Alexandra Rose

Rollo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-03-02T08:25:00.001-08:00

These are so easy and so {soooooooo} good!

Start out by making your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe

you can find my ultimate cookie recipe here

seriously, make them following this recipe and you'll never go back.

Now, in addition to the cookie ingredients, you'll also need a bag of rollo's...shocking, I know.

So, unwrap a bunch of them before you get started so they're all ready for you.

Once the cookie dough is finished, put a rounded tablespoon full in your palm and roll it into a ball.

Then, use your thumb to flatten the dough out into your palm until you have a round cookie dough pancake.

Next, place a rollo in the middle and fold the dough around it.

Roll the dough until you can't see the rollo.

Place it on a baking sheet and repeat!

Follow the norma baking time and temperature for your recipe.

I baked mine for about 10 minutes and didn't have any caramel melt out.

They are divine.

I suggest giving some away so you don't sit and eat the entire batch in one sitting.

Or don't. Whatever.

Either way,

Ejnoy!

Monday Giveaway: Rogue Baby Boutique

2012-02-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since we've started the week out with a giveaway, but I happen to think that the prospect of winning some sweet loot is a pretty nice way to start the week.
So here we are!

I'm excited to bring you this week's shop, as it's a fellow local business owner!

This is Ricki {and her precious daughter, Ella}

She and her husband own Rogue Baby Boutique

An adorable online shop featuring custom diaper wipes cases, crocheted hats, beautiful hair bows {and hair bow holders} headbands and more!

"Rogue Baby Boutique was an idea that started in April 2010 when our daughter was born. I received a super cute custom diaper wipes case from a friend and got so many compliments on it. I decided to give it a shot making them myself. Soon I was getting custom orders from friends, and an Etsy shop soon followed. Since then, we've branched out to custom hair bows and headbands, custom hair accessory holders, and adorable crocheted hats. My husband Kyle and I plan on adding some additional nursery decor to the shop in the coming year. Our dream is to one day open a shop here in Southern Oregon that would feature our signature items, nursery furniture, clothing and much more."

Super adorable baby items, right?!

Rogue Baby Boutique is giving one of you the chance to win a $10 shop credit!

There are 6 ways to enter!

{please leave a separate comment for each item you complete}

{this one is mandatory} be a public follower of the Alexandra Rose Blog

Visit the Rogue Baby Boutique shop and come back and tell me your favorite item

Become a fan of Alexandra Rose on facebook

Become a fan of Rogue Baby Boutique on facebook

Follow Alexandra Rose on twitter

Re blog {tweet or facebook} about the giveaway with a link back to this post

Get to enterin' now!

Also, Rogue Baby Boutique would love to offer every one of you 10% off all items in their shop!
Just enter the code ALEX12 at checkout!

Also, don't forget to visit the Rogue Baby Boutique website where you can order super adorable items like these at prices waaaaay below MSRP:

Giveaway will be open until Saturday, March 2nd at 11:59pm

Winner will be announced Sunday, March 3rd.

Good luck!

Teriyaki Stir-Fry Veggies Over Quinoa {quick & easy!}

2012-02-24T16:09:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I posted a cell phone picture of my veggie stir fry on my facebook page.

I got a few requests for the recipe.

Ask, and you shall receive. You're welcome.

{even though it's ridiculously easy}

Let's start with the quinoa.

I buy this gigantic bag from Costco...

And ALWAYS cook it in a rice cooker.

SO easy, you don't have to think about it and it turns out perfect every time.

While the quinoa is cooking away - it takes about 20 minutes - chop up the veggies.

For this stir fry I used purple cabbage, zucchini, broccoli, snow peas, carrots, onions and bean sprouts.

I normally throw in mushrooms, but forgot to pick some up at the store.

You can totally customize this part and add {or leave out} whichever veggies you like!

Once they're all chopped, you're ready to fry!

I always used a wok, but discovered I really like this deep pan instead.

Either way, put in a small amount of olive oil {maybe a tablespoon or less}

and then crank up the heat.

I had mine right at 8, so medium high.

Add in the veggies, starting with the crunchiest first.

I always start with the onions, as they take the longest.

I cook them for a few seconds and then add in the carrots, broccoli, and so on until the softest veggie is in.

Once they've all had a chance to cook together for just a second,

{remember, this is a quick stir fry...the veggies should still have some bite to them and not be mush}

you're ready for the teriyaki.

This is quite possibly the most important part.

We use a locally made teriyaki that is absolutely delish.

{random tidbit - the makers of this sauce own a Japanese restaurant that hubby and I both use to work at...it's where we met...aaaaawe :)}

Anyway, any teriyaki will do, so just find one that you like!

Pour a few tablespoons of sauce over the veggies and let them cook together for just another minute,

and then turn off the heat!

Mushy stir fry is never a good thing, so try not to overcook.

By this time the quinoa should be done!

{wasn't that easy?!}

Put a heap of veggies on a bed of quinoa and BINGO!

You've got dinner.

Quick.Easy.Fresh.Deslish.

Enjoy!

Over the past week...

2012-02-23T16:19:00.000-08:00

Yes, MIA...AGAIN. Apparently it's pretty easy to disappear.
So, here's what's been going on this past week or so...
Some beautiful sunshine-y weather and lots of walks and trips to the park.

Lazy Lenny naps...

Double rainbows. {ok, make that one double rainbow...but still}

My first trip to a bar in our town. Yes, I ordered water. I know, I'm a wild one.

Isaiah learned how to draw spiders...super proud mommy moment :)

Playing with the coolest magnetic blocks. Every child needs these. Seriously.

It snowed. Which was random, but exciting.

I made Isaiah a dinosaur hoodie. It's cute, and it was fun to make!

We went to swim class...

And Lenny got shaved. Thankfully, dog hair grows back. Or so I'm told.

I've been taking a super B complex and would swear by it. SO.MUCH.MORE.ENERGY.

There was a beautiful sunset...

And I made rollo stuffed chocolate chip cookies. Whoa man, these babies are good.

I want this breakfast sandwich, and basically everything in this picnic brunch. Like, stat.

Yep, it's been a pretty good week.

You can look for some new recipes and a giveaway in the upcoming week! Yay!

For The Health Of It {photo food log day 5}

2012-02-12T20:28:00.000-08:00

Well, apparently the weekends are not my strong suit as far as healthy eating goes.

I'll just start by saying that.

Started out with my morning chai.

We made Valentine's for Isaiah's friends,

So you know I had a caramel kiss, or two.

We planned to walk to our local coffee shop for breakfast, but it was 20 degrees this morning - I'm definitely not that hard core - so we drove instead.

I had a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese, and it was delish.

You can also bet that I had a few bites of Isaiah's giant snickerdoodle cookie.

Later in the afternoon I had a small-ish bowl of cereal

{which is probably what a real serving size looks like}

And a rice cake with peanut butter and jelly.

I know.

Apparently, having a bagel for breakfast makes me want more carbs because I HAD to have them today.

We had our usual Sunday night dinner with my parents, which always means lots of food and eating more than I need.

I had roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, a slice of bread and some salad.

I'm still stuffed.

Waaaaaay too much food today.

And tomorrow I jump back on the bandwagon!

For The Health Of It {photo food log day 4}

2012-02-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

Today was lots of fun...I love the weekends.

I didn't do pilates, and I didn't have breakfast,

but I did start the day with a warm cup of chai :)

Isaiah's friend had a birthday party today {so fun!} and I had a slice of cheese pizza and some peanut butter filled pretzels - right up my alley - for lunch.

I'm sure I had at least double that amount of pretzels...they're soooo good!

I also finished off Isaiah's chocolate pudding and had a few gummy worms too :)

We came home and let Isaiah take his nap.

Hubby and I did some organizing and when Isaiah woke up we headed out for a walk!

We all took an apple on the way out the door.

We walked a little over 3 1/2 miles and stopped at an elementary school so Isaiah could play.

I whipped up a gigantic salad with a black bean burger on top and it totally hit the spot!

Hubby and I are about to curl up and watch a movie.

A lovely Saturday indeed.

