THRILLER

What does winning 4 (which actually turned out to 10) tickets to see Odyssey Dance Theatre perform Thriller on Halloween mean? Spontaneous roadtrip!!

 With 1 stop in Provo for a photo with Einstein.

Q: What did the nuclear physicist have for lunch?

A: Fission chips

 And then 1 stop at my favorite gas station in Beaver, UT, to sit on the chair.

We made it to the Tuachan Outdoor theater just in time for a spooky good show.

EVERMORE Pumpkin Fest

There is a super cool place set to open in 2015 located in Pleasant Grove, UT, called Evermore.

It will be a 45 acre adventure park. The park will be open year round with over half a dozen retail locations and three restaurants. Evermore will feature a cove and performance stage within the beautiful town square which will facilitate performances on a daily basis. The park will also have a castle that will be enveloped with elaborate gardens set in a magical Victorian atmosphere.

 For Halloween, they are having a pumpkin fest.

 It was full of lots of carved pumpkins,

fun characters, 

a spectacular light show, 

live musical performances,

and a haunted cemetery.

 We were invited for a special VIP evening full of fun people,

food, and these fabulous drinks (can be made non-alcoholic and still yummy).

They have an autumn fest called Ripper's Cove, a winter fest named An Evermore Christmas, and a summer fest titled Carnival of Wonders. planned that you should definitely attend.

ARGAN OIL FOR YOUR HAIR

I live in Utah. In case you didn't know, I'm living in a dry, desert climate. This means my hair and skin sometimes suffer. This drives me crazy. To help me in this battle, I just tried an argan oil hair mask.

 It's easy to use: You wash your hair like normal, then you can get out of the shower, towel dry, apply the hair mask, and let it sit for 5-15 minutes before washing it out. I just squeeze out the excess water from my hair apply mask, then wash my face, shave my legs, etc. then rinse it out. Do this two times per week and you will NOT be disappointed. 

The mask won't make your hair greasy or anything. It smells good (kinda like an orange creamsicle...but don't eat it) and washes out nicely. Immediately after using it, my hair felt so smooth and hydrated. It is amazing!

This product is a deep conditioning treatment designed to transform dry and damaged strands into soft, shiny, healthy hair. Sounds good right.?! Well, it REALLY is! For those label readers out there, this conditioner from InstaNautral contains argan oil, Japanese green tea, amino acid complex, coconut oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, avocado oil & vitamin B5.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

TRENDS...Just Not When They Are Trending

You might have heard the term "what's trending now." Apparently, I miss out on most of these things.

I will admit I am not the biggest trend setter or follower. I just tend to get things a little later than others. For instance, I remember my high school graduation song was that Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) song by Green Day (as I'm sure was the case for many graduating classes). At the time, I thought 'Green Day...ugh. Aren't all their songs lame?' A few years later, I received my first DVD player as a birthday present and it came with a dvd that had music on it. One of the songs was Macy's Day Parade by, of course, Green Day. I loved it. I listened to it over and over. I remember telling my friend Danae about the song and she said, "Yeah, Deanna, they were cool like 8 years ago!" Oops.

I didn't wear make-up until I was 20 and was told if I wanted to represent the Dairy Industry (I once held the Utah County Dairy Princess title - wink, smile, wave), I had to look presentable. Not that I wear a ton of makeup now, but I look back at photos from before that and wonder why I hadn't used a little beauty product earlier. 

A coworker of mine at IKEA, named Amanda, always raved about wearing heels. I also remember doing the stair stepper machine at the gym one night and the guy who worked there told me if I wore heels I wouldn't have to do stairs as much. My thought to both of them was I couldn't possibly walk in heels. I thought I'd fall and break my ankle. I bought my first pair a few years later. In fact, I wore heels today and have worn them every day for the last 8 days. Heels and I are best friends now.

Today, I went to the library and checked out some Justin Timberlake CD's. If you haven't heard of him yet....oh wait...everyone has heard of him. What is my problem?! My friends Brandon, Jessica, and Dane all are a bit obsessed with his tunes. I knew that, but how did I miss his music until now?! Some of his lyrics are just fabulous.

This last one isn't about trends, but I have had family and friends tell me my best friend Brandon was in love with me and I should jump on that marriage train with him. No way...I wasn't ready, but he stuck with me. Four years later (and hopefully not too late), I finally realize that is exactly what I want. Hello Deanna...open your eyes!

So why do some things take so long for me to grab onto? Maybe I need to be more hip on my pop culture? My mother has always told me I "march to my own drum." That is close to Henry David Thoreau's quote from Walden, "If a man loses pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured, or far away." I believe he meant that one should do things in one's own way regardless of societal norms and expectations OR as Willie Nelson said, "He ain't wrong, he's just different."  I'm thankful to all who bear with me and all my possible quirkiness...however far behind or off course I am.

FALL COLORS

 I can't stop won't stop loving these fall colors here in Utah.

TRUE LOVE

Love is a feeling of deep devotion, concern, and affection.

I'm Deanna...I try to love everybody. It's true.

But I think I have been afraid to be IN love...until recently. I have opened my heart to the idea of nurturing true love as described in this talk by Marvin J. Ashton. He says:

True love is a process.

True love requires personal action.

Love must be continuing to be real.

Love takes time. Too often expediency, infatuation, stimulation, persuasion, or lust are mistaken for love. 

Real love takes time, patience, help, and continuing performances. 

Meaningful love is a continuing process that will bring joy and happiness to all participating parties.

