We Must Protect This House!

One week from today, the Utah Utes will begin their journey to the top. I will be there to cheer them on every step of the way. Go get 'em, boys!

BFFs

My three best friends from high school and I have remained really close. I am so grateful for these beautiful, intelligent women who support and love me at all times. Yella, BC and Megger - Thanks for your unconditional friendship. I love you! XOXO

Then and now - 2002 to 2012!



The Best Day of My Life

We recently got our wedding pictures from our fantastic photographer, Kirstin Roper. It has been so much fun going through the thousands of photos and re-living the best day of our lives. Here are a few of our faves...

Live Fit

I think (or at least I hope) that I am not the only woman who goes through phases when it comes to diet and exercise. For the most part, I do a good job eating clean, taking vitamins and working out. But let's get real, we all know stress mixed with the hussle and bussle of every day life can get in the way of always making healthy choices. (Oh yea, my sweet tooth doesn't help either.)

Of course I want to look good, but even more importantly I found out 2 years ago that I had really high cholesterol. My overall score was 227! For someone my age, it should be well below 200. This was a turning point for me. I was not ok with being at a higher risk for heart disease and I was not interested in taking a daily medication to get this number down. I knew I had to take my health into my own hands.

Last fall, I decided to follow the FREE work out plan and recommended nutrition guide in Jamie Eason's Live Fit Plan in hopes that it would help increase my all-around health. I dropped quite a bit of weight and felt really good! The BEST news of all is ... (drum roll) ... I lowered my cholesterol 47 points!

Well, my friends, it is time to get back on it. For me, being prepared is the number one thing that allows me to be successful. I have to make my food in advance, I have to pack lunches and snacks and I have to eat every 2.5-3 hours. Period. My life motto which my husband and friends know all too well is, "PEOPLE DON'T PLAN TO FAIL, THEY FAIL TO PLAN." Ain't that the truth? Jamie suggests some delicious recipes that I really love. Check them out... I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Cinnamon Swirl Protein Bread

Pumpkin Protein Bars

Italian Turkey Burgers

I have been lifting weights again for the past week and I am incorporating Bikram Yoga and cardio as well. I am sore, but it hurts so good! One of these days I am going to work up the courage to try Cross Fit too.

Good luck to all of you ladies out there that "be up in the gym, workin' on your fitness!"



Jamie Eason - I wouldn't mind having her abs. Just sayin.

source

August, already?

This year has flown by! Not quite sure if it's because all of the wedding planning/festivities kept us so busy or because I am getting older. (My mom always says the older you get, the faster time flies by.) Needless to say, I cannot believe it is already August! With the end of summer in sight, it can only mean one thing around the Johnson home. FOOTBALL SEASON IS AMONG US!

The Utes started fall camp a couple of weeks ago and Brian has been hard at work getting ready for his first season as the Offensive Coordinator. I am so psyched for him and I know Bri is excited too (although he always remains calm, cool and collected!) I try to keep up on daily practice reports - if you don't already, make sure you follow Bill Riley on Twitter @espn700bill. He does a good job & posts daily audio interviews with Coaches and Players. I also love to read the Salt Lake Tribune SEEING RED blog and looking at all of the great pictures they take. I must say, I am pretty pumped for the home opener at Rice Eccles Stadium on August 30th!

Coachin' him up! Brian w/ freshman QB, Travis Wilson at the Utes first practice of fall camp.

With hubs working long days, I manage to fill up my free time with the following:

- Girls Dinners - Gotta love girl time and a glass of wine.

- Cleaning - I have OCD really bad - anyone who has been to my house knows I cannot handle anything out of place or dirty.

- Working out - I fell off track for a little while, but I finally feel like I am getting back into the groove.

- DIY Projects - I am making the CUTEST wreath, pics to come when it is complete.

- Party Planning - Whether it is a birthday dinner or my sister's baby shower, there is always an event to prepare for.

- Prepping for Football Season - Every year I order new Cold Gear from Under Armour so I am prepared for whatever weather conditions come our way during game time.

Although I will miss the summer months, here's to a great year and an amazing football season! See you all at the games and as always, GO UTES!

Working Woman!

I was recently inspired by a new blog, Running on Happiness, to put forth a little more effort in my daily attire and appearance. Let's be honest ladies, while I love a cute new outfit, perfectly curled hair and painted nails as much as the next girl, sometimes putting yourself together at 6 am just doesn't sound like the most glamorous thing to do. That being said, I need to step up my game.

I decided to go with a camel colored skirt (Halogen, from Nordstrom), a Leopard shirt (Nordstrom) and red blazer (Nordstrom.) I completed the messy up do with a black and gold headband (Nordstrom) and black Vince Camuto heels (Nordstrom). Now that I have established that I only shop at one store in SLC, I plan to get out more. :)

Little Bites of Heaven

This past Saturday, I hosted Girls Night IN at my house. We had a ton of delicious food and a great time catching up. For dessert I wanted to make something new, and I wanted it to be bite sized.

If you know me, you know I am a sucker for cookie dough. When I came across the recipe below I couldn't wait to whip up a batch. What could be so amazing, you ask? Get this - eggless cookie dough truffles! (Or as I like to call it... Little Bites of Heaven.) Try these. You can thank me later.

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup milk or soy milk
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips14 oz dark chocolate candy coating

DIRECTIONS:
Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.

When dough is firm enough to handle, form dough into 1″ balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate candy coating in microwave according to package directions. Using toothpicks as a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Main Floor Makeover

The quest to complete our home is still in full force. A few months ago, we were able to transform our dark and drab family room, dining room and kitchen into a calming, sophisticated space. We still have a few things to do (drapes being one of them), but we are so happy with the way it turned out. As always, I have to give a shout out to my friend Ashley from Ashley Winn Design for her help and expertise. Check out our before and after photos. As soon as we finish up details, I will be sure to post some updated pictures!

BEFORE: We bought this oversized brown couch when we first moved into the house. It is SO comfortable, but I felt like it was over powering the room. We have moved it to the theater room where I think it will be the perfect "cuddle up and watch a movie" piece. 

AFTER: We had our couch custom made (for an amazing price) by Rocky Mountain Upholstery. We wanted something really deep so Brian could still lounge on it, but we also wanted it to have clean lines. We added 2 club chairs in a tan linen that face into the room so it felt like a true conversation space. The area rug was a killer deal! Originally, it was $1200 but I found it online for 75% off! The coffee table also adds function to the room since often times people are eating while watching a game. 

BEFORE: Nothing was hung on the walls. It felt so BARE and BORING!

AFTER: Now, we have great lighting with the additional lamps, and 4 big frames to display anything we want!

BEFORE: Again, I felt like our dining room table, chairs and area rug were too dark next to the dark wood in the kitchen. 

AFTER: We decided to go with a carpet tile so spills can easily be cleaned. The chairs are all uniform which now gives it a cleaner look. 

BEFORE: One last view of the entire space... not much to look at!

AFTER: Aaaaahhhhhhh! So much more relaxing!