Mother Hubbard's Cupboards are Bare!

Growing up with my mother there were many sayings that she often used. Now when I find myself using these sayings I laugh to myself.  Some would say these sayings make one "dorky" but others (like me) say it makes one relate-able or fun to be around. You know the sayings I'm talking about... You often don't even realize that you say them, but it's inevitable, when your mother is a figure you look up to, naturally you'll pick up on mannerisms, characteristics and sayings.

Anyone who knows me and my mom, knows our mannerisms and the way we talk could not be more spot on; it even freaks us out! I know for a fact the reason I act so much like my mom is because she is a woman to look up to. In recent years she has been through many trials physically and she has be determined not to be defined by them. My mom is constantly inspiring me! I say all of this because growing up whenever our "cupboards were bare" my mom would ALWAYS say "mother hubbards' cupboards are bare".

This week that saying could not be more truthful in our household. Since coming back from our trip to Dallas we have been exhausted and out of routine. I can't even remember the last time we grocery shopped and don't even get me started on how messy the house has been. Just saying it makes my heart ache a bit. Needless to say, our "meal planning" this week has failed miserably.

So tonight, when we got home from work and were tired of take out and discouraged by the lack of food in the house; I was determined to make a delicious meal out of the little we had (inspired by my father who is a master Short Order Cook, another story for another time).  Here is what I came up with!

Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry Noodles

Ingredients:

1/2 box whole wheat thin spaghetti 

2 boneless chicken breast

1 head of broccoli

1 1/2 cups of frozen green beans

1 cup frozen soy beans

1/2 chopped white onion

2 chopped carrot sticks 

1/4 cup jarred roasted red pepers (roughly choped)

1 clove of garlic (minced or pressed)

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp sirrache sauce

Red pepper flakes (to taste)

2 tsp brown sugar

To Make:

Key to Meal: DON'T ADD SALT! Soy sauce has more than enough salt for this dish.

Begin by mixing soy sauce, sirrache sauce, red pepper flakes, and brown sugar to create your stir fry sauce. Also prepare water for pasta by bringing it to a boil, then add your noodles.

Next cut raw chicken into bite size pieces. Dash pepper and red pepper flakes onto chicken. Prepare pan with cooking canola spray, make sure your burner is on med/high. Cook chicken until it is safe to eat but not dry. Note, your chicken will cook quickly. Add all veggies into pan and let them "sweat it out".

Then add stir fry sauce and strain cooked noodles. Toss noodles into finished stir fry and serve.

In all seriousness, I had no idea how this would turn out and I could not have been more presently surprised. I leave you with this; don't be afraid of what's in your kitchen, EVEN if "mother hubbard's cupboards are bare".

Enjoy!

Maci K

The Lone Star State

I know, I know... I have been absent for the past week and a half but my absence has not been without merit. Brandon and I, along with the rest of the Shade Tree Family, spent five days deep in the heart of Texas; Dallas, Texas that is.

I had been to Dallas a few times as a kid and had great memories of the city, so I was excited that we had the chance to visit again, even if it was for work. Brandon and I feel extremely blessed by our current jobs and rarely do we actually feel as if it is work. The purpose of this work trip was to put on a workshop for aspiring filmmakers. Brandon and the rest of the team do the teaching and I organize, coordinate and make sure all attendees are having a pleasant experience.

I can't even tell you what a blast this trip was! I walked away from this with a sense of accomplishment and pride in the work that I do, as well as new friends!

(The Shade Tree Family getting down to business to prep for the day ahead.)

We had many late nights of finalizing presentations and plans. I do not believe I have ever been more exhausted nor have I ever laughed so hard. With this bunch, I am not exaggerating when I say it is almost non-stop laughs whenever we are all together.

Heading to this workshop I thought I was just extra hands to run errands and make things smooth but before I knew it I became a student! Yup, you're seeing right, that's me holding a foam core board for DIY lighting. There were many jokes about getting a camera in my hands but we'll just have to see about that.

I had to post this picture because I couldn't be more proud of my husband! He completely stepped out of his comfort zone and taught these students with ease and confidence.

My experience in Dallas as an adult was just as great as when I was a kid! Downtown Dallas is fairly clean and has a breath-taking skyline! The architecture was fascinating and so much more creative than most of the buildings in California. My only complaint would be those dog-gone freeways and frontage roads. And that's saying a lot since we live in Southern California with a billion freeways.

If you are curious to find out more about these workshops we put on two to three times a year, check out our website www.shadetreefilms.net!

Maci K

My Blogger Mistake!

