The Pepper And Her Pups

Sunday Sweets.

2012-03-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a few things around the web I've been loving this past week!

This set of Parisian Theme Cookie Set from Sweetopia.

Weekend Adventures: Pittsburgh Zoo.

2012-03-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

It's been a little quiet the past few days as we've been preparing for Adrienne's party. Her birthday was yesterday and we had a small family party (which I'll be posting pics next week!). In the meantime though, I wanted too post these pics from the zoo last weekend before I forget.

As soon as Adrienne sat near the glass, they both just stared at one another. It was so cute!

All the tigers, lions, and leopards were busy trying to take a nap when we first got there.

We skipped straight to the aquarium once we heard there was a Penguin March going on outside (we got lost and had to circle the whole zoo before we got there, but thankfully Adrienne got to see a few of them walking back inside).

After the Penguin March, it was absolutely PACKED inside the aquarium. Adrienne showed us her love for fish though (which resulted in us stopping at Petco this past week and getting her a few fishies of her own!).

All of the elephants were inside (and this mama was busy getting her nails filed and cleaned off as soon as we got there). Adrienne kept dragging us up to this tree slide over and over and over again. We had to stop at the Leopard again since he was up and moving (one of Richard's favorite!). & Then it started snowing on our way out.

A lot of the animals weren't there (some of them were probably inside either eating/sleeping where we couldn't see since it was rather cold), but we were definitely disappointed that the Polar Bears, Black Bears, Giraffe, Hyenas, and Rhinos were all MIA.

Were definitely going to try and take a few different trips this summer since were a short distance from a couple different zoos and Adrienne will be able to see a lot more animals then she did this time around.

Wordless Wednesday.

2012-03-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

{Linking up with The Paper Mama, Baby Baby Lemon, Jenni From The Blog, 5 Minutes For Mom, and Live & Love.}

Weekend Adventures; Disney On Ice.

2012-03-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

I mentioned a few weeks ago (here) that we purchased tickets and this past weekend was finally time to take our trip to Pitt for the show.

Gates open an hour before the show and we made sure to get our programs (which came with a rose and coloring book) and let Adrienne pick a little souvenir (she chose an Ariel wand that light up and plays music). Then we got ourselves some food and settled into our seats.

I wasn't sure how close our seats truly were until we showed up and they were incredible (third row from the ice (not counting the small section literally on the ice), Adrienne was able to wave to everyone as they skated by while munching on some popcorn. She sure was one happy little girl!

Now here's a recap in pics. I think most of them came out pretty well, considering I didn't use our flash and all of the characters were constantly skating around.

Before the show.

Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald Duck, and Chip&Dale came out to greet everyone and start the show

Nemo's father and Dori were next, searching high and low for Nemo while running into Bruce.

The Beauty and the Beast shared their love story.

Along with the rest of the Disney Princess', taking us right into a skit from the toy soldiers (I forgot to get a picture of them) and Jessie, Buzz, & Woody.

Mickey joined everyone for It's A Small World After All

Before Jimney Cricket and the Blue Fairy came out to introduce Pinocchio.

Mulan and The Lion King were next.

Right before the big grand finale!!

The second half seemed a lot shorter then the first half, but it was still equally amazing. This was the first big event we've taken her too and she did so well sitting on our laps the whole time, clapping and dancing away.

It was well worth the money and a great surprise for her birthday (which is THIS Friday!). I can't wait to take her too more shows throughout the years. Love It!

Little Bits of Happiness. (1)

2012-03-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

Adrienne and Tator getting in the way of folding laundry. Oh, the mischief they get into:)

Getting down and dirty on the playground.

Amazing dessert! Cool whip, oreos, chocolate pudding, and chocolate chips=HEAVEN!

Daddy/Daughter Time.

Nassim Naturals.

2012-02-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

You might remember me mentioning some goodies that were sent to me from Nassim Naturals, here. Our little package included their Happy Belly, Baby Lotion, and Shower Gel. We've been busy using these up like crazy and just can't get enough.

I'm always a sucker for natural products and was more then happy to try something not only safe and natural for myself, but also for Adrienne as well. I've been using the Happy Belly Lotion on myself and it's helped kept my skin hydrated and smooth, despite the old stretch marks I still have.

Adrienne uses the Shower gel every morning along with the Baby Lotion right after and she loves helping use them. They all have a light airy scent to them, reminding me of the outdoors. The mixtures of chamomile with lavender and mandarin through out some of the products are so relaxing and refreshing.

I am officially a definite fan of Nassim Naturals and you should be too:)

Little Yume Sponsor Feature.

2012-02-27T20:26:00.000-08:00

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We Love Citrus Sponsor Feature.

2012-02-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

Shop. Facebook. Twitter.

Created By Emma Sponsor Feature.

2012-02-27T20:13:00.000-08:00

Shop.Facebook.

Ashlyn's Accessories Sponsor Feature.

2012-02-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

Shop.Facebook.

Plum Lovin Sponsor Feature.

2012-02-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

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Sunshine Bliss Sponsor Feature.

2012-02-27T19:31:00.000-08:00

Shop.Facebook.Blog.

Modern Mayeflower Sponsor Feature.

2012-02-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

Etsy. Storenvy. Blog. Facebook.

InstaFriday.

2012-02-24T13:50:00.000-08:00

Our day was filled with bus rides, ventures into the mall, lunch at wendys, and a long over-due nap.

Linking up for InstaFriday.

PayDay Loans, A Quick and Easy Solution.

2012-02-24T12:44:00.001-08:00

I still consider us a one income family, as I've just recently taken the dive into pursuing Blog Designs and don't rack in those jaw dropping numbers that some of my favorite designers make. So with that and being a stay at home mom, along with finishing school full time (for web design) our cash flow can get a little low. Although throughout the years we've learned to budget wisely, especially now more then ever with another little baby coming into the brew.

For those times though, where you might have forgotten to pay an overdue bill or you simply can not live without those heels you've been drooling over for the past half hour, PayDayLoans is here to help. Whether you need money today or a few days from now, you can borrow (anywhere from $100-$1000) the exact amount you need with a quick and easy online application and receive your loan within 15 minutes. It's convenient for those on the go, hassle free for those that don't like hidden fees, and simple enough for any hectic stay at home mama or dad. Get the money you need right away and pay it back the next time you get paid. Simple as that!

Get your loan today, here.

Guest Post: AnnaBee's Little Bits

2012-02-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

"Hey everyone! My name is Anna, and I am still pretty new to blogging. I am currently a college student studying accounting, and I eventually would like to go into auditing. I have an Etsy shop; check out Annabee's Designs! I create and design notecards and sell at local craft shows. I also sell Premier Designs High Fashion Jewelry. This is a wonderful direct sales company, who has strong values to its core in the Christian faith. I am really just your average twenty something year old. I am so blessed with a wonderful family and sweet friends. I don't know where I would be today without the support of them!

I decided to begin writing a blog after reading others and meeting many lovely people. There are so many out there who have inspired me to reflect on many things I love, like family, crafting (especially diy), baking, hair/beauty, fashion, and many more things. Although I enjoy studying accounting (for some reason!), I really enjoy my creative outlets, and this is one of them. I want to take this year to really have some time each day to do things I love and take a break from school and work. So far with blogging, I have realized how many people are out there who are so wonderful to take time and just send an encouraging comment or email. Those really do make my day!

I am looking forward to meeting new people, being inspired, and hopefully inspiring others along the way. Come stop by and maybe stay a while!"

Blog.

Calling All March Sponsors!

2012-02-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

To view all of our prices, ad sizes, and any other information regarding advertising with us, click here.

We still have our on-going special; buy 3 months, get the 4th month free!

Spots are limited, so send me a quick email and we'll get everything set up (or if you'd like to reserve a spot for April, just let me know!!).

Exhaustion.

2012-02-21T22:03:00.000-08:00

This big ol' belly has definitely made it hard to move around today. As soon as I woke up to make Adrienne breakfast, I had a hard time breathing. So I've been trying to take it easy and drinking lots of water. At least I managed to finish my homework for my current design class and cleaned up after Adrienne's post-nap tornado (notice the strewn clothes and oatmeal pieces everywhere), so I can feel somewhat accomplished for the day. Now it's time to take this over sized bowling ball to bed. G'night!

Our Week in Photos.

2012-02-19T12:47:00.000-08:00

Bi-Weekly Doctors Appointment. Had to re-take ALL of my blood work since none of my records were switched over when we switched doctors quite a while ago.

Nap time, Cuddles with Daddy, and showing off her new love for multiple pacifiers.

Some random shots Richard took throughout the week.

Waiting to head out to our family birthday party.

Linking up with Amy.

31 Weeks/Steppin Out Saturday.

2012-02-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

Liz- Top and Jeans; Forever21, Boots; Aero, Sweater; TJMaxx

Adrienne- Sweater; Carters, Dress, Coat, and Hat; Thrifted, Leggings; Children's Place, Shoes; Target

We actually stepped out on a Saturday this week and headed out to a family birthday party. There was plenty of birthday cake and ice cream, making this preggo very happy. Adrienne seemed to have such a good time, Richard's Aunt offered to watch her over night and we couldn't resist the thought of a sans baby cozy night at home together. She came back home bright and early this morning and is currently passed out on the couch for her afternoon nap.

Every Saturday I turn another week, so I'm currently 31 weeks pregnant! Only 9 more weeks to go:)

I'm still feeling pretty good.

Still plenty of pressure and some trouble breathing whenever I sit down. It's a never ending battle, still to try and find a comfy place to sit.

