Wednesday, July 31, 2013

CM Candle Works Review


So as I told everyone before I love love love candles so I was super excited to get my CM Candle Works candle in the mail and what made it even better was that it was blueberry cheesecake scented! Then when I got it in the mail I also got some of their candle melts and it's scent is cotton candy and it smells delicious!


My first impressions of the products that I received was that I liked the colors and I would be happy to put these out in my home for everyone to see. Next I smelt them and the cotton candy was heavenly! So good that I could almost eat it but I didn't because I am sure it doesn't taste too good. Then I smelt the Blueberry Cheesecake and it didn't smell as good as I thought it was going to smell but after I lit it the scent really came out and it made my house smell wonderful!


I wish so badly right now that computers had a way to send smells because if it did I would send you the scent of this candle and you would be going over to their shop right now to get your own!

So besides smelling amazing CM Candle Works only sells soy candles which has great benefits for the environment and for the health of anyone who is around the candle. Soy candles are a lot safer than candles that use synthetic fragrances. Also each candle is hand poured which is great to know because not a lot of products these days are hand made so it is nice to know that something we have was made with time and patience.

So head over to their shop today and buy yourself a CM Candle Works candle and fill your house with delicious scents!

Monday, July 22, 2013

Day 3, My Views on Drugs and Alcohol

So for this post I will try not to get heated or too emotional. My stand on drugs and alcohol is that I will not consume them. They are bad for me and I know better ways to make myself happy.


Above is my uncle Aaron. My dad's youngest sibling. I love him so much. He is only 7 years older than me so he always felt more like a cousin. When I was younger we visited my grandparents in Canada. The whole summer I remember that I would follow Aaron around every where and I am sure he got sick of it fast but he put up with me and tried to include me as much as he could.

In 2005 on July 5th my family and I went to an amusement park in Connecticut called Lake Compounce. We were waiting in line for the log ride and my dad answered the phone and told us he had to step out of line for a few minutes. The rest of us proceeded to the ride and had a fun time getting soaked. When we got off the ride my dad was off the phone but I knew something was wrong, I could see that his eyes were red from crying and he never crys. My mom went up to him first and talked to him but we couldn't hear anything he was saying but I knew it wasn't going to be good. He then turned to my sister and I and told us that our uncle Aaron was dead.

All I could keep thinking was how it was not fair. He was too young, he was only 19. He was my young, fun uncle but he let drugs and alcohol get to him. He let them take over his life and then they took his life for good.

I love him so much still and I miss him everyday. I especially missed him on my wedding day and during my whole pregnancy and on the day my daughter was born. My brother was only 4 when our uncle passed away but he already loved Aaron. Before Savannah was born he would tell me how he wanted to be a fun uncle just like Aaron and that he was going to have Savannah call him Uncle Mike because thats what Aaron called him. I hope that Michael will be a great uncle like Aaron but I also hope and pray that drugs and alcohol will never play a part in his life like how they did in Aaron's life!

I will never drink and I will never do drugs because I am too smart for that!

Bullet Designs Review and Giveaway!

What woman does not like jewelry? I know I love jewelry so I was so excited to get my Bullet Designs bracelet in the mail! So at first I just thought that maybe Bullet Designs was just a name and they had regular jewelry but not the Bullet in their name has a lot more meaning than I originally thought. The Bullet Designs products are all made with fired, recycled bullets and of course they are all harmless.


Above is the bracelet that I got for the review. It is the Single Nickel Bullet Charm with a blue zircon and the bullet is a 40 caliber. I loved it as soon as I saw it! It is perfect for me. The crystal is my daughter's birth stone and the size of the bullet is perfect! They has so many other greats products including items for men like cuff links.

Bullet Designs has agreed to do a giveaway for my readers and I am so excited for this giveaway because I know it is something that a lot of my readers will like! They want to giveaway their Fire and Ice Collection, a value of $64.85!

Enter below for your chance to win this beautiful collection! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Vance Family Soy Candles Review andGiveaway! 7/23-7/30

I love candles! I am pretty sure that I love candles so much because my favorite of the five senses is smell. Also I love it when my house smells like a flower or anything else that smells heavenly. So since I love candles so much I jumped on the chance to be able to do a review for Vance Family Soy Candles.



