Let's Ride

Backpack: c/o Just Porter
Model: my patient husband, Connor.

Earlier this month we went snowmobiling for our friend's birthday! It was my first time going so I was both nervous and excited, for valid reasons. My worst fear was flipping over and breaking my arm or leg or worse... haha. It ended up being wayyyy fun--mostly cus I made Connor stay on the trail and promise not to trying anything crazy. However, heads up to anyone planning on riding on the back--hold on tight because I was getting tossed and bounced around like a rag doll over those bumps! I thought I would enjoy riding in the back more but it turns out being the driver was way more fun (and less bumpy, my goodness) and I was less nervous because I was in control of our speed and navigation (mwahahaha). Overall I would definitely go again but if we had the dough to splurge, I would get separate snowmobiles. :D

We had some things we wanted to bring with us during our day trip up the mountains, like our lunch, my camera, etc. and our Just Porter Sable Rucksack was perrrrrrfect for keeping all those essentials safe (especially my camera, eek)! Not only was it spacey enough for us to pack all our things comfortably, but it's waterproof/snowproof so it kept everything dry and intact! We even ended up using the compression straps on the side of the bag to buckle in our large rucksack onto the snowmobile so we didn't have to worry about it flying off during those dang bumps. This backpack is seriously so perfect for outdoor winter activities like snowshoeing, camping, and of course snowmobiling. Make sure you check out Just Porter for the rest of their bag collection and maybe even snag one for yourself! For every bag sold, they give a backpack filled with school supplies to a child in need! :)

Also, check out my previous blog post featuring Just Porter's smaller Streeter Backpack HERE!

Now excuse me while I swoon over how cool my husband looks in these pics. *sigh :)

Have a great Tuesday, friends!
& Happy Last Day of January! Dang you 2017, slow down already.

Cheers.

Miyajima Island

Jacket: c/o Cotopaxi

Shirt: c/o Cotopaxi

Joggers: Old Navy

Shoes: Nike [similar]

Backpack: c/o Cotopaxi

Welcome to the first post in my Japan travel series!

finally

I know it's been long overdue but hey, at least I'm finally getting around to it!

I thought it would be fun to start off the series with the one outfit that features my handsome husband. Cotopaxi (one of my favorite companies everrrrr) was kind enough to basically dress Connor waist up in their gear during our trip! He wore their Bengal Waxed Canvas Jacket pretty much every day because the weather was quite chilly the entire time there and of course he used their Volta 35L Rolltop Backpack to carry everything around! We really fell in love with their backpacks during our trip because of how durable and functional they were. Connor basically fit everything he needed into his backpack during our 3-day side-trip to the Southern parts of Japan (allowing me to hog all the space in the suitcase we brought down, mwahaha). I would highly, highly recommend going with Cotopaxi next time you're packing for a fun vacation or trip!

These photos were taken at Miyajima Island, a place I definitely wish we could've spent more time at! We went there on the last day of our Southern Japan detour (we spent most of our trip in the Tokyo area) and didn't realize that it was going to take 6 hours to get back to my sister's house so we had to cut our day trip short to make room for the trek home. Miyajima is a fun little island that you take a 10-minute ferry to and I fell in love with it the instant we stepped foot on it! It just had so much more of a relaxed feel to it than the more populated parts of Japan and we were surrounded by the ocean so how could I not be happy?

Probably the most popular attraction of Miyajima is the Itsukushima Shrine's floating Torii gate (the orange shrine shown in the pictures). During parts of the day when it's high tide, the gate looks like it's floating, hence why it's called the "floating Torii gate." Unfortunately we went while it was low tide so we didn't get to see the floating effect in person, but it was still such an amazing sight to see!

Below is the vlog from our day spent on Miyajima Island! If you haven't seen the rest of my Japan vlogs, make sure you check it out! :)

Cheers.

CONNOR AND I TRY JAPANESE CANDY + VIDEO!

Hey there Wednesday!

