Tuesdays, Treats & Truths & Happy New Year's Eve! Love Nelly Bellie

Happy Tuesday Nelly Bellier's!

Treats

It's New Year's Eve! Happy New Year to everyone in the world who is ahead of us, especially my favourite place, New Zealand. How is everyone celebrating? Going out? Staying in? Hanging with family and friends? I am still quite sick.... booooooh. So we will be staying in tonight with Nelly Bellie. A quiet family celebration. That's ok though, as long as I am with the ones I love then it's all good.

11 more days to enter my giveaway Christmas / New Year contest thingamabob so click here for for your chance to win free stuff! Who doesn't love free stuff? Don't forget you could also give the prizes to someone as a treat!

So I have a BIG treat to share with you today. I got my new camera yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! As you can see I'm very excited. After a ton of research, and seeing what my favourite bloggers use, I decided to go with the Canon PowerShot S120. Eventually, I will also get an DSLR but for now this this little camera is amaze-balls! I did a bit of testing it out last night, and I am so impressed! Not only does it take amazing photographs, but the video! Hello! It is truly a 180 from the quality of video that I have been putting up, which will also be a treat for you guys! 

I highly recommend this camera. Not only can you take RAW photographs, but you can also change the aperture, ISO, etc, like you would on a DSLR, and it also has some nifty features (like making a 'miniature type world') that users will actually use. Also, the viewing screen is a touch screen and the camera has wifi connectivity, which means you can transfer photographs to your computer, phone, tablets, without the need of a cord, or you can put photographs / video up on the fly if you are out and about, etc. I have put a few photographs down below for you of Nelly Bellie that I shot last night. Please keep in mind that I was very ill when I took these, and literally had spent about 10 minutes with the camera at this point. However, these were taken in a low-lit room, and I didn't even need to use the flash, very cool!

One last possible treat. If I'm feeling up to it, I'm going to try and shoot my 'What I Got for Christmas' video today on my new camera and upload today. Stay tuned!


Truths

I am not making any New Year's resolutions this year. I feel like it is much more meaningful to make positive and life-changing decisions when the time is right. We are all constantly changing, growing, reflecting, and trying out new paths in life, so while I have aspirations and things I want to accomplish this year, I am going to go with the 'flow of things' so to speak, and take things one step at a time (hopefully that makes sense?). I have nothing against anyone that does make resolutions, and in fact, I would love to hear what resolutions you have made, or any thoughts about New Year's resolutions that you have? Comment below :) Chris and I did officially join the gym, so I do plan on getting super buff and healthy :) but that is for many different reasons, which I will share with you when the time is right.

I thought I would also share a funny truth today called "You Know That You Are Sick When...". Yesterday was the first day I have left the house in a few days (due to this nasty bug) and poor Chris had to deal with my delirious state all day (hehe). So I thought I would share some of the things that I said, which I barely remember. You know when you are so sick that you can't even form proper sentences, and what you are saying makes no sense? Like you are almost in a dream-like fog? Well that was me. 

You Know That You Are Sick When: you see a man chopping up branches with a chainsaw (from our crazy ice storm) and you say to your boyfriend, "look, that man is making a forest". (Yes, I actually said that and thought it made perfectly sense, and no I'm not on drugs (say no to drugs) except for Extra Strength Tylenol Cold pills).

You Know That You Are Sick When: your boyfriend keeps pointing out the car we want to get, or the name of the car keeps coming up during conversation, and you say, "what's that? I'm not sure what you're talking about", even though he's explained it to you probably at least every hour (he probably felt like he was in Groundhog Day!)

You Know That You Are Sick When: you point out a very broken and poorly tree (again from our crazy ice storm) to your boyfriend and he says "sadly, the city doesn't care about that tree because it isn't close to any power lines" and you not only start waving at the tree, but you also try to speak to it "I care about you tree" (don't worry I won't be going out today :)).

Some more treats for you…

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

“A dog's New Year's Resolution: I will not chase that stick unless I actually see it leave his hand.” ~ Unknown

Christmas Update & Sick As A Dog

Hello Nelly Belliers!

