I can post what I want when I want

And Resourceful Mommy is totally on my side on this one. Her recent post "Back Off, Lit Mag Snobs" had me smiling, chuckling and nodding my head as I agreed with everything she wrote, from the "Bloggy Ivory Tower" to blogging to feel connected. I'm not as big a blogger as many out there so I haven't experienced first hand the "exclusiveness" some bloggers portray, and I'm so done with people still acting like high school that I could care less. Perhaps that's because my blog isn't my business nor is it my sole hobby; whatever the reason I'm all about the frat parties--figuratively speaking.

"Back Off, Lit Mag Snobs" is a must-read for all bloggers, especially women bloggers. And I'm taking what she's written and applying it to my life as it is right now, which is chock full of so many activities/interests/endeavors that writing posts for this blog is at the bottom of my list. Not that I don't love freshly baked--I love what I write about on this blog--but I love a few other things a bit more, including SassyScoops.com, Rocky Mountain Moms Blog, the Moms Who Make It conference (of which I'm co-planning), the sale of our home (hopefully) and of course, my family. That last one has taken a backseat to many things these past few weeks and I intend to move them up to the passenger side ASAP.

So I apologize to my readers if you feel I'm slacking when it comes to blogging here, and I'm trying to ignore the guilt I feel by not posting everyday. Hopefully you will still visit when I have a new post and continue to follow my random thoughts, links, recipes, tips and features. I'm pretty sure they'll pick up come the end of summer and start of the school year. Until then I'll be posting what I want, when I want. Hope that's okay...and if not, I'm sure there's a Bloggy Ivory Tower you can try and storm somewhere. --Emily

Now's the time to sell, right? Right?!?!

When it comes to real estate, now may not be the best time to sell...unless you have a home in our price range, in our fantastic neighborhood with the most awesome elementary school and fantastic view of the mountains from your front door. Today we officially listed our Sandy, Utah home for sale. Why? Well, we've already lived here longer than we thought and simply felt it was time to look for our 20-year home.

To view the full listing on UtahRealEstate.com, click here. I've included a slideshow of the still photos in this post since they're larger than the ones on the sight. BUT the listing does have a virtual tour (if you click Property Tour on the listing page) and that's kind of cool!

A few things to note:

• The colors are a bit different than you see in the photos. For example, the reds are brighter than they are in real life and the blue in the theater room is richer and darker.
• The virtual tour shows the step-up area off the formal living room, which we are currently using as a mini family room. This was originally used as a formal dining area and looks really cool that way. Simply use the casual dining area off the kitchen as your family room instead!
• Take a close look at those pictures--my home will NEVER be that clean again! (Totally kidding--we're keeping it clean 24/7 around here much to the dismay of my family but totally not to the dismay of me!)

The basic info:

Sandy, UT 84092

1978 brick rambler

.21 acres

3200 sq ft

6 bedrooms/(1) full bathroom & (2) 3/4 bathrooms

$289,500


And here's the description from the realtor:

What a beautiful and fully finished rambler in Sandy. Wonderful features include a great and open floor plan with nice-sized rooms, a beautiful yard, walking distance to the trail system and incredible mountain views. Easy to show. Call for an appointment.

Here's some not-so-basic info, or what I like to call...

Top 10 Reasons Why You'll Love This Home
(in no particular order)

1. Park Lane Elementary is one of the best in the district--and the Canyons School District is brand new for the 2009-2010 school year. It's going to be awesome!
2. The views as you drive up the street to our home are breathtaking. Gotta love those Utah mountains!
3. Sandy has everything you could want: Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Nordstrom Rack, two large movie theaters, South Towne mall, Tai Pan Trading Co., plus it's only 20 minutes from Salt Lake City, 30 minutes from Provo and 20 minutes from the airport (depending on who's driving).
4. Quiet, friendly neighbors who bail you out of a nearly doomed recipe by giving you eggs or sugar (or both) at a moment's notice.
5. The home faces directly south so you shovel half as often as your north-facing neighbors. The roofline is such that the sun comes through the windows in the winter but doesn't hit them full force in the summer.
6. Rambler with 3200 square feet--need I say more?
7. Low-maintenance yard; you couldn't kill those roses if you tried. Just ask me....I know.
8. The home theater rocks! Staggered seating, surround sound and a hidden closet in the corner for your audio equipment. By the way, the risers in the theater look permanent but are completely removable.
9. All rooms have high-quality cable and internet connections. Hello, I'm married to an electrical (and software) engineer!
10. My favorite feature? The central vacuum kick-plate under the bar in the kitchen. Simply sweep all those Goldfish cracker crumbs and Cheerios into a small pile, kick it open and that baby will suck all those crumbs goodbye. It may even suck up the family pet so use with caution! (Totally kidding!)
    