I am the first to admit that Brandon and I are the worst at remembering to capture moments of life through pictures. This posed a problem when I started a blog, I knew I was going to have to get better at remembering to take pictures. So far I would say I have done really well, I still struggle to take pictures of us, but over all I have really improved at capturing the daily happenings of our life.... Except for today.

About a year ago a bought this collared blouse/dress from Old Navy, that I have worn literally twice since I got it. The issue I have had with it is the length. It wasn't appropriate to ever wear as a dress (even over leggings or tights) but it was too long to wear as a shirt, but I loved the classic beige plaid print! I have been thinking about cutting it and giving it a bit more shape.

So this morning before work I just decided I would just go ahead and do it so I could wear it to work. So I grabbed a pair of scissors and my sewing tape and it was complete before I knew it. I think I was half asleep when I did it, which is probably why I FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES! When I got home from work tonight I took a few pictures of the finished project.

Here is my first DIY fashion project. I simply made sure the blouse was lined up as it was designed and folded it in half.

Before it was aproximately 5 inches longer and completely straight across at the bottom.... Blah, boring! I used scissors to create a bit of shape.  In order to create a finished look, as if it were sewn, I used my handy dandy sewing tape and I think most people would never even notice the difference!

Now I feel much more comfortable wearing it either tucked in with jeans or sinched in at the waist with a great belt! I might even make a fabric flower out of the left over fabric. If you want more ideas or inspiration for DIY fashion projects check out A Pair & A Spare; I'm pretty sure Geneva is brilliant!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Maci K

A Family Weekend and A Family Project

This last weekend my MIL (Mother In Law) came into town for a short visit. Brandon had to work a few hours during the first day Karen was here, so she and I spent some time enjoying our love for fall, Christmas movies, baking and blogs. We baked this delicious pumpkin bread that Karen had given me the recipe to and adorable fall loaf pan for my Bridal shower last year. I must admit my baking is not my strongest domestic skill but this was my third time making this bread and it was the best turn out by far! However, I did not have cooking spray for the detailed pan so our bread had a little difficulty releasing from the pan. It may not be perfect aesthetically but my goodness this warm pumpkin bread with a bit of butter just might be a taste of heaven.

(I'll have to re-post a picture of this bread next time I make it using a cooking spray.)

We also watched a new, (to me) Christmas movie, Christmas in Connecticut! If you appreciate old movies this one is a goodie! I absolutely adored the storyline and wardrobe! I can't wait to watch it again!

Once Brandon was off we brainstormed a project for the three of us to work on for our home. Something Brandon and I have wanted/needed for the past year is a headboard for our bed. Originally we wanted a fabric nailhead, headboard but for a bed that will ultimately be a guest bead it was a bit too much money, time and work for what we had in mind for this weekend. A trend we have noticed lately is using doors for a headboard. Initially I felt that this was too trendy and eclectic for our style but as the fabulous Rachel Zoe says, "The goal is to be on trend not trendy". I like to apply this moto not only to my own style but to the style of our home as well. So we finally found some inspiration and decided we would make sure to stay true to our traditional aspect of our style in this trend.

We found the most perfect traditional white paneled doors at Lowe's to paint a gorgeous dark gray. Our inspiration headboard was painted a dark gray/black and it was the first headboard I immediately was able to envision in our bedroom.

This project literally took us no time at all! It was seriously as easy as buying supplies and taking about 15 minutes each door to paint each door. We left them to sit over night but we could have waited 20 minutes due to the heat here in the Valley.

It took about 2 minutes to distress. We may do a bit more later on by making it a bit more finished with crown molding. But for now it makes our bedroom feel that much more complete. In the next few months I would like to get a white duvet cover and pillow shams to soften the look and allow the bed to look effortlessly styled.

What I learned from this project is don't be afraid of trends or projects. Life is short, enjoy!

Maci K

Wisdom Tooth Blues

A couple weeks back I had mentioned that I was dealing with pain caused from my wisdom teeth. Well dooms day finally came last Thursday.  I was told to take a few days off of work so I figured if I took Friday off and had the weekend to recover I should be good to go. You may laugh at me but I thought I would be able to go to Disneyland by Monday. I was terribly mistaken. It has been a ridiculous roller coaster.

I started my first day of recovery resting and not feeling too bad. By the end of that day Brandon and I were enjoying my recovery playing an archery game on Play Station Move!

Despite my swollen mouth I still had high hopes of making it to Disneyland possibly even sooner than Monday! LOL

I woke up on day two of my recovery to reality. However, this was one of Brandon's first Saturdays off in months. Luckily he wanted to watch football most of the day but usually on a day like this we would make a fun dinner together. But with my current Tooth Extraction Diet this was a bit of a dilemma. I was determined to make our weekend enjoyable so we found this Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe and had a perfectly relaxing evening.

