bullfrogs & bulldogs

Feature Friday – Homemaker in Heels

June 29, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 3 Comments

D and I are off for a little weekend camping trip where we will be roughing it on the MeKenzie River here in Oregon. Stay tuned for my tips on how to organize efficiently for a camping trip!

Today’s Feature Friday is Crystal from Homemaker in Heels. You can find her blog here and you can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest too!

Homemakers in Heels is a DIY blog I recently discovered and Crystal offers tips on thrifty decorating that anyone can do! I’m loving her new Chevron Lamp & “Mercury Glass” Lamp Makeover.

Aside from all her DIY and crafting, Crystal is a southern bell who also shares all things pertaining to her favorite recipes, random rambles about her life and her faith and a weekly weekend craft link party.

So get to know someone knew today and stop by Homemaker in Heels and say hi!

Happy Friday everyone! Have a great weekend!

Restoration Hardware Inspired Botanical Pressing

June 27, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 10 Comments

Awhile back D an I were at Restoration Hardware, one of our favorite stores, and I saw these botanical pressings and fell in love with them. Unfortunately, how do I put it, I’m cheap or better yet, thrifty and I stored the idea in the back of my mind for future use.

Via

As I continue to work on our living room I’m realizing that we need more interest on our walls. We have a smaller wall that is bare and I thought it would be just the perfect place for my version of botanical pressings and this is what I came up with.

I started with picking up a few frames at Goodwill that cost anywhere from 99 cents to $2.99. After taking them all apart I primed the frames and then spray painted them Heirloom White and let them dry. Once they were dry I fitted each one with the leaves I felt best suited their size and look and wrapped the back board in a muslin fabric to add texture.

From here I added Annie Sloan’s Soft Dark Wax to each frame to give it an antique feeling and I love the way they turned out.

After spreading them out on the coffee table to figure out where they would go, I mounted them on the wall.

This was a really simple and cost-effective project that added a whole lot more life and interest to the walls of our living room.

I only have two more projects to finish before the living room is finished! I’m getting really excited and I can’t wait to reveal it to you all!

If you love what you see, don’t forget to follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest too!

I’m linking up to the following here as well as The Girl Creative, Home Stories A to Z, Tip Junkie, Funky Junk Interiors

Filed Under: DIY and Crafts Tagged With: Restoration Hardware Botanical Pressing

Carrot Cake Oat Cake with Cashew and Date Frosting

June 25, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that I have a huge sweet tooth. I was all about chocolate for many years but I suppose my taste buds are changing cause this last year or so all I want are cookies, cakes, pastries and tarts. I thought that once we went vegan all my decadent cravings were going to have to be ignored forever. Truth be told, indulging my cravings is easy as ever and to be honest, I prefer the way vegan desserts taste. Although not technically ‘good’ for you, I feel better knowing they aren’t loaded with butter and other dairy products.

The other problem is I can’t have gluten. I mean I can, I don’t have celiac, but all sorts of unpleasant things happen to me so I do my absolute best to avoid them when possible. So when we are craving something sweet I have a few things I have to consider.

I came across this recipe on The Wellness Warrior, one of my favorite go to blogs for all sorts of nutritional and health information, and altered it to what I was craving, carrot cake.

This recipe is so easy and super fast to make.

What you will need:

{I only made 1/4 of what the recipe called for as I was only making it for D and I}

4 c. G/F Oats

2.5 c. Grated Carrots

4-6 Mashed Bananas

1.5 tsp Vanilla Extract

1.5 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 c. Honey

1. Mash up all the bananas until there are no clumps.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

3. Pour into a greased baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

For the Frosting;

Soak 1/2 c. cashew and 1/2 c pitted dates in water for an hour. Drain and put in mixer along with 1 tsp vanilla extract and blend. You may need to add a little nut milk or water to get a smoother, creamier consistency.

Enjoy!

I’m linking up to the following: Allergy Free Wednesdays

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Carrot Cake Oat Cake, gluten free, vegan

Frigidaire Do-over Moment

June 23, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 1 Comment

I try really hard to live my life without regrets. I think every experience can be one you learn and grow from but I’d have to admit, they’re are a few things I’d like to possibly go back in time and re-due or alter a little bit. For instance, like the time in the 4th grade when I got a spiral perm. I mean, I have naturally curly have (very curly) hair. What was I thinking?

