My first blog award!

I couldn't be happier to receive my very first blog award thanks to Tamra from the lovely blog, Walks with Bella who awarded me as one of her recipents for the One Lovely Blog Award!

As a recipient, I am supposed to share 7 things about myself and then award 15 more bloggers.

Seven things:

1. I'm obsessed with Starbucks Vanilla Chai. It makes my day to say hello to my friendly baristas and sip on this tasty treat in the mornings!

2. I love walking my baby everyday! My baby is my Boston Terrier Riley and we try to walk for at least 45 mins to an hour everyday!

3. It makes my day to receive sweet comments from my readers...truly :)

4. The only two television shows I watch are Gossip Girl & One Tree Hill. That's enough TV for me to handle.

5. Facebook confuses me....don't know why but I totally get twitter...facebook on the other hand seems so much more complicated to me.

6. My dream is to own a beach house someday.

7. I'm horrible with directions...thank goodness for navigation systems!


15 blogs that I would like to award with the One Lovely Blog Award, in no particular order:

Oh, It's Just Perfect!
Vintage Makeup
Vineyard Loveknots
Wattlebird
Mary Mur
Lovely Influence
Natasha Louise
La Mode En Rose
The Fiction I Live
The Red Diary
Fash Boulevard
Sunny Days & Starry Nights
A Drop of Indigo
Haute Couture
I am Ellen

Thanks again Tamra! I couldn't be happier :) xo

Awesome Artichoke Parmesan Dressing

Oh my yumminess! If you love the taste of artichoke then this dressing is for you!
I just love this Artichoke Parmesan Dressing from Annie's Naturals :)

Annie’s pleasingly sharp Artichoke Parmesan Dressing is loaded with fresh Parmesan cheese and delicately flavored artichokes, with hints of juicy lemon and fresh garlic, making it the perfect match for green, potato, or egg salad, a luscious sandwich or wrap spread, or dipped up with veggies, crackers, and potato wedges.

I have been munching on this healthy dressing nonstop! I have mostly been using on my veggies and crackers but I am planning on trying on my turkey sandwich in a couple of minutes.

Gluten Free
No Artificial Colors or Preservatives


INGREDIENTS: WATER, EXPELLER PRESSED VEGETABLE OIL (SOY, CANOLA, AND/OR SUNFLOWER), ARTICHOKE HEARTS (ARTICHOKE HEARTS, WATER, SALT, CTRIC ACID), PARMESAN CHEESE (MILK, CULTURE, ENZYMES, SALT), APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, SEA SALT, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, GARLIC, WHOLE EGG, MUSTARD FLOUR, XANTHAN GUM, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, PARSLEY.

CONTAINS EGG, MILK, AND SOY INGREDIENTS.

Find a store location near you here. Happy tasting. xo

Open Heart Your Life Your Choice

I understand that My Life is My Choice, and I now choose wisely.

I am able to create my life through a complete integration of a whole and healthy being spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

It is my life, and I choose peace, harmony, and happiness. I choose Self-love, and I choose to pass Love on.

This is my favorite affirmation in the book Open Heart Your Life Your Choice by Jan Campell RN, CPT.

I met Jan at The Head to Toe Women's Expo in Del Mar this past week. I am not sure about fate our destiny but for me I am sure about energy and I believe that this is the reason I found Jan.

I have always struggled with my self-Confidence. I can place blame on the many events in my life that have caused me pain starting since my childhood. However, what I realized after reading this book is that now since I'm an adult I have the control of my future and no one else has the power over my life but me.

Even though, I count my blessings every day and I'm so thankful for the support of my wonderful husband, family and friends there are some areas in my life that I struggle with... mostly self-Confidence.

This book has given me the power to understand that I'm in control and in order to be feel complete in my life I must take care of me first. That means being healthy in my mind, body and spirit.

Whatever, your roadblock is that is keeping you from loving yourself the way you should this book offers insight from a woman who understands your pain (you will read about her story in the book). An Open Heart Surgical Nurse, Jan offers guidance towards self-empowerment, creating peace, self-love, and balance.

So if you are open to receiving all the love available to you and need some guidance, this book is def. for you! It's a short read and and the affirmations are friendly reminders that you can keep somewhere to remember that it's your life & your choice!

You can find this book on Amazon here.

Superstar Salsa!

