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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

A Man (Well a Boy) and His Dog

The saying "mans best friend" has been around for generations and generations. Everyone knows that a dog is a mans best friend, but do people realize that a dog is also a boys best friend? A small boys best friend that is. Baby A LOVES Mrs. Bow Jangles. He crawls after her through the house, gets so excited- laughs and jumps up and down- when he sees her and crawls into her dog bed with her. Seriously, nothing makes him happier than his doggy does. Well okay, food and his pacy makes him happier but you catch my drift. I guess the best friend bond between a (young) man and his dog starts earlier than I thought it could! :)

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Whats For Dinner? Roasted Chicken & Mashed Potatoes, Thats What!!

As much as I love to cook, I often struggle with what to make for dinner. I have countless cook books and cooking magazines but a lot of the time, flipping though them I just feel uninspired and still sit there and question what to make for dinner. When I hit the grocery store this week I decided to get something that I haven't made in a long time; a whole chicken. I made up my own recipe and it seemed to be a complete sucess. Mr. Hunky at the entire thing! Seriously, there is no chicken left. Of course I ate some with him but for the most part, he devoured it. I paired it with mashed potatoes because lets face it, who doesn't love mashed potatoes? Heres how I did it...

For The Chicken You Will Need:

-A Whole Chicken (mine was 5.5lbs)
-Half of a Red Onion
-4 Green Onions
-4 Stalks of Celery
-A Handful of Baby Carrots
-A Lemon
-5 Chunks of Garlic
-2 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter
-A Can of Chicken Broth
-Salt
-Pepper
-Garlic Powder
-Rosemary (dried)

What You Need to Do:

-Preheat the oven to 425* -Take out a baking pan large enough to hold your chicken and veggies and pour in half of the chicken broth
-Chop up your red onion, green onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and lemon.
-Take the yucky stuff out of your chicken and put it into your baking pan.
-Take 1 tablespoon of room temperature butter and spread it on the skin of the chicken making it as smooth as you can but it's fine if theres chunks too.
-Take half of the red onion, half of the green onion, half of the garlic and two slices of lemon and put it on the inside of the chicken. Also add the other tablespoon of soft butter and put it inside the chicken.
-Take the remaining onion (red and green), garlic, all of the celery and all of the carrots and place it around the chicken. Add the rest of the lemons around the chicken as well.
-Pour the remainder of the chicken broth over the veggies.
-Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder and rosemary over the chicken and the veggies to taste (use your judgement).
-Once your oven is preheated, stick the chicken in for an hour and half or until the juices run clear when you cut into the chicken (this should be at 165-170 degrees in the chicken using a meat thermometer).




Your Chicken will take roughly an hour and a half to cook so set your kitchen timer. Once it's been in the oven for thirty minutes, I recommend to start peeling your potatoes. I used six potatoes but you can make as many or as little depending on your family size.

For The Potatoes You Will Need:

-6 Potatoes
-3 Tablespoons of Butter
-Milk (I always just start with a little and add depending on what texture you like)
-Salt
-Garlic Powder


What You Need To Do:

-Take a big pot and fill it halfway with water.
-Add Salt to make the water boil.
-Peel your potatoes and set them aside on a cutting board.
-When you are finished peeling, take a large knife and cut the potatoes into small pieces.



-Once the water is boiling, put the potatoes in and cook for about 40-45 minutes or until they are soft.
-Drain the water from the potatoes, putting the potatoes back into the same pot you used to cook them in.
-Take a potato masher and mash until there are no more clumps.
-Add your butter and mix until the butter is completely melted
-Add milk until you have the consistancy you want.
-Add salt and garlic powder to taste (we like a lot).



Once your chicken is ready to come out of the oven let it sit for just a few minutes to cool slightly before cutting. Serve your chicken with your mashed potatoes and vegetables!

Enjoy!!!




We Sure Did!!!

Strawberry Blondies

I found this recipe in one of my old issues of The Food Network Magazine (V 4, N 4) and booked marked it instantly. I finally had a few minutes to make it so I did. Oh man is it good. Mr. Hunky told me he wanted me to stop making such tasty treats because he eats to much of them, but I, being the great fiancé that I am, ignored him :). As a result, he's gone back for thirds in the last hour. I completely recommend making these! They're amazing

You'll need:

4 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter
1 Cup of Light Brown Sugar (I used dark, still amazing)
1 1/2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
3/4 Cup of Flour
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt (which I completely forgot to add, oops!)
1/4 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
1/4 Cup of Butterscotch Chips
1/4 Cup of Chopped Walnuts
3 Tablespoons of Strawberry Jam

