Stuffed Quinoa Peppers + 3 Ways to Make More Time For Family

This post is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Success®. One box of Success® Tri-Color 100% Quinoa was provided to facilitate this recipe.

It's unreal how quickly time is going by! My little baby is now almost one-year-old and each day I'm just hoping to keep up with her rapid growth and sassy attitude. One day she is learning a new word, the next she's toddling around the room and giggling at me as she soars by with her walker. Honestly, she's really learning something new each second and it's amazing and bittersweet to watch. This little girl is one smart cookie and she keeps me on my toes, constantly.

Being a mom is my greatest blessing, but it's also SUPER time consuming, ya know like a 24/7 "job" type of deal... as I'm sure my fellow mama friends recognize! I'm not complaining about her taking up a lot of my time either, I just wish I had more of it to spend with her. With that said, I'm trying to find ways to make more time for family and today I want to share three of those tips.

1. Spend less time on electronics - Sometimes this is easier said than done, but log out of your messenger and take a deep breath without posting on social media for a little. It's nice to step away from your phone, computer, tablet, tv, etc... and just connect with one another. From playing in our little reading corner to having a blast trying to run around outside, being present with Delainey has been a real priority for me lately and I think we both enjoy the "extra" time it feels like it gives us.

2. Stick to a schedule - While paying attention to time seems to be a nuisance to those of us that need more of it, I've noticed sticking to a schedule really does seem to help keep me in the moment. Knowing when activities are happening doesn't just make you less anxious about what events are coming, it's good to stick to a schedule for a child's sake too. Getting overly tired, having a late lunch, or not getting in enough play time can make even the sweetest peach a little sour. So make a daily schedule, including strict eating, nap and bed times and stick to it!

3. My last tip, but certainly not the least important: Cook at home with Success®Tri-Color 100% Quinoa! - I'm not just talking about making great recipes, I'm referring to the 100% whole grain, gluten free, Tri-color Quinoa blend from Success! With a light fluffy texture and a slightly nutty flavor, Success Quinoa is the perfect, wholesome addition to some of your favorite recipes. What makes Success time saving? It's easy to cook in just 10 minutes and it makes the perfect ingredient, especially in the recipe I've included below.

These Stuffed Black Bean Quinoa Peppers are the bomb! They are packed full of flavor and are protein rich, the perfect meal to serve any time - such a success!

Stuffed Black Bean Quinoa Peppers

For this recipe you will need:

3 bell peppers

3 cups of water

3 cups of vegetable broth

2 bags of Success® Tri-Color 100% Quinoa

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup red onion

1 15oz can of black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 heaping tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tbsp cumin

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp chili powder

Black pepper and salt to taste

Vegan Cheese (optional, but delicious)

Avocado sauce:
1 avocado
3 tbsp cilantro

1 1/2 fresh squeezed lime

1 scallion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup water

salt to taste

Rub 3 bell peppers lightly with olive oil, roast that colorful rainbow of tasty on the top rack of the oven, stem up, at about 450 degrees for around 8 minutes. Turn peppers on side after 2-3 minutes and onto other side after another 2 minutes. Pull these out, set them aside to cool, and turn your oven down to 350 degrees.

In a medium sauce pan, add 3 cups of water and 3 cups of vegetable broth, then submerge 2 bags of Success and bring to a nice boil.

Once boiling, let cook for the recommended 10 minutes.

While your delicious quinoa is cooking, add 2 tbsp olive oil to a medium sized pan and saute 1 cup of red onion until translucent.

Turn heat to low and add the black bean, tomato paste, cumin, garlic, and chili powder, as well as black pepper and salt to taste! Stir occasionally until quinoa is finished cooking in broth.

Next up, you'll need to start the avocado dressing. You'll begin by adding one avocado, cut into cubes, into a food processor, then add in cilantro, lime, scallions, garlic cloves, olive oil, water, and salt! Blend all together until smooth then refrigerate this tasty saucy goodness until later.

Now, remove quinoa from broth with a fork! Cut the bag open and empty the quinoa into the pan with the seasoned black beans. Simmer with a lid on for 5 minutes to fuse flavors.

Cut the stems off the peppers and clean out the seeds, now cut each pepper in half vertically.

Lay pepper halves on their sides and stuff each with the tasty Success quinoa blend!

Add vegan cheese and cook in oven on middle rack at 350 degrees for 7 minutes, or until melted.

