admin, Author at Twin Tested

Why You Should Follow Your Dreams

We seem to have tricked some people into thinking that we were just magically placed on their television screen and that it has been a dreamy walk on the yellow brick road. While we know we have the best jobs in the world, we want to share a little bit of the back story on how we got there.

First, we grew up in a family that allowed us to make our own decisions. From the time we were 16, we told our parents we wanted to host our own lifestyle show. I’m sure in the back of their minds they thought we were crazy, but instead of warning us of the possibility of failing miserably or telling us we might embarrass ourselves in the process, they told us it was a great idea. (they laughed right along with Brooke after the fainting incident)

Second, we had each other. From our dating days when I made Britt call boys acting like she was me to find out why they stopped calling (face palm!!) We have repeatedly put each other in uncomfortable situations and learned a lot in the process. It is a lot easier to take a giant leap of faith when you have a twin sister pulling you or at times yanking you along. We have both been that person for one another. During our first year reporting on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards I completely froze during an interview with a celeb (I’m not telling you which one), Britt didn’t miss a beat and finished asking a much more coherent question. Definitely one of the perks to working with your twin sister!

Third, we sought out incredibly supportive mentors and friends. Our high school counselor and neighbor Carol took special interest in our careers and helped us get the experience we craved. Carol had never had students come to her with our career aspirations before so she created a brand new internship for us at a news station. As naive 17 year olds we were handed a camera and microphone on our first day and told to come up with some stories. Although looking back now we can laugh at how terrible they were (i.e. shaky camera, shaky voice, etc) it provided great hands on experience we could not find anywhere else at the time. We started to live by the motto, “The worst they can say is NO”. By doing this, we took responsibility for creating our own success and got the guts to just ASK.

However, in the midst of all this positive support, there were still plenty of people who told us not to try. There are people out there who feel like it is their responsibility to give you a “dose of honesty” or to “lower your expectations”. DON’T LISTEN. There have been so many amazing experiences we never imagined were possible. We have always followed the thought process of “someone has to do it” when it comes to any career goal. Why shouldn’t that someone be you? Go for it because you believe in yourself and because you know you are capable.

So, how do you go for it? Here are three ideas.

1. Find a small group of people you can fully trust, tell them your ideas and aspirations and keep them updated on your successes and failures.

2. Work hard. Like really, really, really hard. This involves doing the beginner jobs you don’t want to do, most likely to include terrible shifts, long hours, and tasks you are not fond of. Once you commit to trying your best, good things will come. One of my favorite mentors constantly stressed that consistency is the most important quality a person can possess. Consistency in the quality of your work, in the energy you bring to your job and in your work ethic.

3. Learn from the haters. If there is anything good that comes from people being mean, it is that you have to find strength inside yourself. Over the span of our careers we have learned to be assertive, confident, and honest (and to go cry in the bathroom and buy yourself a chocolate chip cookie on the hard days).

Now, the real words of wisdom. I asked some of my greatest friends and inspirations to share their advice on following your career dreams.

Tori Dumke: mid-twenties, just finished business school and landed her dream job at Adobe in San Francisco.

I have adopted Thoreau’s aspiration: live deliberately. You make your life. It is up to you how you want to spend your time, effort, and talents. Be proactive in your approach–no one cares more about your career than you do.

“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” -Leonardo Da Vinci

Enjoying the process, not just the achievement
You make your life – live deliberately
Don’t hold yourself back

Mary Bevan: a lawyer and brand new mom

Growing up, I told myself I could do whatever I put my mind to. Some goals just require more hard work and dedication than others. I pushed myself to accomplish things outside of my comfort zone causing me to be prepared to overcome the many challenges I faced in law school and in becoming a lawyer.

Kristin Rocke: an interior designer and mother of two

I judge my success by the quality of my work and both the personal and client’s satisfaction. I subscribe to the mantra that every time I touch something I take it as far to completion or resolution at that moment in time as possible. I love my work and I love the people I get to work with. I am fortunate to work in a time when I have access to so many artisans, amazing product and inspiration at every turn.

