Farewell 2015

January

After ringing in the New Year with friends from church, I spent the first day of the year watching bowl games and had my first day in charge of the Pure Barre Boulder Instagram account. I went to my first CU basketball game of the year and cheered them on while they beat UCLA for the first time since joining the Pac-12. On the 3rd, we threw a going away party for my little brother who was joining the Army (and I made a second camouflage cake). The next day, we went out to dinner with Scott’s girlfriend’s family and said goodbye to him before he flew out for basic training. I spent some time watching the NFL play-offs, even though the Broncos played horribly in the second round against the Colts. I did my third three-day juice cleanse with some ladies at Pure Barre and it felt amazing to reset my body! I received some of the coolest oils I have: the 12 Oils in Ancient Scripture kit, which is made up of oils from the Bible and oils that Jesus used in his teaching and healings. My family went on a cross-country ski trip and I took my little sister and Maddi, Scott’s girlfriend, to Pure Barre. My mom and I drove to Salt Lake City so I could volunteer at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City for the second year. I worked at the Park City Library again and had such a blast. I didn’t see as many films as the year before, but I saw so many celebrities, which was incredible. When I got home, I had to take my kittens—Buddy, Jovie, and Susie—back to the humane society, where they almost immediately got adopted. I wrapped up January with my sister Cady when we went to see the final two episodes of season 4 of Game of Thrones in IMAX. That was so cool.

Favorite Post of the Month: Ten on Ten :: January 2015

February

Of course February kicked off, quite literally, with the Superbowl. I was less than excited about who was playing, but the Seahawks seemed like the lesser of two evils. I started a small group with some girls from church to discuss the workbook that my church published to go along with their first series of the year, Basic Training. Doing that was truly the highlight of my month. Valentine’s Day was pretty low key for me. My dad sent me a rose and a poem, I went to a Galentine’s Day party at Jump City with some girlfriends, and spent Valentine’s Day night at church and then hanging out with friends from church at my favorite cidery. The next day, my dad and step mom got a new puppy and named him Tango. Colorado got its dose of #snowpocalypse2015 and my dad turned 66. I hosted my 3^rd annual Oscars party and it was a blast! It has quickly become one of my favorite traditions. At Pure Barre Boulder, I took my 250^th class and was offered a new opportunity: to take over the studio’s newsletter! I started a 28 day teatox toward the end of the month and also completed my first month in my new 5 Year Journal, which I absolutely love! Just before the release of season 3, I jumped on the House of Cards bandwagon and truly binged the first two seasons, watching all 26 episodes in less than 5 days. On the last day of the month, I decided to get a drastic new hair cut.

Favorite Post of the Month: Sundance :: Days 1 thru 5

March

I jumped head first into March with some new goals, including starting a prayer journal and writing in it once a day. I kept up with House of Cards and finished season 3 quickly. I took my first 6:30AM class at Pure Barre and enjoyed it a whole heck of a lot more than I thought I would! On the first Saturday of the month, I headed up to Camp IdRaHaJe near Bailey, CO for a quick getaway (actually called The Getaway) with some other young adults from church. It ended up being just the 18 hours away that I needed and it was made even more meaningful that it was at the camp where I became a Christian 12 and a half years earlier. I finally got some letters from my little brother at Basic Training in South Carolina (dated in February) and I even splurged and bought myself a new purse that I’m still obsessed with. It was about time. March Madness, one of my favorite times of the sporting year kicked off and my family and I headed to the east coast for Scott’s graduation at Fort Jackson. It was so great to be able to spend a few days with him, see the base where he had lived for 10 weeks and drop him off at Fort Eustis in Virginia before heading back to Colorado. I took my second-ever class at Beat Cycle and helped Starbucks celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the frappuccino with the Birthday Cake Frapp (yum!) and began counting down to the Game of Thrones premiere. My sisters and I, with help from my nephew, celebrated my mom’s birthday with a delicious brunch. Most of my free time was spent catching up on television (what’s new?) and hanging out with friends!

