Peanut Butter Popcorn... YUM!

Since I tried to make a batch of milk chocolate brownies earlier today and wasn't too impressed... I figured I should attempt another little snack! Although, my fiance LOVED the brownies... go figure, haha! Since I was already on this website for my last blog, I stumbled upon this delicious looking recipe: (Not my photo, but they should turn out just like this.)

I got this photo from this website which has this delicious recipe so click here for the details! This is a snack for those who have a sweet-tooth. It needs just your regular microwavable popcorn, peanut butter, marshmallows, butter, and brown sugar. The total time to make this should take just 15 minutes! Enjoy!

Bacon and Lil' Smokies Recipe!

I couldn't resist but to share this recipe when I had a taste of my in-laws freshly baked bacon and lil' smokies! It was a hit, especially with the men which is no wonder because it includes BACON! I'm baking my first batch tonight, but blogging before hand so this is not a photo of my work. However, if all goes as planned... they should turn out just like this:

 

They are a great appetizer but tonight I'm feeling a little under the weather so I'm going to try to just cook them with some cheesy scalloped potatoes and veggies and call it good. Please click here for a link to a great website which shows you this super easy recipe! It only takes 30 minutes to make these little mouth watering appetizers so be sure to give it a try!!

Prepping to snowboard

As a Minnesotan, if you are going to get a little enjoyment out of winter, you should try taking up a sport! My fiance snowboards every winter and I have an interest in it as well. We are joining some friends for a little snowboarding trip! I'm excited because I haven't went in a decade. I can already picture myself face planting right away, haha! I'm pretty sure I will have to learn all over again. I never actually went to a resort. I only went boarding where ever my friends and I could find a decent hill.
In order to make sure I have everything I'll need, I recently went to Zumiez and bought a pair of black and purple Dragon goggles. I used some christmas money to purchase a Columbia coat designed to hold up in the cold/wet snow. I also got water repellent gloves made by Columbia as well. Last winter American Eagle Outfitters sold hear muffs which came with headphones inside them. Such a great idea! I plan to bring those as well. I'd show a link, but I couldn't find them for American Eagle this season. If anyone knows where else you can purchase earmuffs as headphones, please comment below =)

Click here and check out Columbia gear for your winter fun needs!
Click here for a link to the exact coat I just purchased.

Our christmas

I hope everyone had a great holiday! I know we did! Very blessed this year that's for sure. Little man will put a lot of his new things to good use. He especially fell in love with his new rocking chair! Who knew something that wasn't a toy would become his favorite item? Well, I take that back... he seems to be attracted to a lot of things that are NOT a toy, haha. I got gift cards and a beautiful diamond necklace from my fiance. I can always expect a pair of good slippers and a cute piece of jewelry from my mother in law. With my side I never really know what to expect, haha. Its a total surprise. I took down our tree christmas night. I figured with a child going through his terrible two's and my pets, its just easier to part ways right away with the tree. I love the warm feeling our home has when its all decked out for the holidays, but I'm enjoying the extra space we have back without everything set up. We got a great, slim space-saving tree this year! Its as tall as a 6 or 7 footer but its super slim. No need to assemble it every year either! All the branches are already on it, it just comes apart in three easy to store pieces! Phew! That saves me a 40 minute hassle =)
Before I go, click here for tips on storing your christmas decorations!

Tips for fighting the winter blues

Leave it to good ole' Cosmo to give more good advice... this time on battling those winter blues! They seem to creep in after the excitement of the holidays pass and the new year has begun. Personally, by the Beginning of February I'm really beginning to miss going outside without freezing and slipping around just by walking out to check my mail. I love winter, but I just wish it didn't have to last so long.

A few tips are as follows:

Cosmo and I both definitely agree that now is the time to redecorate! Try to avoid cool colors such as blue or gray and spice up your home with warm colors! Trust in me when I say that this will bring a touch of warmth to not only your home but your mood as well! I painted my bedroom walls orange when I was younger and I always felt like my room was cozy and vibrant!

