My // Inside Out // Review

I'm always worried that the newest Disney movie won't live up to my expectations. I mean, they have an amazing history, so it's a legit worry! I'm happy to say that Inside Out lived up to my expectations!

THE SHORT //

The classic PIXAR short before the movie is about a volcanoe who just wanted to be loved. It's not my all-time favorite short, but it was cute. It was a feel good short that preps you for a great movie like all the PIXAR shorts do. 

THE STORY LINE //

IMDB's description says this, "After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions- Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness- conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school." 

I thought the story line was clever and engaging. It's obvious that everything is going to work out okay in the end, but you still go through all the feels watching Riley navigate her new life. SPOILER ALERT! When Joy & Sadness go missing you start to recognize how important it is that we have all of our emotions. Sadness has a part at the end where you realize that Sadness is necessary for empathy. It's really sweet. 

THE CHARACTERS //

All of the characters are so loveable! I wish they could just hang out with me all day. I loved how they each had such distinguishing characteristics, but even Disgust & Anger were so cute. They all wanted what was best for Riley but had their own ways of getting her there. 

Even the side characters- mom, dad, an imaginary friend, etc all were wonderfully done. 

OVERALL //

This definitely lives us to a Disney PIXAR movie hype! It is cute, makes you happy, and also makes you think. I went and saw this with my husband and we both enjoyed it! I think adults and children alike will all enjoy this movie. My little brothers have seen it twice already and loved it both times, they said it was better the second time around. 

If you're wondering if you should go see it, my answer is yes! Take the family, take your girlfriend, go see it alone, but go see it! You'll love it!

Anniversary Inn // A Night Away

For our first anniversary we stayed in an Egyptian themed room at The Anniversary Inn. We had a blast. Each of the rooms at the hotel are themed different and we had a lot of fun peeking into each of them while they were being cleaned the next day.

Once you've stayed, you can buy a "Bounce Back" pass to stay at a super discounted rate. We bought one after our anniversary and were planning on using it in August for our 2nd anniversary!

We've been really busy and really stressed lately and haven't had as much time for each other. I told Colten I wanted a night away and so we booked a room at Anniversary Inn- Logan on Monday and stayed that Friday night. Because it was already paid for we were able to just enjoy it without worrying how we'd pay for it.

I love how it comes with Martinelli's and Cheesecake, and the bathtubs/showers are always the best part of the hotel! They have free movie rentals so we usually rent a chick flick of some sort. Last time we ordered a movie deal so they brought popcorn, candy and drinks. This time we ordered some Chicken which actually came in the form of chicken nuggets (LOL) and some Spinach Artichoke dip which was heavenly! We loved our stay.

We didn't buy a Bounce Back again because we want to try some other hotels, but for sure if you're looking for a nice night away, Anniversary Inn is a great option.

The Girl I Was Before Marriage

I read a lot of books as a teenager about marriage. I've always been interested in the concept of 2 people, getting married, and spending a lifetime + an eternity together. Plus, as a fairly needy person, I really liked the idea of a built in best friend. I was drawn to the idea of being a wife, it was my ultimate dream job. 

I have now been a wife for just over 22 months. It's hard to believe! Sometimes I sit back & think about the girl I was before I got married. She had been through trials, heartbreak, disappointment, and set backs. She'd been judged, lied about, and lost friends because of her faith. But the girl I am now? The married version of Brooklyn? I think she's been through so much more. 

She gave up everything she knew, moved 2 hours from all her friends to marry the love of her life. She's grown to love the temple, and the ordinances made therein. She finds strength, hope, and power in the words of the temple sealing. She spends more time worrying about others, and less about what she looks like. She's prayed nightly with her husband, asking where the Lord wants them to serve. 

She's bought a house, two cars, and 5 pets. She's a dog mom who cried her eyes out while driving her puppy to the vet for an emergency. She's got 2 church callings, and even though she doesn't feel like she's accomplishing much, she knows that God sees her heart. She's lost contact with old friends with distance and time, and gained new friends who challenge her views, and make her stretch. 

The girl I was before I got married was very self-centered. It was all about me. The married version of Brooklyn is still selfish, but she's improving. She's baked homemade cookies, and thrown Tony's Pizzas in the over for dinner multiple nights in a row. She's graduated cosmetology school, college and tries to have patience while her husband gets his degree. 