Our Doctor said I'm finally starting to measure into my ribs a little bit.

I'm right on track with my weight, measurement, and the baby's heartbeat.

Have been staying up through out the night with some extremely strong braxton's hicks.

Craving Shamrock Shakes and more and more fruit.

Squeezing in a very short workout on our new elliptical.

& I'm officially starting to get ridiculous comments/looks from others when I tell them I have two more months to go. "Oh my gosh, you look like your about to pop" "Two more months, are you sure?"

Or when I took Adrienne into this local thrift store and this woman kept following us around and finally asked me if "Daddy wanted a football team?". I didn't realize having two children was such an extreme. Her comment just came off so incredibly rude, I turned around and left the store.

Linking up with Mandy.

Product of the week.

2012-02-16T20:28:00.000-08:00

I am completely obsessed with mascara. It's the one make-up staple that I will put on, whether I have time to put on the rest of my make-up or not. Obviously, that means I love trying out different brands and Covergirl has been a solid I've stuck for for quite a few years now.

I'm not a fan of their purple LashExact (I seem to run out of it A LOT faster then the others and I have to put on quite a few layers to even make my lashes pop), but am in love with their Pink LashBlastLuxe and the Orange LashBlast.

I've never tried any type of Waterproof Mascara, as I've just never seen a use for it. BUT I decided to take a dive and try out the Orange LashBlast Waterproof during out last outing to walmart since it was on sale.

I definitely love and recommend this product! I think I'm going to stick with waterproof since it really does stay on whether I'm working out, taking a shower, or get teary eyed during a sappy movie.

Oh waterproof mascara, where have you been all my life?!

Linking up with:

Randoms.

2012-02-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

Oh, look at all these goodies!

1. Baby Numero Dos has got himself a crib bedding set. On sale for $18 at Walmart.
We saw the pink one, but couldn't find the boy version. Thankfully though, I saw one in their crazy clearance aisles when Richard roamed off to look at Elliptical's. Score!

2. Nassim Naturals sent me this set wonderful from their line of Artisan products for Mom and Baby. Watch for my review on their Happy Belly Lotion, Baby Shower Gel, and Baby Lotion.

3. One of our up-coming sponsors, Little Yume sent me a sample pack of Paper Straws and Twine (in an assortment of colors) for Adrienne's Birthday. So excited to put these to good use!

4. Another Walmart score, the green and white striped elephant onesie/bib set was peeking out of their clearance rack and for only $3. The princess outfit behind it wasn't on sale, but it was way too cute to pass up and it's perfect for Adrienne's birthday trip to Disney on Ice.

I also wanted to share a few other deals going on right now on the interwebs you won't want to miss out on.

CarSeatCanopy has a V-Day special going on (not sure how long it will last since love day was yesterday, so I would get in on this one quick!).
Use the special promo code: VALENTINE on any order of their Car Seat Covers and get it for FREE! Just pay s&h, which makes it $12.95 (compared to their normal $49.95 price) it's definitely a good deal.

OR; use the same promo code on any of their The Whole Caboodle set's and get 50% off your order.

Either way, I just might have to get this Aiden cover! I love it.

As a new affiliate for Pick Your Plum (one of my favorite daily deal sites, ever!), I wanted to let you all in on today's deal. For just $3.95 you can get one spool of feathers (approx. 10 yds long).
Their the perfect backdrop to any photoshoot, birthday party, or craft project you may have up your sleeve. & check back everyday for a different daily deal!

Last but not least, I posted our Sponsored Group Giveaway as a special Valentine's treat for everyone. So if you haven't checked it out yet, head on over here (you've got until next Wed to enter).

Group Giveaway Day!

2012-02-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been working up a special Valentine's Day treat for all of you! So to spread the love, one lucky winner will get all of this lovely swag from our sponsors!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Valentine's Morning.

2012-02-14T07:51:00.000-08:00

We like to keep things simple for Valentine's Day, so I surprised Richard with breakfast in bed and a homemade card.

He surprised me with this little guy!

And we got Adrienne a set of Dora Bracelets that she's been jingling around her arms all morning.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!

I hope you all have an incredible sweet day.

Make sure to check back in a little bit because I have a special V-Day Group Giveaway from our sponsors!!

TGIF: Rosette Tutorial.

2012-02-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

I've gotten many emails and fb comments on how to make rosettes and I thought it was bound time I shared a tutorial for everyone! There are so many different ways to make rosettes, that I will be make sure to share through out this month the different variations you can chose from you create. To start things off, were just going to make simple single rosette and turn it into a bracelet perfect for V-Day.

Supplies:

Fabric

Scissors

Needle and Thread

Ribbon

Glue Gun (optional)

First, pick the fabric of your choice and cut several 1" strands. You can chose to cut your strands as wide as you'd like, this is just the size I've always worked best with.

You can make as many strands for as many rosettes as you plan on making. I went ahead and cut out four pieces to get rid of the excess of this ladybug pattern.

All of my fabric strands were rather short, so I tied two of them together and then made another knot at one end for my base. There's not set length at how long your strands should be, play around with different lengths and see which size rosettes you like as the outcome.

Next is the fun part. Start at the end where your knot is and simply roll your fabric around the knot. I like to twist my fabric slightly to give it a little more umph to the rosette's layers. Roll all of your fabric until your rosette looks like this.

Once you've got yourself a pretty rosette. Grab the end piece of fabric that just sticks out, tuck in underneath, and either use your glue gun or need and thread or even both to secure your rosette.

It's as simple as that folks! Once you get the hang of it, you can easily dish out a few dozen rosettes in no time! Now I'm going to show you how to turn this single rosette into a fun bracelet for V-Day.

Go ahead and grab your ribbon, needle, and thread that I mentioned in the beginning of this post. To get the right length of ribbon that I wanted, I wrapped it around my wrist twice and left a little extra to make sure I could tie it once I was done.

Thread your needle through the middle of your ribbon, placing your rosette on top and threading straight through the bottom all the way to the top and back down again so the rosette is secured onto the ribbon. Repeat this step. & then tie off your thread.

Wrap the ribbon around your wrist, knot it (make sure to leave enough room to either slip it off your arm or untie it each time), and you're done!!!

You've finally got yourself a single rosette bracelet perfect for V-Day!

Easy enough to make for yourself, your little ones, family, and friends. You can add a few more rosettes to the bracelet to change up the look of your bracelet or switch out the color of your ribbon/fabric. There's so many different ways to make these, it's incredible.

Don't forget, I said I would be making as many different rosettes tutorials as I can to show you all of the different designs there are to these pretty flowers. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know which one if your favorite that you'd like to see featured or if there are any other kind of tutorials you'd like to see featured on The Pepper And Her Pups.

TGIF Everyone:)

Wordless Wednesday.

2012-02-08T12:29:00.000-08:00

Linking up The Paper Mama. 5 Minutes For Mom. Jenni from the Blog. Live and Love.

Speak my language.

2012-02-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

Toddler language that is. It's incredible the conversation they can have with you in complete jibberish and still be so proud of themselves once their done. hat's all Adrienne does, all.day.long.

We show her flash cards, point and repeat everything in sight. Always asking her to repeat after us. It works 50/50% of the time. Depending on her mood and her attention span for the moment because we all know that playing house is much more exciting then anything mom and dad are into.

"Doggie" is still her absolute favorite word. & Everything is either that or a "baby" when asking her a question she may not know the answer too.

She has a great grasp on quite a few animals and their sounds, just recently started counting one. two. three, will say pwease, whyy, and somewhere around 70+ words the last time I was trying to figure out how many words she knows.

She hasn't started to put sentences together though and she doesn't say anything besides doggie, baby, or kitty, unless she ask her too. She has such a great understanding to what we say to her and definitely tries to repeat new words that we say to her, but she doesn't seem to have an interest in saying any of them on her own.

Every toddlers different and I know some speak beyond expectations and others take their time and just come out of the wood works one day like BAM! So I'm not that worried, but I can't help but be sometimes (that's just how our mom brains work).

So I just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts, experiences, etc. From one mama to the next.

Steppin' Out/29 Weeks Baby Bump

2012-02-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

Sweater: TJ Maxx little kids section. Black Top: Wet Seal. Pink Tank Top: Plato's Closet. Jeans: Hollister. Boots: Aero

[Steppin' out at the park!]

Week 29:
I can't believe I'm already two weeks into my third trimester.
Still feeling really good.
Craving subs, any/all kind of juice drinks, iced coffee, and fruit.
Can not sit still for more then five minutes at a time, without having to move into a more comfortable spot.
Starting to get a few cramps here and there, so hopefully we can hold off on the whole brxtons hicks for a little while longer.
Trying to walk everywhere since were right downtown, not only for exercise but because our car keeps giving us an endless amount of problems.
Have only gained around 25 lbs and still fitting into my pre-prego jeans with the help of my belly band.
Doctor's appt next Monday, which is the start of going every two weeks.

Linking up with Mandy.

Created by Emma; Sponsor Feature.

2012-02-06T09:44:00.000-08:00

One of our returning sponsors, Created by Emma was so sweet to send Adrienne and her expecting baby brother matching bear hats ( I mentioned all of the goodies I got in the mail that day, here). Made out of acrylic and wool, these hats are incredibly soft and quite easy to wash off some playground dirt. Adrienne's been sporting around her new hat ever since it arrived, however I wanted to wait until we got a camera again before showcasing Emma's beautiful work.