For The Health Of It {photo food log day 3}

2012-02-11T07:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was kinda funky.

I had to do fasting blood work, so breakfast kinda went by the wayside.

I did start out the day with my 20 minute pilates video though.

After getting my blood drawn and running errands,

I came home and was basically starving.

I came home and had a spoonful of chunky peanut butter

And a few pistachios while I was making Isaiah's lunch.

Wasn't quite disciplined enough to take a picture before hand, but after isn't too bad, right?

Fruit salad for lunch: pineapple, green grapes, strawberries, blueberries and 1/2 a banana.

followed by a rolo and caramel kiss - which is essentially a rolo, but whatever.

For dinner I had two slices of vegetarian pizza with a side salad.

Confession: I did have a small handful of chocolate covered acai berries at my work staff meeting, and no, I did not take a picture. Whoops.

Not too bad, but lots of snacking.

Currently sipping on my morning cup of chai, and it is delish.

For The Health Of It {photo food log day 2}

2012-02-09T19:20:00.000-08:00

Alright, day 2 of my photo-food-journal-ing efforts.

Despite feeling like I ate pretty well yesterday, I actually gained 1/2 a pound. Annoying.

I'm gonna go ahead and chalk it up to the fact that I'm retaining water, or something like that.

Here's what I ate today:

I started out the day with a 20 minute pilates video and chai tea.

{good earth vanilla chai, two packets of truvia and a splash of 1% milk}

After showering and getting ready for the day I ate two pieces of Dave's Killer Bread...my absolute favorite!

Around 11 or so I snacked on a handful of candy conversation hearts. This is the first time I've had them all season. Clearly, I'm a fan of the yellow and orange.

While I was making my lunch I snacked on 1/4 cup of pistachios.

For lunch I had a fruit salad made up of pineapple, strawberries, grapes and 1/2 a banana.

After Isaiah's nap we went on a 3 mile walk {and stopped to play at a park}

I came home and had the other 1/2 of my spaghetti squash with a little olive oil, salt & pepper and some grated parmesan cheese, served along with a salad and some left over asparagus.

And for good measure, I polished off the rest of Isaiah's snack cup.

I actually didn't eat the pretzels, but I did eat the raisins, peanuts and bunnies.

On to tomorrow.

If the scale goes up again I'm gonna be pissed.

Just sayin'

Should've Been...

2012-02-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

Today, I should have been 16 weeks pregnant.

I really try hard not to say should, because I do have full confidence that everything has happened perfectly, and for a reason. But that doesn't necessarily make me forget about it.

I've actually been doing really well with everything, but today has been a little hard for some reason.

Maybe because 4 months is somewhat of a milestone. Maybe because this is when I really started to show with Isaiah. Maybe because I was soooo looking forward to feeling my little one inside of my belly. Maybe because this is the time I would have been able to find out the gender.

Whatever the reason, today has been just a little bit harder.

Source: sherbetblossom.com via Alex on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Alex on Pinterest

On a more positive note, I really do feel like this is going to be an amazing year. There are lots of new and exciting things to look forward to, and I can't wait to experience it all with my little family.

I've appreciated your kind words, prayers and continued support.

Tomorrow is a new day :)

For The Health Of It {in photos}

2012-02-08T20:39:00.000-08:00

I love food.
There, I said it.
{In case anyone didn't already know this little tid bit about me}

So, I've run into a little issue. I've gained 8 pounds. EIGHT pounds, people.
While I was going through everything I was also eating everything. Turns out, the holidays are a super convenient time to find junk food.

Anyway, I'm ready to get rid of it.
In the past I've been able to cut back for a few days, be disciplined and then the weight comes right off.
Well, not this time. I can't even get to the 'be disciplined' part because I'm too busy eating.

I've tried tracking my food and calories through my fitness pal, but it hasn't worked. So, I thought about doing an online program like weight watchers.

The thing both of these have in common? Measuring out/weighing/knowing how many calories are in EVERYTHING you eat.

Let's just be honest, I'm having a hard time putting down the peanut butter and pretzels....how am I supposed to track every single calorie?!

So, my compromise? Pictures. Yep.
Instead of making a food log, or measuring everything out, I'm just going to take a quick cell phone picture of everything I eat. I don't take a picture of it, I don't eat it. Good enough in theory, right? I don't plan to go all crazy and deprive myself, just looking to get a little self control back. If I want a treat, I'm going to have one...just not 61984.

Until then, you can look forward to daily posts including all the food I've eaten.
Exciting, I know.

Here's to kissing these 8 pounds{and maybe even a few more} goodbye!
If any of you have fitness tips & tricks, healthy recipes or anything along those lines I'd love to hear from you! alex.heater@hotmail.com It would be super fun to do some fitness features on the blog!

Let's get started with what I ate today:

Breakfast: Green Smoothie

Mid-Morning Snack: grapes and strawberries

Lunch: peanut butter lara bar and an apple

Afternoon Snack: carrot sticks and sugar snap peas with tatziki dip

Dinner: 1/2 a small spaghetti squash with veggie-packed sauce and salad

I finished things up with a mug of hot chocolate and a rolo :)

Confession: I did have about 5 pretzels and a little bit of peanut butter {ugh, why is that so good?!} in between lunch and my afternoon snack. Really, that's a vast improvement from yesterday. Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day!

On to tomorrow!

Valentine's Day In A Mason Jar

2012-02-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

I was pretty excited to incorporate mason jars into this years Valentines festivities.

And, I have a thing for chocolate covered pretzels.

Let's be honest, the way to my heart is via salty and sweet.

Give your Valentine some home made love this year.

For this tutorial you'll need:

pretzels

melted milk chocolate

colored melting chocolates {I used pink and white}

sprinkles - optional

wax paper - makes clean up easier

mason jars

scrapbook paper/doilies

pearl embellishments/bakers twine/ribbon

Melt down the milk chocolate pieces. Hold on to the bottom 'loop' and dip the pretzels. Let some of the excess chocolate drip off and then lay it on a piece of wax paper.

Repeat a zillion times.

Next, melt down your first color of melting chocolate.

Dip a fork in the melted chocolate and drizzle it over the pretzels.

Do the same thing with the second color until you can see both colors over the chocolate.

Once the chocolates have dried, pull each pretzel up and break off all of the random stiff pieces using your fingers.

You'll have a pretty little pile of chocolaty covered pretzels when you're done!

{you may want to eat about 3...or 57 of these at this point. I know I did}

Since I had leftover of the pink and white, I decided to dip some more pretzels and sprinkle them with some little hearts.

For decorating the jar, I cut a doily and piece of scrapbook paper into a heart shape...

And scavenged up some fake pearls {from the $1 bin at JoAnn's} to embellish the jar.

I traced the inside of the mason lid to make a circle on some scrapbook paper.

Wrote a little love note and then screwed on the rim.

Fill the jar with pretzels and hot glue the doily and paper heart on. Tie the pearl strand in a knot, and you're done!

I made a few variations and I'm happy with the way they all turned out!

A cute way to spread some Valentines cheer.

{along with a good excuse for some chocolate covered pretzels}

Salt.Chocolate.MasonJars.

I'm in.

Wordless {ish} Wednesday: Snapped

2012-02-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

When I'm in the shower, nothing is safe.

Like, not even the crayons.

"Look, mommy! I snapped all a 'dem!"

Hummm....good thing I was thinking about doing some melted crayon art?

I'm linking up with:
and then, she snapped, baby baby lemon, the paper mama

Our Week - My Phone Came Back From The Dead!

2012-02-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

This is a little late.

But if you follow me on facebook, you already know that my new iphone took a swim...

...in the toilet.

{and no, my toddler is not to blame}

Well, after 3 full days in a bag of rice, I think my phone may have come back from the dead.

Insert jumping up and down, cheering and an ear-to-ear smile.

Note to self: do NOT put your phone in your back pocket before going to the bathroom.

Anyway, on to our week!

Ever have one of those days where dry shampoo saves your life?

I have one at least every week.

Baked donut holes...easy and soooo yummy!

Apparently, it was a good play date...didn't even make it home awake.

Avocado and tomato sandwich for dinner!

