GORJANA

My 2007 MacBook reached full capacity this week, so unfortunately editing photos or doing anything too crazy with my computer (like opening applications) is out of the question. While I wait for my Genius Bar appointment, I thought I'd write a few words about my new favorite jewelry company.

Gorjana jewelry is a little bit edgy, well-made, and not too expensive. It's featured on Gilt once a month or so, and it's also on sale here for the next few days. I'd definitely recommend searching around the Internets for a deal before paying full price. This isn't a paid advertisement or anything, just a cool find I thought I'd pass along. Happy shopping!

BULLDOG BABYSITTING

Daisy had surgery on her eye and mouth Thursday, which meant that Matt and I had to spend the next three days watching her like a hawk to make sure that she didn't rip out her stitches. It was a long weekend with the three of us cooped up in our little condo, and I think we're all glad that Monday is finally here!

SPRING BREAK OFF THE BEATEN PATH

The perfect spring break trip only requires two things - sun and sand. You can get your party on in Cancun or Las Vegas...or you can try something a little more adventurous.

Hike the Na Pali Coast


If you're ready for 11 miles of breathtaking scenery that can only be accessed by a tiny trail, you might want to hike Kauai's Na Pali coast. You can do the two-mile day hike or apply for a camping permit and try to see the entire stretch.

We wanted to do the day hike when we were in Kauai, but it was too rainy and my arm was in a sling - not a good combination on a slippery trail. At least we were able to get some good pictures of the coastline from our catamaran trip. My lovely friend Miaken is headed here in March and I can't wait to hear her review.

See Exotic Animals at Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

This gorgeous stretch of coastline is listed by Forbes as one of the most beautiful national parks in the world, but there's way more to see here than beaches. Manuel Antonio is home to animals that you usually only see in a zoo, including red crabs, frogs, sloths, and howler monkeys. We spotted an entire family of monkeys in the trees outside our hostel. Costa Rica is awesome in general, but this was by far my favorite stop on our trip (which I went on with Miaken, the same friend who is headed to Kauai. The girl is a world traveler!).

A few more ideas that I'd love to try....

Swim in the crystal blue waters of Havasupai Falls

Watch the sunset in Big Sur

Soak up some Vitamin D in Santorini.

If you're planning a spring break trip that will take you off the beaten path, tell me about it! We're staycationing for the next few months while Matt saves up some PTO at his new job, so I'll have to live vicariously through all of you.

MEET DAISY

Age - 4-ish
Likes - Sleeping, eating, playing in the water, chewing up cardboard boxes and rolling in the snow.
Dislikes - The vacuum cleaner, diets, wearing costumes.
Matt found Daisy on KSL in April. Her owners were selling her because they were moving to Phoenix, where it's way too hot for English Bulldogs. Her arrival was a surprise to say the least. One night, I came home from the gym to find Matt, my friend Kim, and a dog with a giant pink bow around her neck sitting in my front room.
At first, neither of us was too sure how we felt about each other. Bulldogs drool and shed a lot, and I was a little freaked out by the constant layer of hair that covered every surface in my house. Luckily, I grew to tolerate her, then like her, then love her, then obsessively love her like she was my own little fur baby. Now I've become the kind of person who buys her dog a lifejacket and sprinkles special vitamin supplements on her food every day. (Sometimes I worry that I'm just a Busy Bee and a set of adult braces away from this.)
In my own defense, Daisy is pretty awesome. She's never eaten shoes or furniture and is content to sleep the day away until we get home to hang out. Plus, she's adorable.
Daisy has to have a little surgery on Thursday and will be stuck in the cone of shame for a few weeks, so wish her luck and stay tuned for lots more bulldog pics!

PRESIDENTS' DAY

I love a three-day weekend! We spent the Saturday enjoying a 40-degree ski day at The Canyons, and we also watched about a dozen episodes of this. We're addicted.

KATE SPADE SATURDAY

Kate Spade Saturday previewed on Fab today...good news for all of us Kate Spade lovers on budgets! Even though this was just a glimpse of the collection, I definitely spotted some cute things.  Can't wait for the full reveal next month!

Shirt
Necklace
Notebooks

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”
― A.A. Milne

Happy Valentine's Day everybody! I am so lucky that I get to spend it with this wonderful guy. He is truly the best husband ever. I hope that your day includes a little romance and a whole lot of Valentine's Day candy!

ROMANTIC TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

Photo taken in Almalfi, Italy

What's the most romantic place you've ever been to? Mine is Italy's Amalfi Coast. Beautiful seaside villages, dining al fresco, and ancient cobblestone courtyards - la dolce vita at its finest. I visited with a friend a few years ago (and we had a blast) but I definitely want to bring my husband back there someday.

You can check out some of the world's most romantic destinations here and here. (I was excited to see that Kauai, our honeymoon destination,  made one of the lists.) It might be too late for Valentine's Day, but there's always 2014, right?

