Samantha Styles Shoes

Hi Brooklyn State of Mind friends! My name is Samantha and I blog over at Hooah and Hiccups!

Brandi is sweet enough to let me say hi today and..ask for your help and votes!! A few months back, Onlineshoes.com contacted me in regards to a Blogger Styling Contest! Of course, I was ALL over it!

How it works: myself and three other bloggers each received the same pair of shoes. We were all told to style it our own way and then the public would be voting on who styled the pair of shoes the best!

So here's how I styled them! 

The Naya Shoes are absolutely adorable! Not to mention they're super comfortable and perfect for shorts and a tee, a maxi dress, or really any casual look you want to pair them with. My Bubba Bear has been giving me a run for my money recently and these shoes are comfortable enough for me to chase him around! 

I also love that they are made using eco-friendly materials; cork, bamboo and chrome-free leather are among the materials used. 

So now I need your help!! These shoes are totally down my fashion alley and I hope that you love how I styled them; enough so that you'll vote for me to win!

Want to win a pair too? You can enter to win a pair on the voting page after you VOTE (preferably for me :))

So please, vote here! Leave me a little comment if you voted... I want to thank each and every one of you for your support and help! Love you ALL!

In case you missed it... VOTE HERE!

 

 





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How not to fail at your guest post

I have had the honor of my sidebar holding the most wonderful ladies that choose to advertise with me. They are all truly funny and great women. Today's love is the fabulous Kiersten. And I have to say, her topic... GENIUS! Now go read and find out or yourself.

So I know what you’re thinking - who is this chick, and where’s Brandi? Well I’m Kiersten, and Brandi was sweet enough to let me take over for a day. I know, I know - you can barely contain your excitement, right? Okay, maybe not - so let me tell you why you should stick around.

First, some introductions. I blog over at Good Day Sunshine where I write about life (my own, and the general concept), my seemingly never-ending search for love, flowers (and recently, the fact that it’s springtime and where are the flowers?), and of course, The Beatles, all with a touch of what I falsely believe to be humor and whit. If you’re justdying to know more (because I know you all are), you can hop over to my about me

I’ve been blogging in this space for a little over a year, but that definitely wasn’t my first time on the merry-go-round... I started blogging back in 2009, and trust me - there have been too many blogs to count between then and now.

In all that time though, I’ve only written one guest post before this one (and trust me, you don’t want to read that train wreck, circa 2010). I think I feel out of my element - as though I’m in Russia trying to introduce myself to someone who doesn’t speak English. I feel as though everyone is going to know I don’t belong, and will resent my presence here. (Crazy, I know - you all love me, right? Right?)

So up until Brandi offered me this opportunity, I’d avoided guest-posting like the plague. I think though, that I’m beginning to feel comfortable enough in my own skin to try this party out, and I have the perfect idea too:

Kiersten’s Tried and True List of Ways to Fail at Guest Posting:

(1) Have no idea what you’re going to say. Just ramble for a bit and turn it into a 5-paragraph essay. Everyone loves those!

(2) Be a little bit neurotic. Rewrite the post about 30 times, with about 30 different concepts. And then, once you’ve mailed it off, bite your nails off worrying that you should have stuck with concept #17. Obviously, that’s the best way to write isn’t it?

(3) Wait till the last minute to write the post. You wouldn’t want to give yourself too much time to work on anything, would you? And speaking of procrastination, I have a great list of ways to do that right over here

(4) Try to write as though you are the blog-owner. I know you probably have your own “voice”, but check that at the door!

That’s all I’ve got for that, guys. But if you’re looking for more (and let’s be honest, I know you are), hop on over to my little space and read up!

<3 Kiersten

 

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Tiny Sailors

Today my real life & blog life best friend is here to post for me. She is hands down the best dressed person I know, she also has the most class. I just love her. She's here to talk baby fashion too, so super plus. Y'all be sure to go by and say hello.

My name is Kay from over at PreppyHouseWife, I am so excited to be guest blogging for my good friend Brandi! I have a serious obsession with nautical clothing and accessories, so I thought what better topic to discuss than nautical baby wear. I never met a little sailor I didn't like.

