cheers, bethani!

We've moved!

2014-02-24T18:52:00.002-06:00

Hi friends!! I hope all of you are doing amazingly! It's been awhile since I've been here and there's a reason.

I now blog over at the texan pantry - all about food, my love for the kitchen, crafting and our life as a family.

Come hang out with us!!

airhogs with my honey

2013-05-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

a few weeks ago, thanks to my awesome parents, we ventured to the airhogs game for a little night of our own. we love us some baseball & being that the airhogs games are cheap & exciting, it made for the perfect night for us.

12 dollars a person & sitting behind home plate - awesome deal if you ask me. we super splurged on calories & stuffed our faces with all kinds of yummy ballpark food. nachos, corn dogs, funnel cakes & fried oreos. i told ya we stuffed our faces.

the weather was perfect & i couldnt have asked for a better way to spend my evening. if you're in the area, go! its great & you won't be disappointed.

where's waldo??

2013-05-29T13:53:00.001-05:00

i know i know! i said i was coming back to blogging and then bam! gone for weeks. well those with small ones know you blog when ya can & then you just make up for the missed posts at another time! and by making up for missed posts i have many!

so what have we been up to you ask? lots!!

first of all - the winner of the giveaway from the beginning of the month has been revealed! did you win? contact me to claim your winnings!

we are also doing the following:
-husband and i had like an official night out alone! no friends, no benjamin. just us!
-benjamin has begun teething! egads! & supported sitting! & eating cereal! OMG! where has my baby boy gone?!
-we painted!
-ive got stuff from crowdtap & bzzagent to review!
-got a few more recipes under my belt
- & basically just been enjoying been that SAHM life with my boys.

i've been reading along on other blogs during quiet/nap times & love to see where everyone is at in their lives!

have a wonderful wednesday everyone.

shop ruche: dress love

2013-05-07T12:10:00.001-05:00

1 - 2 - 3 - 4

lately with the amazing weather we have been having (knock on wood!), i have really been ogling over dresses and fun flowy clothing items to wear on my time off. and the print & style options anymore seem endless. they also look amazingly cozy!

one of the companies that i am an affiliate for, shop ruche, has some of the cutest dresses, that have the vintage/retro feel, without being over the top expensive. well number 4 is alittle over my budget, but is currently on sale, so i may have to save some pennies and get it.

have a favorite dress that you can't live without or know where to go for some fun, comfortable dresses? please share!
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*all opinions are my own & i am not receiving any compensation for this post*

zoo day with the littles

2013-05-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

several weekends ago (procrastinate much?) we took a trip to the zoo with my brother's family. it was benjamin's first real zoo trip. & what better zoo than one of the top ranked in the nation? while i was pregnant with him, husband took me there for my birthday. there is something that i just love about the zoo. maybe its the animals?

benjmain is still young enough that he didnt care too much about anything that was going on, which is what we expected. but with infants getting in free, i'm down for that. my brothers kids on the other hand had a great time like they always do. their favorite? feeding the birds off sticks.

it was definitely baby weather while we were there, both human and animal. from baby monkeys to the baby giraffes, there was plenty of oohing and aahing going on with us.

whats your favorite animal at the zoo?

dream your biggest dreams - mine involves food & wheels

2013-05-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

my mom and i have talked numerous times, if money weren't a factor, we would have a food truck. funny right? we both love food & cooking. and the thought of your eatery capable of being in a different spot everyday if you wanted sounds glamorous.

i was just watching "street eats" featuring food trucks all over the country and it makes me wish and hope more that one day maybe this dream could become a reality. after all, husband and i could eat at our local food truck park every night if weather wasn't so unpredictable.

so what is one of your biggest dreams?

have a terrific weekend my friends!

a recipe: baked ravioli

2013-05-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

back a few weeks ago, i had planned on making this simple, yet delicious looking meal. i found it on pinterest, much like the rest of my menu choices. and people say pinterest is bad. and this recipe can have quite the variety depending on the sauce or raviolis you choose to use.