Plan an outdoor trip! Visit new places within driving distance of your home. Its a great time to explore historic areas or try a new shopping center.

I suggest picking up a winter activity such as snowmobiling or snowboarding. It gives you something to look forward to when the snowballs fly and you might build a new appreciation for the change of weather.

Before I forget, winter wouldn't be the same without a fresh cup of coffee! If you are not a coffee drinker, stock up on some hot cocoa =)

 

 

 

Click here for Cosmo's complete list of ways to beat the winter blues

Braving the crowds in search of things for the wedding

Since I cant guarantee that I will be able to be at the stores right when they open up the day after christmas, I went out today to at least get a 30% off discount. Right now I'm focusing on finding more white mini lights for the wedding... but with white cords, not green. Target sells an off brand... forgive me but I'm drawing a blank at what they are called... I know they say decor on the center of the box though. Anyways they are lights that are good quality and a lot cheaper. Look for them at the end of the isle of lights. I stocked up on three large packages of 350 (white) lights each. Make sure to get the ones with the white cord unless you don't mind green with your wedding decor. Then I purchased three crystallized light up branches which I plan to use for our head table.
I made my way over to Joann Fabrics as well but they were already really picked over as far as christmas decor goes. Almost everything was already 70% off. I really wanted to pick up these pretty little sparkling bird cage ornaments that could easily be used for a wedding but out of the ten that they had left, only one wasn't broken! No luck there, haha. I'm focusing on lights and flowers for our reception decor. I love anything that lights up and/or sparkles. What I really need to do right away after the new year is get our save the dates and invites sent out! I know, I know... I'm being a complete slow poke with those! If it weren't for the holidays I would of had them sent out already, haha.

 Click here for a link to holiday mini lights sold at your local Target. They are battery operated and also work great for crafts and decoration! You will find wedding ideas where you least expect it ;)

Photography... My very first practice session!!

My goal is to be as ready as I can be to be a legit photographer by late spring. With that said, I have begun my practice sessions! This week my friend and I went to a few parks in a couple neighboring towns where I photographed her. We were supposed to shoot at sunset but things ran late and by the time we were ready to shoot, it was getting pretty dark. My first session was quite a challenge to say the least but I was able to get a couple nice shots and a few that I can take note and learn from.

There is so much more that goes into photography that I never fully realized until I actually bought my own camera. Real photo shopping is nothing like Instagram people! (haha) It takes at least an hour for me to edit a photo. I don't know how to edit everything the exact way I would like to, so I'm hoping I can either take note from a photographer, view enough tutorials, or actually attend a class within the next year.

 

(This was a photo that was once dark and had a low level of exposure. It didn't turn out too well. Instead of deleting it though, I still used it as more practice towards my editing.)

 

 

 

I share this passion with a few of my friends so its neat to share photos and talk with them about our hobby! Everybody needs a hobby of their own... something that makes them feel good and keeps them productive =)

Click here for some tips for using your DSLR camera and snapping photos at night.

Click here for 10 more tips as well. Good night folks!

What to watch out for when buying shampoo

When I was younger I never put much thought (or care) into what chemicals are in the products I use or the food that I eat. Well today I'm here to point out 5 toxic ingredients which are put in common shampoo's that you should be aware of. Now, I personally wouldn't go toss out your bottle sitting in the shower, but just make a mental note of some things the next time you find yourself buying shampoo. Over time, these chemicals can pose a threat to your health. I seen this on my local news a few months ago and sure enough when I showered that night, I caught myself glancing at the back of my Herbal Essences shampoo bottle.

 

 

 

Methylisothiazoline- This may be found in leading brands such as Pantene, Suave, Clairol, and Head and Shoulders. It can put an unborn baby at risk for brain damage. It can also cause neurological disorders.

 

Parabens- This is a preservative which helps stop the growth of bacteria. Unfortunately, it has been linked to raising estrogen levels which in return can help create hormonal disorders and cancer.

 

Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate- This is found in almost every leading brand of body wash and shampoo. It can be abrasive to your hair and skin. This is unfortunate because SLS is what helps create suds the way you would expect them to form. It can also lead to thinning hair due to its acidic nature.