Homemade Valentine treats! Tutorial here.

Shaving. We're starting him young.

A little electric guitar.

Roasted veggies and parmesan over quinoa!

The most amazing magnetic blocks ever.

National wear read day!

An uh-may-zing sunrise. The picture doesn't even do it justice.

Feeding the duckies!

We attracted a pretty good crowd. What can I say, we know what the ducks like :)

My sweet boy.

And his best buddy.

Monkey bar master!

A gorgeous day at the park.

Shortly after we got home from our park adventure is when I decided to teach my phone how to swim.

Hoping hubby gets home soon so we can go figure out the final verdict as to if my phone is alive or not.

I'm really hoping it is.

I'm linking up with a good life.

Wordless Wednesday:Taking A Break

2012-02-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

We've been taking breaks around here.

I guess it comes with the {almost} 2 1/2 year old territory, but someone's ears have been having a hard time listening to mommy and daddy.

Lately, I've been having Isaiah stand in a corner with his hands behind his back for about a minute.

{Is it bad that it's seriously the cutest thing I've ever seen?!}

Well, we had dinner with some friends last week, when Isaiah arranged a toy to look like this:

And then proceeded to get my attention saying:

"Look mommy, the animals! They aaaaaaaalllllll taking a break."

I laughed and felt bad at the same time - is that possible?

I'm linking up with:
and then, she snapped, baby baby lemon, the paper mama

Our Week {in cell phone pictures}

2012-01-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

I love this fish bowl.

The perfect resting place for my bag of chai tea.

A little valentines treat...tutorial coming soon!

An afternoon snack.

Hubby trying to flirt with me using his dinner plate...it worked.

Getting a little artsy.

Citrus avocado dressing, salad and brown rice risotto primavera for dinner!

An afternoon walk on a beautiful sunny day!

A trip to Old Navy.

Apparently my son has a thing for flip flops. We bought some.

Love this!

A bundled up trip to the park at sunset.

Finished up the week staying up far too late reading The Hunger Games.

Hope you had a great week!

I'm linking up with Amy over at a good life

Roasted Veggie Enchiladas

2012-01-27T06:01:00.000-08:00

I was so excited find this recipe when I stumbled upon it on pinterest.

It seems like a bit of an odd assortment, but I'm a sucker for roasted veggies of any kind, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I'm soooo glad I did! I love the tradition of the tortillas, cheese and salsa, but absolutely love the lightness, freshness and flavor that the roasted veggies add.

Plus, you don't have to spend a bunch of time rolling them. Bonus.

Here's how it goes down:

Cut your veggies so they're all about the same size. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin. Roast at 425 for about 35 minutes

They'll look like this when they come out....mmmmmmm.

Now comes the layering.

Spread 1/2 the salsa onto the bottom of a baking pan.

Add a layer of tortillas, tearing them if needed, to fit into the nooks and crannies.

On top of the tortillas, add 1/2 of the roasted veggies.

Next, add a large handful of spinach and spread it out.

Then, a layer of cheese!

Start the last layer by adding more tortillas...

The rest of the salsa...

The other 1/2 of the roasted veggies...

And top it with another handful of spinach and some cheese!

Layers of enchilada goodness.

Bake covered at 350 for about 20 minutes, remove foil and bake for another 10.

Cut yourself a slice and enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 bell peppers, diced

1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup corn kernels

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and black pepper
2 cups pico de gallo or salsa
2 big handfulls of baby spinach leaves

10 flour tortillas

2 cups shredded cheese

Directions:

bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn kernels onto cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the cumin and minced garlic over top. Add a generous pinch or two of salt and black pepper. Then, use your hands to mix everything together. After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in the pan. Roast at 425 for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting.

Spread half of the salsa into a 9X13 baking dish. Add a layer of tortilla (tearing if needed) to completely cover the salsa. Top with half of the vegetables, a handful of spinach, and 1/3 of the cheese. Make another layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, and cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

recipe via

Wordless Wednesday:From head, to toe

2012-01-25T14:55:00.000-08:00

Body painting.

Covered in paint. From head, to toe.

I have a feeling I'm going to be finding paint in his ears for quite some time.

linking up with these ladies for wordless wednesday:
and then, she snapped, baby baby lemon, the paper mama

Homemade laundry soap {eco-friendly & cheap!}

2012-01-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

Pin It

Laundry soap is expensive. Like, whoa.

Especially if you try and buy an all natural eco-friendly brand.

I always talked myself into buying it.

You know, better for the environment, and better for our skin and it's not like we use 5 gallons a week or anything.

Still, if there's an easy way to make an all natural product for less, I'm all for it!

I researched lots of homemade laundry soap recipes (there are lots out there) and kind of picked the one I thought would work best - and be the easiest!

I tried to take some half way decent pictures of the steps that I was slightly confused about while reading the recipes, so I hope they help.

It really is easy.

Here goes!

For the entire recipe you'll need:

Water

An old laundry detergent container

1 bar Fels-Naptha soap

1 cup of washing soda (it's different from baking soda)

1/2 cup of borax

5 gallon bucket & funnel (make things easier)

The first step is to grate the bar of fels-naptha soap into a pot.

(I was surprised that it was yellow...I guess I was expecting it to be white??)

It will look like grated cheese :)

Add about 4 cups of water to the pot and melt the soap over medium-low heat, stirring every few seconds.

Fill a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full with warm water.

Once the soap is all melted, pour the liquid into the bucket.

Then, mix in the washing soda and borax. Stir that up until it's dissolved.

Add warm tap water until the bucket is full.

Put the lid on and let it sit overnight to 'gel'.

When you open the bucket the next day, the mixture will be thick - notice the spoon is standing straight up!
We added another 4 cups of warm tap water and attempted to stir some of the large clumps out...it actually helped.

And then it's time to pour!

Notice my lovely assistant?! :)

This is when a funnel comes in handy.

Our mixture was still a little on the chunky side, but we used the back end of the spoon to help it get through the funnel.

Fill your container 1/2 way with the soap mixture.

Add warm tap water to make the container full.

Give it a good shake and you'll have your very own laundry soap!

And Ta Da! Make yourself a cute little label, and be proud of the fact you just helped the environment and saved your family money...aahhhhh, I love multitasking.

You'll have lots of soap mixture left over in your 5 gallon bucket. Just pop the lid on and save it. When your soap runs out, add more of the mixture and more water. The 5 gallon bucket will make 10 gallons of detergent...and all for only a few dollars :)

For those who like their laundry to have more of a scent, you could add a few drops of essential oil to each container you make - lavender would be amazing!

Cheers to doing laundry!

Our Week {in cell phone pictures}

2012-01-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how great it feels to be back in the swing of things.

I even got excited about documenting our week in cell phone pictures!

We went to Kid Time with Isaiah's cousins, and it looks like my son has a very bright future as either a construction worker, or grocery store attendant. Honestly, I'm fine with either.

We headed home for baths and cuddles. Definitely the best part of the day.

Marinated portabella mushrooms. A-Mazing.

Home made dog treats {recipe here}

Roasted veggie enchiladas, sooooo yummy! Recipe coming soon!

We finally made our own laundry detergent! It was super quick and easy, not to mention eco-friendly and CHEAP!

Flowers for no reason :)

Lenny decapitated his ducky toy. Doesn't it look sad?!

Hubby got sick.

Don't worry, I got all the essentials to nurse him back to health.

Isaiah used water colors at school...

And peed for the first time like this!

{probably daddy's proudest parent moment}

I got to bust out another bar of this soap!

It's one of my favorite organic, locally made soaps.

We worked on a big-boy dinosaur puzzle.

Made pizza dough,

And pizza.

A great way to end the week in my book.

I'm linking up with

A good life.

visit her blog to find out how she and her family have survived snowmageddon.

Yea. It's a real thing.

Homemade dog treats - and a happy Lenny

2012-01-19T06:12:00.000-08:00

If you follow me on facebook, you already know how much I've appreciated all of your kind words, thoughts and prayers. You really don't know how much it means to me.

(And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can click here for the story)

I've been in a bit of a susie-homemaker mode here lately, so I have lots of tutorials and fun recipes to share with you! Here's a fun one for your furry friend!

