Up and Running...

How can £85 change your life? Join my team and find out!! I have received my new consultant kit and am SO excited about the feedback that I have received thus far from family and friends. Work from home, set your own hours and have fun! I have my very first event on the 15th of May at Lodge Park Social Club in Redditch. Come by and see my table and have sniff, book a party or join my team!

UK Scentsy Launch!!!

SO I have decided to become a Scentsy consultant!! I am super excited about this product and hope it just explodes in the UK as it has in America and in Canada. It launched on Monday, it's a home business selling flameless, wickless warmers. They are nontoxic and lead free. The warmer and wax are child and pet friendly as they can't be burned. There are 50 fragrances and many, many different styles of hand crafted warmers to match any decor. Please take a look at my site!

http://www.erinbee.scentsy.co.uk/


Please let me know if you are interested in hosting a party for this exciting new product or if you are interested in this fabulous business opportunity as a career or just for a little extra income. You decide!

A few more

A few more of the pup (Jay) and of Paige at just over 3 and a half months!! She is such a big girl weighing in at the 90th percentile!! XOXO my chubby little cherub =)

Jay!

Christmas morning I received a envelope from Dan...expecting it to be a gift card or something I opened it up. I was surprised to find it was a card "from the dog." I was a little confused until I opened it up and found several snapshots of doggies that needed homes that Dan had found on various rescue sites. The very next day I set out on my search for the perfect pet. I emailed several rescue organizations and foster families regarding dogs I had seen online that I thought looked cute and met our criteria. Saturday morning I got a call from one of the foster families and she was anxious to set up a meeting with us and her foster dog JJ. I agreed thinking we would do it sometime in the next week or so assuming she was probably somewhere in the Inland Empire or LA or somewhere else inconvenient and out of the way. To my surprise she said she lived in Mission Viejo..."Perfect!" I thought; since we were on our way up to my mom's that day anyhow. The kids were really anxious to meet JJ and I was skeptical. There was no way we were going to find our perfect dog immediately...or so I thought. The second she opened the door
and we saw his adorable face and big brown eyes we were sold! He is already house trained, knows his commands; sit, lay, roll over etc. He LOVES the kids and is the perfect size with the required non-shedding coat. We played for a bit then agreed to come get him the following day on our way back down to Vista. Well, we got him and he is pretty darn perfect thus far!! He adores the yard and the kids and of course Dan. Although he is supposed to be "my" dog he has really taken to Dan and for the most part can be found cuddling downstairs on the couch with him watching TV or playing video games. He loves me also but having a new baby isn't real conducive to forming a good bond with a dog that requires a lot of cuddling and attention. In addition I don't think he really appreciated my bathing and brushing him yesterday. We'll get there eventually ;).
To the left are some pictures from Monday in the back yard, he was super hyper, running around jumping and generally having a great time with his new family!! Although not our first choice, we have opted (for the sake of some continuity) to keep his original name, JJ. However we are trying to shorten it a bit to just Jay! He is by far the best Christmas present I have received in a very long time! We are all very excited to have our very first family dog!

Vanilla Peppermint Cupcakes

I LOVE Sprinkles cupcakes so much (even if they are fattening and ridiculously over-priced)! Luckily you can enjoy these for a little cheaper! Mmmm...

Vanilla-Peppermint Cupcakes
Recipe created by Candace Nelson, owner of Sprinkles Cupcakes

Sprinkles Cupcake's Vanilla-Peppermint cupcakes are perfect for the holidays!

Ingredients:Makes 1 dozen cupcakesVanilla-Peppermint Cupcake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 cup whole milk , room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg , room temperature
2 large egg whites , room temperature Vanilla-Peppermint Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter , firm but not cold
1/8 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar , sifted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 tsp. milk

To make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.In a small bowl, mix together milk and extracts; set aside.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

To make frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the extracts and milk and beat until smooth and creamy. Do not overmix or the frosting will incorporate too much air; it should be creamy and dense, like ice cream. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, if frosting does not have a spreadable consistency.To frost: Scoop a generous amount of frosting on top of a cooled cupcake. Hold the cupcake in one hand and with the other hand use a small offset spatula to smooth the frosting over the entire top of the cupcake. To achieve the Sprinkles look, use the length of the spatula to create large swirls around the circumference of the cupcake. Or for a more homespun and rustic quality, use the tip of the spatula to create small ridges and waves in the frosting.Be careful to handle the cupcake with care and not grip it too tightly, which can crush the delicate cake. In general, the less the cupcake is handled, the better. An experienced Sprinkles froster can frost a cupcake with only a few turns of the spatula!Top with crushed candy canes!

Paiger

Little Paigey is already 10 and a half weeks! I can't believe she has gotten so big so fast. She is a very funny and happy baby. She makes tons of noisy grunts, squeaks and squeals. It's pretty funny to listen to but seems incredibly loud when you are trying to fall asleep at night! She started smiling a couple weeks ago and will smile and coo for awhile then she starts getting frustrated somehow and it turns to yells and squawks of anger. Even when she sleeps she is noisy, her exhales sound like sighs of relief half the time.
I shot these pictures the other night while I was getting her ready for bed so the lighting isn't wonderful because obviously, I was using a flash. She is pretty cooperative when it comes to photo sessions, which is good because it's only the beginning of mommy taking insane amounts of photos of her cute little mug. xoxo

Elf Yourself Take II

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