If you could spread the word, that would be great! We've found a home or two we kind of like and would love for them to still be there when ours goes under contract. The sooner the better! If you have questions you can email me at emily {at} georgietees {dot} com. --Emily

Celebrate Nie Nie's birthday with The Sweet Tooth Fairy!

Just the title of this post should have your tastebuds all atingle with the thought of a celebration complete with decadent cupcakes, cookies and my newest love, The Sweet Tooth Fairy's famous cake bites. (Yes, they really are famous. To find out why, click here. Hint: it has something to do with Rachael Ray and the "snack of the day.")

I love a good celebration, but what makes a celebration great is when it's all about helping, lifting, supporting someone else, and this is one is all about doing just that. It's Nie Nie's birthday and what better reason to celebrate? (Okay, kids sleeping through the night comes close!) In honor of Nie Nie, The Sweet Tooth Fairy is having a celebration tomorrow, June 27th at their store located in Provo, Utah. From 11am to 7pm you can shop, eat and shop some more. (Think gifts for friends or a "sweet" pick-me-up for a family member.) Proceeds from the sale of her special VaNIElla Squared cupcake will benefit the Nielsen family and the Arizona Burn Center.

Don't live within an hour's drive of Provo, the city The Sweet Tooth Fairy calls home? Don't worry; you can still party along with the rest of us and show your support by ordering your VaNIElla Squared dozen (or two) over the phone and have them shipped anywhere in the U.S.! Trust me, their worth 100x their weight in gold! So satisfy your cupcake cravings and support a worthy cause by joining in the Nie Nie birthday celebration with The Sweet Tooth Fairy. (And while you're at it, order about a pound or two of their cake bites.)

For more details on the event, click here. --Emily

P.S. You can follow The Sweet Tooth Fairy on Twitter (@sweettoothfairy) or become a fan of her on Facebook!

Will YOU be Boutique Cafe's exclusive Moms Who Make It correspondent?

I can't believe I failed to mention this totally rockin' conference my friend Quinn is putting on this July. As my kids and girlfriends have often heard me say lately, I'd forget my head if it weren't screwed on!

The Moms Who Make It Conference is THE conference of the year and you won't want to miss it! From inspiring and empowering classes to don't-miss networking and socializing--not to mention some serious gourmet food--Moms Who Make It is THE place to be on July 16th in Utah. The coolest thing is we're giving away the opportunity to be Boutique Cafe's exclusive conference correspondent, which comes complete with full conference ticket (including mini classes), invitation to the VIP mocktail party AND a Flip Video camera to record your behind-the-scenes footage of the event!

For details about the conference, the contest and how to enter visit BoutiqueCafe.com and read our latest post, "We want YOU to be our conference correspondent!" Good luck and hope to see you there! --Emily

Stephmodo's take on Living's Tex-Mex

Another fabulous blog to follow: Stephmodo. She has drool-worthy recipes along with drool-worthy designs, crafts and the most fabulous story about her family's adventure remodeling a French cottage (as in located IN France). Though I will never be as chic and sophisticated and creative as the woman behind Stephmodo (I'm so totally challenged that way) I can try some of her recipes without an overwhelming fear of failure.

I love her recent post featuring some yummy Mexican recipes out of Martha Stewart's Living, including Salsa Picante, Spanish Rice, guacamole and a Southwestern Salad. Having tried the recipes a few time she has some great pointers for the rest of us. And I love the idea of changing things up a bit with a backyard fiesta in place of the typical backyard BBQ!

