Happines, State of Life or State of Mind?

Happy Monday Ya'll!

How was everyone's weekend? Mine was really fun. I went on a date night with Kody on Friday, then had a girls day with my good friend on Saturday. We went up to the Pinner's Conference, and had an amazing pedicure! It was a really fun weekend.

Today's blog post is on a topic that I have been pondering on lately. It is on happiness. Is happiness a way of life, or is it a state of mind?

I remember thinking in college, that after I graduated then I'd be happy. The thing is, now I look back and think if only I could relive those college days. What I am getting at is that we can keep wishing to be happy, or we can just choose to be. Some days it is harder to choose to be happy, but in all reality happiness is a state of mind, not a state of life. 

In today's world, fame and fortune seem to make people happy, when in reality it's the small and simple moments that create the feeling of true happiness. 

I hope we can all strive to be a little happier and enjoy the here and now, focus on the positive aspects of life, and not dwell on the negative. 

This is one of my all time favorite quotes. I had it framed on my bedside during college it says, "Learn from the past, prepare for the future, live in the present." Thomas S. Monson

Every day that goes by is a day we can't get back. Why do we waste these valuable days choosing to be sad, or negative? I know if we all choose to be happy the world would be a much better and brighter place. 

Keep smiling!

XoXo,

Briana Marie Smith

Direct Link to my adorable Savana Ruffle Sweater: Jenna.stevierep.com

High Waist Jeans: TopShop (So bugged they currently on sale for $53.00, I bought them last week for regular price)

Thigh High Boots: Steve Madden

Be Wild Be Free

Happy November! 

Is anyone else in shock that it is November?! It's Thanksgiving this month. I can't believe it. 

Today's blog post topic is something I am very passionate about. It is all about letting your kids run wild and free in the outdoors. 

I grew up in a very small town. My neighbors growing up were mine and my sisters best friends. We would play and play. The entire town was our playground. We would make huts on our neighbors land and scooter down every hill. Getting us to go outside was no task. We wanted to be outside getting dirty, and using our imagination. The best part is, our parents allowed it. Yes, we would have to check in every hour but they allowed us to wonder and explore. Our imaginations ran wild, and so did we. 

I am now 24 years old and wow, times have changed. Kids aren't getting outside like they use to and I don't think it's the kids fault. I think it has a lot to do with the parents. I'm as guilty as the next mom, Ipads and TV's are so convenient. Quite frankly, I don't think they are bad. Ellie learns and interacts with her shows and a lot of them teach valuable life lessons. I don't think there is harm in watching a movie, however, there is harm in not breathing in fresh air.

 In a recent article from Besawyer Blog , it said that more and more kids are having issues with their vision. Many kids are becoming near sighted from lack of natural sunlight. Some are saying there is an epidemic happening in Taiwan for Nearsightedness. The article stated that every hour spent outside in natural light, decreases the odds for nearsightedness by two percent!

Not only does playing outside help eyesight, it also aids in coordination, self confidence, problem solving skills, increases imagination and more. There is no question that a little fresh air and exercise will relieve stress and anxiety, not only for kids, but parents as well. 

I am making a challenge to play outside with Ellie for at least one hour a day. No cell phone, no distractions. Just Ellie and I. Do you want to take the challenge too? Comment below with outdoor activities you like to do with your child in Fall and Winter. If we all work together we can achieve this goal, and see the positive impact that getting outside has on everyone!

I can't wait to hear how your challenge is going. I look forward to reading your ideas.

XoXo,

Briana Marie Smith 

Ellie's Bear Tee: BeSawyer

I'm back!

Hey Everyone!

Oh my, I seriously cannot believe it’s been over two months since I posted. Life went from busy to crazy this summer. I’ll give a brief overview of what the last few months have looked like for our family.

So, the Summer is always crazy for Kody. He works construction with his Dad and is literally working from 5:30 am to 7:00 pm (or later) every night. It’s their busiest time of year.