when i made this, we definitely had cheese overload as i used cheese raviolis, but next time i'm thinking of using the spinach chicken ones i found at the store.

ingredients:
1 bag of frozen ravioli
1 jar of pasta sauce
1 bag of shredded cheese
parmasean cheese

how to:
preheat oven to 400 degrees. spray sides and bottom of 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.

using 3/4 cup of pasta sauce, coat bottom of dish.
create layer of raviolis on top of sauce.
using half of remaining pasta sauce, spread over raviolis.
sprinkle sauce and raviolis with half of the shredded cheese.
repeat ravioli, sauce and cheese layer.
sprinkle top with parmasean cheese.

cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
remove foil & continue cooking for 10-15 minutes until middle of dish is hot and bubbly.

enjoy!
makes for great leftovers too!

thanks again pinterest for yet another delicious meal!

mommyhood: don't panic! chances are it might happen #1

2013-05-01T14:18:00.002-05:00

i previously mentioned that i tried to prepare as much as possible for becoming a mommy. but in reality its one of those live and learn kind of situations. "go with your gut" is what i have always been told. but here a few things, that i've discovered and been through with benjamin over the first almost three months since he arrived. now these dont happen to everyone, but they did to us.

Q: where did our sweet little boy go?
when we had benjamin and we cooped cozily up in the hospital, he was a great baby. never really fussed & slept alot! then we came home. do they infuse drugs through their ventilation systems or something? because as soon as we came home it was totally opposite. he didnt like to sleep and he cried (well more like blood curdling screamed) all night long. secret to us: the formula they had us supplementing tore up his poor tummy. we now use sensitive and are on the right path to big boy city!

Q: what are all those little red spots on his head and face? we thought it was baby acne. nope wrong again. baby acne actually is a little larger in size. what these were actually is just a basic heat rash. babies, when they are born, all their sweat glands havent opened yet & so when they are hot, fussy or just basically irritated, those glands clog, because they are still opening. so we stuck to mild soaps and keeping him as cool as possible. too bad he has this fuzzy blanket he absolutely loves and we live in Texas! all in all secret to us: this should clear up by month 5. phew!

Q: Ack! Why are his eyes all crunchy and boogery? another one of those babies and body things. his tear ducts havent fully opened so they clog easily. secret to us: this is easy to take care of. massage tear duct a few times a day and lay a warm compress on their eyes to have unclog those ducts! ours went away on its own, but if by 4 months you are still having problems, the dr can help out.

Q: My modesty! What happened to it? Yep, that pretty much goes out the window when you're pregnant. And whats even funnier, is how quickly you forget you ever even had any. I was bound and determined, no one was gonna see anything when I delivered, except those doctors. Well deliveries are completely different for everyone and everything can change in a split second. So just be prepared!

Q: Is that a seizure? Why is he hitting me? Eh, chances are its not a seizure. I panicked about this! But babies are getting control of motor skills and some even have the startle reflex causing them to flail some when they sleep. No worries, this goes away. Thank goodness! Co-sleeping with a flailer is tough on my body.

Q: Does it ever get better? Yes it does! My aunt told me if we can get through the first 3 weeks, we will survive. And honestly, I really have no clue how we did it. I cried more in those first weeks then I ever did in my whole life. Counting labor! I actually never even cried during labor until they told me he was positioned wrong and I was going to have a c-section. But yes, it is terribly trying, hard, and stressful, not to mention, sleep lacking, but its worth every second of the chaos. Adult Swim, baseball & lots of milkshakes got me through it. Its okay! It doesnt make you a bad parent, even though you feel like it all the time during those first few weeks.

