Leaving soon...

We are going on vacation this week. Not gonna tell you which days or where - no creeping allowed - though I am sure you will see plenty of updates on instagram where I am @stelmosweetness and on Twitter where I am @Love10984. Follow our vacay and 4th anniversary there.

Counting down.

I have two more days of work and then we will be on our vacation. I could not be more excited and I am trying to figure out how to disconnect my work email from my cell phone. If you literally do not hear from us for 4 days, don't worry. We'll call if we need you. Pretty darn excited.

Today at work was a little frustrating. I have a new responsibility at work that feels really monumental - though in reality, it probably is not. I am responsible for the twice monthly newsletters that go out to all of the volunteers in my area (and writing 100% of the content for them with the other 2 ladies that have my same position in our other offices). Previously, I was just writing a little simple reminder email for my areas and sending out a lot of emails in between with things that I forgot or info that other people needed me to annouce to my area. Now, we are compiling all the info for the entire GS council and putting it in a professional looking format using a web-based program called Mail Chimp. While I really like the layout and it does look a lot better than what I was putting together, I am nervous that people don't realize how important the information is and therefore, are not reading it. (In fact, I pulled the analytics for the last edition and it was depressing how many of them are sitting unopened in people's email inboxes.)

So, today I spent the entire day correcting errors (in 4 different versions of my newsletter because it is customized by area) and fighting with the email server. I love to learn new things and being able to use this program in the future will be a real benefit. Today, however, it did NOT feel like that. I had tons of questions that no one could answer, fonts weren't working, tables weren't looking right - it just didn't look good overall - and that is NOT what I am going for. Usually I can figure most technological things out but today, not so much. I finally had to put it away and go to a meeting tonight (that was wonderfully successful and just what I needed!).

I guess I should edit the bit about 2 work days left because I have to work Friday normal hours, Saturday and Sunday for events, and then normal hours again on Monday. But then - FREEDOM!

August Birchbox!!

It's Birchbox time! It finally came after what felt like months of waiting and everyone else I know getting theirs first!

There was a neat theme this month - Beauty School - so the insert (seen below) had lots of fun tips and tricks in it for "back to school". It also came in this fun yellow box - like a school bus - instead of the traditional pink box. Now, if you know me, you know I LOVE pink but I'm good with a little switcheroo every once in a while.

This is what is looked like when you first open the box...the pink insert is the tip sheet.

This is whish body butter and it smells absolutely divine. Not too strong a scent and really smooth feeling. Can't wait to put it all over my legs!

This is the Brightening Cleanser by DDF. I haven't ever heard of this brand so I am pretty excited to try it out. It is a nice sized sample too so I might actually be able to decide if I like it or not!

This month we also got a fun "Birchbox Find" which was this (new?) 5 blade razor by Schick. I am always looking for an easy, faster, and better shave so I am looking forward to trying this pre-beach next week! It also has a nice coupon on the back so if I like it, I will definately be getting more.

This is a curl cream called Pillow Soft by Miss Jessie's Orignials. Though my hair is a little wavy if it air dries and kind frizzy, I'm not really a curly girl. I got two samples so I will probably try one just to see and pass the other to my very curly haired sister. It does say that it helps frizz so I might like it after all.

Finally, the new perfume by Juicy Couture called Viva la Juicy la Fleur. Nice scent - fairly light and I like the hint of mandarin.

I think I have literally gotten a perfume sample in every single Birchbox so far and I am highly unlikely to splurge on any of the full size perfumes. However, I am amassing a nice selection of choices for days I choose to wear it!

The neatest part about this month's box is the partnership that Birchbox has made with Pencils of Promise, an organization that builds schools. I too believe that education is one of the biggest keys to lifelong success to I love that a portion of their profits this month go to this organization. Well done Birchbox!

Want more info or a Birchbox for yourself? Just click here.

4 years.

I would like to report that our 4th anniversary is next week – blessedly on the day we will be arriving at the beach for our vacation. So, I started thinking that now would be a good time to get started on Chad’s anniversary present. A little research later and I discovered: the traditional gift for a 4th anniversary is fruit and/or flowers. Uh. Ok. Let’s try modern…and that would be appliances. Which might be slightly amusing if our microwave didn’t die last week. Thankfully, my husband is super handy and believes that he can fix the microwave (the spring that holds the door shut appears to be broken) so I should expect some fruit. I’ll buy him a bag of apples.

Or wait, I’ll take my fruit blended in an adult beverage with a umbrella on top while I admire the ocean.

Mt. LeConte Photos

Finally, posting a few pics from our journey up Mt. LeConte to the LeConte Lodge. It was quite foggy once we finally arrive about 3 seconds (ok, 10 minutes) before dinner time so I didn't take many pictures though I lugged my camera all the way up and back.

My guy loves his tea. Enough that he carried it up too. Good thing it isn't heavy.

Here is the lodge...date and elevation. Further proof that we actually did this and hiked up to 6,593 feet (though thankfully the car took us to around 4,000-something). Great post-hike/rain-I-am-disgusting-picture.

Christmas card pic anyone?

However, the flowers at the top were gorgeous enough to make up for all the fog down below.

Dining hall in the background.

The building on the left is the office/shop (yes, I bought a t-shirt in a style that you can only buy at the top. Of course I did.). The building on the right are some of the toilets.

Running water - yes. Electricity - no.

The front porch of our little home for a night.

Nope, sorry. She didn't get to go. I sure wasn't gonna carry those short legs after the first mile or two.

But I couldn't resist putting that little mug on here. Mom in the background, probably writing a postcard (which will be funny if you know her).

The whole story.

Would you like to read a more accurate, full account of our hike to the top of Mt. LeConte? Check out my mom's blog here. 

My calves are just now starting to feel normal again.  

Survival (edited)

We hiked Mt. LeConte on Friday and back down yesterday...there were a couple of times that I really thought I was not going to make it. 8 miles, nearly entirely uphill and I was completely unprepared for it. The 6+ miles going downhill the next day would not have been ask that bad if my legs weren't already killing me from the previous day. Either way, I am so proud of myself and my hiking buddies. We did see one small black bear the first day near the parking lot but thankfully no others for the rest of the hike... Blogging from my phone in Gaitlinburg now but I will try to post some pictures later.

Edited to add: I have a really cool pedometer thing called a Fitbit that I might have spoken of before. It measures steps, calories burned, general activity, flights of stairs climbed, even sleep, etc...and I was smart enough to remember to wear it when we hiked. I just synced it to my computer and it says that on the way up the mountain, we walked 26,192 steps and climbed enough (it gives you one "floor" for each 10 foot gain in altitude) flights of stairs to equal the Sears (Willis) Tower. Yeah. Beat that. Too bad I only walked 25,054 steps on the way down the mountain and only climbed another 9 flights of stairs (equal to the World Largest Pencil it says!!).