Favorites of 2011.

Welcome to my wrap-up of 2011.  This year has been a year of discovery.  Maybe since I turned thirty, I was more open for change, more open to change up my "normal".  I found some new favorite things this year, and since I love it when people tell me about their favorite things...I thought I would tell you some of the things I discovered this year.

MUSIC:
There are very few albums that I like to listen to the entire thing, but this year, there were several.
(The release date might be earlier than this year, but I started listening to it in the last twelve months.)

1. Mumford and Sons- Sigh No More. Awesome album.  I listen to it a lot, however, one of the tracks "Little Lion Man", has the "f" word in it.  We can't find the clean version...any ideas?
2. One Republic-Waking Up.  This album came out awhile ago, but it is full of really great songs.
3. Adele- 21.  AWESOME.  I listen to "Someone Like You" on repeat.  I sing it as loudly as I can every time it comes on, which makes the boys laugh.  Good times.
4. Jenny Oaks Baker- Wish Upon a Star and The Best of Jenny Oaks Baker.  Jenny Oaks Baker is a fabulous violinist.  This music is relaxing, and when the boys are tired in the car, they ask to listen to it.  I saw her perform in person twice this year.  She is a lovely person, with incredible talent.  The Wish Upon a Star is a Disney themed album and one of my favorites is "A Whole New World" as a tango.  Fabulous.

BOOKS:
I love to read, but since I had classes this year, I didn't have a lot of time for reading.  As soon as I finished my classes in August, I started reading.  I have found new favorites:

1. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.  Seriously an awesome book.  It is long, but well worth it.  There are a lot of philosophical ideas -most I agreed with, some I did not.  Whether you agree with everything, it is a really thought provoking book.  Loved it.
2. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. 
3. Room by Emma Donoghue.  
4. Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
5. The Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich.  I saw a preview for the first book being turned into a movie (One for the Money), and I started reading the series.  It is about a bounty hunter from New Jersey.  Probably the funniest books I have ever read, I find myself laughing out loud- a lot.  Only negative- there is quite a bit of swearing. 

BEAUTY PRODUCTS:
When I walk into the make-up section of a store, I am overwhelmed by how many beauty products there are.  Here are some of the ones I found that work for me.

1. Erase Paste by Benefit (Sephora).  This is my very first concealer/under eye cream, and it is a dream.  I feel like I look younger as soon as I put it on.  (I put it on after I use my foundation/tinted moisturizer.)
2. Tinted Moisturizer.  Seriously, I had not used this until this year, and now I am in love.  I was using Laura Mercier (Sephora), but that was too expensive.  I found some at Target that fit my budget more, it is the Boots brand.  It has been working perfectly, and it is a fraction of the cost.
3. Luminizer.  This is a great product.  It makes my skin luminous.  I had no idea how to use this, but one of my friends showed me how.  I use High Beam by Benefit (Sephora), I got it as a sample, and am almost out.  I am going to try the Boots brand for this as well.  I have found if there is a product I want to know how to use, head to Sephora (or any make-up counter) and ask.
4. Coconut Oil.  My friends, it has changed my life.  I use it for EVERYTHING.  Moisturizer, eye make-up remover, lotion, anytime I need moisture, I use it.  I buy mine at Trader Joe's but you can buy it anywhere.  It is in a semi-solid state until it is warmed up.  I know it sounds weird to put oil on your face, but it really is amazing.  My skin has been fantastic since I started using it.  The real test will be using it in Utah's dry climate.

I would love to hear about any products, music, books, anything that you have fallen in love with this year, or ever really.  Go ahead, share the love.




What would a wrap-up post from me be without pictures?  Here are a few of my favorites from 2011.  


 Thomas:

Jack:

Ben and me:

Happy New Year!  May 2012 bring you happiness and adventure.

(At least until the world ends in December)

My New BFF's.

I have two new loves in my life; a treadmill and an Amazon Kindle.


They are both new, and I am still in the discovery stage, but they are both making me smile. The treadmill is a Sole F80. It is amazing, and everything we were looking for.We have wanted a treadmill for awhile, and Ben and I have been saving and searching. Since right now running outside isn't really an option, and we only have one car so joining a gym wouldn't work either, it was time to make the purchase. We needed one that could fold up, since we never know what kind of space we will have in our home. We also needed one that would be quiet because right now sound carries really well to every part of the house. We were also looking for a treadmill that would be sturdy when running. Well my friends, we found it. It is everything dreams are made of, and the best part is, we have actually used it. I am really hoping to find the body I had before I had a 10 lb baby. I am not sure that can happen, but it certainly can't hurt to run a few nights a week.

The Kindle is AMAZING. I have only had it since Saturday, but I have read a book on it, and so I feel qualified to give my opinion. I was hesitant to buy a Kindle because, first, I love the way books smell, I love to hold them, and turn the pages. Second, I love the way a book shelf looks with a lot of books on it. Third, I didn’t know if I could justify the cost. For me, I would have to buy enough books to make the initial cost of the Kindle worth it. Since, I was halfway to that number by March, I thought, what the heck? Mother's Day is a perfect opportunity to buy something I totally don't need, but want and so far, so good. I love the way the Kindle operates. There are so many neat features; my favorite is that you can download samples of books for free. It has actually stopped me from buying two books so far. It is really easy to buy books, but maybe a little too easy. There are so many books on my "I want to read this" list that this could become a really expensive little gadget. However, I love it, I can read it like a book, and I don't have to worry about losing my place if I don't have a bookmark. Another great feature is the built in dictionary. You can scroll through the words, and the definition appears on the bottom. Oh, I am in dictionary heaven. I do wish that it had a backlight, but it is certainly not a deal breaker. AND Amazon has several books for free. Yes, free. Mostly classics and romance novels. Nice.
Okay, this is a little long now. Emily Out.
P.S.  I would like to thank my little models.  Especially Jack.  I told him he needed to be gentle with the Kindle, and he did a perfect job.