint Lip Scrub, Congestion Support Roll On, Tension Relief Bath Bomb, Cold Support Chest Rub, Trim the Tree Diffuser Blend, and Breathe Easy Bath Salts. The box even includes the citric acid, goat milk powder, and the mold for the bath bomb recipe!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m honestly not a big fan of patchouli so I probably won’t use it much, but the Breathe Easy blend completely makes up for it. I’ve been SO stuffed up for the past few weeks. I wake up at least once a night to blow my nose…I’m sure it’s starting to drive Adam insane. So the first recipe I tried was the Breathe Easy Bath Salts. There’s only 3 ingredients so it’s super easy to make. You’ll need the Breathe Easy Essential Oil Blend from the box, plus Epsom salt (not included) and fractionated coconut oil (included in the Big Bonus Box – see below for coupon code to get it for free!). Mix together and add to a warm bath. My sinuses and lungs felt so much more open after soaking with these bath salts! I have a feeling I’m going to be taking a lot of baths this winter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another fun recipe is the Vanilla Mint Lip Scrub! I was so excited to see this recipe in the box because I almost bought a lip scrub a couple weeks ago! My skin and lips have been so dry since the weather started cooling down, so I’ve been looking for something to help. I’ve only used the scrub a couple times, but it seems like it’s making a difference in the flakiness! This would also be such a fun DIY Christmas gift too! You could make a big batch and package them up in cute little jars to give out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This box is such a fun way to learn more about essential oils if you’re a beginner like me. All of the different oils and recipes can get overwhelming on your own, but this box makes it easy and manageable. As I’ve mentioned before, I also love what Simply Earth stands for. They sell direct to customers at fair and honest prices without any MLM schemes. They also donate 13% of their profits to help end human trafficking. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />If you’re interested in trying the Essential Oil Recipe Box for yourself or gifting a subscription, it’s $39/month and shipping is free! Use the code AWAYSHEWENTFREE to receive a Big Bonus Box and a $20 gift card to use on a future purchase! The gift card can even be used on your next box! <a href="http://simplyearth.com/?rfsn=1477819.c23173">Click here</a> to subscribe!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-79719847861132073432018-11-15T04:30:00.000-07:002018-11-28T09:13:10.829-07:00Christmas Cards with Minted<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my 18 for 2018 goals this year is to send out Christmas cards. Every year I have the best intentions of sending out cards, but every year I feel too indecisive and procrastinate until it’s too late. There are just so many different designs to pick from, plus we don’t get family pictures taken every year so I always felt like my random pictures will never look as good as the perfectly staged photos in the examples. But this year with the help of <a href="https://www.minted.com/" rel="”nofollow”">Minted</a> (and your votes below), I’m going for it and finally crossing this project off my list! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Disclaimer: I received product and/or compensation in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i></i><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Minted has so many beautiful holiday card designs that it’s hard to pick just one! So, I decided to make two different cards and you all can vote for your favorite at the bottom of the post. The 2 designs are very different so I’m excited to see what you all think.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Of course my first task was narrowing it down to just 2 designs! Minted has a great feature that allows you to upload a photo and quickly see how it looks in all of the card designs. This saved me so much time and effort jumping back and forth between designs to see if they worked with my picture or not. You can see that the lettering on some of the designs covers up those cute doggie faces, so those were easy to rule out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I ended up selecting the two designs based on how the layouts looked with my picture(s) and the fonts. Minted has another great feature that allows you to toggle between greetings (Holiday, Christmas, New Year, or Religious Christmas) and change some of the colors. I went with the Christmas greeting and the red color palette for both of my designs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Option #1 is the <a href="https://www.minted.com/product/holiday-photo-cards/MIN-0V5-HYC/from-our-family?org=photo&greeting=christmas&color=A&shape=default" rel="”nofollow”">From Our Family</a> design by Laura Hamm. I love this picture from last Christmas of the dogs in their Christmas sweaters and reindeer antlers, so I decided to feature it on one of my card designs. I also wanted to include pictures of Adam and me, so I used one of the collage layouts for that back. I used one of the notes fields to list where each picture was taken.