(I may not be in the 4th grade in this picture but it gives you a good idea of how curly my hair was/is. My mom’s hair wasn’t too shabby either.)

But in all seriousness, if there is anything in my life I’d do over it would be this. I would have held my head higher and lived with more intergrity. I was a fairly insecure child and adholesant. It took me quite some time to learn how to be comfortable in my own skin and be true to my own heart. I only wish I knew then what I know now.

I would have stood up for those getting picked on instead of standing in the background fighting for them in my head. I would have joined more clubs, played more sports, and rescued a whole lot more animals. I would have listened to my instincts instead of fight them.

Awhile back D and I were running errands and I asked him this very question, “If you could do anything over what would it be?” After he shared with me I told him I would have been more confident and let my heart lead instead of my head…and I would have taken more art and writing classes.

I hope when we have children we teach them that life is too precious and short to be held back and not live up to their our full potential. Do it now, do it now, do it now I will say.

I hope to teach them to live with integrity, grace and humility.To live in the moment. Eat your veggies, stomp through mud puddles, sing as loud as you can and love as deeply as humanly possibly.

But there is one thing for sure I will not let them do; and that is get a spiral perm.

The Frigidaire Gallery™Dishwasher gets dishes fully cleaned the first time, so there are no dish do-overs. Nearly half of adults admit to re-washing and/or re-drying dishes after the dishwasher cycle has been completed. To prevent dishwasher do-overs, Frigidaire® is stepping in with its new Gallery® Dishwasher featuring the OrbitCleanTM Wash Arm, ensuring dishes are cleaned right the first time.

I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All the opinions expressed here are my own.

Filed Under: Reviews, Sponsors, Giveaways Tagged With: Friigidaire Do-over Moment

Feature Friday – Under the Sycamore

June 22, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 1 Comment

Update: You may notice a few changes! Still a work in progress but it’s getting there! I included a new button option so go ahead and grab it if you’d like!

“ />

I’m pretty sure this is already a well known blog but I literally stumbled upon this blog yesterday as I was reading another one of my favorite blogs, Lil’ Boo Blue and was immediately sucked into Ashley’s world, Under the Sycamore.

via

A ‘retired’ professional photographer, stepping down in 2008, Ashley still snaps photos on a daily basis of her life with her husband and FIVE children. What caught me first with Under the Sycamore was her overall layout of the blog. When you click on one of the three links under her banner, Favorites, DIY or Photo Tips, you wont find many words but rather photos, many photos and when scrolled over you will get the few beginning sentences of that particular blog post. I love it. I think it is one of the more unique and interesting blog layouts I’ve seen.

When you delve deeper into Under the Sycamore you begin to see the heart and love behind the compilation of Ashley’s life experiences. From crafting, DIYing, and photography to parenting, being a wife, a parent, and adopting. It’s heart, it’s soul, it’s life, it’s real. I think that is way it sucked me in. I also have a thing for really awesome blog and website layouts.

Here are a few of my favorite post written by Ashley at Under the Sycamore thus far. I still have a lot of browsing to do but love what I’m seeing so far!

DIY

Pallet Bed

Vintage Hat Box Lampshade

Favorites

SisterCousins

DIY Star Wars Costumes

I Have a Voice

But seriously, if you haven’t checked Under the Sycamore out yet you should. If you love blog writers that ‘get real’ then head over and say hi to Ashley.

She’s also on Facebook and Pinterest too!

Filed Under: Life in General Tagged With: ashley ann photography, pefect little finds - DIY, photography, Under the Sycamore

Sneak Peek of Living Room Updates

June 21, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 10 Comments

Happy first day of summer! Hope you all have some fun plans for today and throughout the summer months! It’s just get started here in Oregon. Well, it’s technically summer but it really never feels like summer here in the Pacific Northwest until at least after the 4th of July.

I finished a few projects for the living room update and I thought I’d give you a quick sneak peek of them. I have a few left, the big ones of course and should be able to finish up hopefully some time soon!

One of my main goals is to bring some pops of color into the room. D and I tend to go after the neutral colors and after assessing our whole house I realized we need a little more color in our life. It doesn’t mean I’m steering clear from my neutrals though. I mean, old habits die hard after all.

I thought the perfect way to add a bit more color is through lamps, picture frames, and throw pillows.