That's just a few of the oh-em-gee moments we have had, with a million more to follow. Make this a series? I just might. Anything you are wondering or have questions about? Chances are, this little family has been there.

hump day happiness #2

2013-05-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

this week is a particularly happy week for husband and i! we have been married two years as of yesterday! what a crazy two years it has been. we bought a house & had the most handsome little boy in those two quick years.

our honeymoon in fredericksburg

first things first: my husband! without him i wouldnt be where i'm at today. i wouldnt have this amazing home or my handsome little boy. i also wouldnt have the best best friend in the whole world. more importantly i wouldnt have my perfect pair; the one who completes me and makes my life full of smiles, laughter and adventure. i love you!

going to rack dive

my new job! its totally different than what i'm used to and it has been challenging learning everything there is to know, but its been so much fun in the process. not to mention the fact that i've lost five pounds in the first three weeks of working there. thats for sure something to be happy about!

everything is green! we have gotten rain here recently, plus the weather is amazing, so everything is growing and thriving! which makes my drive anywhere so scenic. i particularly love the streets that are lined with full trees that create a canopy of the roads. so whimsy and wonderland like.

getting sooooooo big!

my parents! as hard as it was my parents babysat benjamin overnight a couple of weekends ago, so damon and i could have a night out/off without any crying, diaper changing or swaddling. or co-sleeping. it was great! and much needed for our relationship as husband and wife. i have to tell myself its ok every now and again to have those nights.

what are you happy for today?

blog revampanation + a giveaway

2013-04-30T13:15:00.001-05:00

yes i made up revampanation. it just felt appropriate. now that i'm back to blogging full time (well minus this last week, my computer was giving me fits), i felt it was only appropriate to give it a little facelift along with updating the sidebar with bringing back the sponsor opportunity.

i lost alot of readers when i went on my pregnancy hiatus. and for that i apologize. i really want my blog to get back to where it was, but to grow bigger than it was before. so for that reason, this blog revamapantion comes along with a giveaway!!

also included:
a set of envelope seals i truly love
a large ad space on my blog

just follow the rafflecopter to get enterted! giveaway ends next friday, may 10th at 12:00 am.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

also currently during my blog revamapanation, i'm offering free medium ad spaces using promo code: startup - please note this is for the first 10 people to swipe them up. i would love to have you as a sponsor of cheers, bethani

i hope everyone is doing well - and more posts are coming!

hump day happiness #1

2013-04-24T11:07:00.002-05:00

i used to do a weekly post of things i'm happy for. well back then it lasted 3 weeks. this new chapter in my life gives me reason to start it up again, because now that i'm a stay at home mommy who works part time, i've got lots of things to be happy for.

date nights with my boys is one of my favorites! we try to go out and enjoy some yummy food and a drink or two once a week whenever we are both home. this week though, i've been trying recipes from pinterest. so far so good. speaking of good - i've got a yummy pasta dish i'll be sharing tomorrow.

all the blooms! since the weather has been nice on the weekends, we've been tidying up flower beds with new pretty flowers, bringing all kinds of color to our landscape. i'm hoping to find a good patch of bluebonnets around thats not right off a highway so we can take some good pictures of benjamin before he gets his own opinions of flowers and picture taking.

pastries for breakfast.. i decided to whip up the blueberry muffin mix i had stashed away for breakfast this morning. its always nice and refreshing to have a different breakfast awaiting you in the morning than your standard bowl of cereal or cup of yogurt. i need to start doing this more for husband and i.

life made simple: get those nasty yard shoes off the garage floor

2013-04-23T16:44:00.000-05:00

between my husband's slight OCD and my new mommy given OCD, we are pretty good at find quick fix it solutions to make our lives & home more manageable. our garage is no different - given the fact that we park both my civic and his truck in it, we need all the extra space we can get

one problem spot: our yard shoes. we do alot of yard work so we each have a pair that always stay out there, and we were constantly tripping up on them or piling them up on a shelf.

solution: hang them! it was totally easy and simple and everyone has the materials required, making it a budget friendly solution. this may be a total no-brainer for some of you, but for me its ingenious!

tools: hammer, 2 nails per pair of shoes & a wall space

hammer nails decent width apart to ensure shoes wont bump.

and hang. seriously.
viola! shoes are off the floor & you have a little more space for better things like potting soil & paint.

got any life made simple tips you would like to share?

oh how pinteresting #3

2013-04-17T14:59:00.001-05:00

hope everyone is having an awesome week!
stay tuned because an awesome giveaway & tutorial coming up either tomorrow or friday! so tell your friends because they will want to be apart of this one too!

mommyhood: the good, the bad, and the ones that have me scratching my head

2013-04-16T17:40:00.000-05:00

when i first found out that i was going to have a baby i had to get the popular "what to expect when you're expecting" book, because they have all the answers right. haha yeah, that was a good one. i've learned so many things since having him that make me thinking, "wheres that book?!"

the good:

-easily putting back that super awesome shirt you found to buy him another rattle toy, because he smiles when you shake it.