So check out Stephmodo's take on traditional Tex-Mex and fall in love with the rest of her blog while you're at it! Olé! --Emily

First image from Stephmodo
Second set of images from Martha Stewart

My first post on Rocky Mountain Moms Blog!

I just started writing for Rocky Mountain Moms Blog, which is part of the Silicon Valley Moms Blog network of sites, and my first post

"When I grow up I want to be a really cool mom"

just went live! I'd love for you to read it and show a little comment love if you have the time. I'm really excited about being part of such a fabulous group of women! Wish me luck! --Emily

Don't miss Utah's 7th annual Chalk Art Festival!

I am the worst mom when it comes to doing fun, culturally enlightening, non-McDonald's-playland things. I could learn a lesson or two from my friend Vanessa over at I Never Grew Up and Utah's Natural Kids! But I am stepping up my mothering a notch this week and plan to take my kids to a wonderful event put on by the Utah Foster Care Foundation.

The 7th annual Chalk Art Festival will be held June 19-20 along Rio Grande Street at The Gateway in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Festival attracts more than 120 artists ages 12 and up and more than 17,000 visitors each year and turns The Gateway into a live entertainment and street painting celebration. More importantly the event helps to raise funds for the Utah Foster Care Foundation.

The festival is completely FREE to the public--a great thing for those of us on a tighter budget! The professional, adult and student artists will transform the streets of The Gateway into a beautiful, temporary art gallery for the entire family to enjoy. How cool is that?!?!

The festival also features a “Kids Korner” where children can create their own chalk art. The Chalk Art Festival is a great way for the family to spend more time together while at the same time helping people become aware of 2,600 Utah children in foster care and their need for loving homes and families.

Festival hours:
June 19 from 4-9pm
June 20 from 10am-9pm

Not sure you want to attend? I bet checking out artwork from some of the past Chalk Art Festivals will change your mind! You can view a slideshow of past artwork here.

I believe there is still time to help sponsor the event and sign up as a volunteer. Unfortunately for your budding artists, artist registration is closed for the year. But now that you know about the annual festival you can start planning your entry for next year! For more information visit www.chalkartfestival.org.

One of those weeks---and possibly those summers

This week is one of those where I can hardly see the calendar for all the writing. We have much going on, or rather, I have much going on and so posting will be few and far between. Between reviewing local businesses for SassyScoops.com, meeting with the Backstage Bloggers for the Moms Who Make It Conference to celebrating an anniversary and Father's Day, my head is spinning! And that doesn't include totally cleaning, de-junking and organizing our house since there's a pretty good chance we'll be putting it on the market. That's all this week. I didn't even get into upcoming events like helping plan DesignHer Gals' involvement in BlogHer '09!

So forgive me if you don't hear from me as often as you'd like you're used to; it doesn't mean I've forgotten about our wonderful readers. Life is coming at my full force right now and some things are going to have to be put aside for the time being. (There's just no way I can post AND maintain a clean house 24/7 with six people living in it! Do you know what kind of chaos occurs in the time it takes me to sit down and write a post? It's unbelievable!)

If you want to keep up with what I'm doing you can check out SassyScoops.com and Moms Who Make It, a conference which is sure to be the rock star conference of the year! If you're in Utah or within driving distance of the Salt Lake City area, don't miss it. You will leave empowered--I should know...I've seen firsthand the classes, speakers, panel members and perks planned for this conference! Better get your tickets now before they sell out!

Love to you all! Wish me luck and lots of Diet Coke--I'm going to desperately need both! --Emily

Image by idomusic2, shared via Flickr.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner & dessert by The Pioneer Woman

If you're not already a fan and avid reader of The Pioneer Woman than you might possibly be the only one in existence left who hasn't discovered her fabulous site. I could go on and on about all the nifty, wonderful, crazy, hilarious, thought-provoking things she posts on her site but you'll have to discover them for yourself.

To give you a taste of The Pioneer Woman Cooks, one of my favorite parts of her site, I bring you a full day's worth of eating courtesy of some very tantalizing recipes. I won't post the full recipes here since she always includes beautiful step-by-step photography as part of the post, but I will post the recipes' title, link and a tempting thumbnail image. You'll be doing yourself and your family and friends a favor by adding these to your recipe box!