By day three of my recovery I was getting antsy but was still feeling terrible, so I decided to work on a new low-key project. Since we moved into our new place I have been looking for a rug solution for our bathroom that is much larger than our old bathroom. While I had all of this time on my hands, I found on Pinterest a great idea to make my own rug. Once I am complete I will dedicate a full post to this DIY rug. Here are a few clues to what you can expect.

And of course, Jack loves to help!

All in all we tried to make the most of my days of recovery. I may have pushed myself to much, after a trip to the dentist due to excruciating pain and figuring out my pain management I am finally today feeling somewhat like myself. When you are down you truly can grasp the value of your normal life. 

That's it for now!

Maci K

Karleene's Krazy Easy Chili

So by now we all know I love food! But I'm pretty sure I love the stories connected to food or the background connected to a recipe over the actual food itself. These stories make the food more personal than simply nourishment or great flavor. 

This recipe comes from my Aunt Karleene, hence Karleene's Krazy Easy Chili. On my mom's side of the family, majority of her family lives in the general area of Sacramento, including extended family members. My Aunt Karleene is part of the extended family and I don't even know exactly what her formal title would be to me but she has always been a significant part in my life, so I have always called her Aunt Karleene. Not only is she my Aunt but over the years she has become a dear friend of mine. She is probably blushing because I'm talking about her so much but Karleene, this is part of the connection to this food for me. Aunt Karleene and Uncle Matt are moving to Texas soon, we are all so sad to see them go. In their honor I am excited to share with you Karleene's Krazy Easy Chili!

Ingredients:

3 small cans of beans (Kidney, pinto and black; combination of your preference)

2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 can of tomato sauce
1/2 can of tomato paste

1 small can of green chiles
(The below are not included in the ingredient picture)

1 lb of ground turkey
1/4 or 1/2 cup of diced onions
1/4 cup of diced celery
1 jalapeno finely diced (de-veined for less heat. side note the pepper I used was not a jalapeno our grocery store was out of jalapenos)

chili powder to your liking (You want to taste that chili in every bite yet not be overwhelmed by it.)
A few dashes of cayenne pepper
A few dashes of red pepper flakes

Prep Work:

Now, since I have been working this recipe and prep work is ideal for my schedule! I did all of the prep work before I left for work in the morning (Also before I had finished my coffee). I must admit, I was a bit scattered and later in the day I paniced for about .2 seconds because I could remember if I turned off the burner from browning the meat. All in all it is Krazy easy, and who doesn't love chili?!

Begin by browning your turkey meat in a skillet and once it is almost fully browned add your onions. Let your onions sweat it out a bit and once the meat is completely browned add to your crock pot.

(All of these items in the picture I forgot to include in the ingredient picture... It was early.)

Next, simply open all canned items with your can opener and place in your crock pot. Add all seasonings to your liking and stir through.

Let it sit in your crock pot on low for 4-8 hours.

(Sorry for the poor picture quality! A nice camera is on our I Want List. )

Thanks Aunt Karleene for the delicious recipe, keep them coming! Hope you all enjoy this recipe along with your favorite fall traditions!

Maci K

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!

Before I get too far into this post I must first mention, last Saturday was our First Wedding Anniversary! What an eventful year we have had. There have been many changes but with these changes came many opportunities to deepen our love for each other. I believe if we were given the same opportunity again we would make the same decisions because of the results we have seen in our marriage. I love you Brandon James, I'm excited for what's to come!

(Our bike ride down the PCH in Huntington Beach!)

Now that I made that little shout out, I was putting away some clothes in my closet today and decided I would love to share a few little organization tips. Ever since I can remember, I have loved having an organized closet. When my closet is well organized I find myself loving each piece of clothing and accessory that much more. One of the most difficult items in a closet to organize is your shoes. Most people I know do not know what to do with their shoes so they end up in a pile on the floor of the closet.

In my dream closet, I would have rows and rows of shelves that would allow all of my shoes to be displayed but currently I have a small closet in an apartment so I must make the most with what I am given.

Above, is an option that is a bit of an investment at first but trust me, it is so worth it! I have been storing my shoes in clear storage bins since I was in high school. I would eventually like to get a Polaroid camera to place pictures of each pair and place the picture outside of each bin. If your space allows it, I definitely suggest this option, it makes me so happy to walk into my closet and see all of my shoes organized.

Now for some you this will not work for your space but another great option are these shelves from Target. This allows your shoes to be be neatly placed side-by-side without ruining their shape. I'm proud of my hubby because this system works extremely well for him and his shoes are rarely found anywhere but these shelves.

