Dove

Today, in my Gender Psychology class, we started a new chapter on the health of men and women. We got into history and how cigarettes became so popular (Tobacco companies gave their products in their packages to Soldiers, payed actors to smoke and they advertised that it was actually good for you during WWII). We talked about BMI and why women died at a much younger age back in the day (child birth infections) and how the roles reversed throughout the years. We even got into how men, who live with women, are actually healthier than single living men..have you seen their fridge?? Then we got into today's society and how body image has put a huge impact on males and females, making anorexia a problem. Well, our teacher showed us some videos that came off of the Dove website which is part of their "Campaign for Real Beauty". They definitely made their point across. I think that it's true how beauty affects girls at such a young age, and it gets worse throughout the years with girls/boys trying to conform to what Hollywood and t.v says are beautiful etc. It's very sad, and I am always pinching at myself and saying that I need to be healthier and lose a few pounds, calling myself "fat" or "nasty" or envying other girls' looks. I love Dove products, and I really like them now, considering their campaign are all about REAL PEOPLE, it's inspiring. {We just have to always keep in mind that our Creator made us and we don't need to conform to anything or anyone, we are already accepted.}

There are 3 videos, but they don't have a url where I can just copy and paste the actual video, so the link only takes you to their site, sorry. You need to click on the little girl on the right side bar and it says "A Dove Film" click that and there are 4 videos to choose from on the bottom, I like them all but "Evolution" and "Amy" stick out to me. "Amy" almost made me tear up, it reminded me of someone.

You need to turn off my music on the side bar also!
Hi, check my new fantastic look @ http://www.dove.us/?dl=/CFRB/arti_cfrb.aspx%7Ccp-documentid=7614677%7Cvideo-id=2&source=shareBlogger

because i ate one thousand calories..

Today actually felt like fall to me, being able to stare at the dark clouds and rustling leaves on the trees outside the office window made it feel like Autumn finally came here TO STAY (and not trick us and have the next day be 90 degrees). I can't even imagine that Christmas is just around the corner, it barely is starting to become jacket worthy. Anywho, I feel just how it looks outside, gloomy..and all I want to do is to be in my jams, curl up in a big blanket and watch a movie or two, while enjoying the company of my good friends Ben and Jerry, who might I add has delicious desserts, namely Chunky Monkey, mmmm curse my ice cream lovin soul!! I have been thinking about important things to me this week (since its important that I do so) and my mind just simply can't take it anymore. Decisions suck. That's all I have to say. Why can't I just glide through life without having to make huge important decisions?? Can't God just make them for me?? And even though they suck, those decisions will help create our future, MY future. I'm just so thankful that God trusts me enough to leave this choice in my hands and I know that whichever one I make he will still look out for me. I love that. But it doesn't make it any easier to know that this choice I must make regards eternity, and it doesn't help that I am a people pleaser, a person that is sooo indecisive, and a person that can never feel secure about any choice I make. But that's who I have always been, and I love the person that I am, I guess you can say that I have a lot of learning and practicing to do in those areas. Choices are important and shape who we are. We need faith to be able to make the right one and know that we will be happy. We need strength to be able to make that choice and stick by it. We need support to help us with our choices. We need the Lord to get us through. Oh the decisions that I need to really think about and consider for my future is heart wrenching and overwhelming...but I will make the right ones (I hope, really really hope..)and I will feel the love of the Lord. Phew, it's so nice to be able to express in my journal...I should really consider keeping this personal stuff in my book and not online, but what the hey, I'm sure no one really knows what I'm rambling about, or even read this at all.

On a side note: The title of the post is about when my friends and I had a slumber party during our high school years over at Ann's. We decided to go to QT and pick ourselves up some ice cream, Ben and Jerry's to be exact. We each got our very own and went back to Annie's to devour it. After finishing them/feeling mighty sick, we decided to check the calorie label...which is if you eat the whole thing in one serving you are pretty much amazing. It was OVER one thousand calories! We were all shocked and felt disgusting and hated ourselves for eating the whole thing very late at night before bed. Randomly, I sang "because I ate one thousand calories.." and the rest of the night evolved around that. Haha I love reminiscing old times.