I had never used a soy candle before so I wasn't sure what I should expect so I did some research on their site to see what I should expect from their candles. Below are a few of the things that I learned about The Vance Family Soy Candles.
- They are made in America.
-They do not use synthetic fragrances in their candles.
-They use recycled glass.
-Their labels are made with recycled paper.
-They donate 10% of their profits!
-You can put any left over wax in your composite pile.
-After a candles is used up you can wash out the glass and use it for drinking or anything else!
-Their soy is GMO(Genetically Modified Organisms) free!
-You can order custom wedding favors.
-You can even order them in bulk for your restaurant or an event.

After going through their site and finding all of these positive things about their candles I couldn't wait to try my new Vance Family Soy Candles out! I first tried out the Gardenia candle because it was my favorite of the ones I had and it wasn't very strong because it is soy and they use synthetic fragrances but after it has been burning for about half an hour I could really start telling that it was making my little apartment smell like a garden!

So if you are looking for candles that are better for the environment and better for your health than try out Vance Family Soy Candles! They are super eco-friendly and they are beutiful when they are burning.


Amy Vance has even agreed to do a giveaway for one of my readers! The giveaway is for, 12ozjar Cedarwood Lilac (cedar and lilac essential oils), 12ozjar Gardenia (organic gardenia oil), mini-traveler in Peace (lavender and vanilla essential oils) and candlebowl in Love (ylang ylang, rose and vanilla essential oils). Value of $50. So enter below for your chance to win!

Vance Family Website
Vance Family Facebook

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, July 19, 2013

Day 2, Where I'd Like to be in 10 Years

I guess before I go over where I would like to be in 10 years I should probably share where I am right now.
Right now I am:
-A mother of one.
-A graduate from BYUI with my associates in general studies and a current undergrad student and WGU.
-I live in Connecticut in an apartment with my daughter and husband.
-My husband is finishing up his bachelors degree online with BYUI.
-I am a stay at home mom.
-A blogger.
-A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with a calling as a Den Leader.

In 10 years I would like to be:
-A mother of at least three or four!
-A graduate from WGU with my bachelors degree in interdisciplinary studies.
-Living somewhere in the west, maybe Washington or Oregon in a house.
-My husband to be a graduate from BYUI with his bachelors degree and maybe even his MBA.
-Still a stay at home mom but I want to be super crafty and be a great cook!
-Still a blogger but with many many followers.
-I want to be in great shape so I can feel good about myself and the way I look.
-I want to be super organized.
-I also think it would be fun to be in a calling in the Young Womens or Relief Society but I would accept any calling because they are all important!

That's all I can think of right now but that is pretty much where I want to be in 10 years!

Now an update on my chunky little girl!



 So these pictures are from Tuesday and Wednesday when we went to the park.
Last week though we went to the doctors for her 6 month check up! Yes she is 6 months and today she is only 4 days away from being 7 months old! I can't believe it! But at her appointment we found out that she is 19 1/2 pounds and 26 inches long! She is a shorty and a chunky haha

In the last picture above, the close up of her face, her face is covered in sand. Yes she was eating sand. We put her down in the sand so see what she thought of it and at first she thought it was a little strange and she was feeling it with her hands and then as we both knew would happen, Ryan and I, she took a handful and lifted it to her mouth and then made a pretty ridiculous face since sand is obviously not delicious it is disgusting. I then told Ryan to not let her eat anymore and he told me she wouldn't because she has already learned that it is gross but no she did not learn anything... she then continued to shove more and more sand into her mouth! We always say that she loves everything that she eats and so now I guess that includes sand! haha but I still love my chunky sand eating baby!

Comment below and let me know where you want to be in 10 years. Also share below the strangest thing your child has eaten and liked!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Teething Bling Review and Giveaway! 7/13-7/20



This necklace is no ordinary necklace! It is a necklace from Teething Bling. This necklace is so cute! It matches the majority of the outfits that I wear and for anyone who buys one they have so many colors and different shapes of pendants. The pendant is perfect for your teething little one to chew on and rid themselves of their aching mouth! My 6 month old daughter just got her first two teeth and she loves chewing on this! I wore this out the other day and she saw that it was around my neck and she grabbed it and started to chew it.


