Red Butte Garden is the perfect place to start the #LoveWhereYouLive April challenge

Announcing our April Challenge #LoveWhereYouLive

This month we are embracing the challenge #LoveWhereYouLive sponsored by Visit Salt Lake. As born and raised Utahns, we absolutely love where we live and want to tell everyone about it! Throughout the month, we will be highlighting some of our favorite places in Salt Lake County. One of the coolest things we just learned about is the Visit Salt Lake CONNECT PASS. It gets you into 16 of the hottest attractions – like Hogle Zoo, Thanksgiving Point, The Leonardo, and Red Butte Garden for under $100! It is by far the best deal we have been able to find. We are so excited to have a Spring filled with exploring some of our favorite spots. Our first stop is Red Butte Garden in the foothills of Salt Lake City.

If you haven’t been following along, let us catch you up to speed on the monthly challenges.

We decided we wanted a focus in 2019 and monthly challenges were the perfect way to execute it. So in January, we did the #GetReadyChallenge where we got ready every single day in January. We had seen research about it boosting productivity and were pleasantly surprised by our results on January 31st. You can read more about our experience here.

In February we did the #MakeYourBed challenge

There are entire books dedicated to this exact thing so we decided it was worth our time. We also freshened up our bedroom spaces throughout the month and made them extra cozy during the cold winter months. You can read more about that experience here.

In March we did the #MoveChallenge

It was simple, move each day in whatever way you choose. Thanks to the warming weather we moved with walks, swimming, and gym visits. We also answered the question, “Are Amazon Leggings That Great?” by comparing to of our favorite pairs that each run for about $25! Read more about our favorite fitness items here.

Now for April, we get to focus on the #LoveWhereYouLive challenge

As lifelong SLC’ers, we truly LOVE where we live. The close access to the mountains, the proximity to downtown, and the fun and unique neighborhoods to visit. This month we will share what makes Salt Lake special to us.

It just felt right to kick things off with Red Butte Garden. High above the city, it is a great spot for first-time visitors to Utah, as well as those that have lived here for years and never taken advantage of the beauty in their own backyard. Did you know Red Butte is the largest botanical garden in the Intermountain West, with over 21 acres of developed gardens and five miles of hiking trails? Promise you won’t be bored when you visit! Over the next few weeks, there will be more than 1 million flowers blooming at Red Butte Garden thanks to years of planting, and hard work. It’s the perfect time to plan your visit!

Here are a few of our favorite spots in the gardens:

The Children’s Garden: It is incredibly whimsical with a miniature snake maze and a tiny house.
The Duck Pond: Stunning setting with a waterfall and ducks playing in the water. The girls loved it. Would make a beautiful spot for family photos!
Atrium: The atrium is home to hundreds of upscale events each year with a jaw-dropping view of the city and gorgeous natural light.
Fragrance Garden: Just as it sounds, this garden awakens the senses and teaches you a few things about your favorite flavors and smells.

Fun fact: You can also experience the gardens at the Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series every summer. It is a world class outdoor music experience. Which means they do sell out fast, so get your tickets right when they are released! The full summer concert lineup announcement is coming on April 16. You can learn more here.

Red Butte Garden is just one of the 16 attractions you get access to with the Connect Pass. The Connect Pass is open to visitors to Utah as well as locals. Pass holders save 50-80% on regular admission!

Regular admission to all of the included attractions would add up to over $234, so the Connect Pass is an incredibly good deal at just $96. For a look at the full list of attractions, how to purchase and some FAQ’s go here.

Some other spots we are excited to visit this month that are included with the pass: The Leonardo, Tracy Aviary, Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum and the Utah Museum of Fine Art. The pass is perfect for summertime exploring!

So, how do you get the Connect Pass? Go to the Visit Salt Lake website HERE.

We are so excited about this challenge. No matter where you are in the world we would love you to take part and show us how YOU #LoveWhereYouLive!

Are Amazon leggings really that great?

*There are affiliate links in this blog post. They do not affect the price that you pay for anything we have linked to. We work hard to find you the best deals.

The Great Leggings Debate

Our March monthly challenge is MOVE so we wanted to share our recent finds when it comes to the best leggings to wear to the gym. If you have followed us for a little while then you know that we treasure nothing more than an amazing pair of black leggings (pretty sure 99% of girls feel this way too)!