From this rash guard and swim trunks for the beach, to a dressy sai lor suit, to this casual one piece for hanging with mom. The nautical baby boy is ready to go with some of the cutest options out there!

The cutest bikini on earth (which I could see on the fabulous little BK), a sailor dress to die for, the perfect bib, and a great one piece for spring. With the nautical baby outfits and accessories out there, babies everywhere will be styling this summer! Thanks for having me, hope to see you soon on PreppyHouseWife! xo Kay

Partay Thursday

Hi y'all! Today doesn't feel like Thursday to me. S had yesterday and today off so we've been living the dream.

Here is my 30 Second Thursday post.

 

You can also find me guest posting for my beautiful friend Lauran today too. Her blog is fabulous and you should stop by and say hello!

 

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Cherry Cheesecake Dip + A giveaway

Today the fabulous Tiffany is taking over my blog. Y'all this recipe looks delicious! I will definitely be making it for the super bowl.

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Hello Brooklyn State of Mind readers! I am excited to be featured here today. My name is Tiffany and I blog over at Little Gems. To avoid a really long, boring introduction of myself I am going to pretend I am limited to 6 phrases. Here goes:

Follower of Jesus  

Wife to an awesome man for 5 years

Mommy to a 6 month old beauty

Nurse extraordinaire (not really) 

Lover of Coffee

Etsy Shop owner (Little Gems Creations)

There you go, that's mostly it. As you can imagine I blog about all sorts of family and mommy things. Of course I can't resist showing you a picture of my little family so here you are...

Today I have 2 awesome things for you readers today! The first is an absolutely yummy recipe for Cherry Cheesecake Dip and the second is a giveaway! 

Let's Get Started

Warning: This recipe may sabotage any New Years resolution to stay away from sweets. 

 Cherry Cheese Cake Dip. I have made this dip on several occasions, for parties and family get together's and the like. Each and every time I come home with an empty dish with only a few sad crumbs in the bottom. Everyone always raves about it and I just do an evil laugh to myself because I know how easy it is to make. You can see the original recipe here. This lady gets all the credit for it. See, it's not even an original recipe and people still think I'm a genius when they taste it. 

You will need:

1 box of Graham Crackers (I used Honey flavored but any kind will work)

2 tubs of cool whip (I used generic)

1 block of cream cheese

1 jar of Marshmallow fluff (aka heaven in a jar)

2 cans of Cherry Pie filling

*These ingredients were enough to make 2 small dishes or 1 large dish.

Steps

Crush a sleeve of Grahams and pour into bottom of dish, smooth down

Mix Cool whip, cream cheese and Marshmallow fluff in a big bowl

Layer that on top of the crushed grahams (be careful when you smooth this layer down not to mix the crushed grahams in, you have to be delicate) I divided this between 2 dishes.

Pour 1 jar of Cherry Pie filling on top. If you make a large dish you would but both jars on top. 

Break apart the rest of your grahams to dip with and enjoy!

I have tried this dip at room temperature and after it has chilled over night, both taste great!

Now for the giveaway.

Because I love the nail polish craze that is currently everywhere you look (I may or may not have a Pinterest board devoted to it), I have decided to give away 2 fabulous colors : Grey and Mint, 2 full size nail files, and a 5 piece pedicure set. Who wouldn't want that? So Enter away! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

She works hard for the money... dun dun dun dun

Today I am soul searching. I'm sitting here with a list of pros and cons for going back to work. On a separate list I have ideas of what kind of "work" I might actually want to do. Ha! Wish me luck. While I am letting my OCD get the best of me and my lists, I have a fabulous job related guest post by Melissa over at Grin and Barrett! ___________________________________________________________________________________

Oh, work life. 