Glory Glory Hallelujah!!!!


Alright, that picture did not help my craving at all. Happy Weekend.

Wingardium Leviosa

Halloween has passed and can you believe it's still warm outside??? Ugh, it makes me very irritable, welcome to AZ fall I guess. Anywho, I have come to the realization that as you get older Halloween just isn't the same...I miss being able to go Trick or Treating with my friends in my old neighborhood. We tackled all of the good homes with our pillow cases and we never failed to go to the famous Rudy's on the corner (which is decked out beyond belief for Halloween and Xmas)! Over the past Halloween's my costumes have been anywhere from a hippy (for at least 5 times), a pirate, a girl who got ran over (thanks mom for the idea hah), a witch, a bunny (from when I was born until I was 6), a nerd, a mime..etc etc. I am the WORST when it comes to figuring out what I want to be every stinkin year, I usually am scrambling to find a decent costume at the last minute. Welp, this year was no exception but without further adieu Gregg and I decided to go as Harry and Hermione..





This is my favorite of the 3..



My costume was all thanks to Target at 6:30 PM on Friday night, lets just say I was going a little frantic. Gregg's sister was supposed to style his hair to make it look more like Harry's and she wasn't able to do it. So, Gregg straightened it all on his own which made me laugh since you could tell, it was a hot mess but it still looked more like Harry's hair than his curlies..ok that sounds weird as I just typed that, oh well. We went to a couple of parties the day before and on Halloween night we went to Fear Farm and went to a few haunted houses with Gregg's cousin and his girlfriend. Needless to say while running through these "hell homes" my eyes were tearing up while scrambling to get out of there and yes, I said and I quote.."I want my daddy!" folks, it was that bad...or at least the first one was, the other two were not so bad since I hid with my cape and closed my eyes (so mature of me, I know). When we got back to Greggs my Lactose Intolerant body decided to torture me and my night ended with me rolling around Greggs floor crying because of a demonish air bubble. Hopefully next year I won't get so freaked out and whine for my dad or roll on the floor due to killer stomach issues...so embarrassing.

Betty Crocker

It's no surprise that I would love to learn how to be the next Betty Crocker and cook fabulous meals and bake delicious and cute desserts during my dating life. I feel that learning how to cook now is a smart idea, so that one day when I get snatched off the market for time and all eternity, I can say that I have already mastered that skill. Well, it's also no surprise that I haven't even tried to cook, or even gained the desire to learn how. Sure, I can bake cookies and cakes but I haven't prepared any type of meal from scratch. It's tough trying to gain that desire when I live with roommates that so kindly prepares those meals for me..(love ya Nicole and Kev)! So, a few weeks ago Gregg had mentioned that I should try out my cooking skills and make him dinner, I didn't even think twice and said that I would that weekend (I mean it was the least I could do, he does so much). So all week (aka the day before) I have been trying to find a recipe that was fast and easy to prepare (it's not cheating, it's baby steps to the big and crazy meals). I went to one of my favorite food blogs, The Picky Palate, and with so many decisions (ugh, decisions kill me) I decided on a dinner recipe named Ranchero Mexi-Chicken Crostada http://picky-palate.com/2008/09/16/ranchero-mexi-chicken-crostada/ (sorry I don't know how to add it as a link without typing it out). It was simple and easy to make and it was pretty good, I think I would've made a few corrections to make it better but overall we were pleased as punch with it. Goal is in progress here folks. I was so Happy that I actually: A. went to the zoo, or grocery store, and took about 5 hrs to find my small list of ingredients, notice the sarcasm. B. prepared and measured out all of the ingredients near perfectly. C. didn't cry. D. didn't burn it. Last but not least E. enjoyed it without having to gag it down. I even had to take pictures for proof. And yes, I am no photographer and my camera takes poo pictures..sorry.

Naturally this slice, taken from my craptastic camera, doesn't look that edible compared to the way it is scrumptiously crafted on Picky Palate.


