San Diego Bloggers MeetUp

Have you ever been to a Meetup? No? Up until last Thursday, me neither. I had heard of Meetup.com, an online community connecting people with similar interests to literally “meet up” throughout the community. There are Meetup groups for people who love hiking, motorcycles, writing, videogames, and more. If you can think of it, there’s probably already a group meeting in your community. If not, you can start it.

A few months ago I joined the website to hopefully meet more bloggers in my area. It’s been amazing going through this whole blogging journey with one of my best friends, Katie from Unwritten. But I also know it’s important to network and meet other similar bloggers, as well as bloggers with a completely different agenda. It’s always refreshing to get a completely new view on something. Especially when you can meet in person. As much as I love this world wide web, there is nothing that beats meeting face to face with someone. Shaking their hand and looking them straight in the eye.

Channy-boo-boo {w/ pet life} & a GIVEAWAY

Chan. 

Chanerino. 

Chan-Chan. 

Chan Man. 

Channy.

Channers.

and, finally Channy-boo-boo. 

I am embarrassed to admit, 

but these are all nicknames I have for my puppy, 

whose real name is Chandler (Bing).  

Baby Beet and Blood Orange Salad {w/ recipes}

I love my husband. 

I love him more than I love any other person on this planet. 

I love and care for him more than I love or care about myself. 

I love how he understands me so well and how he can seriously read my mind sometimes. 

And I love how we can spend hours upon hours with each other, without doing anything "fun", 

and still have the best time of our life, just sitting, talking, laughing, and dreaming. 

But, there are times, when I enjoy being alone, i.e., without him. 

The times when he gets together with "the guys" and I stay home, alone.

I can blast Taylor Swift on the stereo, 

watch tv and read (at the same time), 

catch up on my favorite blogs, 

and spend hours editing HTML 

so that those little social media icons will actually work. 

Those times alone, by myself, I can also eat whatever I want. 

Wine Barrel Garden Planter {w/ gardening}

Spring is {almost} here!

Well, maybe not for everyone. But we had gorgeous summer style weather on Saturday. And although it only really lasted a day (Sunday was 20 degrees cooler), it got me in the spring spirit. Which meant getting my hands dirty and going to town on my garden.

Last year my garden was awesome. Not to brag, but it was incredible {ummm, that sounds like bragging}. I had more zucchini and tomatoes than I could handle. But with the colder months, I kind of just let it go. So, after the glimpse of summer that showed itself on Saturday, I decided to get things ready.

I weeded and tilled my garden bed, swept the deck, and wiped down the table and chairs. An hour and a half, 1 blister, 2 calluses, and a sore back later, and my little backyard was ready. But I still had to wait until real spring to plant my vegetable garden.

So.... I decided to get a head start on my container gardening.

High 5 for Friday {w/ life}

 

1. Sunday morning breakfast. Fresh papaya, greek yogurt, and granola.

2. Monday night dinner in my new ombre mint sweater with black skinnies.

l.o.v.e.

Let us spend today celebrating LOVE.

Whether with your special someone, family, or dear friends.

Remember that love doesn't only love when it's convenient

but also when it's difficult, and even when you don't want to.

Love is an action.

{it's what you do and what you say}

New Glasses... again!

via

Hi friends! If you've been around my blog for awhile, you may remember a post I did a few months ago about my new computer glasses.

Recently, a company emailed me to see if I would be interested in receiving a pair of glasses and sharing my honest thoughts about them with you guys. The company is Firmoo, an online retailer of prescription, fashion, and sunglasses. They have so many great glasses to choose from. It's crazy how much a new pair of glasses can completely change your style and look. And while it may seem risky to buy glasses online (and not be able to try them on in person) thanks to technology you can now try them on digitally by uploading your picture to Firmoo.

How to.... fight the flu {w/ life}

load up on Vitamin C. 

get plenty of sleep. 

drink lots of water.

eat a balanced diet. 

disinfect.

This has been my mantra the past week, trying to fight the flu germs in my house. And, {knock on wood} so far, so good. Of course now that I've posted it on the internet, I am sure I will get sick. God certainly has a sense of humor, and I think He would think it quite funny.

**GIVEAWAY** Valentine's Day Love

hello friends. Valentine's day is 1 week away and LOVE is in the air. All around people are making construction paper hearts, hanging red and pink bunting, baking sweets, and buying gifts. And speaking of gifts, this is one you will not want to miss.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE Victoria's Secret. The lotions, the scents, the comfy sweatpants, the other things. But I hardly ever shop there because it can cost quite the pretty penny.

Well, what if you had a $250 gift card? hellooo, Victoria's Secret! I would be there in a heartbeat.

I am so happy to be participating in this giveaway hosted by Liz, at The Pepper and her Pups.

Homemade Noodles & Chicken Soup {w/ recipes}

The title of this post is no mistake. While normally people may say Chicken Noodle Soup, with this recipe, it's really all about the noodles.

And how could it not be? The noodles are homemade with love and worth the extra effort, because there are some things that simply cannot be replicated from a package.

Don't stop reading. Homemade noodles may sound scary, but really they're not. Plus it is the perfect way to show someone that you care about them enough to make homemade chicken noodle soup {I mean "noodle and chicken soup"}.

Jiffy Pudding {w/ sweets}

hello friends! Today marks the first day of my blog-o-versary month!

I started this little blog on Leap Day, February 29th, 2012. To celebrate I have lots of fun things planned this month, including treasured secret family recipes and a giveaway (or two).

Starting off this anniversary month is a recipe for a favorite dessert in the w/ household. This is a classic from Steven's family. He made it for me on one of our first dates {I guess he knew the way to my heart was showing me he could cook}.

It's home-baked goodness, and so easy (it's ready in a "jiffy", hence the name). This is super easy to throw together as you're making dinner and then it's ready for dessert.