A Big Announcement

Life can be funny.  Sometimes when you aren't looking for something, aren't seeking something- it can find you.  That is what happened to our family this year.

My husband was happy at work.  Got along great with his coworkers, wasn't working too far from home, things were good.  Then one phone call changed it all.  An old boss, friend and mentor- called Eric up and invited him to come work on a really big construction project with him.   Our first thought, was no- things are great and the timing is awful...but then we couldn't stop thinking about it.  It would be a great opportunity and it would mean living close to a lot of family.

We weighed the pros and cons, we did research, and we especially prayed about it.

So what is the big announcement?

At the end of the year, so yes in just a few weeks, we will be moving to Utah.

It has been a whirlwind since we made the decision.

Eric and I went to Utah one weekend and looked at 21 houses in one day (our realtor was a superstar)!   We looked at 5 of the them again a second time, narrowed it down to 2, and in the end it came down to the schools.  We put in offer in on one, and by the end of the day they had accepted.

We are currently under contract, and that is just so crazy for me to say and think.

It really is a bitter sweet move.  We have lived in our current home for 6 1/2 years.   For most of our married life, we had not lived in one place for longer than 2 1/2 years, so this felt like an eternity here- a good wonderful eternity.

Ryder had just turned 1-year-old when we moved here.

Ryder on the moving boxes from our last move 

Lucas started 1st grade here.

Alex has done all of her school, up to this point, here.

We will miss our friends, the weather, the beach.   We will be trading our boogie boards in for sleds; our flip flop and sandals for winter boots and gloves.

But we are excited, and know it is the right thing for our family.  Looking back, it truly is amazing to see all of the hundreds of little pieces that have lined up in order for this to work out.  I truly do believe that if we let God direct our lives, that He will guide us to what is right for us at the time.

I am excited for new adventures, I am excited to be close by family, and I am even excited to see my first snow fall in many years.

To all of my friends here in Southern California.  Thank you, thank you for making this a wonderful place to live, thank you for being there for me and my family.  You will be missed.

And to my Utah friends, especially so many who I know because of this blog-- let's plan a lunch date!

When Monday Is a Holiday

Do you like Monday holidays? Or do you prefer them on Friday?

I love Monday holidays as it makes the rest of the week seem to go so fast, always thinking it is one day behind what it really is.  Monday holidays alway throw me off too.  They kind of feel like we have a Saturday, Sunday then Saturday again; most of the day Monday I kept thinking we would be going to church the next day.

We took advantage of our three day weekend.

We first went to my friend (and cousin's) son's baptism.  It was a wonderful service followed by a nice lunch at the park after.  We had a great time catching up with family (Eric's family technically).

Then my family went off for a mini adventure, we had some time to burn before my beach photoshoot that evening.

We tried unsuccessfully to ride the giant orange hot air-balloon, it was too windy and so it was closed.  Instead we went to nearby mall and rode the Big Wheel, a big Ferris Wheel.


 That and the drive the rest of the way to the beach and dinner took the perfect amount of time.

I met my client, who was actually here on vacation from Canada, and we had a great beach shoot.  Her kids, despite being up since 3:00 AM to travel, were awesome.

I texted my family after the shoot to find out where they were and Eric said they were on the other side of the pier flying a giant kite- and sure enough they were.  They bought a kite from a guy on the pier and had a great time flying the kite while I did my shoot.

A photo posted by emmymom (@emmymom) on Sep 4, 2016 at 4:42pm PDT

We hurried home to watch BYU pull out an awesome last minute win, I love football season!

Sunday was a wonderful Sabbath day where I learned it is very good that life isn't fair (more about that tomorrow).

Then Monday Eric and I did some couch shopping, and ended up buying one.  After the last leg rest broke, and the seat I sit in is all busted, it was definitely time for a new couch.

We did make the day fun for the kids too with John's Incredible Pizza for lunch and ended by all watching Home Alone together.   We watched it on Vid Angel and it is a good thing as there are actually a lot of bad words in that movie!


It was a great weekend and now this Tuesday/Wednesday, when I am not quite sure what day it is, I am trying to get back into the swing of things.

What day do you prefer to have off?
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A First-Timers Experience at BlogHer

For many years now I have wanted to go to BlogHer.  It is one of those big conferences that you always just hear so much about.  The cost and the need to fly across the country always held me back; when I heard it was going to be in L.A. this year, I just had to go.

After going.... let's just say I have mixed feelings.  Here is a first-timers experience at BlogHer.

