And the excuses continue...

I would be surprised if this blog still has faithful readers after the latest posts being few and far between. And once again here I am telling you this mompreneur's schedule is still so crazy, so full, so nuts she won't be posting much this week or probably next week as well.

The Moms Who Make It conference (have you nominated a mom who inspires you?) is just over a week away and there is still much to do to get ready: swag bags, gifts, goodies for our backstage bloggers (aka The Sexy Six), nearly sold-out registration for mini-class and full-conference tickets...the list goes on and on. Add to that a #GNO IRL tomorrow night at Rock Creek Pizza Co. in Riverton, Utah for which I'm a panel member, a church activity on Sunday, a few posts I'm behind on for other sites and the biggest of all, the sale of our home.

Our home is officially under contract as of today with a closing date of August 25th. It was listed less than a week before the offer came through. Now we need to not only start packing but also find a place to live!

So wish me luck as I live of Oreos and Diet Coke for the next seven weeks. I will try to post when I can but forgive me if it's not as often as you or I would like. I promise come September life will be back to its normal level of insanity. --Emily

Do you know a mom who inspires you?

Though Mother's Day has come and gone, moms are still working hard, creating joy and spreading love wherever they go. We would love to honor these women during the Moms Who Make It conference on July 16th. (For more information on the conference, click here.)

For our Moms Who Are Making It spotlight during the conference we’re looking for moms who have had difficult life circumstances but have used them as a catalyst to change their lives for the better. These are moms who have inspired you to look at your own life and think, “I can make it too!”


We will collect all the nominations and randomly select ten to be honored at the conference. Each time a mom is nominated she receives an entry into the drawing, so the more nominations the better her chance of being spotlighted at our event. These moms will receive a full-day ticket to the conference and an invitation to attend the VIP Mocktail Party that night so they can mingle with our speakers and the CreatedByMom.com moms. We're also throwing some fun swag into the mix!

If you know a mom who is “making it,” please email or comment a quick summary (200 words or less) on why you think she should be honored during the Moms Who Make It conference. You can send an email to momswhomakeit {at} createdbymom {dot} com.

If you wonder if you’ll be honored as one of our Moms Who Are Making It, buy your ticket now before the price goes up on July 7th (midnight) OR before they sell out! If you are chosen we will refund your ticket.

We’re looking forward to sharing their stories and being inspired just as you have been inspired by them!

Moms Who Are Making It is sponsored by The Potted Pansy

Phe.mom.enom snags my fave recipe...

...and reviews our fabulous caterer for the Moms Who Make It conference in her recent post. I've taste-tested Utah Celebrations Catering twice now and each time I find my lips chapped from licking them so dang much! The food is fresh, yummy and the most flavorful I've had from a local caterer. Holly (aka @phemom) does a great job recapping the latest Backstage Blogger tasting event on location at Utah Celebrations Catering in Orem. And being a food blogger, her photos and description of the evening are as tasty as the food!


What made me absolutely adore Holly more than I already do (if that's possible) is she somehow managed to wrangle Chef Steven's recipe for his Chicken Marsala. If this dish isn't famous yet, it will be very, very soon. It melts in your mouth, delights the tastebuds and pretty much changes your life. I can't wait to make this recipe at home!


Chicken Marsala
Source: Utah Celebrations Catering, Chef Steven Swallow

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
2 teaspoons salt
Flour for dredging

2 T unsalted butter
1 T garlic, minced
1 T shallots, minced
1 C sweet marsala wine
1 C heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 T fresh basil, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season chicken breast with the salt and dredge in the flour. In a saute pan on high heat, melt the butter and add the chicken. Sear till the outside is golden brown, remove from the pan, place the chicken in a baking dish and place in the oven to finish cooking through, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

In the same pan the chicken was seared in, saute the garlic and shallots until just slightly golden brown over medium heat. Add the wine to the pan with the garlic and shallots and deglaze and reduce till a syrup consistency is reached. Add the heavy cream and reduce the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a line when a finger is drawn through the sauce. Add the Parmesan cheese and basil and salt to taste. Pour sauce over the chicken and enjoy.

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." ~Luciano Pavarotti

All images from Phe.mom.enom

#GNO IRL: A girls' night out in real life!

Many of you know I have been super busy helping Quinn, the woman behind CreatedByMom.com, plan the Moms Who Make It conference. Believe it or not I've been dubbed the Director of Communications for this fabulous event, yet I'm doing the lamest job of it considering I've been failing to post all the cool pre-conference events/hype parties/taste-testings we've had. I've left that to our Backstage Bloggers, now more affectionately known as our Sexy Six. But I should definitely be doing my part to "communicate" when it comes to MWMI.

Though it's a bit late to blog about the Noah's VIP Preview night, Utah Celebrations taste-testing, The Sweet Tooth Fairy and Lorken Food Finery hype parties I can tell you about our last pre-conference event:

#GNO IRL!

For those familiar with Twitter you'll recognize the #gno hashtag started by none other than our very own Jyl from Mom It Forward. Every Tuesday night from 7 to 9 pm Pacific time, Jyl hosts #gno complete with a handful of panelists tweeting their answers to questions about a specific topic from preparedness to family activities to photography. The tweets are fast and furious but the night is a lot of fun, often continuing on into the wee hours of Wednesday morning!

On July 7th from 7 to 9 pm we'll have our first ever #gno in real life (IRL)! The topic is "me time"--basically, taking time for yourself (is it possible? does it make you feel guilty? do you even do it?) BUT Jyl will be hosting the July 7th #gno on location at Rock Creek Pizza Co. in Riverton, Utah. It's an official girls' night out online and off and we want YOU to come!

Whether you're an experienced Twitterer or a newbie, come on by for some great conversation and great food. Bring your laptop, computer, iPhone, whatever your Twitter tool of choice--Rock Creek has free WiFi! Or arrive with no intention whatsoever to tweet; come simply to get away with girlfriends for the night. To sweeten the deal Rock Creek Pizza Co. is offering everyone who at the tweetup 25% off her purchase. This is a great excuse for you to try their gourmet chicken garlic pizza, my personal favorite!


Our #GNO IRL is also the last hype party beforeMoms Who Make It on July 16th and marks the last day you can buy your tickets before the price goes up. If you want some serious "me time" then you'll want to schedule a sitter now for July 16th and plan to attend MWMI '09.

I'm planning to be there laptop and appetite in tow. Hope to see you all there! For more details, click here. To RSVP visit the Facebook event page: #GNO IRL "Me Time". --Emily

P.S. If you can't make it we would love for you to join us online and in your pj's!

P.P.S. Only a couple days left to enter to win a Flip video camera and full conference ticket to MWMI '09! We'd love to have you as Boutique Cafe's exclusive conference correspondent!

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.