Emma not only makes these precious bear hats, you can also find super hero caps, Arkansas Razorback hats, purses/crayon holders/tutus (debuting soon in her spring/summer collection), and so much more!

Shop. Facebook.

Thrifting Treasures.

2012-02-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

The indoor garage sale was hosted by our local Salvation Army and I found these little gems for Adrienne to wear inside their store (everything's half off on the first and third Saturday. woo hoo!).

This set of mason jars were also a steal, as I was just scouring etsy the night before looking for a small set to use for Adrienne's birthday.
Aren't you just absolutely in love with the flower lids? Their so cute! One of our lovely sponsors We Love Citrus sent us over a set to use for her party!
Although I admit to putting these pretty little lids on my new mason jar set as soon as we got home to drink my gatorade in style.

& To top it all off, Richard's mom brought us this table and chairs. We've been in need of a kitchen table since we moved so it's nice to finally have one. Were not too fond of the seat cushions, so I'll be on the look out for fabric to spruce things up.

Now were off to the park (it's only a few blocks away from our new place) to enjoy all of this sunshine and warm weather.

Stay tuned this week for a feature with Adrienne modeling her new hat from Created by Emma and a rossette tutorial since one of our fb fans asked how I make them!!

Our Week in Photos.

2012-02-03T14:29:00.000-08:00

Grocery Shopping. Playing with our new camera case. Making a phone call. Just being silly:)

Happy girl. Yo Gabba Gabba dvd set and her favorite shoes, a daily must have. Car rides and cookies. Catching up some emails and blogs.

Tomorrow morning were off to a huge indoor garage sale to hopefully find some great steals and to the park since the weather this weekend is supposed to stay rather nice.

Silly Faces.

2012-02-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

Oh you know, were just busy testing out the new Sony Cyber Shot we found on sale yesterday with some of Adrienne's signature looks:)

Pinteresting Recipes.

2012-01-31T18:12:00.000-08:00

[pin]

Follow me.

Sunshine Bliss: Sponsor Feature.

2012-01-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

Shanti is the lovely and creative mind behind Sunshine Bliss,
making absolutely exquisite jewelry pieces that should be a part of everyone's collection.

Shop.

Recent Work.

2012-01-29T09:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a preview to Audra's blog that I recently finished. She was such a sweetheart to work with:) To see the final product, head on over here.

& If you in need of a new header, button, full custom blog design, shop header, etc (you can see a full list of my services here) and would like my help. Please send me an email at pepperandherpups@gmail.com!

Tookies: Sponsor Feature.

2012-01-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

Today's highlight is from Tookies, an incredible delectable etsy shop

your sure to be drooling over with everything from cookies sandwiches, cake jars, marshmellows, and so much more!

Shop.

P.S. I just finished two new blog designs and will be showing you guys their designs soon!
But to hold you over, here's a blog button Lisa asked me to make too coordinate with the blog design Ashlyn's Accessories already had (she's one of our newest sponsors, so be sure to check her out this coming month!)

Double Strollers.

2012-01-26T13:46:00.000-08:00

So we desperately need a double stroller now that were going to have a wild little toddler and a newborn to tote around when running errands and such, but who knew there were so many brands/styles out there to choose from?! Makes my head spin a little! hah

After months of reading reviews after reviews, safety features, infant car seat compatibilities, and so much more. I've completely and utterly fallen in love with Kolcraft Contours Optima from the very start.

It's light weight (only 35 pounds!), comes in two pleasant gender friendly colors/patterns, has a descent amount of storage underneath, and has an almost endless possibility of seat positions [as seen below].

Now if only we could afford this baby with our strict budget. *sniff sniff* I'm hoping for a miracle and to be able to find it online (so I'll be busy scouring criagslist and such for hours on end for the last 3 months of my pregnancy). Times almost running out (since I'm due in April, Eeeek!), so cross your fingers for me everyone!!

Kolcraft

& let me know what you all think! Who has this stroller already or who plans on buying it?! I love hearing from other mamas:)

We Love Citrus; Sponsor Feature .

2012-01-26T11:53:00.000-08:00

Today we've got ourselves a sponsor highlight from We Love Citrus, an incredible shop full of paper goods, household items, craft and party supplies. Check it out!

Shop.

Goodies In The Mail.

2012-01-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

We switched over our mail as soon as we moved and I've been patiently waiting for all of my mail to start over flowing into our new house. So I was more then happy when my hats from Created by Emma and two Cottonelle Covers from Jonathan Adler [the one is missing it's blue cover in this pic because of one sneaky little toddler!] that I surprisingly won from Clever Girls came in the mail today, along with a bunch of baby magazines! Oh happy day. Can't wait to show off my review for these hats, so stay tuned! It'll be a two part series since only Adrienne can model hers right now and we'll have to wait until April to have our other shining star show his off:)

27 Weeks/Curling Wand

2012-01-24T20:23:00.000-08:00

27 Weeks: We had a doctors appointment yesterday and I had to take the ever dreadful glucose test I mentioned before. Thankfully the fruit punch drink they sent me home with last month, ended up not tasting bad at all.

We got to hear the babys heartbeat, of course! & our next appointments only three weeks away.

I am sooo ready for this little baby boy to be here already. I'm ready to get my pre-pregnancy body back since I feel like my belly is really starting to weigh me down. I forgot how hard it is too put your own shoes and socks on!

So has anyone bought the Remington Curling Wand? If you haven't, your really missing out! You don't always feel so glamorous when pregnant and I love being able to get dolled up everyday, by at least throwing on some make-up and curling my hair. I've always just used a small curling iron and it would take YEARS for it to heat up and I felt like it damaged my hair way more then it should have.

So I'm more then psyched to have gotten this curling wand for Christmas. It heats up within minutes of turning it on, I'm able to curl small or larger strands of my hair, and still always get a perfect curl each and every time. & It takes me less then a half hour to curl all of my hair which is an awesome factor to have while getting ready with a toddler that's constantly wanting to be entertained.

[ Pretty descent curls still left standing at the end of the day, thank god!]

Birthday Invite.

2012-01-23T22:03:00.000-08:00

Was messing around with a few ideas and came up with this design for Adrienne's 2nd birthday invite. I took off all of our personal info, so you can imagine more of it will be filled below the circle, buuut what do you all think? Is it a keeper or should I come up with something else?!

Disney On Ice.

2012-01-20T19:32:00.000-08:00

I am beyond excited for Adrienne's birthday this year because we just purchased tickets to take her to see Disney On Ice: 100 Years Of Magic, the first weekend of March! I've heard nothing but amazing things about all of their ice shows and I just can't wait to see her face light up at all of the different characters this show will be featuring! The closest show to us is in Pittsburgh, so we might end up making a simple day out of it and stopping by their childrens museum beforehand so she can blow off some steam and run wild.

Sponsor Feature: Plum Lovin'

2012-01-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

Shop

Wordless Wednesday.

2012-01-18T16:29:00.000-08:00

Linking up with 5 Minutes for Mom, The Paper Mama, And Then She Snapped, and Baby Baby Lemon.

Advertise with us!

2012-01-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

Interested in joining next month's love fest with The Pepper And Her Pups? Well then, send me an email at pepperandherpups@gmail.com and we'll set something up!

Don't miss out on our ad space special: Buy 3 months, get the 4th month FREE!

All ad spots can be purchased through paypal in one or three month increments (don't forget, you get an extra month for FREE when purchasing three months of any size). Spots are limited, so get a head start and reserve your space with us today!

& For those that would just like to do a giveaway, product review, and or swap guest posts, send me an email and we can collaborate!

Recent Blog Design.

2012-01-17T15:51:00.000-08:00

I recently just finished a full blog design for Beki, which you can see in all of it's glory here!
It was such a pleasure working with her and I always have fun creating new designs for others:)

What Beki had to say about her new design:

"Liz, You did an amazing job on my blog A Modern Girl's Guide! I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate it! I couldn't have asked for a better design! :)"

Are you in need of a new design or just some simple blog elements (such as a header, button, etc), then send me an email at pepperandherpups@gmail.com and feel free to check out all of our menu items that I'm currently taking on, here.

26 Weeks

2012-01-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

My weekly tracker told me that our little babies eyes aren't fused together anymore and that he should be able to see now. How awesome! We decided on a name a few weeks ago, but were having a hard time coming up with a middle name that doesn't sound silly. We still have 14 weeks to go, so hopefully a light bulb will go off by then.

I've been relaxing all day, catching up on laundry since the pipe to the washer and dryer we bought was finally dropped off and saved our livesss!

In other news, we finally got all of our furniture and whatnot moved into our new apartment. I'll be posting pics tomorrow of what the place looks like!

In the meantime, I'm off to catch the last half hour of Yo Gabba Gabba with Adrienne and finish this math quiz before heading off to bed.

Happy Saturday!

Linking up with iPhoneographyy and InstaFriday.

We've got ourselves some winners!

2012-01-14T10:25:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't checked the Rafflecopter form for the announced winners, I wanted too give a huge congratulations to both Kasey and Beki!! I will be sending you two an email so we can get your blog design started:)

Thanks so much to everyone that entered, it truly means a lot when everyone participates and gives such great feedback for the giveaways we hold.

Homemade Taco Pizza.

2012-01-12T19:36:00.000-08:00

Nothings better then some homemade pizza. We didn't have any packaged ground beef, so I improvised and cooked up two pre-packaged burgers we already had in the freezer along with some taco seasoning (seemed to have taken less time then usual, which is always a plus).