Lululemon dupes

That being said we have been hearing about Lululemon dupes for the past year and got really excited when we found the 90 degree reflex leggings on Amazon for $20. They are thick with a great fitting waistband. However, our gym crew recently talked us into trying out the CRZ leggings on Amazon for $26. We decided we HAD to do a comparison for you all so that we could once and for all crown our athleisure leggings winner!

Britt in 90-degree by Reflex

90-degree leggings that work for every day and the gym

So first we will talk about the 90-degree leggings. They are thick, like so thick you are POSITIVE that no one is getting a view when you are bent over. They are cozy. We got ours during the colder months and to say they have been on repeat is an understatement. They stretch and are easy to slip on and off. They wash well and have held up really nicely. And last but definitely not least – they can pass for pants!! Meaning, we wear ours with sweaters, jackets, sweatshirts, and they look cute!

CRZ leggings are incredible Lululemon dupes

Next up, CRZ Leggings on Amazon $26. These leggings are super silky and soft. They are more of an athletic fabric than the 90-degree leggings. They are super light and breathable. They also have a great shape and waistband that holds you in at all of the right places. And the very best part about hese pants… POCKETS! The fact that you can easily slide your phone in when you are on the way to the gym or working out is a game changer! The only downside with these is that they are an athletic shiny fabric so you can’t get away with wearing them all day with a sweater over top like the 90-degree leggings.

Which leggings are best?

So, the final consensus is… get BOTH! Haha, some of you may be rolling your eyes but just think how much you wear black leggings. It is worth it to have two pairs that you love – for less than the price of one Lulu pair. We got the full-length size in both options. They both have some really cute colors if you are more into that than black. We all know we would rather be wearing leggings than jeans any day!

Wait, there’s more!

We need to add an update because we found ANOTHER brand on Amazon that we absolutely love! It’s called Colorful Koala and you can find it here. I have both dark navy and leopard print and have been so pleased with both pairs of leggings.

If I had to wear one pair of pants for the rest of my life, it would be the leopard print leggings. Get them here. They have sold out multiple times and I had to wait a couple weeks to get mine, but it was worth it!

They are buttery soft and hold up really well being washed and worn constantly. As far as leggings go, one of the most important factors is if they are see-through. These are definitely not! Gotta love leggings that pass the squat test. Hope you love them as much as I do!

How to plan a Spring Staycation at Little America Hotel

This winter seems to be neverending so we were thrilled when our friends at Little America Hotel asked if we wanted to stay in downtown Salt Lake City for a Spring staycation! It just so happened that the night we planned to stay, Britt and Sam’s power went out because of the snow storm. Talk about perfect timing!

Upon arrival at the hotel, you are immediately transported out of your day-to-day routine and into a cozy, inviting atmosphere. When you travel with toddlers you are never sure how things are going to go but the girls absolutely loved it! There was plenty of room for Hazel and Lila to run around and explore.There is so much to do at the hotel that we had to plan on our time wisely. When we reached our respective rooms there were large fresh fruit platters waiting for us. (They must know that both of our girls live on 90% fruit and gobbled it up!)

The pool and hot tub area are very family friendly so we knew we wanted to take a quick dip before the girls’ bedtime. We recommend staying in the main tower because you can easily access the large indoor/outdoor pool from the comfort of the elevator – no need to step outside. The babies absolutely loved it and would’ve stayed all night if we let them.

After swimming, we went back up to our rooms, put the babies to sleep and got to hang out and enjoy the beautiful city views. If you are traveling with a baby the rooms are large enough for a pack n’ play. Lila fell right to sleep without hearing us chatting. Not to mention, slept for 12.5 hours!

If there is one thing you cannot miss when staying at Little America Hotel, it is the brunch! It is something we often talk about because the food is such a high caliber quality, not to mention there is something for everyone. We went to the breakfast buffet at Lucky H and they truly have everything. Pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict, omelets, croissants, fresh lox bagels, pastries, fruit, the list goes on and on.

After breakfast, Sam and Britt voted their favorite was the orange glazed french toast and the fluffy buttermilk biscuits. We (Parker and Brooke) loved the classic eggs benedict and fresh chocolate donuts!

A few little details that we appreciated throughout our stay:

Turndown service at night with a Cummings (local chocolate) mint placed on your pillow
Fireplaces around every corner, especially nice to see during the snow storm we had this weekend
Kid-proof rooms. Lila could run on the soft carpet and climb on the bed and I had nothing I needed to watch out for which is a real vacation!
Large pool area with plenty of seating, no need to scramble for a spot
Great food options at the hotel. We dined at Lucky H this time around but have eaten at the cafe many times and loved it.

