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Staying Home Sawyer

Real Life Living on a Real Life Budget

DIY

Farmer’s Market Salsa

11.06.2014

Garden Fresh Salsa RecipeEveryone loves a good salsa. And I mean everyone. So if you don’t, then you’re not someone. Or at least you’re not someone cool. Or American. Because salsa is totally American. Mexico who?

I love myself some good spicy salsa. I love all kinds of salsa: thick and chunky, picante saucey, spicy, you name it. If it’s made from tomatoes, it’s calling my name. And you better believe I’ll eat it. All of it.

My recent trips to the farmers market have yielded great end results. This salsa. Just ask my husband. I’ve made large batches of it for two weeks straight now. And I have no plan on stopping.

This salsa is super easy and guilt free. Just be sure to buy the calorie free tortilla chips to go with. They make those right?Garden Fresh Salsa RecipePick out about five ripe tomatoes. You’ll want them to be almost too ripe. Grab a green pepper and add a yellow/orange one for fun color if you’d like. I used mini peppers, so if you have full size just use half of the colored one. Chop 1-2 inches off the green onions, then dice up the rest. Grab a handful of cilantro, de-stem (new word?) them, and chop up the leaves.Steps to Garden Fresh Salsa RecipeChop up everything real fine. Dump it all in a bowl and mix. Then try to only eat one bite. I dare you.

Garden Fresh Salsa Recipe PhotoSide Note: Have you ever ate your chips and salsa with cream cheese? It is a MUST TRY. Well, if you like cream cheese. And let’s be honest, if you don’t, something’s wrong with you. Seriously, you might want to see a doctor. Unless you’re lactose intolerant. Then I just feel bad for you.  Take a scoop of cream cheese, pour salsa over it. Grab some sturdy chips and go to town. Trust me on this. Just try it once.

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Lifestyle

One Lovely Blog.

11.05.2014

one-blog-lovely-awardYay! I’ve finally made it in the real world. That is, for those of you (like myself) that think of the blogging world as the real world. I’ve been nominated for the Lovely Blog Award! First, I’d like to thank my mom, husband, and cousin Michelle for reading every post I publish, mainly for the sake of being able to say that they did indeed read it when I question them later. I’d like to thank all of those friends and family that also read my blog, mainly so they can check up on me to be sure I haven’t trashed them in any way whatsoever. I’d also like to thank all of my followers (without whom this wouldn’t be possible) for their laughter (if they ever do, indeed, laugh), their pointer fingers (for clicking the “like” button on an occasional post), and for their high school keyboarding class (that gave them the ability to write a comment every now and again).

On a more honest note: I do feel extremely grateful to have “friends” in the blogging world that have nominated me, because it makes me feel like a part of something. Corny, yes.

So first of all, the real person I can thank for this nomination is Britney at All Things Britney Lee. Her blog is a great lifestyle blog, and I enjoy reading her posts about life in general. She is extremely optimistic and has a great attitude about life. She is someone you’d want to be your best friend. That, and she does hair. Can you get a better best friend?liebster-awardI also want to kind of combine this post with a nomination I was given for the Liebster Award from Lora at Hope Courage Inspiration. Thank you so much for the nomination, and sorry it’s taken me so long to actually write a post! Lora is a really fun optimistic blogger that brings inspiration to her followers.

So onto the post: 7 Facts about ME!

1. I’m an only child. You’d probably never guess that from my bratty attitude, but it’s true. My parents had me, saw perfection, and decided they couldn’t submit another child to that comparison.

2. I played the piano for 7 years. I wasn’t that good, but I could at least carry a tune. Which I cannot do with my voice. Even though I sang church choir solos for years. Seriously. What were my parents thinking? I’d be the kid now trying out for American Idol because my parents always told me how great I was. Sometimes the truth hurts. But it’s better than being humiliated in front of the entire country. Or even the entire church.

3. I actively play the lottery. I really want to win. I don’t understand people who say that they would continue working if they won the lottery. What is wrong with you?!?! I am getting out of this workplace (not that I don’t love my job)! But what is the point of winning the lottery if you’re not going to spend that money living your life to the fullest. And the fullest does not involve waking up at 6am every day to get to work on time.

4. I invited Taylor Swift to my wedding. This was at the same time that she was publicly busted for throwing away her fan mail. Needless to say, she did NOT attend my wedding. I shed a tear as I danced the night away in my glittery shoes. Her loss.