What You Need To Do:

-Preheat your oven to 350•, line a baking pan with foil (leave an overhang on the sides, you'll need to pick it up later), grease the foil with butter or cooking spray.
-Put the butter and the brown sugar in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until the butter is melted. Mix together.
-Add Vanilla, stir.
-Let the mix cool slightly and then add your egg, stir
-Add flour and baking powder and stir until completely combined.
-Stir in the butterscotch chips and the walnuts.
-Spread the batter into your pan (Don't forget to grease it!).
-Take three spoonfuls (I only did two) of strawberry jam and drop it onto the batter. Take a butter knife and gently swirl the jam around the batter.
-Bake for 20-30 minutes depending on your oven (keep an eye on it).
-Once it's finished, let it cool for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes has passed, take the foil and lift it out of the baking pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once it's completely cool remove from the foil and cut it into small pieces!

And you've got yummy little Strawberry Blondies!!!

A Flash Sale!!!

This Love Is Ours Boutique is having a flash sale!! Use the promo code JULYFLASH for 20% off your entire purchase!

As a bonus, if you go to our Facebook page and share our status (the flash sale one) you will receive a free gift with purchase sent with your order!!!

This sale is only happening until tonight at 8pm PST TONIGHT 7/28/12, so hurry and get over there and take advantage!!!

(I'm sorry I can't link, I'm mobile!)

www.etsy.com/shop/thisloveisours

www.facebook.com/this.love.is.ours.boutique

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Hello Weekend

Today started off rocky. Baby a woke up at 4am screaming. And then again at 6. For some parents this may be a regular endeavor but for us it's quite unusual. Baby A is a fabulous sleeper. He went back down around 6:15 and slept until 9. Thank goodness. After that I dealt with some very unneeded drama in the Facebooking world so that put a damper on my morning. Checking myself back into reality and the things that are really important I began my day with Mr. Hunky and Baby A.

Mr. Hunky and I always try to go out at least once during the weekend. It gets us both out doing something fun and helps keep our sanity! This weekend we bickered a bit over what to do and where to go and finally we decided to take a trip up north (about 45 min away) to Sportsmans Warehouse. Now if you are female and don't know what Sportsmans Warehouse is, don't bother googling, you probably won't be interested. It's basically a giant store full of hunting, camping and sporting goods. Like Cabelas (again, don't bother googling, you won't be interested). So as much fun as that was (not), I endured it to get out of the house. Sure enough, Mr. Hunky grabbed everything he needed and we headed out the door- only to find that it was monsooning. Again. Have you ever tired to get a baby in the car and put away a stroller while it was pouring ass rain? Not fun. Needless to say I was soaking wet by the time we were on the road. Thankfully Mr. Hunky did the nice man thing and went to get the car. Still didn't change the fact that we got soaked. I love when it monsoons...when I'm nice and warm inside my house!!

Tonight should be interesting, Mr. Hunky has a couple of co-workers coming over for dinner. Pizza night. Thank goodness I don't have to cook!!! I have been going through my old Food Network Magazines though and I've found a ton of yummy recipes that I intend on making and sharing! I can't wait. Please remember that if you have a family recipe that you think should be featured I would love to try it out and share! Contact me through the MCO Facebook page (link is on the header bar- if that's what it's called) and you can message me your recipe. I haven't been super creative lately but I'm going to start experimenting next week!!!

Not sure what tomorrow will bring but I'm sure I'll have something to share with all of you :)