I am not a very good impulse buyer when I go shopping so, obviously, I wouldn't be able to just give my heart away to anybody who asks for it. I needed time to grow, learn, and feel like I was ready for love. I have learned love is enduring. Love will stick by your side through the good, bad, and ugly life throws your way. Love will also stick by your side when you tell it to go away (even if that means 4 or 400 years). Love will forgive you for your mistakes and grow stronger with you as you progress together. Love will laugh with you (probably because you are the funniest person you know). Love knows all about you and wants to learn more. Love will blow your mind.

In the talk, MJA continues to say:
...we need and deserve more than the declaration, "I love you." Let us resolve to take the time to give of ourselves in putting love into appropriate action and performance. Those who truly understand love know it must be basically simple, continuing, and sincere.

Sometimes love knows when you need space and will give it. True love will be waiting (and ready to return) when you are ready. True love is real.

Deanna loves you xo

AM I PRAYING WRONG?

After having a brother die, a BFF break up with me, "family" members say mean things, and my dog stop listening and run away things can only go up and get better, right?! Well, actually that's not true. You could also have your car stolen, your freezer break and ruin some food, your dog have an allergic reaction to her shots from the vet, your mother have a heart attack after a surgery, and a call from the fraud department saying someone tried to steal money from an online account of yours (...all in less than 2 months time).  Yes, things can and just might get worse, but it's OK!

After all this, I went to church--that's a good place to go for peace for me. At the service, there were several people bearing testimony of the power of prayer. One person shared stories of bad weather and them praying for no rain for a party they were hosting that was outside. Another person shared a story of them wanting a shift off from work on a Sunday so they could attend church and BAM they were there at church. This got me thinking...I had been praying, begging, pleading for many things recently, some maybe on a scale a little bit deeper than weather (we all have our trials), and I just seemed to have more bad things piling up. I thought 'Am I praying wrong?!'

I know that our disappointments, sorrows, and dark hours are to help us grow. They can lead us to much joy if we put our faith and trust in God. Garth Brooks sings that some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. It is a mistake to assume that every prayer we offer will be answered immediately. Some prayers require big effort on our part. This might be a way that God is showing me He loves me...it is just in a way that I don't really understand right now. 

Then we sang the hymn Come Unto Jesus and my heart was calmed a little.

To anyone feeling discouraged, worried, or lonely, I want to tell you to hold on with faith and hope. I too have felt those ways recently, but it WILL get better. Life WILL hand you lemons, but YOU have the power to take positive action, sweeten the situation, and make lemonade (+). Don't feel discouraged if it doesn't happen right away. As long as you are trying your hardest, you aren't doing it wrong.

I will end with my favorite scripture: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

ARE YOU MAKING A DIFFERENCE?

Have you ever wondered if you are making a difference in this life? I have this fear of being mediocre. I have learned that doesn't mean I need to be CEO of a major company, an award winning author, or famous actress. I have learned small things sometimes matter the most.

Confession: I'm not a millionaire. That's right. So I don't have a ton of money to donate to every good cause. I do have a rare blood type though. I donate my blood whenever possible. One day, I was wondering if that was really making a difference/helping people or if I was just wasting my time snacking on Lorna Doone cookies with brightly colored gauze on my arm every few months. I have a friend with a husband battling cancer. She makes THE most inspiring and upbeat posts on Facebook. That same day she just so happened to make a post saying her husband had had a blood transfusion and then thanked all friends who have ever donated blood at any time. WOW! I guess I knew I was doing it for good reason, but needed that little reassurance for some reason.

Then I stumbled on this video below. I'm not a mom, but I might have shed a tear. Do yourself a favor and spare a few minutes to watch the entire thing. I dedicate this to all people who have ever wondered if the things they do are making a difference in this life. Please watch it. Pretty please? You never know...

If the video isn't showing properly, you can click here to see it.

DOG Hip& Joint Pain Supplement

I have heard that 25% of all dogs will develop joint mobility issues of some kind during their life. Day-Z will be 6 years old in the next few months and I want to keep her happy and in tiptop health as possible. We were given some TerraMax Pro Hip & Joint supplement to try. 

The formula is designed to reverse the effects of joint damage. It restores your dogs natural ability to heal and grow new cartilage while nourishing and revitalizing joints/tissues. This means you can improve your dogs flexibility and mobility to prevent the possibility of any future stress injuries.

Good things about this supplement: it contains a natural anti-inflammatory so it doubles as powerful pain relief for dogs already suffering from arthritis or dysplasia. #TerraMaxPro comes in a liquid form which is more easily absorbed than tablet supplements. AND it is made in the USA.

If you have a dog who has pain or trouble walking, this supplement just might be the answer for you. You will find that your dog isn't as tired after going on walks and has more energy.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

ZUKE'S DOG TREATS #Giveaway

If we buy the best food for ourselves, shouldn't we buy the best for our pets too?

Day-Z now eats Zuke's treats. Zuke's treats are healthy, natural, and nutritious snacks made in the USA and available for both cats and dogs.

 I ordered the Zuke's Z-Bones dental chews for Day-Z to try. 

 Why are these so great? They are potato and pea based which means they are highly digestible. Alfalfa, parsley, rosemary, and fennel are used to freshen dog breath naturally. The texture is great to help polish teeth and keep gums healthy. The z-bones come in 4 different sizes according to your dog's weight.

 She loved them.

Want to win some Zuke's treats for your furry friend? Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway