Wedding Work Nights

I love being creative and so when it came to wedding decor, I didn't hesitate when I decided to do just about everything myself.  From making my own mercury glass to doing all of my own calligraphy for the nearly-100 invitations we're sending out to staining and hand lettering 36 boards for centerpieces to making our favors by hand, there's a lot of DIY going on in the Gettis house.  If wedding planning was like Girl Scouts, I'm pretty sure I'd get the DIY Bride badge.  

But I've learned in these past few months that I can't do everything myself.  It's just too much and though wedding planning has been a relatively stress-free process, I have started to get a little nervous when I look at the things I still need to check off of my to-do list and realize that we've only got two short months to go until the big day.  Luckily, I have a great group of girls who will be standing up beside me on that day who have offered to lend a hand in whatever way I need, plus a really supportive network of family and friends!

If my mom taught me anything, it's that you don't let people inside your front door without being prepared to feed them (can you tell that we're Italian?).  While I haven't yet perfected her prowess in the kitchen, I do appreciate the art of being a good hostess and having food on hand to feed your guests, particularly in those impromptu moments when I haven't planned ahead enough!  One of my new favorites to have on hand is DIGIORNO Pizzeria!™ Thin Pizzas!  

I don't often reach for frozen pizza at the grocery store, but I have to tell you...this one takes the cake!  It definitely tastes as good as if I made it myself, without any of the prep and guess work that goes into making pizza at home (I never know how to find the perfect sauce-to-cheese ratio!). 

It was quick to prep (only took about 15-20 minutes in the oven) and the preservative-free crust is delicious.  These DIGIORNO Pizzeria!™ Thin Pizzas are also topped with real cheese, premium meats, and delicious veggies, and come in four different varieties...Supreme Speciale, Primo Pepperoni, Margherita (my fave!), and Spinach & Mushroom.  With so many different options to choose from, having a few on hand is sure to please anyone who walks through your door.  (Plus, if you try DIGIORNO Pizzeria!™ Thin Pizzas and don't like them, you can visit Digiorno.com for a info on how to receive a refund...so grabbing a few of these next time you're at the store is a no-brainer!)

I love getting to spend time with my bridesmaids and family as I share this exciting season of life with them, and I'm so blessed to have such awesome people surrounding me!  Even if it's just having someone keep me company while I work on wedding stuff, or just having someone over to watch a movie and take a break from all of the craziness of wedding planning, it's always great to spend time with the people that I love!  Keeping a few DIGIORNO Pizzeria!™ Thin Pizzas in my freezer for those impromptu moments and meet-ups is a great way to be hospitable and have good, quality food that's quick and easy to prepare to feed my guests!

HAVE YOU TRIED OUT ONE OF DIGIORNO'S NEW PIZZERIA!™ THIN PIZZAS?  PICK ONE UP NEXT TIME YOU GROCERY SHOP, AND THEN BE SURE TO VISIT DIGIORNO ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU THINK USING THE HASHTAG #YOUBETHEJUDGE.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Cookbook Round-Up

I've been slowly growing my cookbook collection thanks to Blogging for Books (if you're not a member, go check it out...it's great!).  I love having cookbooks and think that a well curated cookbook library can add so much to a kitchen!  Plus, I'll be a wife in a few months, so I figure I might be cooking a little bit more once AJ and I are married, so I'm always open to having great recipes at my fingertips!  And I'm a sucker for a book that I can hold in my hand, vs. just something I find on my screen.

Here are some of my recent finds, faves, and additions to my cookbook collection! 

A KITCHEN IN FRANCE //

Ah, French cooking!  Anything french of course makes me think of Julie & Julia, and it intimidates me!  But this cookbook, which has great photos and features fresh, locally-found ingredients, makes me feel like I can tackle it!

MY NEW ROOTS // 

My New Roots is easily my favorite of my new cookbooks.  I love eating a plant-based diet and filling my diet with fresh fruits and veggies!  But just eating salads can get boring.  My New Roots is filled with (again) gorgeous photography and simple, delicious recipes.  I'm so excited to break this one out all summer for some inventive, creative recipes!  Plus, it's just one of those books that has a great feel to it, ya know?  I highly recommend!


THE PORTLANDIA COOKBOOK //

If you're a fan of Portlandia, then this one is a no-brainer.  A cookbook and comedic journal all in one, The Portlandia Cookbook features recipes that are fashioned after Fred & Carrie's antics on the show, plus little tips, stories, and photos throughout the book.  If nothing else, this cookbook is just fun!


TACOLICIOUS // 

I. Love. Tacos.  But I eat them the same way every time, which is why I love Tacolicious!  Who knew there were so many inventive ways to construct a taco?  AJ and I love going out for mexican food, but this cookbook has me so inspired to cook it at home so much more!  

HOMEMADE DECADENCE //

I'm not gonna lie, me and my attempt at cutting down the amount of sugar I consume are having a really hard time with this one!  Everything in this cookbook looks amazing, and it's all from Joy the Baker.  Joy has been around the blogging world for a long time and her site is fantastic.  This cookbook is exactly what I would have expected from her...pretty photos, great design, and wonderful recipes and tips!

I received these books from Blogging for Books for this review.

DO YOU OWN ANY OF THESE COOKBOOKS?

Lashes for Days // Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lash

My friend Melissa hosted a virtual makeup party a few weeks ago with Jill Cassidy, an independent Younique consultant, and "invited" me to it on Facebook.  I didn't really think too much of it...I like trying out new products but I also like to be able to actually check products out in the store before I buy.  As I started getting notifications from the group, I quickly realized that this company's pride and joy was it's mascara.

If you have been reading Heavens to Betsy for a little while, you probably can guess:  I was immediately intrigued.

As a girl who has the unfortunate fate of getting her dad's basically hair-free genes and the tiniest, stubbiest eyelashes, I love my mascara.  (For real though...my lashes are practically microscopic!)  Melissa has a similar lash situation, so after reading about Younique's Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes mascara for a little while, I finally just texted her.  I wanted the real deal about this product before I dropped $30 on it!  I had seen photos of what the mascara apparently could do, but I was still skeptical...I wanted the dirt on it from someone I trusted!

Melissa couldn't rave enough about it, and with Younique's 14-day money-back guarantee, I figured I had nothing to lose and I took the plunge and ordered.  I don't often devote entire blog posts to rave about just one beauty product, but girls....this mascara is the bomb [dot] com.  When I'm wearing just one coat, my lashes look longer than they ever have before!  It's so awesome, in fact, that I'm reconsidering my obvious need for falsies on my wedding day...this mascara might do the trick all on it's own!

Applying it is a bit of a fascinating process...there's a transplanting gel that basically looks like your typical mascara.  You sweep a coat or two of that on, and then lightly sweep the fibers over your lashes, and follow that up with another coat of the transplanting gel.  I was a bit apprehensive when I first tried it, but it only took about two minutes to get the hang of it.  And the coolest part is watching your lashes get longer and more voluminous as you apply!

Another thing that I love about the Moodstruck 3D Fiber lash mascara is how light it is...you would think that applying a minimum of 3 coats of product to your lashes would weigh them down, but it's amazing.  I've never worn a mascara that is so light I can't even tell I'm wearing it, and friends, I've tried almost everything your drugstore carries!  Because of my short lashes, mascaras usually gunk up around my lash line and then I can always see my weighed-down lashes when I blink.  Not anymore!  It's the best feeling.

If you're anything like me, you're probably a little bit skeptical of online companies that you might not have heard of before.  I get it!  I was too...but I'm so glad that I tried out this mascara.  Even though it's a bit pricier than I'd normally spend, it's proven to be absolutely worth it!



I don't feel like I can properly review a makeup product without showing you a photo of myself wearing it, so here goes.  This is not even half of the magic of Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes at work....I brushed on a quick coat in the church parking lot on Sunday morning and worked six hours, then went for a run, then a walk with my mom, and did some stuff around the house.  So if you need any proof of whether or not this mascara holds up, here is is.  The real magic here is that you can actually see my lashes.  Sadly enough, that's not always the case!