I hope you all had a wonderful and Merry Christmas! What fun things did you do and get for Christmas? Let me know in the comments area below this blog.

I wanted to write a quick blog today to let you know that I haven't forgotten about you, I have just caught a really nasty flu virus thing, so I'm a little out of action right now. I am hoping I will be a lot better tomorrow so that I can go get a new camera! Yes, that's right I will no longer look like a ghost or a dark blob on my vlogs! Yayyyyy! 

We had a fabulous Christmas (thankfully I got sick on boxing day) and I got very spoilt. I am hoping to film a "What I Got for Christmas" vlog soon. I have noticed a few floating around the world of YouTube and I think they are quite fun to watch, so hopefully you will too. I will also include what Nelly Bellie got for Christmas, minus one toy because she has already managed to destroy it. Does anyone know of any really durable dog toys that won't break the bank? If you do please write in the comments area below and let me know. It would be GREATLY appreciated.

I have been checking my YouTube intermittently, and am really enjoying all your 'favourite thing and least favourite thing about Christmas comments for my Giveaway Contest'! Keep them coming. Don't forget that you only have until January 10, 2014 to enter.

Also, I had a lovely comment about my shepherd's pie video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZVyW4g4xNE&feature=c4-overview&list=UUWqW8pYITGp3B8zekTb5t3A (the comment is on my Christmas Giveaway 2013 video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qApiaUOR5jE) and yes, I will definitely make more cooking videos. I really enjoyed making that video, and future cooking ones will be even better with my new camera! By the way I love when you guys suggest vlogs that you would like to see more of, or even if you have any new ideas, so please let me know. I check my comments etc, all the time.

Ok, this is fairly short and sweet because I need to go lie down again. Let me know what you did for Christmas, or what your favourite gift was down below, so that I can have something fun to read while I'm in a flu daze. :) :) :)

Also, don't forget to enter my Christmas Contest Giveaway Contest! It's super easy to enter and you could win some great stuff! Who doesn't like FREE stuff?

How to Enter This Contest:

1. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
2. Watch my video (here is the link, click here) and then post your answers to my 2 questions that I ask you in my video. Post your answers in the comments area below the video on YouTube, and don't forget to like the video (pretty please).
3. Follow my blog with Bloglovin (or Google Plus, etc)
4. Follow me on Twitter, and 
5. "Like" me on Facebook

This contest is open to anyone (it is international) and you can enter as many times as you like (but remember I will be checking that you are subscribed / following everything above, and that you have answered my 2 questions). Feel free to pass this on to friends, family, etc. This contest opens once my video goes up and ends on January 10, 2014. 
Good luck!

My YouTube Channel :: http://www.youtube.com/TheNellyBellie
My Twitter Account :: https://twitter.com/TheNellyBellie
My BlogLovin :: Follow my blog with Bloglovin
My Facebook Page :: https://www.facebook.com/TheNellyBellie

I leave you with these pics from Christmas Day............

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

"The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants." ~ Johnny Depp

Happy Christmas Eve! Christmas Contest Giveaway 2013 OPEN

Hello Nelly Belliers!

Well well well....... it is almost Christmas! yayyyyyyyy! Happy Christmas Eve everyone! (actually Merry Christmas to some of you in the world!)

We are officially now on holiday, and thankfully our power has been fully restored. As some of you may know the east coast has been hit by a crazy ice storm, which sadly will leave some without power even on Christmas. Our power was out most of Sunday, and just as we thought all had been restored that evening, it went out again in the middle of watching my favourite movie, LOVE ACTUALLY. How rude! There are lots of people that are in far worse scenarios though, so I feel quite lucky to be sitting in our heated home, safe and sound. 

To those of you who are still weathering the storm, my thoughts are with you and I hope things are back to normal for you very soon. If you have no electricity please go to a friend or family members home, or if you can't do that, please head to a local church or community type shelter. I have heard lots of sad stories about carbon monoxide poisoning, so please do not use any appliance in the home that burns, whether it’s a barbecue, gas appliance or even candles if people are using a lot of them.