Pin It

Quick & easy.

My two favorites when doing...well, anything!

These homemade doggy treats definitely fall into that category!

The real reason I wanted to make these treats is because I got a suuuuuper adorable alligator cookie cutter. I desperately wanted to make sugar cookies, but knew I'd end up consuming far too many...I have good foresight like that.

So I resorted to making doggy cookies instead, and I wasn't even tempted to taste the batter.

Okay, I did take a small taste - I'm a sucker for peanut butter...what can I say?!

Though I didn't tase the finished product, the batter was pretty good.

Your pooch will thank you for making them.

And if nothing else, it'll give you a good excuse to bust out your most festive cookie cutters.

Let's get started.

Ingredients:

1 banana

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 cups whole wheat flour

First, place banana (I gave mine a little pre-mash) and peanut butter into mixing bowl.

Next, add in milk.

Give it a mix.

Add in baking powder and whole wheat flour (only 1/2 cup or so at a time) until a dough forms.

Flour your work surface (again, with wheat flour), roll out and cut into shapes!

Bake at 375 for about 12 minutes!

Your 4 legged friend will enjoy :)

We also packaged some up for one of Lenny's friends...he likes to share :)

Recipe via.
Plus, check out her blog for sewing projects, adorable crafts and lots of other inspiration!

These definitely got the Lenny stamp of approval.

Our Loss

2012-01-17T21:42:00.000-08:00

Source: tumblr.com via Alex on Pinterest

I've been pretty MIA these past few months - that's no secret.
Lots has happened here and it just feels awkward to get back in to blogging without talking about what's been going on.

On November 13th we found out we were pregnant, and on December 20th, we found out we lost the baby.

The first bit of my absence was to blame on extreme fatigue - growing a person takes a lot out of you! :)

And the second part of my absence was just...a rest. Time to think about things, reflect, and to come to peace with the way things ended up.

We were so excited for this new addition to our family and couldn't wait to share the news with everyone on Christmas.

Needless to say, things didn't exactly go the way we planned {though I did have an odd feeling from the start}...but that's okay. I can now say that I truly find peace in knowing that it was meant to be.

There were tears.
There was anger.
There was frustration.
There was disbelief.

But there was also hope.
And joy.
And love.
And happiness.
And finally, peace.

There's a greater picture that we're not capable of seeing, and I just have to trust that it will all make sense later.
In my humble opinion, everything happens for a reason.
I have a whole new understanding of what it means to experience a loss.
I can relate to mom's who may be going through the same thing.
I appreciate those close to me SO much. Time is precious.
I know I'm going to have a whole new appreciation and love for our next little bundle.

It still feels good to share, and celebrate the little life that we created. I have complete faith that we will have another baby, and that someday Isaiah will be a big brother - the timing just wasn't quite rite.

Honestly, we're all doing fine. If anything, this has only helped us to examine our life and figure out what means the most to us.

We're so thankful to our friends and family who have been an outpouring of love and support for us. We appreciate it.

I've become a bit of an open book, so if you'd like to know more about this process, have gone through this yourself or have any questions, feel free to ask :) alex.heater@hotmail.com

Source: redletterwords.com via Alex on Pinterest

Call For December Sponsors! {discount included!}

2011-11-23T06:20:00.000-08:00

Source: foxandcrown.tumblr.com via Alex on Pinterest

December is just around the corner, crazy, I know.

New ads will go up December 1st, but there's still time to book your ad space with Alexandra Rose!

Check out ad sizes and pricing here.

And, because December is the month of Christmas, how about a little discount gift for all sponsors?

Book your ad space by November 30th and receive 20% off!

If you're interested in more information or a promotional packet, please email me at alex.heater@hotmail.com

Our Week {in cell phone photos} + a giveaway winner!

2011-11-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

Family dinner at my parents house {isn't their property beautiful?!}

Isaiah played with a horn...random

New Product! Cloth diaper burp cloths

I was lazy. There was a beautiful sunrise, lots of cuddling with my aromatherapy heat pack and breakfast for dinner.

Tacos for dinner, along with home made elephant ears {delish} I finished up some crinkly taggie blankets and Isaiah had a bath! I swear he gets a bath every day...I just happened to take a picture of it on this particular day ;)

Apparently breakfast tastes better when you have your foot on the table...

This tomato basil pasta bake was actually quite delicious, even though I burned the top. Dangit.

Finished cup cozies! Perfect for coffee and tea lovers!

Swim class!

Mr. Potato Head smile

Lenny and his sweater

Sweet naptime snuggles

On Saturday we went to two Christmas bazaar's, walked around downtown and checked out the nutcrackers, visited the Saturday Market and got piping hot-fresh made doughnuts, yet surprisingly, all I have pictures of is our movie tickets, the as seen on TV section of Walgreen's {we had time to kill before the movie} and some of my new accent pillow case covers!

Go figure!

Hope you had a great week!

I'm liking up with {just.lovely.things}

and a good life

because they're both rad ladies...check 'em out.

and now, onto our giveaway winner!

The winner of the $20 store credit to the Silly.Beautiful.Life shop is

True Random Number Generator

Min:

Max:

Result: 21

Congratulations Kyndale!

Kyndale said...

I am a fan of Alexandra Rose on FB

November 18, 2011 6:26 AM

Don't forget, 20% of sales will be donated to operation Christmas Child!!

Give Thanks {week 2}

2011-11-17T20:02:00.000-08:00

Source: sunsurfer.tumblr.com via Alex on Pinterest

So much to be thankful for...I'm feeling incredibly blessed.

Last week I was down with a flu bug, but I'm excited to continue the give thanks series. As I mentioned in my previous post, I'd love to continue recognizing my blessings and giving thanks long after the holiday season has left, and it would be great to have you on my journey.

Each day I feel an overwhelming amount of love and thankfulness, but when someone asks me "what are you thankful for", I feel like I freeze.

My immediate answer is everything!
But is that a bit of a cop out?

I can remember being younger and praying. My prayers would start out like this: "Dear God, thank you for today and all of the blessings you've put in it..."

Acceptable prayer? Of course.
Genuine? Definitely.

I meant what I said when I said I was thankful for everything...I really am!

But does it become more meaningful when we take the time and really concentrate, meditate and savor each thing that we're thankful for? I think so.

{and please do not misunderstand this as my judgement on the way you give thanks, your prayers, or your relationship with God. this is purely my own opinion about what has made me be a more reflective and thankful person}

I decided I was done with the blanket statement of being thankful for everything. Though I am thankful for everything, I want to be more specific, precise and really enjoy my blessings.

So, writing down things I'm thankful for became a great way to do that.

Sometimes, when I sit down at the end of the day to think about what went on, it's overwhelming. Couple this with the fact that I have an incredibly poor memory, I can hardly recall the small moments that made up my day. Though there are easily zillions of things I'm thankful for, it becomes hard to pick out the few that really had an impact on me.

I've found it so helpful to keep a small journal {or notepad, or scrap piece of paper} handy at all times. When something happens that makes me smile, or resonates with me - I jot it down. At the end of the day there's a list of what I'm thankful for. It's so great to read back as a reminder of all I'm blessed with.

7 things I'm thankful for this week:

smiles from strangers

the most amazing grandparents for my son

sunny, cold fall days

hot, home cooked meals

our bodies amazing ability to heal itself

laughter

a patient husband

What are you thankful for? I'd love to hear!

Link up!

Banana, Peanut Butter and Flaxseed Cookies

2011-11-16T05:52:00.000-08:00

I love finding healthy and less processed versions of my favorite recipes, and this peanut butter cookie recipe was definitely not a let down!

Plus, add in a few chocolate chips and you won't even miss the gobs of sugar and white flour :)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 medium banana, mashed
3/4 cup organic honey
1 cup unsalted natural peanut butter
2 tsp pure vanilla
1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips, optional..really, it' not optional...and I added at least 1/2 cup - just for the record.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, flaxseed, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mash banana with a fork. Stir in honey, peanut butter and vanilla until well combined.
Add flour mixture to banana mixture, stirring just to combine; do not over-mix. Fold in chocolate chips, if desired. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer sheet to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove cookies from sheet and let cool directly on rack.

recipe via

Mmmmmm...

the perfect treat, or snack.

