NEW Favorites!

Hey everyone! I know it has been a while since I have had a new post, so here ya' go, some more FAVORITES!  I love finding new products that make me look beautiful or life easier and I LOVE telling everyone about them!

My first favorite new product may be of a shocker but since I have a 100 lb. dog in an apartment, he's not perfect and has accidents from time to time and the BEST thing I have found for stains/odor is VERY cheap and easy to find!

Yep, my friends, I love this stuff!  It instantly takes the odor out of your carpet and within a few minutes of the cleaner working away, the stain vacuums right up! AND the cost of this magic-in-a-can is less than $4 and it lasts FOREVER!  Love, love this stuff and so does Justin.  Look for this stuff at your local Wal-Mart. ;)

Alright, on to my next favorite new find, now this is a little pricey BUT it lasts a very long time so you get your money's worth.  I actually found this by my favorite make-up guru on YouTube, Kandee Johnson.  This concealer is SOOOO awesome!  I have had dark circles under my eyes since I was a child and it really stresses me out trying to cover them up and thank goodness for this wonderful stuff!

This stuff is made by Sephora and honestly, I'm more of a MAC girl but Kandee has yet to steer me wrong, so I thought I'd give it a try and it's UH-MAZING!  I ordered mine from Amazon and it was here in 3 days.  I have gotten my face wet because, ya' know, it rains everyday here in Florida and it does not come off!  Awesome, awesome stuff.  And you may think, "Wow, $42 for concealer?" Yes! And there is quite a bit of this stuff in the compact that will last you quite a while!

My last favorite thing are these nail stickers that cover your whole toe!  

No need to worry about wet toes anymore or going to the nail salon for cute decals and jewels!  These puppies are just like heavy duty stickers that you place on your finger nails or toes and then "cut off" the excess with the cuticle pusher they give you in the package.  One reason I love these things so much is because they come in PATTERNS or crazy colors.  No need to try to be Picasso anymore!  Another reason I love them is because on the package it says they last up to 10 days, well, let me tell you I have had mine on my toes for at least a month!  They are so awesome, so easy and so much cheaper than a salon!

Casserole Recipes

Some of my favorite dishes to cook are casseroles 1.) because they are easy to throw together and 2.) because they are make great leftovers for lunches, etc. Also, everyone loves a good casserole and casseroles don't have to be followed by the book, as you will see in my recipes I am sharing with you! These recipes are simple and fool-proof!

This first casserole I have been enjoying since I was a little blonde, freckled child and what started my casserole addiction.

This dish has never really had a name, so we will just call it Mom's Casserole?

Mom's Casserole

Ingredients:
Feel free to add more or less depending on how many people
Chicken breast (at least 2)
Pasta - any kind you choose, bow tie or the spirals, I think, work best. Also, use wheat pasta to make the dish healthier.
Low Sodium Cream of Mushroom Soup - it's better for you.
Kraft Reduced-Fat Shredded Cheddar Cheese - also healthier

1. Cook your chicken breasts thoroughly, I bake them instead of frying. Once cooked, cut into bite-size pieces.
2. Cook your pasta until tender.
3. Once your pasta and chicken is cooked, preheat your oven for 350 degrees. You will now combine your pasta, chicken and cream of mushroom soup in a casserole dish and mix until everything is coated with the soup.
4. Top the casserole with as much cheese as desired and place in the oven for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. And enjoy!


My next dish is one of my dad's favorites that I make. And if you like Mexican food, you will like this! I don't really have a special name for it, it was a recipe I found and then changed a few things and made it my own, so here it goes!

My Mexican Casserole
Ingredients:
1 lb. of ground beef
4-8 tortillas (white or wheat) depending on size of dish
1 can of refried beans (feel free to use reduced-fat)
1 can of Rotel (use mild or hot for more spiciness)
Reduced-fat Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Guacamole or Sour Cream for topping, if desired

1. Brown your ground beef and add any seasonings, if desired. Once cooked, stir in Rotel.
2. Line your casserole dish with the tortillas of your choice.  Be sure and try to cover the bottom and sides of the dish.
3. Spread the beans all over the tortillas. (You can also choose to mix all of your ingredients together but I like the layers.)
4. Add on top of the beans, the ground beef and Rotel mixture.
5. Top the dish with the shredded cheese and place in the oven at 350 degrees until cheese is bubbling and melted.
6. Top with guacamole or sour cream!

