Twin Tested

London Top 10

Sam and I are still trying to process all of the things we saw on our European adventure, it was so amazing! We still like each other (yay) and we had such a fantastic time exploring together. I feel so lucky to have such a great travel partner. I know it sounds cheesy, but experiencing everything with Sam made it so much sweeter. To start things off, here are our Top 10 Sights to See in London!

#10 Buckingham Palace

It’s such an iconic and historical location, how can you miss this? One of the most fun things to see here is the Changing of the Guard that happens every day at 11:30am. I don’t know how those guards stand so still!

#9 Tower Bridge at night.

Magical. If you’re looking for a romantic evening stroll, head to the Tower Bridge. It is magnificently lit up at night and a great spot to wander around.

#8 Borough Market

Food Heaven. You would never guess we had traveled straight for 20 hours when we took this pic, right? When I lived in London, I don’t think I ever missed a Thursday at Borough. You MUST get the grilled cheese sandwich from the Kappacasein stand and we also splurged for the raclette because we were starving. Don’t even get me started on the chocolate… Some of the best food in London if you ask me. It’s also a great spot to go if you are touring St. Paul’s Cathedral because it’s right across the bridge.

#7 Lion King at Lyceum Theater (or any other show because they are all amazing)

Musicals are amazing, but musicals with British accents?! Basically nothing better. I always recommend going to the theater the day of and asking for their cheapest tickets. More often than not, they will offer you “partial view” seats, which usually mean really close but you can’t see one corner of the stage. We went to Lion King for 32 pounds each and sat in a box.

#6 Kensington Palace & Gardens

This is one of the most quintessentially British places you can visit. The perfectly manicured gardens are great for a morning run or an afternoon stroll. If you would like to spend some time there, I would recommend going to the Orangery for tea because it is straight out of a storybook. We tried to stalk Will & Kate, but couldn’t find them anywhere…

#5 South Bank

This is a fun area of London near the London Eye and aquarium that is filled with street performers, food trucks and fun restaurants. We got to hang out on a rooftop garden and tried out Giraffe restaurant (which sadly wasn’t that great).

#4 Trafalgar Square

The center of London. This is the best people watching location. On a sunny day in London town, there is really no place better to be.

#3 National Gallery

My favorite museum of all time. Sam had to endure quite a few hours of wandering, but lucky for him there are nice comfy couches everywhere. The building is gorgeous, clean and huge and displays two of my favorite artists’ work Monet and Degas. The water lily paintings are even prettier in person!

#2 Portobello Market

This is hands down the best market in London. It happens every Saturday on Portobello Road and is always packed. It is filled with antiques, London memorabilia, new clothing and lots of great food. Of course my favorite is the Portobello Crepes stand! Sam loves the bratwurst and middle eastern food.

#1 Big Ben & Parliament

It is so cool to see such an iconic site in person.

London will always have my heart, I just love the energy and vibe of the entire city. Please do not be alarmed if the next time you see me I have a little bit of an accent 🙂

Cheers,

Britt

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: Aulani Hawaii

I was lucky enough to go on a work trip to the Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa on Oahu. It was pure paradise! Disney definitely knows how to do things right. Every detail celebrated the Hawaiian culture and added to the overall experience. I traveled with my gorgeous co-workers Kari and Jenna. To say we had fun is an understatement. I love these ladies and we really had the best time together! We filmed with crews from Disney that were amazing and professional, I already miss everyone there. I think I ate my weight in Mickey rice krispie treats every day. Take me back!

I seriously cannot recommend the Aulani enough, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have had such a fun opportunity. I loved every minute there and did not want to leave. I have not been back to Oahu since I lived there in college and it brought back so many sweet memories.

Aloha oe, until we meet again!

– Brooke

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 🙂

Covering the GRAMMYS

This has been the best year yet at the Grammys! We have had such a great time and talked to so many fun people. Here are a few fun facts from the show:

– The red carpet starts at noon. This means performers and presenters have about a 12 hour day starting on the red carpet and ending at the after party.

– Not all stars smell good or have fresh breath… however Keith Urban wins for the best of both of those this year! And his Aussie accent doesn’t hurt either. When we asked Keith if wakes up every morning feeling like the coolest guy in the world, he laughed and said, “No! Only Jay-Z wakes up feeling like that.”

– Ozzy Osbourne came backstage and told us how much he loves Taylor Swift. But, he is hands down the hardest person on the planet to understand!

– Most celebrities are very petite. Hunter Hayes, Sara Hyland, and Keith Urban are all very small. One new to the “tiny” category is Miranda Lambert. After dropping a ton of weight this year, she is sooo skinny, we don’t think she needs to lose one more pound.

– Country newcomer and big winner Kasey Musgraves came backstage and chatted with us for a minute. First off, she is flawless and so genuine. She said her favorite moment of the night was seeing the whole event through her mom’s eyes who had never been to Los Angeles before.

– Sara Bareilles was just as nice as you would think she is. On the red carpet she actually got choked up telling us about her mega hit “Brave” and why she wrote it for a friend.

– Teen pop star Austin Mahone is adorable and sang me part of his new hit song with Pitbull. We are rooting for him to take Justin Bieber’s spot in tween girl’s hearts everywhere!

