Blue Pillows

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In case you were wondering...this is the second phase to the new changes to my living room! 

You can read about my first small changes in living room decor here at Blue Mantle. 

As a recap, I recently decided to change my living room colors up a bit.  The easiest and cheapest way I found to do this was by adding in a color to my already burnt orange/brown/tan living room color scheme.  Rather than throwing out what I have, I changed it up by adding in a new color! BLUE! 

I started by doing the mantle I have attached above, then I decided to recover some pillows that came with our couch.  

Here is the fabric that inspired me to go blue!

These are the first pillows I made. The left is the cushion/pillow that came with our couch, these had started to rip on the sides, so I covered them to look like the one on the right. 

I also made this little throw pillow for our side chair.  Here you can see all three colors together, the brown, burnt orange, and blue. 

Later I also made this small throw pillow for our couch. This little pillow only took about 25 minutes to make and I loved the way it turned out.  

So here's our couch with some of these pillows all done! I love the way it turned out, and the way the blue is getting tied into our living room.  Also, there is a little sneak peak to the next BLUE post I will be putting up of our wall! 

 Remember, you can make small changes to your room and it can look totally different!! What do you think of my new color scheme? 

-Little Sis

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In my other life...

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I am Vegetarian.

Seriously. I am not a meat eater at all. Granted there is so much else that goes along with that lifestyle and it does intrigue me... but my man loves meat to much. Luckily, I am okay with out it.. so I don't eat it VERY often. All this to introduce you to my NEWEST food addiction. I could literally eat this Every. SINGLE. Day. The best part is.. 

Each item (besides the olive oil) I grabbed from my back yard! 

The olive oil that I use comes from a local farmer who grows his own olives too.. SO!!! 

This amazing awesomeness has few ingredients and they are:

Zucchini

Squash

Onion

Bell Pepper

Tomato

Basil

Olive Oil

(salt and pepper to taste)

I start with the first four ingredients in the olive oil and sauté it for about 7-10 minutes. Then I add the basil and let it simmer, covered for a few.. then I add the tomato. Last night I let it simmer for about 6 more minutes, covered. It was so great!! SO great!! 

I love that my boy is starting to really love veggies. I am so thankful that we went ahead and put the garden in this year, though it is likely to be the only one we have here.. But we were able to teach our boy SO much with that garden. 

I seriously told Little Sis that I really wanted to do a Meatless Monday Edition on the Fitness Blog.. but I don't think she took me seriously. *sigh* 

If you have read this, I would love to know what your favorite meatless recipe is.. I am always looking for new things to create for my boys!! I hope you will go recreate this recipe and if you add something come back and let me know!! 

-Big Sis

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Sweet Recipe from our Guest Blogger

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This week we are so excited to introduce to you one of our wonderful sponsors!! This is Kristen from the wonderful and fun blog The Mrs. & The Momma. I for one am so excited about her being here with us today b/c she is sharing something that is very dear to my heart.....and that my friends is POPCORN!! haha I love popcorn!! And she is sharing an amazing recipe that I must try asap!! So enjoy and be sure to stop by and visit her and giver her some lovin' from us here at Natural-Nesters! 

Hey there Natural Nesters readers!  I'm Kristen from The Mrs. & The Momma....so glad to meet you!  I'd like to consider my blog many things, but mostly I focus on my style and my family...and all the random (and sometimes funny) happenstances that accompany life with four little ones...ages six and under I might add.

Today, I'd like to share with y'all (that's right...I've never said "you guys" or "you all" in my entire life) something to which I've developed an addiction.  Are you ready?

Okay.

It's this magical stuff.

Allow me to state for the record that from this point forward, you will either love me or hate me.....but most likely, you will experience both of those feelings.

Love because you have never tasted something so delicious in your existance.

Hate because you won't be able to stop eating this, resulting in massive weight gain.  (Also, see reason for 'love' above.)

Here's the link to the recipe....I highly recommend you make this at your earliest convenience NOW.  You'll thank me later.

Or I'll get hate mail....but I'm pretty sure you'll thank me.

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

(By the way, I lie to myself and say this isn't nearly as bad for me because I take the high road substituting honey for the karo syrup.  Feel free to use this tactic as well...it really helps with the guilt.)