Southwest Chicken and Pasta

Ingredients:

2-3 Chicken Breasts, depending on number of guests

2-3 Cups of Penne Pasta

1 Can of Rotel

1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Can of Cheddar Cheese Soup (both cans reduced sodium!)

1. Bake chicken until cooked and seasoned to your liking.

2. Cook pasta until tender. Add a few drops of vegetable oil, so the pasta does not stick together.

3. Mix together the Rotel, Cheddar Soup and Cream of Chicken Soup.

4. Combine the chicken, pasta and soup mixture together and stir until everything is covered and enjoy!

How-To: Bring an Old Dresser Back to Life!

Tired of that busted up hunk of wood sitting in your bedroom?  Or do you want a NEW dresser but cannot afford to drop some serious cash?  Do what I did and refinish an old one!

I wish I would have taken a 'before' picture of this dresser but I was so swamped with other things to do. Anyhow, this dresser used to be yellow with an antique look.  It wasn't ugly or looked old, it was just not mine and Justin's style. This is definitely a great project to do with your significant other because it is easy and FUN!  And just think, you are giving something 'old' a whole new life!

Step 1:  The first step, is to sand the dresser down to create a kind of "grip" for the paint to stick.  You do not need to sand the piece until ALL the paint is gone.  You just need take a little bit of the paint off to grip the new paint and also, sanding will even the piece out as far as nicks, scratches, etc. go.  

Step 2:  Before you begin painting, if your dresser has many drawers and if they are somewhat different from each other, you MUST number your drawers, so putting them back will be a breeze.

Step 3:  Choose your paint!  Sounds simple but there are SO many colors and types of paint that it could take all day if you AND your significant other are deciding on a color together.  Luckily, Justin and I just wanted to do black.  We used a Semi-Gloss paint which I loved because after it dried it gives the piece a nice shine and even color.

Remember this!  When painting, be sure and paint in the SAME direction on the entire piece.  That way your piece will not look like a big mess and that you had a toddler paint it for you.

Also, when you are painting do not paint any areas that you will not see because you will just be wasting your time.  Think about the areas you will see when opening and closing the drawers and if your dresser will be up against a wall.   We only painted the front and sides of the dresser and on the drawers, we only painted the trim.

With the paint we used, it only took about an hour to dry and the only touch ups we had to do were the spots that got nicked while moving.

Step 4:  Here was MY favorite part, and that was choosing the pulls for the drawers!  The pulls really make the dresser.  They completely determine the style of the dresser.

These are the pulls I chose!  I purchased them at Home Depot and I was honestly there trying to decide for 45 minutes!  Home Depot has the best selection and you can purchase the exact amount you need!  Target did not have much to choose from and many of the choices only had one box of like 6 and I needed TWENTY!  

When it finally came time to screw the pulls on, the screws were too short, of course!  That's my life in a nut shell.  If this happens, you have two options.  One, find longer screws BUT you have to find the SAME width AND the same size thread which is somewhat difficult and timely.  Your other option is to counter-sync the holes.  The easiest way to explain this, is Justin just used a drill bit to make the length of the wood thin enough for the screw to fit.  After that, just make sure when you are screwing in the screw that they are tight, so you do not have to worry about loose pulls falling off.

Step 5:  Put your drawers back in the dresser, reattach your mirror, if you have one, and then, put your clothes in!  And viola, you not only saved money but you also saved a dresser's life!

The Wheels on the Bus...

        At 25 years old, to me, I had a humbling experience.  Yep, riding on public transportation!  And let me tell you, for someone who is now terrified to drive, it is not bad all.  Yes, of course, there is an "interesting" odor and a few scary people but for 2 bucks to go anywhere in the city?!  This girl will be using the bus much more!  From now on, I can say good-bye to those terrifying gas prices, paying for insurance and crazy drivers with road rage and/or lack of driving sense.
        Alright, so you want to get somewhere but where do you start?  Where do you go?  Start with the public transportation website such as, Go Lynx.  These days, website like the Go Lynx website has a great tool called "Trip Planner" and you have the option of e-mailing it to yourself to look at later or to your friends!  The trip planner tells you EXACTLY where you need to go, which bus to take, how far you need to walk and what time you need to be at the bus stop.