On a happier note.... I am making sausage rolls and white chocolate butterscotch cookies today! We will be taking them with us tomorrow for our family Christmas, and I think (I hope) I found a super duper delicious cookie recipe. I'm not a big fan of white chocolate but these look amazing, and I may do half white and half regular chocolate. Livin' on the edge!

We are all finished our Christmas shopping and Nelly's stocking is stuffed with toys (it sounds like we got her tons of toys but we actually only got her three toys, they are just quite large :)). I will try to video tape some of the festivities tomorrow so that I can share our Christmas Day celebrations with you all. Morning videotaping is never great though haha.


Don't forget to enter my Christmas Contest Giveaway Contest! It's super easy to enter and you could win some great stuff! Who doesn't like FREE stuff?

How to Enter This Contest:

1. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
2. Watch my video (here is the link, click here) and then post your answers to my 2 questions that I ask you in my video. Post your answers in the comments area below the video on YouTube, and don't forget to like the video (pretty please).
3. Follow my blog with Bloglovin (or Google Plus, etc)
4. Follow me on Twitter, and 
5. "Like" me on Facebook

This contest is open to anyone (it is international) and you can enter as many times as you like (but remember I will be checking that you are subscribed / following everything above, and that you have answered my 2 questions). Feel free to pass this on to friends, family, etc. This contest opens once my video goes up and ends on January 10, 2014. 
Good luck!

My YouTube Channel :: http://www.youtube.com/TheNellyBellie
My Twitter Account :: https://twitter.com/TheNellyBellie
My BlogLovin :: Follow my blog with Bloglovin
My Facebook Page :: https://www.facebook.com/TheNellyBellie

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

"Dogs come when they’re called; cats take a message and get back to you later." ~ Mary Bly

Nelly Bellie 2013 / 2014 Christmas New Year's Holiday Giveaway Contest Starts NOW!

Hello Nelly Belliers!

Only 4 more sleeps until Christmas, but I thought that I would kick things off early….. so here is my Nelly Bellie 2013 / 2014 Christmas Holiday Giveaway Contest!

How to Enter This Contest:

1. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
2. Watch my video below and then post your answers to my 2 questions that I ask you in my video. Post your answers in the comments area below the video on YouTube, and don't forget to like the video (pretty please).
3. Follow my blog with Bloglovin
4. Follow me on Twitter, and 
5. "Like" me on Facebook

This contest is open to anyone (it is international) and you can enter as many times as you like (but remember I will be checking that you are subscribed / following everything above, and that you have answered my 2 questions). Feel free to pass this on to friends, family, etc. This contest opens once my video goes up and ends on January 10, 2014. Good luck!

My YouTube Channel :: http://www.youtube.com/TheNellyBellie
My Twitter Account :: https://twitter.com/TheNellyBellie
My BlogLovin :: Follow my blog with Bloglovin
My Facebook Page :: https://www.facebook.com/TheNellyBellie



Follow my blog with Bloglovin

"The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him, and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself, too." ~ Samuel Butler

Yes! We Shall Make Shepherd's Pie! Nelly Bellie Recipe

Happy Thursday Nelly Bellier's!

Hi everyone. I thought I would share with you this easy and delicious Shepherd's Pie recipe. Not only is this a nice festive meal, but for those of you surrounded by snow, it is sure to warm the belly! 

If you like this video please subscribe to my channel and like this video.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

"In my lap I had my dear little pug, the smell of whose ears will always be sweeter to me than all the perfumes of Araby and the scent of heliotrope combined.” ~ Kathryn Davis, Versailles

Tuesday's Treats & Truths - Nelly Bellie

Happy Tuesday Nelly Bellier's!

Treats

8 more sleeps until Christmas!

I will be uploading a new video (hopefully tomorrow… and hopefully this is a treat :)).

I am close to posting a giveaway Christmas / New Year contest thingamabob so stay tuned for your chance to win free stuff!

In the next couple of weeks I will be posting a blog about awesome people in the world (who have overcome huge obstacles or have a small business with a heartfelt story to tell) so please contact me asap if you would like to be included (or know of someone who should be). Tis the season to spread love and joy for those who truly deserve it.