Perfect Pancakes
These babies look as light and fluffy as they come. You can thank Ree (aka The Pioneer Woman) for doing all the trial and error for you!


The Best Spinach Salad. Ever.
Without even tasting it I might have to agree this could quite possibly be the best spinach salad ever. Just look at that thick-cut bacon and perfectly hard-boiled eggs!


Chicken Tikka Masala, by Pastor Ryan
Okay, this isn't Ree's recipe but I've been reading the recipes by her recent guest, Pastor Ryan and I'm pretty dang sure they're the best--next to Ree's, of course! We love this dish at our local Indian restaurant and now I may even be able to make it at home. Cool! (By the way, this one includes over 40 photos!!!)


Another [Peanut Butter] Pie
Crushed Oreo-cookie crust complete with whipped peanut butter filling? I think I've died and gone to heaven! Family potluck picnic, here I come! (And yes, that's a lick mark on my screen--I couldn't help myself!)

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. ~Doug Larson

Images from The Pioneer Woman

Head outside for some fun summer games!

Thanks to a fun #gno on Twitter Tuesday night many of us discovered some great outside games to play with our families. And also thanks to #gno, I'm sure we missed a few. (The tweets are always fast and furious!) If it weren't for @WebAnna I might not have remembered many of these fun ideas. She's compiled a list from Tuesday night's #gno into a post on her blog. Thank you, @WebAnna!

Here are a few of my favorites, but you'll want to read the full post for the list of wonderful outdoor summer games.

• @MobiMom: Night games are great. We put those snap-glow bracelets on the little ones so we can find them easier.
• @inevergrewup: My little girl is a future photographer, we go on “photography walks” almost every week! She just loves it
• @startupprincess: another fun idea is to let your kids decorate their bikes/scooters/etc with streamers, balloons, etc and have a parade

Do you have any other ideas to add to the list? You can comment on the original post and/or leave an idea or two here. We'd love for you to share so all of us moms can survive the summer! --Emily

Darling, can you hear me? SOS!

My good friend Jyl from Mom It Forward recently wrote a post titled "10 Tips for Raising Service-Oriented, Giving, and Charitable Children" (a must-read for every parent). The post got her thinking about how "one of the best ways to teach your children to be service oriented is to model the behavior for them." That thought led to what is now the Summer of Service (SOS) Challenge. What I love about this challenge is that it's not only easy and fun but it will make a big difference in the quality of our family's summer. Here are the details:

The SOS Challenge

Every Sunday from now through Labor Day you will find a new SOS Challenge of the week on http://momitforward.com.

Simply click on the SOS Challenge post and read the details and 10 suggested ideas on how you can make a difference related to the week's theme. The goal is to do one act of kindness a week. (If you have other ideas that fit the topic, feel free to share them on the site.)

Once you have completed the week's challenge, post on your site about your experiences and/or leave a comment on that week's post.


The Giveaways

The fun part? Each week a different company will sponsor the challenge and they come bearing gifts! You can enter to win one of the giveaway prizes every week. This week's giveaway includes a popcorn bowl, three boxes of Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn and Kathy Peel’s most recent book, The Busy Mom’s Guide to a Happy, Organized Home. Click here for details and to enter!


The Button

The more people involved, the more lives changed. If you'd like to help spread the word about the SOS Challenge, please copy the image above and paste it in your blog or site's sidebar with a link to http://momitforward.com.

My favorite spam email: chocolate and squirrels

Every now and then I scroll through the spam in my spam folder to make sure nothing was accidentally filed away that should've hit my Inbox. Once in a while I come across a subject line that makes me laugh out loud, and today I found one:

"Chocoholic squirrel [steals] treats from Finnish shop"

How can you not click on the attachment? Okay, I really didn't click on the attachment--I'm not that stupid--but I did chuckle as I emptied my spam folder, something which I don't do very often.

Do you have a winning subject line from a recent spam email? And I'm not talking about the all-too-common mystery shopper, Britney Spears photo, trouble in bed spam emails. If you have one that beats the rest, do share! I'm sure this will be the first post of many as I've had some real winners. Why didn't I think of posting them before?!?! --Emily

Image by PR13RAK, shared via Flickr.