Here is the Bus Schedule!

My first Bus Stop!  

I will not lie, I was terrified!  Luckily, a really nice lady and her daughter came up and sat next to me and told me to not be afraid to ask questions.  SO, that's what I did!  

My first bus driver!

He wasn't very friendly BUT he got me to my second stop, so I can't complain, too much.

This is your bus ticket that the you receive when you put your $2 in the big machine next to the driver.  Your driver will ask you too, if you need a 'transfer' and that is when you need to take more than one bus to your destination.  This is VITAL because your now $2 trip could end up being triple that depending on how many different buses you need to take.

     Another note to jot down is, do not really trust everything you hear from other passengers.  Like me, you could end up going the complete opposite direction when you were SO close to where you are trying to get to!  When that happens, do not panic and trust me, when you realize that you are going away from where you want to go and you may not know where you are is definitely scary.  

      All in all, even though it took me TWO hours to get where I was going because I was told the wrong information, I did enjoy taking the bus.  It was pretty entertaining.  The highlight of the trip for me, was when a woman got on the bus, we drove through a stop light and then she requested a stop and got off the bus!  I honestly thought a riot was going to break out with the other passengers but seriously, who does that?!  Anywho, if you get the chance to take public transportation, I would recommend trying it out!  It is definitely an experience.

        

Florida, My Florida

Here is everything from our move to Florida.  It honestly isn't much because I was SO tired throughout the whole trip.

Seafood Gumbo, the first time Justin and I had some and it was de-lish!

Fried fish, shrimp, crawfish tails, hush puppies and onion rings! Yum.

"I'm ready to go!"

Harley & I after our humongous lunch in Louisiana

SOOOO sad...

The "pilot"

In Louisiana

This hilarious name we saw on an 18 wheeler, 'Too Legit'.

LSU

H-D in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

For some reason, he was OBSESSED with putting his nose infront of the vent.

In Alabama, when the sun was rising.

SO cramped but he had more room than I did!

Capital City H-D in Tallahassee, FL

Gas prices in Lake City, FL

The first palm trees in Florida!

Toll road in Orlando!

The only thing we had in our fridge the first night. :)

These trees are everywhere in Orlando! They are very interesting...

A SUPER Target! 

When we finally get everything put away and our apartment decorated, I will post a video tour of our place!

Road Trippin'

Justin and I have our Florida trip planned out already, yep, already.  That can give you a little idea of how excited we are for the big move.  We even printed out a map and documented every stop we are planning on stopping at, including state lines since this girl has never truly been out of the state of Texas.

Ta-daaaa! Here is "MAPPY"!

He is a little long in the "tooth", I know. 

Alrighty, so here is the low down on our trip…

1.  Leave Pleasanton, Tx by 5 a.m.

2.  First stop (I am not including the stops for fuel), Louisiana state line and of course, Harley and I will take a picture!  This will mark the first state I have officially traveled to!

3.  Stop for lunch in Baton Rouge at Heads and Tails Seafood for some CRAWFISH! Bring on the mud bugs!!!

4.  Third stop, the Mississippi state line and yet, another photo op with Fat Dog. :)

5.  Biloxi, Mississippi for the night and we are having dinner at The Shed BBQ. 

6.  Wake up at 5 a.m., again, and if you know me, I am sooo not a morning person, unless I am going on a trip and then you will see this girl jump out of bed, get ready in two minutes and already be in the truck ready to go.  Anywho, we will then hit the Florida state line (for another picture).

7.  Stop for lunch in Tallahassee at  Andrew's Bar & Grill which is pet friendly, yay so Harley will be joining us!

8. And if all goes as planned, we should arrive at our new home, at the City West Apartments!

Stay tuned for our road trip updates and photos!