 I have just one final tip for today! For those Fall and Winter boots that you've spent a decent amount of money on I hate to see their shape ruined by being thrown on the floor of your closet. Use your magazines that you have already read through at least 3 times (that's another conversation for another time) and place them in your boots and they will stand perfectly straight!

That's it for now! Have a great rest of the weekend!

Maci K

I'm back!

Ahhhh.... I'm back! I'm back!

Last week was a busy week of Birthday fun, work, mom visiting and wisdom tooth pain. All of those things contributed to distractions from blogging but I'm back and I have some fun posts coming. So today, lets play catch up and I'll also give you a little sneak peak of what's to come!

Last week I had my 24th birthday and was blessed with so much love from friends and family. This year my birthday fell in the middle of a busy work week and one of the only things I really wanted to do was eat my favorite dessert, CHEESECAKE! So Brandon took me to The Cheesecake Factory for the cheesecake I was craving.

Just looking at this picture makes my mouth water and wish I could have it for lunch today! 

Some more Birthday fun included my mom making a last minute trip down to visit so we could do some birthday shopping! While she was visiting, my brother and I figured we had to surprise her by having him show up and spend the weekend with us. My mom was utterly shocked and we all loved spending time cooking, going to the movies and having a Modern Family Marathon.
                                                                                     
In other news, a few weeks ago, I was hired as an Office Assistant at Shade Tree Films (the film company Brandon is working for; check them out). The office is currently having a lamp building competition. We have not done our final reveal yet, but here is a sneak peak of what I did for mine.

Once we do our big reveal, I will post a tutorial on my homemade lamp!

I also have a couple new easy recipes I can't wait to share with you; Baked French Fries and Karleene's Krazy Easy Chili.

There's so much fun to come!

Maci K

Enchilada Casserole

When I had originally planned what most of my blogs would consist of, I thought I would stretch myself and post many home projects and organizational projects. This is still my goal, however, considering our tight financial situation, many of the projects I thought I would be posting would probably cost us more than either of us would like. So instead, I find myself posting things that are a part of our life every day(and a part of our budget) and something I love equally... FOOD!

Much of my love for food must be credited to my parents. They are self proclaimed foodies, just as Brandon and I are. They're constantly inspiring me to try not only new but healthier options as well. Growing up, food was always an excuse for all of us to spend time together, cooking in the kitchen. When Brandon and I were first dating my parents did not hesitate to included Brandon into the cooking of almost every meal we had over there. It simply became a part of all of our time together. Therefore, it only seems natural that I have a great excitement and passion for food. Food connects me to those that I love the most! I love any opportunity or excuse to cook with or for others. Are you sensing my passion?

This recipe I am sharing with you is credited to my brilliant mother who is always trying to reinvent or create new or old recipes that are easy, fresh and healthy. Most everyone LOVES enchiladas, right?! They are oooey, goooey and oh so cheesey! What's not to love? They usually take a bit more time than most of us have and ultimately end up falling apart. This enchilada recipe only includes 6 simple ingredients!

Ingredients: 

Cheese of your choice

Chicken (or your choice of meat/no meant at all)

Corn Tortillas

1 Large Green/Red Canned Enchillada Sauce

Sour Cream and Sliced Avocado (for garnish)

To Create: Begin by cooking your choice of meat. If cooking chicken, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then lightly season your raw chicken with salt and pepper (maybe a bit a of garlic powder if you would like) then place the chicken into the oven for 20-25 minutes. Once fully cooked shred chicken with a fork. 

In a 8"x8" baking dish place a layer of tortillas followed by chicken, sauce then cheese. Repeat once more finishing with a gorgeous layer of cheese.

Finally, place your cassorole in your 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. Once finished baking, plate a (reasonable) portion on each plate, finishing with a dollop of sour cream and a few slices of avocado... That's it!!! Promise. This is a dish that is sure to please. 

Enjoy!

Maci K

Happy Belated-Labor Day!

Happy belated-Labor Day!

I don't know about you but I always love Labor Day Weekend. I love it probably for different reasons than most. Labor day is the mark of the end of Summer, which for some, it can be slightly depressing. It means the last barbecues, the last pool time and the last of the hot Summer sun. Now don't get me wrong I love all of those things and I get sad to see them go to. But for me its whats to come after labor day that excites me!

I don't know if its because I am a September baby but I absolutely adore Fall. I love everything that comes with fall; the delicious smelling candles, pumpkin spice latte's, the time change, the cooler weather, wearing layers, season premiers of my favorite TV shows, football season... I could keep going with this list but I'm afraid I have already bored you.

Know that you understand my excitement for Fall, we happened to have a not so typical Labor Day but it was perfect for me! Here in the Inland Empire, we were blessed on Labor Day with a break from the heat; we had one single day of overcast skies and rain! However it was still 90 degrees but that didn't matter, we cranked our AC snuggled up with a blanket and watch movies all day! It was a great way to welcome what is to come this fall.