I even splurged and drank a cream soda (I haven't had soda in the longest time..but It was a celebration I HAD to!)


***Disclaimer** The next picture is Gregg holding up the masterpiece with, might I add, straight hair. Yes, his younger sister wanted to straighten it for FUN to see how long his hair truly is (he has naturally curly curly hair). And if you have to ask if I screamed when I first saw it...I did. Phew, I just had to be sure to let those of you who know him for his curly locks, know that he wasn't being serious..although I must say I liked it. True story. Anywho moving right along..



Here is me just happy to make it to the first step of the learning process of cooking. P.S. I still love my fake readers, even when people take pictures of me and it looks like I am shooting out crazy sun rays out of my eyes.


P.S.S my little sister Ashlyn gave a really good talk on families in sacrament today, and coming from a family that has been divorced I can't really say that it's broken anymore, (even though technically it has been) I see us siblings all united even when we disagree with another or have our up days and down days, we are stronger than ever. I love my family so much and I am so blessed to be a part of a family that has set the path for me and let me go on my journey the way that I felt like was the right way. I have such fun loving sisters that I can go to anytime that I feel like I need reassurance of my life, and I have brothers that are fun and loving as well with four parents to help me out if I need it. Basically, families rock, and I have learned from my dad through past experiences that even though we may feel alone or rejected from friends or just society, that we can always turn to our eternal family and they will always be there even when the people in our lives come and go.

Happy Sunday.

Where the Wild Things Are

Last night Nicole, Kayla, Tyler, my mom and I went to Pei Wei's for delicious orange chicken and mongolian beef and broccoli (plus 2 major, may I add "free", handfuls of fortune cookies..sorry it's the Larson in me). After filling up our empty (stomach) tanks to full we head off to our old high school hangout "hot spot", the beloved QT gas station on Greenfield, man it made me miss my friends. Anyways, we hit the jackpot with our sugary sweets and got some water bottles and hit the road to Harkins where we got our tickets for the long awaited movie Where the Wild Things Are. It was the first day it came out, so naturally we thought we should go early to wait in line...umm, there was no line and we waited for an hour to be able to go inside the theatre room. However, we were able to manage by entertaining each other with funny stories and laughing at random things to make the time pass. I was extremely excited for this particular movie because I loved the book as a child, the pictures were creative and there was one sentence per page, making it an obvious easy read. I have to say I loved it, I definately don't consider it a childrens movie, it was a bit depressing at the begininning and a little aggressive for the little ones ears (one part Max said he was gonna cut their (wild things) brains out if they didn't listen to him). Some parts were a little bit dragged on, but overall I was smiling throughout it, wishing that I myself could go back to the time where I could have fun imagining life's simplest pleasures. I had such a big imagination as a child, Marissa and I even thought we were on a music video on my trampoline back in the day..."We are friends..ya ya ya we are friends.." haha. Or that one time Katelyn, Marissa and I pretended we were statues on her little brick fence out in her frontyard and that we could fly with our big sheets. Good times. Anywho, the movie is a must see and Max is the cutest little boy and the monsters will make you laugh, not to mention the music is awesome. Oh, and just for the record I shed a few tears..but that's normal coming from me.

And the best of all was that........



I got to come home to My (Nicole's and Kev's) little wild creature BRUCE!!





Yes, I am obsessed with this little brown weiner dog but can you blame me?? Here he is again, just look at him again one more time..

And there is Kev also making his debut on my blog. Sorry it had to be just the backside.