Favorite Post of the Month: 3rd Annual Academy AwardsParty

April

I decided to start the She Reads Truth Bible in a Year reading plan on April 1^st and immediately got really into it. I went out dancing with some girl friends from church, which was an absolute blast, and celebrated Easter in the same weekend. I spent time with my sisters and missing my little brother, especially on his 20^th birthday, who was at Fort Eustis, Virginia. One weekend, I ran point at the Beauty and Balance Weekend at Pure Barre and it couldn’t have gone better. I put a lot of work into the event leading up to it and my bosses were in New York City teaching at the national event, so it was amazing to do a good job! I threw my third annual Game of Thrones viewing party, even bigger and better than ever before. I anxiously awaited the release of the NFL schedule, celebrated Earth Day by recycling and posting on Instagram, got sicker than I’ve been in a while, and took pictures for my little sister before her junior prom. I auditioned to be a teacher at Pure Barre, and while I didn’t get it, the owners said I surprised them with how well I did and encouraged me to audition again next time, which is more than I could have asked for! My dad decided to play hookie from work one day and take me and my sisters to Denver for brunch at our favorite place, Snooze, and a visit to the Denver Art Museum. It was such a great day and a great wrap on the month.

Favorite Post of the Month: Game of Thrones Season 5 Party

May

I had been looking forward to May 1^st for quite some time, because it meant the arrival of the 2015 spring women’s retreat at my church. I drove up with Tia and Cheryl and I came back a changed woman. It was one of the most incredible weekends of my life.  I skipped out on Cinco de Mayo celebrations, as per usual, but I did assist my dad in a jury trial that day. It was a pretty cool experience, helping to pick the jury, I gotta say. Colorado got hit with another weeklong rainstorm, which caused flooding in some places, but it wasn’t as bad as September 2013, probably because of the damage that still remains from that flood. My sisters and I took my mom to afternoon tea at the St. Julien hotel in Boulder and it was so much fun. Afternoon tea has become something of a Mother’s Day tradition for us and this was my favorite way to do it so far. On Mother’s Day, I had to work another special event at Pure Barre, but then my mom and I went to see Avengers 2: Age of Ultron and I wrapped up the day with a casual Game of Thrones watch party, as became the weekly tradition during season five.  I celebrated with some friends who had just graduated from CU and Colorado continued to be gloomy and rainy. My mom completed the remodel on my new bathroom so I was able to move into my new space. We kicked off summer with a big party at a hangar for Merge and I had a low-key Memorial Day, without any red, white, and blue, or burgers. I played laser tag again for the first time in about fifteen years and I got another haircut.

Favorite Post of the Month: 12 Months of Budgeting {No LookingBack}

June

I bought a Fitbit at the beginning of June and it immediately changed my life! Merge started the Summer Nights series and I attended a training to become a Merge leader. My sisters and I celebrated my oldest sister’s birthday at a new restaurant in town before I went out in downtown Denver to a speakeasy. I attended an open house at my brother-in-law’s fire department and got to see him in action for the first time. My cousin’s daughter had her first birthday party and I hung out with Ashley the last few times before she moved to Oregon for grad school. We went out for Tia’s birthday and I took my last Pure Barre class from my friend Jessica. My sisters and I headed down to the Denver go to brunch at Snooze at Union Station and then to visit my grandparents’ headstone at Fort Logan National Cemetery. I got to dogsit for a friend and spent the weekend hanging out with his dog Jordy. I got together with some friends to watch the Game of Thrones season 5 finale and wore my “House Stark” shirt for the occasion. On the 16^th, I picked up a new trio of foster kittens and named them Dandelion, Lil’ Boo, and Red in honor of the third season of Orange is the New Black. I also won a bet on the NBA Finals that day! A few days later, I accepted a new position at Pure Barre Boulder and started to make arrangements to go full time at the studio in early July. It was literally a dream come true! I hung out with Merge at a beautiful lake house for the weekly activity and then interviewed for a position as a Merge leader a few days later. We celebrated Father's Day with a BBQ at my dad's house, Skyping my little brother from Virginia, then I met up with a friend to celebrate her engagement and my new job! I ended the month dog sitting and preparing to wrap up my job with my dad's law office.

Favorite Post of the Month: Ten on Ten :: June 2015

July

I kicked off July with one major step: I started using colored pens in my planner! (That was seriously huge for me. Now I can't imagine going back.) I had my last day at my dad's office on July 2nd, when we celebrated with a big sushi lunch. I hung out with friends over the July 4th weekend and even took my 300th class are Pure Barre Boulder on July 4th. On the 7th, I had my first day as the full-time studio manager at Pure Barre Boulder and I could not have been happier! At the end of the week, my little brother came home for leave before shipping off to South Korea where he would be stationed for a year. We celebrated with lots of family activities, like BBQs, Rockies games, and ice cream! I took my OITNB kittens in for surgery, where two of them got adopted right away. I went on a rafting trip with Merge, where I rafted for the first time ever and also got a horrible sunburn from wearing capris in the raft. (A tan line I still have to this day!) I got Lil' Boo back for a little while so she could recover from a cold and my cousin and her daughter came to visit. "Why y'all got cats?" Kenzie wanted to know! I enjoyed my Mondays off by hanging out with friends and getting outside to explore Colorado. I dogsat again and I went down to Colorado Springs to go to brunch at the world famous Broadmoor Hotel with my dad, step mom, and sister. I even got my guy friends to go to Pure Barre with me, even though I got a speeding ticket on the way there.