Thursday, July 26, 2012

My Happy Place

For those of you who know me, know that I am an avid reader. I love to get lost in a book, I love the satisfication of finishing a book and to me, reading isn't just about READING. I hold the story close to me and look for the books meaning. Some books have no true meanings whilst others can teach you an extremely valueble lesson. I didn't become an avid reader until after high school. Growing up I had a friend who LOVED to read. She literally would always have a book with her and instead of watching TV or talking on the phone, she would read. I never understood why and I always took books for granted. I hated reading in high school and some how I graduated without ever really reading and assigned book. I take that back. I enjoyed Shakespeare and read two of his plays- Romeo and Juliet and A Mid Summer Nights Dream. Looking back, I wish I had read all of them. I really want to read the books like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby so i can be aware of what my son will be reading one day, if they even assign it. More importantly, I want to learn the message of those books. Obviously if they're being taught to kids then they must have some importance, right?
I just finished a book that had absolutely importance at all. With that being said, I read it in two days. I would have finished it in less but I was EXHAUSTED yesterday due to only having four hours of sleep the night prior (I took advantage of my monsoon day with two cups of coffee- big mistake, I was up until 3am). The book I read was called Bared to You and it was recommended to those who loved Fifty Shades of Grey. What I didn't know when I bought the book was that it wanted to BE Fifty Shades of Grey. Seriously, this book was such a copycat book! For those of you who have read Fifty, you'll pick up on its similiarity. Gideon Cross (note the initals) is a hot and sexy billionaire business owner who becomes infatuated with Eva (note the shortness of the time). He wants their relationship to be purely sexual but quickly falls for her. She struggles with self esteem issues and doubts his feelings and questions how a guy like him could love a girl like her (sound familar Fifty fans?). Bared to you comes equipt with a female friend of Gideon who secretly loves him (hmmm, sound familar) and a jealous ex girlfriend who wants him back (double trouble!). The main difference besides the names of the characters is the nature of the sex. No S&M in Bared to You, just a lot of intensity. Although the ridiculous similiarty to my beloved Fifty Shades, I did enjoy Bared to you and it was a quick and easy read. Would I recommend it? Yes, if you don't mind pretty much reading the same book just with different characters.
Trying to decide what to read now is sort of difficult. I'd like to reread Fifty Shades of Grey but at the same time I feel like I should read something new. I just can't make up my mind!!! I'm addicted to my kindle.

What have you read recently that you LOVED? Comment Below


On Facebook and want to be in an online book club? Click HERE.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The Life of a Tired Mother

So it's 11:00pm and I'm lying in bed thinking about what say it is when I come to a starting realization....today is Wednesday.

You know what that means don't you?

I started the Sweet and Salty Dog Giveaway a day early! (picture me slapping my forehead).

My exhaustion is your gain! You have an extra day to enter to win a custom dog collar!!! Don't miss out ;))

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Monsooning

It's almost August, yet Baby A, Mrs. Bow Jangles and I have been sitting inside all day watching the rain fall. Thunder has sounded like its been over our house for the last three hours and the backyard is flooded!! It's days like today that I am grateful that we have no where we have to go, Mr. Hunky is off early and we have a roof over our head. This is NUTS! I've enjoyed two cups of coffee, sweatpants and soup today. Again, it's almost August!!!

I love it.

Sweet and Salty Dog GIVEAWAY!!!



Did you LOVE Mrs. Bow Jangles new collar this week? Want one for your fur baby? Here's your chance to win one!!

Sweet and Salty Dog is giving one lucky MCO reader a collar of YOUR CHOICE!! Of course, this collar will be custom made to the size of your fur baby and in the pattern that you think fits their personality best! Heres how to Enter:

Required to Enter:
Must be submitted as one entry!

1. Follow my blog by signing into your gmail account at blogger.com and adding Mommys Craft Obsession to your reading list OR by subscribing by email by entering your email address in the box to the left!!
2. Like Sweet and Salty Dog on Facebook by clicking HERE.
3. Leave a comment below saying that you've done the two requirements (we will check!), which collar you would choose if you win & also LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS so you can be contacted if you win!!

Additional Enteries:
((Submit as INDIVIDUAL entries! If you do all but only comment once, it will only be counted once!))

1. Add Sweet and Salty Dog to your Favorites on Etsy by cliking HERE and then clicking "add shop to favorites".
2. Like MCO on facebook by clicking HERE.
3. Add Sweet and Salty Dog to your circle on etsy by clicking HERE and then clicking "add to circle".
4. Add This Love is Ours Boutique on Etsy to your favorites by clicking HERE and then clicking "add shop to favorites".

**Bonus Entry!!**
-Like This Love is Ours Boutique on Facebook by clicking HERE!


Please make sure to submit all additional and bonus entries as INDIVIDUAL entries. The number of entries commented will be what is counted. A winner will be chosen using random.org on Friday July 26th at 5PM PST (maybe a little after, depending on what Baby A is up to). Please share this giveaway with your friends!!

Have fun and Good Luck!


Congratulations to lucky number 6 Netterst2!! Shauna will contact you to redeem your prize!

Monday, July 23, 2012

Simplicity

On a daily basis, it cracks me up how the simplest things entertain Baby A the most. This kid is spoiled rotten, we have more toys, books and movies than we know what to do with for him yet he loves the things that don't cost money or cost just a tiny bit of money (which is fantastic in a sense, but not when the money has already been spent!).

Baby A Loves:

-Making the living room blinds move.
-Playing in the dogs water bowl.
-Crawling after Mrs. Bow Jangles.
-Mrs. Bow Jangles (in general, he things she's the funniest thing ever).
-The remote.
-When we walk outside (by far the most exciting thing ever).
-His baby einstein toy.
-His Paci.
-When Mr. Hunky or I walk into the room.