First up, our new yellow lamp! I found the base at Target and spray painted it yellow by Martha Stewart and threw on a new white lamp shade. I think it’s my new favorite piece in the living room. And by the way, this was a huge step out of my comfort zone.

Next up, I found a curtain I really liked at Target and make a quick and easy pillow out of it.

Last but definitely not least, I purchased an old lamp at the Restore in town for $5. Unfortunately, I can’t find the before picture but to give you an idea, it was a 1970′s style lamp with a gold based and oil-based brown stained wood. It was mighty unattractive.

I love the look of twine and since I’m on a project kick using the stuff I decided to try it out on this lamp. I love the way it turned out. I’m not sure about the lamp shade, which was just one I had lying around the house, but I can always change that out in time.

For the lamp base, I just stray painted it white and then wrapped twine around the whole middle using foam glue to secure it. I think the twine adds such a fun texture to an otherwise boring lamp.

And a few more fun additions.

Stay tuned for more fun things coming soon! To give you a little idea of what’s to come, I’ve been working on a new dresser for the living room, a made-from-scratch tufted ottoman, and see what we are doing to this wall with old barn wood!

And don’t forget, you can also find Bullfrogs and Bulldogs on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

I’m linking up at a few of the following:

HookingupwithHoH

Filed Under: DIY and Crafts Tagged With: living room revamp, spray painted lamp, twine lamp

Sun Chlorella – Product Review

June 20, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 2 Comments

For as long as I can remember I have always been interested in being the healthiest person I can be. My mom has called me her ‘health nut’ for as long as I can remember and I think it’s a nickname that fits me well. Sure I have my weaknesses and like many people indulge in life’s decadent things like desserts, french fries, and nachos every now and then but I love learning about those amazing Superfoods out there and trying new tasting fruits, veggies, and powerful grains like quinoa. I love when my body feels strong and energized from the foods I eat and not sluggish, bloated and tired.

That’s why I got really excited whenI was contacted Sun Chlorella USA about trying and reviewing their product. Not only did they ask me to try their product but they wanted our pups to try their new and improved Rejuv-A-Wafers for dogs and cats. As I had already been reading up on the stuff I knew it was a product I could trust for not only myself BUT our furry family members, Isis and Maddy as well.

Via

So what is Chlorella you are probably asking and why should one add it to their {and their pets} health regimen?

Chlorella is a strain of green algae emerging over 540 million years ago found in fresh water. It was actually the first sort of plant life found with a well defined nucleus!

It’s FULL of fiber with one serving of Sun Chlorella containing more dietary fiber than many top fruits and veggies. It’s a probiotic and helps promote the growth of the good bacteria in our digestive tract that is so important for our body’s digestion. It’s chalked full of protein. Ounce for ounce, this wonderful green stuff has more protein then steak or soy alone.

via

One serving of Chlorella is equivalent to one serving of fresh green veggies and we are suppose to get quite a few servings a day, right?

And one of the best things about Chlorella is the Chlorophyll found in it. It has one of the highest levels of any plant-based food source and helps in eliminating dangerous and harmful toxins from our bodies in a very natural and gentle way. With all the many forms of toxins out there today I can’t even begin to tell you how very important this is!

So, what are my thoughts on the product after trying it for over a month? Well first I should tell you what I tried. When I opened my box I was very pleasantly surprised to find so many amazing things just for me!

They included their Sun Chlorella Cream which I LOVED and sadly just ran out of.

Pros: I noticed a difference in my skin complexion right away. The few pimples that I had went away and my skin overall felt a lot smoother and a little goes a long way.

Cons: It’s rather on the pricey side and I’m not sure I can spring the $80 bucks for it every 6-8 weeks.

Overall though, this was my favorite skin care product I’ve used in a long time!

via

Sun Chlorella Tablets

Pros: I loved that they are in tablet form and I can just take them with a big gulp of water. I did notice an increase in my energy level.

Cons: The price. A 30 day supply is $30. That adds up over time but hey, can you really put a price on your health?

Via

Sun Chlorela Granules

Pros: Again, I just love knowing that I’m putting something into my body that is helping it run at it’s optimal levels.

Cons: I’m not a big fan of taking powdery supplements. The taste isn’t all too pleasant and again, the price is a little out of my monthly budget.

Via

Rejuv-A-Wafers for the pups.

Pros: I love knowing that our dogs are getting something that is detoxifying their bodies hopefully contributing to a longer, healthier life.