I was busy working from home as the Lead Manager for a software company that I’ve worked for since I graduated College. Our work schedules were crazy and we were also trying to find a place to rent or buy in Millard County. While we were searching for a home, we were living out of a suitcase in between our parents homes. We’d get one family sick of us and head to the next lol;)

Kody and I were actively looking at houses everyday, but were not having any luck. The housing market in Millard County has been out of control this year. Not many houses for sale/rent and are on and off the market within a day.

We found a few houses we were interested in, and would go to put an offer down and find out it just went under contract. (This literally happened 3 times). Kody and I were stressed. We began to wonder if Millard County was where we were supposed to be.

On top of being homeless, I had to let go of my job at the software company I worked for. They wanted my position to be in house (in St. George), but they weren’t offering me enough to move my family back to St. George. So I let go of my posititon I had for over two years. I was then homeless and jobless. Let’s just say it was not the best time in our families lives.

Kody and I were super confused with what path we were supposed to take and kept asking our Heavenly Father for guidance and direction.

The week after I let go of my job, Kody and his dad were “chip sealing” the roads in Oak City. Oak City is a cute little town outside of Delta. Since I didn’t have a job, they asked if I wanted to run their roller for the week. I gladly accepted the offer.

While I was literally ‘rolling’ along the streets of Oak City, I fell in love with the cute, mountainous, quaint town. It was beautiful and everyone was so friendly. I told Kody that I wanted to build a home in Oak City! 

Our sights were now on Oak City. We began the search for a home, the only problem was there weren’t any homes for sale (people who live there never leave;).. We decided to save money for a few months and then build.

A rental finally came on the market in Delta, we snagged it up and moved in the following day. While we were unpacking I looked on Facebook and saw a house that had just come up for sale in… Oak City!! I freaked out and called the owners the second I saw it posted. I made an appointment and walked through it the following day.

When Kody and I pulled in the driveway, I knew it was the home we were supposed to buy! I had such a good feeling and an even better feeling after I met the home owners. They were the sweetest! Kody and I left knowing we needed to make an offer fast. They had already shown it and had 5 other people coming to look at it that same day! No exaggeration.

We went home prayed and called them with our offer. With the negotiation that we couldn’t move in until their home was built, we settled on our offer!

Things are finally working out for us.I know the Lord has his timing and it all worked out for the best. As far as letting go of my job, I am putting my focus on my event planning/rental business. (I decorate weddings, events, birthday parties etc.)  and also my blog! These are my two passions. I’m excited to put my whole heart and soul into them.

Kody and I know everything happened for a reason and are excited for our future.

The last few months have definitely tested and built our families testimony of God’s timing and his plan. I know the Lord knows what’s best for us and had his hand in our families lives, even if we didn’t see it at the time.

Anyways, that gives you an idea of our lives the last few months. Now, we are busy planning weddings and trying to find me a big buck! Haha I have a limited entry deer tag on Kody’s favorite Mountain,, Oak City haha. Hopefully, I get a big one so we will have a warm welcoming when we move into the town;) The hunt starts next week so wish me luck!!

Thanks for following and keeping me inspired to blog. I was shocked at how many of you reached out to me asking when I would post again! Thank you. It means more than you know!

XoXo,

Briana Marie Smith

Direct Link to Neon Hoodie: Honey Blossom Boutique

Mountain Mode

Hello Lovelies! How is everyone's Summer treating them? I can’t believe it’s mid July.

Kody and I are busy as ever. We are still trying to find a home to buy and are having the hardest time. We want to both feel good and excited about the home, and so far we haven’t had any luck. Is anyone else struggling in the housing department? It’s super frustrating. I never knew buying a house could be so hard. We will get it figured out one of these days, well hopefully!;)

With that being said, Kody and I are both super stressed with work and our living arrangements. To escape it all, we’ve been heading to the Mountains. Being in the outdoors is so relaxing for us. So, when I saw this cute Moutain Mode top, I knew I had to have it because we’ve literally been in “Mountain Mode,” these past few months. I was super excited to wear it last night hiking because I never know what to wear in the mountains. The evenings are too cold to wear workout clothing, so I was excited to have this cute long sleeve shirt to wear.