I could literally go on and on. So much makes my baby boy happy. As I write this he's sitting and playing with the blinds. He should be long since asleep (we have a strict bedtime of 7:30pm) but his little tummy hurt so he's been away for the last thirty minutes. Seeing him learn and develop is such a joy. What happened to my newborn?

It's the simple joys and life that keep you going. Appreciate the moments you have, no matter how simple they may be.

Featured Seller/Product Review: Sweet and Salty Dog

*This review is 100% original and in my own words. Everything written is from my own personal view point and opinions. All photos have been taken by me unless stated otherwise. I have been provided with product to review however I have not been compensated monetarily for this review.

There are two types of people in this world....cat lovers and dog lovers. I myself have always been a dog lover. Miss Bow Jangles is my fur baby, my "first born". If you have a dog who you absolutely love and adore than you're going to want to check out Sweet and Salty Dog.

I treat Mrs. Bow Jangles like she is a human. She has a memory foam dog bed, drinks filtered water and gets the tv left on for her when we leave the house. No, none of that is a joke. She's my little princess!! I love going to the pet store and bringing her home presents whether it's treats, a new toy or a new collar, if I'm near a pet store, chances are she's getting a present. But what drives me crazy is the fact that pet stores offer the most BORING dog collars. They're solid colors and more often than not the size we need is sold out. I've decided to boycott the pet store for dog collars and once you see what Sweet and Salty Dog has to offer, I guarantee that you will never buy a collar from the pet store again.

Shauna, the owner of Sweet and Salty dog is engaged to her best friend and the love of her life and is a dog mom to her three wonderful fur babies- Bertha the bulldog, and Peanut and Honey the chihuahuas. Her inspiration for making collars came when she realized how much money she was spending on accessories for her babies. She has sewn for many years as a hobby making Halloween costumes, pillows, curtains and other fun things, but once she started making collars she hit the ground running and created her Etsy shop. Shauna makes collars that are custom fit to your dogs size and personality.

Shauna was gracious and allowed me to choose a collar that I felt would fit Mrs. Bow Jangles the best. I chose this gorgeous aqua and white flowered collar. Mr. Hunky is always complaining about walking a dog that has a pink leash and collar (seriously? HE'S not the one wearing it right? Oh well). So I chose this print because it was a color that Mr. Hunky would appreciate and that was still fun and girly for Mrs. Bow Jangles. When I got it in the mail i was so excited to get it on her!!!


The collar comes with a very durable plastic clap for easy on and off. On Mrs. Bow Jangles' collar the clasp is black however Sweet and Salty Dog does have colored clasps that she uses if the clasp matches the collar.


It is extremely easy to adjust so that it fits the dogs neck comfortably. I never really figured out what the rule of thumb was for dog collars so I always figured its the perfect fit if I could fit a couple of fingers between the collar and the dog. Some collars are a total pain to adjust but these are a breeze!


The collar has the essential tag loop so you can attach your dogs ID tag, rabies tag and microchip tag! You'll never have to worry about your dog not being identified if he or she decides to wander off.


Sweet and Salty Dog makes amazing, high quality and durable dog collars that will look fantastic on your fur baby. Mrs. Bow Jangles sure looks amazing :)

Want an amazing collar for your fur baby? Head on over to Sweet and Salty dog and order your custom dog collar! Shauna is offering MCO readers free shipping!

Click HERE to go shopping & use the promo code FREESHIP!

Click HERE to like Sweet and Salty Dog on Facebook!

Happy Shopping :)


*This review is 100% original and in my own words. Everything written is from my own personal view point and opinions. All photos have been taken by me unless stated otherwise. I have been provided with product to review however I have not been compensated monetarily for this review.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Our Day At The Zoo

Today we went to the zoo for the first time as a family!!! It was disgustingly hot but we had a great time! I had only been to the zoo once prior to this, I was 13 years old (we went for my birthday) and I hardly remember a thing. So today was double the fun being as it was my second time going and our first time going as a family. I love elephants and I was SO excited to see that there were five elephants and they had a huge, beautiful habitat. I loved it!! Minus the heat! Here's some pictures for you to enjoy :)

My fellow ppb crazed...

Brunch with Munch is doing a giveaway for a powder room case! Ahhhhhhhh! Go check it out!