Friends
The absolute best part for me was the friends-old and new.

I have been blogging for a long time, when I started blogging it was so much about the community and friendships; to be able to finally meet some of those people in person was wonderful!

When Elaine of Miss Elaine-ous Life and I found each other, we accidentally took over a spot in one of the expo booths standing there catching up.

I also got to meet Samantha of Samantha Amidon Airplane Rides and Guacamole Sides  It is funny when you technically meet someone for the first time who you already kind of know.

I also got to meet some newer blogging friends like Salma of The Write Balance.

Plus the roommates!  I "knew"  Kendra of Simply Darrling and we planed on rooming together.   We went online to the BlogHer page and found two other ladies who were looking for a room and she chose wisely as I loved our two new roommates Susie of Pins and Procrastination and Megan of Discover Diaries.


**Tip** If you are new and coming alone, definitely reach out and find someone to room with; it can make all the difference in feeling alone and feeling like you have someone to tag around with.

Sponsored Events
 
When I first started getting invites to sponsored events I was beyond excited-they were inviting me!  I quickly agreed to almost every event I was invited to, quickly filling up my entire Friday.

Looking back, there were a few events I could have probably skipped, opting for the classes instead.

((All of the classes I really wanted to attend where on Friday, which is the day pretty much all of the sponsored events were-- hardly any sponsored events on Saturday, which felt like bad planning))

While it feels totally exciting to get invited to a sponsored events and some of them were the highlights of my time at BlogHer- definitely just pick ones that are a good fit for you.  Some felt a little bit like here is our company we are the best but then they didn't really tell how you as a blogger could work with them.

**Tip** Just pick sponsored events that really are a good fit for you

My absolute favorite event I went to was a walking tour of L.A. hosted by MixBook.

This was actually on Thursday before BlogHer officially began.  We had a guide from Red Line Tours who showed us all around the city, and by all around, I mean all around- we walked for 4 1/2 miles!

We were total tourists with headsets, so we could hear what he was saying and all with our cameras taking pictures, but I loved it, met some great bloggers and learned all sorts of crazy stuff I never knew about L.A.

By the end we were all beyond exhausted but I am so glad I went, it was a great way to start BlogHer.

The Classes
  I only attended a few classes and wish I would have gone to a few more.  What I heard from my friends that did attend more is most of the classes would be great if you were new to blogging. One of the classes I attended was good and I learned some new information, but it didn't light my fire with blogging again like I hoped it would.

I have been to smaller blogging conferences, that when I leave I feel excited about all of these things I want to do with my blog, things I want to write about-- but I honestly left BlogHer feeling just about the same  (I have heard similar feelings from several who attended).

The Expo

The Expo is where all of the sponsors have booths set up; I honestly didn't know what to expect with this.

**Tip** find a friend to go around the expo with, it can feel pretty lonely going around to the booths by yourself.

You definitely have to step in and introduce yourself and be more assertive here.  It made me chuckle how many of the people at the booths asked "So are you a blogger?"  Maybe there are people who don't blog at BlogHer, but I am guessing the majority of us do.

Sabrina Soto at the Velcro booth was SO nice and down to earth! 

Each booth usually had a little small something they were handing out and you could find out about their company and some were better about talking how they work with bloggers than others.

Me and my roomie at the Mixbook photo booth in the Expo hall

Though one of my favorite booths was Baskin Robins, they weren't giving any pitches but they were handing out free ice-cream!

Food
  Breakfast and lunch were provided during the conference (some sponsored events also included meals), but you are on your own for dinner.  Throughout the expo though there was always appetizers and snacks along the side;  often come dinner time I wasn't even that hungry.   Late night dinners with different friends was definitely a highlight though.

**Tip** Bring Cash as you will be splitting dinner bills a lot.

Friday night after a sponsored event, I was walking back with Salma and her friend Vanessa and one fellow attendee, Carol just randomly said hi, we stopped and talked and ended up all going to dinner together.

We had a great time enjoying the view and talking and eating at Wolf Gang Puck 24.  I love that if you were open and friendly, you really could just meet new friends that easily.

The KeyNotes
  If you read anything about BlogHer16 I am sure that you heard that Kim Kardashian was a keynote speaker on Friday at lunch, I can't give my feelings about it- as I wasn't there.  I had a sponsored lunch at that time, which I think I am really grateful I went to. It was reported hat everyone wanted to be upfront by Kim so there was pushing and shoving and really long lines for food and that her interview felt like anything you could hear on any entertainment talk show.

