Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Guess Who WON the January Giveaway?!


Big thanks to all of you who entered our January Giveaway!  We had so much fun reading through all your entries and seeing what you chose for your favorite colors.  The winner was chosen via random.org, and that lucky Bubby and Bean reader is...



CONGRATULATIONS Briss!  You have officially won a package of some seriously awesome prizes from Heather Liebler Photography, Oh, Nostalgia!, Maggie Rossetti Jewelry, and Bubby and Bean!  (Please contact me at bubbyandbean {at} gmail.com with your address so we can discuss getting you your prizes!)


Special thanks our wonderful January sponsors for contributing to this amazing giveaway.  If you didn't win this time, turn that frown upside down...  We have another killer giveaway coming very soon!

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I'm Back!

Hola amigas y amigos!  I am officially back home after our week in Mexico, and I have to say - having the Caribbean Sea as your backyard makes you an awful lot more motivated to get out of bed in the morning.  All-inclusive resorts leave something to be desired when it comes to food, and it's nice to be able to brush my teeth with tap water again, but other than that, being back to reality kind of makes me want to curl up and go back to sleep.  There's something to be said for spending an entire day outside and never once needing to put on shoes. (The same goes with brushing your hair, as can be seen in the picture below.)


This was by far the most relaxed trip I've ever taken to another country with Robbie's band.  I was in bed by 1 or 2 AM most nights (which is early for me, even at home), and my days were spent lounging by the ocean and/or pool.  Rough life, I know.  I did venture out to a few of the shows at night, but for the most part, I made sure to occupy my time with things like staring off into space and sipping on tequila drinks.  It didn't suck.

I had very little internet access while south of the border, so I have all sorts of catching up to do today with work, but I plan to post more photos and stories from our vaca this week.  I hope you guys enjoyed the seriously awesome guest posters who hijacked Bubby and Bean in my absence.  Thanks again to Kelly + Brandi from Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno, Amy from A is for Ampersand, Kate from Scathingly Brilliant, Julie from Olivine's Charm School, Heather from Heather Liebler, and my little sis/food editor extraordinaire Morgan for filling the blog with goodness while I was away! 

More to come...

P.S. I'll be announcing the winner of the January Giveaway tonight, so make sure you stop back by and see if you won!



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Monday, January 30, 2012

Super Fun Date Ideas! // Guest Post by Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno

Hey guys!  It's Kelly from Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno filling in for Melissa on her last day of vaca.  With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to post about fun dates.  I always hear people say that they can't think of something special to do and that all the fun stuff costs too much, so I thought I'd share a couple ideas from our own hangouts/dates with our handsome men.

Have a themed movie marathon.
Dress silly, make snacks, drinks and plant your bum on a couch for a few hours. One of me and Korey's first dates was a Star Wars marathon. It ended up taking us two days to get through the movies and on the third day we went to Houston Health Museum for the Star Wars exhibit. This is still one of my favorite weekends with him.

401982_10100581751791708_16723019_52132112_959149198_n by Kelly Amber Garcia, on Flickr
6706377355_179d61f866_b
Get out and stay out! 
Spend the day at the museum, park, lake or beach. Be sure to pack a lunch and a longboard, bike, swimsuit, fishing pole, etc... you never know where a day outdoors will lead.

Do something creative. 
Set a day aside and just make something together. Whether it's cooking, baking, designing, or making a silly video. Jacob and Brandi love playing in the kitchen while trying new recipes.

Play games!
Invite friends over for a game day/game night.

photobooth
Set up your own photobooth. 
Grab all the props around the house, camera, tripod (or a shelf to prop your camera), your love and a beer. You'd be surprised just how much fun you and another person can have just by snapping photos.

4e01c7a0454d11e1abb01231381b65e3_7
Go shopping!
Korey and I like to treasure hunt in record shops, thrift stores and weird dollar stores. Try it out, it's never disappointing.


Have a dance party. 
If you just woke up, had a fight, celebrated, or need to work off dinner from your favorite Mexican restaurant, pick out five albums and have a dance party.