Heck, you could eat one of these any time!

Enjoy!

Family Photographs

2011-11-15T05:46:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we had photographs of our family taken by a dear {semi-retired} friend of mine.

I'm.In.Love.

Warning - picture overload is about to occur.

I can't wait to turn some of these into canvas!

Silly.Beatuiful.Life {a happy Monday giveaway!}

2011-11-14T05:59:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to bring you today's giveaway!

Let me introduce you to Fallon, of Silly.Beautiful.Life.

Hello to all you girlys over at Alexandra Rose! I have been blessed enough to know this amazing woman for... gosh, about 15 years. (We're not really thaaaat old, we were just really young!) I would have never thought that here we would be, making handmade and getting our blog on!! But here we are, and here is a little about me!

I am the luckiest mama and wife! I have two little boys 3.5 years and 16 months.

They keep me on my toes and very VERY busy.

Not too long ago, I was struggling with post partum depression, and needed an out for myself. That is how Silly.Beautiful.Life came to be. I started crafting when I was pregnant with my first son, Braxton, so I had all the materials I could need for a while, and started taking a little "me" time. I was new to shopping on etsy, but fell in love with {just.lovely.things} as so many of us have, and then came the profound thought. "I can open a shop. Yup, I think I can do it... but wait.." (this is where you insert a million doubts!) Hubby was/is so extremely supportive, that I decided to give it a shot. Its all still very new, and I am slowly learning my way, but I am loving every minute of it! I love all things sparkly, shiny, and anything that makes me feel pretty, so that is exactly what you will find in the shop!!!

Beautiful items, right?

Wanna know my other favorite thing about Fallon and her shop?

{rhetorical question}

Each month she donates a portion of her proceeds to a new charity!

This month, Fallon is making donations to Operation Christmas Child...talk about feeling good about your purchase!

And, you can do more than just help donate to a great cause...

Fallon is giving you all the chance to win a store credit to the Silly.Beautiful.Life shop!

Here's how to get in on it:

There are 7 ways to enter!

{please leave a separate comment for each item you complete}

{this one is mandatory} be a public follower of the Alexandra Rose Blog

Become a fan of Silly.Beautiful.Life on facebook and tell her I sent you

Become a public follower of the Silly.Beautful.Life blog

Become a fan of Alexandra Rose on facebook

Follow Alexandra Rose on twitter

Re blog {tweet or facebook} about the giveaway with a link back to this post

Tell me who your favorite housewife is from any of the Real Housewives show

{please tell me you watch that?!}

Plus,

Fallon is giving all of you the chance to save 20% on your entire order

by using the code

BEAUTIFULALEX

at checkout!

Head to the Silly.Beautiful.Life shop now!

Giveaway and discount code will be open until Saturday, November 19th at 11:59pm

Winner will be announced Sunday, November 20th.

Veggie Pot Pie {and a giveaway winner!}

2011-11-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

This is one of those recipes that makes you feel all warm and tingly inside.
Perfect for making on a cool fall evening.

I make this dish vegetarian, but you could easily add chicken and make this a regular 'ol chicken pot pie.

The filling is normally thicker, but I was super hungry and in a bit of a rush to cut a piece of this bad boy :)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
mushrooms {I used an entire 8oz package}
2 carrots
1 can of corn
4 small red potatoes
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
3 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
frozen pie crust {one for the top, and one for the bottom}

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Cook onions, mushrooms, and garlic in oil for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms. Stir in broccoli, edamame, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are barely tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Stir into vegetables, and cook until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
Roll out 1/2 of the dough to line an 11x7 inch baking dish. Pour the filling into the pastry lined dish. Roll out remaining dough, arrange over the filling, and seal and flute the edges.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the crust is brown.

recipe via, adapted by me

I know you all loved the giveaway from Enticing Treats

but there can only be one winner.

True Random Number Generator

Min:

Max:

Result: 51

Congratulations:

Breaking Free From Old Ways

said...I follow Alexandra Rose

I'll get you in touch with Tempestt so you can claim your prize!

For the rest of you, don't be sad you didn't win

{ok, be a little sad}

check out enticing treats and grab some goods for the holidays!

shop/facebook

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

We're off to enjoy Sunday dinner :)

Our Week {in cell phone photos}

2011-11-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why, but there's something fun about documenting a week in pictures

{even if they are from my cell phone}

This week wasn't anything out of the ordinary...

There was some shopping, treats, walks, thrifting, a Christmas bazaar and some crafting.

1. Check out that receipt. Yep, that's right. My total was $1.98 for 2 pairs of leggings. Booya.

2. Not-so-hot while grocery shopping

3. Rockin' mom's shades in the car

4. Our local fabric store

My favorite things from the Christmas Bazaar:

1. A plant growing out of a boot. I was tempted to buy this. Seriously.

2. Braided rugs

3. Fresh made kettle corn

1. Gorgeous fall tree we saw on our walk

2. The dahlias I finally had to toss from our family photo shoot

We stopped by our favorite furniture store

They have AMAZING pieces

I drool.

website/facebook

1. Made some burp rags from cloth diapers {big and super absorbent!}

2. Had a happy lunch

3. Cuddled with my lavender aromatherapy heat pack

It was a good week :)

I'm linking up with {just.lovely.things} and a good life

Enticing Treats {a giveaway!}

2011-11-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

Something that comes in a package this cute:

only gets better when you open it :)

One of my newest sponsors,

is offering up a gigantic giveaway today!

Let's learn more about Tempestt, the creator and designer behind Enticing Treats!

"EnticingTreats was started after my amazing friends and family encouraged me enough to take the step and bring my handmade treats to the world!
I love mixing my materials and techniques to come up with cute new goodies.
I love yarn, fabric, ribbon, lace, buttons and beads."

I LOVE my headbands

Want one too?

Well it's your lucky day!

Tempestt is offering up a

$30 shop credit

for one lucky reader!

Here's how to get in on it:

There are 6 ways to enter!

{please leave a separate comment for each item you complete}

{this one is mandatory} be a public follower of the Alexandra Rose Blog

Become a fan of Enticing Treats on facebook

Become a fan of Alexandra Rose on facebook

Follow Alexandra Rose on twitter

Re blog {tweet or facebook} about the giveaway with a link back to this post

Tell me something you're thankful for

Plus,

Tempestt is giving all of you the chance to save 45% on your entire order

buy using the code

ALEX45

at checkout!

Did you read that?! 45%...like, as in almost 1/2 off!

If you haven't started your holiday shopping, I'm thinking now is the perfect time!

So get to shopping now!

Giveaway and discount code will be open until Saturday, November 12th at 11:59pm

Winner will be announced Sunday, November 13th.

Give Thanks {a linky party!}

2011-11-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

I know it's that time of year.

You know, where everyone is more aware of giving thanks.

Taking inventory of what we have, and being grateful.

We tend to be in the holiday spirit,

more inclined to help those in need,

sponsor a great cause,

give a donation to charity,

or even help give a family a meal.

And, while those are all great things,

{please don't think I'm saying that they're not}

I have a challenge.

Instead of 30 days of thanks,

or doing a kind deed for someone out of holiday spirit,

Let's make a movement.

A conscious effort to

be thankful

and give

more.

No matter the time of year,

no matter the circumstance.

Every Thursday I'll hold a Give Thanks link party.

I'd love to hear some things you're thankful for,

something you've done for someone else,

a way you have positively impacted another person.

I'm reading One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp and to say that it's life changing is truly an understatement.

Here is one of my favorite quotes so far:

“The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest Light to all the world.”

How beautiful and true is that?!

7 things I'm thankful for this week

The pitter patter of tiny feet {even if it is 5:30 in the morning}
Fall leaves
Beautiful, amazing sunshine
Gorgeous fresh flowers
Walks with my family in crisp, fall air
The roof over our heads and the beds we sleep in
Having dinner with wonderful friends

Let's be the change agents in this world!

It starts with you...link up now!