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Option #2 is the <a href="https://www.minted.com/product/holiday-photo-cards/MIN-53J-HYC/family-snapshots?org=photo&greeting=christmas&color=B&shape=default" rel="”nofollow”">Family Snapshots</a> design by Griffinbell Paper Co. I love that this design allows me to share my favorite pictures from the year and add comments right on the front of the card. For the back, I picked this white and green pattern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please vote for your favorite in the poll below! I’m so curious to see what everyone likes. If you’re reading this by email or in a reader, you might have to open the post to vote (click <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/">here</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Regardless what design I end up using, I’m very excited about Minted’s free recipient addressing! I love all of the designs and I love that I won’t have to write them all by hand. I remember helping my mom write out everyone’s address on our Christmas cards growing up. It took forever! Sure, it’ll take me some time loading all of the addresses into the site, but then I’ll be set for next year too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you’re sending out cards this year, but still haven’t designed them, I highly recommend checking out Minted. They source all of their designs from independent artists and curate their collection through competitions. Plus they are offering discounts on cards right now!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-37239274528747322042018-11-07T19:26:00.000-07:002018-11-08T07:40:53.487-07:00ORC Week 6: Guest Bathroom Reveal<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happy One Room Challenge Reveal Day! I’m so excited to share my guest bathroom with you all today! I’ve been procrastinating this makeover for over a year, so I’m thrilled to finally call this room complete (well, almost complete – see below).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvtq7Q3dcnGbJg7Dci5coedn2Pc05fpR-oDcdqiogb5Yi5aZn0c_uQhL9ZuLH8ggwZgwMOO5czYgf3l-BY53_d4WLYYzdL4s0U4C38Tdv3KCLQIwt-9YaEQeLlrtdkdoIgQofObums_w8/s1600/guest-bathroom-one-room-challenge-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvtq7Q3dcnGbJg7Dci5coedn2Pc05fpR-oDcdqiogb5Yi5aZn0c_uQhL9ZuLH8ggwZgwMOO5czYgf3l-BY53_d4WLYYzdL4s0U4C38Tdv3KCLQIwt-9YaEQeLlrtdkdoIgQofObums_w8/s1600/guest-bathroom-one-room-challenge-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Before we get into all of the after pictures, let’s look back at the evolution of this room. When I first bought this house the bathroom was very blue (literally and figuratively).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV98Kw_Mb8agggTNnNLWtjYPsvmYqC-WZSeIQ8Ub2S8dG-tJYrybMHYpZqWxOMiNiz3OvycM8eCQFZC9FHNt3gjhkfdLAhFmr7vZtWreDMITbxfRN1H1N2pUpBze4ivKsBRdSjnLo-TYX_/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV98Kw_Mb8agggTNnNLWtjYPsvmYqC-WZSeIQ8Ub2S8dG-tJYrybMHYpZqWxOMiNiz3OvycM8eCQFZC9FHNt3gjhkfdLAhFmr7vZtWreDMITbxfRN1H1N2pUpBze4ivKsBRdSjnLo-TYX_/s1600/before.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I gave it a quick cosmetic makeover, but didn’t have the money to replace any of the big items. I spent about $350 on paint, new fixtures, and accessories. This is pretty much how the guest bathroom has looked ever since.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />A couple years ago I decided the room needed a refresh, but procrastinated most of the work until now. We did have an electrician center the junction box/light fixture over the sink, but that was the extent of the progress until this fall. But now, it’s (mostly) done! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The only thing left to do in this room is install the pulls on the cabinet drawers. You would think this would be such an easy project, but it’s been a total pain! Originally I didn’t install them when I did the knobs because I couldn’t find the drill template for the drawers. So I went to Home Depot and bought a new one. Then I found my template, so I returned the one I bought. Then I went to drill the holes and my pulls were too small for the holes on that template. So then I went back to Home Depot to re-buy the template I returned, but they didn’t have any on the shelves. Anyway, I finally have a template that fits, but I just didn’t have time to add the pulls and take new pictures. I’ll update this post when they’re on!