Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Coming soon..a CSN Review! + giveaway sneak peek


So excited!
I was recently contacted by a representative from CSN stores promotional team and they asked me to do a product review. I have done giveaways with them before and love how much they offer!! Everything from great shoes to lights for your house. They gave me an amount to spend and let me loose on their site and it was soo hard to pick something. but i had to go with these babies.. i figured i'll use them tons and be able to show off how well they work in my recipe posts! 
Be on the lookout for my review! 

ps. i have a FABULOUS giveaway for you girlies coming up later this week..... hooking up with a friend and her lovely etsy shop. all you mama's/grandma's/friends of hot mama's..you'll love this giveaway. check back for the details!

Pretty Present Packaging on a Budget

first off thanks for all the encouraging words and prayers on the crazy house drama!! moving is so stressful...but your prayers and well wishes have been felt! i'll keep you posted on how it's going.

over the weekend i went to a friend's bridal shower! i wanted to amp up the specialness of my gifts...so i stopped by my local target's "dollar" bin area and grabbed up some goodies!

cost breakdown:
tissue paper - $1.99 (and i have plenty left over for another gift!)
pink metal bin - $2.50
ribbon - $1.00
labels - free

i love the free customizable graphics from www.weddingchicks.com
you pick graphics and colors and then they shoot you an e-mail with your design! i changed it up a bit in photoshop to go with my theme but they have tons of lovely options!
as a joke gift i grabbed some cute baby shower announcement cards that were on clearance..i couldn't pass them up..they were so cute!! and i put this label on them. hehe. :) everyone got a kick out of it.


curious at how huge i am right now???? here's a sneak peak of my next post... another installment of the Day in the Life: favorite bargains, blogs, recipes, style tips & mommy moments

Monday, June 28, 2010

Heartbroken but still smiling.....

So... this weekend we got a call from our buyers that their last underwriter had denied them financing. this was 5 days before we were planning on closing! 

so now our house is back up on the market. 
we have a couple potential buyers looking at it right now. 
i showed the house today to a gal and her hubby from atlanta who follows my blog and is a friend of a friend! we also have a potential cash buyer flying in from jersey tomorrow to see the place...

we are hoping that our original buyers, who are scrambling right now, can get financing from somewhere else and still make it work.

we still have the contract with our new house..but they are marketing it again. so hopefully no one grabs it up from us...and we can get a buyer fast.

i've come to the fact that it would be perfectly fine if i had this baby in this house and moved after... i don't need to have everything perfectly perfect..that as long as we are all together it will be just fine. that is a major achievement for me!! haha. and maybe that's the reason we needed this little "change of plans." 
time to let go and let God!

sophia keeps us smiling and laughing even with all of the house craziness.
everyone needs an adorable almost-2 yr old around to make them smile. :) 




just keep us and our move in your prayers! thanks ladies.
i'll post tomorrow some shots from the bridal shower i went to yesterday and the present i ended up with! gotta love the target dollar area finds to create a pretty presentation!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Real Life Super-Mama Wisdom: Going from 1 baby to 2 babies!!


This is a new feature i'm going to be doing on my blog.. 
here's some tips and lessons learned from some great girls i know!
 this topic is on my mind right not with us expecting baby #2.. so this one is for all you girls pregnant the 2nd time around like me or for those of you thinking about it!!



be sure to visit the blogs of some of these lovely ladies!

have any mama wisdom to share?? leave a comment with your best advice and lessons learned.. i would love to know your thoughts on this.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Easy-Budget Friendly DIY Window Treatment Tutorials

I LOVE these ideas..and plan on incorporating them into our new house when we move in!!

all images and tutorials via Pearl Street Interiors.
Thanks for the fabulous inspiration!

Make Shades out of Mini Blinds
here's her inspiration photo....
i plan on using her tutorial to create this window treatment for sophia's new room! i think i'll just do a simple box shape but the options really are endless!
i love how they turned out in her space!!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Sophia's "Big-Girl" Room Mood Board

So we close on our house on thursday and are renting back from our buyers for 2 weeks before we move into our new house! So besides packing up the house i've been trying to develop a concept for each room so that when we move in we have some sort of game plan and can get things "done" before the baby arrives 4 weeks later! (if i actually last!) 


i've been having tons of contractions. more painful than with sophia and i can usually time them!! ::panic mode::  the other day... every time i stood up i would have one so i forced myself to just sit...hardest thing i could do! but i did finally get around to going through some junk drawers. definitely don't want to move trash with us. 

here's what i've come up with so far for Sophia's room in the new house. i'll keep you posted on the updates and share all the fun diy projects we do in her space!
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Paint colors:
Martha Stewart Paint line at Home Depot - Ballet Slipper and Terra Rosa
Dresser and Lighting - Ikea
Dresser Knobs - Anthropologie
Pom Pom Ribbon - Etsy.com
Pelmet Box Example 
Reading Nook Example

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Outdoor Entertaining

Here's the article i wrote that was printed in Lakehomes and Lifestyle magazine. with all of this fabulous weather it's the perfect time to get outside and enjoy time with family and friends!!


"The internet is full of amazing tips, tutorials and inspiration to pull off any type of entertaining. Let me be your shortcut to using these ideas to your advantage and be fabulous, simply and effortlessly! – the busy budgeting mama

The Sun is shining and the landscaping is pruned, groomed and planted; we all know what that means…time to take the party outside! Outdoor Entertaining is one of my favorite things to do. Why? 1. The mess is outside. 2. It’s a party…enough said! 