5. My hair is naturally dark brown. I know this comes as a HUGE shocker to most of you, but nope, the blonde is not natural. And of course that’s a joke, because it’s obviously not natural. It’s just that most people don’t expect it to be as dark as it really is.

6. My whole life I wanted about 6 children. Now, I’m not sure if I even want one. Growing up, I prayed and prayed that one day I’d have twins, and now that thought scares the living daylights out of me. That CANNOT happen! Besides, I was blessed with my little twin “sisters” about 20 years ago (see their blog below), and that’s good enough for me.

7. I’ve always wanted to write a book (big surprise right, blogging is never the first step). There are two problems with this. One: I can’t write anything of length that is halfway decent. Two: I doubt anyone would read whatever I would finally come up with. Other than my parents, my husband, and maybe my cat. If I’m lucky. Lucy really doesn’t like to be bothered.

Now onto my nominations of others! I assume that many of my favorite bloggers have either already done this, or don’t have the time in their amazing schedules (seriously, their lives look like so much fun!). However, I’m going to give them a shout-out anyway, because, well, they’re awesome.

Meg at The Half and Half Blog. She is HILARIOUS and always has me laughing out loud at my desk. Not to mention her Facebook posts crack me up on a regular basis. I literally wish she was my real friend, not just my blogging friend. We can all dream.

Julia at Bunny Baubles. She looks like one of the best friends you could have on your block. She throws the coolest parties, and is an amazing crafter (obviously I love her).

Megan from [Insert Title Here]. I know Megan personally, and I love her AND her blog. It’s a great view into the life of a college student, one that works her ass off and is fabulous at the same time.

and last but definitely not least:

Britta & Carli at Twinspiration22. These two are my little sisters. I know I know, I just said I was an only child – they’re not REALLY my little sisters. I had to adopt them as so, so I wasn’t so alone in the world. But they also have a fabulous lifestyle blog that I love to read. It makes me feel a little younger, more on their page. They’re much cooler than me. My goal in life is to be featured on their blog. I feel a little bit like Kim Kardashian with two cooler younger sisters. Only without the ass. Or the boobs. Okay, I’m actually nothing like KK.

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DIY, Holidays!

Goodbye October!

11.04.2014

Mini Mummy PizzasJust when I was starting to get used to October it’s November already. I didn’t even get one of those Pumpkin Spice Latte’s in. Who am I kidding, I can’t handle all that goodness anyway. Maybe during the winter season I’ll be a little more adventurous and stray from my Friday Skinny Vanilla Latte (with No Foam). We’ll see. I can’t promise anything.

Halloween is over, and I feel like I just started preparing. That has nothing to do with the fact that I actually did just start preparing. It’s never been my favorite holiday, mostly because as an adult I typically have had nothing to do and no one to do it with. This year I scraped together some friends (read: five at the highest point of the night) for a little get together. At least it gave me an excuse to dress up and make some Halloween food!

I made these mini pizzas for our guests, and they were a huge hit. They were delicious, if I do say so myself. Now that Halloween is over, these are the perfect alternative to late  Saturday night Jack in the Box runs. There’s gotta be less calories in these than in those tacos. Or maybe not, since no one has ANY idea what is actually in those tacos.Easy Mini Mummy Pizza RecipeI also needed a costume.  Since I’m now thirty years old, I don’t think it’s appropriate to buy a costume at the Halloween store. I mean, I know that those cat ears make the ten inches of fabric look completely realistic, but I just can’t pull that off anymore. That was so last year.DIY Bubble Gum Machine CostumeI saw a Bubble Gum Machine photo on Pinterest and thought it looked pretty easy. It was. Finding the pom-poms was not. Note to Reader: Buy them long before Halloween. Every Michael’s in our city was sold out. Thank God for my husband’s day off and trip to Hobby Lobby. If only it were closer. I’d be broke.DIY Bubble Gum Machine Costume

You’ll Need:

Red Tank (and Blazer for work)

Red Skirt/Pants

Red Hat

Black/Gray/White Felt

Pom Poms (at least 7 bags for the front side)

Hot Glue

I’m pretty sure I don’t have to list out every step. Just hot glue those babies right onto your red tank. You’ll want to use something to stretch out your shirt as you glue, otherwise when you put the shirt on you’ll be stuck with gaps. No good.Happy HalloweenWhat were you for Halloween? What was the best costume you saw?! Or should I say, how many Elsa’s knocked at your front door?

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DIY, Wedding

Sweet, Bubbly, and Simply Sparkly!