– Willie Nelson looks like he is on the verge of death and his posse is all older than him!

– Madonna was truly terrifying. We did not dare make eye contact. She had on a gold grill, was walking with a cane and looks like she is about 85.

– Katy Perry skips us every year and goes straight to the Japanese reporters and tries to speak with them??? Very confusing.

– DJ Kaskade is very handsome and fun to chat with. He had just returned from performing at Sundance. He makes up to $100,000 per performance!!

– We have seen Paris Hilton at the Grammys the last 3 years and we still can’t figure out why she is there.

– Daft Punk seriously covers their heads at all times because they don’t want to be recognized. That is why Pharrell ended up doing their acceptance speeches for them.

{Keith Urban – Brittany is just a little excited in this pic}

{Ray from ET showing us the ropes}

{Cutie pie Austin Mahone}

{The handsome DJ Kaskade}

{Louise Roe interviewing Paris Hilton}

{The E stage where Guiliana and Kelly O. were stationed. Guiliana needs to eat a burger it seems like she gets skinnier each year}

GRAMMYS GIFT LOUNGE

Every year we look forward to checking out the GRAMMYS Gift Lounge by Distinctive Assets. In a nutshell, it is an impeccably designed lounge where musicians gather to pick up their swag bags. This year we were pleasantly surprised with the variety of products. There was everything from mini robots that can dance to your music to under eye wrinkle removers made out of 24 karat gold. Stars also received extravagant freebies like all-inclusive trips to Vegas worth more than $10,000 and custom Gibson guitars. Here is a peak into everything we were able to try out today!

A mom from the Midwest was chosen as the interior decorator for the event. She recycles materials to make amazing things. Check out her piano waterfall masterpiece below!

Popular products from Asia always make their way into the gifting suite. This year it happened to be facial strips infused with REAL gold. GIFTLOUNGE14

The Gibson guitar booth is a favorite of ours, this year we especially loved the teal guitar. Now if only we could learn how to play one…?Britt picked out some adorable sunglasses that Anne Hathaway had grabbed a few hours prior to our visit.

One of the quirkier booths was all about bow ties. The creators were very down to earth and were thrilled to tell us that Steven Tyler had picked up a few of their products earlier in the day. And last but not least Britt got a massage with lotion from Japan that promises to give skin a smoother appearance and get rid of cellulite in less than a month. We’ll let you know if it worked 🙂

All in all it has been a fabulous day ending with a sunset at the Santa Monica beach pier. We are so excited to hit the red carpet tomorrow. Stay tuned for updates throughout the big show!

Grammy Glam Squad

We have already had quite the whirlwind of a day. It began at 6:00am at H2Blow Dry Bar in Foothill Village. The sweet girls were the best glam squad we could have asked for! They did protein treatments on our hair, washed it, and then made it bouncy and beautiful! Seriously, their combination of products does something magical to hair. And there is hands down nothing better in this entire world than having someone else blow dry your hair so you don’t have to…

Then, fabulous makeup artist Elyse made it look like we were actually awake! She gave me a fun smokey eye with a pink lip. For Brooke, she did a winged liner with the prettiest burgundy lip. It is so much fun to be pampered and we love the girls at H2Blow Dry Bar!

One thing they taught me last time they did my hair is the importance of root lifter… what is root lifter you ask? It is one of their magical hair products that gives you major volume. I now use it every day, without fail because my hair has never been the same. HERE is the brand that they introduced me to.

If you want more information about H2Blow Dry Bar, go HERE

They are located in Foothill Village in Salt Lake City.

Twin Tested: The Fainting Mystery

After getting hundreds of messages from viewers wondering what caused my fainting spell on live TV I decided to go and get checked out. The whole situation made me a little nervous, but I took Britt along with me because she has experienced the same symptoms (and she provides great moral support)! We met with Dr. Jeffrey Anderson from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute who had us both get an EKG. If you haven’t had one before, like me, I was surprised to find out the process is really quick, simple, and pain-free! Thankfully, the results came back positive and we just have a high sensitivity to cold weather. Overall, our hearts are healthy and we do not have to worry about any special treatment. Dr. Anderson said we need to be careful when we spend time outside in arctic temperatures, I guess that means that we will have to plan more trips to Hawaii? 🙂

Brittany-Amy-1

As a little anecdote here are a few diagnoses I have gotten from viewers that made me laugh:

– I am pregnant: What a great story that would be! I am NOT pregnant, sorry to disappoint.

– I planned the entire fainting spell: If only I was this good at knowingly creating a viral video, watch out for part 2 😉

– I just need to eat more sugar: I love everything from cookies to cinnamon rolls – so maybe I should work on doing the opposite?

– I have an eating disorder: I have a major love for food and I honestly pride myself in taking good care of my body with a (mostly) healthy diet and exercise.

– I have SVT, SADS, or that I might die tomorrow: I am so relieved that I am not going to die!! But honestly, I appreciate all of the well wishes and kind words. Fainting can obviously be a serious concern. If you have any questions about your own health, go and see your doctor.

*All photos courtesy of Intermountain Medical Center*

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