 

Formaldehyde- This ingredient can cause damage to the nervous system as well as allergic reactions. It may be listed as quarternium-15, doazolidinyl urea, and imidazolidinyl urea.

 

Phthalates- While its added to body wash and shampoo to help give them scent, it might be linked to reproductive and hormonal issues. Often these problems effect children.

 

 For more info on these ingredients, click here.

 

 

Christmas shopping... Chelsea's way ;)

 

We just finished up some more shopping today and well... judging by this picture I love my girls to either A.) smell pretty or B.) look sexy because I noticed that my christmas shopping trip #2 consisted of mainly Victoria's Secret, Aerie, or Bath and Body Works. (Haha) No we did not purchase the kitty. You really can't go wrong with lotions and perfume though! Works especially great for the people who seem to have everything and you don't know what to get them. By the way, if you buy a perfume at Victoria's secret, they toss in a free VS ornament. If you buy three signature lotions or body washes, you get three free. That probably explains why I bought a dozen haha. I absolutely love their body wash though. Those little bottles seem to last me forever even though I've used them daily. I also went into a lot of novelty shops this holiday season. I picked up some unique gifts that I could almost bet the person I was buying for didn't have. I'd spill about what I bought but a few of the people on my christmas list read this and would instantly know who it was for, haha. Take note, those types of stores are another great idea for people who either have everything and/or those who you are not sure what to buy for. If you are absolutely unsure, you can go the gift card route. Some people hate gift cards, others love them. It depends for me. I don't mind receiving them, but its more fun to shop for gifts and put them under the tree then it is to put a gift card in an envelope. Also, Posh Love was my own guilty pleasure. They only have two stores, one in I believe Ridgedale Mall and one at Crossroads Mall in St. Cloud. It was a cute, inexpensive store with unique clothes for teens and young women.

Anyways, we didn't have time to get out our christmas cards again this year. Oops! Hopefully next year, haha.

 

Click here to check out the holiday sales at your local Bath and Body Works

 

For the love of photography

Today I purchased one of the very latest photoshop programs on the market, the Adobe Photoshop Elements 11. It was long overdue! I have been using Adobe Photoshop 2.0 and it was so outdated and basic, haha. It took me forever just to come up with a mediocre photograph. What i noticed right away with the new version was at the top of the screen it had three options: quick, guided, and expert. This helped tremendously! Each option had a variety of settings and controls that made the process of photoshopping go a lot more smooth. Upgrade? Yes please! =)

 

In order to have everything I want for a studio set up I still need a couple backdrops and studio lighting. Hopefully by next spring I will of been able to come up with something! I can always use natural light and make my own set up until then. I'm a fan of taking photos outdoors so that's also an option.

 

I highly recommend the Adobe Photoshop Elements 11. You can pick it up at your nearest National Camera Exchange.  

 

 

Soaking up some sun... and snow (with my canon)

If you are from Minnesota then you know we had a big snow storm the other week. I was more excited this year then I have been for a long time. My son is finally at an age where he is learning that you can play in the snow! More about that in my mama blog =) Anyways, I took him out almost every day this week and grabbed my Canon Rebel so I could capture some adorable memories! I'm using these photos as kind of like my first official batch while using my photo shop. If I'm going to pursue photography, I need to know how to edit and how to do it fast. Tomorrow I'm going to buy a new Adobe Photo shop but for the past couple weeks I have been using an Adobe version from about 10 years ago haha. I'm hoping to get a couple friends penciled in my schedule in the next couple weeks. This is my passion and to me, its not considered a job. I enjoy taking photos, traveling, editing, and admiring =)

Check out 5 tips for taking better snow photos

and

10 tips for taking great winter pictures!

 

Here is one of my own Instagram photos

 

 

 

 

Wedding decor hunting during the holidays?