Favorite Post of the Month: 300 Classes, 2 Years, & 1 New Job

August

I kicked off the month by babysitting overnight so their mom could do the Boulder Ironman. I went to the Boulder County Fair, which is always in town around my birthday. I did SUP Yoga on the Boulder Reservoir and had an absolute blast, despite falling in. I baked cupcakes with my sister for a wedding I was going to and then headed up to Grand Lake for my birthday weekend and the wedding. I got to hang out with my mom and sister all weekend and celebrate two of my friends and their beautiful love and my 25th birthday. (Plus I made amazing pumpkin spice cupcakes!) I hung out with friends, taking advantage of all the amazing patios and rooftops Colorado summers have to offer. My sister and I celebrated our birthdays with the family at The Med, a Boulder staple that I had never been to before. We had our first--and apparently only--book club meeting where we discussed Fight Club. I had my first (of three) fantasy football drafts and started a new side job picking up kids from school two days a week. Merge kicked off for the new semester and I got to continue volunteering as a leader. At the end of the month, I had to interview a handful of girls for front desk positions at work, which was an awesome experience, especially since I did all of it myself! I got to practice Pure Barre's new Platform class with some of the teachers after hours, which was awesome to get a sneak peek and one-on-one classes at the same time. We had another Bring on the Men class at the studio and I planned for a big month of September at work. I ended the month with my apparently annual pedicure and a date with my mom to see The Book of Mormon, which did not disappoint!

Favorite Post of the Month: Grand Lake in August
{Which I actually published in December.}

September

It was a busy month at work. I was still in the midst of interviewing and training for the front desk openings, we did our annual Bingo challenge, and we were one of the few test studios to launch Pure Barre Platform early. I had my second fantasy football draft, where I actually went to a draft party, ate pizza, drank beer, and participated in my first-ever auction draft. I'm pretty sure that makes me "one of the guys". On Labor Day, I voluntarily woke up with the sun to try Orange Theory for the first time before work. After work, I dragged my friend to brunch since she dragged me to Orange Theory. We decided to give up sugar starting that day. We figured the 7th was perfect since I had started my job on July 7th (and started tracking my food and exercise more closely) and she was getting married on November 7th. I watched the NFL kick off with the kiddos I was babysitting, then got to go to the first CU game of the season two days later. We had our staff BBQ that afternoon, which is always a blast to get together with people outside of the studio. In September I just worked a lot and watched a lot of football. I did SUP Yoga for the last time of the season at night on Union Reservoir, which was actually pretty chilly. Over the first day of fall, I spent three days in Telluride by myself. I actually love traveling by myself. It would have been nice to split the driving with someone since it's an 8+ hour drive, but all the fall colors and the beautiful town itself made it all worth it. On my way home, I almost died a few times when I accidentally went over Ophir Pass to see the Million Dollar Highway. September ended with our first-ever Tuck in the Dark class at Pure Barre where we illuminated the studio with black lights and wore glow sticks during class. It was so much fun!

Favorite Post of the Month: Telluride in September
{Which I actually published in December.} 

October

It's always good when someone in the family has a birthday, because that usually means Snooze! We went to Snooze to celebrate Sam's 18th birthday, then I went to the CU-Oregon game with my dad, my sister, and my brother-in-law. Interestingly enough, I lost my driver's license that night, October 3rd. The only other time I had lost it was on October 3rd the previous year when I went to a Vanilla Ice concert at The Grizzly Rose. I picked up new kittens from the humane society and named them Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde. I started playing trivia again, this time with some friends from church, but it was good to be able to put all my useless knowledge to use again! I got to see Bernie Sanders speak at CU, marking the first time I had ever seen a politician speak, even though I had opportunities to hear both Barack and Michelle Obama. We said "See You Later" to my cousin and her little family as they joined the other half of my extended family in the Pacific Northwest, chalking up one more reason to visit Seattle and Portland, as if there weren't enough already! I spent a Sunday morning in Breckenridge with Sam and her boyfriend Walker, once again seeing the beautiful fall colors and exploring one of Colorado's many mountain towns. My friend JP finally paid off our NBA Finals bet by treating me to a sushi dinner in Downtown Denver. It was definitely worth the wait! I looked back on some 2014 family photos to realize that exactly 1 year before, my mom had insisted I wear a Pure Barre tank in our sibling picture to signify our passions and interests. It was crazy to think that a year later I would be working for the studio full time and loving Pure Barre more than ever! And speaking of Pure Barre (because do I ever speak of anything else?), I got more guy friends to join me in class, which is always a blast. We had a Merge Community Night at Anderson Farms where we had a bonfire, drank hot chocolate, raced pedal carts, and failed at the corn maze. The studio had Pink Week in honor of breast cancer awareness. I boycotted Halloween, as usual, but kinda sorta dressed up as Adele for the Merge costume contest. (And obviously didn't win.)