It is one of those things that you don't really contemplate when your a child or even a teenager. I thought my adult working days were far ahead of me, but before I knew it, they were here. My first job I got at the ripe old age of 15. I was an intern at a ministry where my mom worked and thought man, I would love to work in an office all day. First off, they always have days where people bring in food. Second, you get to sit all day long. Third, no one really bothers you; you just kind of do your own thing. Fourth, you get your own space to decorate as you please! Score (especially for us ladies)!  My second job was at Chick-Fil-A. I really had that work cut out for me. Long hours, on my feet all day, and the "occasional" difficult customer. Not to mention of the high school/college drama! Man, I was ready to leave after my 6 year stint there! 

When I graduated from college, I immediately got a call to apply for a job on campus. It was full-time, benefits, and a break for my parents. They had been paying the majority of my expenses since I was a full-time student for nearly 6 years. I thought this is awesome! A lot of my classmates were still job hunting and applying, and here I was with a full-time position literally the week of classes. I think that is a major blessing in my life! Soon after I got my first big girl job, I met my now husband and began planning our whirlwind wedding! Then I had to think about sharing my life and balance work life and married life. I think when it comes to work life, there should be a healthy balance. I work for a college, so typically I don't have take work home. At times my husband has had to work two jobs to help pay for my student loan expenses and have time to devote to his education. I also worked full time and for a little over a year was completing my graduate program. We definitely had our fair share of busyness. I think its important to prioritize and devote time to what is important. My first thought when I graduated with my Master's was to teach college. Then, I thought do I really want to teach college, or do I want to make some extra money? After some thought, I realized that I am not passionate about teaching as much as I am passionate about helping people.

Truthfully, I started out as an education major, but after a year I felt like that just wasn't right for me. I am still searching for my "calling". I am still praying, seeking, and researching what options are best for me right now. Do I see myself working in financial aid forever? Nope. But its good to know that I have options. I can go and do whatever it is I choose. With a somewhat declining economy, I do want to make enough money to pay off my student loan debt and to cover our everyday expenses. That may sound like an oxymoron, but I paid for my Master's degree, and I want it to pay off in the future (while getting it paid off at the same time).

I think for now my job gives us the stability we need so desperately right now. I am not about to give that up!

What about you? Are you where you want to be right now?

Holiday Clean Up + Guest Post

Today is the last of my amazing guest bloggers! Christina is here to talk about holiday clean up, and lets be honest we can all appreciate new ideas with regards to organization. I swear every year I contemplate throwing stuff away. Yes I'm lazy, I admit it. Y'all enjoy this sweet girl!

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Hey, readers! My name's Christina, and I blog over at Behind the Eyes of a Butterfly. The beautiful Brandi asked me to guest post while she's sunning with the Mister and kiddo in Jamaica. LUCKY GIRL!

I want to share some ideas that I have about Christmas Clean-Up! I know, I know, the holiday's barely over. BUT, if you're anything like me, you're already wondering WHAT in the WORLD you're going to do with all these decorations that you bought/crafted/stole from your mom/otherwise added to your collection this year and whether your husband will be a ear and bring those boxes back down to the basement, please & thanks!

Now I admit, in years past I haven't done a very good job at this:





...but this year, I've vowed to do better. Let me share my "plan of action":

DONATE. Anything that you haven't used in a few years, send it to Salvation Army. Yes, even if you think it's hideous - there are tons of bored old ladies shoppers scouring the thrift stores for Christmas knick knacks every year! (Note: DO NOT under any circumstances donate that string of lights that doesn't light. That's just cruel and unusual punishment. You have my permission to throw those away.)

LABEL, LABEL, LABEL. That way your husband doesn't waste time carrying a heavy box up the stairs that contains the Easter decorations. (Sorry, babe!) Also, it makes it a lot easier if you're only decorating one room at a time, have decided to use colored lights instead of white, etc.

YOU DON'T ALWAYS NEED THAT BUBBLE WRAP! Seriously, bubble wrap is kind of expensive. Don't buy it to wrap inexpensive/replaceable items - save it for the expensive/sentimental stuff. Also, you can get creative - last year, I wrapped my Dickens Village pieces in layers of fake snow that I used for the display.

MAKE IT FUN. That way, it doesn't seem like a chore! Put on your favorite Christmas movie for the last time of the season, pour yourself a glass or four of wine, and dance around while you pack everything up!

