Twin Tested Archives - Page 15 of 15

Million Dollar Arm

I had so much fun at my first movie junket. Basically, a junket is where a bunch of media comes to a hotel to interview the stars of a new movie. In this case, it was for Disney’s new film Million Dollar Arm. The movie stars Mad Men hunk Jon Hamm, along with Lake Bell and Aasif Mandvi, who was hilarious in The Internship. This was a solo trip, which actually turned out to be very relaxing and fun. I stayed at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills where all of the interviews took place. It is fancy! The best part was ordering room service to my heart’s content. I saw the movie at a downtown Los Angeles theater on Friday night and then did all of the interviews Saturday morning. The movie was so heartwarming and fun. I found myself laughing out loud throughout the entire thing. It’s definitely a movie the entire family will thoroughly enjoy. The coolest part is that it’s based on a true story. Million Dollar Arm is the name of a baseball scouting competition in India. The movie tells the story of the first year of that competition. :::Jon Hamm kept eye contact during the entire interview and amazed me with his Utah knowledge. He says he has quite a bit of family that live here. His eyes are a tad bit mesmerizing::: :::Lake Bell was such a fun lady! She was wearing slippers during our interview and actually just announced that she is expecting her first baby. There are at least five times during the movie that you want to high five her. She is a great girl power character::: :::I got to talk to the guys the movie is based on. J.B. Bernstein and Rinku Singh. What an incredible story to be a part of::: :::the most beautiful room with such an awesome view of the city::: :::maybe 1/4 of my amazing room service dinner (not pictured: juicy burger, truffle fries and heavenly bread basket)::: :::guess who forgot her swimsuit? yep, i was the fully dressed weirdo lounging by the pool in 85 degrees, but it was still awesome::: :::probably sent Sam 75 selfies throughout the weekend… cuz that’s what you do when you travel by yourself :::

Hope you are all having a great week! I can’t wait to go back to the land of sunshine and celebrities.

xoxo Britt

Twin Travels: Lake Tahoe Top 10

#1 Heavenly Resort Gondola

This is like riding to the top of the world. You have an absolutely breathtaking view from the top.

#2 Snowmobiling

We got to take a ride through Hope, Faith & Charity valleys. There was a fresh layer of snow that was untouched, plus you get to wear the warmest, most awesome body suits ever.

#3 Basecamp Pizza + Heavenly Ice Rink

This is the perfect date night. Go to Basecamp and order the house pizza with some salad and hot cocoa. Then, go skate on the most magical little rink once the lights go on.

#4 Sierra Ski Resort

This is where we got to take snowboarding lessons. Even though Britt fell off the lift and then it hit her in the head 🙂 Are you surprised? We are the klutziest people alive!

#5 Snowshoeing

We went snowshoeing in Hope Valley. It was the most beautiful backdrop and we wanted to stay all day. All of the locals told us it is the best place to snowshoe and cross country ski.

#6 Heavenly Resort Apres Ski Party

I had no idea you could have so much fun dancing in ski boots. This is a full blown DJ pumping tunes dance party. Everyone from the 80-year-olds to the little kids are dancing their hearts out at 4:00 in the afternoon. Too much fun!

(not a pic of the dance party, but the amazing director Jerry helped us all day long and even hiked up the ski hill in his jeans to get the perfect camera angle!)

#7 Sprouts

Our favorite restaurant in town. Fresh, fresh, fresh! Everything tasted like it had been picked out of the garden that morning. We ordered the Vegetable Crunch melt sandwich, Turkey melt and a green juice. Everything was so flavorful and filling.

#8 Heavenly Resort Skiing

This was a life changer. Skiing has never been our forte (duh). So, we started at the tow rope with the 5-year-olds (seriously!), then moved to the magic carpet lift (basically an escalator for skis), then finally to a real lift! We had the most patient teacher, gorgeous Liesl. We had such a fun time flying through the powder by the end of the day! Heavenly is literally a ski resort on the very top of the mountain. Worth a trip just for the views.

#9 Emerald Bay

We got a tour of this iconic location from the one and only Ranger Don Lane. He has been a part of the area for decades and shared so many fun facts. Did you know there is a tea house on the island in Lake Tahoe? Did you know that there is a 38-room castle on one of the shores? The colors of the water in Emerald Bay are riveting because they are constantly changing. We could not stop snapping pictures. It only takes about 30 minutes to drive to the point and walk around the area.

#10 Spending time with an amazing cast & crew

We feel like we have truly gained lifelong friends from Pine Ridge and also our three new friends from San Francisco: Sean, Kelly and Ashley. We are so excited to see all of these experiences put together into an episode of “Getting Away Together”. It is set to air on the next season of the show, we will keep you updated for dates and times!