In today's video, Connor and I try out a bunch of Japanese candy and snacks, while in Japan! Some are super yummy and some are downright nasty. Watch to find out what we think about each one! Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to stay updated on my weekly Wednesday videos! Love you guys!

PS. Just to clarify, when we shot this video (last month) we were in Japan. I'm currently back in the states. :)

PPS. If you haven't watched my Hawaii and Japan VLOGS, check them out HERE and HERE!



I post videos every Wednesday so make sure you SUBSCRIBE to stay updated!


Check out my other videos:

JAPAN HAUL
WINTER/HOLIDAY LOOKBOOK
LOOSE WAVES HAIR TUTORIAL
FALL CLOTHING HAUL
LIFE HACKS FOR DOG OWNERS

Cheers.

Gingerbread House Competition: HUSBAND vs WIFE

Happy Wednesday!

and Happy Holidays!!

Happy Holidays! Say hello to Video #2 in my little Christmas series this season! Today Connor and I are participating in an Ultimate Gingerbread House Build-Off Competition!!!! Yes, it’s THAT intense… Jk, we’re literally a couple of fools trying to be cool about Christmas and stuffs. I have to say though, our Gingerbread houses did turn out PRETTTTTY epicccc. So make sure you watch to see how they turn out and who wins the competition! SUBSCRIBE to stay updated on my weekly Wednesday videos, especially since there are only TWO videos lefts in my Holiday Series this year!! Love you guys!

PS. We would loooooove to know who YOU though won this gingerbread house build-off! Comment “#TeamAriel” or “#TeamConnor” orrrrrr “#TeamSamson” if you think Samson looks dang cute in his Santa suit ;)

PPS. If you would like to see more "Husband vs Wife" videos, give this video a thumbs up or leave a comment below!

Watch the first video in my 2015 Holiday Series HERE!

YAYYYY CHRISTMASSSSS!!!



I post videos every Wednesday so make sure you SUBSCRIBE to stay updated!

Check out my other videos:

DIY CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
LOOSE WAVES HAIR TUTORIAL
FALL CLOTHING HAUL
LIFE HACKS FOR DOG OWNERS
OCTOBER FAVORITES
FALL FASHION LOOKBOOK

Cheers.

I Do My Husband's HALLOWEEN Makeup + VIDEO

Happy Wednesday!

Welcome to the first video in my 2015 Halloween Video Series! I'll be posting Halloween-related videos during the entire month of October so be sure you tune in every week.

Today I’m FINALLY returning the favor & doing my husband’s makeup! But being the awesome wife I am, I decided not to humiliate him TOO much and do Halloween-themed makeup instead. Make sure you watch all the way through to find out what I ended up turning him into! Don’t forget to subscribe to stay updated on my weekly Wednesday videos. Love you guys!

ps. Watch the original video where Connor does MY makeup HERE!




I post videos every Wednesday so make sure you SUBSCRIBE to stay updated!

Check out my other videos:

PREVIOUS VIDEO (FALL LOOKBOOK)
I WAS IN A BAND? TMI TAG
AFFORDABLE DRUGSTORE MAKEUP TUTORIAL
HOW TO GET EXCITED FOR FOOTBALL SEASON

Cheers.

Home is wherever I'm with you...

Connor's Shirt: c/o The Home T

My Shirt: c/o The Home T

My Outfit:

Jeans: c/o Aeropostale

Flannel: Madison & Sixth

Shoes: Converse

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington

Necklace: c/o Made By Maru

If you watch the TV show, Shark Tank, these shirts would probably look familiar to you! The Home T is a company that helps you show off your state pride--stylishly, of course. They have T-shirts, tanks, hoodies, hats, and more for every single US state, as well as international designs including Canada, Africa, Australia, Mexico and France. They even have a Disneyland Home T (because Disneyland is home to a lot of us, let's be real). Their shirts are insanely soft and comfortable, and made right here in the USA! As if they aren't cool enough, they donate 10% of their profits to multiple sclerosis research.