Hey everyone! As always I am keeping busy with my family life, hobbies and the fast approaching holidays. However, wedding planning is becoming a big chore, haha. A great time of the year to look for wedding decor is the holiday season! We are having the color purple in our wedding so when Halloween was here, I purchased mini purple led lights. They were made for using with a small scene and are battery operated which is perfect! Now the other day I went to Target and looked back by their Christmas lights and found mini white led lights. I plan on stringing them in our tree branches for the table centerpieces along with the purple lights. Unless you are renting all of your own lighting, hitting holiday sales is a great idea =) I plan on grabbing some white Christmas lights the day after Christmas. I figure after the wedding I can use them on our home for the holidays or sell them. Also, if you have a little extra cash, you can always buy those light up mini led pre-lit branches and reuse them in your home after the wedding. Just a thought =)

 



A fall/winter 2012 makeup idea

 Typically, I barely have enough time for a little cover up, eye liner and mascara with a 20 month old child running around! When I do get the chance to spend a little extra time on myself, I like to experiment with different looks and maybe even take a few self portraits. It will be fun to look back on your changing styles one day when your older! Change can be a good thing! I've always switched out clothing styles and colored my hair every color from pink to black since I was a pre-teen.

According to Glamour Magazine, the one eyeliner shade that every woman must have for this season is... bronze eyeliner! Their reasoning, "It makes your eyes look all glowy and warm." Whether you have light skin or dark skin... light eyes or dark eyes... you can pull it off! You can order your bronze eyeliner at Ulta, click here! Don't feel like ordering it, try your local Walmart, Target, Walgreen's, etc and look for bronze.

 

Here is a bronze shimmer by elf cosmetics at Target. It is only sold in stores and it sells for a dollar. For that price, it might be worth a try!

 

 

 

 Lipstick has really made a comeback for the younger ladies this year. In previous years, the nude look was trendy. I still love it on days where I really want the focus on my eyes. Step out of your box the next time you shop. Go for colors that really stand out such as red, deep purple, and pinks that make a statement!

 

 

This and that...

Its been busy the last couple of days with family, my fiance working long days, etc. With that said, I haven't had a lot of time for projects. I'm kicking myself in the butt right now because my side of the family had a huge family gathering today aaand well... I didn't think to charge the battery on my new camera. Pretty bummed but hopefully we can get everyone together next time.

I've also been spending a lot of time working out some details with the wedding. I frequent theknot.com. It was recommended to me and I recommend it to anyone getting married as well! They also have a magazine that I pick up sometimes while grocery shopping. Can anyone recommend another great site?

 

 

For the ladies

I mentioned in a previous blog that I would comparing more expensive nail polish to those that are more affordable. I tried brands from O.P.I sold at Regis Hair Salon at a whopping $8.50 a bottle to N.Y.C. sold at Target for under $2. Do you always get what you pay for?

 

 

 

The pros of spending more on nail polish:

 

 The quality does seem to be better and when I say better I mean the color is usually more rich. The paint seems a little more thick. I didn't need to put on as many coats. I did notice less chipping which is a huge plus. I found most brands from Sally Beauty Supply and Nail Polish sold in salons such as O.P.I. to over all work better than less expensive brands.

 

The cons:

 

They are expensive =(

The color selection is limited depending on where you shop

 

The pros of spending less on nail polish:

 

If you are shopping in a department store, you will find that the color selection of cheaper nail polish is much greater than the smaller selection of more expensive brands. I usually get sucked into the bright or sparkling colors made by cheaper brands such as Sinful Colors. You can also afford to buy more when you are only spending a couple bucks on each.

 

The cons:

 

The quality is usually a little disappointing.

Also, most do start to chip within the first 24 hours of applying the paint.

 

I have personally been most disappointed with Wet n Wild and Sinful Colors. Both chip fast and Sinful Colors had a few that went on really thin, needed multiple coats, and turned a funny looking color that didn't match the bottle. I cant say that I wont ever buy another color from them again, but I will be more careful. That is just my personal take though. So which would I buy? Well, I sure as heck wont spend $8.50 every time I want a new color, but I did find a way to make the inexpensive colors last a little bit longer...

