Dallas Rose-The Newest Addition

As you all know, I have an adorable 6 year old pug named Henry James. Unfortunately, when I moved out of my parents house I choose to be good mom and let Henry stay with the family as he had grown too attached to his surroundings and environment. I have been out on my own for a little over 6 months and have been horribly lonely not having a little pup to attend to and take care of.

One fine day, as me and Brad were driving up to Cambria, CA for vacation we decided to take a stop in Paso Robles to take a look at some Boston Terrier puppies. We had been talking about getting a puppy so we figured we would go "look." Little did  Bradley Milligan know that he had just opened up the doors for me to purchase a dog. Obviously the second we pulled up I was hooked. They had one female and I HAD to have her. I never realized Boston Terriers came in the color brindle. She was absolutely georgous. Needless to say, we obviously purchased her, and clearly she had to be ours as she was born in "Wine County" Paso Robles.



Please meet the newest addition to the Hicks-Milligan Family:

 Name: Dallas Rose

Age: (currently 3 months)

Breed: Boston Terrier
Birthday: April 11, 2012
Hometown: Paso Robles, California 

 

Fiesta, Fiesta!

 A few weeks ago, I helped plan a birthday party

for my best friend Amibeth! At first I had no idea what type of theme to go with for the party; however, after careful consideration I decided to throw her a FIESTA! Here are my tips on how to throw one of the most memorable Fiestas YET! 

1.) Ambiance: Every party needs some character and this Fiesta was no exception. I decorated the front table with some goodies. This was the first thing the guests saw when they entered the Fiesta! I had a custom made Margarita glass for the birthday girl, Mini margarita shot glasses, Fiesta birthday cake, Picture frame with "Keep Calm and Drink A Margarita" decor, Mexican candy, and Napkins with tequila phrases.

 

 2.) Mustaches: It's a pretty simple concept. If you are going to throw a FIESTA, it is a must to have mustaches for your guests. Can anyone really be in a fiesta without a mustache? NOT ME! I purchased the mustaches at The Dollar Tree, but you can also pick them up at your local Party City if  The Dollar Tree near you is out of stock.

 3.) Margaritas: I don't think I have to go over this one twice, every fiesta MUST have margaritas.I went to my local Total Wine to pick up the alcohol for the party. Total Wine has the cheapest prices and they have the best selection that I have ever seen. I went ahead and did the "Health Conscious" choice and made sure to do the Margaritas "Skinny Style" per the birthday girls request. This helps to save those extra nasty calories and helps to eliminate the Margaritas from being super sweet. If you are interested in doing the "Skinny Style Margarita" mix tequila and "Skinny Girl" Margarita mix together. 

 4.)Snacks:  Keep your guests munching on snacks throughout the party to help eliminate hangovers. I went ahead and did the traditional chips and salsa for the party and later in the evening we did a BBQ with the following: Carne Asada, Chicken, Beans, Rice, and Guac. I had everyone that came to the party bring a side to help save on costs for the party. It worked very well and I am so appreciative for everyone that helped me out! 

5.) Pinata:Must add the Pinata to the FIESTA. I went ahead and decorated the party with mini Pinatas around the house. I actually purchased the mini pinatas at a local liquor store for a reasonable price. They were a great touch.

 

 6.) Limes...Don't Forget the Limes: The limes are great for your beers, margaritas, and the occasional foot tricks!!!

"ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR"

Summer Lovin

Not sure about everyone else, but I am getting extremely
excited for summer! Who else is ready for pool parties, bbqs, vacations, and some fresh brew-skis?  Summer starts June 20th, 2012. This summer live each day like its your last because before you know it summer will be over. Make sure 2012 summer is one of the best and live with out any regrets.In the spirit of summer fast approaching I wanted to share some of my favorite summer pictures. Most were taken from Pinterest and others from my summer albums. Enjoy and cheers to summer!

  

 

 

Champagne Popsicles

I hosted a girls night at my house last Friday and it was a complete SUCCESS! I wanted to share with my friends/viewers some tips on hosting a girls night!

My particular theme was: Pinterest/Wine Night. In a nutshell, we would create cute Pinterest Crafts, drink wine, munch on appetizers, paint our nails, and do what us girls do best GOSSIP!