I've partnered with Jill, (who's awesome, by the way!), to offer one lucky reader the opportunity to try out Younique's Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes Mascara!  I'm so excited to give someone else a chance to try this great product, and if you're looking for longer, more voluminous lashes, then I highly recommend that you check it out, whether you win or not!  Check out the Rafflecopter below to enter the giveaway and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This post was in no way compensated by Younique.  All opinions expressed are my own...I just really love this product!  The giveaway is sponsored by Jill Cassidy's Younique Boutique!  Thanks Jill!

Ollie Approved: Chewy.Com

My dog might just be the most spoiled pup on the planet.  After our last dog passed away, my parents said that that was it.  No more dogs.  Their kids are grown, and even though I still live with them, it's not exactly as if I'm in need of a lot of care and attention.  They like to take little day trips and they didn't want to have to worry about having a dog at home to care for.

But then we thought about having a puppy...and that dog-shaped hole in our hearts started growing bigger, and somehow, my mom and I convinced ourselves that what my dad really wanted for his 50th birthday was a golden doodle.  Enter Oliver....our black-bear fur ball with more energy and love than I think I've ever seen a dog have.  And to say that he's like their third child is the biggest understatement of the year.  He has more toys and balls than any dog I know and he also has a permanent seat reserved for him in the back of my mom's vw beetle.

So when chewy.com asked me if Ollie might like to try out a few of their treats, I couldn't say no!  We're really intentional about feeding Ollie wholesome, grain-free food and treats, and Chewy had a huge selection that fit our standards.  I thought he might like to try out some Orijen Free Run Duck Treats, and they couldn't have been a bigger hit! And our sweet new friends over at chewy.com even sent ollie a new toy, just to spoil him a little more!



Goldendoodles are pretty darn smart, so a few weeks ago, I decided to see what would happen if I gave Ollie the opportunity to choose his snack.  (Also, I just couldn't decide what to give him, so I wanted to let him pick).  I held two bags of treats in front of him and asked him to pick....and he did!  It's become a fun little game that we like to play in our house.

Ollie loves the Orijen Freeze-dried treats from chewy.com and after reading more about Orijen, it was such an easy choice to order them.  Orijen makes treats that are fresh and "biologically appropriate," which basically means that they're made to mirror the richness, freshness, and variety of meats that our pets would naturally hunt if they were in the wild.  Their treats are rich in meat, have low glycemic indexes, and include fresh fruits and veggies as well as meat.

So when I was thinking about how I wanted to show Ollie's love of his treats from chewy.com on the blog, my mom suggested a video where we played our new game.  Disclaimer:  I did not coach him at all in this...he totally chose the orijen treats all on his own, and he loves them!  I love them too, because they're made with free run canadian duck and they have a low calorie count.  I feel good that we're giving him quality treats!




We couldn't be happier with our service and the quality of the products that we got from chewy.com! They were super helpful and had such a great variety of treats and toys.

Would you ever consider ordering treats for your furry friends on chewy.com?  What kinds of treats and toys do your pets love?

Thanks to chewy.com for sponsoring this post!  I was offered these treats by chewy.com for review purposes, but all opinions expressed are my own (and Ollie's)!  

Love, A Cup of Coffee, & a Giveaway!

thanks to the peachtree coffee group and five star coffee for sponsoring today's post!  i received this product free of charge for review purposes, but all opinions are mine.

it was over a cup of coffee that aj told me he maybe sort of had a huge crush on me.  he's not a big coffee drinker, but i love it.  (for real, go look at my instagram feed).  however, we've started nearly every road trip we've taken with a warm drink in our hands and i've been known to call him on my way to his house to see if he wanted me to pick something up for him (aka so i wouldn't look rude when i showed up with a latte for me and nothing for him).

when we started our premarital counseling a few weeks ago, we were given the homework of praying together and reading certain scripture passages together before our next session.  for me, reading that scripture looks something like an open bible and notebook...and of course, a cup of coffee.