     Please include the Give Thanks button ---->
     with a link back to this post so more people can
     get in on the action :)

Happy Halloween {Part 2}

2011-11-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

My son loves Halloween.
Not likes.
Not likes a lot.
loves.
LOVES.
We've had so much fun all month talking about pumpkins, spider webs, Dracula, Frankenstein, ghosts and everything in between.

Numerous trips to the pumpkin patch, and daily drives past festive Halloween decorated houses. October has been busy :)

Last night we had such a good time taking our sweet monster trick-or-treating, visiting friends at scary houses and eating candy.

Even if the he did get to bed 2 1/2 hours past his normal bed time, it was a night well spent and he had SO much fun.

Honestly, I'm dreading the fact that it's now November and 99% of people are going to be taking down their Halloween decorations.

{you know, there's always those random houses who have witches and tombstones up year round}

If you love me, and understand how difficult it is to explain to a 2 year old that Halloween is over, please leave your Halloween decorations up until Christmas.

Thanks.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:51:00.000-07:00

From our scary monster.

Hope it was safe,

filled with fun,

and lots of candy :)

Bring on Thanksgiving

{entering The Paper Mama Photo Challenge here}

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

2011-10-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

With our recent excursions to the local pumpkin patch and farm,

I couldn't help but notice the amazing bell peppers that are now in season!

They are perfect!

crunchy, sweet and full of vitamins and minerals!

And, not to mention, cheap :)

During our last trip to the farm I decided to pick some up for stuffed peppers.

Here's my recipe for quinoa stuffed vegetarian stuffed peppers...definitely not the ground beef and tomato sauce norm.

Ingredients:

4 bell peppers

1 1/2 cups quinoa

3 cups water {or veggie broth}

2 Tbs olive oil

1 small onion

3 cloves of garlic

10 small mushrooms

1/2 cup pesto

salt and pepper to taste

4 thin slices of mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Combine quinoa and water {or veggie broth}in a rice cooker, or on stove top. Set aside.

2. Slice off the bell pepper tops and scrape out the seeds. Chop up the bell pepper around the stem and place in a pan along with olive oil, onion, garlic and mushrooms.

3. Saute until tender and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add in cooked quinoa and pesto. Mix until combined.

5. Spoon quinoa mixture into bell peppers.

6. Place the peppers in an oven safe dish and top each with a thin slice of mozzarella cheese.

7. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes and top with a dollop of pesto!

Super easy, delicious and healthy.

Doesn't get much better than that!

Pumpkin, Oatmeal & Dark Chocolate Mini Muffins {hello harvest-ish recipes!}

2011-10-12T06:11:00.000-07:00

I DIE for pumpkin.
Like, literally.
Remember a few years ago when there was that pumpkin shortage and you couldn't find canned pumpkin in any store?!
Humor me here, even if you don't remember.
Basically, I cried until spring because I didn't get my fill of pumpkin-y deliciousness.

But, I digress, because this year, there is NO pumpkin shortage in these parts, and I plan to take full advantage of it!

Here's a super easy and relatively healthy recipe for some festive harvest pumpkin muffins!

Gather up the ingredients

{unfortunately, there really is more than one ingredient...disappointing, I know}

Mix the pumpkin, applesauce, milk, egg and egg white

Technically, you should sift the dry ingredients together and then slowly add them to the wet, but I'm a bit of a lazy baker, so I just add it all in at once...hey, they turned out fine :)

See, looks normal, right?

Toss in the last ingredient, chocolate chips, and mix them in

I love these harvest-y muffin cups and thought they would be perfect for this recipe.

So I lined the muffin tins and filled 'em on up!

Bake at 375 for approximately 14 minutes and they're done!

Ta Da!

How adorable are these?

I love that they're not overly sweet.

They could easily serve as a breakfast muffin, quick snack, or a little treat!

They get eaten up pretty quick around here.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons applesauce {or vegetable oil}
one large egg
one large egg white
1/4 cup milk
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line muffin tin baking cups, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Place pumpkin, applesauce, milk, egg and egg white to a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Slowly add in the dry ingredients, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips.
Fill baking cups evenly and bake for 12-14 minutes {remember, these are mini muffins, but I'd say it would be closer to 20 minutes for a full size muffin}

And that's it!
This recipe gave me 40 mini muffins - which totally means there was enough to share :)

{recipe adapted via}

I'm Back!

2011-10-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

I'm alive!

Who knew?

In case you didn't notice

{though I'm secretly hoping you did}

I basically fell off the face of the planet for about a month.

Apparently, I needed a break.

I started back to work as a toddler preschool teacher after having the summer off,

and in between finding my balance of work, home, wife, mommy, crafter and blogger; blogger fell off the deep end.

The first few days I didn't write a post I can't even describe the amount of guilt I was feeling. Regardless of my lack of inspiration and time, I still felt a need to write...something!

As the days went on, my guilt slowly disappeared {hence the reason there hasn't been a post since} and quickly turned into enjoyment.

I can honestly say it was a great break. I spent quality time with my family, didn't feel pressure to constantly check my phone for new emails, or address my blog. My mind felt less....busy.

I'm so thankful I took a few weeks to give myself some time off, because now, I have this renewed excitement and I feel full of inspiration!

I guess that sometimes all you need is a little break!

Here's a peek at what we've been up to:

Potty training boot camp

Visits to our local farm

Crafting custom orders

Practicing our 'moustache lip'

And bubble beard...

Had a great day at the train park

And, checked out an art festival that had some a-ma-zing sidewalk chalk

Whew!

I appreciate that you stuck around and waited for me...

look forward to lots of fall inspired recipes and crafts, super great handmade shops, fun tips on living green and, of course, some super adorable pictures of my little man in between.

The Story Of Stuff

2011-09-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know this video is a little long, but I feel it's worth watching.

So, whatcha think?

A little controversial, huh?

But really good points, and lots of information, right?

I think the main point is that we all need to be more conscious about the products that we use, and the amount of them we consume.

I know I personally have lots to learn, and that there are many ways I can decrease my carbon footprint and reduce the amount of waste that my family and I produce.

Visit the story of stuff website for more information.

Luxe Boulevard {a giveaway!}

2011-09-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

I love today's giveaway item,

and the shop owner, Stephanie.

She's adorable, a wife, a mommy, crafter and an author.

Whew!

I'm so excited to have her here today,

and on the sidebar over there -----> :)

Let's get to know Stephanie a little better

I'm Stephanie and I run the Luxe Boulevard blog and shop. The LB is a thoroughfare for women to express their style, creativity, self, and to simply indulge! My shop showcases handmade accessories for women, from hair accessories, to wallets, to fashion jewelry. Beside being a handmade artisan, I am a learning lover of Christ, wife, momma to three little's, writer, and avid fiction reader.

Here are a few things I'm loving from the Luxe Boulevard Shop

Adorable huh?

Today, Stephanie is giving one of you the chance to win this little beauty:

I'm ~~slightly~~ jealous that I can't enter to win...but don't worry, I'm not bitter.

Here's how you can enter

{please leave a separate comment for each item you complete}

{this one is mandatory} be a public follower of the Alexandra Rose Blog

Check out the Luxe Boulevard blog and become a public follower

Become a fan of Alexandra Rose on facebook

Become a fan of Luxe Boulevard on facebook, and tell her Alexandra Rose sent you

Follow Luxe Boulevard on twitter

Follow Alexandra Rose on twitter

Re blog {tweet or facebook} about the giveaway with a link back to this post

Tell me something nice you can do for someone else this week

You guys, that's eight ways to enter!

And, for those of you who want to shop NOW,

first off, I don't blame you,

and second, use the code AROSE15 for 15% off your entire order!

Check out the Luxe Boulevard shop here.

Giveaway will be open until Saturday, September 17th at 11:59pm

Winner will be announced Sunday, September 18th.

Good luck!

Burlap and Twine Giveaway Winner!

2011-09-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

I hope you are all enjoying your Sunday,

and remembering what happened 10 years ago.

Hubby and I were watching a 9/11 documentary last night

{romantic, I know}

but it really hit home.

You never know when your last moment will be,

or when you will see your loved ones.