Truths

We are trying to make some huge life decisions right now, mostly in regards to where we are going to live. 

Most of family (minus my brother) live on the west coast and Chris' family all live here (east coast-ish). We have talked about making a big move out west, but other days we (or one of us) leans more to staying here (we are both very close to our families). 

We have tried making pro and con lists, flipping coins, and even asking Nelly Bellie (yes, asking a puppy is the smartest way to make a life changing decision :)) - but in the end nothing works. We've tried listening for a "gut feeling" but either our guts are empty or they aren't working properly. We have had lots of conversations with friends and family, but still we end up here… stuck. 

Have any of you had to make a similar decision? What did you do? Please let me know (comment below or email me). Sometimes strangers have the best advice. 

Some more treats for you…

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

“I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source.” ~ Doris Day

Our Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Was A Hit!

Hello Nelly Belliers!

First, my apologies for the delay in blog posts. We had a very busy, fun, and need to recuperate after the Christmas festivities weekend.

Chris and I made our own ugly Christmas sweaters this year and Nelly Bellie definitely gave us her input on what they should say. Basically she decided that she should be the main focal point of our sweaters (see pics below).

If you are going to be heading to an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, or you just want to make one for the heck of it, then follow these easy steps. 

Find a cheap sweater (Walmart, Secondhand Store, etc) and buy some printable iron on transfers. Make sure that you buy the right ones for your material (i.e. for dark vs. light material). 

Print, iron, and let dry / cool for a couple of hours. Then get out the good old glue gun (Michael's has super cheap ones that work great (here's a link to one similar to ours). I recommend getting one per person, otherwise you'll be waiting around a while. Also, buy some ugly junk to glue on (Michael's also has this stuff) and glue, glue, glue (as long as your of age of course). Warning: glue guns can become quite addicting. Let everything dry and that's it, voila, a hand-made and affordable Ugly Christmas Sweater. It's fun to crank the Christmas tunes and pour yourself a drink or two while you're making them.

I'll be working on a vlog (video blog) tomorrow so stay tuned! Things are going to get very exciting.

Happy Monday everyone! Please let me know how your weekend was (post below), and don't forget if you know someone who has a great story (click here for details) pass along my blog information, or contact me to get featured! And please follow follow follow this blog (that's all I want for Christmas).

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

"My dogs have been the reason I have woken up every single day with a smile on my face. I am among the ranks of millions of people who appreciate the souls of dogs and know they are a gift of pure love and an example of all that is good." ~ Jennifer Skiff

Fridays : Finals : Food : Festivities : Fashion : Fur-daughter @ Nelly Bellie

Hello Nelly Belliers!

Fridays: Tis the weekend to be jolly fa la la la laaaa la la la la.

Finals: My final exams are over and out. Not sure how I did. Is it just me or when you think you've done great you do terrible, and when you think you've done bad you do great, and when you think you've done bad you do bad, and when you think you've done great you do great? In other words, are your instincts every right about exams?

Food: I made some delicious shepherd's pie a few nights ago (which has lasted us until lunch today)! I am going to be putting up a vlog which will be a musical video (no talking) where you will make this delicious feast with me. Don't worry, I will put the recipe below the video in the description. Deee-li-cious!

Festivities: This weekend we are hosting our annual ugly Christmas sweater party. Get ready for some fabulous pics, and possibly some video (if our guests agree… don't worry, if they don't we'll just have to feed them extra alcohol).

Fashion: These are a few of my favourite things this week: 1. http://www.gapcanada.ca/browse/product.do?cid=86674&vid=1&pid=748294033 (in Egyptian turquoise) 2. http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/new-york-minuet-dress (so gorgeous!) and 3. http://www.lightinthebox.com/yyj-christmas-gorgeous-jumpsuit-set-with-belt_p922324.html (tee hee)

Fur-daughter: Nelly is loving the selection of dog toys at HomeSense (slash Winners). Great value and great quality. This is her recent toy that she got tonight http://www.rosewoodpet.com/catalogue/detail.aspx?pid=45884&gid=42506&pg=EzU7GN0XFruSnbtxg%2fpoiSC466puG%2fON (sadly we had to send her lamb to the slaughter house). Her tip is skip the pet stores and head to HomeSense for all your Christmas gifts for Nelly Bellie (contact me if you need her address).