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think my favorite change from the whole makeover is replacing the dated countertop that stretched across the toilet with this beautiful new marble-like counter. The room looks so much more open and we were able to get a standard height toilet. I love the new wall color and navy painted cabinet too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />What do you all think of my giant highland cow picture? Is it weird for a bathroom? As I told Adam, if hanging a huge highland cow in your bathroom is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. If you want your own cow, I used <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/630730114/highland-cow-print-printable-wall-art?ref=related-1">this downloadable print</a> from the LILAxLOLA Etsy shop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I’m also obsessed with the set of abstract watercolor prints above the toilet. They’re also just digital prints that I had printed out at Costco. It’s such an affordable way to add art around your house without buying the same big box pictures as everyone else. These prints are from the MyPaperHouseShop Etsy shop (<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/590731299/watercolor-lanscape-printnature-wall?ref=related-2">here</a> and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/597770755/watercolor-landscapelandscape?ref=related-1">here</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I really love how this room turned out and I think it looks so good combined with the guest bedroom that I did during the Spring One Room Challenge. Now I just need to refresh and update the rest of the house! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Ok, let’s talk budget. I know some people are uncomfortable talking about money, but I always think the budget breakdown is one of the most interesting parts of a room reveal. Everything is included below except the drywall repair. We had them do a few projects at once, so I’m not sure what just the bathroom cost…probably around $450? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Wall Paint - $34.98 (Behr Ethereal White)<br /><a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Progress-Lighting-Archie-Collection-26-25-in-3-Light-Antique-Nickel-Bathroom-Vanity-Light-with-Glass-Shades-P2992-81DI/203196807">Light Fixture</a> - $109.00 (Home Depot)<br /><a href="https://www.target.com/p/carved-wood-decorative-wall-mirror-natural---opalhouse--153-/-/A-53032038">Mirror</a> - $49.99 (Target)<br /><a href="http://stpaul.homedepot.com/top-customizer/#!/size">Countertop</a> – $560.78 (Home Depot)<br /><a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/MOEN-Banbury-4-in-Centerset-2-Handle-Low-Arc-Bathroom-Faucet-in-Spot-Resist-Brushed-Nickel-WS84912SRN/206690741">Faucet </a>- $74.00 (Home Depot)<br /><a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Delta-Mandara-Knob-for-Pivot-Shower-Door-in-Nickel-SDKB006-BN-B1/205065289">Knobs</a> - $2.98 x 2 (Home Depot)<br /><a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Liberty-Davidson-2-1-2-in-64mm-Satin-Nickel-Cup-Drawer-Pull-PN0601H-SN-C/204151691">Pulls</a> - $4.78 x 2 (Home Depot)<br /><a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/MOEN-Banbury-Pivoting-Double-Post-Toilet-Paper-Holder-in-Spot-Resist-Brushed-Nickel-Y2608BN/100652596">Toilet Paper Holder </a>– $27.78 (Home Depot)<br /><a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/KOHLER-Elmbrook-The-Complete-Solution-2-piece-1-28-GPF-Single-Flush-Elongated-Toilet-in-White-Seat-Included-K-45983-0/300412345?MERCH=REC-_-rv_nav_plp_rr-_-NA-_-300412345-_-N">Toilet</a> - $198.00 (Home Depot)<br /><a href="https://www.target.com/p/single-image-gallery-frame-made-by-design-153/-/A-50651841">White Picture Frames</a> – $11.70 x 2 (Target)<br /><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/590731299/watercolor-lanscape-printnature-wall?ref=related-2">Abstract Landscape Prints</a> - $13.20 (Etsy)<br />Basket - $5.99 (HomeGoods)<br /><a href="https://amzn.to/2CO49C6">Shower Curtain</a> – $48.00 (Amazon)<br /><a href="https://www.target.com/p/hinged-glide-zinc-hooks-brushed-nickel---threshold--153-/-/A-51598535">Shower Curtain Rings</a> – $9.99 (Target)<br /><a href="https://www.target.com/p/target-home-72--cast-final-tension-rod-brushed-nickel---threshold--153-/-/A-14431554">Shower Curtain Rod</a> – $15.99 (Target)<br /><a href="https://www.michaels.com/natural-walnut-stain-picture-frame-by-studio-decor/M10546752.html?dwvar_M10546752_size=8%22%20x%2010%22&dwvar_M10546752_color=Natural%20Walnut#pmpt=qualifying&sz=24&start=55">Frame for Cow Print</a> - $22.49 (Michael’s)<br /><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/630730114/highland-cow-print-printable-wall-art?ref=related-1">Highland Cow Print</a> – $6.49 (Etsy)<br />Costco Printing - $11.42<br /><a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/MOEN-Banbury-24-in-Double-Towel-Bar-in-Spot-Resist-Brushed-Nickel-Y2622BN/202894917">Towel Bar</a> – $46.38 (Home Depot)<br /><a href="https://amzn.to/2yuj2qi">Bath Towels</a> – $44.90 (Amazon)<br /><a href="https://amzn.to/2q8tUFJ">Hand Towels</a> - $22.90 (Amazon)<br /><a href="https://www.target.com/p/diamond-embossed-tasseled-woven-bath-rug-white---threshold--153-/-/A-52819030">Rug</a> - $17.49 (Target)<br /><a href="https://amzn.to/2DqKn0D">Tissue Holder</a> – $36.99 (Amazon)<br />Glass Jar - $14.99 (Target)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don’t forget to check out the official participants <a href="https://www.oneroomchallenge.com/blog/fall2018week6">here</a> and the other guest participants <a href="https://www.oneroomchallenge.com/blog/orcguestsf18wk6">here</a>. There are so many amazing makeovers linked up! I can’t wait to go through all of them! </span><br />
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Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-10362856361741803102018-11-06T04:35:00.000-07:002018-11-06T10:02:01.202-07:00Simply Earth November Essential Oil Recipe Box + Coupon<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yay it’s November! November is one of the best months to live in the Phoenix-area! The intense summer heat is finally gone, the mornings are cool, but the days are a beautiful 70-80 degrees. Plus it’s holiday season! The start of a new month also means it’s time for my next subscription box! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The Essential Oil Recipe Box from <a href="http://simplyearth.com/?rfsn=1477819.c23173">Simply Earth</a> is a monthly subscription box that contains 4 essential oils, 5-7 recipe cards, and most of the supplies needed to make the recipes. Each month’s box is a fun, new theme (this month’s theme is Thanksgiving)! All of the oils are 100% pure therapeutic grade with no added chemicals or bases. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclaimer: I received the November Essential Oil Recipe Box from<a href="http://simplyearth.com/?rfsn=1477819.c23173"> Simply Earth</a> in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains some affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no additional cost to you.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The essential oils in the November box are Lemon Eucalyptus, Pine Scotch, Wintergreen, and Relief. The recipes for the month are Charcoal Toothpaste, Christmas Spray, Ache Relief Roll On, Holiday Diffuser Blend, Purifying and Exfoliating Charcoal Mask, and an Ornament Diffuser. The box even includes the ornament and activated charcoal for the recipes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was so excited to see a couple Christmas-y recipes in this box because I’m 100% in Christmas mode already. I always start my shopping early, but I’m usually not all about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I would never think about decorating before then, but this year I’m totally feeling it. I told Adam yesterday that I wanted to put out the decorations. He was very against it, so for now I’ll just enjoy my Christmas Spray and Ornament Diffuser. Both recipes were so quick and easy to make and will hold me over on Christmas-y stuff for a couple more weeks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I also made the charcoal toothpaste, but I don’t have any pictures because I’m not quite confident enough to share a picture of my black teeth and mouth with the world. It was fun to try and I liked it so much more than a charcoal tooth powder that I’ve tried before. With the powder, I never thought I’d be able to get it out of my gums! This paste recipe is so much easier to use and so much easier to rinse away the charcoal!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This box is such a fun way to learn more about essential oils if you’re a beginner like me. All of the different oils and recipes can get overwhelming on your own, but this box makes it easy and manageable. As I’ve mentioned before, I also love what Simply Earth stands for. They sell direct to customers at fair and honest prices without any MLM schemes. They also donate 13% of their profits to help end human trafficking. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />If you’re interested in trying the <a href="http://simplyearth.com/?rfsn=1477819.c23173">Essential Oil Recipe Box</a> for yourself, it’s $39/month and shipping is free! Use the code AWAYSHEWENTFREE to receive a Big Bonus Box and a $20 gift card to use on a future purchase! </span><br />