Drizzle avocado dressing on top and ENJOY because... Success is in the bag!®

This recipe is so easy to make and so incredibly delicious, it's one I keep coming back to over and over again. The best part is, I love using Success quinoa inside of salads, mixed with our veggies, or sometimes just by itself with cilantro and lime! What's your favorite way to snack on Success? How do you try to "make time" in your life? I'd love to hear it in the comments!

This post is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Success®.

Breastfeeding Must Haves: 8 Items Every Mama & Nursing Baby Need!

Motherhood is full of ups and downs. From sneaky, sweet little giggles while playing peekaboo to overdramatic tantrums when she doesn't get her way, Delainey is already keeping me on my toes and she's not even a year old yet. While she's keeping me on my game, I'm doing my best to keep her as healthy and well-fed as possible!

I'm happy to say, she loves food... but the girl is still very much a milky baby and while it's been a tough journey, breastfeeding seems to work well for us. With that said, we had a learning curve... just like all new moms and little babies. It took me a little while to figure out what all we really need to make our breastfeeding journey successful, but I think I've finally narrowed down that list and today is the day I'm sharing it with you.

So if you're an expectant or new mom that wants to give breastfeeding a good ol' "college-try"... then take notes, girlfriend! These items are all MUST HAVES for breastfeeding and should be on your registry or added to your to-do list pronto!

1. Breastfeeding Pillow - Seriously everyone needs a breastfeeding pillow, not just new moms. It makes lounging the most comfortable ever and I'm not gonna lie, I sometimes use it to support my arms while I'm reading... because hello comfort! *giggles*

But in all seriousness, we wouldn't have made it this far in our breastfeeding journey without a great nursing pillow to support us. When D was a newborn, she was a constant cluster feeder - without having a pillow to help support her, I would've had truly wobbly arms and never have gotten anything done.

2. Nose Aspirator - While the idea of dealing with the removal of boogers and snot isn't so appealing, it's just the part of the reality of parenthood. With that said, a nose aspirator is a must on days when baby is a little stuffy and won't latch correctly. We've had a few meltdowns mid-feed due to a little congestion and once her nose is cleared, she's good to go again!

3. Evivo - Speaking of good to go, I had no idea that Delainey needed a probiotic already... until recently! No shame here though, as I said, we're on a learning curve! After finding out a probiotic is not only recommended but necessary for my little milky milkerson, I started giving my sweet girl Evivo.

What exactly is Evivo? You can get the full details here. But in short, it's an activated probiotic, clinically proven to restore her little belly back to it's natural state. The first of it's kind, it helps release nutrients in my milk to create a protective environment in her gut, which in turn helps her build a better immune system and builds a healthy foundation for her life.

Plus, I think she likes the fact that this "medicine" includes her favorite thing ever... milk! Find out more about Evivo can help you on your breastfeeding journey here.  Plus you can use the code "ev7-t6tbadc8" to save $10 off your Evivo 4-week starter kit!

4. Baby Toothbrush - The next item on my list of must haves for a breastfeeding baby may seem strange. But once your sweet baby gets to the "teething stage" a finger toothbrush is a must. Not only does she enjoy gumming on it, she is learning a life skill at a super young age and you're preventing bad bacteria from growing in her mouth - it's a win - win situation, really.

5. Tank Tops Galore (and Nursing Bras) - If you're in for the long haul with nursing, you'll want to learn the double shirt method pronto!

It's simple really - wear your nursing bra, a tank top, and an overshirt. When it's time to feed baby, remove your tank strap, unhook the clasp of your nursing bra, and bon appetit for baby!

Side note, I often just take the straps and entertwine them with my nursing bra clasps so my tank stays up but my bra is easy to unhook at a moments notice.


6. A Good Pump - Another item that's great if you're extended breastfeeding, a reliable pump! I actually don't pump as much as I thought I would, but when I do it's important that it works well! Find one with adjustable speeds, easy to use dials, quiet features, and (while you can't predict this) hopefully one that allows your milk to flow! Read reviews and make decisions based on what your insurance will cover!

7. Lactation Cookies - I'm a hardcore believer that cookies are necessary for everything... but these cookies really do help increase milk production. Check out this recipe and make a batch to see for yourself.

8.  Reusable Water Bottle - The last item on my list, but definitely not the least important - a water bottle. Staying hydrated is the MOST important thing to keep your milk flowing... at least for me! Be sure to have water with you at all times, drink it like it's your hobby, and then drink some more. It's so important for both you and baby, so don't skimp!