Favorite Post of the Month: Breckenridge in October
{Which I actually published in December.}

November

November 2015 will go down as the month I spent with celebrities! But let's start at the beginning. I had the opportunity to do some consulting for another fitness studio in town and just talk to them about what my role was and how they could incorporate that into their business. That was pretty cool. During the first weekend of the month, I went on the second Merge Getaway, this time to "beautiful" Como, Colorado. While it wasn't quite the experience I was looking for, I had the opportunity to meet new people and get to know old friends even better. I wouldn't trade that for the world! The following weekend, I headed to LA with my family. I was beyond excited to visit the city for the first time and to attend the wedding of a family friend! We did some sightseeing that Saturday, hitting up the Hollywood Sign, Rodeo Drive, In-N-Out, Santa Monica Pier, and the Urban Lights at LACMA. The next day, we attended the beautiful wedding. Also in attendance was the cast of iCarly. But even without some celebrity spottings, it was one of the most beautiful and magical (as in Lord of the Rings magical!) weddings I've ever attended. The next day, one of my friends sent me a link to a People.com article covering the wedding, which used my Instagram photo. My Instagram totally blew up. It was crazy and overwhelming! We had a turkey drive with Merge, where maybe 100 young adults (18 to 26) bought 230 turkeys to donate to Sister Carmen for Thanksgiving. Incredible! I went down to Colorado Springs with some friends for Friendsgiving, which was of course a blast! We had a Merge leader Thanksgiving dinner, which included tears of laughter and delicious food. And since I had to work (which included an amazing staff Platform class taught by Platform Queen Herself, Mish), I had a Thanksgiving feast with more friends. We spent the rest of the day watching football, like you're supposed to do. I did some light Black Friday shopping...I can't help it, I work on a mall. On the first Sunday of Advent, I even started decorating for Christmas. November 29th might be a record. I watched the Broncos hand the Patriots their first loss of the season with some friends. The next night, I attended Wesley Woodyard's 6th Annual Toy Drive for his 16 Ways Foundation. I got to meet Brandon Marshall and Demariyus Thomas, along with some other Broncos--past and present. It was so awesome! We got to tour the Downtown Aquarium without anyone else there and I ended up winning Broncos tickets from the silent auction. All while helping kids in the area!

Favorite Post of the Month: Los Angeles in November
{Which I actually published in December.}

December

We got our Christmas tree on December 1st, which I know is another record. Even if it wasn't up in the house or decorated for another few days. The next day, I broke my glasses first thing in the morning and had to wear my glasses without one earpiece for over a week. Thankfully they stayed on my face without it and were even straight! I set up my third annual hot chocolate bar to relax after a crazy day at work and decorated the Pure Barre lobby for the holidays. We had our staff holiday party at the studio early in the month. We all wore pajamas (or even onesies) and watch Magic Mike XXL and exchanged white elephant gifts. It was so much fun...even the clean up wasn't half bad! The next day, I went to Snooze for brunch and attended the Denver Parade of Lights that night, just like  I did the first Saturday in December 2014. The next day, we decorated up our Christmas tree and watch the Broncos game. On December 10th, my sister Rachel got pinned for nursing school. The following Saturday, she graduated from Regis after completing a less-than-one-year accelerated program. So proud of her! Pure Barre Boulder celebrated our five year anniversary with a three day celebration. I went to my third-ever Broncos game after winning tickets at the silent auction in November, so I took Rachel. We had a blast! The Merge leaders had their annual Christmas party which included all-you-can-eat Italian food, ridiculous white elephant gifts, cozy hoodies, and wonderful people. I went to a paint-you-own-pottery place with some friends, which will hopefully be the beginning of a new tradition. We shut the place down and laughed till our cheeks hurt. I celebrated people I love graduating and went to the Christmas Eve service almost a week before Christmas Eve. My stepmom, little sister, and I had our annual afternoon of frosting cookies before I went over to my grandparents for a Christmas party and the Broncos game. My little brother came home for Christmas, which was absolutely wonderful and made our traditional Christmas Eve even better. I got to spend lots of quality family time over Christmas and managed to squeeze in watching the previous six Star Wars movies. 2015 closed out with a bitterly cold week, some slow days at work, and lots of great times with friends and family.