Goodbye Lake Tahoe, we can’t wait to come back!

Twin Travels: Lake Tahoe

If you follow us on social media you know that we are on a whirlwind adventure in Lake Tahoe! We were invited to participate in a travel show called “Getting Away Together”. It was a last minute opportunity that was too good to pass up. It is our first time to Lake Tahoe and we are hooked. Each day has been packed full of wintery adventures. Our first day included a snowboard lesson at the Sierra ski resort with the nicest instructors and fresh powder. Then we finished the day with an ice skating session at the most charming town rink. Along for the episode are three amazing people from San Francisco. We have loved getting to know Sean, Kelly, and Ashley!

We were saying some serious prayers before going up on the mountain in a 20 degree blizzard.

But we survived & had so much fun (no one fainted!!)

Then we headed to the Heavenly Ice Skating Rink (that is really what it is called!) and it lived up to it’s name. Perfect twinkling lights with softly falling snow.

Of course had to have one laugh attack on the ice…

We also made friends with this local puppy named Nikai. Basically Tahoe is dog heaven.

One of the rules while visiting Lake Tahoe in the winter is at least 3 cups of hot cocoa per day. Preferably the kind that tastes like a cup of pure melted chocolate with loads of whipped cream. Yummm. We are being forced to eat some of the best food ever! Our favorite place so far is Basecamp Pizza. Delightful homemade pizza in the most unique and delicious flavors. Our fave was the Thai chicken and house special!

Twin Travels: Hawaii

Sam and I had such a great time in Hawaii at the beginning of January.
We went to the Big Island and stayed in Kona.
Scroll down for my list of favorite things to do 🙂

{the Hawaii crew, so lucky to be a part of this family}

{my favorite place we went…. the Waipio Valley}

{i married a water baby. he was in the ocean 99% of the time}

{have you ever seen anything better? smelly wetsuits for everyone!}
Activities:
– Snorkeling: some of the best clearest water in the world! Captain Cook monument is probably the best and most popular spot.
– Waipio Valley: hands down the most beautiful place I have ever been. It is a pretty steep hike in, but so worth it! You get to spend the day on a black sand beach with wild horses and waterfalls.
– Manta Ray Dive: this was unfortunately a hilarious mistake. For about $100 per person, you are promised a dive with manta rays swimming all around you. We went on a night when the water was choppy and cold and only saw one tiny manta. My advice– check the weather before you go 🙂

Eats:
– Lava Lava Beach Club: my hands down favorite restaurant on the island. They have the BEST burger I have ever tasted. It is a blue cheese with guacamole and amazing sauces. They also have a yummy rice bowl that comes in a real pineapple. Amazing!
– Tex’s Drive In: Everyone else shared a few malasadas while I ate two huge ones! They were so tasty. You can watch them make the donut like treats right in front of you. It is located in Honokaa.

A big huge thank you to my amazing in laws for the trip of a lifetime that we will always remember!

– Britt

***All photos courtesy of my cutie photographer sister-in-law Annie 🙂

An Afternoon with Steve Madden

We got to interview mega designer Steve Madden on his first trip to Utah. He is in town for Sundance and an event at Nordstrom at Fashion Place Mall. He was much more down to earth than we were expecting. In Brooke’s words, “the complete opposite of Anna Wintour”.

Steve told us what it takes to start your own company, the trend he hates, and what he thinks of working with the Olsen twins.

You can read the full interview below.

B&B: IT’S YOUR FIRST TRIP TO SALT LAKE CITY, WHAT DO YOU THINK SO FAR?

SM: It’s great, I’m staying in Park City and it is beautiful.

B&B: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHILE YOU’RE HERE?

SM: We are just going to catch a few films, I leave Monday night.

B&B: THERE IS A HUGE CROWD DOWNSTAIRS WAITING TO MEET YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HAVING SUCH A HUGE FAN BASE IN UTAH?

SM: It’s unbelievable, there was a nice little article written about me yesterday in the Salt Lake Tribune, it’s great, it’s very nice. I’ve always thought it was a fashionable town. It really is. I always notice that, girls from Salt Lake are really cool.

(***Steve is happily married with 3 kids, so pretty sure he was being serious here and not just pouring on the sugar 🙂 ).

B&B: HOW DID YOU START YOUR BUSINESS?

SM: I started my business with $1,100 and I decided if it was 40 pairs of shoes I was going to sell that was it, and then it just pyramided.

B&B: HOW DO YOU STAY SO CONSISTENT? IT SEEMS LIKE NO MATTER THE YEAR OR SEASON, STEVE MADDEN IS ALWAYS IN STYLE.