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend with your friends and family.

Maci K

A Healthy, Easy and Quick Meal

The title of this post is no illusion; it is the absolute, honest truth! This meal is the simplest meal I quite possibly, have ever put together. It is 100% guilt free but the flavor is incredibly delicious! Can you tell I am so excited to share this with you? Honestly, it isn't even a specific recipe and it may not even be new to you but I am still excited to let you all in on this great meal!

Drum roll please!................. Its Spicy Tilapia with Israeli Couscous and Zucchini and Yellow Squash! Here is the "recipe", which serves 2.

Ingredients:

 2 4oz Pieces of Tilapia

Cayenne Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

Garlic Powder

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt/Pepper

1 tbsp Butter

1 1/4 Chicken Broth

2 Zucchini

1 Yellow Squash

Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is preheating prep your zucchini and yellow squash by rinsing and slicing length wise; then place on a baking sheet and brush lightly with EVOO and sprinkle salt and pepper. 

Next prepare the tilapia by brushing it lightly with EVOO and rub cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place prepared tilapia on a baking sheet,

Place both zucchini/yellow squash and fish in the oven for 15 minutes.

While waiting for the fish and veggies boil 1 1/4 cups of chicken broth then add butter, a dash of red pepper flakes and garlic powder; then stir in 1 cup of Israeli couscous. Cover and let simmer for 8-10 minutes. You may need to stir occasionally to prevent couscous from sticking. 

Thats it! Simply plate and you have a delicious, guilt free meal, full of flavor! ( We did have a bit of couscous left over so you can of course make necessary changes.)

Hope you all have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Maci K

Wine Box as a Herb Garden

I am taking a short break from my "chores" to share with you all my new project. A while ago Brandon was given a few empty Wine Boxes to use as home decor. We currently are using two of them as storage for extra electrical cords, DVD's that do not have cases and controllers/accessories for the PS3.

 

The third box, we placed in the awkward space between our cabinets and our ceiling because we were eventually going to use it along with other decorative items to make the space look like it actually served a purpose. Instead... Jack the Cat quickly made it his new bed. He was in heaven. It was high and tight place for him to sleep peacefully.

(Sorry for the fuzzy picture but it was the only one we have of him actually in the box.)

So for the past few weeks, Brandon and I let Jack enjoy his cozy bed. But recently, we noticed he was acting out more and due to the placement of the box he thought he had free roam of the kitchen; which was driving me crazy! We began finding cat hair in the kitchen and we had finally had enough of it. A few days ago Brandon took down the box and reminded me that months ago I mentioned that I wanted to use the extra wine box as a small planter box.

If we owned a home, I would love to have a nice vegetable garden but for now a small herb garden will do. I am really excited for this little project! Now, I need to do a little research about the herbs I would like to plant. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Maci K

Casual Friday

Happy Friday all!

In the spirit of Friday I would like to keep this post rather casual with a few of my random thoughts. Please buckle your seat belts because I have no idea where we might end up by the end of this post.

This morning while I was enjoying my daily cup of joe, catching up on the blogs I follow, I noticed Jack was going crazy by our back door. This usually means there is something exciting outside that he is planning his imaginary (since he is not allowed outside) attack against. Sure enough there was a creepy crawly lizard on our back patio. In order for you to understand the types of lizards we deal with here, I had to include a picture of this beast, that I like to call a mini dinosaur.

The way these mini dino's crawl is terrifying yet completely fascinating. I am pretty sure we have a few living underneath that stack of boxes.

I love reading magazines! I have a few to get caught up on at the moment, but in the midst of my daily activities and reading the many blogs I follow, I find that the magazines often are put on the back burner of my reading list.

With the growing popularity of blogs, I wonder what the future holds for magazines. This leads me to a conversation I often have with Brandon, paper books vs. digital books. I have heard talk of many schools considering using iPads or other forms digital tablets to store all textbooks instead of purchasing multiple hard copies of text books. I can't help but question this because I am a tactical kinesthetic learner (who also struggles with dyslexia). As a kinesthetic learner and a dyslexic I need to physically touch the pages of a book and actively read in order to better retain the information I am reading. This concerns me for children who struggle with the same types of learning disabilities that I have. This could lead me to a whole other conversation of school teaching systems and how they are set up for only one type of learner but I can save that for another time. Ultimately, what I am getting at, is I love to actually hold a book or magazine and flip through it as a relaxing activity.