The Lucky H restaurant, as well as the entire hotel, is kid friendly yet still high-end. We appreciated the fact that you can still have a nice meal with little ones. The staff at the restaurant and hotel are gracious and kind. We had such a fun time and would definitely recommend a staycation to beat the winter blues! For more information on the Sunrise Package and other options at the Little America Hotel, go here.

Kid Friendly Beaches in Hawaii

Hawaii is a dream location to vacation, until it’s 3pm and there’s no shade or restroom on the beach and you realize your kid is getting sunburned. After traveling there with a baby and now toddler, we’ve found a couple beaches that are great for all day adventures. So, here’s a list of family friendly beaches I’ve visited and loved with a little one.

BIG ISLAND

Hapuna Beach:

This is one of the largest beaches, which is great because there is usually plenty of space to play. It’s located near Waikoloa on the Big Island of Hawaii. It’s easy to get there and if you don’t want to pay $10 for parking, enter through the Hapuna Beach Hotel and ask for one of their beach permits. They almost always have some available. Why I love it:

clean
loud (lots of families, so you don’t feel bad that your toddler is screaming and having a good time)
plenty of space
easy access, very short walk involved
close amenities – you can buy smoothies at the hotel pool bar and there are plenty of public restrooms and showers.
shade available

Mauna Kea Beach:

This is probably my personal favorite beach for a family day. Why I love it:

gorgeous views
clean
access to shaded and grassy areas
food and snacks available
bathrooms and showers are plentiful
beautiful areas to pop your babe in the stroller and go for a walk (we did this a few days and let our toddler nap in her stroller in the shade)

A Bay:

This is perfect if you want a waveless bay. Why I love it:

Very calm waters
Lots of activities available (water bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, whale watch tours, catamaran trips, etc.)
almost always turtles on the beach
great snorkeling
lots of restrooms, food and snack options available.

OAHU

Aulani Resort

Built for families, this man-made bay is practically perfect. Why I love it:

No waves, very calm waters
Lots of activities on the beach – you can even take a sandcastle making class
Nice food and restroom options
Great walking path along the beach
There’s dole whip at a tiki stand on the beach! What more could I ask for?

Lanikai Beach

Voted one of the best beaches in the world for obvious reasons. Why I love it:

calm waters
clean
seriously beautiful
Note: it can be tricky to find. You will know you are close when you see Lanikai on pillars. There are several pedestrian walkways down to the beach through residential neighborhoods.

MAUI

Ka’anapali Beach

Beautiful, huge beach in the heart of Maui. Why I love it:

Most of the big resorts are along this beach
Easy naptime accessibility
Shade available
Plenty of room
So many fun restaurants and shopping spots are also on this beach, so it’s a great central location.

If you have any questions about beaches, let me know and comment below. Don’t mind me going to daydream about Hawaii now.

The best (and cheapest) workout tops we love!

When we lack the motivation to MOVE we know that it is usually nothing that a new workout top can’t fix! Below you will find a few of our favorite fitness finds from cute tanks to comfy jackets. Not only are these tank tops flattering, they are super affordable. Take a peek and you will find a few on our list that are right around the $10 mark! It’s not quite summertime yet so it is nice to have a cozy sweatshirt to throw on before you break a sweat. Check out the list below and let us know if you have any tried and true faves that need to be added to the list.

We have a workout leggings post coming at you later this month! You better believe we put the two most popular Amazon leggings up against each other and are sharing the results!

#MoveChallenge in March

It is time to announce the #MoveForMarch Challenge! We have loved doing monthly challenges in 2019. They motivate us to try something new for around 30ish days and see if it sticks! In January we did the #GetReadyChallenge where we got ready every day of the month – even Saturday! Why? Because studies show that you are more productive throughout the day if you just get ready or presentable. We found this to be quite true. Once you got getting ready out of the way you are ready to move onto bigger and better things throughout your day. In February we did the #MakeYourBedChallenge. There are books written about the daily practice of making your bed. We knew we wanted to incorporate this habit into our daily routine so we gave it a go. We loved the result of a clean and tidy bedroom! We also loved seeing so many of you tag us in your #MakeYourBedChallenge pictures!