Make a fun video of your hangout.
All Brandi wanted to do on their 3 year anniversary was make Jacob a special dinner and skate to Redbox to get a movie. Done.

Sunday Stroll
Take a walk and explore your neighborhood. You might just find your new favorite coffee shop!

hybIW
Anyway, the whole point of this is that life's an adventure and no matter what, you always have the capability of having a fun day hanging out or going out on a date. None of these date ideas are ground breaking, but I hope they help you spark some ideas for dates that wont empty your pockets. Valentines day is coming up...

xo,
B+K
Thanks so much to Kelly and Brandi for sharing these great date ideas!  I LOVE the videos!  (The dance party.  SO.  AWESOME.)  You guys definitely need to stop by their badass blog - everything about it is fun and rad.  Also make sure to check out their shop, which is full of some of the coolest handmade accessories you'll ever lay your pretty little eyes on.

P.S. Mama, I'm comin' home!  See you guys tomorrow!


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Saturday, January 28, 2012

A Photography Teacher's Lesson Learned // Guest Post by Heather Liebler


Hello!  My name is Heather Liebler, and I'm Bubby and Bean's featured sponsor for the month of January.  I am also a photographer, mom, wife, chauffeur, first aid expert, cook, yogi wanna-be and as two weeks ago, photography teacher.  I am teaching a class for parents/adults at our local YMCA about composition.  Not necessarily how to use your camera - more how to compose a picture and be able to get the image in your head to an image printed on paper.  I have five students ranging from young mom to "retired Jack" and a few in between.  Through teaching this class, I learned some of my own lesson about the basics of teaching: mainly to never assume anything!


Having been at this whole photography thing for awhile, I learned to take photos on a manual film Canon camera many moons ago. The great thing about film is that you can't really set it to automatic, because even if your camera has this option, it isn’t very refined.  And film and developing  is expensive, so you need to have the basics under your belt to get the shot you want.  OH, and you don’t know if you got the shot until you schlep yourself down to drop off the film and then go back again to pick it up about a week later (unless you begged or promised favors to the kid running the darkroom).  There's a lot to it.

So all that is to say, I decided to teach the "back to basics/need to know" class.  In my opinion, that included aperture or f-stop, ISO and shutter speed.  If you have those down, you can take the image that you intended to take WHEN you intended to take it.  We had a great first class.  I talked about the three basics of all images, then sent my students off into the world to test out their knowledge, requesting that they send me their images by Sunday night so we could go over them on Wednesday at the next class.


On Saturday morning, I started receiving panicked emails, ranging from "I don’t think this is right..." to "I hate aperture!"  So I decided that we would set up a little still-life hands-on exercise for the first half of the next class. Their assignment was to use aperture to manipulate depth of field.  The smaller the aperture opening, the greater your depth of field, and the larger the aperture opening, the lesser your depth of field.  It sound straight forward, right?!  Well, this morning we talked about the assignment, and all of my students had at least one particular area that they just couldn’t accomplish. One student kept saying, "I can’t get it to focus on the part of the image that you are talking about!"  Finally I had them all take their cameras off of auto-focus (I just heard you gasp! I promise, it is possible!), and manually tweak their focus to the area they wanted.  I was still getting blank faces and frustrated sighs.  As I watched this student "manually focus," I took a deep breath, and realized that she had no idea how that you could truly focus your lens yourself.  Then I realized that everyone else in the class had no idea either!

Right then I learned a valuable lesson - you should never assume that something is "known" just because you know it.  I realized that it's important to risk offending to be sure that others know what they are doing - especially if you are teaching!  So I reworked things a little.  And I’m very happy to report that ALL of my students now understand manipulation of their apertures to help them achieve the looks they are going for!  By teaching this class, I was able to learn something myself.