Favorite Post of the Month: Ten on Ten :: December 2015

Christmas 2015 via Instagram

Black Friday, Christmas-style // Starting to decorate // 6th Annual 16 Ways Foundation Toy Drive

Christmas tree shopping on December 1st // Hot chocolate bar // Decking the halls at Pure Barre

Pajamas with Pam // Pure Barre holiday party // Denver Parade of Lights

The halls are decked // Hurley's Christmas sweater // Melting snowman cookies

Ugly sweaters with my bros // More from the photo booth // Love these ladies

 Gingerbread mug topper // Merge Leader Christmas Party // Presents!

Holiday craft night // Relax o'clock // Silent Night, Holy Night

 Cookie stockings for the whole family // 2014's Christmas kittens // Christmas Eve tradition

The kids' table // Our stocking cookies // "Did we just become best friends?" // Scott's home!

Seesters // "Did we just become best friends?" // Christmas morning

 Snuggles with Hurley in my onesie // White Christmas! // Five days of Christmas sweaters

Farewell 2014

After a very low key New Years Eve, I had a low key first day of January. I also decided to capture 2014 with a photo a day. The next day, I had to return Holmes and Watson back to the Humane Society to find their forever home. Later that week, Christian and I met Rachel and Travis down in Cabo San Lucas and had a great, relaxing week. When we got back, I did a three day cleanse and loved it. I had an incredible opportunity to volunteer at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah in January, so my mom and I took a little road trip to Salt Lake City. I was able to stay with my friend Julie and I volunteered at the Park City Library and had a great experience! I can't wait for next year! I met Christian in the mountains after my time in Utah for a weekend getaway that included date "night" at Devil's Thumb. We had a great time cross country skiing and Christian did great for his first time. At the end of the month, I bought a juicer and started making lots of yummy juice.

Favorite post of the month: Cabo San Lucas in Pictures

February started off with my aunt's surprise party. I just love surprise parties! The next day was Superbowl Sunday and of course that was a huge bummer for us Coloradans. Christian and I didn't have a typical Valentine's Day, but instead celebrated over a couple of days. We went to the couple's class at Pure Barre the day before then out to dinner for February Date Night. I had participated in another Cara Box Exchange and got a great box! I started selling some clothes on an second Instagram account and it was a decent success. (You can still shop my closet.) I got back into babysitting after a long break and offered up some advice for parents and babysitters. February wasn't the most exciting month and I didn't have a lot of events or notable experiences, but I did use my juicer a lot and tried to eat healthy and worked out a lot, especially toward the end of the month.

Favorite post of the month: Pickwick & Weller

I was looking forward to March because that meant my second challenge at Pure Barre, this time it was 21 classes in 31 days. (And yes, it snowed like crazy on March 1st.)  We kicked off March with our second annual Oscar's party and it was a huge success! The food was great and we had like triple the turnout from the year before. I spent a lot of the month exercising (spinning or walking when I wasn't at Pure Barre) and hanging out with friends. I celebrated four years of blogging (although I originally for got my blogiversary on the 9th).  On the 14th, exactly 8 months after my first class at Pure Barre Boulder, I took my 100th class. It was such an accomplishment! Christian and I had our monthly date night and hung out on Pearl Street, eating at a great restaurant and making a few more fun stops. Of course no March is complete without Irish Carbomb Cupcakes for St. Patricks Day.  March Madness kicked off and of course I filled out a few brackets--okay, four.  While most people tossed theirs when Dayton and Mercer pulled major upsets, I was actually on roll getting 15/16 correct picks (thanks a lot CU) on the first day. Of course it was all downhill from there.  We celebrated my mom's birthday toward the end of the month and the beginning of baseball season, as well.