SUNDANCE

After several years of wanting to go up to the Sundance Film Festival, we finally made the trip. It seems like every other year, we've been busy planning a wedding or moving into a new apartment. It was so nice to get out of the cold weather in Salt Lake and see a little sunshine!  Embarrassing fact - we are dedicated The Bachelor/Bachelorette watchers. How could we pass up a photo with Jef Holm from Emily's season? To his credit, he was super nice and took a photo with us and everyone else who spotted him on Main Street. EMILY, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? We got tickets to two Sundance documentaries. Our favorite was Linsanity, the story of NBA breakout star Jeremy Lin. Jeremy himself even made a surprise appearance after the documentary was over. He was incredibly sweet and humble and might just be my new favorite NBA player. (Sorry Dwight Howard!)

BUDGET TRAVEL TIPS FROM LIFEHACKER

Dana and I consult our trusty guidebook while navigating the streets of Seville, 2011.

If you're a nerd like me, you may already know about the website Lifehacker. If not, check it out. They have all kinds of tips on how to improve your life, and this week, they had a great article on budget travel.

I especially like the ideas on how to eliminate bank fees. I paid a small fortune every time I had to use an ATM in Europe last year, and I definitely wish I would have known about these (or just brought a ton of cash to exchange.) I also agree wholeheartedly about the credit card idea. Matt and I put as many expenses as we can on our American Express Delta cards. We ended up paying only about $350 for our flights to Oahu this year.

BASICALLY THE BEST PANTS EVER

If you are in the market for some new pants (or if you just like a good deal) I suggest you head over to Urban Outfitters today. All of their BDG jeans are on sale for a mere $39. This means that you can buy about four pair for the price of one pair of Paige or J Brand.

My friend Janelle introduced me to these a few years ago, and I've bought nothing else since. They fit perfectly and are slow to fade in the wash. I prefer the high-rise style because they are like denim Spanx and contain any hint of a muffin top.

VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT IDEAS

I am all about giving experiences rather than things. I've learned this the hard way - I recently returned a shirt that I gave my husband on our anniversary....which is in May. (I found it in the back of his closet, still in its original bag with the tags attached.) We've basically come to the conclusion that instead of trying to buy one another gifts, we're just going to go out and do something fun together that we might not usually try. No wasted money, no awkward, "Oh, I really like it. I promise..."

If you're wondering what to do this Valentine's Day, here are a few ideas that might save you a stressful trip to the mall.

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Call your significant other's mom and ask for the recipe for their favorite childhood meal. Cook it for them and rent their favorite movies to watch after. I did this for Matt (Hawaiian haystacks) and it was a huge hit.

Plan a snow picnic. Rent snowshoes, pack a lunch, and hike into the woods.

Go sledding, then come home and make fondue.

Plan a sick day together. Call in sick, cuddle up under blankets, eat soup, and watch movies all day long.

Take a puppy on a "test drive". Go to a pet store, pretend like you're seriously considering getting a dog, and ask the employees to take out the puppies so that you can play with them. It sounds dumb, but this is how we used to get our puppy fix before we could have a dog.

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Recreate your first date. Wear the outfits that you were wearing that night and go to the same restaurant. For me, this would be bootcut jeans, an off-the-shoulder Abercrombie sweater, and a date to Olive Garden. Fancy.

Schedule an activity that you normally wouldn't do. Go horseback riding, take a cooking class, sign up for a rock climbing course, have a ski day. Online coupon programs like Groupon and LivingSocial are a great way to try fun activities at budget prices.

Make something together. Get canvases and create abstract art. Go to a ceramics painting shop and paint cereal bowls or coffee mugs for each other.

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Go all out on a "Bachelor"-style romantic date. Take a horse-drawn sleigh ride. Get a couples massage. Make reservations for a night at the fanciest hotel in town, and order room service instead of going out.

Buy tickets to your see your significant other's favorite band in concert. Make a CD of all their best songs, make a customized cover for it, and put the tickets inside the case.

Plan a vacation, print out the airline or hotel reservations, and put them inside a travel book of the destination you're going to.

SNOW!

We had an almost snowless winter last year, and apparently we're making up for it in 2013. We got so much snow last week that my poor Grandma's carport collapsed, burying her car somewhere under it. When it's not snowing, it's been really cold and smoggy. I've been trying to head into the mountains every chance I get to search for a little sunshine.

Somewhere under all that snow is a 1992 Chevy Lumina... Brr...a very cold and foggy day on the slopes. Two pair of gloves, two pair of socks, handwarmers and a face mask did me no good at all. Finally, a little sunshine. Thanks to Ashley for taking all the pics, and to Keri and Mel for getting up early to snowshoe with me!

HEADS IN BEDS

I've been hearing about "Heads in Beds" everywhere. Apparently it's a sneak peek at what really goes on inside hotel rooms - how often those duvets are actually cleaned, how to get free snacks and movies, and what happens when you don't leave the valet parking attendant a tip. I've just downloaded it on my phone, and I'm excited to give it a full review.


I'm certainly no hotel insider, but I did have an interesting conversation a few months ago with someone who works at the St. Regis in Park City. Apparently, celebrities sometimes do check into that hotel under a code name. Some even demand that the staff call them by their fake name during their entire stay, which seems a little ridiculous. Also, (if you're enough of a high-roller) the St. Regis makes a point of knowing everything from your name to your ski boot size, as in "Welcome to the St. Regis, Ms. X. Your size 8's have been warmed and are ready for you as soon as you want to hit the slopes."

This, my friends, is how the other half lives. I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm waiting in a 30-minute check-in line at the Holiday Inn!