when i got the opportunity to try out five star coffee's romantic moments collection sampler box, i couldn't say no!  i'm a "light and sweet" kind of girl....which means i love flavored coffees and i love flavored creamers in them, and each romantic moments box features four flavored 12-cup sampler bags of coffee (perfect for those moments where you're just brewing for two!).

my box featured georgia pecan, hazelnut creme, english toffee, and cinnamon stick coffee, and honestly, i can't choose a favorite!  each flavor was smooth, rich, and met all of my expectations for a good cup of coffee.

what i love even more about each bag is that the label is tagged with a bible verse about love, and the back of each pack has a little devotional thought to do together.  i love the question that is posed on the back of the georgia pecan bag:  "...consider how your love might be different if you did not know god..."  that is certainly a question that aj and i are pondering as we approach marriage.

i think it's great that five star coffee has taken the simple act of drinking coffee together (something that so many couples do) and made it easy to turn it into intentional time with one another and with jesus.  i love imagining what the morning routine that i share with aj some day will look like, and i hope that it includes some mornings of having breakfast and coffee together and sharing some time spent in the word.

and five star coffee has offered to give one heavens to betsy reader the opportunity to try out their own romantic moments sampler box!  check out the rafflecopter for ways to enter.  you must complete both mandatory entries to be eligible to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

all entries will be verified, so please play fair.  good luck!

Learning with Disney

as many of you know, i'm a preschool teacher.  two days a week, i spend my mornings with fourteen three-year-olds, getting a little messy, drying tears as necessary, and singing and dancing to educational songs, and a lot of times, talking about disney.  my preschoolers love all things disney.  three of them have been there since the school year started, and we are constantly hearing "let it go"  and talking about buzz lightyear.

so when disney started testing out their new imagicademy apps, i knew i needed to try it out with my class!  i love incorporating technology into the classroom.  it's relevant, fun, and really engages the kids.  and the imagicademy apps don't disappoint!  the app is made up of mickey's magical math world and the imagicademy app for parents, which provides tons of great articles and data about what your child is doing on the app!

my class loved playing around with mickey and his friends as they built rockets, sorted items, and even watched little animations in this fun, space-themed app. and as their teacher, i felt good about using classroom time on this app because i knew my kids were being taught basic math concepts as they played.  mickey's magical math world made learning these concepts so much fun for my students...they were excited every time they opened a new game on the app and one of mickey's friends popped up!  unlike so many other apps that use rote memorization, mickey's magical math world uses a series of games that build on each other as the learner progresses.

and if you're a teacher or parent, you know how hard it can be to come up with lesson plans or activities that your kids love!  the imagicademy app for parents is an awesome resource.  i loved checking out the articles and ideas that the app provided, and the app was a great way to celebrate my students' creativity and curiosity!  and best of all, both of these apps are free to download exclusively for ipad in the apple app store!


i was selected for this opportunity as a member of clever girls collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Moda VoxBox

i was delighted when a bright pin influenster box showed up on my doorstep, and even  more excited when i opened it up and found all the goodies inside!  this box was packed full of treats and supplies for the cold weather ahead!

here's what was inside:

puffs to-go pack

hair food conditioning mask

rimmel london scandal eyes rockin' curves

jergens ultra healing lotion

rimmel london moisturizing lipstick

rimmel london transparent lip liner

swiss miss simply cocoa hot cocoa

resource natural spring water

resource natural spring water // this was, well, water.  it was good and if i spotted it in the store, i'd but it again.  but honestly, it wasn't really anything special!

puffs to-go pack // i honestly do love these.  they're just tissues, but i love the soft pack...so convenient for throwing in the car!  and as a girl who is picky about what her tissue boxes look like, i definitely approve of this design!

swiss miss simply cocoa // i've always loved swiss miss, so i was excited about this!  it boasts just five simple ingredients, no artificial flavors or colors, and no preservatives.  perfect little warming treat for these cool, crisp autumn mornings of evenings!