She may look sad in this picture but I think she might have allergies and we had been hiking that day so her eyes are red because of that but she is very happy in this picture chewing on our teething bling!

I recommend this product to any woman who has  teething baby! This will ease their pain and add a cute accessory to your wardrobe!

Jewelry is not the only products that Teething Bling offers for your child. They also have pretty cool ties that has a squeaker and rattle inside so that your husband can let your child play with their tie without having to worry about worrying an expensive one because this one is made for it!

Teething Bling Website
Teething Bling Facebook
Teething Bling Twitter

They have agreed to do a giveaway to one of my readers! Enter below to win a signature pendant of the winner's choice!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, July 11, 2013

RW Garcia Review!


RW Garcia sent me 5 bags of their chips to try for this review. The kinds of chips I got were:

-Veggie Dippers
-Curry & Mango Dippers
-Blue Corn Chips
-Yellow & Blue Mixtbag
-Red & Yellow Mixtbag

I am so glad I did this review because I now have a new favorite kind of chip!
On their site it says, "RW Garcia makes delicious, all-natural tortilla chips and gluten free crackers. Great for dipping or eating right out of the bag, our chips and crackers are made from the finest ingredients and come in a wide variety of gourmet flavors." They are right though these are delicious!

The first ones my husband and I tried were the curry and mango dippers which I was skeptical about at first because I don't like mangos but I tried the chips and they were so good. I think the whole bag was gone only 10 minutes later! They were spicy and sweet.

The ate the veggie dippers and blue corn chips in a spicy yogurt dip from Costco and they were so good, each colored chip has a little bit of it's own flavor which added nicely to the flavor of the dip.

Then there are the Yellow and Blue and the Red and Yellow Mixtbags which are like most tortilla chips but of course all-natural. I used these one day last week for dinner in a taco salad!

These chips are delicious and I don't think I will ever eat a Santita chip ever again!

RW Garcia Website
RW Garcia Facebook
RW Garcia Twitter

Face up Cheesy Sloppy Joe Recipe!

This is one of the easiest recipes that I have made recently! Also it is a recipe that I always have the ingredients handy!



Ingredients:
-1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 
-1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
-1 cup ketchup
-1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce
-1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
-Toasted Bread 
-1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese 

Instructions:
1. Brown the ground beef and drain the fat.
2. Return to the stove. 
3. Add in the tomatoes, ketchup, barbeque sauce, and soy sauce.
4. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Make the toast, one slice for every serving you are making.
6. When done put sloppy joe mixture over the toast and sprinkle with cheese.


This was delicious! Yumm I would totally make it again!

Source: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cheesy-bbq-sloppy-joes-10000001975727/

Monday, July 8, 2013

Day 1, Your Current Relationship


I had never really been in a relationship with anyone until my husband. I did have "boyfriends" in middle school and early high school but not anything real. I hadn't even had a first kiss before I went to college so I was not expecting to find the person I was going to marry so soon.



Above are three pictures of my husband and I at our wedding.

I met my husband on the first day of orientation at BYU-Idaho. His name is Ryan Blegen. He was in my group. I only remember things that I saw but every time we talk about how we met my mom and sister always bring up how after that first day I told them both that I was going to marry this guy even though I had been too scared to even say anything to him. The second day of orientation we ended up eating lunch in the same group of people, the group consisted of 4-5 girls and him and I had a feeling that I was not the only one there with a crush on him. After lunch he gave his number to us and that is when I became brave, or crazy. I started texting him and asking him about the dance that night and I was so excited to see him there and he had told me he was going to ask me to dance and I couldn't wait!

I went to i-night, a night full of fun activities on campus like laser tag, speed dating, sumo wrestling, and the dance! I did the listed activities and then made my way over to the dance with my new friend Chelsea. I couldn't wait to see Ryan! He was there and we joined the group he was in and I thought I had a really good chance at dancing with him. I waited through each slow song hoping he would ask and he didn't! He even asked Chelsea, my friend who he had just met, to dance but not me. Then he left early because he had to wake up for an early class in the morning. I was sad but I quickly cheered up when my counselor from those past 2 days asked me to dance for the last song, btw I had  a little crush on him too.