So enjoy every second.

I do have some more up-beat news to share :)

Like the winners of our Burlap & Twine giveaway!!

And the winners are....

True Random Number Generator

Min:

Max:

Result: 42

Cerrisse said...

I am already a fan of yours on Fb.

August 29, 2011 3:23 PM

True Random Number Generator

Min:

Max:

Result: 30

Congratulations Cerrisse and Rebecca!

Email me at

alex.heater{at}hotmail.com

and I'll put you in touch with Ashley!

For those of you who didn't win, don't fret!

Visit the Burlap & Twine shop

for tons of affordable, rustic chic finds!

Have a great night!!

I've got a great giveaway from this lovely lady comin' atcha tomorrow

Mixbook Giveaway!

2011-09-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited to tell you about today's giveaway, brought to you by Mixbook.com!

We have a little tradition going for Isaiah

{even it it's only two years running it's still a tradition, right?}

where I make photobook each year for his birthday and recap the past year!

We set it out on a table at his birthday party and have all the guests sign the back few pages!

{and I totally can't take credit for this amazing idea, because I actually heard of it from a friend :)}

It's so wonderful to have a photo book capturing the past year because, Lord knows, I'm absolutely horrible about actually having pictures printed these days.

I love how easy these books are to customize,

the beautiful page backgrounds,

the adorable clip art,

the photo layouts,

the text fonts

Seriously, I could go on and on.

I guess the most important thing is that I have a gorgeous book full of memories for the past year that I'll cherish forever.

Check it out:

I just love it.

I can't even tell you how many times in the past few weeks I've curled up on the couch just to look at it.

It makes me smile knowing that when Isaiah is off at college and out of the house, I'll have 18 wonderful photo books to stare at :)

And, the best news yet?!

The lovely people at Mixbook are giving you an opportunity to WIN a your very own customizable photobook!

There are 6 ways to enter!

{please leave a separate comment for each item you complete}

{this one is mandatory} be a public follower of the Alexandra Rose Blog

Become a fan of Mixbook on facebook

Become a fan of Alexandra Rose on facebook

Follow Alexandra Rose on twitter

Re blog {tweet or facebook} about the giveaway with a link back to this post

Tell me what type of photobook you would make

And, super bonus,

By using the code ALEXRS20 you'll get a 20% discount on your ENTIRE order!

So head on over to Mixbook.com now!

Giveaway and discount code will be open until Thursday, September 15th at 11:59pm

Winner will be announced Friday, September 16th.

Sports Birthday Party-Palooza

2011-09-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

Some of you may not know, but my son is obsessed with all things sports.

obsessed

So it was only fitting that we threw him a sports themed birthday party :)

Here are some of my favorite pictures

There were balls of every type,

Isaiah's favorite foods

{and candy}

Lots of friends and family

and the perfect party setting.

It was a good day.

And I think the birthday boy would agree :)

Turning 2...

2011-09-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

My special boy had a very special day.

He's 2.

Yeah, TWO.

Seriously, when did that happen?!

The day didn't go exactly as I planned, but I still enjoyed every second.

{I'm loving the challenging myself to find the joy and positive side of every situation}

We decorated Isaiah's crib with streamers and balloons while he was sleeping, so he could wake up to a decorated room on his birthday- and we were so excited to see his reaction in the morning!

We planned to make him a special pancake breakfast and then go on an adventure! We were hoping to take him to the river, animal park or farm, and then come home for lunch and a nap before having his birthday dinner!

Sounds like a good plan, huh?

Well, if you're good at guessing, you can guess that it's not exactly the way it went down.

Here's Zaiah's 2nd birthday

In photos:

The morning of his birthday, he woke up at 5:00am.

{5:00am, people!}

and we had to cuddle him in our bed for over an hour to get him to go back to sleep...didn't exactly get the full effect of seeing his face light up when he noticed all the decorations,

but he was still excited when he saw his room :)

Next was breakfast. Birthday boy didn't want pancakes. Or french toast. Or eggs. Or anything special that mommy could make. Nope, my boy wanted doughnuts.

Then, we gave him the exciting options for the day.

Animal park. Farm. River.

No sanks

My big 2 year old boy wanted to feed the ducks.

So we did.

And then we played at the park.

And found a furry caterpillar friend.

Went to our favorite parlor and got ice cream and popcorn, instead of visiting the animals on the farm,

because the birthday boy was calling the shots.

After nap-time we headed to Na-Na & PopPop's house for a big 2 year old birthday dinner!

With football cupcakes, of course :)

Complete with the happy birthday song...

A big boy birthday bath

And a beautiful sunset.

I made a conscious effort to be calm and go with the flow-ish,

and it really paid off.

Sometimes I tend to do what I think Isaiah would want to do,

instead of listening to what he tells me,

and would normally get a little frustrated that he didn't get excited about what I had planned.

It's much more enjoyable to plan my day around him, instead.

And it was so fun to let him lead the adventure for the day.

It was such a wonderful day, celebrating my big 2 year old boy :)

I have LOTS of pictures from his sports birthday party,

and fun recipes to share with you in the next few days!

Fleeting Moments

2011-08-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a new book

{and I plan to share LOTS more on that later}

but I've really been thinking about how fast life goes by.

All we have are these moments:

We can choose to be present, enjoy them and be thankful for them,

or they go un-noticed.

Passed by with the blink of an eye.

It's probably the combination of my son turning two, the last week of summer vacation, and struggling to find a balance between work and family,

but the last few days I've really been focusing on enjoying each precious, fleeting moment, and being thankful for it.

Spending less time checking my phone for emails,

Not freaking out if I don't check every social media site for updates multiple times each day,

Cuddling with my baby during his nap instead of working like a mad woman,

and not beating myself up if I don't blog at the exact right time.

I tend to be the type of person who likes things to be a certain way.

Each morning I figure out what I need to get done, and make a timeline.

But when things don't work out the way I imagined, I'm not the most easy going about it.

{something that I'm working on}

I find that I get frustrated and annoyed. Irritated that I didn't accomplish the things I needed to get done. Frustrated that I'm going to have to find time for it later.

Heck, I feel frustrated that I'm frustrated.

However,

These last few days I've been trying to be much more easy going.

I have so much to be thankful for, even if my day doesn't go exactly as planned, and I need to remember that and enjoy my many blessings.

Instead of getting frustrated that Isaiah didn't take a long nap, I scooped him up and cuddled him on my bed {where he proceeded to sleep for almost 3 hours} and I absolutely enjoyed every second of it.

The moments that make up each day, year, month...they're fleeting. Gone with the blink of an eye, and I want to be there and enjoy every single one.

So far, it's been wonderful :)

Sponsor In September?

2011-08-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

There's still time to advertise with

Alexandra Rose in September!

I'm so excited for this new, positive and exciting adventure my blog will be taking,

and I'd love to have you!

There's no limit on small and medium ad's,

BUT,

there's only ONE large ad space available for the month of September!

For more information, or if you're interested in advertising,

email me at

alex.heater{at}hotmail.com

Burlap and Twine {a giveaway!}

2011-08-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

You guys may remember when I first introduced you to Ashley,

The owner and creator of Burlap and Twine,

but today, we're going to get to know her even better!

{can I mention enough times how much I LOVE this shop?!}

Hello Alexandra Rose readers! My name is Ashley. When I'm not busy corralling my energetic 12 month old son Morgan, and working part time as a RN, you can find me getting in touch with my creative side over at my blog Burlap and Twine. I'm obsessed with all things burlap {hence my shop/blog name}, pinterest, wedding blogs {well, blogs in general, actually}, and The Real Housewives {those girls are like a train wreck, I just can't stop watching}. The idea to start my own etsy shop blossomed from my own handcrafted rustic chic wedding. We had a serious budget for our wedding so I decided that in order to make it special, unique, and affordable, I would have to make a lot of things on my own. Now through my etsy shop I am able to offer affordable decor to other like minded brides, saving them time and money. My best selling items are my small burlap banners which can be customized for any occasion, but are perfect to set out on your guest book table or to add to an engagement photo display. I would love it if you would stop by my shop or blog for a visit!