I hope y'all have a fab rest of the week!  Be sure to come by my little blog to say hello!

>>>Thanks so much for having me, Cassey and Brittany!<<<

Also don't forget to sign up for our AWESOME GIVEAWAY! 

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Awesome Bars Review and Giveaway

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We are so excited to bring another giveaway to you. We were so lucky to receive our very own Awesome Bars to try out and tell you guys about. Bars are such a fast way to get in the protein that you need before a workout and when I found my bars in the mail, I was pumped. Bars and me, Big Sis, much like Shakes and me... don't really mix (unless there is Ice-Cream involved)... I am not a fan. This is a huge reason why I am not into Shakeology or ViSalus or even regular protein shakes. We were sent five different bars to taste and I was a fan of each of them. My husband even opened a couple before I knew it and I had to beg for one little bite. You would not be disappointed if you tried these!

So, I want to share with you why I think the Awesome Bars are just so Awesome:

• Well, just like their website says: You can't fake awesome! There is nothing fake in their bars! 
• All Natural, Hand Crafted Bars! 
• The bars were created and are made by... 2 Sisters. Hello! Of course I love that! 
• Just the right amount of chewy for me! 
• Most have nuts and fruit- which is right up my alley. I hate bars that taste fake. Nothing in these bars taste fake- well, because they aren't!
• The wrapper is biodegradable. Um.. yes, please! 
• There is an assortment of different flavors to choose from.
• The bars really did give me a spurt of energy before my runs and also filled me up. I don't like to eat before runs, but these bars were just enough- not too much at all. 

I personally kept them in the refrigerator because, well, I just did.. and I really did like them like that. If I ate one when I got back from a hot run, it was nice to pull it out cold and snack on it! I highly recommend you ordering some from the Awesome Sisters!!

From Little Sis:
 First off I agree with all of the above about the Awesome Bars! I love the organic part of the bars...the way they are all natural, so you know they are good for you, plus the biodegradable packaging is awesome! Plus these things tasted yummy....and it felt good to know that you were eating something healthy.  You can taste the different nutrients in the bar, while it it also totally yummy! Another thing I liked about them is that they really are filling.  Because of all the nutrients, they fill you up for a while! I would definitely suggest to many of my friends to try these bars out! 

Awesome Bars have a Website and a Facebook! They are super friendly and very quick to get in touch with you if you have questions and the shipping is super fast. We are so excited that they are going to let one of you lucky readers get some bars of your own!! Like all of our past giveaways, just go ahead and enter!! Yay for AWESOME businesses that bring you AWESOME new things to try! 

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Naturally-Nifty Linky Party #30

Pin It Okay, I am so excited to share some of our favorites with you today, but also so sad!! There were some amazing posts up this past week! I hope you all hung out and visited around, because if not you missed out on some great stuff!!

So first, here is my fav. from Little Sis:

I love this Music Desk Makeover done by Pamela from Inspired by Felicity! This is such a wonderful way to use a medium other than paint to redo and make a creative piece of furniture! I'm not a musically skilled person, but for some reason I love sheet music projects! this is such a wonderful idea and it turned out great! All she used was a little Modge Podge...of course that stuff is so magical :-)  

From Big Sis:
Sometimes I get so sad that I am not as crafty as Little Sis.. or others. There are times I see things and I am like... darn it, why can't I do that?!?! This post by Amy, at Home Happy Home, is exactly that. How true is it that LOVE does make our world go around? What a great way to utilize an old globe and not throw it out. If I ever come across an old globe at a yard sale, better believe I am picking it up. Thank you for stopping over and linking up, Amy.. you guys should really check out her blog. She has some great stuff over there!!

**Sidenote from Little Sis----I LOVE THIS PROJECT! I love globes/maps, and this is just so creative! Great job Amy! 

Please be sure to grab our Featured Button! 

Also remember your projects were PINNED on our Pinterest Boards so go follow us there! 

Let us not forget.. we have a WINNER for the Sweaty Band!!! You have two days to claim your prize!  Email us your address and we will get it out to you! :) Congrats!


Now we hope everyone will have a wonderful time at the party! Hang out, mingle, and invite your friends to join!

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Recipe & Menu of the Week

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I finally did something that I have been wanting to do for a long time...

I made a menu for my house! 