Aubrey Nelson: a mother and hair painting genius

My career in hair started when I accidentally fell in love with the chemistry of color and the opportunity to connect with women in my chair. It was a combination of my life long dream to live in New York City and competitive drive that led me there to work and train with the best artists in the industry. I learned early, that no amount of success comes without hard work and years later with the news of a surprise baby on his way into my life came my very purest inspiration. I started my own business with nothing but love for the tiny baby in my belly and that same love is what continues to motivate me today. I am a better mother because I work in an industry I am passionate about and I am better at my job because I am inspired by my son. I believe in dreaming big and working hard, with a good heart inside you and a lot of love behind you, you will find success.

For more inspiring words check out our interviews with Martha Stewart and Blake Lively!

And if you still need more, check out these quotes from 17 inspiring entrepreneurs.

The 8 treats you should buy at Trader Joe’s

As most of my friends and family know, I {Brooke} am a Trader Joe’s junkie. I allow myself 2 new items to try each week during my regular shopping trip. By doing this I have discovered some pretty amazing products! I decided I should share, in hopes that some of you have some secrets you want to share as well.

1. Milk Chocolate Mini Peanut Butter Cups: Hands down, best item in the store.

2. Overnight Chocolate Croissants: My dear friend told me about these. All you have to do is let them rise overnight and pop them in the oven in the morning. Voila! Fresh pastries for breakfast.

3. Miniature rose bush: these are a treat in the “treat yo self” sense. Mini flowers that come in a tiny pot. Doesn’t get much cuter. (The hydrangeas are also gorgeous!)

4. Chocolate Milk: I’ve searched long and hard and this is the most chocolatey, satisfying drink you will ever find.

5. Strawberries: Always fresh and pretty. I get all my produce at Trader Joe’s.

6. Greek yogurt guacamole dip: A lighter option for guacamole that still tastes delicious.

7. Chocolate covered pretzels: No explanation necessary.

8. Cat cookies: No these are not for your pets, they are just delicious, chocolate, graham crackers that are a tad addictive.

I still have a few things I want to try like their cold pressed watermelon juice, uncured bacon ganache bar, and salted caramel bread pudding.

What are YOUR favorites?

How to Pack for two weeks in Europe in a CARRY ON

The prettiest store front in Rome

When Sam and I were planning our trip to Europe last year, we decided to only bring carry on bags. Sam fit everything in a large backpack and I brought this rolling carry on, which Sam carried over cobble stone streets 90% of the time. If you plan to fly any budget airlines in Europe, you can only take a carry on bag, which is another reason why we did this. You should also make sure to check that your bag measurements work for the different European airlines. We were so glad that we chose to pack light. I’ve been asked a few times how we did it, so here is a packing list.

EUROPE PACKING LIST

2 jackets – one active/workout and one for sightseeing

1 pair of comfortable leggings (I wore these on all travel days- planes, trains & everything in between)

2 comfortable lightweight dresses (good for hot weather and can be packed very tightly)

1 pair of pants (I took these navy blue pixie pants from Old Navy because they are stretchy and not too hot)

1 embellished top (for when you want to class things up a bit)

1 cardigan sweater (lightweight)

1 short sleeve top

2 comfortable t-shirts

1 swimsuit (this is HARD for me as I love to have options, but seriously worth saving the room)

1 pair of athletic shoes

1 pair of walking shoes (I will swear by these Keds until the day I die because they were so comfortable!)

1 pair of flats

7 pairs of underwear (we bought laundry detergent and washed them halfway through our trip in our sink in our tiny room in Florence, Italy)

2 normal bras (cuz let’s be real, you’re gonna get sweaty)

1 sports bra

10 pairs of socks (I packed a lot of super thin ankle socks to wear with my walking shoes and was so glad I had them so my shoes didn’t smell and I didn’t get blisters)

1 money bag (this is a small pouch you wear around your neck and keep credit cards and cash in. After seeing a girl get her purse stolen in our first couple of days, we were so glad we used this)

1 small over the shoulder purse with some kind of locking clasp (I found my small bag (similar here) at Forever 21 and it was perfect. A great bag makes all the difference)

3 CARRY ON PACKING LAWS:

1. Pack in like colors. I picked cream, blue and gray as my main colors so that I could mix and match all of my pieces. This really helped and I would highly recommend doing it.

2. Don’t pack any jewelry. I had one pair of earrings in the entire time and I was so glad I didn’t bring my wedding ring or anything else that could have been misplaced.

