Whats Been Goin On?

Ok so its hard to believe it has been 16 days since my last post. The longest it has ever been since I started this blog which was back in the fall of 2009. Lately it has been--well-- CRAZY-- is an understatement. 

Recently and when I say recently I mean within the last week we found out that we are moving. 

We knew it was a possibility but we just never knew when. We also didn't expect  (well I guess I should say "I") didn't expect it to be this soon. 

I know I have talked about trying to sell our home in the past and it just hasn't happened.With us planning on moving before July 10th we knew we would have to make some decisions. Our Realtor was really sweet and said she would let us out of our contract so we could try to rent the house. Which is what we are going to do.

I listed it on Craigslist and have talked with 4-5 people (who all check out--no scams) and are going to look at our house. 

Woop--woop... I am pretty excited about that but I just pray that we will be able to pick the right renters for us. It is a scary thing renting your home for the first time. I sure don't want anyone coming in an ruining things. So we are being very careful, getting background checks amongst a few other things. So hopefully no worries there. 

So yes, I am moving sometime between July 8th-July 10th to Savannah Ga. I am busy making appointments for renters, packing, playing with the kids, calling and e-mailing on homes for us, and much more. I feel like I'm running a circus!!

But I am thankful my husband has a job and I will always support him.

Well I must run for now. I need to finish a few things before our two appointments tonight. Hopefully I will get a chance to update you next week once we decide on a place. So for now-- Have a great rest of the day!

Slowing Down

Good Morning Tuesday... I can't believe your already here. 

This long weekend we had such a blast but it went by really fast. We really enjoyed our time in the sun and was finally able to get the boys to the beach for a day. They absolutely loved it, but I knew they would. I mean what boys doesn't like to dig in the sand?

It was also nice to spend time catching up with friends and family over the long weekend. So I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend just as I did.

So now to business....

I have been giving it much thought the past few weeks ( month) and last night I finally had that moment where I decided that I was going to go through with this thought. I am sad to say but I am going to slow down on my blogging for Mommy Buzz. This does NOT mean I am going to forget about the blog or stop blogging altogether, I am just going to slow down. And who knows, some weeks I might post everyday and some weeks I might not post but once. I don't know what to tell you to expect but I do know this--
This decision was not an easy decision. I feel as if I am sorta giving up on something that I recently started but that is not the case. I am simply slowing down and as much as I love to blog, to share ideas, to give you new recipes, advice etc. I won't stay away much.
Honestly, there are a few things that are taking a bit more of my time then what they should and my priorities need to take priority. So this means something(s) must give (or go) and in this case it happens to be slowing down the amount of times I blog.   So... please don't stop following/reading/commenting/or using the blog archives to read old post and check back often for new post.

I appreciate those of you who read Mommy Buzz. Thanks for understanding and hopefully I will be able to pick back up sooner rather then later.

Talk to you soon!

Thanks,

Oh...

Oh...

and I wasn't going to forget to share with you this months photography tip ...Ha

Open Light Studio's is a professional husband and wife team who give us tips each month on how to better yourself with the camera.

Here is June's Tip:

Framing

Look at how your subject is framed in the photo.  Are there distracting elements in the photo, like a tree limb coming out of their head?  Is your subject too small in the photo?  Seek to create an interesting composition with your subject by placing them slightly off centered to the picture.  Be creative and try new ways of framing. This will make your photos more dynamic.

 Here is a photo taken by Open Light Studios.

This might help with this tip...

To read the other post from today click here

3 Day Weekend

Are you as excited as I am about a 3 day weekend? 

I love it whenever my husband has more then just Saturday and Sunday off. We always enjoy being together as a family so when holiday's come around we get excited.

I saw this recipe and wanted to share it with you as a thought for the weekend. Appetizers are always a great crowd pleaser while waiting for the main food to be served. I have made a dip similar to this before with taco seasoning added to the sour cream. You could always add it the sour cream in this recipe and I think it would add a little more flavor. You gotta let me know if you try it.