Okay, so awhile back I wrote a post on how one of my goals in the very near future is to become more savvy with my home purchases. So, I decided that one of my first action items was to sit down & write a list of all of my grocerry items that I buy on a monthly basis.

One of the items on my list was salsa. My hubby and I LOVE salsa and eat Mexican at least once a week!!! I typically buy my salsa from Trader Joe's but realized it doesn't last long at all... so my thought was to purchase salsa in a jar. However, I was having difficulty finding salsa in a jar that I actually liked until I tried Juan O' Sullivan.

This salsa is now a household hit! We cannot get over the how great this salsa is! I was truly about to write off salsa in a jar until I tried Juan O Sullivans.

The texture is unlike other jar salsas I've tried before and contains 1/2 the salt and sugar as the other stuff out there. Not only is the salsa A M A Z I N G but the enchilida sauce is out of this world.

Juan's Medium Salsa - Enjoy great taste sensations beginning with grilled New Mexican Chiles, sauteed garlic and summer squash mixed with a wonderful blend of spices. Add our special blend of select hot chiles and you have a meal in itself.

Juan's Gourmet Enchilada Sauce - Same great flavors as the Salsa de Mesa Sauce but minus the heat. Use as a dip for hors d' oeuvre or garnish quesadillas and enchiladas with this sauce. You will want to make Mexican at home once a week.


For yummy recipes and to find this salsa in your area click here! You will not be dissappointed :) xo

Wall Stencils!

I love these wall stencils from Cutting Edge Stencils! Instead of using wallpaper you can stencil your wall....think how much better it is than wallpaper! Stencils are resuable and fairly easy to use. Here's some of my favorite wall stencils below.

Unfortunately, since I'm a renter I'm not able to stencil so I decided to test it out on canvas....here's my project below:)

Dry in Style

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my adorable drying mat from Craft Fusion! Jessica is brilliant & I cannot say enough about this gem that makes me so happy every time I am in my kitchen.

Even though I have a dishwasher, I still hand wash my pots and pans and I was so tired of my boring kitchen towels and had the idea of looking for a drying mat. This is the ONLY drying mat that I found anywhere that is not only practical but looks B E A U T I F U L as well!

You can check out my drying mat & other cool and savvy products that Jessica has made at her etsy shop here!!!

What's best about Craft Fusion is that you can feel good about supporting a WAHM and buying handmade. Just check out her profile!

Peek A Boo I see you!

I adore Peek A Boo shoe bags! As you know I travel a lot so I need products that always make my traveling more efficient. I was really frustrated because I was always having to place my shoes in another bag or wrap them up in plastic bags to keep them seperate from my clothes. That's when I came up with the idea to find a shoe bag.

Well, I have found the shoe bag of all mothers and womanpreneur Leslie was kind enough to send me some samples. Owner, of Peek A Boo shoe bags, Leslie has created a genius product that is not only great for shoes but other items as well. Just take a look at the pics. :)

Okay, so here are the details:
# Bags are made of 100% canvas cotton.
# Top drawstring closure.
# Features a plastic window in front for instant visibility of contents.
# Great for travel or as a gift for your favorite shoe lover.
# Dimensions: 14.5" high and 11" wide.
# Wipe to clean.

This is where you can buy:
Zappos
Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond

Freebie!

I just heart these pretty desktop wallpapers from Echo Design! Check them out & grab one for yourself :)

Need a gift idea?

Check out these cute gifts for under $50!

I'm also crushing on these stylish laptop bags!

You can find all of these items at Kolobags here. They are also generously giving Domestic Sweetheart readers a discount! To claim your 10% off discount code use promo code: SWEETHEART at checkout. Offer expires 6/30/11.

The Hampton's at Home

I am homebody & love to relax. So you can understand why I LOVE my Herringbone woven Hampton Throw Blanket from Peacock Alley!

Let's put it this way...just thinking about my Classic Chic throw makes me want to curl up in my favorite reading chair with a warm cup of tea and a good book.

Here's why: Peacock Alley's collection offers an experience that is light, bright and happy & that's just how I feel when I wrap myself up in this woven blanket made of 100% Egyptian cotton.

Here are the details:
- Herringbone woven blanket
- 100% Egyptian Cotton
- Machine Washable
- Made in Portugal
- Available Colors: ivory, linen, white
- Available sizes: throw, twin, queen, king
- Retail Price $ from $90 - $215

Community:
Peacock Alley feels strongly about local community, our children and their well-being. Among our favorites is an organization called Community Partners of Dallas.