Before I go, here is a quick, basic DIY tip in photography for all of you.  Set your camera to A (it stands for aperture priority, not automatic).  Aperture is the size of the hole in your lens when you take a picture. The bigger the hole, the smaller your depth of field (the area in focus) and the more blur you will have to the area not in focus. The smaller the hole, the greater the depth of field or area in focus. The camera will set your ISO and your shutter speed for the optimum exposure. Then go out and take ten pictures of something you’ve never seen before, placing each object anywhere in the frame EXCEPT the center. It’s always more fun to shoot with a purpose that is not just to record a vacation.  If you do this, I'd love to see what you come up with!  I've also included some of my photographs throughout this post to help to inspire your creativity...

Thank you to Melissa for the chance to chat with you with she's in Mexico!

xo,
Heather
Huge thanks to Heather for being such an awesome featured sponsor this month, and for sharing such a cool story about her experiences teaching photography and such great tips!  You guys definitely need to check out the amazing work she has in her shop, Heather Liebler Photography.  Her photographs are so striking, and the places and things she's shot are really incredible.  If you see something you like, she is generously offering Bubby and Bean readers a special discount of 20% off with the code BUBBYANDBEAN!  You can also find Heather on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog.

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Friday, January 27, 2012

3 Truths About Road Tripping // Guest Post by A is for Ampersand

Hello, all of you pretty Bubby and Bean readers! My name is Amy, and I run a silly little blog called A is for Ampersand. I'm a writer, a designer, but mostly just a secret cat lady. Melissa's gallivanting in Mexico inspired me to write about the one and only thing I love most in the entire universe--road tripping.

The thing is, road tripping at the Morby household is a little more intense. We own a 1984 Westfalia Vanagon, and not only is she our baby, but she helps us road trip like it's our job. She sleeps four and comes equipped with a complete kitchen, including a stove, sink, and fridge. We've spent a lot of time on the road in the Westy, and today I'm going to share with you 3 truths I've learned in all my travels.

The Morby Westy Clan

1. Road trips can solve anything.

Oh, the Westy

Whenever I'm feeling particularly bummed about life or if things are piling up and affecting my mood, I try to plan a road trip--even if it's a quick weekend trip or an overnighter. I'm a firm believer that being on the road clears your mind. You've got all of that time alone with your thoughts or maybe with someone you dig, and your brain loves it. Some of my best ideas have come to me while road tripping, and no matter what, I always return feeling completely refreshed with a brand new perspective on my life, my work, and everything else. Plus, travelling in a van straight out of 1984 has a way of getting you away from screen time and away from cell phone service, which definitely helps realign your priorities. Sometimes you need a break from what the world has to say and just let yourself be you.

2. There are so many good people in the world

RO_SyncroSolstice_camp

As a complete introvert, it's hard for me to get over my shy inclinations and meet new people. But being in the Westy community has completely changed my outlook. Last May we went to a Westy meetup in Moab, UT--think 40+ vans camped out in the desert geeking out over solar panels on our vans. Every van fan was in a completely different place in life--married, retired and traveling America, recent college grad, etc. Whenever a van broke down (which was often considering all of our vans were 20+ years old) the entire caravan stopped to help out. Every single Westy adventure opens my eyes to how genuinely good people are.

3. Life is short. See the world.

Syncro Solstice

I think the best part about road trips in the Westy is the constant reminder that I live in a beautiful country, and that life is too short to stay in our bubble. Having lived in the same state I was raised in, I'm always prone to wanderlust. It's so refreshing to get out and see what the world has to offer. Even the most rural dirt road can be strikingly beautiful and incredibly inspiring. I love the way nature makes me feel completely insignificant and reminds me that I'm such a small part in the grand scheme of things.

RO_SyncroSolstice_night_time

So, there you have it. Three very sappy life lessons I learned whilst traveling in my Westy. This year we're hoping to make a big road trip to Yosemite and maybe even Alaska. Luckily the van came equipped with bear spray, so maybe it'll come to good use.

Any other road trip fans out there? What was the best road trip you've ever taken?

Big thank you's to the amazing Amy for sharing her road tripping truths with my readers!  I spent several summers in my '20s traveling the country in a 1978 Southwind RV, and her post is giving me the itch to plan another road trip soon!   Make sure you take a few minutes to check out Amy's awesome blog.  It's full of good stuff about thrifting, fashion, and of course, her sweet little Westfalia.