Home to me has always been my little island of Hawaii and Connor is from the great state of Washington. Being from different states makes for an interesting clash of culture for us. Connor is used to large lakes, while I'm accustomed to oceans. I'm used to summer weather all year long while Connor feel at home with the rain and overcast weather. But now that we have both been living in Utah for the past five years, the mountains have slowly but surely become our new definition of "home." I even catch myself saying things like "Well, back home..." (referring to Utah) while I'm visiting Hawaii! But when it comes down to it, once you meet the love of your life and begin a life together, home is really wherever your other half is. :) cue the *awwwwww

Make sure you check out The Home T and get yourself a piece of home you can wear everywhere!

On a random note, I started re-watching Parks & Rec again (for the billionth time).

Andy freakin' Dwyer is forever my favorite.

Have a great Tuesday friends!

and look out for a NEW VIDEO on my YouTube Channel tomorrow! xx

Cheers.

Cheers to Three Years

We did it!

Connor and I completed Year 3 of Marriage.

I did this list last year on our second anniversary so I thought it would be fun to do an updated one--
Since our two-year anniversary, we've:

//LIVED in the same cozy apartment
//TRAVELED to Hawaii, Seattle, and Bryce Canyon
//CELEBRATED my mom retiring from her job
//WELCOMED a new niece into our Hamilton clan
//CHANGED Connor's occupation
//STARTED a YouTube channel
//WATCHED way too much reality television
//CUDDLED Samson all day every day
//LEARNED how to uplift one another
//LOVED each other more and more every day

Nothing too crazy has happened to us this past year--if anything, a lot has happened/changed for our families! Connor's older brother and his wife added a new niece to their adorable family! Now they have THREE cute girls to keep their hands full! Also, my mom survived two surgeries (both of which I traveled home to be with her for) and finally retired after many years of being a high school teacher. I would say that this was our year of being supportive of our families. We had many things to celebrate and many things to endure!

I've loved every little second of being married to Connor. He has taught me to be more patient, kind, brave, loving, and determined. I love who I am when I'm with him and who I've become thanks to him. I still can't believe I'm lucky enough to be the one who gets to spend the rest of my life with him! Look at me and my sappy self, haha.

Anyway, if you want to follow along on our anniversary adventure today, make sure you add me on Snapchat: @heyitsaray

Three years down, forever to go!

Cheers to Three Years.

Husband Does My Makeup + VIDEO

It's Wednesday so you know what that means!

A NEW VIDEO!!!

I’m so excited for today’s video because it features my best friend in the entire world: my husband, Connor! We are doing the ever so popular “Husband Does My Makeup” tag and let’s just say that although Connor gets an ‘A’ for effort, he will never ever ever become a professional makeup artist… Watch the video below to see what the end result looks like! We had so much fun putting this together and we hope you enjoy it! :)

Also, make sure you give this video a THUMBS UP if you want me to do Connor's makeup in a future video (hehehe, revenge)!



I post videos every Wednesday so be sure to follow along and SUBSCRIBE! :)

Cheers.

Married people should still date

Sweater: c/o Pink Blush
Leggings: c/o Pink Blush
Boots: c/o LuLu*s
Necklace: c/o Pink Blush
Earrings: c/o Pink Blush

Although most of our nights are spent lying on the couch watching Netflix and eating leftovers (those Crock-Pot meals last us the whole week, whoop whoop), us married folk still go out on real dates from time to time! Who knew, right?

Connor planned a whole date night for us last night that involved me not knowing where we were going and actually getting dressed up (as opposed to our usual sweats-attire). We ended up getting dinner from this Hawaiian restaurant in Lehi, grabbed some hot chocolate from Starbucks, and went to see the Tree of Life! The Tree of Life is a huuuuge tree in Draper that is decorated with over 1,000 strands of lights. It was gorgeousss! I love outrageous Christmas light displays so naturally I was in awe.