3. Less is more. If you leave a little space in your bag, you can buy clothing on your trip, which is the best part!

If you can’t fit everything in your bag, just sneak the extras into your husband’s backpack and he won’t notice until you’re already in Europe!

Hope this helps if you’re planning a trip!

10 SUMMER Date Ideas

c/o Jessica Janae Photography @ Soulstice Retreat

This summer is flying by waaaaay to fast. In the midst of prepping and launching our new show the summer has started to dwindle away. Now that we are a month into the show it feels as if we are finally getting into the swing of things and finding a little time for fun. That being said we wanted to share a few of our favorite things to do with our significant others when we can be together.

1. Pool time: No explanation is really needed here. Although these are few and far between there is nothing that beats laying in/around/near a pool and relaxing in the sun. Our new favorite is Stein Eriksen where they serve you chilled pineapple pops! Our favorite suit this year is the flamingo one-piece (so flattering!). Or a fun group date that we have been wanting to do is play a game of slip-n-slide baseball, have you seen THIS video?

2. Hiking: Nothing is more soothing than being in the mountains enjoying some quiet time. Some new trails we have tried this year are: Lake Blanche, Blood Lake, and Big Water. Please share some of your favorites with us!

3. Developing a new hobby: We both married husbands that are pretty obsessed with golfing. Britt has taken lessons, while I have just started my attempt at hitting the ball. Overall, it is usually pretty entertaining and you can’t beat the scenery. Our favorite course right now is Wasatch Mountain in Heber.

4. Sunset scooter rides: they may seem immature, but they sure are a good time! We have gone up the canyon or to a sunset point. Hit me up if you would like to start a scooter gang!

5. Outdoor concert: we love heading up to Deer Valley for their concerts on summer nights. This summer’s favorite was definitely Kristin Chenoweth! She is hysterical and mega talented.

6. Snow cones: we have decided it is our personal mission to find the best snow cones in the Salt Lake valley. We have agreed that Hokulia are the biggest and by far the best! If we’re missing something fabulous, tell us! I have major FOMO when it comes to the best snow cones.

7. Outdoor movie night: grab a projector and a sheet and your good! This has become a favorite summer tradition because for some reason watching a movie outside is WAY better than watching one inside. Just make sure you pack lots of blankets and pillows! (and just watch Heavyweights because it’s the best movie to watch in the summer)

8. Baking: this goes against all things summer since it’s hot, but we’ve still found plenty of time for baking. Thanks to Si at A Bountiful Kitchen I have found my new go-to recipe. Best cookies I have ever made! Her recipes are always good.

9. Farmer’s market: SLC has one of the best downtown farmer’s markets. The produce is local and amazing, plus a bunch of other fun vendors with creative food and drinks. Don’t forget to stop by the Drake Family farm booth for some goat cheese, it is our favorite! Then take all of your goodies and go on a picnic.

10. Star gaze: this is different from the kind of “star gazing” I did in high school, this is where you actually look at the stars 🙂 But really, summertime skies are so beautiful and all you have to do is ask Mr.Google to help you download an astronomy app and you have a fun little date! This app is our favorite and we’ve found that it works a lot better than the free versions.

Hope you are all enjoying these last few weeks of summer! Thanks again for all the kind words about the show, we are really loving it.
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Bad Blood Music Video Auditions AKA Our First Time Boxing!

Spoiler alert: we didn’t actually audition for the Bad Blood music video (Taylor told us we’re not tall enough), but we did try boxing! Britt and I are up for pretty much anything when it comes to fitness. We love to try new things and get out of our routines. Britt started going to a boxing class and raved about it all the time. I was really hesitant for a few reasons:

– I have weak hands/wrists. (I’m a wimp)

– I don’t want bruises all over my body (I wasn’t aware that they have shin guards for you to wear in the boxing studio)

– I won’t look cute/calm/pleasant while doing it (you know that’s why we all love barre class!)