Friday, July 20, 2012

The Story of Me and Him

It was just another fall semester at the junior college, I was excited to start school again, I always loved being a student. Taking notes, organizing, school supplies..it's sort of my thing. What I was not excited about- taking speech did not sound like a good time. I went into class slightly bitter, not excited to know no one in a pretty hands on class. It turned out that I did know someone! My friend Hailey from high school was already sitting down looking miserable. When class started, we were all less than excited to find out that we had to play some "ice breakers". Naturally, I paired up with Hailey and we started doing the ridiculous game the teacher insisted on us doing. And then I saw him. Tall, Handsome and Tattooed. It wasn't love at first sight but I made a mental note to keep an eye on that cutie. A few days later, I received a message on Facebook from Mr. Hunky- supposedly claiming that Facebook had "suggested me as a friend and he recognized me from class". Uh huh, sure. To this day we still argue about who came onto who. After chatting over Facebook messages for a little while, he admitted that it was his birthday the following week so I asked him out to a birthday lunch. I dragged a friend along just to verify that he wasn't a serial killer, which clearly he is not. Two weeks (February 2010) later we decided to date and become exclusive! If someone told me we would come this far when I first met him I wouldn't have believed them. September 2010 we took our first vacation together, my family and I were headed to Hawaii for a week and told me that I was welcome to invite him. He was instantly accepted in my family, they've even told me if something happens to us, they're adopting him. Great! While in Hawaii he asked me to move in with him. October 2010 we got our first place together, a townhouse which we both loved. December 2010 we conceived baby A. I found out the first week of January that I was pregnant, it's crazy how you JUST KNOW. I hadn't missed Aunt Flo, but I just felt- different. So I took a test...well, 4 tests to be exact. We welcomed our son in September 2011. November of 2011 we found out our lives would be changing dramatically and we would be relocating due to his job, he asked if I would be moving with him and I was baffled. Of course I would be moving with him! What was he crazy? I was sort of mad that he even asked. December 15th of 2011 he proposed. It was perfect. He took me and our new little bundle to the beach and proposed while I was sitting on a piece of driftwood holding our son. Nothing could break my happiness. Fast forward to May 2012 and we started our new adventure in a new state! Baby A is now 10 months, our wedding is planned for September 15th (2013) and I am one happy and in love mama :)

Thursday, July 19, 2012

This Recipe

Is amazeballs. Yes. I said amazeballs.

I was inspired to bake by a fellow blogger today so I searched for a new recipe and I found this. I tried it and I died. Is SO good. Here is a screen shot. Thank you Momswhothink.com!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

JACELAND GIVEAWAY!!!

It's Wednesday so that can only mean that I have a GIVEAWAY up my sleeve!!! Yes, that's right, Jaceland is giving one lucky winner something spectacular from her shop!!!

If you LOVE bright colors, sparkles, over the top jewelry, and everything girly then this giveaway is for you!

This is your chance to win an ITEM OF YOUR CHOICE from Jaceland!! Get yourself entered as many times as you can, a winner will be chosen on Friday July 20th at 5PM PST!

Click HERE to go to Jaceland!

Required to Enter:
((Submit as ONE entry))

1. Follow my blog by signing into your gmail account at blogger.com and adding Mommys Craft Obsession to your reading list OR by subscribing by email by entering your email address in the box to the left!!
2. Favorite Jaceland on Etsy by clicking HERE and then clicking "Add shop to favorites"
3. Leave a comment below saying that you've done the two requirements (we will check!), what you would like to win & also LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS so you can be contacted if you win!!

Additional Enteries:
((Submit as INDIVIDUAL entries! If you do all but only comment once, it will only be counted once!))

1. Follow the blog Jacieland by signing into you rgmail account at blogger.com and adding Jacieland to your reading list or by subscribing by email by entering your email into the box titled "Lets be email besties" on her blog! Click HERE to go to the blog.
2. Like MCO on facebook by clicking HERE.
3. Add Jaceland to your circle on etsy by clicking HERE and then clicking "add to circle".
4. Add This Love is Ours Boutique on Etsy to your favorites by clicking HERE and then clicking "add shop to favorites".

**Bonus Entry!!**
-Like This Love is Ours Boutique on Facebook by clicking HERE!


Please make sure to submit all additional and bonus entries as INDIVIDUAL entries. The number of entries commented will be what is counted. A winner will be chosen using random.org on Friday July 20th at 5PM PST (maybe a little after, depending on what Baby A is up to). Please share this giveaway with your friends!!

Have fun and Good Luck!!



Congratulations to Amanda Dunbar lucky number 21! Jacie from Jaceland will be contacting you via email so you can pick out your prize!!! Enjoy!!