David Bowie

Last night as I was in chemistry lab figuring out what it is I'm supposed to be learning, Gregg was at the race track with his cousin, riding their dirt bikes and catching "air". After I came home and ate I sank in the couch waiting for Gregg to call and let me know that I can come over to his house. I was excited to go since lately I had been talking up Labyrinth for quite sometime now. Gregg hadn't even heard of this classic so I was giddy to watch it and show him the beauty of David Bowie's tights I mean voice I mean GOBLINS! When I got there we sat and talked for a little bit, and Gregg made Oreo milkshakes and added a banana in the mix for us..(I swear I eat so well ((not a healthy well, full well)), every time I'm with him, his house is a Costco store in the making!) and we started the journey Labyrinth. To much of my joy he seemed to enjoy it, especially when I sang on the top of my lungs word for word "Dance magic dance..etc etc.." I kept looking over to Gregg and telling him this song/movie holds a special place in my heart. I can't quite remember who showed this to us, I'm pretty sure it was Shawnda, but ever since Marissa and I watched it we have loved this movie and David Bowie's dance moves so much we like to imitate him! Anyways, the highlight of the night stemmed from Gregg laughing at how tight the Goblin King's spandex were, so we were discussing them and later on in the convo I turned to Gregg and shouted "I love David Bonie!!" Totally on accident. Let's just say we both had a good laugh. I'm glad I can share some of my favorites with him, even though we have opposite tastes a lot of the times. He didn't like West Side Story (come on it's a classic), but I don't like some of the corny scary flicks that he seems to enjoy. Overall Labyrinth was a hit and It was an enjoyable night after completing a good chemistry test and lab.


Here's for your viewing pleasure..





I know what I'm going for as Halloween this year...

Being Positive

Lately, I have been down in the dumps, confused about life, unhappy with myself and just negative about everything possible. I break myself a part a lot on a daily basis. I am always comparing other looks to mine, comparing relationships and how they act to one another. I am always looking at and comparing the so called "perfect couples" how they dress, how they swoon over one another, their perfect "how we met" story the whole deal to my relationship(s). Why I do this, is beyond me, maybe I am insecure, maybe I have a low self esteem, but it's tiring. Tiring to keep up with everything and everyone (the world), trying to impress those that don't really need to be impressed, why should they care if I'm not with someone that doesn't fit the mold of "perfect" as long as I'm happy. What is perfect anyways?? There's no such thing..and yet I'm chasing to find "perfect" in everything even when I'm far from perfect. I'm trying a little too hard, and it's getting in the way of my true happiness. I was having a little discussion the other night with Gregg and he said that his mom would always tell them when they were young that "happiness is a choice" he said people choose to be happy, he then went on to tell me that there is no reason why I shouldn't BE happy, he said, "Danielle, you have a family that loves you and supports you in anything good, you have the gospel and the Lord in your life, and you have a boyfriend that loves you and would do anything for you, so be happy ok??" He then smiled at me with the biggest smile and I just sat there with tears down my face..that Gregg is the best at making me want to be the better person and placing a needed smile on my face. He is such an example. I don't want to be a negative Nancy, that's not what I set my day upon.."okay what can I complain about next.." The negativity just strikes at those moments when I feel of un-worth, and it has been lately that I have been feeling like that. It's because I set my thinking on the things of the world and I haven't been relying on my faith. But it's that Faith and that dedication to the Lord that will help erase the "world" and help me to strive to become like the Lord making my negativity disappear. Yes, I have had trials in my life that make me want to sink in despair and I let those trials become my excuses of why I'm negative. But that shouldn't be the case, the Lord gives us trials to keep us on our toes, he doesn't think it's fun to give us grief and pain, but its HOW we deal with those trials that makes us stronger. I must learn from my trial experiences and learn how to become the better person, and that is what I have been struggling to do, striving to become the better person. But ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS..so I am going to CHOOSE to be happy and I am going to always put my best foot forward and have faith that I can conquer this sickness I call negativity. I can easily cure the sickness with the gospel and positive influences in my life, with good friends and family, with only saying positive things, looking on the bright side, saying my prayers and reading my scriptures before I leave the house every morning, smiling more, expressing my feelings more..bottling them up also holds me back..letting loose and just having a good time instead of thinking and analyzing the future, and just being plain HAPPY. I love my life, it's a good one, I have fallen quite a bit but I am thankful for the gospel that lets me dust off my knees and start over. I am thankful for blogging (as weird as that sounds), so I can express my emotions and whenever I feel discouraged I can go back and read these things and it will be a constant reminder of why I should be happy. SO I am ending with this video that I just viewed, it is so perfect for reminding me of "what matters most"...hence the title ;)