Favorite post of the month: 100 Classes Later

 April kicked off with a bought of spring snow on a day I went to Denver for a seminar for work. Fun times. I made homemade macarons twice in April, once for fun and once for Easter. Christian and I hosted a viewing party for the return of our favorite show, Game of Thrones and it was a blast! Everyone brought themed food and it was delicious and the premiere did not disappoint. Compared to last April, it truly felt like spring. It was warm enough to sit outside and watch Rachel play soccer and made me want to buy fresh flowers, although that's not a something I can afford to make into a habit. April's date "night" turned out to be low key: breakfast and a hike not too far from home. (That's what I love about Colorado.) Easter Sunday was spent at church and having lunch with my family, just how Easter Sunday should be spent. Before the month was over, I picked up a litter of four kittens to foster and I was offered a position working the front desk at Pure Barre! On the last day of the month, after more than a year and a half of being together, Christian and I mutually decided to call it quits on our relationship and work on our friendship instead.
  
Favorite post of the month: Game of Thrones Season 4 Premiere Party

I started May by visiting an old friend in Fort Collins for dinner and celebrating my cousin's baby on board. Nothing like dinner on a patio or mimosas in the morning! I got my spring Cara Box from Ali and loved all the Pasadena/LA goodies! For once, I celebrated Cinco de Mayo in style with some margaritas at the famous Rio in Boulder. We did Mother's Day a day early by going to high tea with my mom and sisters. It was so much fun getting all dressed up for tea! The following day, we got a huge cold front that lasted a few days and it even snowed. Yes, on May 11th. My sweet kittens were doing so well and all of Hawthorne's eating paid off when he weighed in just 1/2 an ounce short of 2 pounds. They were all able to get fixed and get on the adoption floor just in time for the Humane Society's "kitten shower". My friend Stephy's son turned one and the party was a success. She asked me to make the smash cake, so I got to use my Kitchen Aid mixer for the first time. Over Memorial Day Weekend, I picked up two new foster kittens, Argon and Neon. Argon was born with a clubbed foot, but it's like he doesn't even notice. On Memorial Day, I went to Folsom Field to watch the 36th Annual Bolder Boulder. I ended up not running, but it was fun sitting in the stands and watching everyone finish and the ceremony afterward. We spent the rest of the day at the Boulder Creek Festival. I spent the rest of the week enjoying perfect weather and setting some goals for the summer. I also decided to create a budget for the first time in my life and to give it a trial run in June.

Favorite post of the month: Ten on Ten :: May 2014 

June was the first full month of my budget, even though I started May 29th. It actually went really well and I spent a fraction of what I had been spending previous months. Stephy convinced me to take a personal day at work (okay, I didn't need much convincing) and spend the day in Estes Park. We went for a short walk around Bear Lake, had a picnic lunch, and stopped for the most amazing cookies in the world on the way home. I spent time doing typical summer activities: the farmer's market on Saturday, brunching on Sunday. What's better than that? I also decided to purchase Tiny Tea and do a 28-day teatox. I noticed a difference almost immediately! My friend took me to visit her horse out in Johnstown and I rode a horse for the first time in YEARS. Sadly, there was no big Game of Thrones finale party like the premiere a few months earlier, but I did get nearly 500 likes on one picture on Instagram about it. Sorry, I had to just throw that in there! I was in shock! Toward the end of the month, I took my 150th class at Pure Barre Boulder. I got hit with FIFA Fever with the USA's success (with an asterisk, I guess) and I named my newest litter of foster kittens after the guys who scored for USA in the first three games: Brooks, Dempsey, and Jones. They were the smallest kittens I've ever had and even though Jones was a bit standoffish at the beginning, he came around. I was invited to my first-ever gender reveal party and found out my friend and coworker is having a baby boy come November. I also did a three day juice cleanse on the last weekend of the month, this time with Suja.

Favorite post of the month: Bear Lake Adventures

July seemed to come a little early this year. I couldn't believe how quickly the year was going! Casey and I went on our first date and it was enough to do the trick. I probably had one of the best 4th's of my life. I made an American flag cake for the second year in a row (after one failed attempt on the 3rd). I went to the Rockies game with some friends and even though the Dodgers won 9-0, the fireworks were amazing and I want to make it a 4th of July tradition! On the 10th, I celebrated four years of participating in Ten on Ten! (Boy, have I come a long way!) I also went with my mom, sister, and nephew to see Peter Sagal and Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me live at Red Rocks. It was amazing. The show was great, the weather was perfect, and the venue was--of course--breathtaking. I got my little sister to try Pure Barre for the first time and she loved it. (Though I have yet to take someone to class that didn't at least like it a little bit!) A few days later, I celebrated my one year anniversary at Pure Barre Boulder with my 159th class and then a Pure Barre BBQ later that weekend. For the last week in July, I went to New York City to visit my friend Krista. I did all the necessary tourist things (30 Rock, Central Park, the Met, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and more!) and had a blast on my trip! She had to work a lot while I was there, but I actually really enjoyed exploring on my own!