As if reading my magazines, and blogs weren't enough I am also currently reading The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning. You may ask, how in the world do you have enough time to read all of these things?! My friends, remember, I am currently unemployed (looking for a job in a new town) and do not do well with so much spare time. So I have found myself reading more than I ever have in my life. This book is such an EASY read and I promise it has something in it for everyone! I told Brandon yesterday that this book has "Smacked me in the face", it is so good. During my second or third year at Vanguard, Brennan Manning came to the school and spoke for numerous chapels. I only wish I could go back a few years and sit in on those chapels again with the appreciation I would have for him today. He is a man with great life experiences and great wisdom. He writes so honestly and genuinely, while reminding us of Christ's longing for us. The theme though out the book is based on Song of Solomon 7:10 (NASB),

"I am my Beloved's,

and his desire is for me."

Such a simple concept yet so hard for us to accept.

I am done with my random ramblings for today. That wasn't too bad was it? It was wordier than I had planned. I hope all of you have a great, relaxing weekend!

Maci K

Make Organizing Fun

I don't know about you but I love to organize! Whether it is a closet, a pantry or a desk, I love the feeling of accomplishment and peace afterwords. I have pretty much always been this way, I was the girl in elementary school situating my pencil box, binders and paper so perfectly that the other kids probably thought I was crazy. I have had friends through out the years ask me to help them organize closets. When I wanted to make a little extra money my mom (who is very organized) would asked me to re-arrange and re-organize the kitchen to make it more efficient. I think you get the picture, I love it!

For those of you who do not enjoy organization like I do, you probably know the final product will be good and will allow you to live your life more simply, but you find the process grueling. It's okay! I understand, not everyone shares my love for organizing.  Trust me, occasionally, I will get overwhelmed by certain projects. For example, since we moved almost 4 weeks ago, I have had every box unpacked and organized with everything in its place... except... this lonely box.

It is our box of office/desk supplies, as well as our old junk drawer odds and ends. I'm sure a lot of it needs to be thrown out as well as our new apartment does not have a specified place for all of these things, so I am having to get a little creative. Its has just been one of those tasks that I keep pushing off and pushing off but that box has been staring at me and haunting me every day I sit down to watch TV or sit at our desk.

Soooo... Yesterday, while I was at Target, I was browsing through almost every isle and I found these "Fashion File Folders" for $4.99 (mine are a slightly different design yet very similar). When I saw these I was instantly inspired to tackle this awful box.

This afternoon, while writing this post, I have been working on getting rid of old paper work and the unnecessary odds and ends; I am now reminded of why I was putting this project off. But I must say I keep pushing through because I am so excited to use my new adorable file folders and put them in a great woven basket. I still have a bit of work to complete this project such as labels to place on each tab and a bag to go through with B but here is the semi-finished product!

 

I only wish you could feel what I feel when I look at this basket of file folders! This little bit of my organizational heaven! It was such an affordable change! Trust me there is more that I would love to do with this space, however these small changes buy me (and Brandon) time before we want to make the more costly changes.

If there was one point for those who hate organizing to take away from this post, it would be; Make organizing fun! Whether you use a woven wood basket or a metal basket or "fashion file folders"; make a small purchase that will help YOU enjoy organizing your space.

Always feel free to share with me your thoughts, suggestions or even your own projects you have tackled or need to tackle.

Maci K

Southwestern Black Bean Turkey Burgers

Brandon and I are self proclaimed foodies! We are most definitely not the most refined foodies but we love fun and delicious food. The Food Network is by far our favorite channel to watch together and we are constantly referring to the website for recipe inspiration. Even though we are foodies we like to try our best to be pretty conscious about what we are eating.

Now a bit of background before diving into this scrumptious meal... While I was in my second year of college I decided to become a vegetarian indefinitely but I was only able to stick to if for a little less than a year. That experience has allowed me to appreciate vegetarian meals so much more than I possibly would have before. I have also recently heard health experts say, meat is difficult for the body to digest but if you do choose to eat meat it should be organic due to the antibiotics an many other harmful chemicals that are injected into non organic animals. Currently, organic meats are so far out of our budget that a better option for us, is to eat less meat and supplement with more veggies and other alternatives.

While I was a vegetarian one of my favorite meals that I never felt like I was missing out on meat was black bean burgers. Over the past few weeks I have been suggesting to Brandon that we should buy black bean burgers. But since I have had a little more time on my hands, as I am unemployed at the moment due to our move, I searched for a homemade recipe from the Food Network and stumbled upon this Paula Deane recipe. Before you dismiss it as I almost did, I actually believe it is one of her healthiest recipes. I stuck to the salsa recipe but the actual burgers I gave my own twist; in other words I supplemented using ingredients I had and often have in my cupboards. Now I know this is not completely vegetarian but it is a great option to eat less meat!