A gorgeous girl, and a gorgeous wedding!

{and a pretty handsome little man too :)}

Today, Ashley is offering TWO of you

the chance to win a little something from her shop!

That's right, two Alexandra Rose readers will each win a small burlap banner from the Burlap and Twine shop!

Eeeeeep!

Here's how to get in on it:

There are 7 ways to enter!

{please leave a separate comment for each item you complete}

{this one is mandatory} be a public follower of the Alexandra Rose Blog

Become a public follower of the Burlap and Twine blog

Become a fan of Burlap and Twine on facebook

Become a fan of Alexandra Rose on facebook

Follow Alexandra Rose on twitter

Re blog {tweet or facebook} about the giveaway with a link back to this post

Tell me about a new goal you have

Plus,

Ashley is giving all of you the chance to save 10% on your entire order

buy using the code

ALEXROSE10

at checkout!

So get to shopping now!

Giveaway and discount code will be open until Saturday, September 3rd at 11:59pm

Winner will be announced Sunday, September 4th.

Some Thoughts {and a giveaway winner!}

2011-08-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

Source: flickr.com via Alex on Pinterest

I've been doing lots of thinking lately,

and it's made me come full circle.

What does blogging mean to me?

Why do I do it?

What would I like to share with my readers?

Does this blog hold a greater purpose?

So, now I'm back to the place where I was when I started this blog.

What is my voice, and what do I want to blog about?

I started this blog as a way to promote my shop, and my handmade items, and it seemed really natural to include things about my hubby and son.

I started posting tutorials and DIY projects, as well as recipes and it was so fun to share the things I was making!

I was SO excited when I was first contacted to host a giveaway for a handmade shop!

However, now I feel like my blog has turned into a journal.

A way for me to document life {mostly Isaiah's} and I don't think that's what I ever intended this blog to be about.

I've heard lots of bloggers say it's so important to 'find your voice'

and I don't think I've ever tried to be someone other than myself,

but I'm ready for my blog to change.

I still plan to post lots of recipes and DIY projects,

and bring you giveaways from amazing handmade shops,

and {who am I kidding} there will still be updates on Hubby and Zaiah.

BUT,

I also want this to be a really inspiring, motivational and encouraging place.

I want to have important conversations,

and challenge people to be the very best they can be.

I want to challenge myself to be the very best I can be.

And I want to take that step here, on my blog, with all of you.

So I dare you to stick around for this adventure.

I don't exactly know what it's going to look like, but it's going to be great.

{whoa, that ended up being kinda deep :)}

Moving on to more lighthearted things...

We have a winner from The Shine Project giveaway!

True Random Number Generator

Min:

Max:

Result: 86

Congratulations Heather!

{just.lovely.things} said...

i follow shine project on facebook under my business page!

August 27, 2011 10:56 AM

And, since you're my hair stylist, photographer, and {just.lovely.things} goodie maker, I don't really need you to email me :)

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Spanish Style Quinoa

2011-08-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

This lovely little recipe was actually discovered by accident.

{the way I assume lots of great recipes are created}

We were invited over to a friends house for tacos the other day, and I needed to bring a rice dish of some sort.

If you don't have rice, and don't feel like going to the store, a rice dish isn't gonna happen.

But,

I did have quinoa,

{are you catching the drift this stuff is my fav?}

and most of the fixin's for a Spanish rice dish,

so away with it I went!

I chopped up some onion, garlic, bell pepper, corn {raw} and tomatoes.

Sauteed them in about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and added in a little over 1 cup of quinoa.

Add in an 8 oz can of tomato juice and 1 1/2 cups of water, plus some spices and let simmer together for about 30 minutes and you're done!

Spanish style quinoa!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1 medium onion {chopped}

1 ear of corn {cut from the cob, but raw}

3 cloves garlic {minced}

1green bell pepper {chopped}

1 8 oz can tomato juice

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt

Directions:

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the quinoa, onion, corn, garlic, and green pepper. Cook and stir 5 to 10 minutes until the onion is tender, and the quinoa has lightly toasted. Stir in the tomato juice and water, then season with the chili powder, cumin and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.Cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the liquid is absorbed {right around 30 minutes}.

Again, I love how the ingredients are versatile and you can definitely adjust the level of spice and flavor!

This is also a perfect filling for burritos, stuffed bell peppers, or to eat all by itself :)

The Oversized Clutch {the perfect take-along bag!}

2011-08-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Eeeeeep!

For those of you who follow me on facebook,

you know I've been working on a new pattern,

for the ultimate clutch.

I wanted to make sure it was both functional and stylish, and I feel like it's the best of both worlds!

And I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out!

Take a peek at

The Oversized Clutch

{available now in the shop}

The clutch measures approximately: 11" high by 7" long,

and has two interior pockets to help keep everything organized.

Check out how much it holds:

Plenty of room for everything you need to get out of the house, plus then some!

Swap the diapers and wipes out for sunglasses and make up and you have the perfect bag for a date or night out on the town!

This item is sewn with stiff interfacing {to give the clutch shape} and a super thick interfacing {to help protect your items}. The combination of the two gives this clutch the perfect balance of structure and cushy goodness!

Treat yourself, or give one as a gift now!

Wordless {ish} Wednesday

2011-08-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

My two favorite boys:

The best thing to wake up to after a nap :)

I'm one blessed mommy.

I'm linking up with these momma's:

The Paper Mama,Parenting by Dummies,Live and Love...Out Loud,Project Alicia,

& Baby Baby Lemon

Click here to vote for my adorable boys :)

The Shine Project {an inspirational giveaway!}

2011-08-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

I'm soooo excited to feature Ashley, of The Shine Project

Ashley is FULL of inspiration, creativity, compassion and has great style :)

She blogs over at The Shine Project where she hosts weekly challenges, holds service projects all while inspiring and motivating us all.

And, in case that's not enough,

Ashley recently started a program called Change4Change

I have a first hand experience of seeing the struggles that inner city high school students go through on a daily basis. After working with them for my internship last semester, my heart was touched. There are so many kids that have SO much potential, and just need someone to help them see it. Well I've seen it, and I want to show them that they can accomplish hard things. This is why I started putting money from each shine necklace sold into the Shine Scholarship Fund.

My goal is to raise $20,000 for The Shine Project Scholarship Fund by the end of October. The money will specifically be going to four students at Cesar Chavez High School in Phoenix, Arizona, to help them pay for their first year of college. This will be accomplished in two ways. The first way is by doing CHANGE for CHANGE jars. You have the opportunity to get involved by pledging to do a CHANGE jar. I have tags to send you, and for the next three months you will throw your leftover change in this jar. Those of you who are brave will also get your friends, neighbors, and businesses around you to to show a little love and donate.

MY GOAL IS TO HAVE 100 OF YOU PLEDGE TO RAISE $100 BY OCTOBER.

If you think about it, $100 really isn't that much. But when 100 people ban together to make a difference, $10,000 suddenly is able to change 2 student's lives.

If you're not in a position to donate money,

Ashley is also collecting items for a silent auction that will be held on

October 20th

All proceeds will go directly to the scholarship fund

that will help send inner city kids to college.

If you are interested in having a Change4Change jar,

or would like to donate items to the silent auction,

please email Ashley at: Ashley.TheShineProject@gmail.com

Today, Ashley is giving one of you the chance to WIN one of her

Shine necklaces!

There are 6 ways to enter!

{please leave a separate comment for each item you complete}

{this one is mandatory} be a public follower of the Alexandra Rose Blog

Check out The Shine Project blog and become a public follower

Become a fan of The Shine Project on facebook

Follow The Shine Project on twitter
Leave a comment telling me about a random act of kindness you've recently done for someone

Re blog {tweet or facebook} about the giveaway with a link back to this post

Giveaway will be open until Saturday, August 27th at 11:59pm

Winner will be announced Sunday, August 28th.

Good luck!

Some of the proceeds from each necklace sold go
directly to the scholarship fund.

To find out more information, or to buy one of your own Shine necklaces as a daily reminder & to support this amazing cause, click here.

Oh, and don't forget to

Get your SHINE on :)