Southwestern Layered Bean Dip

Ingredient:

• 1 16-ounce can fat-free refried beans preferably spicy
• 1 15-ounce can black beans rinsed
• 4 scallions sliced
• 1/2 cup prepared salsa
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices chopped
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 medium tomato chopped
• 1 medium avocado chopped
• 1/4 cup canned sliced black olives (optional)

Directions

Combine refried beans, black beans, scallions, salsa, cumin, chili powder and jalapeños in a medium bowl. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart microwave-safe dish; sprinkle with cheese.
Microwave on High until the cheese is melted and the beans are hot, 3 to 5 minutes.
Spread sour cream evenly over the hot bean mixture, then scatter with lettuce, tomato, avocado and olives (if using).

On Monday I shared with you a little bit about my sister moving away. Her husband has this amazing opportunity to start a new job in Baton Rough, Louisiana. If you know where I live then you know that it is a long ways away from here. 

So as you can see we will not be seeing each other as often as we do now.
The move has come on pretty quickly and they have been told they will need to move by July.
They have already been in search of a house and have found one! Yay--that is a huge answer to prayer. And from what I hear the place with be perfect for them.
As you can see this is an exciting opportunity for them but still very sad to see them go. I didn't think I would grow up and live so far apart from sisters and family. But we gotta do what we gotta do and I completely understand that you can't always live in the city you grew up in.
So when you think about us say a pray for her and me as we prepare for this big change in mine/hers/ and our boys lives.

Hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Thursday Already

As Monday morning rolled around this week I have to be honest--I was dreading the week. I think it was for numerous reasons--that seem so petty now.
Now hear me out--I was not dreading the week with my children or my husband--it was the week in general.I wasn't taking one day at a time but looking at it as a whole. Still-- this isn't something to brag about. I know am being way to honest but there is a point to this.
And you have to admit there has been a week or two in your life that you sorta dreaded. So don't make me sound soooo bad.

Don't take this post as a meltdown or call me a nut case...Because I can assure you I am far from both. 

 It is that I realized early on--thankfully-- that I was being completely selfish. I needed a change of heart and I needed it fast. My priorities needed to change and I needed to just enjoy the time I had with my children and give thanks for all I have been given.

And now, I can't believe it is Thursday. We have had rain everyday at our house but we have made the best of those times. The boys have had a chance to get out and run off some energy and now today, the sun is shining. All those little petty things have gone away and to me nothing is more rewarding then being a stay at home mom/wife. I am so thankful that I was reminded this early on in the week and was able to get my act together with God and my family. It is amazing how we can become so overwhelmed at small and very unimportant things. I refocused my thoughts, my prayers, and thankfully I was brought back to reality that life may not always be fun, we may not always have something planned everyday to go out and do but it will be ok. Cherish those quiet times with the kids and don't be so uptight about the laundry and a clean house.

God had a plan for me this week. It was to get right with him.
Let me share with you real quick about our house--Each week we show our house on an average of 4-6 times. If you didn't know before you know now that we are trying to sell it. Not the best time to sell but we are giving it a shot. This week our house hasn't shown once. Which I honestly feel like it was God giving me a break from having the house perfect everyday. I will kick it in first gear today and get it ready for the weekend but I am thankful for this little break we were given from having to pick up and leave at a moments notice.

I say all this to say, I am not perfect, I have flaws, I make plenty of mistakes in my childrearing, and I'm not always right (which I will admit.) But I have a loving and gracious God who was patient with me and guided me as the necessary changes took place.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
       - Philippians 4: 4-7

Creative Office

Most of us don't have a room dedicated solely to a home office. Or at least I should say "We Don't Anymore". You know--as the the little ones come along rooms and space get turned into "other" spaces. In spite of our limitations, we still want our homes to be attractive, personal and inspiring. So, if we are short on space and want to keep our expenses low, how do we manage to have a well-organized office and still have our homes look great? In doing some photo research, I came across a few photos of some clever home office organization ideas I thought I’d pass along for inspiration.

Desks can be expensive, but you can make your own to suit your needs. My own personal desk is actually two file cabinets with a desktop for a surface.