Favorite post of the month: 4th of July

August started with my readjustment back to work, MST, and the mountains. (I missed the big city!) I took my kittens back to the humane society a few days after I got back, but I later got an email that after 10 days on the adoption floor, Brooks and Jones had been adopted and Dempsey had come down with a cold. I ended up taking Dempsey back for a short-term foster so he could get better at a home. I spent my 24th birthday in the mountains with my friend Stephy. It was the perfect little getaway and just what I needed! I had a family dinner to celebrate the next day. A few days later, news of Robin Williams' death spread and I actually took it pretty hard. The next day, I visited the house used for exterior shots in Mork & Mindy, located in Boulder. It was incredible to see the outpouring of mourners and how they were choosing to heal after the loss of a great entertainer. That weekend, I got the haircut I had been looking forward to for at least a month. I went a few inches shorter and even got bangs for the first time in about six years! I finally got back into a routine with going to church and it was just what I needed. I went to Nederland to hike and enjoy beautiful Colorado, then tried Cherry Cricket for the first time ever (and it did not disappoint). I went to my second Rockies game of the summer and they actually won this time. I also visited the brand new rooftop and had a Rio margarita, which is not to be missed. Dempsey went back to the humane society after two weeks and quickly found his new family. College football returned with a disappointing loss to Colorado State at the Rocky Mountain Showdown. My little sister and I went down to Colorado Springs the next day to see an Air Force game.

Favorite post of the month: Live in Peace 

My September started with a very low key Labor Day and the beginning of Pure Barre Bingo (which I ultimately did not black out). I decided to bite the bullet and finally play fantasy football, which was exciting and all-consuming. I ended the month with a 3-1 record, so not too shabby! We celebrated my brother-in-law's 30th birthday and later watched my little brother get sworn into the Army. I returned to Folsom Field for the home opener against ASU, which was actually a heartbreaking loss since we didn't play too bad. Unfortunately, that tapped me out for CU games that month though. I enjoyed another blate with some ladies in Denver and helped some Pure Barre besties celebrate their birthdays in Boulder. I took my 200th class at Pure Barre Boulder and tried Beat Cycle for the first time, which was so similar to Soul Cycle, I instantly fell in love! I had another blate when Caitlin came to Denver for Pure Barre training. I also started going to Merge at my church, a sort of youth group for young adults. It's become a part of my weekly routine and I'm loving it. Summer turned to fall and I got to visit Rocky Mountain National Park and Grand Lake (my favorite place in the world--so far) and see the beautiful yellow and orange aspen trees. It was the best day. We ended the month with family photos for the first time in years and Colorado's temperatures finally dropped to feel a bit more like the new season.

Favorite post of the month: Four Months of Budgeting

October started with yet another trip to the mountains for a wonderful girls' day with my friend Stephy and her kiddos. By the end of the week, my little sister turned 17. I still remember the day she was born! How was that 17 years ago? Rachel and I headed to our church's newest campus for a women's retreat for the weekend. It was such an awesome two days and I even got to see Vanilla Ice in concert in between (which was anything but awesome). It seemed like Colorado forgot that it was fall since it was in the 70's or 80's the majority of the month, but I still celebrated the change of seasons with pumpkin everything from Trader Joe's. (Thank God it came to Colorado in February!) I tried on some new glasses from Warby Parker and picked out my newest frames since I was long due for a change. I added to my flannel collection and tried a new sushi burrito place in Boulder. Yes, that's a thing now. Casey and I had an awesome date night in Denver and the following night, I saw Anberlin live for the fourth and final time when their farewell tour came through the Mile High City. I got another litter of foster kittens: Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin and I got accepted to volunteer at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. We had a great Pink Week at Pure Barre Boulder and we took family pictures with my mom's side of the family for the first time since I was probably five. I had the opportunity to go to Thursday Night Football and see the Broncos play the Chargers and it was the most fun! With the weather as nice as it was (80* at the end of October!), I went back to Rocky Mountain National Park for the day when Casey had two friends visiting. Later that night, I went to a Humans vs. Zombies lock-in at the CU Engineering Center and had the most fun! The next day, I went to my second game at Folsom Field of the season and it was a heartbreaking double overtime loss to UCLA for homecoming, but it was fun nevertheless. My new glasses came and I instantly fell it love. It was time for an upgrade. I also decided to upgrade my phone and go from a Galaxy S3 to an iPhone 6, which arrived on the 31st. Casey and some other Pure Barre boyfriends were coerced into taking class the last Tuesday of the month and it turns out they didn't hate it as much as they thought they would. It's always nice to share something important with an important person, though. I celebrated Halloween with breakfast for dinner and going trick-or-treating with Stephy and her family. It was a lot of fun to see Halloween through a 3 year old's eyes.