I texted Ryan that night to see why he hadn't danced with me and he said he hadn't even seen me. I was sad but I knew I would meet other guys so I tried not to dwell over it too long. The next day I went to my classes. I think my science class was my second class of the day so I got there and sat down somewhere in the middle of the classroom and waited for it to start. Right before the teacher got up to start guess who walked in? Ryan! He was rushed because he was almost late so he hadn't seen me but I sure saw him. Right after class I made my way up to the front of classroom to where he was and we started talking and he walked me back to my apartment.

When we got to my apartment he kept telling me that he needed to get home because he had so much homework to do so I told him that was fine and I opened my door to go in and he changed his mind, he stayed until I had to go to my flute class, for another hour or two. This soon became a habit of his walking me home from science and I enjoyed it. Also he would come over all the time to just hang out.

Our first date was a double date. My roommate Amanda had been asked out on a date by a guy she didn't really know too well so she said yes under one stipulation, that it had to be a double date. Of course I jumped on that opportunity to ask Ryan out and of course help my friend out. He said yes! I was so excited! We went to Amanda's date's apartment and the boys made dinner for us and we made dessert for them, I think? and then we watched a movie. Ryan always makes fun of me for this and I am almost hesitant to write it out on the internet but what I did next is a crucial part of our story. During the movie the whole time all I could think about was how badly I wanted to hold his hand! So I did. I made the move. I looked over at him and said, "I bet your hand is bigger than mine" and snuck my fingers in between his! Cheesy I know but it worked! After this date the hand holding didn't stop though we would do it every time we hung out, but never in public only when we were in my apartment, my roommates were there with us of course.

I was falling in love with this boy and I had only known him for about a month. I felt crazy because only a few months before I had been saying how crazy it was that my cousin had met someone and fallen in love with him so fast and now the same thing was happening to me. This was also the point where I wanted to know if this was going anywhere so after I had cried to my roommates about how I wanted this thing between Ryan and me to be something more they convinced me that I needed to have the talk with him tonight! So I texted him and asked him if he would go on a walk with me and of course he was weary about the idea since it was snowing and freezing outside but he agreed.

I was terrified! I could not believe that my roommates talked me into doing this. We walked around in silence for a bit until his nose started to freeze off his face and that is when he suggested that we stopped by the Pineapple Grill for something to eat and so we could get out of the cold. We sat there some more talking but I was obviously avoiding the topic that I so desperately wanted to bring up. He kept pushing me though and I could not get the words out, I have not ever been someone that has been able to easily spill my feelings out to anyone. Finally I told him that I was worried about where out relationship was going and that I liked him a lot but I wanted to know how he felt and he told me that he liked me a lot too and I was satisfied, also we had been holding hands the whole time so that made things better too!

He walked me back home after we ate and I wanted to kiss him so badly but chickened out. I had already been through so much that I couldn't convince myself to go over that milestone too. BTW at this point I k still had not kissed anyone yet!

The big day finally arrived! He kissed me! I had always dreamed about my first kiss, who it would be with, what it would be like. My best friend and I would even watch how to videos when we were in middle school because we were so desperate to experience that moment. My first kiss was amazing and not amazing. At the time I was elated. Now that I look back at it though I am still so happy that it happened but it makes me laugh and Ryan and I laugh about it all the time. We were watching a movie with some of my roommates and their boyfriends at the time and of course the other couples were kissing... ALOT and I was getting nervous because I was hoping I would get some "action"... lip "action" that is.... too. Ryan and I were cuddling on one of the couches and I guess he had been thinking about it too and he had decided to make the move and so he leaned over which then caused me to sink further into the couch which to him looked like I was backing away from him and he went in for a kiss. It was not very graceful but it was good enough for me because as soon as he left I started freaking out to my roommates and went to my room and wrote the time and day down in my journal so I would always remember my first kiss!

