Turkey Day Happies

What a wonderful weekend! After a very long drive, we successfully surprised our families. Holidays are just so much sweeter spent with family. But I am EXHAUSTED. Amongst all the traveling, my allergies decided to act up so now I sound like kermit the frog. Sacrifices I suppose.

 Aunts & Cousins- I married into THE best family!

My beautiful cousin & SIL (carrying baby Ella) <3 p="">

 My wonderful Family & my adorable sister carrying baby Ava, who I desperately wished would have made her appearance while Auntie Shell was in town. She's due next week. Send lots of good juju her way! We have an annual Thanksgiving lunch with our long time friends, who are really family to us. We've known them for over 15 years. Blessed beyond measure <3 p="">

 

+MY 2ND EVER BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING TRIP- Only the best dog mom's wait in a line, with 100+ people, an hour before Petsmart opens...in the cold without coffee or food in your tummy, to score some amazing deals and that free stocking full of treats! Was totally worth it. Them pups are not cheap! AND I scored some of my first name brand purses and wallets :) Shopping the morning of Black Friday was great this year, especially with my cute lil mom... I figured out all the crazies go the evening before!

 I shall leave you with this awesomeness. A cow #selfie. He tried to sniff me, hence my face as I had a minor freak out. This guy was at a new farmer's market/petting farm in my hometown. I scored some local honey and Florida oranges. Ain't nothing better! 

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend with full tummies and happy hearts!

Grateful Heart

This week let us give thanks for family, love, food & friends. We are all so very blessed.

We're off to surprise family! 

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Blue Plate - Chattanooga

Last week, Hubby and I had a mini Christmas photo session downtown. Unfortunately, that day was rainy and thirty degrees... We were freezing by the end of it! (Pictures turned out wonderful though) So we ran over to The Blue Plate. We have been wanting to try this place since we got here. Their brunch menu was amazing! I loved the modern atmosphere and that they support local farms and suppliers.

"Contemporary comfort food, fresh drinks and house desserts using homegrown ingredients from local farms, bakeries and ice cream shops."

As soon as I saw the french toast special, I was sold. It was delicious! Hubby had the breakfast burrito, which he thoroughly enjoyed. We, of course, huddled together over some magnificent warm coffee served in clear mugs.

This won't be the last time we visit because they also allow dogs to dine outside with you. Love.

ps- come back next week for photos from our mini session!

Gift Guide For The Men In Your Life

Why must men be so hard to shop for?!

Luckily I've been saving gift ideas that I have come across all year. David & I aren't really doing gifts this year, but I might buy him one or two of these things. They are just too awesome to pass up on gifting!

+ I think this gift is probably my favorite. Every guy in your life will love this! I found Bottle Breacher on the Veterans Day episode of Shark Tank. They offer hand crafted 50 Cal Bottle Openers made by Active Duty service members, Reservists, and Veterans. Made in the USA. Need I say more??

 SHOP | FACEBOOK

+RED ENVELOPE is full of fabulous gifts. My favorite is that it all can be personalized, which are always the best gifts. These gifts would be great for my beer loving Husband and his man room. Also, there is a great Living Social deal. Get it while it lasts! You could also buy some things for yourself ;)

+Lifetime Leather Co. I love all things personalized & leather! These would make a great gift for the traveling man. There are many other great leather gifts.

+Personalized Scotch/Whiskey Set - A Great gift set for the classic gentleman in your life.

+You can never go wrong with dry rubs/seasonings for the master grill chief.

Rubs of the States

Caboose Spices

Happy Shopping! Don't forget to spread some Christmas Cheer amongst the craziness.

my heart

"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul." -Judy Garland

photo: jcorr photography

Turkey Leftovers

To be honest, I can't wait to stuff myself for Thanksgiving Day. I am blessed to be able to do so. I also can't wait for leftovers, but as we all know, it can get boring eating the same thing everyday. Except for pie. There is always room for pie. 

Lucky for you, I've been scouring Pinterest for leftover ideas this week and here are my favorites:

+Turkey Sandwiches with Maple Mayonnaise

 +Roasted Turkey, Cranberry & Brie Grilled Cheese

+Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Bites

+

+Apple Cranberry Turkey Salad

+Stove-Top Turkey Casserole

+Turkey Parmesan Baked Rotini

YUM, RIGHT?! 

Be sure to pin these recipes or 'like' this post on Bloglovin' so you can come back to it later!

Fur-Mom Files

Did you know the entire United States had some kind of freeze warning yesterday?! Yeah, we had snow flurries here in Chattanooga. My #FLgirl self acted like a little 4 year old. Jax, on the other hand, definitely is not loving this cold weather. {He is currently on my heated blanket} We have stocked up on blankets (thank you Big Lots!) & doggie coats (thank you Amazon!).

Anyway, since buying a home, we have had to really cut back on spending and a lot of our luxuries. It's been really hard, but that's a whole other issue. One of the ways we have saved money is by doing our dogs nails ourselves. Yikes, right? Well, I have watched the groomers do my dogs nails for long enough now and figured, "hey it can't be that hard, right?!" I bought this Dremmel Pet Grooming Kit, and I am so happy we did. I have always been picky about how they grind Jax's nails because he has a long nail bed. No more worries. It's also a plus that he thinks he is totally having a day at the spa when I do his nails. For Gunner... we have to actually trim his because he is not a fan of the Dremmel.