SM: We’re insecure so we’re always working hard.

B&B: WHO DO YOU HAVE IN MIND WHEN YOU ARE DESIGNING?

SM: People that I work with, or more democratic, I don’t think of any stars or celebrities, I just try to make shoes people like to wear.

B&B: FAVORITE TREND?

SM: I like what you’re wearing.

(***He said this to Brooke was wearing a pair of Steve Madden studded boots)

B&B: ONE TREND YOU ARE SICK OF?

SM: Platform pumps. They are starting to look a little old to me. We sell them in our stores, but they’re starting to look a little old.

B&B: A TREND YOU WISH WOULD DISAPPEAR FOREVER?

SM: Sneakers

B&B: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF BLOGGERS?

SM: I love it, it’s a great trend. Things are changing and it’s fine. I’m not a big “I like the old days” kind of guy. I would rather look at Wikipedia than the Encyclopedia. By the way, Wikipedia has my age wrong, i’m really 56, but Wikipedia says i’m 55.

B&B: WHAT IS A NORMAL DAY LIKE?

SM: I have a lot on my plate, but everybody has a lot on their plate and I really mean that. Whatever someone has going on in their life is important to them. I have a pretty big company and I have three young kids.

B&B: DO YOUR KIDS LIKE YOUR SHOES?

SM: My daughter, the darling who is named after me loves Skechers. (Face palm then laughs)

(*** By the way, his daughter is 6 years old.)

Then Steve turned the tables and asked us a few questions.

SM: You’re identical?

B&B: YES.

SM: Are the Olsens identical? (He works with Mary-Kate and Ashley on a very regular basis)

B&B: NO, THEY’RE FRATERNAL (WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE WE THOUGHT WE WERE MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY GROWING UP)

SM: Well, the Olsens look 100% more alike than you to do. You look very different from each other.

So, as you can tell Steve is a down to earth, nice and normal guy. The best part is that he is one of maybe three people in the world that think we look nothing alike 🙂

Twin Tested: How to Stay Cool

Now that we are in the dead heat of summer the only thing on our minds in staying cool.

Other than hitting the pool we found some products that keepy you fresh under the sun.

Caudalie Grape Water:

Britt was tipped off about this by her mother-in-law.
Her trick is to keep it in the fridge and then applying a mist a few times throughout the day.
It is really refreshing and your makeup stays put.

Sold at Sephora, get it HERE.
$18

Drysol:

If there is one product you get, have it be this lifesaver!

If you avoid light colored clothing due to sweating issues this is for you.

You apply the liquid at night and it stops all underarm sweat.

To get some go to your doctor and get a prescription.

$10

Diptyque Solid Perfume:

This is the next big trend in the fragrance world.
Diptyque is the first major company to jump on the band wagon.
I personally think the little cases are functional and last longer than a stick of roll-on perfume.
Sold at Nordstrom.
$48

Sweat Block:

These cool anti perspirant wipes were created by a professor at BYU.
They are incredibly simple to use, you just wipe them on your underams ONCE A WEEK and then you are sweat free.
Pretty neat.
They tingle and smell similar to Drysol, but do not require a prescription.
You can order a pack online.
www.sweatblock.com
1 pack is $15.99 (8 wipes)
Toilet Seat Cover:

We’ve told you about this deep, dark secret before…
Those thin paper toilet seat covers in public restrooms work WAY BETTER than the expensive blotting tissue you can buy.
Simply pat it against your oily face and you will be shocked at how well it takes off shine.
The best part… these are FREE!

Twin Tested: Salt Water Floatation Therapy

Whaaaaaaaaat?

Yeah, we thought the same thing when we heard about this.

Salt water floatation therapy is the newest form of rest and relaxation that has just made its way to Utah.

So, here’s how it goes: you go lay and float in a 200 gallon tank filled with salt water for one hour.

In the end, you are supposed to feel rejuvenated, revitalized, relaxed and stress free.

I have to tell you a secret, I was so scared!

The whole idea of laying in a circular pod filled with mysterious salt water freaked me out a little bit.

I’m happy to say it went much better in real life than in my head 🙂

Getting used to floating is a very interesting feeling, but pretty cool.

You can watch the segment HERE!

They say floating for one hour is the equivalent of getting 4 full hours of REM sleep!

I don’t think I felt THAT rested, but in order to get the full results you are supposed to go about once a week.

Pretty high tech crazy stuff!

If you want more info:

Salt City Float Spa

7050 South Highland Drive

Suite 220S alt Lake City, UT 84117

801-928-4600

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