Things started to progress from there and we would kiss all the time but never in public only when he would say goodbye at my apartment or say hello but I was worried that I was becoming someone I didn't want to become, a makeout buddy. Eventually we did start kissing in public and it made me so happy but I still wasn't sure what we were. I think he could tell that I was worried because one day after science class after he had walked me home he asked me to be his girlfriend! Of course I said yes. Then three days later we told each other we loved each other. Then for the next few months we talked about how we wanted to get married and things started to progress in that direction from that time forward.

In march I went to Washington state with him and met his parents who I love so much now but was terrified of meeting them that weekend but who isn't afraid of meeting their in-laws to be for the first time? Then in April he came home with me for the break. I had a feeling this would be the time that he would propose. I already knew the ring I wanted, we had gone ring shopping and he told me to pick out my favorite ones and he would choose one from those choices and then he would surprise me with one, if it happened ;). I waited all week! Then finally it was Thursday and he had talked to my dad alone the night before and we were going on a hike to Craig's castle in Meriden,CT and I knew it was the day! Then we got there and he told me he and my dad had talked about how he should wait to ask me to marry him because things were going too fast. I was furious at him for the rest of the day! How dare he make this decision with my dad! Without me!

The next day I was still pretty mad but I decided I would try to enjoy the day since we would be taking Ryan to New York City and it would be his first time. We took him all around showing him all our favorite sites. My parents even paid for a carriage ride around central park. We took him to times square and to FAO Schwartz. When we were in FAO Schwartz we went to the first floor first where they keep all the candy. We were looking at everything and as most people who know me know I love candy so my mom kept asking me if I wanted some and for some reason that day I was feeling extra self conscious so I kept refusing so she got a bag and I picked out a couple candies but told myself I just wouldn't eat any. That didn't happen!

As we walked around the store I had the bag of candy for the majority of the time but my mom would occasionally ask if she could have some. Then when we got to the lego section of the store my mom asked for the bag one more time and when she gave it back there was a diamond ring on top, MY diamond ring. I put it on as soon as I saw it, which is always something Ryan laughs at, and turned around to see Ryan on one knee. I said yes! Oh so apparently the ring had been in the bag the whole time but I kept missing it because there was rock candy in the bag and I was trying to avoid the rock candy so my mom kept putting it at the top every time she took the bag. Also I had been very distracted all day and Ryan had tried to propose a few times before FAO Schwartz but I am so happy the way that it happened.

After he proposed we went to my favorite restaurant, Olive Garden, and ate lunch or dinner and then headed home. Then there were many months of wedding planning, which I cannot take credit for the majority of it, my mom helped out a lot, I like to stay stress free because even a little stress can push me over the edge!

We got married on October 14, 2011 in the LDS Boston temple. We had a reception that night in CT and then an open house the next day at my parents house. Then we enjoyed an amazing honeymoon from Darrell and Kris Blegen! A Carnival cruise that went to 5? islands in the Caribbean. Everything was such a dream come true. Ryan was my dream guy and still is!

We now live in Connecticut in our own apartment. He is working with Macy's in one of their distribution warehouses. We have a 6 month old daughter named Savannah who we both love so much. I am so happy that I have my husband and I could not ask for anyone better because he is the best! He is the one I love and will always love! 


Friday, July 5, 2013

Sour Grapes!

This summer treat is super easy!


Ingredients:
Jello mix (any flavor that you want)
Green grapes

That is all!!!

All you have to do is roll the grapes in the jello mix and then stick in the fridge for at least an hour, they get more sour the longer you keep in the fridge. It is a little bit messy but it is a fun and interesting snack. Personally it is not something I would make again because I eat my grapes weird, as everyone who is close to me would tell you, so the powder got in the way but my sister and brother really liked them, I think my sister ate 3/4 of the grapes that I made.

So these are super easy and yummy!!


http://aspottedpony.com/recipies/healthy-summer-snack-glittery-sour-patch-grapes/3667/

Monday, July 1, 2013

30 day challenge: Intro!

I know that the last month or so I have overloaded everyone with reviews and giveaways so I decided to put up some other posts along with those since they have been quieting down a bit so I have more time.

For the next 30 mondays I am going to put up a post that is from a 30 day challenge that I found on Pintrest. I did change a couple of them but I left most of them the same. Here is the challenge:


So look out for these posts every Monday! Also look out for some recipe and craft posts that I have saved up!