She talked me into attending a class this week when I complained about needing more cardio. So I headed down to Xcel Fitness, signed up for the XMA strike class, and it was an awesome experience! I started out quite nervous and reserved with all the punches, kicks, and knees. Jess, the instructor, was having none of it! haha. He quickly showed me the correct form and made me feel more at ease and comfortable with the gloves and punching bag. After a while I discovered a rhythm and started to really enjoy it. The class is great because it is truly a full body workout. In between boxing sets you are doing burpees, push-ups, and core exercises. I will definitely be going back. Now, I just need to find a solution for that horrible smell that you find in freshly used boxing gloves 🙂

A couple things to know about boxing if you decide to try it:

1. You need to buy your own hand wraps. They only cost a couple bucks and they save your hands! They add the cushion you need between your gloves and your skin.

2. You sweat a lot! It’s a tough workout, but you feel so tough doing it.

3. You burn anywhere between 600-1,000 calories per hour boxing. Amazing!

Any fun workouts we should try next?

Finding the Right Lipstick Color

We go through a lot of lipstick around here. When you have to dress up like a drag queen for TV every day, it’s easy to go through makeup like water! One thing that Brooke and I both love to change every day is our lipstick. It is an easy way to spice up any outfit. We are always trying to find the perfect color with the perfect texture.

Trestique just came out with a new lip crayon that has gloss on the other end – genius! Plus, the whole thing is magnetic. Our favorite colors are “Nammos Pink” and “Nantucket Nude”. I like to do the crayon first and then put gloss on top, but if you like to have a more sheer finish, you can apply the gloss first. I have never really understood people who loved nude lip color, that is until I tried “Nantucket Nude”. I wore it for my birthday dinner because it made me feel sophisticated and summery.

Trestique makes crayons for all different types of makeup: eyeliner, blush, and even foundation. We loved all of them because they are compact and you can easily throw them in your purse without damaging them. I just get so excited when makeup companies come up with something new! What lipsticks have you loved lately?

{cheesy birthday date selfie}

Soulstice Retreat

Sunshine, mountain air, fitness classes, yummy food and women from around the world… sign me up! We were so excited to be invited to spend some time at Soulstice Retreat in Deer Valley at the Stein Ericksen lodge. We are lucky enough to know Albion Fit founder Liz Findlay and the amazing ladies behind Awaken Retreats. Needless to say, we were pumped to find out we won a one night stay at Soulstice Retreat! They know how to throw a party!

The retreat included group fitness sessions running all day long. We took HIGH Fitness, Reformer Pilates, Aerial Yoga, HIIT and Core-X. Oh my gosh are we sore today!

Liz also organized a book club; we read The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. It was a fascinating read and I really enjoyed the overarching theme of overcoming challenges and what it means to truly love. It’s a page turner that really makes you think. There were also several inspiring speakers and of course the backdrop of stunning Deer Valley.

We expected we would have a great time, but we didn’t realize we would make friends from all around the world. Whether it was chatting at breakfast or having a hot tub party Saturday night, we felt so lucky to spend time with such fun girls!

{beautiful artwork by Hem Creative. they handmade all of the paper flowers}

{we went to our first HIGH Fitness class and absolutely loved it! The Six Sisters joined us for the fun, they are all so cute!}

We took a break from workout classes to hang at the pool with some friends. The perks of the pool at Stein: they pass out sunscreen so you don’t have to bring your own, cold water bottles whenever you want and they give you chilled watermelon pops! We were in heaven. It was such an amazing weekend! Huge thanks to Albion Fit & Soulstice Retreat for letting us come hang out!

ALT Summit Stars You Need To Know About

We were so thrilled to be invited to host a round table discussion at Alt Summit. If you don’t know about Alt, it is a 4 day conference, held in Salt Lake City, where creatives from around the world come together to learn. {As well as party hard together in some of the most insanely gorgeous set ups you have ever seen.} Britt and I spoke on creating a relationship with the media and how to make the most of your opportunities. We were overwhelmed by the caliber of women that were asking US for help! It was intimidating but so gratifying. Women working together to help one another achieve goals feels so good. As we met with attendees we found some new gals that made us wish everyday was ALT Summit. They are inspiring, funny, creative, and well just nice.

#1 Rachel Ryle: She was named the top Instagrammer to follow by Buzzfeed. She is a creative genius and her stop motion videos are just so dang CUTE! She was one of the Keynote speakers and was able to share her story of success. Come to find out she is a wonderful person who has stayed incredibly humble despite her catapult to success. Thanks to her popularity she is moving to New York City and opening her own studio! We loved interviewing her.