Don’t be overwhelmed with the idea of planning a party.. the easiest thing to do is to take it on in steps: figure out what kind of party you want to have, (looking to images for inspiration can always help with this process) break the event down into areas, make your to-do-list and before you know it you’ll have a party planned and executed that would make Martha Stewart herself want you on her design team! 
_______________________
There are so many fun ways and reasons to throw an outdoor party. 
Some fabulous outdoor party themes include: 
movie night on the lawn
pull out the blankets, pop the popcorn, tie up a sheet against the side of the house and you have your own outdoor movie theatre.
a classic cookout- 
complete with burgers, hot dogs and some frisbee or football throwing.
A girl’s only tea party
use your tea sets or gather eclectic dishes to create a whimsical garden party for the girls (big and small) in your life. 
backyard black tie- 
add a little sophistication to your classic cook-out and pull out the champagne and romantic mood lighting and enjoy an outdoor supper. Don’t forget to have your guests dress the part!
No matter what the occasion or reason for throwing an outdoor party…here are some key areas to focus on.


Decorations.
Depending on if you choose a theme or not you can go in many directions when it comes to decorations. An easy way to bring style and a cohesive look to your party is to use a color story throughout your space. Use the same color throughout the decorations, party details and sometimes even the menu items and refreshments!
If you are having an evening outdoor party, great lighting is essential. Some fun options are paper lanterns, stringed up lights or even candles hanging from the tree branches. Banners are very popular right now..use fabric that you have to create a pennant banner or cut out something to go with your theme and string them up! Mix citronella candles with colorful tea lights to keep away the bugs while maintaining a lovely look. Fresh cut flowers for the centerpieces thrown in vases or dishware that you already have add charm to your party!


Food.

Go with simple appetizers or a full 3 course meal..The more recipes you can prep beforehand the easier the day of will be! You want your guests to have tasty treats  at your party but at the same time actually see you outside of the kitchen! Grilling is a great way to put the man in your life to work and let him be the amazingly manly grill master he is. Incorporate seasonal fruit into your menu to keep things fresh and sweet! Go with classic picnic food or kick it up a notch and break out your culinary skills! 


Drinks.
Serve a variety of drinks; from fruity soda’s to fresh-squeezed lemonade. Keep the refreshments chilled in a galvanized tub full of ice. It’s not only pretty to look at but will help cool down your guests! 


Personal touches that will make your parties memorable.
It’s all in the details like Menu Cards or menu item cards showcasing what you are  serving. Place cards are great for groups and add some sophistication to any gathering. Incorporate some kind of fun element into your party such as setting up a bocce ball course, fire pit or photo booth! If your party is child friendly be sure to have activities to keep them entertained while the adults mingle. Art supplies or a sand box works perfectly for this! Favors for your guests can be a creative and fun way to thank your guests for coming! They can be as simple as a bag full of treats to a tiny potted plant! Don’t forget to set the mood with some music!"
_____________________

Natalie of the Busy Budgeting Mama Blog.
images via




Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Archive Post: Favorite Recipe: Mmmm Zucchini Muffins

Sooo busy right now with moving and trying to get through these contractions...i have an appointment tomorrow and hoping that these are just braxton hicks and that i'm not moving towards having this baby over a month early!! ah! ::panic::: so i'm going to share a favorite post. enjoy. :)

Archive Post: 
Favorite Recipe - Zucchini muffins
My sister e-mailed me this recipe around this time last year..and we fell in love with this recipe. Sophia gobbles them up. I usually make the mini muffins.. 1. they are so cute! haha. and 2. sophia likes to palm those babies and cruise around..leaving lovely chunks of muffin all over my floor. and the small ones are easier for her chubby hands. (seriously though she can hold the big muffins but i was trying to justify my reason for making the little muffins. i lied. it's only because they are cute. haha.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 cups shredded zucchini (12 ounces)
 Pam Baking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine eggs, oil, vanilla extract in a mixing bowl; add sugars, stirring until combined.
Add zucchini; stir until well combined.

Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda; stir just until combined.








Pour batter into muffin pans (or your pan of choice) coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes (varies according to the type of pan you used and your oven) or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
This isn't what the recipe says to do but another tip from the busy budgeting mama' mama: my mom would always take the banana bread out of the pan and wrap in foil..it made it so moist! so now i lt the muffins cool on my wire rack a bit but then place them in a zip lock bag(same idea as the foil..trap the moisture!)..
then i pop them in the microwave. i find that if i hide them away i don't eat them all.. that works most of the time. but not always. ;)

Monday, June 21, 2010

Summer Lovin - Sweet Strawberry Themed Parties

For the first day of summer i thought i would share some of these adorable strawberry themed parties! 
all i eat right now is strawberries..so it's appropriate for me..haha.

glory from glorious treats created this party for her niece turning 9! found it via kara's party ideas.

cake walk baking created this strawberry soiree!.. and i found it via kara's party ideas

nicole created this strawberry picnic themed party for her daughter niahm.. found via sara's party perfect

i was talking with a girlfriend the other day and was like it finalllyyyy is feeling like summer..it was so crazy there for  a while. and she reminded me that todayyyy is actually the first day of summer. which made me feel not so behind haha. 

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