Salsa Ingredients:

4 ripe tomatoes, diced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, de-veined, chopped

3 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. juice of a lime

3/4 can of black beans

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

Burger Ingredients:

3/4 lb. of lean ground turkey

3/4 can of black beans

1/2 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 packet chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

A few dashes of cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Avocado, sour cream for garnish

  Iceberg lettuce or burger bun thins

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Salsa: Mix all ingredients for the salsa in a medium size bowl, cover and refrigerate until time to plate.

Burgers: Use your hands to fold all burger ingredients together in order to distribute each flavor throughout every burger. Be sure not to over fold in order to prevent creating a tough burger. Take a portion of the burger mixture; roll and flatten to create a burger. Note: I made larger burgers because we chose to make ours protein style this time. In a skillet warm a dash of extra virgin olive oil and cook each side of your burger for approximately 5 minutes per side. Next place your burgers in the oven for a short 2-3 minutes to finish cooking.

To Plate: Create a bed of lettuce on plate and lay burger on top. Spoon salsa on over the burger. Spoon a small dollop of sour cream and finish with sliced avocado placed on top.

Hope you enjoy!

Maci K

Window Accessory Made Easy

Now before anyone begins to think that I am some amazing homemaker or anything of that sort, let me remind you that I am simply a new wife with limited materials and a small budget trying to make the most of our little one bedroom apartment.

Our last place was a one bedroom as well, therefore there hasn't been much that we have needed to buy. In our new place we have an additional little window in our kitchen that did not come with any type of window covering on it. However, it is a glass brick window which creates hardly any privacy on its own.

(I apologize for the picture quality, as of right now all of our pictures are taken on our iPhones.)

Neither Brandon or I felt comfortable with this so we put buying or creating a window covering (or as I prefer to call it "window accessory") high on our priority list. Since the window is small I knew we would need the curtains to be made to size. Currently I do not have the room or money to have my own sewing machine so I knew I would have to get creative. In my following of many blogs I have seen sewing tape or sewing glue mentioned before so I figured I would give it a try.

Yesterday my handy hubby and I put up our new window accessory. He did all the measuring, leveling and drilling of the curtain rod; I did the measuring, cutting, ironing and sticking of the curtain.

Now this may seem pretty self explanatory, but I figure, if I share how I do some things, you might also share how you do things and we may learn from each other.

Supplies: Scissors, Measuring Tape, Iron, Sewing tape

After Brandon placed and installed the curtain rod I measured the length that I wanted my curtain to be and cut the curtain width wise.

Next I ironed the entire curtain and also ironed the crease for the fold at the bottom of the curtain.

I then placed the sewing tape gently along the very bottom and back of the curtain. Once I was happy with its placement, I secured it by pressing the tape firmly and carefully against the curtain while ensuring all air bubbles were filled. I finished by removing the paper portion of the sewing tape and folding over the crease and securing the placement of the fabric on the tape.

Here is the sewing tape I used; I found it for less than $5 at Target.

I am very happy with the final product!

Maci K

The Peaceful Nest

This morning I realized that I began blogging with out further explaining the purpose of my blog or why it is called The Peaceful Nest. Let me preface by saying that through out my random ramblings I will mention or reference my childhood often or things I have learned from my parents because I was blessed to have a great childhood with a loving family who's joy is intoxicating. I can credit who I am to my parents and the grace of God.

Now back to the what and why of The Peaceful Nest. I am in my mid twenties and at times I feel as though I am experiencing a quarter life crisis. I am the first to admit that I am still discovering who I was created to be. At this age it is common for us mid twenties to feel the pressure to know what we want to do with our lives and know who we want to be. I graduated a 4 year college without a clear direction of what I wanted to do. So for the past two years I have had a couple of administrative types of jobs. I can't complain too much because I must be thankful that I was employed yet I was not even in the least bit fulfilled by the work I was doing.

So, a few months ago as I was feeling this desire to be more fulfilled by the work I do as well as the pressures of this world to have clear direction, I realized that I could potentially be a great Professional Organizer. I was ready to seriously pursue this; I even met with an actual Professional Organizer to ask for her guidance and advice. She said I had what it took and she suggested I start my own business and just start doing it. I was so completely inspired by our meeting, I decided I would pull from my husbands creativity and skills and asked him to  build me a website. We order business cards and went through the whole nine-yards. I was not messing around but quickly I realized that I had a full time job and no time to actually pursue it at that time.

