toning it up and feeling good

my sister and i decided to really start eating better and working out on a consistent basis about two weeks ago. i know that doesn't seem like that long ago (it really isn't) but it's definitely made a huge difference in our lives. nat has already lost a good amount of weight since starting to work out a month ago, and i've already seen changes in myself too. it's fantastic. and i'm so proud and happy that my sister decided to do this on her own. i didn't have to force her or ask her. she just did it. which is so rad! if you're interested, we follow Karena & Katrina and try to live the Tone It Up lifestyle. i've had their nutrition plan for a few years now, but am just not really giving it my all. and i can already tell that it is so worth it.

i love when they have photobooths at weddings

isn't it the best when there is a photobooth at a wedding? i don't even care that natalie and i were not ready in that first photo. because i still love it so much.

we were supposed to go camping

so this past weekend was supposed to be spent at the san clemente campground (which i grew up camping at and was so looking forward to going back!). but unfortunately, that didn't happen. someone accidentally booked a handicap-only site, and well, none of us are handicapped so we weren't allowed to stay there. at least we realized this a few days before we were supposed to go to the site (thanks mom for asking what site we were on! otherwise, i probably would have killed someone haha). all of us girls still hung out that saturday and we actually went and had tea instead. from camping to a tea party. what opposites!

the place we went to is called seventh tea bar and is located in costa mesa (right next to portola coffee lab!). i had seen seventh tea bar a few weeks ago and had wanted to go so i was happy the girls wanted to go there. the place is rad! and the workers are super friendly and extremely helpful. i mean, we were pretty annoying because there were 6 of us girls all asking questions about tea and holding up the line. how embarrassing! but the staff didn't mind and answered all of our questions and we're really funny! i'll definitely be going back soon. oh, did i mention the tea and the food was really good at the tea bar? you have to go if you're in the area. after we had tea, we walked around soco. oh my goodness, i was in home-goods heaven! it was kind of like walking around ikea, but the really nice version of it. and the much richer version. hah! and i actually bought a few things for when i move out in a few months. score! 

me and jess. future roommate picture!!

we tried to end the night by going to a waffles + beer restaraunt but they didn't really have gluten free waffles. come on people, just because the batter is gluten free does not mean that you can cook it on all of the same stove tops and same waffle presses. it's not gluten free anymore! we did ask two of the servers before sitting down if they were cooked on different iron presses, and they both told us yes. after they took our order, the manager came over and told us that it was cooked on the same press. i don't like to be a pain, but we had already asked three times and no one gave us the correct answer. and we didn't want our friend to have to sit there hungry while we all enjoyed our waffles. so we left and got cheesecake factory instead. happy compromise. i plan on going back to the waffle place, but i really wish more people understood that some people are gluten free because they actually can't have gluten. not because they're trying to be healthier or get skinny. it's frustrating.

besides the waffle dilemma, we had a wonderful saturday. i loved hanging out with all of my girlfriends and am happy we still managed to have a good time despite us not going camping. maybe next year we'll get to go. hopefully!

hiked peter's canyon

i love hiking and being outdoors. going on a hike last week with natalie and jess was perfect. i think we need to make it our regular routine. especially when this trail is so close by and parking is free. plus, it's way better than studying.

PARKS AND REC

i can't believe i haven't written about this sooner. but, back in january we got frantic texts saying that amy poehler and adam scott would be filming scenes for parks and rec just a few minutes from our house at the orange circle. so me and all my friends who are obsessed ran down to the circle. as you can see, natalie and two of my friends got to meet adam scott while jessica and i were getting everyone waters -.- heather got to throw away her water outside of someone's trailer (the costume trailer most likely hah) and we watched amy and adam do a scene together for about thirty minutes. she even said hi to us! we're best friends now. so cool.

remember when

remember when i wore this headband to cover my bangs for two months? at least it was really cute! also, remember when the place we went to for melissa's birthday was fantastic! downtown fullerton, you are good. good food, good stores, great places for coffee and tea. just good. also, remember when cathee came to church with me and my sister? it made us very happy. especially when we got pieology afterwards.

someone take me back to pieology, please

kean coffee is amazing. pretty much anything with latte art is rad, but kean coffee is especially rad. pieology is fantastic (minus some of the staff, unfortunately). it's basically like a chipotle, but for pizza. i want to go back every weekend. i also wish i could hang out with emily and jess every weekend. well, pretty soon i will be with jess all the time since we'll be living together! eeek! so excited.

because...

going running with your friends and then laying around on your front lawn is way better than studying.

regenerate retreat

my sister and i have been going to a new church now for the past six months and it has been wonderful. natalie and i grew up with the pastor's wife (our families are like families) and it has been awesome to see how God is using her and brenen. back in january, we went on their college retreat up in lake arrowhead and had such a rad time. we even made friends (i'm still so proud of us!). we didn't spend a whole lot of time outside, but the weekend rocked. i hadn't been on a retreat in a while and it was nice to get away and just hang out with some good friends and spend some time with God. and the worship was phenomenal. i loved it!

 it was so great getting to hang out with people i grew up with! the photo above is of a group of us who grew up together and who's parents are still very close. it's so cool seeing us all grown up and those of us who have a relationship with the Lord. we are blessed! i can't wait to go on another retreat and to get to hang out with these long-time friends again (hopefully that happens before next year!). God is awesome!

sundays are for sister dates. v.3

sundays are for sister dates (plus friends!) at pieology, visiting our old pastor's new church for their new re-launch, having to go to chipotle since pieology lies about being gluten free, freaking out about the fact that delirium is going to be a tv series (how would they even do that?!), and then napping for as long as you can before you have to study for your cpa exam. again. (it still is no fun.)

heather's 22nd

heather's 22nd birthday was last month in january and we had a great night going to pf changs (so heather could eat some yummy gluten free food) and then seeing a band play at house of blues in downtown disney. happy late birthday heather! looking forward to going to washington with you this summer!!

i had to include an this blue picture of me, jessica, and nat in honor of tobias funke ;)