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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

I'm Back! {And a link to a giveaway!}

Hi Blog Friends,

It's been a while!  I stepped out of Utah for a little over a week for a MUCH needed vacation.  We were able to go to Washington state and visit my family.  It was amazing.  I will post all about it {pictures included!} when I have a chance to catch my breath.



Until then...

2 Guys Loans {A local Utah company and my employer} has entered into the world of social media.  Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.  And check out their website to see what they're all about.

If you are friends with me on Facebook or follow me on Instagram you have heard about how much I love my job.  I truly work for the greatest people and I wholeheartedly believe in the products they offer and their stellar business ethics.  These guys really are the best.



Have I mentioned how lucky I am to be a part of the 2 Guys Loans team?  I am!  So lucky!

Now for the fun stuff...

2 Guys Loans is doing a GIVEAWAY!  Are you interested in tickets to x96's Big Ass Show?  Just like 2 Guys on Instagram, re post the giveaway photo, and like them on Facebook for a chance to win!  Good luck guys!

Xoxo, Tonja

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Decadence, Lunch Dates, and Crio Bru.

The past week or so has been rough.  I have been tired.  Really tired.  Between packing, moving, unpacking, organizing, work, and very little sleep... I am just tired.

This morning was the worst.  I got up a little early, but I couldn't drag myself out of bed.  It took me forever to get ready because I was so exhausted.  I got to work 5 minutes early.  I accomplished the things that I needed to accomplish.  I asked my boss to fix something for me and as he was fixing what needed to be fixed I dozed off in my chair.  Sitting straight up.  I am tired.

Because I am so tired I have also been irritable.  Which annoys me probably almost as much as it annoys everyone around me.

So I sent my dear friend Carissa a text that said, "Today I think it's necessary to visit Decadence and buy myself a massive Crio Bru latte."

Long story short, we met at Decadence on 1600 North in Orem.  {Best friends leave work even when they planned on skipping their lunch that day to meet a friend in need of a pick-me-up.}

{Photo taken from a Google image search of Decadence Utah}


Decadence is charming.  It is a small artisan cafe that has a drive-thru.  It has a few outdoor bistro sets and some seating inside as well.  Decadence serves pastries, sandwiches, ice cream, and most importantly, Crio Bru.  You can learn more about Decadence here.

Through Decadence I discovered Crio Bru.  If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you are sure to have heard about my obsession with Crio.  I love it. 

{Photo taken from a Google image searf of Crio Bru}


What is Crio Bru?  "Crio Brü is a brewed drink made from 100% premium cocoa beans, roasted to perfection. Named after the most prized of cacao beans, the Criollo, Crio Brü will astound your taste buds with its complex flavors and subtle aromas which come right from the cocoa bean itself! It is 100% natural and 100% pure."  {This is information that is found on their website.}

Basically it is cocoa beans roasted the same way that one would roast coffee beans.  You can brew it like coffee, you can french press it like coffee, you can use it as a replacement for espresso in lattes.  It is delicious.  It is chocolately and light and a tad bitter if left unsweetened.  And it is good for you!

Benefits of Crio Bru:  {Information taken from their website.}

  • Boost Your Immune System
  • Increase Energy Naturally
  • Curb Your Appetite and Lose Weight
  • Support Your Heart, Digestive System, Brain and Bones
  • Oxygenate the Blood and Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
  • Feel Great, Increase Focus, Reduce Stress, and Sleep Better
Um, those are really great benefits.  And on top of that, it just tastes amazing.

Let me tell you the way that I enjoy my Crio Bru at home:  I purchase the ground beans from Macey's in Pleasant Grove.  I follow their instructions for French Pressing the bru.  I either drink it hot with a dash of International Delight's Cold Stone Creamery Sweet Cream coffee creamer, or I pour it over ice and add a dash of International Delight's Cold Stone Creamery Sweet Cream coffee creamer.  Both ways are SO GOOD.  I have tried other flavors to sweeten my Crio Bru, but I always come back to the Cold Stone Sweet Cream because it is beyond delicious.

Even Kyle and Ayla love it.  Ayla gets her own little mug.  She always wants it hot - never iced.  She practically does cartwheels when she finds out that we're making Crio Bru because she really, really loves it.  Kyle drinks it before he plays basketball on Tuesday nights and it gives him more energy and more stamina.  It's such a noticeable difference that he's bummed when he doesn't get Crio before basketball.