 

 

I found this at a local store and I have been putting one coat on top of all of my nail colors for past few weeks and it has noticeably slowed down the chipping process. I recommend it. The reviews were good. Plus it adds a little extra shine.

Click here to check it out at Ulta Beauty.

 I also have thin nails so I bought the Revlon Calcium Gel Nail Hardener. Its in a bottle just like the one shown above. I also recommend that.

Decorate your own candle holders!

This is actually an extremely easy project! I was able to finished decorating all of our candle holders in the matter of an hour. When I was done, we had 20 beautiful sparkling candle holders for our wedding! Feel free to decorate them for a gift or around your home! Here is how you can decorate them:

 

You will need the following:

 

Candle holders

I recommend fabric glue and a small foam sponge

Glitter of your choice (I used very fine glitter)

A container to hold your candle holder over and catch any extra glitter

A rag or paper towels to wipe your hands off

 

 

Lets begin!

Lay down newspaper so you can clean up the mess easier.

Get a container to hold your candle holders over. This is so that you can use the glitter in the container and either pinch more back on using your fingers or pour it back into the glitter container to pour it again. Use a funnel for pouring, even if you have to make your own from a piece of paper. As you can see in the photo above, I ended up using the lid. Hey, whatever works! Put about a pea size amount of glue near the tip of the sponge and start to rub the glue onto the glass.

 

 

 

For this particular design, I started from the bottom of the candle holder and went about half way up. I gave the top a jagged look by moving the sponge upward all around the glass.

 

 

The hardest part is already over! Now you just take the container of glitter and lightly sprinkle the glitter evenly all around the cup. Shake off any extra glitter. Feel free to give it a second round of glitter to make sure you covered all of the glue. Once again, shake off any remaining glitter and you are finished! Wasn't that easy?!

 

 

I wish I had a small white candle to light in here and show you how great it looks but you will just have to create one and find out for yourself ;)

 

 

*All supplies can be found at your local craft stores such as Michaels or Joann Fabrics!

 

WEDDING DRESS!!!

Hey everyone! Unfortunately I wont be sharing a picture of my dress before the big day, haha. Sorry! I will tell you about my experience today however!

My best friend and I went to David's Bridal. It was my first time out looking and trying on a dress. I went with the plan of just buying it today and getting it over with! The wedding is in May and I'm starting to feel like time is going by faster and faster so I don't want to be too picky at this point. I knew I would find one that I loved... and I did =)

I'm usually not a big complainer... I think I'm doing a pretty good job of not being a bridezilla ;) but unfortunately my consultant was a little hard to connect with. She showed little personality and very little sense of humor. She was trying to sell me dresses over my budget which was getting annoying. It was painfully obvious that she was paid on commission. I had a decent budget to work with though, so I got to try on a lot of different styles from the A-frame, the mermaid, the princess, etc. When I would come out of the dressing room wearing a gown, the other consultants would walk over and strike up conversation with me and my bridesmaid so that helped. They were very kind! All of us brides-to-be were stealing glances at each other to see what the other one was wearing, haha. It was kind of funny. The girl next to me was trying on dresses for a few thousand dollars! Mine was a little spendy at first, but after the sale price I came out with extra cash in my pocket so that felt great! I felt pretty accomplished after that =) Both my best friend and I agreed that the dress I ended up picking out was not the style we both thought I would of liked. I can't say much more than that but I will say it's gorgeous and I'm going to feel very much like... like a princess in a fairytale, haha =)

When I said "This is the one!" the consultant gave me a bell, told me to make a wish about the wedding day, keep the wish a secret, and ring the bell!! Once I did that everyone stopped to clap! I had no idea they did that. Our next trip I'm getting my accessories and sending the bridesmaids in to get their dresses! I'm very excited for that! I've said too much so I'm done for now! Have a good night everyone =)

 

By the way, I do recommend David's Bridal despite my own consultant being a little hard to connect with. Everyone helping around the store was amazing and the other consultants were very genuine! Great selections too! Click here and feel free to check out their website!