10.30.2014

Sparkly Wine or Champagne Bottle GiftIt’s been one of those days. You know the days. The days that drag on and on, while you sit at your desk or stand at your podium and mentally break down inside, all while counting down the hours until you can make it home and open a bottle of wine. Or a can of beer. Or a gallon of ice cream. I’m no judge.

The best thing about bad days: They only last 24 hours. Tomorrow is a brand new day (aren’t I just so optimistic?). It better not be a brand new bad day.

So let’s start tomorrow with a little glitter, shall we? It’s been a while since I did something sparkly, and well, I’m not quite living up to my name. So in typical Rae of Sparkles fashion, cheers to announcing my Super Sparkly Champagne Bottle!

Apply Modge Podge to the bottle, everywhere you want the glitter, and dump the glitter on (excess will fall off). Spray a coat of clear spray paint over the bottle, and…Sparkle Champagne or Wine Bottle GiftTa Da! (Cue the applause)

Grab a piece of ribbon, and attach the tag to make it a Wedding Shower gift. Or even a Wedding Gift.Sparkle Wine or Champagne Bottle GiftIsn’t she beautiful? If I had her waiting for me at home tonight, I’d be speeding down the freeway right now. Or stuck in traffic. One of the two. I’m going to put my money on the traffic. Ugh. Of course those fellow drivers would get in the way of me and my bottle. That’s life.

It’s just so unfair.

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About Me

About Me

Hi Mamas! My name is Shauna, a 30-something (big emphasis on the 'something') new mama and wife living in Southern California. I've become a Stay At Home Mom to Sawyer, and I would do it forever if I could! I'm originally from Wisconsin and am a total Cheesehead! I'm here to share DIY's, travel tips, and baby stuff I'm sure!

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stayinghomesawyer

Do you ever just look at your spouse and think, I Do you ever just look at your spouse and think, I really nailed it? 

Why yes, I do. 🤣🤣🤣

#husbandgoals
One of my favorite things we get to give our girls One of my favorite things we get to give our girls is perspective. To see new places. To meet different people. To experience cultures outside of their own.

Not so they grow up thinking one place is “better” than another — but so they grow up curious, grateful, and grounded. And the more of the world we see, the more thankful I become for home, for the freedoms we have, and for the life we get to build together. 

Flag tees from @sweet_peas_and_sweeties - they’re selling fast so grab yours before they’re gone!
I might be the world’s worst “influencer,” because I might be the world’s worst “influencer,” because I’m here to tell you this: you do not need a whole new wardrobe for vacation.

Social media makes it feel like every trip requires new outfits, a new summer closet, a new date-night dress…but honestly? It doesn’t.

I’m willing to bet you already have plenty of great options hanging in your closet. And instead of spending a bunch of money on clothes you’ll probably only wear once, maybe it’s enough to just wear what you already love.
One day, instead of hearing little feet running th One day, instead of hearing little feet running through the house all day, I’ll be leaving voicemails hoping they call me back when they have time.

The sticky fingerprints will wash away, the car seats will come out, bedtime routines will end, and the house that once felt so loud will get quieter little by little.

It’s strange how the things that exhaust you in the moment become the very things you ache for later. 🤍
When did it become expected to spend hundreds of d When did it become expected to spend hundreds of dollars on Teacher Appreciation gifts? Don’t get me wrong, if it were in the budget you better believe it’s worth it. I am not advocating for giving them LESS, I’m just advocating for staying within your families budget. And maybe if we see more of these easy little inexpensive gifts, we can make it more acceptable to gift within budget. Because that’s what it’s all about. 

What’s that saying? It’s the thought that counts.
I’ve been seeing so many reels lately saying that I’ve been seeing so many reels lately saying that Mother’s Day is only for moms with small children. I couldn’t disagree more. To me, Mother’s Day is not just about me. It’s about the women who helped shape me, as a mother, a woman, a friend. It’s about my friends who help me be a better mother, even if they don’t have little kids themselves. It’s about my own mother, who is the biggest inspiration for me, to be a better mother myself. It’s about the many generations before me that allowed me to be a mother at all. It’s about every woman in my life that loves me and my girls as if they’re their own. That’s who I’ll be celebrating this Mother’s Day.
Listen. Shelling with my kids will always be so mu Listen. Shelling with my kids will always be so much fun. But I think we have enough of these oyster shells at this point. 🤣

What are your kids always finding for you?
There’s something rare about being fully known and There’s something rare about being fully known and still fully loved. No shrinking yourself. No editing your personality.
Just being met where you are. That kind of friendship changes you.
It’s just a little walk… It’s just a little walk…
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