Oh, and P.S.!  Our wedding was featured on Rock N' Roll Bride this week!  It is my VERY favorite wedding blog, and I can't tell you how thrilled I was when I got the email that they'd be writing about us.  I'll post more about it when we get home from Mexico next week, but couldn't wait to share the news. :) 

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

5 Tips For Making Your Business Shine // Guest Post by Olivine's Charm School

Hi Bubby and Bean readers!  I'm Julie from Olivine's Charm School, and today while Melissa's on holiday in Mexico, I'm going to sharing my 5 tips for making your business shine! 

1. Write down your dreams and goals for your business in 2012. 
Go ahead, I’ll wait...
Ok.  Now do you have a long, disorganized, anxiety-inducingly  list in front of you and no idea where or how to start?   Good!  That means you did it right!
Look at your list, and choose one thing that's extra juicy.  Now break that task down into tiny little steps that aren’t so overwhelming.   Just ignore the rest of the list and only focus on this new, much shorter and less stressful list.  

Here is an example from my personal list -
1. Redesign my store web site home page
2. Email web designer and schedule time to start project
3. Find five web sites that have a look I admire
4. Go through three magazines and cut out pictures that have the feel I want
5. Ask two friends what they would like to see on my home page
6. Make a list of my changes

See how suddenly that one task seems totally doable once it's broken down?  Now take one of your baby steps, and do it today!

2.  Make your work space shine.
For me, it's really important to have a designated work space that is full of inspiration and not full of clutter. This one is simple: just clean up your mess.  For some reason, when my work space looks pretty I make more money.   It could be Feng Shui, or it could be that when our spaces are cleared we feel good.  When we feel really good people want to spend their money with us.  Make a vision board for your business and hang it somewhere front and center where you can get inspiration and re-focus from time to time.

3. Surround yourself with successful people.
It's great if you have a huge group of friends that party all night and go to their desk jobs all day, but now is the time to expand your circle to include as many people as possible that are doing what you want to do.  I gave this suggestion to someone once on a consulting call and she was sure she couldn’t do it because she lived in a small town and there simply wasn’t anyone around that inspired her.  I had her send emails to three people that she looked up to in her field.  She sent simple emails that were along the lines of “Hey, I think what you’re doing is awesome”, which is a very non-intimidating way to send an email.   She now has a circle of online (super inspirational) friends that she checks in with regularly.  Reach out to one person today!

4. Get over your fear of self-promotion.
I understand, self-promotion is scary and intimidating. Today is the day to practice talking to yourself in the mirror about what you do. Come up with your 2-3 sentence cocktail pitch about your business, make it fun and enticing. "I am a personal trainer" is very unexciting and I would not want to hire you. "I am a personal trainer and I mostly work with new moms who are trying to get their abs back!" would make me want to hire you and/or tell some friends.

5. Turn your computer off, put your cell phone on silent and get a pedicure.
When we are starting a new business or trying to run a business it is very easy to put our self care on the back burner, when in reality that should be at the very front.  Always, always, always make time to do something for yourself daily.  It could be as extravagant as a pedicure or it could be something as simple as taking five extra minutes in the morning to close your eyes and breathe.  Because honestly, if you are following the first four steps then you will soon be lost in a sea of business and opportunities.  If you don’t stop to admire yourself, relax and enjoy the process then what was it all for?

Try out these tips and let us know what happens!  If you'd like to learn more about how to create a charmed business or to make your existing business sparkle, be sure to check out my online small business class, A Lovely Venture: Creating Your Charmed Business.
Thank you so much Julie for this seriously amazing post!  Julie is truly a small business guru you guys.  She's owned and operated six successful businesses, and she really knows her stuff.  Her blog is an incredible place for advice, inspiration, and encouragement.  And her small business class comes highly recommended.  Be sure to check them out!