I did love the Keynote with Mayim Bialik  She is so real and down to earth, funny, and was openly sharing.  The one negative aspect with her Keynote was the moderator.   Mayim made a comment about a political candidate, nothing charged or fired up, just more of a statement;  the moderator took it upon herself to say and "Yes if you don't support ****- there's the exit"

I honestly, was ready to get up and walk out right then, not because I don't support that candidate (I don't like any of them so I am not trying to start a political debate)-- but at a conference where there are so many different people with so many different views, why would you say something divisive?

Overall Feelings

 Am I glad I went to BlogHer?  Yes.  I am so grateful for the friends I was able to meet, the new friends I was able to make.  I am grateful for the opportunity to talk with some brands and companies that I would love to work with.  I am grateful that now I know what this big BlogHer thing is all about.

It is fun being with a group of people who get it- who understand why we spend the time to create and share content on-line for any and all to see.

If you are a social conservative- while the attendees and other bloggers will be great and wonderful even when you have totally different views-- the overall feeling of BlogHer itself is quite different.

Will I go again?

Probably not.  There are so many conferences out there now, and I believe there are so many that would be a better fit for me, ones that I could learn more and come away with more positive experiences.


Have you ever attended a big blogging conference?

Preparing Dinner for the Week

This is a sponsored post

Does anyone else have trouble planning meals?  Is it sometimes hard to know what to make? Do you sometimes have a lot of great ideas but think you have no time to make those dinners?

With school, soccer practice, scouts, chorus and lots of other activities I sometimes feel like I spend a lot of my life in the car.  Often these activities end up right around dinner time, leaving me scrambling to throw something together quickly and relying on a lot of processed foods.

Prep Dish is a meal planning service that not only sends you a meal plan, recipes and a shopping list every week, but also step-by-step instructions on how to prep everything in advance.

You just need one day with a few free hours, to chop, marinate, make sauces, etc.- then you can practically throw together the dish the night you are ready to eat it.

Each week you will receive an e-mail that contains an organized grocery list and instructions for prepping your meals ahead of time.

Prep Dish focuses on paleo and gluten free menus, so if you are feeding someone with a gluten allergy or sensitivity they do not need to feel left out.

I will admit when I first pulled up the menus, I felt a little overwhelmed and wondered if these are dinners my kids would like; my husband- he would love them, but the kids, I wasn't so sure about.  I decided to choose just a few of the dinners.  

I was worried I wouldn't know what to prep if I wasn't making everything, but each dish is numbered and the prep steps have the corresponding number, so it makes it very easy to only make the meals you want.

The nightly preparing/cooking time for each dish really is so fast since the prep work is already finished.  You end up spending just a little time each night and have a fancy, healthy dinner.

To learn more or to sign up head over to PrepDish.com

Currently...

This post contains an affiliate link 

My friend Karen of A Peek at Karen's World, did a fun post called currently-- so I thought I would follow suit, though I did cut out a few things, as I never know who my favorite celebrity is...


Currently....


I am Reading 
  The Land of Look Behind by Aaron Blaylock

Wish list...
   To buy a house.  Love our landlord, love our house, just having the desire to really put down roots (though there is always the risk of a job transfer if we do)

Current Needs
   To plan a presentation I am giving to hundreds of women in a couple of weeks

Current Triumph
   Actually planning meals almost every single night and really cooking again

Get this Easy Quiche Recipe

Current Picture

From our Fancy Family Valentine's Dinner

Current TV Show
  Gilmore Girls- we are rewatching on Netflix in preparation for the little Netflix mini series that is coming out
via GIPHY
Current Indulgence
   Cheese... and chocolate... just not together

Current Bane of My existence
   It is a voting year... need I say more.

Current Mood
   On edge- thinking of all I need to get done and just the events of this upcoming week

What are your currents?  Reading any good books now?

Top 10 of 2015

At the end of every year I love looking back and finding the top 10 of 2015.

You can find my previous years here 2014//2013 //2012

Top 10 Posts I wrote in 2015 

1. National Teddy Bear Day

2. New Years Kids Questions

3. Tools to Help Your Kids Succeed

4. Boredom Bucket

5. A New Twist on Valentines Day

6. Keeping Kids Safe in Soccer

7. Planning the Perfect Summer Bucket List

8. Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Vegetables

9. Friday Friday: Public Speaking, iPhone 6s and football

10. The Best Beach Vacation 

I found it funny that the one Friday 5 happened to get a ton of hits, maybe because I talked about the new iPhone in the post.  Feel free to click on any of the titles if you missed the post the first time, or just want to read again.