hair food moisture hair mask // this is one of my favorite products in the box!  i love the smell of it, and it definitely does it's job of moisturizing!  i was wanting to try this out when i spotted it at target, so i was really excited about getting this in my voxbox!

jergens ultra healing lotion // this one went right into my purse...my hands are super dry and chapped these days, so this was a god-send.  it's so moisturizing, has a really light scent, and soaks into your hands quickly so that it doesn't leave you feeling greasy!  really, the perfect hand lotion!



rimmel london scandal eyes // ok, you all already know about my love of mascara.  so getting a free mascara is a win in my book!  this one is great...the brush is super curvy to help give your lashes an extra boost, and it really did leave my lashes feeling soft!

rimmel london lipstick & lip liner // honestly, these were my least favorite items.  i don't wear lipstick, let alone lip liner, so immediately i was like "eh" about them.  i did try them on and while they went on really smoothly, the color of the lipstick just wasn't for me.

what about you?  are you a member of influenster?  did you get this or another voxbox recently or have you tried any of these products?

i received these products complimentary from influenster for testing purposes. #modavoxbox

A Few of My Favorite Drugstore Mascaras

i'm a bit of a mascara addict.  i've probably tried no fewer than twenty different brands and kinds of mascaras in the past five years and if you ever see me in the beauty aisle at target, i'm probably buying mascara.

see, i have these huge eyes, and then no eyelashes.  i'm not being dramatic...i literally have the shortest, stubbiest eyelashes known to man.  my brother has better lashes than i do.  (when he was little, his were so long that they actually would hit his glasses and then bend.  so not fair.)

i didn't hop on the mascara train until i was almost out of high school, because it always kind of scared me.  but once i discovered it's magical lash-giving powers, you bet i hopped on that train and never hopped off.  you know how every gal has that one beauty product they won't leave the house without?  the one thing they put on, even if they wear nothing else?  well for me, it's mascara.

so the other day, i pulled out just a few of the mascaras i had floating around my makeup drawer (and my purse, my desk....you get it), and decided to do a little round-up of a few of the drugstore mascaras that i'm currently toting around.



covergirl // lash blast clump crusher
i've purchased this mascara more times than i can count.  i have a tub in my bathroom counter drawer, a tube in my purse, one in my desk at work, and one in my gym bag.  to say that i love the lash blast collection is an understatement.  it's a great drier formula, is totally build able, and comes in a bunch of different varieties (length, volume, fusion (length + volume), and clump crusher.  the plastic-bristled brush does a great job of coating each lash and then separating them.  it's a great every-day mascara.



l'oreal // voluminous million lashes excess
i'll be honest and say that i'm a bigger fan of just the voluminous million lashes mascara than i am of this excess version...this one is a bit more wet than it's original counterpart and the contoured brush just doesn't do it for me.  that being said, i get great length out of this mascara...whether it's the original formula or an updated version.  i love building this with a few coats of lash blast, as they work well together to add volume and separate lashes.



rimmel london // lash accelerator endless
so i've only been using this one for about two weeks, but it has given me bolder, longer lashes than any other mascara i've used in quite a while!  it's similar to voluminous million lashes, in that it's a pretty wet formula and a plastic-bristled brush, but it's brush has tons of little bristles and it's tapered so that you can really grab every lash.  it's so dark that i almost felt like it was too much to wear to church (but then i remembered that no mascara is too much for my sad tiny lashes, and wore it anyway).  and bonus!  lash accelerator boasts a lash-growing formula, and claims that if you use it consistently, you'll see improvement in the length and volume of your lashes in 30 days.



physician's formula // organic wear
besides coming in a pretty cool tube, this is the one organic mascara on my list.  it's a lighter formula than some of the others in this post, but it's also the only one that is completely free of parabens, dyes, and fillers.  this mascara leaves my lashes soft and flexible.  it's not overly heavy, but still gives some definition.  the brush has shorter plastic bristles and is pretty fat, which for me, can be tricky (because my lashes are so short!), but for someone with longer lashes, could be perfect!



have you tried any of these mascaras?  what's your go-to?