Ingredients:

Ground Beef

Pizza Crust

Shredded Cheese

Tomato Sauce

Diced Tomatoes

Ranch

While the meat was cooking, I turned the oven on too 375 and made the pizza crust package I had in the cupboard, let it sit (covered) for 5 minutes. By the time the meat was done I was able to roll out the crust to my desired size and put on all of the toppings, pop it in the oven for around 15 minutes until it was nice and crispy. Topped it off with some ranch and our time saver meal was done and ready to eat!!

Don't forget to enter our Custom Blog Design Giveaway (Ends Tomorrow!).

Free $10 to shop with!

2012-01-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that right ladies! I'm giving you all a $10 credit to spend at Keekoo, just by signing up here.

Keekoo is an amazing private sales site full of pregnancy and newborn deals (similar to Totsy and Zuily) that will be officially launching their sales in March!

Grab your free $10 now so you have something waiting for you in your account to help you splurge on some goodies:)

Enjoy!

Wordless[ish] Wednesday.

2012-01-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

If only this were a real postcard I was sending to you all, ahhh we can only dream can't we!

Linking up with The Paper Mama, Jenni From The Blog, Live and Love Outloud, 5 Minutes For Mom, And Then She Snapped, Project Alicia, Parenting By Dummies.

P.S. Don't forget to enter our Custom Blog Giveaway (1/13)

Tuesday Freebies.

2012-01-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

This month I'll be showering you all with a bunch of Valentine Freebies and wanted to show off these two newbies I made this morning.

To Download "Happy Valentines Day" Print, click here.

To Download the "Will You Be My Valentine" Print, click here.

Either one can be used as a print, card, etc. Just have fun with them!!

& Don't forget to enter our Custom Blog Design Giveaway (Until 1/13), Two lucky winners will be picked!

Steppin Out On A Sunday

2012-01-08T18:58:00.000-08:00

We didn't do much yesterday, so I thought I would spare you all with pictures of all of us in pj's just laying around. Instead, you get to check us all out this morning/afternoon. We slept in and spontaneously decided to treat ourselves out to breakfast (not something we do very often, we make sure to save as much money as we can in that department).

We ventured out for the Sunday paper so I could get the killer coupon inserts we were treated to this weekend and start my eager coupon craziness. Then we stopped into Goodwill since they have red tag $1 sales on the weekends! The rest of the Yo Gabba Gabba bedding wasn't there anymore (we were only able to get her the blanket they had the last time we ventured in there), but still found some incredible summer clothes for Adrienne that she was more then eager to try on as soon as we got home.

Oh, and did you know that Lowe's sells an incredible amount of cleaning supplies?! We went in to check out this cube shelving I saw was on sale and was shocked at the huge aisle filled with every type of laundry detergent, soaps, sprays, etc. all at a lower price then we usually pay. You can guarantee that's where you'll find me the next time we need some cleaning supplies lol.

Happy Sunday Funday!

2nd Birthday Inspiration.

2012-01-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

[via]

Adrienne's absolutely in LOVE with Yo Gabba Gabba! We bought her a dvd set and it has to be playing, nonstop now or she gets upset and yells "gabba gabba" until it comes on. I thought it would be a fun idea to make her 2nd birthday party (March 9th) inspired off of their show. I already have A TON of ideas floating around in my head and can't wait to start putting it all together so I can share with you guys.

I thought I'd show you some other yo gabba gabb parties/ideas that I've been saving to my computer.

[via]

Anyone else throwing a Yo Gabba Gabba Party? Let's chat!

Custom Blog Design Giveaway.

2012-01-05T11:50:00.000-08:00

I wanted to kick off the new year right, with a special little treat from me to you! TWO lucky winners will get their very own custom blog design, full loaded made by yours truly. Just enter our rafflecopter and I will pick the winners at random next Friday (January 13th).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let the sewing begin.

2012-01-04T19:24:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my amazing other half, I got my very own Brother Sewing Machine for Christmas. I just might be in love! I've been waiting to get a sewing machine since the one I found at a yard sale ended up being a junker. I've been sewing during all of my free time lately.

My first project was a simple dress, I think I did pretty good for my first outfit ever sewn (aside from the few items we had to make in home ec back in middle school, ha!)! I made my own pattern off of an old dress of Adrienne's and was finally able to use this ladybug material I've had laying around for quite some time. I have to pin back the straps for her since their a little long, but want to make them easy to bring back down once she gets taller.

Obviously she has to think about my latest project:p

She's been running around the house in the dress ever since I put it on her to see how it fit, can't wait to make so much more for her! Ohh, and go fabric shopping! My favorite!!

Steppin Out Saturday: New Years Eve

2012-01-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

Our Saturday was spent rockin' in the new years and I thought I'd show off the 24 week bump. We enjoyed ourselves to some homemade buffalo chicken lasagna and two types of dessert, ooey gooey red velvet cookies with white chocolate chips and a jello pretzel. We had our part hats and blow horns all ready to go, perfect for making Adrienne laugh hysterically when she started to get a little fussy. She was a trooper though and stayed up to watch the ball drop and then happily crashed into her pillows to count some sheep.

At 34 weeks, I'm still feeling good and were definitely starting to notice the belly growing. No new cravings, still spicey foods and any type of sports drink. I've really wanted some watermelon, but don't really care to spend $6 for such a tiny portion since their not in season right now. We went to the doctors this past week and was sent home with a fruit punch drink to refrigerate til my next appt in another month for my glucose test. Yuck! So not looking forward to having to fast for 2 hours and then wait another hour until I can get my blood taken.

However, I do get to start going every two weeks after this next appointment so I can tell that times going to start flying by and our little boy will soon be here!

Linking up with Mandy

Hair Bow Tutorial.

2011-12-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

Supplies:

Scissors

Felt

Bobby Pins or Clips

Hot Glue Gun

First you want to cut out a rectangle with rounded edges, along with a few small strips for the middle of the bow.

Then take one of your felt rounds and pinch the middle, resulting in this (shown below)

Take the small strip of felt you cut along with the felt round earlier and hot glue it around the middle, while remembering to attach your bobby pin or clip. You're end result should look a little something like this!

I continued on to make several small and medium hair bows with the different colored felt that we have lying around the house. So sweet and simple and the perfect accessory for yourself or even your little one.

Christmas Time.

2011-12-27T13:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas was amazing! Adrienne and I made sure to leave out cookies and milk for Santa and of course some food for the reindeer outside before heading off to bed.Once our little one was out like a light, we put up her Dry Erase Dora Table with one of her puppy dogs as a Christmas surprise to wake up too (I always had a present waiting for me in my room from Santa!). To say the least, she was ecstatic!!

Christmas Morning was spent opening presents, enjoying a breakfast casserole, and visiting family. By the end of the night, I was stuffed to the brim and so ready for bed. I hope everyone else had an incredible Christmas. Now bring on some New Years!

Winners Announced.

2011-12-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Tammy and Brenna! Will you please email me at pepperandherpups@gmail.com to claim your prize in the next 48 hours or new winners will have to be picked!

Thanks so much to everyone that entered, I had so much hosting all of our giveaways during out 20 Days of Christmas Special and I promise this was only a sneak preview of what's to come in the new year:)

20 Days of Christmas: Recipe.

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it's time to say farewell to our 20 Days of Christmas and say hello to 2012! I hope everyone had a wonderful time getting to know our guest bloggers and entering our rockin' holiday giveaways. I'd like to leave you with a scrumptious recipe to leave you all wanting more...

Chocolate Candy Cane Dessert Shooters

1 batch 50-second Peppermint Hot Fudge
8 mini candy canes, crushed
6 brownie bites, crumbled
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon pure vanilla

Using an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Whip until the cream holds its shape (but be careful not to over beat the cream, else you’ll have butter on your hands!). Spoon into an icing bag with a large star tip on top (or, if you don’t have an icing bag, you can just spoon the cream atop the shooters).
Spoon a small amount of warm fudge sauce in the bottom of each shot glass. Sprinkle a layer of crushed candy canes on top. Fill 3/4 of the glass with brownie bite crumbles. Pipe the chocolate cream on top of the glass. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

[recipe courtesy of Babble]

20 Days of Christmas: Baby Dolls.

2011-12-24T18:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our 20 Days of Christmas! Do you have a little one that just adores baby dolls? Well, I thought I'd show you some inspiration that's got me started on Adrienne's first handmade by mama doll. Enjoy!

[via]

20 Days of Christmas: DIY Cards.

2011-12-23T19:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our 20 Days of Christmas! I'm so excited to show you guys some incredible DIY Christmas Cards, in case your like me and leave this part for the very last minute:)

Merry and Bright SVG Kit

Tom Kat Studio

Lemon Squeezy

JinJerup

My Owl Barn

Hope these give you some inspiration, now get crafting ladies!

20 Days of Christmas: A Year In Review.

2011-12-23T11:25:00.000-08:00

2011 has been good to us, with plenty of changes and new adventures. I can't wait for 2012, as the years keep getting more and more exciting ad they pass by.

January started off wishing Adrienne a happy 10 months and getting a head start putting together inspiration for her first birthday blowout.

February was filled with lots of love, just in time for our special Valentines date. Oh, and of course breaking our camera (since I'm an incredible klutz when it comes to electronics!).

We celebrated Adrienne's first birthday in March, took our first trip to chuck e' cheese, starting spending plenty of time at the park, and watching her walk on her own like a big girl!

I continued to get my tan on (oh, how I miss being that dark!), Richard turned 25, we finally were able to rock some baby pig tails and saw the Easter Bunny and Mother Goose.