Top Referring Sites

1. Pinterest

2. Howdoesshe.com

3. Facebook

4. Twitter

5. L. facebook (not sure what this one is)

6. Mobile Facebook

7. Sugardoodle.net

8. KendallRayburn.com

9. Stumble Upon

10. thewhoot.com.au

Top 10 Key Words That Bring People to My Blog**

1. 4 part apology

2. Four Part apology

3. broccoli salad recipe

4. fly lady not having a desk

5. easy school lunch ideas

6. date in a box

7. how to make the best box cake

8. mom packed lunch zip lock

9. 100 Days of school ideas to wear

10. best boxed white cake

**Google has changed what they show, so who knows how accurate this is

I posted 223  times (3 more times than the last two years) with worldwide readers, the top 5 are:

1. United States

2. Russia

3. Canada

4. Ukraine

5. China

It was a great year and I am excited to see what 2016 has in store. 

Why I will Travel for Thanksgiving but Not Christmas

I won't travel for Christmas, I don't really want to, but Thanksgiving, that is another story.

Growing up we never traveled for Thanksgiving, maybe the fact that there were 8 of us made for a kind of big Thanksgiving dinner as it was.  My grandpa would make the drive down to spend with us, but our other grandparents lived across the country; so it was usually our family and sometimes the missionaries from our church.

When Eric and I were first married we would rotate Thanksgiving and Christmas between each our of parents, so we were never home.

We finally had our first Thanksgiving at our new home we had built after I had graduated and was working and Eric was finishing up school.   It was a new experience being the host, we learned the art of brining a turkey and have been doing it ever since.

Once we started having kids things changed.  Christmas morning now meant piles of presents under the tree and beginning our own traditions.  I wanted to be home on Christmas.  With our many moves we were rarely close to family and so it often was just us, but I was okay with that.  These early years of parenting with the kid still young, their beliefs in Santa still strong are magical and something to be cherished.

 I was honestly kind of grateful we didn't have a lot of family around and didn't have to spend the day going from one home to another; it was just us and I was okay with that.

Now Thanksgiving, that is another story.  I think it would be kind of sad and feel like just another meal if it was just my family.  The other day Alex asked if we have ever had Thanksgiving at our house, and I realized in her almost all her lifetime we have not hosted a Thanksgiving dinner, but have always gone to another family member's house and I kind of love it.

But come Christmas morning we will be here at our home; grandparents are welcome, but other than that I am honestly really good with being just us; enjoying the moments, the traditions, letting our kids really enjoy their toys (before they are too old to want lots of toys Christmas morning).

Do you travel for the holidays are do you prefer it being just your family? 

Deseret Industries- The Gold Star of Thrift Stores

**This is sponsored post, all feelings, and opinions are my own and truthful**

I love thrift stores.  The bookshelves in our play room can attest to that with the hundreds of children's books I have bought over the years.  When I heard that a Deseret Industries was opening in Fontana, California I was beyond excited!

When Eric and I were first married and poor college students, every Friday we would go to our local Deseret Industries and buy a game for a dollar or two.  Then we would take it home, make some popcorn and play our new game. The games we just didn't enjoy, well we would just donate them back.  We now have a closet full of games.

When I went into the new DI, and saw this...

it was heaven!  

I love looking for new treasures, new toys for the kids, picture frames to paint and re-make, clothes for the kids (who out grown things so quickly I never want to pay full price) and even furniture.  

I arrived at the DI grand opening 30 minutes before the ribbon cutting ceremony and the line already wrapped around the side of the building.

 My friend Caryn of Mid Life Guru and I got a behind the scenes tour and let me just say the store is amazing!

Not only is it huge, but it is clean and so well organized.  It felt more like a regular store than your typical thrift store.  Not to mention the prices are great!  There are certain thrift stores that seem to be over-priced, but this is not the case with DI.

One of my favorite parts about DI, is that they give back. Before the ribbon was cut, elected city officials spoke of how happy they were to have DI in Fontana as not only do they put people to work, but they train them for future and great employment.
DI isn't the end goal, but it is a training facility that teaches real work skills along the way.  DI has helped more than 3,500 individuals in permeant, full-time employment following their DI training.  