I feel like in order to keep a marriage healthy and strong, you still have to date each other. I don't want to get all "listen to me cus I know all about marriage and stuff blah blah blah" because I am nowhere near qualified to give marriage advice to anyone, but if I had to share one thing I've learned in the past two years, it's that. Dating is so important because it takes away the comfort of being in your own home and being glued to electronic devices. It brings you back to your dating days when you felt excited and giddy because you were on a date with someone you really liked.

Dating keeps the marriage flame alive. (:

So go on that long overdue date with the love of your life!

Dooooo it.

The Tree of Life!

and Samson third-wheeling it like a boss...

Cheers.

Love, Buddy the Elf + Maple Syrup

Happy Halloween!

I am pretty proud of our Halloween costumes this year because they weren't put together last minute like I've done for the past 10 years (procrastinator is me). We decided Connor should be Buddy the Elf (which he was actually excited about it so I knew it was a winner) and found a good deal for his costume online, but when we looked up the Jovi costume, it was twice as much as the Buddy one--no bueno. We brainstormed for a bit and Connor came up with the genius idea that I should be maple syrup (because let's be real, Buddy loved syrup way more than Jovi.....)! Turns out, however, that pre-made maple syrup costumes DO NOT exist anywhere soooooo I made my own! :) I was pretty impressed with the results and not to toot our horns, but we might have won a couple awards at the Halloween parties we've been to. ;)

I was going to make Samson a candy corn costume (because elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, CANDY CORNS, and syrup) but I ran out of time/got lazy. We inherited a couple of cute costumes from my dog, Flounder, back home so we opted for those instead. I'd say Samson is loving his first Halloween!

We carved pumpkins at our friend's house the other night. Can you guess which ones is ours? ;)

Hope everyone has a fantastic Halloween!

I'm so excited to see everyone's costumes all over Instagram!

Also, I hope this doesn't happen to anyone because it sucks when people just don't get it:

Cheers.

Two years of bliss

Today, I'm guest posting on Mindy Mae's Market's blog--woohoo! Check out my post HERE. I'll be posting the same outfit to my blog sometime soon, so check back later for more details on that! xx

Today, marks two years since Connor and I tied the knot!

Since our one year anniversary, we've:

//LIVED in two apartments

//TRAVELED to Disneyland

//ENDURED three surgeries

//GRADUATED from BYU

//CELEBRATED Connor getting a big boy job

//ADDED a baby furball named Samson to our family

//HELPED our best friends Amy and Eddie move back to Hawaii

//WATCHED way too much Food Network and HGTV

//LEARNED how to keep each other happy

//LOVED each other more and more every day

 awwwwwww

I'm sure we've done a bunch of other things too but my brain is still on vacation mode right now so I'm drawing a blank. Basically we've had an amazing second year of marriage and I'm so excited to spend many more anniversaries with Connor!

Who says white men can't jump? ;)

Since the 21st falls on a weekday and Connor has a big boy job, we celebrated our anniversary this past weekend with a little getaway in Park City. After Connor came home from work on Friday, we made sure Samson was all settled to be babysat by his Aunt Lauren, and after 20 minutes of me going through separation anxiety, we finally drove out to the City of Park! There wasn't much to do once we got to our hotel because it was pretty late so we ordered in Thai food and watched TV till we passed out.

The next couple days were filled with laying out by the pool, riding the alpine coaster and slide, exploring town, and GOING TO SEE WICKED!!! Yes, I finally crossed it off my bucket list and experienced the musical I've been dying to see since forever. It was amazing and I may or may not have teared up during Defying Gravity. Ahhhhhhhhhh.

It was a much needed and well spent getaway but it was nice coming home to this happy little furball! It's not too bad coming back to reality when you've got a cute face like this waiting for ya.

Saying "I Do" to Connor was the best decision I ever made. I've never felt more happier and complete. I can't imagine my life without him and I'm looking forward to spending the rest of infinity with him!

Two years down, forever to go!

If you want to see what we did for our one year anniversary last year, check out the recap HERE!

Cheers.