For March we wanted to yet again do something that would be stimulating and motivating and we decided it was to MOVE our bodies! We both exercise regularly, but this month we plan to try new workouts, do new activities with our toddlers, and hopefully get active outside in the Spring weather.

So what classifies “move”? That is up to you. If you decide to do 100 squats in your kitchen while making dinner that is awesome! If you decide to take the stairs at work every day instead of the elevator that is great too!

We are looking forward to hearing everyone’s ideas and sharing them in the Twin Tested community.

Thank you for participating in our challenges so far this year. It is so fun to do something as a collective group and see great results!

You can expect to see some killer workout gear deals, our favorite fitness gurus, and some tips for finding motivation throughout the month of March.

Here we go!

Why You Should Make Your Bed

Now that the February #MakeYourBedChallenge is wrapping up we wanted to recap some favorite items that we found and why we are dedicated to this new habit!

Good sheets are everything! Cariloha has seriously been a game changer in our marriage. They are the perfect amount of soft yet incredibly breathable. We honestly refuse to use any other brands because Cariloha’s are made from bamboo and feel super soft against the skin. Freshly shaved legs and Cariloha sheets are a match made in bedroom heaven! When we are on vacation it is always surprising to see how rough hotel sheets can feel. We recommend that white color for the Cariloha sheets because it always looks crisp and fresh. If there is one thing you do for your room, this should be it!

Make a “pillow agreement” in your relationship to keep the peace. This means you decide together how many pillows you would both like to have on your bed. In a poll that we took during the challenge, we found the highest number of pillows on a bed is 17! Now that is impressive. Talk to your partner about how many pillows they are REALISTICALLY willing to put on the bed each day. You know we appreciate a good decorative pillow but 17 may be pushing it!

*picture via Domino Mag

Get the right comforter, duvet, or quilt for your bed. We have tried all three and had been hearing amazing things about the Cariloha duvet. Since we already love their sheets and trust their products we gave it a try and we have LOVED it! Just like the sheets the duvet is silky soft and made from bamboo. You’ll notice I keep using the word breathable but all of their products are which is a top priority for me because no one wants to be sweaty in bed. ewwww.

*picture via Domino Mag

It makes your room more romantic and cozy. We purposely scheduled this for the same month as Valentine’s Day… haha but really a bed looks much more tempting when it is made properly with fresh sheets.

pic via Minky Couture

Minky Couture Grande blankets are the pretty version of the weighted blanket. As longtime fans of Minky’s blankets, we both have them in every room of our house (even the nursery). They have a nice, thick, weight to them and are the absolute coziest blankets you will ever find. They are also machine washable which is vital when you live with a toddler! I highly recommend the Grande blanket for every master bedroom out there. It looks pretty as a decorative piece but feels even better! Speaking of Grande blankets go check out our Instagram post to be entered to win your very own!

Cute pajamas. At the ripe old age of 30, I decided to finally get a pair of matching pajamas. They are from Cariloha and as mentioned above, they are breathable. I’m the type that puts on my jammies at 7pm, so these are the greatest because even if someone stops by, I still look put together in these. You can find them here.

Hopefully, you have enjoyed the challenge this month, we can’t wait to share what we have in store for March!

A fun Valentine’s gift that we are positive you have never tried before

This Valentine’s Day we wanted to do something a little different and caring is sharing, right? Well, we found a last minute gift that might just make you the coolest spouse around. Strap on your seatbelts for this one… it’s massage oil!!

Now before you think we are going to get all weird, hold on. This set is actually pretty cool and unique because you drip the oil from a CANDLE! What?! We know it sounds dangerous and painful but it is really quite simple and easy to use.

So the way it works is, you light the candle and then drizzle the desired amount on your hands or your partners back. You might stop reading here and say NO WAY, I am not pouring hot oil onto MY HANDS. Which is totally understandable. That’s why we have a few takeaways for ya!

Anyways, here are the takeaways:

– Only use a small amount of the melted massage oil, a couple of drops go a long way.

– By ensuring that you only use a small amount you will not burn your hands to a crisp, so win/win.

– When the candle is burning it has a light and fresh scent that is not at all overpowering.

– All natural essential oils and ingredients are the only things in the candle. No weird chemicals or anything like that so you don’t have to worry if you have sensitive skin or are worried about what you are putting on your body.

– And the best part – no weird residue. The essential oils naturally melt into the skin so that it is super soft and moisturized afterward. Not sticky or covered in waxy residue.