They work closely with them to support, among other things, the Rainbow Room, an emergency resource center that provides brand new clothing and basic support items to abused and neglected children served by Child Protective Services. We are so proud of the many needs this organization meets.

Peacock offers endless options to make memories forever yours. Whether it is an initial or words to inspire to heal, to be strong, or to be better– Strength, Beauty, Laughter, Love. Your sweet message will last a lifetime…

K.I.T. with Peacock Alley on Twitter, Facebook & Blogger for more lovely finds and to find out what's new!

Organic Socks that don't slip off?

Don't you hate when you wear no show liner and your socks slip off your feet? Well, you don't have to worry about that with Ecoland's Women's non-slip liner socks!

Made from Organic cotton these socks are sure to rock your feet.
• soft organic cotton liner socks
• silicon strips along ankle to prevent slippage
• wear with your favorite pumps or flats
• machine washable
• 78% organic cotton, 18% nylon, 4% spandex

Why use Organic Cotton?

Organic Cotton is grown without the use of toxic chemicals, sewage sludge, irradiation or genetic engineering, and is certified by an accredited independent organization. Instead of these toxic chemicals, organic farmers use beneficial insects, crop rotation, compost, cover crops, and weed by hand or machine in order to build soil quality, enhance biodiversity, and protect the air and water on which we depend.

Ecoland is a family-owned company that believes in helping our planet and our loved ones by producing the highest quality organic cotton apparel. All of their garments are made in sweatshop-free factories. 3% of your purchase goes to featured nonprofit and Ecoland is now currently made in the US :) Check them out here!

Also, wanna keep hear more from Ecoland?
Follow their tweets here and become a facebook fan here!

Organize Your Ride

Not too long ago I wrote a post about how my hubby, my pupster and I love to take many road trips! To say the least, I am always searching for products that make our travels more efficient, especially since we usually take my two door jeep :)

Well my prayers have been answered! Organize Your Ride sent me some goodies to help me out! Just check out these pretty litter bags that have been saving me so much space.

Pretty in Pink

Chic Black

Pretty Pattern

The 4-1-1 on these cool bags!

Handle leftover lunches, kids' juice boxes, even yesterday's coffee - without drips, leaks or spills.

*Leak proof base with sealed seams - wipes clean
*Hook & loop closures keeps trash out of sight
*Easy-to-pull tab for easy access from front or back
*Attaches quickly around headrest
*Quick release buckle for easy removal
*3 gallon capacity

Not only does Organize Your Ride offer litter bags, they offer many other organizing products such as Back Seat Car organizers, Document Organizers, Car Clothes Bar to name a few. These products are genius and I'm sure you'll find what you need to help you keep your vehicle as efficient as it can be :)

Yellow Invades Fashion!

Butter Yellow Lemon Shoulder Wrap perfect for Spring, Easter & Mother's Day!

A splash of springy sun on your shoulders!! This wrap is warm enough to keep the first chill of spring away, and cool enough for summer. Looks equally good at the office and at the beach.
The details:
*cotton yarn with slubs hand dyed in a sunny spring buttery yellow
*drop-stitch see-through, airy texture
*drapes many ways (see pictures)
*can be machine-washed (use a net bag and delicate cycle) and dried (medium temp)
*one size fits most

This lovely wrap is from Murielle's Knitwear. Murielle has designed for many famous celebs such as Cher, Demi Moore and Beyonce and has sold to Barneys NY, Anthropologie, Henri Bendel's, Fred Segal, & Scoop NYC, to name a few! All of Murielle's beautiful designs can be purchased from her etsy page here or through her website here.

You can also follow Murielle and her knitting adventures through her blog here and check for new or sale items through her facebook & twitter pages. Happy Shopping! xo

Made with Love

Before:

After:

I can finally toss my yucky ziploc bag that I have been stuffing my making up in. Before finding 2 Hills on Etsy I searched everywhere for a makeup bag that I would love and that would fit all of my daily stuff....

2 Hills was the perfect solution! Sewing and quilting for over 25 years it shows in Karen's fabulous work! Just look at my initial zippered bag for instance. The quality is stunning and the design is so beautiful how could you not be so impressed!

Not only is this the perfect treat for yourself but what a wonderful personalized gift this would make. You can also feel good about your purchase because you are supporting a small business :) To check out my quilted zippered bag and other 2 Hills products click here!