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<br />Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7388209260861059222.post-74357438335183750352018-11-01T07:09:00.001-07:002018-11-01T07:09:05.436-07:00ORC Week 5: A New Mirror<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s the final week before the big reveal and I’m definitely a little nervous about finishing in time. I didn’t get as much done last week as I wanted to, so this weekend is going to be crunch time! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />OK, let’s jump right into my progress over the last week. The most exciting change this week is the new mirror! It’s <a href="https://www.target.com/p/carved-wood-decorative-wall-mirror-natural---opalhouse--153-/-/A-53032038">this</a> carved wood Opalhouse mirror from Target and I love the details on the frame. I’m still a little unsure of the color though. It’s a little orange-y in person, but I don’t think it’s worth changing. I already like it more than when I first hung it a few days ago. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I also hung all of the frames for the artwork. The pair of white frames above the toilet are from Target (<a href="https://www.target.com/p/single-image-gallery-frame-made-by-design-153/-/A-50651841">here</a>) and the wood one above the towel bar is from Michael’s (<a href="https://www.michaels.com/natural-walnut-stain-picture-frame-by-studio-decor/M10546752.html?dwvar_M10546752_size=8%22%20x%2010%22&dwvar_M10546752_color=Natural%20Walnut#pmpt=qualifying&sz=24&start=55">here</a>). All of the artwork was ordered from Etsy. I’m using <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/630730114/highland-cow-print-printable-wall-art?ref=related-1">this</a> highland cow print from LILAxLOLA in the large frame and a pair of abstract watercolor landscapes from MyPaperHouseShop (<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/590731299/watercolor-lanscape-printnature-wall?ref=related-2">here</a> and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/597770755/watercolor-landscapelandscape?ref=related-1">here</a>) in the white frames. I’ve ordered prints of the artwork, but they’re still waiting for me to pick them up at Costco.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also bought a new shower curtain and rod. The rod is brushed nickel to match the rest of the room (from Target) and the shower curtain is <a href="https://amzn.to/2CO49C6">this</a> navy and white one from Amazon. I’m only sharing a sneak peak because I don’t want to spoil the full reveal next week. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Jcv4Xyaaso3s-ka-31An_73CpW_fRhdRs2KNe0L98wMW9uhO1tyicXi9Ll1rdOyy9FN86rAnF0yI9mhATwI74ZnUZvya_UKEFuFSLcn4Hh4T8KGtJ1pApFBGJNo1xa6b6zRRx3Omh97-/s1600/shower-curtain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Jcv4Xyaaso3s-ka-31An_73CpW_fRhdRs2KNe0L98wMW9uhO1tyicXi9Ll1rdOyy9FN86rAnF0yI9mhATwI74ZnUZvya_UKEFuFSLcn4Hh4T8KGtJ1pApFBGJNo1xa6b6zRRx3Omh97-/s1600/shower-curtain.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Before next week’s reveal I need to paint the trim, install the pulls on the cabinet drawers, install the backsplash piece on the countertop, caulk all of the edges, add the artwork to the frames, find a new bath rug, and pull together all of the finishing touches. It’s definitely doable as long as I can find all of the remaining items I need at the store. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To-Do List: <br /><strike>Center junction box/light fixture<br />Fix drywall/wall texture<br />Paint room</strike><br />Paint trim<br /><strike>Paint vanity </strike><br />Install new cabinet hardware<br /><strike>Replace vanity countertop</strike></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Install backsplash piece<br /><strike>Install new faucet<br />Replace mirror<br />Hang new light fixture<br />Replace toilet<br />Install new toilet paper holder<br />Buy new shower curtain and rod<br />Install new towel rack</strike><br />Hang artwork<br />Replace Rug<br /><strike>Replace Towels </strike><br />Accessories/Finishing Touches</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don’t forget to check out the official participants <a href="https://www.oneroomchallenge.com/blog/">here</a> and the other guest participants <a href="https://www.oneroomchallenge.com/blog/">here</a>. I’m getting so excited to see how the other rooms turn out! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Catch up on my One Room Challenge Progress</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Week 1: <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/10/orc-week-1-guest-bathroom-mood-board.html">Guest Bathroom Mood Board</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Week 2: <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/10/orc-week-2-demo-day.html">Demo Day</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Week 3: <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/10/orc-week-3-ethereal-white-walls.html">Ethereal White Walls</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Week 4: <a href="http://www.awayshewentblog.com/2018/10/orc-week-4-navy-painted-vanity.html">Navy Painted Vanity</a></span><br />
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<br />Sam | Away She Wenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03426491329790597674noreply@blogger.com0