We were completely swamped with moving into our new (temporary) house so I was not a faithful blogger at the time.

June was spent celebrating Nana's birthday, Tator Tot turning 2, venturing to local yard sales/flea markets, and starting my 30 Day Shred.

We took Adrienne to Deer Park for the second year in the row (it's a little family tradition we carry on in the summer months), I celebrated my 21st birthday with some tasty legal bahama mamas and a baby free trip to Pittsburgh with the mister to visit old friends and tour the Carnegie Science Center.

August was spent outside, going on long walks that involved carrying Tator underneath the stroller. Enrolling in college classes for web design, and getting a new play set for outside and finding two faint little lines again on that so called pee stick.

September started with a trip to Christmas Land (since our town apparently thinks its normal to set outings like this up so stinkin' early), finding our new found love for wearing mamas clothes around her head. Oh and we can't forget Adrienne's half birthday!

Trick or treating at the mall, where a little boy dressed as the piggy from toy story kept trying to steal Adrienne's candy. Switching our Halloween costume from a ballerina bear to a completely decked out ballerina and beating the sucky weather to trick or treat for the first time around Nana's neighborhood.

November was spent taking a special trip to Volant for their annual Christmas festivities, enduring our first black friday extravaganza at walmart (while leaving the babes at home, of course!) & having our car break down and having to treck it by foot everywhere:/

To knock it all of, we carried out the last of our Christmas shopping all throughout the month (just finished the other day. Srsly, deals on clothes are 10000 x better right before christmas then on black firday, so don't be fooled ladies!). Spent many of nights curled up as our little family, watching the many Christmas movies on tv and sipping on hot cocoa.

I can't believe it's will be Christmas Eve tomorrow and then Christmas AND new years! Oh, how the time seriously has flown by! I'm so excited to see Richard and Adrienne's face when they see the goodies I got for them this year and to hopefully be getting my school refund check in the next week or so (we've been waiting, very impatiently I should say for this to arrive so we can move again, start saving for North Carolina, and prepare for this little guy to arrive in April!). Hellllo 2012:)

Reminder

2011-12-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

Only TWO more days left to enter our $40 Shop Credit to Created by Emma!! Don't miss out, head on over here:)

20 Days of Christmas:The Paper Mama.

2011-12-21T21:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our 20 Days of Christmas Special! I'm excited to show you guys thus awesome guest post from Chelsey at The Paper Mama. Check it out:)

Hello lovely Pepper and Her Pups readers! I'm Chelsey from The Paper Mama! Thank you SO much to Liz for inviting me to her holiday series!

Without any hesitation... I'm always thankful for my baby girl, Ruari. Even on those hard days when she's losing her mind and melting down... screaming at me... those are only tiny moments that are not all that bad. I love her beyond everything! Forget the jewelry and other gadgets this holiday.... I just want my lovely baby girl and my hubby. <3

20 Days of Christmas:The Momma Bird.

2011-12-20T22:34:00.000-08:00

Hello lovely Pepper & Her Pups readers! I'm Michelle and I write over at The Momma Bird. I like to write about life, parenting, being a military spouse, educational tips, and of course my faith in God. I also have a fun little vlog that I started up recently to lighten the mood. I was pretty thrilled when Liz asked me to join in on the Christmas fun on her blog! I'm sure you guys already know this but isn't she so sweet?! Hope you guys enjoy my little guest post!! :)

If you missed it in my intro paragraph, I'm a military spouse. And being a military spouse means spending the holidays away from family. When we lived in the states we were an 18hr drive from family, and now we're a 9 hr flight from them! We used to make that god-awful drive when we lived in the US but there's no way I'm making that flight again anytime soon!

When we lived in the states, one of our family traditions was to stay up until midnight and then open all of our presents together! My sister & I started this so we could sleep in on Christmas morning instead of having to wake up all early with our parents. We were pretty smart & convincing teens. It also worked out great once I got married because we would spend Christmas Eve with my parents and then Christmas Day with my hubs family. Win-Win!

When we moved to England last year, it was the day before Halloween. We moved into our house the DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING! (and you better believe I got that kitchen set up & made Thanksgiving dinner the next day!) A few weeks later we were nearing on Christmas and it was a little bittersweet being without our families, especially with it being our youngest son's 1st Christmas. My husband, the thoughtful man that he is, decided to start a little tradition for us - on Christmas Eve we headed out to a castle a few hours from us. This was our 1st official 'sight seeing' trip! He surprised me because I had no idea where we were going. It was so fun! Cold - but fun! We are now thinking of which castle to head out and venture to this Christmas Eve. I think it's such a neat experience being able to bring our kiddos to a castle each year. (not that they'll remember - but they'll have the pictures to believe it!)

You may not be far from your family, most of you are probably close. But I think it's so important to have special traditions to celebrate with your loved ones. Be it a silly song you sing together each year, wearing Christmas themed jammies the night before, making a special breakfast on Christmas morning, or even all staying up until midnight together to ring in Christmas Day!

If you end up starting a new Christmas tradition this year, I'd love to hear about it! Or, if you already have some fun traditions in place, let me know - maybe we'll adopt them as well!! :)

Winner Announced!

2011-12-19T20:32:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't checked out our underground vintage rafflecopter, a winner was picked for the $25 shop credit. Shelley (shelleybamburgh) please send me an email at pepperandherpups@gmail.com so we can get you your prize asap!

Thank you to everyone that entered, we have such an amazing turn out for each and every giveaway that's held here that I couldn't be more grateful [your the ones that make this all possible!].

Have a wonderful night:)

20 Days of Christmas: Winter Wonderland.

2011-12-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

Do you have a child who's birthday is during this holiday season or are you just in the spirit to celebrate a winter wonderland with your closest friends and family? Then check out these party essentials I've put together for you to make your party planning needs a much smoother process:)

[via]

Ad Space Available!

2011-12-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

We have some large, medium, and small ad spaces still available for January, so get em while you can!
The Pepper And Her Pups average in 25,000 unique monthly pageviews and our numbers just keep continuing to rise, makes me so happy:)

Large Ad- $16
Medium Ad- $11
Small Ad- $6

Holiday Special- Buy 3 months and get the 4th month free!!!

All of our packages are sold in one or three month spots and then you have the chance to re-new with us again.

Payments are made through paypal.

Interested in a spot, then shoot me an email at pepperandherpups@gmail.com

& Don't forget, I just started taking on new clients for blog design:)

Happy Holidays!!

20 Days of Christmas: Stocking Stuffers.

2011-12-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

Re-purposed Fabric Rope Bracelet

Spa Scrubbie and Tropical Bath Tea Soak

Anthro Knock Off Tea and Crumpet Apron

Handmade Playdough

Jersey Knit Bracelet

Re-purposed Owls

Rosette Rose Bracelet

Jersey Pom Ornament

Disney Paper Doll Sets

Wall Pocket Swap Hanging Hoop

Steppin Out Saturday.

2011-12-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

Apparently you can't really tell how much it was snowing in our pictures, but it certainly was a lot! We got a pretty decent amount of snow [good snow man building material] all since we woke up this morning and this is basically the first REAL snow we've had so far this winter. So what better way to celebrate then, throwing on all of our snow wear and Adrienne's spankin' new snowsuit and hit the road for some fun. We live right down the road from a walking path, so we headed over there and stopped at the first patch of wide open land to run around on. Adrienne thought it was hilarious when Richard and I got into a snowball fight and it was beyond cute watching her try and form her own snowball with her mittens on! Tomorrow we plan on digging out the sleigh we got her last year and take her on her first sled ride since there's a teeny tiny hill on our walking path.

Hope everyone else is having an awesome Saturday!

20 Days of Christmas: Created By Emma Giveaway.

2011-12-17T16:32:00.000-08:00

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast CREATED all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were CREATED." -Revelation 4:11

My name is Emma, a couple of my friends from church & I that love to "create" decided to get together & share it with the world! We each have our little branches, mine is Created -by Emma. I crochet & sew. I'm a wife and a mom, so most of my items are easy to care for, practical, & fun! I also LOVE custom orders so if you're looking for something but aren't sure what I'm your girl! just shoot me and email & we'll make something happen!

Emma has been sweet enough to offer one lucky winner a $40 shop credit!

Shop. Blog.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

20 Days of Christmas: Adrienne's Christmas List.

2011-12-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give you guys a little sneak peek into the Top 10 Gifts Adrienne has on her Christmas List this year. She's definitely been a good little girl, so I have no doubt that Santa will grant her wish!

Blog Design Services.

2011-12-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

Have you guys seen the new TPAHP Blog Design button on our blog?
I'm in the process of designing my own site, still throwing around plenty of ideas of how I want it to ultimately look.

But wanted to take on some new clients in the meantime. I'd love to design your blog for you or spruce up small aspects you might be missing (a new blog button, signature, etc)! If you click on the button to your right, you'll come up to page that looks like a little like this.

20 Days of Christmas: Love.Life.Babies.

2011-12-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our 20 Days of Christmas! I'm so excited to bring you all this awesome guest post from Steph over at LoveLifeBabies. Check it out:)

hi! i'm stephanie from love. life. babies. i'm so excited liz asked me to guest blog. i'm sure you're all just as amazing as her so thank you for letting me into your world today!

ok, so here is what i hope will be a helpful holiday tip and maybe keep you out of trouble with "certain" family members. {wink}

{source}

christmas is literally just around the corner. and with that {for most} comes family. lots and lots of family. for some {such as myself} this is a wondrous thing. but for many it's a confrontation/ruckus/melt-down waiting to happen.

growing up as a pastors kid and now working for a church i have been able to refine a certain tool that i believe will help you interact with your family over the christmas season.

are you ready for it?

listening.