-the smiles over the simplest things

-the smiles because they recognize you or your voice.

-the coos.

-bathtime and watching him kicks his legs in excitement when he first hits the water.

-snuggling, snuggling, snuggling.

-that moment when you realize hes finally asleep.

the bad:

-how they easily figure out to pinch that thin layer of fat on your neck or arms and hold on like the world is ending.

-hair pulling

-spit up. oh how it smells.

-the screams because they are hungry. you try to get food as quickly as possible but it never seems fast enough.

-hitting every red light on the way somewhere with a screaming child

-leaky diapers

the head scratchers:

-one second no paci, next second, paci saves the day.

-how quickly diapers and formula disappear. "seriously, didnt i just buy that?"

-how a small little being needs so much luggage. seriously its like moving anytime we go anywhere.

-must get up at 6 to be out of the house by 10 if i'm wanting to look halfway decent.

-how such big boogers come of that little bitty nose.

-how quickly they grow. he's going to be driving any day now.

-you somehow figure out how to one hand everything. eating your own food, getting yourself ready, cooking & my personal favorite driving with one hand and reaching in the backseat to put a paci in his mouth.

and most of all, the best thing ever

-how i could love something so much that i dont know how life existed before him.

what are some of your most favorite, ugliest or head scratching moments of parenthood?

oh how pinteresting #2

2013-04-10T11:04:00.000-05:00

its wednesday & only 2 days left until i am no longer a full time corporate employee. woot. so let's celebrate with a little pinterest today.

letting my artistic side soar

2013-04-09T13:37:00.000-05:00

my brain is something vicious. not in a bad way. in a creative way. i'm the type of person who can envision a million little artsy things but then i have a hard time committing myself to making them. when we moved into our home, i was pretty much already pregnant, so doing anything wasn't on my list of fun things for the first ten months of home ownership. so now that i'm not pregnant & more energized, i'm changing my ways. i'm crafting. like crazy.

and my crafting will follow along the lines of my budgeting series (that i have started, yet not posted on yet), using lots of recycling, upcycling & using whats lying around the house. well except for the house painting. gotta get new paint for that. i've got quite the list of things to do with even a few quick tips and tricks for your household. things that are coming up:

a magnetic chalkboard for benjamin
a foyer photo wall
storing those nasty yard shoes so they aren't in your way
an Eiffel tower for your garden
pallet garden
painting our house (the before and after)

*image above is something i created myself. please do not take without proper permissions or approval.*

we all left with our pants fitting a little tighter..

2013-04-08T11:15:00.001-05:00

this past weekend was one of the most action packed weekends we've had in awhile. mostly because its baseball season again. please pause for a moment of extreme celebration on my part.

the boys went to the game while my sister in law and i played domestic mommies and took the kids to the bounce house place. best fourteen dollars a mother could spend. if you can tolerate a jillion kids running around screaming.

after everyone worked up an appetite, my awesome self requested babes, the most ridiculously, scrumptious home-cooking place on the planet. husband and myself opted for the hugest chicken fried steaks a person has ever seen, while amanda got chicken tenders & my brother went with fried catfish. sides are just there, in huge bowls, all you can eat, with the fluffiest, warmest biscuits this side of the mississippi river. add some honey & the sweetest tea that even mosquitoes would love and you have pure sin.

we all left with our pants fitting a little tighter, our blood sugar a little higher, but our hearts and stomachs full of yumminess and content. oh and my brother only wore the most fitting shirt for the occasion; well except they dont serve any bacon.

do anything exciting this past weekend?