Hope that this helps you all! Feel free to post your own tips as well - I need all of the help I can get!

xo,
Christina

Holiday Traditions + Guest Blogger

Anna is another fabulous lady that I met through the iPad Mini Giveaway. I just loved getting a glipse into her little family's holiday traditions!

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Hi!  I'm Anna and I blog over at The Things I'm Learning.  I'm a recent newlywed to my sweet husband, Kevin, and Anna Belle to our two adorable boys!  I'm looking forward to our first married Christmas!

When Brandi asked me to write about the holidays, I thought I'd share with you three holiday traditions.

1.  Christmas Cookies
Every year at Christmas, for as long as I can remember, my mom and I baked cookies.  We did it right, too.  We made homemade sugar cookies cut out in various Christmas shapes like snowmen, stars, and Christmas trees and we sprinkled sugar and sprinkles all over them.  This is a tradition I want to carry on for our boys and one we did last year.  This year, instead of making homemade dough, I'm taking the easy route with Betty Crocker's Sugar Cookie Mix.  I've used this before and it tastes as good as homemade, so why not simplify!  If you're feeling more ambitious than me, the link below takes you to a great sugar cookie recipe from Southern Living.

(Source: Southern Living.  Recipe here.)

2.  Christmas Stories

Another tradition my husband and I both grew up with is reading "The Christmas Story" and "Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve.  Growing up, we usually had a Christmas Eve service at our church and my parents would have friends over to eat dinner or dessert after it.  Once everyone left, it was time to read about Jesus' birth and St. Nick!  We celebrate Christmas with my husband's family on Christmas Eve, and much like when I was growing up, we go to the Christmas Eve service at our church before our Christmas celebration.  After dinner, we all go upstairs while we wait for Santa to come fill our stockings.  During the wait, Kevin's parents read each of these stories.  It's a fun tradition!

3.  Christmas Ornaments

I love getting out our Christmas ornaments each year.  And I love remembering where I got them.  Each year, we give the boys and each other special ornaments of things that have happened during the year.  I also love the sweet ornaments that the boys make at school.  Kaden made snowmen out of his hand print this year and K.C. made a wreath with his name in it. Some of our special ornaments are below.

I can't wait for the boys to open one of their ornaments for this year.  We got them each an "I love you to the moon and back" ornament.  It's something we say to them each day.  I bought ours in a local store, but found it online here.  

(Source: Shop Glitzy Glam)

I hope you and your families have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Holidays + Guest Blogger

How lucky am I to have met such beautiful bloggy friends? I have another one for you today. Samantha is a serious testament to being a strong wife! And I am so happy that she gets to spend the holidays with her husband and little boy this year!

Hello Brooklyn State of Mind readers! I'm Samantha and I blog over at Hooah and Hiccups. A big thank you to Brandi for letting me visit with all of you today!

 The holidays are a time for family, get togethers, and traditions. But what happens when you're away from your loved ones during this time? Not by choice, not somewhere luxurious, and not somewhere fun. My husband and I are no strangers to being apart; he's a soldier in the United States Army and you guessed it, I'm an Army wife. 

 This time last year, he was deployed to Afghanistan and I was 9 months pregnant. Neither of us had a very Merry Christmas but had no choice but to brave it with strength and optimism. This year, he's safely on the home front and we're taking full advantage of our time together. 

 It's also our son's 1st Christmas and this is all the more reason to make it jolly. So far, we've been unwrapping a Christmas book each night and reading it by the tree. We've seen Santa, taken a ride on The Polar Express, and made "mistletoes".

 

 We plan to bake Christmas cookies, decorate a gingerbread house, and see ice sculptures. You can't get much more Christmasy than that! 

 I've always loved the holidays but last year was really hard for the both of us. You don't realize how much someone enhances your life until they're not there to do it.

 This year, I encourage everyone to take a moment out of the chaos and just take it all in. The smell of cookies baking, or of the fresh Christmas tree. Children's laughter, Christmas carolers, the warmth of the fire.

 These things are great by themselves but what makes them better are the people around us and the ones we spend the holidays with.