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

"Every dog has his day, unless he loses his tail, then he has a weak-end." ~ June Carter

Thursday is ALL Nelly Bellie

Hello Nelly Belliers!

If you haven't been here before….welcome to Nelly Bellie! A blog inspired by my Westie puppy Nelly (Nelly Bellie), turning the big #-5, and taking life by the balls!

Sorry for the late post but as they say "better late than never" (who is "they" anyway?). As some of you know I am in the midst of final exams (click here to find out why), so things are weeeeeee bit hectic but I am committing to putting up a blog every day (I will prevail!). 

This weekend I will also be working on some more vlogs, including a recipe vlog & some more Christmas goodies (all I'm going to say is "possible Christmas giveaway…red alert red alert"). Since I will be done another semester towards my life as a teacher, I will be able to creep out of the darkness and have a normal amount of time on my hands (at last!)! Yabadadoooooo (yes I may need some sleep).

So I promised this blog would include some truths about owning a puppy, so here is a moment of honesty about today. Sometimes trying to focus on very important things (such as studying for final exams) and having a 6 month old puppy around, just don't go well together (it's sort of like baking a Chocolate and Baked Beans cake). I may have Googled "my puppy is driving me crazy" at some point today (there's my honest moment). 

Well everyone good news. The Google response land told me that "I'm Only Human!" and said, "understand that Rome was not built in a day and that it takes time to train a happy puppy. So if your feeling doubtful or a bit crazy, just remember that these bad feelings are perfectly normal and will pass in time". Phew…. the only part I have issue with is the happy puppy comment. Nelly Bellie is over the moon, it's me who's loosing the plot. Maybe it should say "it takes time to train a happy human"?

PS - I love today's dog quote (see wayyyyy below).
PPS - If you are fabulous, please contact me for this upcoming blog - click here
PPPS - More pics to enjoy (see I still love Nelly Bellie!)

If you would like me to review a product, or if you have any business enquiries, or…………. if you have any suggestions of what you would like to see, email me at mynellybellie@gmail.com

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

"I never married because there was no need. I have three pets at home which answer the same purpose as a husband. I have a dog which growls every morning, a parrot which swears all afternoon, and a cat that comes home late at night." ~ Marie Corelli

Upcoming Christmas Feature - Calling all Amazing Stories

Hello Nelly Belliers,

Every day I hear such amazing stories of people doing remarkable things and overcoming huge obstacles in their lives. I thought Christmas would be a great time to start showcasing these stories, and reminding people that there a lot of people in the world who have very little, or who had nothing but made new paths for themselves. Let's reach out and support people that need it during this holiday season.

If you have an amazing story, or you want to showcase your small business (I would love to showcase some gift options for Christmas that are hand-crafted and have a great story behind them), then contact me at mynellybellie@gmail.com. 

This is going to be short and sweet today. Busy day. Sorry Nelly Belliers.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” 
~ Will Rogers

Christmas Party Update & Monday Non-Blues

Hello Nelly Belliers,

Thank you so much to everyone who voted on my Christmas dress and hair style. Dress #3 and Dress #4 were neck in neck for a while, but Dress #3 won in the end (and so did wearing my hair down). 

We had a FABULOUS time and we ended up making some great new friends. Do you ever think "wow, can the universe can hear me?". It's not always easy being so far from most of my family and some of my closest friends, and it's not always easy to make new friends… well not only did the universe deliver some amazing people to us this weekend, but I also ended meeting a Spanish couple who are further away from home than me! I ended up having a great conversation with them, and discovered that there are people in the universe who have much bigger distance issues than me (it's always great to get a new perspective on things). I couldn't believe how happy it made them when we asked them to come for dinner some time, and the wife of the Spanish couple almost cried when I gave her a hug.