a dressing i could eat for the rest of my days

2013-04-05T10:56:00.003-05:00

my aunt hosts an annual egg hunt / easter lunch every year. i've been going for as long as i can remember minus a few years. food is potluck but we can always count on the typical ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and a wealth of desserts that any fat camp or nutritionist would shake their head at.

but this year there was a nice surprise. she made a simple salad consisting of just fresh cut strawberries and spinach. thats it. and i'm always down for strawberries and spinach in a salad. but this was too simple. the best part.... the dressing! she got the recipe from her son's nutritionist & it is beyond delectable.

simple honey vinegarette dressing:
1/3 cup vinegar - you can use regular or apple cider
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

mix all ingredients! then pour over salad.
its suggested to make just before serving as the ingredients will seperate if its left sitting.

hope everyone is having a fantastic friday! and continues on to have an awesome weekend. i start training tomorrow for my new parttime gig. i can't wait. eek!

and go rangers!

have you seen these apps?

2013-04-04T13:33:00.000-05:00

basically, i'm addicted to my smart phone. its attached to my hip all the time & i go into sheer panic mode when i cant find it. first world problem i know. since having benjamin i have found & been introduced to several apps that i absolutely love and think you would too.

Phoster:

Create posters with your own photos, text & share them with friends directly via all your major social media apps. I'm sure I could waste a million hours on this app and the next one.

Color Schemer:

Make your own color palettes! Use a photo for inspiration or just create willy nilly. And if you dont have a clue of what you like, visit this awesome site for already created schemes. Here's a couple of their schemes I thought about using for inspiration when we start painting the house (inside of course):

Key Ring:

Got a million loyalty cards on that key ring? This app lets you keep all your cards in one place, besides your key ring. Just capture the barcode on each and viola its on your app key ring! Bonus, they offer specials & coupons through that app. Sweet!

All Recipes:

You may already know of this one because of their awesome website, but this app is the complete site on your phone. They even feature a "dinner spinner." Tell then what kind of food you want, what you want in it, how quick it takes and sha-bam, a bunch of recipes at your fingertips.

What are some you favorite apps out there?

oh how pinteresting #1

2013-04-03T14:19:00.002-05:00

michelle over at the vintage apple has a weekly pinterest link up. and since life is ever changing and a new chapter is starting and maybe the fact that i love pinterest, i decided it was time to participate.

you can follow my pinterest here.

Source: adventuresinbabywearing.com via Bethani on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Bethani on Pinterest

Source: rstyle.me via Bethani on Pinterest

Source: projectinspired.com via Bethani on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Bethani on Pinterest

the next chapter of my novel..

2013-04-03T09:38:00.004-05:00

over the past several months, husband and i have been keeping a semi-secret. and i have been over the moon about it since we finally made a decision, but just started speaking of it recently on instagram, once the parties affected found out.

i'm gonna be a stay at home mom! well for the most part. with the ridiculous costs of daycare against my income plus gas, it was not worth it. i have taken a part-time job to help keep me from going totally bonkers plus bring a little extra money so we can still afford life without relying on ramen noodles and hot dogs as food.

it was a very hard decision to make. working eight years in one place gets engrained into you. you have a schedule. you make friendships. but it is bittersweet. getting to spend the majority of moments watching benjamin grow is something i feel extremely blessed to be able to do. it will be a change. but it will be a good change from what i've been accustomed to for so long.

as a mom now, i finally found my reason. its for him.
so a new chapter begins.

as pennies become millions....

2013-03-21T15:30:00.001-05:00

here lately I have been doing all my blogging from my iPhone. it's a lot easier than trying to use the computer and appease a baby. one of these days I will sit down and blog normally with cutesy links and more pictures that are placed within my post how I like. but for now, iPhone it is.

our little family is under going some changes, which hopefully I will get to divulge in soon when we have all the details ironed out and those close know first. and you sick minded folks, baby number two is not on the way.

but for now, being a new mom and family of three, one whom is growing by the second, have decided to start living more consciously. before Benjamin, we lived just us, easy and carefree. now I find our grocery cart with at least a $25 can of formula and super box of diapers. and if we've had an exceptional week, some shiner bock to celebrate a week of pluses and a couple nights of good rest.