{source}

listening is a lost art.

most people know how to talk your ear off right onto the floor.

but listening? yeah, not so much.

not being listened too can be extremely frustrating and hurtful to most people. who are we kidding all people. no one likes to be ignored, brushed to the side, or made to feel like they aren't worth a few seconds of your time.

but guess what. you have the power to give one of the best gifts this christmas season.

the gift of making someone feel important, valued and loved,

the gift of listening.

{source}

so here are a few tips on how to be a better listener this christmas season:

1. look at who you're talking to.

{there's nothing worse than conversing with someone who looks at everything in the room but you.}

2. ask a questions.

{instead of just thinking of the next thing you're going to say the whole time you're "listening" ask a question that will cause the other person to dig even deeper into the conversation.}

3. be aware of your body.

{body language many times say's more then what's coming

out of our mouth. hello! if you sit across from someone with your arms crossed, yawning every 5 seconds and resting your head on your fist because you're about to fall asleep any second, that person will pick up on it.

so nod your head in agreement, sit up straight and again

look. them. in. the. eyes. !!!!

i'm not saying following these few steps will give you a "jersey shore-drama free" christmas.

but i think you'd be surprised how even the most annoying, self-centered, bizarre family members might get a little less under your skin if you take a deep breath and give the gift of listening.

xo,

stephanie

20 Days of Christmas: 63 Strings Giveaway!

2011-12-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

A little about 63 Strings:

"Here at 63 strings, we are lovers of all things beautiful and a little off beat. We believe that the broken and forgotten things can sometimes be the the loveliest. We support style and second chances. We feel that handmade is the sweetest. This site is a collection of our inspirations, musings, creations, and favorite things. Thanks for visiting, pretties. Stay a while.
Love:bee&elle."

Another little treat, is this coupon code they have going on right now. Check it out!

You can find 63 Strings:
Shop. Facebook.

Now what are you waiting for, enter away!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

20 Days of Christmas: Winner Announced!

2011-12-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Clarissa! Make sure to send me an email at pepperandherpups@gmail.com to claim your prize:) A HUGE thanks to everyone that entered and of course Cristina of FrEEna for making this giveaway possible!

You all still have time to enter our giveaway from Underground Vintage, $25 Shop Credit. Don't miss out on that one either (it ends in 3 more days!).

& stay tuned because I've got another special 20 Days of Christmas treat for all of you today from the lovely folks at 63 Strings.

What To Make For Dinner.

2011-12-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

Ever have trouble coming up with something fun for dinner? I'm always on the hunt for pinterest worthy recipes and love sharing them with you. So I thought it would be fun a segment every week of "What To Make For Dinner". What do ya think?!

Last night, I was craving some fast food so I thought it was best to make a mini homemade pizza and cheesy crescent dogs [exhibit a shown above].

I think I've been on a cheesy overload lately since I made sure to put in a cheese stuffed crust too. But hey, I sure don't hear Adrienne or Richard complaining:)

Pizza:
crescent rolls
onions
pepperoni
shredded cheese, mixed
ranch

I simply padded together a small container of crescent rolls and rolled it out to my liking (making sure to leave a little extra room for the stuffed crust). Then I spread on the ranch, added the cheese to the side and rolled the dough over the cheese to make the crust. I put a teeny tiny bit of olive oil to help make the dough stick and then used a spoon to push it underneath so the cheese wouldn't fall out. Let it cook for 12 minutes or so until the crust was a slight golden brown, and ta-da!

The cheesy crescent dogs are pretty self explanatory, I just made sure to lay a sprinkle of cheese on each crescent roll before rolling the hot dogs in each one and cooking them for 10 minutes or so.

I'm not sure how many days I'll start doing this, but I think it's a great idea and I'm even going to add a linky at least once a week for everyone to join in.

20 Days of Christmas: My Creative Brightside.

2011-12-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our 20 Days of Christmas! I'm so excited to bring to you guys this awesome diy guest post from Steph over at My Creative Brightside. Check it out:)

Hey there lovlies I'm Stephanie Kelley and I blog over at My Creative Brightside. I'm a twenty-something girly girl how loves all things crafty. I am so excited to do a DIY guest post over here at Pepper and her Pups. I know budgets are tight and creativity is priceless so I thought I would combine the two and create a simply classic present. The tea bags are a great little gift to handout to friends and co-workers. Here is how I made mine..

Supplies needed: Loose leaf Tea (I used a Rooibos and Herbal from Teavana)
Tea bags
craft paper and twine

add your fresh loose leaf tea about 1 tsp per 8oz of hot water.

fold and sew top closed. Attach your tag and enjoy.

Come on over and check out my week of Holiday DIY's.

20 Days of Christmas: Southtown Creative.

2011-12-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our 20 Days of Christmas! I'm so excited to bring you guys this guest post from Jessica of Southtown Creative. Check it out:)

Hi y'all! My name is Jessica and I blog and design over at Southtown Creative and I'm so excited to be guest posting here today! I recently shut down my personal blog and decided just to focus on designing and business and blogging about that, I feel like it's a little more "my style" but if you get over to Southtown and realize that it's not got a ton of posts, head over to Freckles & Dirt (the old personal blog) and you'll see posts from June-a few days ago.

Anywho...since this a Holiday guest post and I'm a designer, I thought I'd go with a "designing through the Holidays" topic.

I've been a graphic designer for about 6 years now, since the first design class I had in college and it makes the holidays awesome and challenging all at the same time! I started my design career by designing invitations, announcements and stationery for my clients so it's only natural that I have always designed my own cards, invitations, etc. When the holidays roll around it's time for me to start thinking about what I want my Christmas card to look like and how I'm going to print it, etc. I love Snapfish and some other printing services but they don't offer BLANK 4x8 cards like I like to create so I always struggle with going the expensive route and ordering from a high-end print shop or going cheap. This year, I went cheap. I created my card to be a 4x6 so I could just print it off at Walmart, I wanted simple so that worked well with it and I'm loving my cards this year (there's a little sneak peak below!).

I run into tons of people who want to create their own cards but just don't have the software, skills or the money to pay someone (like me) to design their cards for them so I thought I'd give a few tips to make those generic photo lab card templates look the best they can!

Make sure to pick a card that fits your personality. If you love bright colors, use bright colors, if you love Christmassy colors, check out templates with those.
Don't clutter the template with too many photos. Ick.
Make sure your photos are of high quality. Those cell phone pics may look awesome on your phone but, unfortunately, they're just not the same resolution as those that come out of an actual camera.
If you don't want photos on your card, don't clutter the template with too many words. There's nothing worse than a Christmas card that has a million different poems, stories or "holiday-isms" on them.
When selecting a font from those automated templates, make sure to match the colors and fonts to the cards fonts. For instance, if you have a pink and green card and you choose yellow font, it's going to look like you didn't know what you were doing, lol. Also, if the rest of the card has curly-que fancy font, you should stick with a common sans-serif (without the lines under the letters) font for your text (from the such-and-such family), if the card has sans-serif plain font, feel free to use a curly font but just make sure it's still readable.

You can also print cards at home if you want. These same rules apply when you're working with a program like Microsoft Publisher or whatever you have, don't make it tacky.

If you have any questions or any design needs (blog/web design, marketing, print design or branding), hit me up at jessica{at}southtowncreative{dot}com.

Thanks for having me!

P.S.
You only have one more day to enter our Freena Hair Bow Set Giveaway, don't miss out!
And while your at it, enter our $25 Shop Credit to Underground Vintage!
Oh, and still need to buy some awesome stocking stuffers? Stop on over to our Scentsy Party:)

20 Days of Christmas: Christmas Gift Tags Freebie!

2011-12-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

I've been messing around in Fireworks again and thought I'd make some cheery Christmas gift tag freebies for everyone! Sprinkle a little joy to all you freebie junkies:) Just right click and save, to print out. If any of you use them, please send me pics! I'd love too see! Also, is this something you guys would like to see more of?
Enjoy!

20 Days of Christmas: Jess from IROCKSOWHAT.

2011-12-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our 20 Days of Christmas, I'm so excited to share with you guys this delicious recipe from Jess at IROCKSOWHAT. Check it out:)

So easy and delicious snack!

What you'll need-

2 apples (I used what I had on hand which was honey crisp apples)

Cinnamon

Directions: Core your apples and slice them relatively thin. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 275 on one side for an hour, then flip them and bake another hour at the same temperature. SO GOOD. Eat them fresh from the oven and you'll thank me.

Steppin Out Saturday.

2011-12-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday!!:D

Our car needs inspected so we've been walking every so often to run errands. I didn't realize they remodeled our TJMaxx into something spectacular, so needless to say it was already dark out by the time I was done shopping. We stopped for some Plaza Pizza and raced on home to the warmth (it's not snowing by any means around here, but the temperature sure is drastically dropping). Richard passed right out while Adrienne and I had a dance party! Alls well that ends well:) Hope everyone else has been having an awesome Saturday!

Linking up with [Harpers Happening]

Oh and make sure to enter this contest and this contest we have going on right now.
Or; hop on by our Scentsy Party to order some ah-mazing Christmas Gifts!

Our week in cell phone pics.