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

My Mexican Vacation Wish List // Guest Post by Scathingly Brilliant

Hello!  I'm Kate from Scathingly Brilliant.  As I'm writing this, the snow is piling up outside my window and the wind is beating against the side of my house. Even hot cocoa can't tame the raw winter chill in my bones. I'm going to be stuck in New Jersey during the freezing cold months, but that can't stop me from dreaming that I'm on a Mexico vacation, like Melissa is right now!  Here are some of the items I'm packing for my fantasy trip south of the border:

1. A retro one-piece swimsuit in a cool velvet blue.
2.
A giant straw hat to keep the sunbeams from burning my skin. This peachy pink one with a huge brim would do the trick!
3.
Pretty pink heart-shaped sunglasses. In Mexico I won't need rose-colored glasses but I'll be wearing them just the same.
4. My favorite book of short fiction, Nine Stories by JD Salinger.
5.
Some happy music to tune out any noisy beach-goers.
6.
Pretty grapefruit pink sandals. They're plastic so I can just rinse them off when they've been covered in sand!

Huge thanks to the lovely Kate for sharing her gorgeous vacation wish list while I'm away in Mexico.  I wish I had all of these amazing goodies with me right now!  Make sure you pay a visit to Kate's adorable blog and shop.  She is quite the talented artist!


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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

How to Make Homemade Dog Treats!

Hi guys!  I'm Morgan, better known as the sometimes-food-editor here at Bubby and Bean.  I'm also Melissa's sister, and I'm filling in for her today while she prepares to leave for her trip to Mexico.  (I tried to get her to fit me into her suitcase, but alas...).  For new readers, I normally write a feature here called Sweet and Sour, where I document the trials and tribulations of cooking for the pickiest eater alive - specifically, my husband.  You can read more about the story behind behind the series here.

Today I'll be taking a break from Sweet and Sour and my regular human food recipes to dedicate a doggie treat recipe to my sweet furry nephew, Leary, known around here as "Bubby."  As you know, just a few days before this last Christmas, we had to say goodbye to him.  Everybody who met that special doggie instantly got a smile on their faces.  He was one of those friends that was always there for you and loved to snuggle.  And like most dogs, Leary LOVED food!  He knew he wasn’t supposed to beg for it, so when we would eat in front of him, he’d stand sideways and look at you out of the corner of his eye.  It cracked me up!  I was always a sucker for one particular look he'd give that made him look like a big soft puppy.  When he gave that look, a french fry or piece of cheese would “accidentally” make its way into his mouth.   He knew exactly how to work his auntie!  And that boy sure did love his cheese.  I even wrote the "For Leary" message in the picture at the top of this post in shredded cheddar, his favorite. 

So in honor of Bubby, today I'm going to be showing you how to make a tasty doggie treat that I know he would have loved, and that your best furry friends will gobble up too.  I started making these when my husband and I noticed that our furry little girl Isis (aka the "Bean" in the Bubby and Bean!) had trouble eating hard treats.  They are soft so they’re great for older doggies, or for dogs who prefer softer foods.

This recipe is especially for you, Leary (bubby, bo-bos, roy boy, beezy, licious, and all the other nicknames that were made for you!).   I miss you every day.

Total time required: 20-25 minutes.

1/2 cup – 3/4 cups oatmeal (depending on how dense you want the treats)
1/4 cup powdered milk
2 small jars beef baby food
1 tablespoon peanut butter (either crunchy or smooth works great)
Note: You can also use Cream of Wheat or wheat germ in place of the oatmeal.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
3. Shape dough into hearts, bones, or any other doggie themed treat.
4. Place treats on greased cookie sheet or use a silicone baking mat.
5. Cook for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool.  Store treats in your refridgerator for up to one week (or until your furry kid learns how to open the fridge!).


I hope your doggie pals love these treats as much as my girl does!  If you'd like to learn how to make some of my other recipes, you can view them here: dark chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, homemade cinnamon rolls, homemade peanut brittle, and cajun grilled shrimp.

Don't forget to visit again tomorrow, for the first in a series of cool guest posts by some of Melissa's blogging friends.  I'll be back again soon with another recipe for you guys!

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