She doesn't make it to every family party. Sometimes she turns down invites to binge watch Netflix, and take a long bath. She's been through anxiety attacks, weight gain, weight loss, weight gain again, and learning how to care for her body. She's done yoga, zumba, walking, biking, stretching, and weight lifting. She fails sometimes, and she succeeds sometimes.

She's not the girl she was before she got married. She's not the World's Greatest Wife. She doesn't cook and clean and cater to her husband's every desire. & that's okay. Because even though she's not where she wants to be, she's getting closer. & that's all that really matters. 

Speaking Up This Father's Day

When CARE approached me about sharing this story about Nepal's Child Grooms I couldn't say no. I've been wanting to use my blog as an opportunity to speak up more about causes that are close to my heart, and truthfully, this is a cause I knew nothing about.

It's almost Father's Day. Now take a minute to think about the Father's you know in your life. How old were they when they married? How old were they when they became Fathers? Probably not 9 or younger. 

(Picture c/o CARE.org)

Boys in Nepal are being forced to marry as young as 7. 7! I have an 11 year old brother and it makes me ill to think about him being forced to marry. Do you know a 7 year old? Isn't it horrible to imagine them being forced into a grown up world so young?

These boys endure all kind of psychological trauma, have to drop out of school to provide for their family, and have children way too young. The recent earthquake in Nepal is further isolating the communities forcing marriage on boys and girls that are way too young. But there is hope!

Through CARE's Tipping Point Program, former child grooms are coming out and telling their stories to strike at the roots of this problem. And YOU can do something too.


(Picture c/o CARE.org)

Forcing children to marriage young is a human rights violation. Congress agrees, but we need your help to make sure they are doing their part to fight. Click on THIS LINK to quickly and easily send a letter to Congress letting them know how you feel and what you want them to do. 

Doing something this small might not seem like much, but we all know that ripple effects do just that... they ripple. 

Links I'm Loving... 6.15 //

When I talk to Colten my husband at the end of the day, I often say, "I was reading this article..." We laugh because most of what comes out of my mouth starts with that phrase. So I decided to share with you some of the links I've been loving lately! 

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This post about the blessing of being raised by a low maintenance mother made me really evaluate what is most important to me. One day when I have babies, I hope they would say things like this about me.

This giveaway for Datelivery. I love the idea of Datelivery and once I get paid this week you can bet I'm gonna order one for us to try. 

What do registered dietitians eat on a daily basis? I found this article interesting!

This link for free feminine products. Because we hate buying them, so why not stock up on some for free right?

I'm trying to get my booty back in gear on taking care of my body. I've been stressed to the max and I'm willing to bet some of it is because I'm not getting any exercise. This list of 19 Fitness Tips for Lazy Girls is perfect!

We always joke in my family how I'm super high maintenance, so when I saw this blog post on How to Be a Low Maintenance Wife I was intrigued. It was a good read.

I've started Meditating. I always thought it was for weirdos, but really, it's relaxing. I love it. This app is perfect for getting into it.

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What links have you been loving? Any great articles I should read?

Poise Free Samples // LBL

I spent about 2 years of my life working at a trampoline park. I remember well hearing the mom's laughing so hard as they'd jump with their kids & having the time of their lives. Shortly after, they'd come to the front desk and say that the facility must be run by a woman with children, because how else would they know to put pantyliners in the women's restroom. We'd enjoy a good laugh and she'd be back on her way to jumping and burning a million calories. (Have you jumped on a trampoline lately? It's hard work!)

So when I heard that Poise was coming out with pantyliners specifically for LBL (Light Bladder Leakage) I thought, there really is a need for this! In fact, 1 in 3 women experience LBL. 33.3333333% yo. LBL can be caused by a variety of things: Childbirth, Pregnancy, Menopause, Hysterectomy, Bladder Irritants and even Weight Gain.

You can manage LBL (even if you don't want to admit you need to!) by using Poise Thin-Shape Pads.  If you're not sure if you'll love them, no worries, Poise is providing you free samples to show you how much you'll love them! Use the link below!

Get your own FREE SAMPLE by clicking HERE!