2011-12-10T18:08:00.000-08:00

We've had a busy week so far folks! There's been a lot of snuggles, yo gabba gabba jammin, and late night posts to pre-schedule for our 20 Days of Christmas (sure hope you all have been following along so far!)

I'd say we lost Richard a good 20 times throughout Macy's, that little speed devil! I think he was off looking at presents for us since that's the only time he's ever M.I.A. when a shopping excursion arises, otherwise he's right next to me the whole time trying to look half excited oh so ready to leave at the drop of a hat.

Idk how many pictures we've taken over the last ~~decade~~ years and I def have noticed I squint my right eye unintentionally whenever I smile. So.not.cute.

Which little piggy was it that went to the market?!

Of course it was only natural for Adrienne to be the doggie since that's what she likes to call EVERYTHING! I'm glad she's constantly learning new words, but I think this is one word I wouldn't mind seeing retired for a while. Ya get me?

Oh Tator, isn't he so cute:)

Webcam photoshoot, as usual.

Web chatting with some friends.

The silly faces she makes, just crack me up!

Linking up with [A Good Life]

20 Days of Christmas: Underground Vintage Giveaway!

2011-12-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our 20 Days of Christmas! I'm so excited to be bringing you this awesome giveaway from Undergound Vintage today. Check it out:)

A little bit about Darby, the creator behind Underground Vintage:

All of my life I have loved creating. I crew up crafting and gained my love of sewing from my Grandma. I was raised by parents who had a love of all things old and had many collections. I spent my childhood going to antique shows, flea markets, junk shops, and garage sales and it comes as no surprise that I still love doing those things and am now bringing my own daughter along for the ride. Frankly it would be shocking if I didn't have a love for old treasures.

For quite a few years I had really gotten away from crafting and it wasn't until I drug out my trusty old sewing machine to make a handmade gift for a friend that I realized how much I had missed it. Over the next few months I was sewing like crazy and soon realized that I could turn this love of creating into a business. It became apparent that it was time to invest in myself and make time to do something that I love.

It seems as though each new week holds exciting things for my future and I am so thankful that I have regained my sense of "craftiness" and am doing something that I love. I am blessed to have such a wonderful group of people that continue to support me and ride along on my adventure.

Take a peek inside her studio:

Nows your chance to win a $25 shop credit to Underground Vintage! Pretty awesome, right?

A couple reminders:
Don't forget to enter our Freena Hair Bow Set Giveaway if you haven't already (Ends 12/13).
Order some awesome Scentsy from my online party, going on over here!

20 Days of Christmas: Paddington Way.

2011-12-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our 20 Days of Christmas! I'm so excited to bring to you this awesome guest post from Jenna over at Paddington Way. Check it out:)

Hi there everyone! My name is Jenna and this is my precious little family.

I am young, in love, a momma, a hopeless DIY'er, and lover of all things pretty. I share all this goodness over at my blog Paddington Way and sell some pretty little things in my Etsy shop. Come on over and say Hi!

I am so thrilled to be a part of Liz's Christmas series! This is my first guest post ever! How fun is that?!

Today I am going to share with you a quick & easy little Christmas craft that is SO perfect to add the finishing touch to your holiday home.

I just love those cinnamon pinecones in bags on the way into the craft store this time of year. I am an absolute sucker for them. I can't resist the cinnamon goodness. I like having a basket of them by my front door, but I wanted to find a way to incorporate them into my home a little more this year, so this is what I came up with.

This little craft is super simple which is just PERFECT for the season because we all know how many things we have on our to do list everyday until the blessed Christmas Day!

Supplies:

Cinnamon Pinecones

Ribbon

Hot glue gun & glue

Scissors

Put a dab of hot glue in the center of the bottom of your pinecone.

Secure your ribbon to the glue. The pinecones tend to have a little point in the center so I just arched my ribbon over it and then added a little bit more hot glue and folded the ribbon back up to the center. This is so it will hang straight.

Cut your ribbon about 14-18 inches. I varied the length of mine to make the bundle. Do those last three steps until you have done this to all your pinecones. I really liked the look of 3 pinecones in a bundle.

To hang on your door make a slip knot the ribbon and then double knot it. I cut the extra ribbon off and secured with hot glue then added a little bow to finish it off.

That's it! Super simple but just the right finishing touch for your home.

They are just lovely! I have them hanging on door knobs all over my house. When you walk by you get the most delicious dose of cinnamon aroma! So Christmasy!

If you are having Holiday guests this would be so great to hang on their guest room door knob.

And your guest bath because they are just that darn cute!

Thank you Liz for having me!

I hope you will all stop by my blog and check out all the other fun tutorials we have!

20 Days of Christmas: Dessert With Friends, Duncan Hines Style.

2011-12-08T06:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our 20 Days of Christmas! I'm so excited to bring to you this yummy cookie recipe, all thanks to Duncan Hines. Check it out:)

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There's no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.

I think I've made it clear I'm not the greatest cook (a disaster cook in training, which I'm sure you've heard before), but I do know how to bake my little heart out. Don't ask me why cooking is so much more of a struggle then baking. Pshht, who am I kidding? It's so much more fascinating to bake scrumptious sweets then lunch or dinner. Well, at least for me it is!

Since a big part of the holidays is desserts, I was so happy to be picked too try out Duncan Hines which is already a staple piece in our family. Everyone's got their favorites. Adrienne likes to nibble on any type of cake/cookie/cupcake as long as it has frosting on it. Richard's a big fan of strawberry shortcake, peanut butter/chocolate cookies, and my run at chocolate cheesecake (had a small meltdown with the store bought graham cracker crust and had to start from scratch on that part, but everything turned out fabulous!!). And I am a fan of ice cream cakes, any kind anyway.

I've never tried anything red velvet and have always heard people rave about them, while drooling over plenty of pictures. So I think it would be a great addition to our Christmas meal for a dozen or two of these delicious looking red and white velvet cookies.

We plan on having over plenty of friends the rest of the holiday season, so I'm very excited to share some good laughs with some sweet treats.

Check out the recipe:

Cake:

1/2 cup butter
1 box Duncan Hines® Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

White Chocolate Dip:

2 bars (6 oz. each) white chocolate premium baking bars, broken into pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Melt butter; set aside to cool. Place cake mix, egg, cooled butter and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Mix by hand until well blended and dough is formed.
Form dough into a smooth 12-inch log on wax paper or parchment making sure it is even in thickness end to end. Wrap in wax paper; seal in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheets. Unwrap dough log and set on wax paper. Using a sharp knife, cut into 48 slices about 1/4-inch thick. Place on cool baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in center of oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Make dip by placing pieces of baking bar in small, DRY, microwave-safe bowl along with shortening. Microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir to blend. If needed, continue to microwave in 30-second intervals. Blend each time. Avoid overheating.
Dip each cookie into chocolate to coat half of cookie. Place on wax paper or parchment-lined sheets and refrigerate about 15 minutes or until dip is set. Store in airtight container with wax paper or parchment separating layers.

I plan on doing a follow up and showing you just how awesome these turnedut, so stay tuned!

Remember to check out Duncan Hines' website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

20 Days of Christmas: Scentsy Party, Come Join In!

2011-12-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our 20 Days of Christmas! I'm so excited to bring to you this online Scentsy Party! Check it out:)

That's right ladies, were having a Scentsy Party The Pepper And Her Pups and I thought it would be a great addition to our 20 Days of Christmas shenanigans that are going on this month!

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Scentsy, but for those of you that aren't I'll give ya a little info on this amazing brand.

Scentsy is brand full of endless possibilities to wickless candles. Their products not only look beautiful on the outside, but their fragrances are absolutely AMAZING! You can find plug-ins, warmers of various sizes, perfume, scentsy buddies (the cutest stuffed animals), room spray, fragrance foam, and that's just naming a few.

These are an incredible gift to give to a loved one (hubbies, please take note!), co-workers, family members, friends (especially a IRL Blogger!). Which is why I decided to host a Party for all of you, starting today til the 19th [that's the last day to order to make sure your orders arrive to you in time for Christmas].

Just head on over to the Pepper And Her Pups Scentsy page, that can be found HERE and order away!

My page has been set up super easy for everyone to find featured items, combine and save bundles, warmer/scents of the month, and everything else in categories found on the left hand side.

And Don't Forget:

20 Days of Christmas: The Shine Project.

2011-12-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

-Hey Everyone! Welcome to our 20 Days of Christmas, I'm so excited to share with you this awesome guest post from Ashley over at The Shine Project. Check it out:)

Happy Holidays guys!

I'm Ashley from The Shine Project.

I happen to turn into a little Christmas elf freak around this time of the year.

I l.o.v.e. everything about it.

But mostly, I love being with my family and spreading love to others.

I wanted to share one of my favorite Christmas traditions with you.

Every year since I can remember, we have a huge Christmas Eve dinner

with my entire family at my parents house.

We open presents from my dad's side,

and every year my grandma gets us PJs.

When Mike and I got married, we thought it would be fun to have our own

PJ exchange. So on Christmas Eve, we get in our new jammies,

and watch The Christmas Story on PBS all night long.

It happens to be one of my favorite things.

Especially when it ends in a giant family sleepover.

This year, our PJs will be the only thing we are giving to each other.

We've decided to do Christmas for two families

who otherwise wouldn't have it.

I've honestly never been so excited to give gifts in my life like I am this year.

Christmas is so much more meaningful when we remember what it's all about.

And it's about Christ.

And love.

And giving.

Merry Christmas friends!

Come tell me your Christmas traditions over HERE!