Some different uses we have heard of being used for the candle:

* couples massage

* pregnant belly moisturizer (one girl claims it prevented her from getting stretch marks)

* foot rub

We found ours at a local market in SLC, UT (jenibeemarket if you are local!). But if you are not local and want to get one shipped by V-day this one on Amazon looks pretty much identical and this one can be primed if you are a procrastinator. If you are ordering the candle you might as well go ahead and get some petite sour gummy hearts to go with it! These are our very favorite, if you are local you can get them at Jolley’s Gift and Floral in Sugar House.

Happy Valentine’s Day one and all!

Announcing the February #MakeYourBedChallenge

(photo via Domino mag)

Here it is, the February Challenge, make your bed every single day of the month and see what happens! After the #getreadychallenge in January, we wanted something a little less time consuming haha. No, but really we have heard great things from dozens of different people, books, and talks about making your bed every day. We are inviting everyone to join us this month to create a new habit. Not sure about you, but it is something that is definitely not happening every day at our houses. One of our favorite books on this topic is, “Make Your Bed” by former Navy Seal William H. McRaven. In the book, he talks about the importance of that one small task each day. He said it was one of the first things learned in military training and its something that has stuck. Of course being a Navy Seal he was constantly traveling and a lot of his life was unknown – except the fact that he could make his bed every morning.

One of the most poignant parts of the book is his description of being in charge of Saddam Hussein while he was under U.S. control. He said one of the most striking things about Hussein was the fact that he never made his bed, his covers were always crumpled on the floor.

To make the challenge more fun we are taking an entire bedroom approach. That means that we are freshening up our linens. Finding that perfect balance of pillows (zero, if our husbands have any say in the matter). And, last but not least creating a hygge space where we feel calm, peaceful, and cozy!

We will also be looking at different bedroom ideas for art and wall coverings. We want to see what YOU guys like your bedrooms to look like. It is always fun to get fresh ideas and incorporate them into your home.

So here we go! The February #makeyourbedchallenge is officially underway! Join us by tagging @twintested and the #makeyourbedchallenge so that we can repost our favorites!

What we learned from getting ready every day for a month

Whew! Turns out there are 95 days in January, or at least it felt like it. This was a long month and a long challenge, but we are so proud of ourselves for finishing it. Thanks to all of you who joined in, you made it way more fun! It sounded like the most simple idea – just get ready every day. Turns out, sweats and leggings were super tempting many days. Waking up and seeing others take part in the challenge kept us going until the end!

Here are some snapshots of the past month…

We love the words of Katrina Lake, founder of StitchFix:

“Every day, every one of us sets the stage for our sentiment, our confidence, and our success by getting dressed. When you feel great, when you feel your best, it opens up a world of possibility. Feeling confident and self-assured are important inputs into good days, successful days, and happy days.”

Making the effort to actually get ready was definitely deliberate and purposeful.

We ended up learning a few things:

We were WAY more productive. This was the whole reason we decided to give it a try. Studies have proven (read more here) that you get more done when you get dressed and ready for the day. Well, it turns out they are right! You are ready for anything and you get stuff done.
We took fewer naps. It’s just harder to nap when you’re wearing jeans rather than sweats 🙂 But, truly getting ready for some reason I felt less tired when I was getting the same amount of (not much) sleep.
I felt more confident. Sounds dumb, but putting on an outfit I like, doing my hair and makeup and feeling put together made me feel better about myself. It was a reminder that taking pride in your appearance requires taking care of yourself.
I wore clothes I haven’t in years. Turns out I actually have plenty of clothes to wear, they were just hidden in the back of my closet collecting dust.
I cleaned out my closet! I also realized there are clothes in my closet I am just never wearing again, which meant I got rid of them. I narrowed it down to clothes I actually want to wear and either donated or posted the rest on Poshmark.
I got organized. Planning my outfit the night before made a huge difference. That way, I could think about it for a little while after the baby went to sleep rather than running around in the morning grabbing whatever I saw first.
Done is better than none. There were quite a few snow days and a couple sick days when I really didn’t want to get dressed. So I pulled on my coziest “get ready” clothes and called it a day.
Getting ready made me want to make plans more often. When you’re ready, you feel like you need somewhere to go, so I actually did that and it’s made this month so much more exciting.
Realized monthly goals make a lot of sense. They are easy to stick with because the endpoint seems so much closer. Which is why we decided to make a monthly goal for the rest of 2019. Stay tuned to see what our goal is for February!

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