#2 Danielle Kryssa: Homegirl is the best. She has worked with Oprah among other big names, yet she still had time to chat with us. She lives in a picturesque town in Canada where she runs the website The Jealous Curator. She is an art expert and curates her favorite contemporary art and then shares it with the world. {Little does she know that we are planning a trip to stay with her ASAP…jk, but not really.} Up next she is releasing her second book. We miss you already Danielle!

#3 Reachel Bagley: Rachel is a Phoenix fashion stylist. She is as sweet as pie and so fun to chat with. If you have a fashion question – she’s your girl! She has helped thousands of women across America find their sense of style. It was fun to have Rachel do the color test on us, we’re hoping she returns to Utah soon!

#4 Nancy Soriano: (the one is glasses below) Nancy is author of “The Jewelry Recipe Book“. She is a true New Yorker and is incredibly refined. We were lucky enough to be at the same dinner as her and delighted to hear about her life in the city. Her book is full of SO many fun projects. We will just be making our own necklaces for the next 24 hours nbd.

#5 Gabrielle Blair: (bleach blonde next to Brooke) Gabrielle is known in the blogging and writing world as Design Mom, she is also the brains and beauty behind ALT Summit. She has created something truly amazing, it’s in it’s 11th year! She recently came out with her own book called “Design Mom”. We got a copy and spent every spare minute reading it. The book is full of fun tips and tricks and appeals to pretty much every person on the planet. It’s fun to read about Gabrielle’s life in the Bay area. We want to send out a special thank you to Gabrielle for inviting us to be speakers. We had the best time!

Below we have posted a few more fun moments from the summit! xo

Baby Shower

One of our very best friends Mary is expecting. She currently lives in Omaha, but somehow we got her to come out to Salt Lake so we could throw her a little party. Mar has known us since junior high. She is exactly the type of friend everyone needs in their corner — someone totally and completely supportive and loving, while also being the person who will ugly cry with you from laughing so hard! We cannot wait to meet little Rose Olivia soon!! We held the party at our friend Melanie’s gorgeous new home in Heber. It’s seriously perfect and she designed the entire thing! It was such a fun day of celebrating with the best of friends.

“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Maui Wowie

Our striped maxi dresses are from Island Company. So soft & comfy! If you’ve been searching for a maxi dress that looks cute, but feels like pajamas, this is it!

Britt loved wearing the Albion Catalina Pin up top and cute ruffle bottoms… just enough coverage to feel fine about eating dessert, but still getting a great tan 🙂 I’m wearing the flattering-on-everyone Albion Venice Beach one piece.

We were lucky enough to spend a week in Maui with one of our favorite couples in the entire world. Britt and I met Erin while attending BYU and going through the Broadcast Journalism program. While there we were able to watch Erin meet Cole, fall in love, and eventually get married. They are one of those all around amazing couples that make you want to be better. Right now they live in California so we jumped at the chance to be able to spend 7 uninterrupted days with them in Hawaii. Erin is the type of friend that goes above and beyond to make everyone feel comfortable and have fun. Not to mention they have the worlds cutest baby who did not cry the entire trip! We love them dearly and are so grateful they introduced us to such a pretty piece of paradise! We stayed at their condo on Kaanapali Beach and tried to pack in as much as possible.

Our top 5 favorite things we did were:

1. Swimming with turtles at Napili Beach. They are ginormous and so cool to see in their element.

2. Bamboo Forest Hike. This is along the road to Hana and was a definite highlight. Although I fell so many times I stopped counting. It gets a little muddy 🙂 You pass countless waterfalls and the scenery can’t be beat.

3. Jumping off Black Rock. Every night a local man jumps from the rock at sunset as part of an island tradition. We decided to give it a try and it was extremely fun!

4. Hula Pie, anywhere and anytime. We fell in love with this dessert and most definitely ate waaaaay too much of it while we there. We loved all of the restaurants we tried on the island. Some favorites included: Leilani’s, Hula Grill, and Cheeseburger in Paradise.

5. Paddle boarding along Kaanapali Beach. Paddle boarding is always fun and the water is the perfect temperature so it doesn’t matter if you fall in!

We can’t thank Erin and Cole enough. The trip was fabulous and we hope they become our permanent travel buddies!