And yeah, it tastes delicious.  You really should visit their website and read more about the perfection that is Crio Bru.  {I have not been asked to do share this info and I am not being paid to do so, I just really love it.}

Anyway... Back to my rendezvous with the little bird, Carissa.  We met at Decadence and we ordered our drinks.  Carissa had a house bru with a little cream, vanilla, and whipped cream on top.  I had a 16 oz. Caramel Macchiato, iced.  We both had sweet orange rolls.  Holy goodness.  Those rolls, warmed up, will change your life.  {I didn't get a picture of the rolls because we downed them in no-time.}  Our drinks were delightful.  The space where we enjoyed our drinks was cozy and beautifully decorated.  The service at Decadence is fine, but I will warn you - it is not a place that you can drop by quickly.  I waited a good 15 minutes for my Caramel Macchiato.  The girl actually helped other customers after me before even starting my drink.  By the time I got my drink I had to just walk out the door, I didn't get to sit and enjoy it.  Even the drive-thru is not a quick experience.  HOWEVER, do not let that deter you.  It is so worth it.  And really, show me someone who doesn't need the time to sit and relax for a while and I will show you a liar.  We are so used to fast, fast, fast.  Sometimes it is nice to slow down.  Just not on a quick lunch break with a friend.

Decadence {An Artisan Cafe}
Friend.
Iced Caramel Macchiato.  House Bru.

I so enjoy my lunches with my friend.  Remember when I posted way back here and I said that they probably wouldn't happen as frequently as we had discussed?  I am pleased to say that they are happening.  It goes to show that young, irresponsible, flighty girls can grow up to be successful, busy working women who can find time to keep dates with their friends.  We are learning to prioritize. 



I like it.

"Don't mind my obnoxious nails."  She says.  I throw mine down.  #obnoxiousbirds

Friday, August 2, 2013

We moved.

We did it.  We moved.  We packed up everything we owned and moved it 2.9 miles down the road to a new apartment.

And when I say "we", I mean I didn't move a single box.  I packed up and I did a little cleaning, but we had some wonderful family and friends step up and haul everything, alongside my husband, while I was at work.  It was pretty strange to leave one home for work in the morning and return to a different home with all of my things there waiting.  In boxes.  Stacked.  Heaped.  All over.

Moving is the worst.  It really is.  It's so awful to have to box up everything you own, saving all of the daily essentials until the last moment where you will toss them randomly in boxes and bags and hope you remember where they ended up, and then move them to a new place where you will just have to unpack and reorganize everything.

I came home to a ton of boxes everywhere, so very grateful that they were there waiting for me.  I started unpacking the kitchen.  It's right there when you walk in so I figured it was a good place to start.  Also, we have to eat, so we need our kitchen in order.  I was able to get it unpacked and organized fairly quickly, which was great.  Then I realized it was after 9 and I didn't want to do anything else.

Except move the ginormous dresser that is in our new walk-in closet.  I noticed right away that the dresser was put on the opposite wall than it needed to be put on.  This only presented a problem because with the massive size of the dresser and the rest of our bedroom furniture being in place, we couldn't pull the dresser out, flip it around, and get it back in the closet.  So we got creative.  We picked up the dresser on one end, sat it on it's side, and turned the entire thing until it was in the right spot, then we brought it back down.  Genius!  And exhausting.

Have I mentioned how awesome it is that people came and moved my extremely heavy things for me?  Because it really is so awesome.

Before settling into our new home for the night we ran and got a few things that we needed, and we got a couple of large drinks because we were thirsty!  Ayla even got her own big drink {bigger than usual, but smaller than ours} which she totally loved.

I am so excited to be in a new place.  I'm excited about our vaulted ceilings and our 2 bathrooms and the huge laundry room.  I'm excited about our patio!  I'm excited for the next home that we share together and all of the adventures that we have ahead of us.

Yay for new beginnings!

This is the view from our new patio.  Not bad.  We still get those beautiful mountains!
Ayla dipping her fit in the pool.  She can hardly stand that we aren't ALWAYS swimming.  She sits on the patio and stares longingly at the pool.
{A super big thank you to Rick, Debbie, Charity, Jaycee, Scott, Joey, and my amazing husband for moving all of our stuff while I sat in an air conditioned office working my day away!}