If you are also in “Mountain Mode” use discount code BRIANA to receive 25% off your purchase. Did I mention it is under $25.00!? Happy Shopping Babes!

Mountain Mode Top: Glowing Gold Boutique

Marco Island Family Vacay

Hey Ya’ll

 I’ve been in the South all week so I feel justified in saying “Ya’ll” :) How’s everyone’s Summer treating them? I hope you are all enjoying those summer rays!

Kody, Ellie, Grandma Pam and I went on a vacation last week. We traveled to Marco Island, Florida.

Kody and I have been saving up to go on a tropical vacation after we both graduated college. We really wanted to enjoy the island life by deep sea fishing, jet skiing, and snorkeling but we didn’t want to leave Ellie home. Pam (Kody’s mom) said she was in need of a vacation and suggested that she would be our “nanny” during the times Kody and I went and adventured. We thought that was a great idea so we were happy to have her come along.  

We flew out of Salt Lake City on a non-stop flight to Miami. Ellie was such a good girl. She watched her Ipad, played with toys, and actually napped the majority of the flight. We arrived in Miami at midnight. We were all so exhausted so we stayed the night in Miami.

When we awoke, we drove for two hours to Marco Island. Along the way, we stopped in Everglades National Park. It was beautiful! We were so glad we stopped because Ellie got to see so much wildlife. It was super neat. We drove down a dirt road and saw alligators and turtles everywhere! It was definitely a highlight of the trip.

We got to Marco Island and were so excited to lay by the beach and enjoy the sunny weather. We were super disappointed when we arrived. It was cloudy and rainy. We were hoping it was just an off day but it turned out to be an off week. It rained all day, every day! Not a little shower, flood status. Local businesses closed due to flooding and some of the locals said it was the worst they’d ever seen. I was a little freaked out. We received flood alerts on our phones and I thought we were going to be in a Hurricane at any given moment. Luckily, the hurricane never came and we were alright;)

We made the best of the floods by going puddling haha. I think that was Kody’s favorite part of our trip. We would drive through puddles that would splash higher than our car. It was crazy! Probably not the safest thing to do but we had fun.

Not only did we have flood like weather, we also all came down with a flu bug. Ellie awoke throwing up. This was the first time in her life that she had thrown up, so we were slightly freaked out. She rested half of a day and was all better. The next morning everyone else woke up throwing up. It’s funny to think about now, but at the time we were all pretty bugged with how our vacation was going. On the bright side, we got caught up on our movie watching:) We were all lucky because it was just a bug and we were better the next day.

Our favorite pastime was to walk along beach and find sea shells. I’ve never seen so many shells in my entire life. The beaches were beautiful. The white sand was made up of crushed sea shells. It was gorgeous! Ellie and I had the best time picking up shells. (I brought some home so I could make her a picture frame using the shells we picked up. I’ll post a picture when I’m done.)

We also traveled to another island called Naples. Kody, Pam and I were obsessed with the adorable houses on this island. They were the cutest little beach cottages. Kody and I may retire there someday;) Naples was beautiful. We went shopping, ate yummy food and hung out at the pier.

On our last day the rain stopped (complete miracle) and we were able to hang out by the pool and beach all day. It was wonderful! I got sunburned but Kody and Ellie turned into brown bears! They got so tan.

Our vacation wasn’t what we expected but it was perfect in it’s own way. We all had great attitudes and just enjoyed our time away together as a family. It was so fun to have Ellie there because she didn’t care if it was sunny or not. She was happy to play out in the pool even when it was raining. The amazing food also helped out attitudes, well mine at least! We ate so good. The fresh sea food, fish tacos, and mangos were heavenly.

Below are pictures from our week. I also have direct links to a few of my favorite resort wear. See direct links!

Distressed Keyhole Graphic Hoodie: BB Styled This is one of my all time favorite tops. I wore it on the airplane because it is so comfy and then wore it as a swim cover on Kody’s and my date night.

 Ellie’s Red and White Swimsuit: Janie and Jack