Also, if you have a puppy... take them to groomer's from a very young age! Get them use to their paws being touched and their nails being trimmed. Makes life that much easier. 

What do you do on your own to save money for your dogs? Do you trim their own nails too?

Christmas Munchkins

{Jax, Gemma, Gunner}

I mean, does it get any cuter??? 



~adorable collars bought at Petsmart~

THE JOY OF VOLUNTEERING

For those who may not be aware, I am an avid dog rescue supporter. I've got 3 crazy rescue pups of my own! Since I cannot foster or continue adding pups to our family, I donate money and dog supplies when I can. Volunteering my time at adoption events is THE most rewarding for me.

*You get LOTS of puppy cuddles & kisses

 -Cleaning up poopy pee pads

*You get to see lots of dogs find their forever homes!

+I almost adopted this boxer babe

Do you volunteer your time anywhere? If not, I challenge you to do so!

Catching Up

Catching up through pictures of the little joys in our life :)

 +Chattanooga Riverfront - my favorite place to be on a pretty day

+We bought a house! You know all those joys & struggles that come with being homeowners. 

+We adopted another puppy! Gunner, our TN baby <3>

+Picked apples for the first time ever

 

Celebrating my sister & SIL. I have two nieces arriving in December! I am one proud and happy Auntie!

 +After almost one year, I was reacquainted with the beach. My heart is happiest here <3 comment-3--="">

What have you been up to? 

Can you believe the Holidays are here & it's almost the end of 2014?! 

Ya, neither can I. But, I LOVE this time of year!!

Fur-Mom Files

THE ULTIMATE INDESTRUCTIBLE TOY!

Fur-moms meet the Zogoflex, from the makers of West Paw Designs.

"Zogoflex® is our exclusive material that makes fetch, tug-o-war, and chew therapy more fun—it’s easy on doggie mouths, stretches (without stretching out) and sports an unstoppable bounce—all while staying tenaciously tough."

Recyclable, handcrafted in the USA, certified safe, and best of all... GUARANTEED TO LAST!

My mom bought one for Jax and Gemma as Christmas presents, but Gemma has claimed them as her own. I cannot say enough about how great these toys are. There are many different styles to choose from. Treat your pet or gift one to a friend! Click here to find a retailer near you.

Gemma loves her Zogoflex Hurley Dog Bones!

+first image via west paw design

++opinions are my own & I was not compensated in any way for this post, though Gemma & Jax will gladly take any free toys or treats one should have to offer

Oh Schnitzel

This weekend the Hubs and I set out on exploring our new town. We ventured to Downtown Chattanooga to check out the highly reviewed German gastro pub, Brewhaus. This was my first ever German food experience.

I learned that I hate bratwursts, but I love schnitzels, spaetzel and of course the bier.

The view was also wonderful! We got to see part of the sunset over the mountains and the river walk bridge. Afterward, we decided to do a little more exploring. We found an adorable doggie boutique, a delicious donut shop, and we stopped in to have a brew at Chattanooga Brewing Co. 

It's easy to say we are quickly falling in love with this town.

Have you ever tried German food? What's your favorite?

TGIF

First full week of having a full-time job again! Holy moly, I am exhausted! 

You can find me and my gang over at Total Basset Case! 

Go say hi!

Monday Blessings

+ I GOT A JOB!

A huge blessing for our lil family! I spent months of job searching, applying, being let down over and over again. It's just a disheartening and tiring process. Tuesday my SIL revamped my resume {she's freaking amazing!}. I continued to send out my resume and just like that I got 3-4 emails back to set up interviews. The first one asked me to come in person to apply. So Thursday morning I applied and they interviewed me right on the spot {I haven't been interviewed in forever and to my surprise I was so confident and knew what I could do and what I had to offer}. I thought it went well but I didn't get my hopes up because not many places want to take in someone in the medical field who has no experience yet. I've been praying that someone would give me the chance. After the interview I talked to a couple of the other offers and set up interviews with them. Well wouldn't ya know! Later that evening I got a phone call with a job offer! I knew it was meant to be. I started the very next day. It is seriously a blessing! I am a Chiropractic Assistant. I have so much to learn and many opportunities to grow with this job, but I am thrilled and blessed.

+WE GOT A 2013 TOYOTA RAV4!

 Our 'family' car! But we won't be starting a family any time soon. An upgraded was needed though and we got a great deal on it. I love love love love it!

Happy Monday Everyone!

 

"There is always always always something to be thankful for."

Sunday Smoothie

Strawberry Peach Green Smoothie

+One ripe banana

+Handful of frozen or fresh strawberries

+ Yoplait Greek Peach Yogurt 

(less sugar than other Greek yogurt)

+Handful of spinach and/or kale

+Tablespoon of Chia seeds

+1/4c Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Optional: Scoop of vanilla protein

What's your favorite smoothie?


#smoothieloversunite