T-shirts and cases, and everything but vases...These are a few of my favorite things!

I am definitely one of those shoppers who tries to find the best of everything without spending a whole lot and I have to say Amazon.com is a great help with that!  I now hate driving, cannot stand being in a vehicle anymore because I get such anxiety, SO thanks to Amazon, I don't have to leave my house or get dressed for that matter! With that being said, I thought I would share some of my favorite products that I just cannot live without that you can purchase online with a little of my help.

I love, love, LOVE this shampoo and conditioner! It smells so, so good and it definitely wakes up those roots on my head in the morning.  I'm sure you are probably thinking, "Shampoo is one of her favorite things? Weirdo..." and yeah, it is.  It's the little things in life. ;)

After spending what seems like hours getting dressed, what is the last finishing touch? Yep, some lip gloss and this is my absolute favorite!  I used to use nothing but MAC until I found this little gem at Target.  I think, it is just like the lip gloss you can find at MAC with one secret weapon, cinnamon oil!  Cinnamon oil, when applied to your lips, will dramatically increase the blood circulation to your lips and will give your lips a puffy appearance.  It does sting for a few minutes but after a while, you will find it totally addicting!  It's called Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss by Soap & Glory.

I love this stuff!  I love just about all of the Soap & Glory products!  Target carries quite a bit of the S&G product line or you can check out the website. Soap & Glory is all about women empowerment and looking your best and most beautiful while doing it.  And let me tell you, with some Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss on, I feel like I could definitely kick some butt and take over the world and look hot while doing it.

This next product, I can blame my sister for this obsession.

Of course it's going to be lotion!!! And mmm, mmm, MMM! This lotion from Bath & Body Works smells SO good.  It does not smell woodsy or musky like you may think.  To me, it has a sweet and sophisticated scent.  And I do not believe it has anything to do with Twilight, in case you're wondering...

I know just about everyone else is obsessed with the V neck t-shirt like I am.  I think I own 8 different colors now and I'm sure Justin is so tired of seeing me in a plain V neck t-shirt with the pocket on the side but THEY ARE SO COMFORTABLE!  Not to mention, they go with everything.  Amazon has some great prices on them at the moment, so go ahead, get a dozen in different colors!

Are you looking to protect the outside of your electronics and still look stylish?  Well, look no more! 

Ipearl carries covers not only for your laptop but also for your Kindle, as well!

Here is Jarvis, my Macbook in turquoise completely protected and looking very modern and trendy!

If you know me well, then you know that I am not fan of wine…until NOW!  A friend of mine, Brian Volante, introduced me to this wine, Jam Jar, and Justin and I love it!  Jam Jar is a sweet red wine that not only is made out from grapes, but blueberries and raspberries too! (Oh my!)  It is great with a steak or a burger straight from the grill! 

I could not find it on Amazon, but H-E-B does carry it for about $8.00 or you can shop for it online at Stirling Fine Wines.

And of course, I could not forget a girl's two best friends…

These two are the ones I own, but I do know that Remington has many different other patterns such as, zebra print and paisley print.  They are both very easy to use and the one thing that I really like about both is that they are very light.  When I have to pack for a vacation or just overnight, the one thing I hate is a heavy bag to lug around, so it helps that my blow dryer and straightener are as light as feathers and the cost for both is under 50 bucks!

I sure do miss those days when all I had to do was go to school and go tanning!  That is definitely not the case now.  Even though this past Winter didn't seem to last very long, my tan from the summer disappeared just as fast!  Now that Spring is here, I cannot be blinding people with my ghostly white skin and since I do not have the time to lay in a tanning bed at the moment, I found this gold in a bottle!

It smells really good and is very easy to apply!  Just spray over the tan desired area, rub it in to avoid streaking and there a' go!  This type of bronzer also lasts days!  I spray it on once a week, at least, and I have a hint of sunshine on my skin for a few days.  Of course, if you use it daily the color will darken. 

And there you have it!  Here are a few of my favorite things. In a few months, I'm sure I will find more awesome stuff at great prices and when I do, I'll be sure to post a new blog!  Feel free to purchase anything I posted by clicking on the product.