Here are a few more fun facts about DI:

• The store will house more than 40,000 items, with a replacement rate of 2,000 to 3,000 new goods put on the floor each day. A great reason to come again and again

• Quality secondhand items include clothing, shoes, dishes, furniture, home decor, children’s books and toys, tools, outdoor play equipment, and more.
  
• DI also sells new, low price goods including: blankets, sheets, men’s suits, mattresses, bed frames, and dressers
  
  In 2014:

• DI provided more than 75,000 community grants (vouchers to needy families for free merchandise from DI, granted through partnerships with other charitable organizations in the communities served by DI).
• Produced more than 55,000 humanitarian kits to provide relief to victims of disasters around the world.
  
• Manufactured and shipped more than 72,000 mattresses and 20,000 wood furniture items for sale in DI stores and for humanitarian relief.

They truly are a store that is there to help and better the community!

And they know how to party!

This Saturday at 1:30 P.M. former American Idol Contestant Brooke White will be performing!  

There are also giveaways, treasure hunt contests, and free tote bags for the first 500 costumers each day. 

If you live anywhere near Fontana, California, I highly recommend coming to the new Deseret Industries.  It is located at 16593 Valley Blvd. Fontana, CA.

I have a feeling I will be spending a lot of time there.

What is the best thing you have ever found at a thrift store?  

Here is My Post

    I sat down last night ready to write this beautifully eloquent post.   Maybe something about motherhood, maybe something about life, something I could link up with Shell's Pour Your Heart Out.
    The ideas, even some sentences even had popped into my head throughout the day, but as with everything since having three kids, if I don't write it down, I lose it.
   That's okay, it could come back to me, after all I am a writer.   I sat in my favorite seat on the couch, pulled open my computer and sat.

   It was quiet...

   Too quiet.  The kids all in bed, Eric out of town for work.

A little Property Brothers would do the trick, turned on the TV and once again pulled open my computer.

.....

I closed my computer and decided just to watch the episode, then I would write.

I pulled out one of the blankets and wrapped up, nothing better then watching TV all wrapped up snugly in a blanket.

A hour later I woke up, haven fallen asleep at 8:50.

The sleepiness wouldn't leave my eyes; decided I might as well call it a night.

So here is my post, my profound post about motherhood, this amazing writing with this nugget of inspiration and wisdom that will leave you all amazed and in awe....

Or really it's not.  Instead it is much more true to real life, often repetitive and mundane, often a rather straight forward ride.

But those little moments, those moments of inspiration, those events that enliven you and help you remember what it is all about... those are the moments that make it exciting and worth it.

So for now, I will just calmly float and try to enjoy the calm.  I will write this simple post that really is more indicative of real life.

Maybe tomorrow I will write something brilliant.

Top 10 of 2014

It is always fun to look back over the year- here are some Top 10 of 2014. I did a similar post last year which you can see here.

Top 10 Most Popular Posts I Wrote in 2014 (Not the top 10 overall)

1. The Four Part Apology

2. Master Bedroom Makeover on a Budget

3. Painting Bookcase with Annie Sloan Paint

4. How to Be Organized for the New Year

5. Beach Trip Essentials 

6. Favorite Photo Editing Phone Apps

7. Why I won't Let My Kids Have Sleepovers 

8. New Year's Kids Interview Questions 

9. Legoland -A Young Family Destination

10. Bedroom Makeover Panting Furniture 

Most of these posts were very pinnable, and as you can see below, Pinterest is my top referring site.   So are these posts the top because of Pinterest or is Pinterest the top because of these posts?   It is kind of like the chicken and the egg thing, though I am leaning towards the former.

Top Referring Sites

1. Pinteret
2. Came Directly To site
3. Google Search
4. Songbirdsandbuttons.com
5. Facebook
6. Howdoesshe.com
7. Facebook
8. thetaylor-house.com
9. Mobile Facebook
10. Bing

Top 10 Key Words that Bring People to My Blog (all time-not just 2014)
1. 32 weeks pregnant
2. emmy
3. how to make a box cake better
4. gray be gone
5. best box cake mix
6. date in a box
7. easy school lunch ideas
8. lego cake
9. emmymom-onedayatatime
10. babies born at 32 weeks


I posted 220 post (exact same as last year!) with visitors from all over the world, the top 5 are

1. United States
2. Canada
3. United Kingdom
4. Australia
5. South Africa

It was fun to look back.  Do you have a favorite post from last year?  How about this last week?  Don't forget to link up your one favorite post from this last week to the new linky Best of the Blogosphere that I am helping host.