While I'm not an expert, I think breastfeeding for almost 11 months, without ever supplementing, now gives me a little bit of authority... right? With that said, I'd love to hear if any fellow nursing mama's have any tips for new mom's... or if any of my new mama friends have any questions about breastfeeding, I'll do my best to answer them - leave a comment below and let's chat!

Brand Reppin' FAQ - The What, Why, & How of Repping Small Shops

I keep starting to type up all of these posts about brand repping - including posts about who we rep for, why we rep, how we achieve our lighting indoors and outdoors, etc. but I never end up hitting "publish" for some strange reason. I actually have had people ask me what brand repping is... and why we do it... and it's something I've really had to think about.

So, instead of trying to summarize our repping experiences, favorites, tips, etc in one post, all through the month of August, Delainey and I are going to share our favorite boutiques, some of our tips for repping, maybe even a few insider secrets. Want to chat about something specific? I'd love to hear your ideas so please shoot me a DM on instagram or email me!

With that said - mamas, go grab a glass of wine.
Potential brand reps, go grab your sippy! It's time to talk shop, y'all.

Let's start with a handful of simple questions.

Bow from Darling Diva Boutique Bows, Top from Creek Baby & Co, White Denim from Baby Bottoms

What is a brand rep?

Basically, a brand rep is someone who represents the brand by taking high quality photos, promoting the brand and engaging with the brand, and ultimately, helping the brand grow. In exchange for helping the brand, reps typically get items for free or a hefty discount, whatever you decide upon making it a mutually beneficial exchange.

Bow from 21 blessings, leo from Brooklynn & Grey, socks - from a friend

How can your beautiful little bundle of joy start repping?

Well, sometimes it just happens and companies reach out if they find you via a random hashtag... but most of the time - you have to enter rep searches to be chosen. To enter, typically, shops have you repost a graphic on instagram promoting their search with a little about your kiddo in the caption, sometimes searches ask for information via email, and sometimes shops hold searches within their VIP facebook groups too.

Bow from Darling Diva Boutique Bows, Tunic Dress from Ricrac & Ruffles, White Denim from Baby Bottoms

What are shops looking for during rep searches?

It's not a cute kid contest - they all will tell you that! Typically, shops want bright, clutter-free, crisp and clear photos. It's best if these photos accentuate and bring attention to the product. Happy, curious, introspective, funny, moody, and lifestyle type of shots seem to be the most popular - but each brand rep has their own style and once you start to rep, you can of find where you fall in the spectrum!

Bow from Darling Diva Boutique Bows & Romper from Ricrac & Ruffles

Why rep?

Well... while I adore the big names we work with and the opportunity to spread awareness about our favorite brands at Target or Walmart via sponsored posts, I also have a soft spot in my heart for small shops. There's just something so special about handmade, specially crafted just-for-you items.

From Delainey's bows to the little gladiator sandals that go between her toes, I'm a huge fan of mixing and matching clothing and accessories from all of our favorite shops and spreading the word about all of those shops with you and my other friends. It's amazing to watch something a friend of mine made, with their own hands, go nearly viral with popularity when I post it on D in a facebook group or instagram. It's even more amazing to know that I'm helping a family live by sharing photos of my sweet girl.

That's what it's really about for Lainey and I. Spreading the word about our favorite shops, helping them to gain success, and also making friends and shopping buddies along the way. It's cool to get free and/or discounted clothing... but it's really cool to know I'm helping a fellow mama support her family doing something she loves by providing her with a little bit of advertising for her business. I suppose it's a bit like pro bono work since I'm a blogger first and foremost, but I just can't help but share these cute handmade shops work!

Bow from Chloe & Piper, Tunic Dress from Ricrac & Ruffles, Socks - from a friend

What exactly does a rep do?

Delainey and I receive items in the mail and within 3-7 days we provide high-quality photographs to our shops and then we spread the word. We talk about the new items on social media, we post in groups all over facebook, and when someone asks about her clothing in public, I even write down the shop names. I provide a discount code, for some of my shops, and they can track if I'm bringing in sales when that code is used. It really is a bit of a job, but I prefer to call it our "hobby" since Delainey seems to enjoy dressing up and I know I enjoy photographing her.


With that said, it's time for another rep shoot so I'll end the first part of our Reppin' series here.