Like this one below 

(

(Picture from Potterybarn-Desk from Potterybarn)

I find that works well for me, and is definitely something you could make on a budget. Even old ugly file cabinets can be spray painted to give them a fresh look. Another suggestion is to buy or find table legs to attach to an old door. Or, use an old table fixed up with a new paint color. Instantly personalized desks!

 Like this one

(Better Homes and Garden)

Similarly, you can take several old file cabinets and give them new life with paint and new knobs. Instant credenza! Or, find an old dresser and give it a fun new paint job. Dressers are perfect for extra storage just about anywhere, including your home office! Frame a white board with wood to create your own custom message area.

With a little color coordination and creative storage containers, you can store office supplies right out in the open in just about any room of the house. You can cover storage boxes or even shoe boxes with paper to coordinate to your decor. Baskets also work well to corral papers and supplies.

Or, use tables with skirts or curtains that coordinate with your decor to help hide some of the clutter. Find wasted places under counters, shelves, or tables to claim some space for storage. Perfect “creative concealments!”

In small quarters, you can utilize any corner to hide some supplies! A skirted table in a dining room can hide file cabinets or shelving, and a coffee table can be topped with cushions to create both a charming seat and a place to stash supplies. You can also organize a closet to contain your home office needs.

Finally, I wanted to share an adorable space I found. This was the ladies personal and functional office in a little nook next to a laundry room. She infused the space with her own personality, including a pretty accent wall in spring green and storage boxes and baskets that complete her look. She packed a lot of punch and usefulness in what could’ve ended up as wasted corner.Very cute!

photos: Pottery Barn

Better Homes & Gardens

Visit here for more of my post on decor. Visit here for more of my post on organization.

Memorial Day

As I started to feel better yesterday and this morning, food began to sneak its way back into my mind. Since I am feeling better I thought what a better topic then food for Memorial Day? My thoughts started racing with ideas but I wanted to keep it simple and budget friendly. After thinking about what recipes I could use I had to think--reality Krysten--reality...What are people really going to eat?

Well I know people will cook out, have some side dishes, and of course dessert.

Simple enough.

These are easy and tasty dishes that your family will really enjoy.

Stuffed Turkey Burger
Fruit Salad Delight

Apple Almond Salad

Frosted Fudge Brownies

Stuffed Turkey Burger
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1 cup chopped onions and bell peppers(1/2 cup each)
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Mix ingredient in bowl. Add olive oil as desired to hold together and keep moist. Turkey tend to try out when cooked so the olive oil will help. Divide turkey mixture into 8 equal round sized burgers. Cook until done on grill or in stove. Approx. 5 minutes each side

Fruit Salad Delight

1 lg. can pineapple chunks or tidbits, undrained

1 lg. can mandarin oranges, drained

1 lg. can peach pie filling

1 lg. pkg. (about 12 oz) frozen strawberries, thawed

2 lg. bananas

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate. Add bananas right before serving to reduce browning. You can add any leftover fruit from the week that needs to be used to this as well. Chopped nuts can be added if desired. This salad will keep in the frig up to a week.

Apple Almond Salad

4 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sizes pieces

1/4 cup diced dried apricots or white raisins

1/4 cup sliced almonds

4 green scallion onions, sliced

Dressing:

1/4 cup orange marmalade

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

In a large bowl mix together romaine, onions, apricots, almonds, and apple. In a small bowl mix dressing ingredients until well blended. Drizzle over salad when ready to serve.

Fudge Frosted Brownies
1/2 cup Plus 2 tbsp butter
6 tbsp cocoa
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 all purpose flour


In medium saucepan, melt butter and add cocoa. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Blend in eggs one at a time and add vanilla. Stir in flour and mix well. Spread into an 8x8x2 greased pan. Bake at 350 for 25-27 minutes.

Frosting:
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp cocoa
1 cup confectionery sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecan(optional)

Melt butter and add cocoa. Mix in sugar and add enough milk to make mixture creamy, beginning with 1 tbsp milk. Increase milk by 1 tsp at the time. Add pecans if desired and spread over cooled brownies. When completely cooled-slice into squares.