I researched PINTEREST [www.pinterest.com] crafts to see what particular ideas I could steal to make this night a success. As soon as I saw the chalkboard wine bottle I fell in love! This was the following that I wanted my guests to replicate:


Wine Bottle Chalkboard Vase:

Materials:

• (1) Wine bottle per guest

• (1) Chalk stick per guest

• Chalk Board Paint (I purchased mine from Michaels)

• Flowers

Instructions:

• Remove labels from wine bottle (soak in hot water and scrub)
• Paint (2) coats of Chalk Board Paint on wine bottle the day before your guests arrive 
• Give guests painted wine bottle when they arrive with chalk and ribbon- and let the decorations begin
• Once the wine bottle vase has been decorated to their liking, add flowers

Here are some examples of Vases that my guests did:

 This craft was very easy and a ton of fun. Plus the girls had something to bring home and place in their rooms/apartments. All of the vases came out so different and unique; it was really such a fun craft. I think this would be the perfect idea to place on tables for weddings/receptions so that guests can find their table number. This is very affordable and fun!

The next thing I needed to do was to get the girls some fun appetizers and treats; what better of a place to look then my dear friend PINTEREST [www.pinterest] yet again. Take a look at the goodies that I had for my friends when they arrived:

Appetizers: 

• Cheese and Crackers
• Pixie Stix 
• Ring Pops
• Zuchinni Pizzas
• French Bread with Marinara Dipping Sauce

Champagne Popscicles:
Give a glass of champage to all of your guests served with a 50/50 bar inside.

It tastes amazing-the50/50 bar will start to melt fast, so make sure your guests enjoy it while they can!

....and lastly don't forget to add some balloons to the decor. Who needs a pillow fight when you have a balloon fight :]

Peace. Love. Girlsnight!

Cooking is THAT easy?

I was given a Crock Pot for my birthday, and I was SUPER excited to use it. My mom always made the best meals when she used the Crock Pot----now it was my turn to steal the spot light and start cooking.

I made my first meal in the Crock Pot yesterday, and let me tell you how EASY it was! I think I am going to have a great relationship with the Crock Pot.

I wanted to share the recipe with you all so that you can give it a try. The recipe is VERY easy, especially for those that are "new comers" to their new friend-Crock Pot.

Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 cup salsa 1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning 1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed) 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

Directions: 

 

Add chicken to slow cooker.
Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken.
Pour salsa and soup over chicken.
Cook on high for 6 hours OR low for 8 hours



Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

SERVE! and ENJOY!  I served mine with rice; however, you can serve it with tortillas, chips, etc-the possibilities are endless.

The best part-------the chicken is only 157 per serving and 3 grams of fat per serving. The recipe above makes 6 servings.

Zumba-What's the Hype?

If you are not sure what Zumba is, or have never tried it before- I can assure you that this photo can explain the basics in a nutshell. There has been so much hype about Zumba, so I figured that I would give it a whirl. 

Let me just tell you my friends- if your ready to get down and shake your booty this exercise is for you. If you are like myself, and you are willing to attempt to do some booty shaking but look like the BIGGEST white girl in the classroom-then this exercise is also for you.I can assure you that even though I felt like the Latin Dance Queen while I was busting some moves --I am realistic enough to realize that I looked a little more like Jim Carey. 

I am not going to lie, I did have a good time during the classroom, burned some calories, and laughed at my Non-booty shaking abilities and reconfirmed while I did not ever picked for the Latino Dance Quad. I suck! 

So you ask, if I recommend Zumba for my viewers. I am going to have to give it a thumbs up. You are moving every  part of your body from your head to your feet and having a good time doing it. Typically users burn 400-1000 calories per hour (depending on heart rate, age, and body fat). So what the hell-give it a try!

 

My Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, there was this ROCKSTAR girl. She was very hurt, confused and just wasn't sure if the right guy would ever come along. One day a strong handsome BABY PUP entered her life and things started to change. She was getting treated to royal dinners, exquisite wine tastings, and roses were presented time and time again. 

Welcome to my Fairy Tale! 
 

Some of the best things in life are worth waiting for. Bradley is truly something special and I feel blessed everyday to have such a kind hearted guy by my side day in-and day out. I love you babe!

1.1.11 <3