I am so excited to stick to this menu....I made a menu for the next three weeks, and can't wait to see how this works out! 

I am really hoping that this will help my husband and me with our budget, so that we don't have to continually go to the grocery store.  We went to Sam's for major bulk items yesterday. Then I sat down and wrote out a three week menu (and organized some of my recipe cards), and then we went to Wal-Mart to buy other smaller items to finish off each recipe. 

I really feel like this is going to be great! 

Here are a few tips that I think can be helpful when planning out meals for your family 

-Write it down in a notebook

-Put the meal and the ingredients below it

-Then underline any ingredients that are not in your kitchen

-After making the menu come back to all underlined items and make a grocery list from that

-Remember to add sides to your menu, not just a main dish

-Stick to your menu, and let your family know not to just eat anything 

-It may help some to organize items with what it will be cooked with and separate it from regular pantry so that it will not randomly get used before it is time 

Now I am going to share one of my favorite recipes with you! 

Brittany's Creamy Chicken

Prep Time: 15minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes  Temp: 375  

-9x13 inch pan

-4 chicken breasts (thawed)

-1 lg cream of chicken soup

-1 carton of sour cream

-2 sleeves of ritz crackers

-1/2 stick of butter

Chop chicken breasts into cubes, then toss them into a large bowl. Add the lg can of cream of chicken soup, and 3/4 the carton of sour cream. Mix all together. Pour mixture into the 9x13 inch pan, and put it in the oven to bake for 30 minutes. While cooking, crumble the crackers up into little pieces.  Melt butter and mix the crumbs and butter together in a bowl.  After the dish has baked for 30 minutes, take it out and spread the cracker/butter mixture evenly over the top.  Cook for 10-15 more minutes.  

Serve over rice

This is one of my families favorite meals, and it is so easy to make, and a great thing to make for a lot of people.  I hope you enjoy it! 

**Also I would love to hear any tips that you have learned in making your own family menu**

-Little Sis

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Changes are Comin'

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Do you like change??? Change is a comin' in Big Sis' house and I am sad, excited, unsure, eager... all of the emotions one can feel. Sometimes I like change... other times I hate change. 

We found out about five weeks ago that my husband is changing careers. This really stumps a lot of people and they don't understand how they can just make him do this.. and this is how I have explained it... Of course this is just a little wife, who doesn't really understand the process, explaining it... 

My husband is in the AIR FORCE. So in the grand scheme of things, AIR FORCE is his job... but they are cross training him to a different job in the AF. So it just under the umbrella of AF. At first we were really upset... but what do you do? Be upset or find the good in it? What would you do? He isn't losing retirement, pay, benefits... It is going to be a little more work because he has to learn a different career after being a firefighter for the past ten years, we are most likely going to have to begin the process of moving again after only being here a year... BUT! God is good. He will provide.. and we both have such a peace about this. Along with this .. things are changing. 

So, what will change?

-Daddy will have a new job.

-Daddy's job will move us somewhere for training for a year.

-Then Daddy's job will take us to our new home.

-Mommy will no longer run an in-home daycare.

-Mommy will spend the year while Daddy is in school... with the toddler.

-Life will be grand.

What about the bigger changes? 

(All this is assuming that things are going how we think they are going.. which could totally not be the case)

-We have to rent our house out.. Stressful! Tips on that anyone?

-We will be purchasing an RV and living in an RV for the year of Daddy's school.

-We will be in Texas, 90 minutes from Lil Sis.. 6 hours from HOME!

-Mommy is starting school again to become a Real Estate Agent in Texas. (odd.. teacher gone realtor)

-Maybe Baby#2??

So many changes.. but they are okay! California has never felt completely like home to me... though I was just getting into my groove here when this news came up. Now if we stay, I will be heart broken. 

The main thing I love about California can be list on five fingers:

-My Family.

-My Garden.

-My House.

-The Beautiful Weather. 

-The races that are so close and ALL the time.

With all of that said.. please say a prayer that yes, indeed, all things work out and I am able to live in Texas for the next year.. so close to Baby Sis. We have so many exciting things going on with our blog and lives together.. it would be fantastic if the Lord allowed us that sweet time together.. and even better if we could get pregnant together... just sayin'... 

Until Later, Friends.

Good night, Sweet dreams, We love you. 

-Big Sis

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