Cons: I didn’t notice any significant changes but then again, they were only taking them for a month.

Overall, I’d keep them on these wafers just knowing that it could mean that much longer with them.

Via

My overall feeling about Sun Chlorella USA is that is provides a great product that is helping up to be the healthiest possible. I would definitely recommend this as part of anyone’s daily Superfood regimen. Just knowing that it is helping to clean us up where we cant leaves me feeling like I am taking one more step in the right direction to being the healthiest I possibly can.

Do you have any health regimens you are just dying to share? I’d love to hear all about them!

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Sun Chlorella USA. I received no monetary compensation but received free product to review.

Filed Under: Reviews, Sponsors, Giveaways Tagged With: Sun Chlorella USA, Superfoods

Sponsors Spot

June 18, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs Leave a Comment

I’m really excited to announce that Bullfrogs and Bulldogs is now all set up to take sponsors! I’m using Passionfruit which I highly recommend and is super easy and user friendly.

So what kind of ads are we offering?

Here is a little run down and what comes with each spot.

All spots last for one month. If you’d like to secure your spot for longer just notify me or you can always just sign up again for the following month!

I’d love to work with other blogs, businesses or etsy shops and if you have a fun products you’d like for me to giveaway or review I am more then happy to do that as well as long as it is something I truly believe in.

Current Ad Spots Available

The Big Dog $10

A 200 x 200 ad space that comes with lots of love. A Feature Friday post that is all about YOU, inclusion in a monthly sponsor spotlight highlight post plus lots of facebook and twitter love throughout the course of the month.

The Middle Dog $ 7

A 200 x 100 ad space that comes with inclusion in a monthly sponsor spotlight highlight post and lots of facebook and twitter love throughout the course of the month.

The Small Dog $ 5

Sponsor Spotlight mention and lots of facebook and twitter love coming your way!

Ad SWAP

You know that good ol’ saying what goes around comes around? Well how bout we give each other a little good karma? If you are interested in doing an Ad Swap I have a few spots left, first come first serve. Promo Code is swap.

As with all new things it’s quite possibly there could be a few bumps in the road but I will fix anything that may arise ASAP!

Can’t wait to work with you!

And without further ado, I’d love to introduce you to June’s current sponsors!

Carrie @ DreamGreenDIY

Jenny @ The NY Melrose Family

Katie @ The Terpblog

Paige @ The Eloping Stethoscope

Courtney @ Live in Love Always

I’m so excited to work with you ladies!

If you would like a June ad spot Passionfruit makes it really easy! Go straight to my sponsor page and to the ad size you’d like. Clink on it, fill out the info and viola! You are pretty much all set up! Easy as that!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and spoiled your dads and husbands!

Filed Under: Blog Love Tagged With: DreamGreenDIY, Live in Love Always, Passionfruitads, The eloping Stethoscope, The NY Melrose Family, The Terpblog

Feature Friday – Vegan Housewives

June 15, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 2 Comments

Since D and I are somewhat new to a Vegan lifestyle I, we are constantly reading various sources to make sure that we are first and foremost, getting all the nutrients we need to live a very healthy life but also to help us educate others (who are interested) on why we choose to live this way. We never want to come across as pushy or uneducated about our own lifestyle choices.

I recently came across a blog that is written by two lovely ladies who more then prove that Vegans still have fun and eat incredibly tasty foods. Kortney and Katie of Vegan Housewives are two friends who love good food, thrifty finds, and cruelty-free fashion and beauty products and so much more.

Vegan Housewives

Even if you aren’t Vegan you will still find these gals very entertaining and probably, if not definitely, find a few treats on here even the most carnivore loving person will eat!

I mean, look at this Vegan Biscuits & Gravy! YUM!

Via

So whether you are a little curious about what it means to be Vegan or you want to see some of their crafty endeavors you should most definitely stop by Vegan Housewives and take a peek!

You can also find these lovely ladies on Facebook and Twitter!

Filed Under: Feature Friday Tagged With: Vegan Housewives

5 Things To Do With Twine

June 13, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 4 Comments

I’m a little late in the game but lately I’ve been obsessed with twine. I have several projects I want to do using the small natural fiber rope and I’ve compiled a little list of five of them to share with you.

The fun thing about twine is it adds a little interest to any project without a lot of added cost.

Here are five projects I want to do using twine!

1. Front Door Decorations: Wreaths and Monogram Letters

Via