And check out handmade holiday ideas on my blog HERE!

P.S. Don't forget to ENTER our giveaway from Freena for your choice of a set of hair bows (absolutely stunning!).

20 Days of Christmas Kick Off; frEEna giveaway!:)

2011-12-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

Were kickin' off our 20 Days of Christmas today with an amazing giveaway from FrEEna! Check it out:)

WIN A SET OF BOBBY PINS,

YOU CHOSE YOUR FAVORITE!

A little about the lovely designer, Cristina:
" At FrEEna , you are not only shopping for handmade, but for quality and unique in the same time. I love what i do and i put a lot of attention in the smallest details.
FrEEna is a combination of the word "free" and my name. I found that being free (of worries, of what other people think, of certain addictions) is the secret to live a happy life, and i only found this freedom in Jesus.
My items are inspired by childhood memories, nature and represents a part of my dreams. I hope you will enjoy it. Cristina"

SHMILY.

2011-12-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

I hope you guys haven't forgotten about our 20 Days of Christmas cause it's all starting tomorrow bahbe!!

So to get you all excited, I thought I'd bring you an awesome stocking stuffer idea. SHMILY are awesome wooden coins that are used to show your everlasting love for that special someone. Their the perfect little stocking stuffers for your little ones, Adrienne has been running around the house playing with them inside her playhouse and trying to count them ever since we got ours in the mail.

SHMILY was created by Laura Hammond who was deeply inspired by her grandparents love for one another to pass on their tradition of writing and saying SHMILY to one another in every little way possible (on note pads, on the bathroom mirror, etc). Their story is beautiful and quite sad, which you see it in its full glory here.

So while your searching for an addition to a friends, significant other, or families stocking stuffer then make sure to stop by SHMILYS and show them how much your love them:)

Site. Facebook. Twitter.

Steppin Out At Home.

2011-12-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

Our car needs inspected and we don't have the extra money right now, so we've been stickin' it to the home base for the last few days. I've been taking on my domestic ways and baking up some scrumptious chocolate chip cheesecake (oh, could I devour it all on one bite!) and helping assist Richard in our buffalo nachos for dinner, which really means it's been a pjs with no makeup on kinda day.
So I thought I'd throw some of my favorite web cam shots at ya. Hope everyone else is having a wonderfully lazy Saturday at home! Now it's time to get some shut eye real soon so we can wake up extra early for a special Christmas shopping trip with Nana. Yay:)

BeeSavy Ladies.

2011-12-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

I wanted too introduce all of you online shoppers to another amazing site to help you find everything you need for the best price out there. BeeSavy is an amazing site that holds thousands of great deals just waiting for you to search for them. Whether it be boots for the winter or coupons, you can find it all right here.

BeeSavy is an awesome online shopping experience and I know that there are an insane amount of you out there that don't like to waste time in crowded malls, especially during the holiday season to shop. So what better way then to hop on over to BeeSavy for the lowest deals out there on the products you love, along with coupons!

Another great thing is the cash back rewards that you receive on ever.single.purchase! Now who doesn't love cash back rewards?! Cause I sure do. It's free to sign up and join their referral program to help rack in even more deals for yourself.

So what are you waiting for? I know most of you are on he hunt for coupons all the time, so stop on by here and get your shop on ladies.

Bartering Blogger Holiday Swap!

2011-12-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

I think this is a wonderful idea and love The Bartering Blogger!

What I'm Offering: Free Ad Space, Guest Posts, Giveaway Hosting, and Product Reviews. Blog Design Services (Header, button).

What I'm Looking For: Girls Toddler Shoes size 6-7. Anything Yo Gabba Gabba, Dora, or Leopard Print related. Craft Supplies. Homemade Items.

Email me at pepperandherpups@gmail.com

Wanna Join in on the fun?

Head on over to Bartering Blogger and link up with your own post or tweet pictures with the mention of @BarteringBlogger.

Happy Holidays Everyone!:)

Pinteresting Recipe.

2011-12-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

[pin]

I'm sure many of you have seen this yummy photo across pinterest, tucked away in many food albums. I decided to put my skillz to the test and make these for dinner tonight. Sweet Success is exactly how it turned out!

The recipe's pretty easy peasy. Use one large chicken breast and cook it in the oven for roughly 40 minutes or until it's nice and juicy. Instead of making my dough from scratch like in the original recipe, I rolled out a can of biscuits, cut each biscuit into four 1 inch pieces. They were definitely sticky, so make sure you put down some flour to make the rolling process much easier.

Once the chicken was done I diced the whole thing into small pieces, added it to a medium mixing bowl along with 1/2 cup of Franks Buffalo Sauce, a little bit of melted butter, and another 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Mix it all up and spoon out a small portion onto the end of each biscuit slice you already previously cut. You should come up with something a little bit like above!

Pop em' all onto a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes (I could of taken them out just a few minutes earlier, but wanted a nice golden brown crisp to them) and your done. It's as easy as that!!

I dished out a plate for each of us, along with some ranch for dipping and a side serving of alfredo noodles and it's safe to say there are three satisfied tummies sitting around the tv right now.

Anyone try this recipe before or plan on trying it? Let me know!

Marzetti Ortria Veggie Dip Review, So Good!

2011-11-30T22:07:00.000-08:00

This sure is a good one! I was one of many lucky little ladies that got to try out Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt. Let me just tell you that I have been one happy preggo chick after getting to indulge in this hidden treasure.

I've always been a fan of Marzetti and have grown up with their caramel dips that go absolutely perfect for making candy apples. I've never tried greek yogurt...EVER! I know I know. Shame on me, how in the world could I just pass on by something oh so delicious? What can I say? I'm a pretty picky person when it comes to food and my mood lol, so I just never thought twice about it.

Now though, I'm never turning back! Greek Yogurt is so satisfying for a on the go snack or pre-dinner treat. You can try them with any type of fruits and veggies of your liking, potato chips, pretzels, and even tuna (instead of the mayo). I decided to pick the Otria® Cucumber Dill Feta Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip and absolutely loved it, if you couldn't already guess. The flavor was so fresh each and every time I snacked on it. I could have easily devoured in the whole package in one serving, but decided to push back my crazy pregnant cravings/starvation.

Even Adrienne and Richard both enjoyed it, which was quite surprising since I'm sure you all know how hard it is sometimes for your little ones to enjoy anything but a few certain staples (hers are chicken nuggets, pretzels, noodles, and anything with cheese) and Richard doesn't ever enjoy anything unless its buffalo chicken. Surprise Surprise, typical male:)

There's plenty of different flavors and I plan on trying all of them. No joke. So just in case I didn't convinve you how great this is, I thought I'd leave you with a recipe from their site that I plan on trying (starting tomorrow since were going grocery shopping) to help sprucen up our lunch routine. Check it out.

Dilly Drop Biscuits Smoked Turkey Sandwiches

Use Marzetti's Dill Veggie Dip to top these turkey sandwiches served on your favorite drop biscuits.

Serves Makes 12 Biscuits

Marzetti Ingredients

1 cup

Marzetti® Dill Veggie Dip

Other Ingredients

3 cups Favorite baking mix

2/3 cup Milk

1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

Green leaf lettuce

Sliced tomato

Sliced smoked turkey

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly mist a baking sheet with non-stick vegetable oil spray. In a large mixing bowl combine first four ingredients and mix until moist. Spoon biscuits onto prepared pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Biscuits should be golden brown. Cool. To assemble sandwiches, split biscuits, layer sandwich with lettuce, tomato and turkey. Spread Marzetti Dill Dip over turkey and cover with top portion of biscuit. Serve.

I was one of the bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company and Clever Girls Collective to host a Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip review. They provided me with product to test myself and compensation for my time. However, my opinions are entirely my own.

19 weeks 5 days.

2011-11-30T08:03:00.000-08:00

We had a doctors appt monday and finally switched over to our new doctor. Wasn't really feeling the original doctor we had because of the way she talked to Richard when Adrienne started crying during the appt. It was beyond rude and made me completely uncomfortable, so after our scheduled ultrasound to find out the sex we made sure our next appointment was with someone else.

Their office is right in front of the hospital I'll be delivering at, which makes things much easier whenever I have to get some sort of test done. There's 4 doctors in the practice, two women and two men. I already scheduled my next three appt since their extremely busy and get to see 3/4 doctors in that time frame, but we already decided on Dr. Hurd as our favorite. I'm also thinking about a doula, but want too look into it a little more before I decide. The nurse we spoke too before the appt is one of the 2 possible doulas you can chose from and she was incredibly sweet, so we'll see!

Everything looked great and they moved my due date from the 23rd to the 20th based on little fellas measurements during my last ultrasound!

Our Week in Cell Phone Pics.

2011-11-27T17:02:00.000-08:00

Rockin' out in mamas glasses. Sharing graham crackers with Tator. Santa Claus. Thanksgiving photoshoot.

Tator's new reading glasses. Power Naps. Thanksgiving Dinner, Take One. The yummiest desert on earth!

Thankful Thanksgiving.

2011-11-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Without a camera, it sure it hard to get motivated to snap as many photos as I normally would. However, Adrienne and I were in the mood to have an impromptu photoshoot before the second round of Thanksgiving dinner. Doesn't look like she was into it at first, but once she got to help me snap the pic she was allll over it!

This year I'm thankful for my beautiful baby girl, our second bundle of joy that's cookin' in me until late april, the mister, our health and happiness, my family, and all of the little things in life<3

What are you guys thankful for this year?

xoxo