My wish for today is that you reach out to someone or give someone a random hug - it goes along way and sometimes I think we forget that little things can have a huge impact!

Here are some pics from the night of the party….

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.” ~ Milan Kundera

Christmas Party Outfit - Which Dress Should I Wear Tomorrow Night? VOTING HAS CLOSED

Christmas Party Outfit - Which Dress Should I Wear? VOTING HAS CLOSED
Thumbs UP and Subscribe :) 

I am going to a Christmas Party tomorrow night (voting has closed - click here to see the results) and I need your help on which dress I should wear. I will show you four outfits and all you have to do is vote in the comments area below the YouTube video or this blog page. Also let me know if you think I should wear my hair up or down.

To subscribe to my YouTube Channel - log in to YouTube using your gmail account and then click on the Subscribe button on my Channel. To like a video click the thumbs up symbol below the video.

Leave suggestions for topics in the comments and let me know what you'd like me to discuss!

My Places ::: 

MAIN CHANNEL : http://youtube.com/thenellybellie
BLOG : http://nellybellie.blogspot.ca
TWITTER - https://twitter.com/TheNellyBellie
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nelly-Bellie/463172693803812?skip_nax_wizard=true
INSTAGRAM -- Coming Soon!
PINTEREST -- Coming Soon!


Yesterday's Nelly Bellie Video "Christmas Haul & Puppy Treats" 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOuYCiCZd0Q&feature=c4-overview&list=UUWqW8pYITGp3B8zekTb5t3A

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

“I'm half-Irish, half-Dutch, and I was born in Belgium. If I was a dog, I'd be in a hell of a mess!” ~ Audrey Hepburn

Nelly Bellie :: Christmas Haul & Puppy Treats Video & a Nelly Bellie update

Hello Nelly Belliers,

Video #2 is up - Nelly Bellie :: Christmas Haul & Puppy Treats (click here or the image below)

My initial thoughts about starting this blog….

Starting this blog / vlog has been one of the best decisions I have made. Not only do I love working on my blogs and videos, but I am also learning a heck of a lot! 

Unless you've done a blog before, I think you are probably sitting there going "this looks so easy", and "this won't take much time at all". Not true. 

I too didn't understand the amount of work that goes in to posting all over social media (including trying to remember the passwords you have created for each site), writing posts, taking photographs, and of course shooting and editing video. Did I get everything? 

I have also discovered how important your camera choice is and that lighting can be a pain in the you know what. I keep apologizing for the quality of my videos (only 2 so far), but when you look at other blogger YouTube channels, you discover how high the video calibre is out in the online universe. Anyway, I am getting a new camera yahooooo, and I should hopefully have it by next week (fingers and toes crossed). What camera do you guys use in the blogging world?

Update about Nelly Bellie….

Poor Nelly Bellie got spayed yesterday. She came home rather groggy and sore, and we didn't get much sleep last night, but she seems to be doing a bit better today. She hates her cone that she has to wear around her neck (when we aren't around), but hey if you had to wear a cone around your neck and walk on all-fours all day, I think you would hate it too (you think by now that vets would have found an alternative option). Other than the cone all is going well. She is sleeping a lot and she is still food obsessed (that's our Nelly).


Here are some quick tips about spaying your puppy:

• before your puppy can be spayed your vet will need to do a complete blood work check to make sure they are nice and healthy
• when should your puppy be spayed? There are lots of different opinions out there, so I would recommend finding a really good vet (we found ours because of a family referral, it's always great to use a vet that someone close to you can recommend). Once you find the right vet, they will be able to make the right recommendation. I would also recommend asking family and friends what they did.
• are the myths true? Some vets will tell you that your puppy will put on weight after being spayed, and other bits and bobs. Good old Cesar Millan says that a lot of these myths are not true. Here is the link, but again, I would recommend doing your research:: http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/basics/spay-and-neuter-myths

What tips do you have? Or what was your experience?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

“I'm half-Irish, half-Dutch, and I was born in Belgium. If I was a dog, I'd be in a hell of a mess!” ~ Audrey Hepburn