Favorite post of the month: Retreat to RMNP

I kicked off November with yet another CU game and yet another heartbreaking defeat. After the game, my mom, my sister, Casey, and I went to Denver to see Frankenstein with Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch. It was amazing! Although I didn't actually vote on the 4th (thanks, mail in ballots!) I followed Election Day closely. Knowing and caring about politics is kinda fun and it's absolutely empowering. It didn't take long (actually, like 30 minutes) for the weather to go from abnormally warm to bitterly cold and we got our first snow of the season. My Premium Starter Kit from Young Living arrived and I was absolutely thrilled to start using essential oils in my every day life! My family went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Pepsi Center for an early Christmas concert. They rocked it! A few days later, Casey and I realized that we just had too many differences to overcome and called it quits. My brother-in-law Travis graduated from fire academy and I couldn't have been happier or more proud for him! He's been chasing this dream for years now! I beat my first sore throat of the season with my new essential oils, solidifying what a great decision to invest it was. My high school won their semi-final play-off game at home and headed to the State Championship for the first time in five years. (I graduated high school seven football seasons ago.) I got the sad news that my dad and step mom decided to put their dog Toby down. He was 13 years old and lived a good life, but it was time. The Sunday before Thanksgiving, my mom hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for her side of the family since we weren't eating together on Thursday. I paid off my car in November, which was extremely exciting! I also sat 2nd row at a Nuggets game against the Bulls which was the most incredible experience. On the way out, we saw Demaryius Thomas and Andre Caldwell of the Denver Broncos. It was awesome. For Thanksgiving, I attempted my first-ever apple pie and we ate at my aunt and uncle's house. It was a lot of fun, as usual! That Saturday, my high school got embarrassed at the State Championship and CU couldn't hold on to beat Utah, meaning they went winless in their conference for the first time since 1898. What a bummer!

Favorite post of the month: 30 Day Spending Freeze - A Budget Update

December was hands down the busiest month of the year for me! I kicked it off with a craft night with my dear friend Stephy (where I made deer heads!) and of course we watched Love Actually. December also brought on a new Pure Barre challenge, this time nationwide (take 15 classes in 31 days), which was just the motivation I needed to get back into it.  I went to the choir and orchestra holiday concert at CU, which was incredible. I want to make it a new yearly tradition! The next night, I headed downtown with some girls from church to watch the Denver Parade of Lights. It was so much fun and we got to watch from a sixth story window so we could stay warm and sip champagne! (Again, a new yearly tradition, please!) We got our Christmas tree on the 7th and I slowly started to decorate over the next week. It was fun being totally in charge of the Christmas decorations this year! I went to Zoo Lights at the Denver Zoo for the first time and we had a blast. We were lucky that it was fairly warm for December, so it was actually enjoyable. The next night, the young adult ministries at my church threw an ugly sweater party and I got to make my melting snowman cookies for the third year in a row. We had our Christmas party at Pure Barre, which consisted of manicures, sushi, champagne, and a classy white elephant exchange. It was a lot of fun and I'm lucky to be a part of such an amazing team. The next day, Pure Barre Boulder celebrated its four year anniversary! My family did a Thanksgiving do-over since my aunt had been sick on Thanksgiving, so for the third time this year, I got to eat turkey and potatoes and bread! Yum! The following Wednesday, I picked up a new litter of foster kittens: Buddy, Jovie, and Susie (name for Elf). They are so tiny and so sweet! I got some time to wrap gifts and almost avoided malls and shopping areas altogether, but not completely. My church did the Christmas Eve service the weekend before Christmas, but it was as magical as always. For my other work Christmas party, my dad and I went out to sushi and it was delicious! Some family friends were in town for the holidays, so we had a chili dinner and game night. It was a blast, as always. The next night, on Christmas Eve, we got together at my dad's house for our traditional appetizer spread and Ivory Elephant gift exchange. Christmas was low-key, but quite enoyable with my mom's side of the family. And we got a White Christmas! The next day, my mom and I went to see Into the Woods and then spent the rest of the day hanging out at home with the kittens (with Star Wars and lots of snow). The year closed out with lots of snow and frigid temperatures below 0.

Favorite post of the month: Ten on Ten :: December 2014