While I was on this kick, I decided I would name my company The Peaceful Nest. I wanted the name of my company to have more meaning because I knew that organizing someone's home is an intimate experience and very meaningful. It took me a few weeks until I finally settled with the name The Peaceful Nest. My inspiration for this name came from the desires I have for my own home. As I started this post saying, growing up my families home always had a sense of warmth and peace which was not simply created by fabulous decorating and perfect orgnaization. Instead these feelings that our home produced were deeply rooted in the foundation of my parents God centered marriage. We are a family of 5 therefore typically you would not expect a family of this size to have a home that produced peace, but it was the truth. Even to the present day when anyone walks through that door, whether it be family, friends or a first time guest, they would describe the home as a place that of course looks beautiful(due to my mother's lovely style) but they would also say that it is a space that allows every individual to be authentic and relax into who they really are.

This is something Brandon and I deeply desire for our home. Like I said about my home growing up, it starts in the foundation of a God centered marriage and then there are additional things we can all do in order to create this sense of peace and allow our spaces to be spaces that welcome authenticity.

Thank you for bearing with me through my long winded ramblings but I believe it will help you understand me and the purpose of my blog. Now may I leave you with a scripture that my sweet MIL (Mother-In-Law) gave to me when I was creating the name this name.  She also HAND STICHED and framed this verse and gave it to Brandon and I as a going away gift when we moved. It now hangs in our kitchen as a constant reminder of our prayer for our home.

My people will live 

in peaceful dwelling places,

in secure homes,

in undisturbed places

of rest.

Isaiah 32:18

Maci K

A Successful Move

Let me start off by saying, growing up my family moved fairly often; it was never further than 15 minutes from the previous house, and the three of us kids were blessed to be able to go to the same private school despite the moves. I never found moving to be a traumatic event, rather I looked forward to the whole process! Maybe I was just a unique child but I loved everything from getting the house ready for a open house to packing, and unpacking and making the beds with my Mimi (my mom's mom); it was a blast!

However, packing up for our most recent move which was roughly a 400 mile move was a bit different. I still had a great excitement for the move however it was much more difficult. The simple logistics of every single item in our little one bedroom one bath apartment having to be packed securely in order to survive the move was not as easy as I had expected it to be. In the above picture you can see how organized we began this process of packing up and moving but as time past quickly and it was the actual week of the move our organized packing quickly became organized chaos.

This chaos all had to fit perfectly in two trucks, two cars and a trailer. I proudly can say we were able to make it happen and we were almost completely unpacked and settled in 3 days. I must admit I truly did not anticipate how significantly different moving just 10 miles can be compared to 400 miles. No matter the amount of items and furniture you are moving it changes the way you pack because everything must be secured and placed appropriately so that it my not melt, break or crack. After all that, we only lost a few candles and a Hershey's Chocolate Bar and oh yes our beloved Sunburst (Stay tuned for the sunburst surgery).  Overall it was a successful move and we loving settling into our new home.

Also, just in case you were wondering, Jack our cat made the trip with out any crazy cat moments. Although he was pretty uneasy through out the whole process but once we got to our new home he was in heaven with all of the new nooks and crannies.

Well folks that's it for today, stay tuned for more on our big transition.

Maci K

Leaving The Nest

Just two and a half short weeks ago my husband was offered a job with a film company in the Southern California area. We could not be more excited about this opportunity because this is an absolutely dream of his! As his wife I could not be more thrilled to support him through the pursuit of his dream, but I must admit packing up and leaving our home town where majority of both of our families live is not easy. This is another step in the process of two becoming one. We both went to college out of town and experienced “leaving the nest” for the first time. But after completing our schooling we returned to our home town in Northern California and recently got married. Now it is time for us to leave once again but this time I can’t help but be excited about the chance we have to further establish our selves as our own family. Despite the mix of emotions we feel as we prepare to leave we are looking forward to the journey this will be. Now as we are preparing emotionally for this next part in our lives it is also time to prepare our home for this transition....

Meet Jack our cat. He is dreading this process of packing up and leaving just as much as we are.

Now that the count down, is on I am strategically planning each step for our move to make it as smooth of a transition as possible, or at lease I hope to. About a month ago (prior to finding out about this move) we went through closets, both storage and clothes and cleaned house. We took all of the things we decided we no longer liked or used and brought them over to my parents house and had a garage sale; whatever we didn’t sell we gave to GoodWill. It feels good to have that part of the process done and out of the way. Now it is time to gather our supplies while attempting not to spend a penny.

 Once Brandon and I heard word that we were moving we kept our eyes pealed at each or our workplaces for any boxes in good condition. I also grabbed the old papers at my office that were going to be recycled anyways. While I was at it I figured I could get the office stocked with all paper needed and grabbed the paper boxes for myself. I believe we will need to purchase a few boxes but this will help in some of the costs.

Stay tuned as we walk through this journey.

Maci K