I've suddenly become obsessed with coupons and sales ads. now I'm no extreme couponer, but I strategically plan my menu each week to maximize my dollar. its amazing how much money can be saved by doing just a little work.

with that a new blog segment was born.. budget living and maximizing that dollar. the segment will include great coupon sites, budget friendly recipes, and so much more. I'm hoping someone besides myself will benefit and enjoy this segment as much as me.

a recipe: crock pot beef tips

2013-03-07T11:48:00.001-06:00

being a new mommy, meals have been out on the back burner. no pun intended. unless benjamin's feedings are scheduled to a tee then it will typically interfere with cooking.

so I go for simple yet delicious and wholesome meals until our routine smoothes and becomes more regular. thus my crock pot is my favorite. a new favorite recipe that I have discovered thanks to Pinterest is Beef Tips Over Butter Noodles.

Ingredients:
1-3 lbs stew meat
1 can sprite, 7up or other lemon lime soda (soda can be regular or diet)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 package onion soup
1 package brown gravy mix
Mushroom pieces (optional)

Put all items in crock pot and mix thoroughly. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Before serving, prepare butter noodles as instructed on package. Serve. Enjoy!!

This was delicious! So delicious we ate it all! A modification that was thought of was serving over rice rather than noodles for a change or if you don't have noodles on hand.

I hope you and yours enjoy this recipe as much as we did.

Want to follow along on Pinterest? Find me under cheersbethani.

its been a life changing four weeks.

2013-03-06T17:28:00.001-06:00

can you believe it's been four weeks since I had Benjamin?? I can't believe how quickly it flew by. Next thing I know he will be asking me to buy him a car. Yikes!

During these four weeks I have learned so many things about myself that I was not prepared for.

I learned patience. Excessive amounts of patience. No one really knows how hard being a parent is until you are home, on your own and your child is crying and you can't figure out why. You have tried everything and nothing consoles them. It's the worst feeling in the world to not be able to console your child. It makes you feel like the worst parent in the world. But it's times like this that you have to take a deep breath and tell yourself it's going to get better.

I've learned that postpartum depression is no joke. I cried everyday for what seemed like for days. The hormone roller coaster makes you feel completely crazy on the inside. It makes you want to just walk away from everything. Without my supporting family and husband, i could have easily become one of those stats. But luckily those feelings have subsided. It was just the baby blues that we all experience for the first weeks after birth. But I do have a much deeper sympathy for those moms who aren't so lucky. And if you think you have postpartum depression don't fret, just talk to your doctor and get help. You aren't any less of a mom. I promise.

Ive learned love. Real love. The love I have for my husband and Benjamin are much stronger than I ever thought possible. It's amazing how that feeling hits you once your child gets here. And how it gets stronger everyday.

And just one more thing. I have decided to share photos of Benjamin on my blog. Enjoy!

alittle cosmetics. haircare. fragrance. skin. and more.

2013-02-19T15:48:00.002-06:00

via

so way back, i sold avon. and i loved it, but just didnt have enough time with life, school, avon, work. so i stopped.

well here i am. years later. married. and a new mommy. and we all now, babies equal money. diapers, formula, etc. so i've decided to get back into avon to help bring in extra moola to the family.

while selling face to face, i'm also an e-rep, so i have a cute little online site that you can order from and even have shipped to you directly! how awesome is that? so if you need a little avon in your life, like their super awesome SOS bath oil, then hop on over... i've also added a permanent link/tab up top to get you to my store at anytime.

if you should have any questions, concerns, etc about ordering, feel free to contact me via email: cheersbethani {at} live {dot} com & i would be more than happy to assist you.

as for benjamin, we're still working on a routine & he has decided he likes to be a belly sleeper, which makes this momma terrible nervous and cautious so hes been sleeping on my chest every night. bad habit, i know, but otherwise, he screams and no one sleeps. i chose sleeping. :)