Best Blog Design? Utterly Chaotic!

If you've been around awhile, you may have noticed that Crazy Casa K has a new look. I LOVE it! I hope you do too :) I actually sometimes just visit my site to admire the new awesome design.

I wanted a more professional look for my blog. I am not a designer myself and know where my strengths lie - so decided to find a blog designer to help. My favorite designer by far? Brea from Utterly Chaotic. Not only does she do personalized design, but she also has incredibly reasonably priced (and beautiful!) pre-made designs. This is one of the pre-made designs called Autumn Comfort!

I also worked with her on a business card - she offers matching designs for the pre-mades for facebook, twitter, business cards and a sponsor advertising section. I love the little house in "Casa" and she was nice enough to give me a matching watermark too!

The front of my business card!

Now, I've worked with designers in my professional life before, and I have to say that Brea was by far the easiest to work with. Not only is she a talented designer - she is fast, professional, amazing and nice! She has beautiful designs and is really, truly supportive and responsive. I can't say enough good things about her. I will definitely work with her again. If you are looking for a blog designer, I highly recommend her!

Help me Pick my Minted Business Cards

Disclaimer: I will receive a sample in exchange for this post, all opinions are my own.

I was lucky enough to go to a mini-blog conference a couple of weeks ago. It was amazing - I learned tons, met amazing bloggers and made great connections. I realized however, that I failed in one big way. I did not have any business cards. Here I was, meeting amazing southern California bloggers and had no way to share my information!

So I am here to remedy that! 

I want to let you know about some creative, indie-designed business cards at Minted. I've pulled a few of my favorite designs...but I need some help! I am not the most creative designer, so I need your advice...which one should I choose? 

Not a fan of any of the ones I like? Head over to Minted and give me some advice :) I'd greatly appreciate it. I wanted to look professional and prepared next time I have the chance to meet some amazing bloggers...

Thank you!

A to Z blogging Challenge

Just wanted to let everyone know about this fun challenge I've signed up for!
For the month of April I'll be blogging the alphabet :) Come join!
I figured it might be fitting since my little guy sings it all the time. I'm sure the alphabet song will be in my head every day!
I can't believe April is just days away...

Happy Monday - Something Small

Last week, as I was reading through all the amazing posts that everyone linked up, I was sitting there on my couch smiling. I saw a beautiful photo of a brand new baby girl, families playing scrabble and gardening together, brothers enjoying playing outdoors, smiling baby twin cousins. I read about grand plans for living a healthier life, finding time to spend time with your spouse, and even toilet seat covers. 

The something small that makes me happy? These Happy Monday Posts. It may not be big, but it really lifts my spirits every week. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It is reminds me that there are so many other amazing people out there and how lucky I am to see a small part of your lives!

I love the small moments in life - the smiles, the kisses, the hugs, the time to play. Please continue to share your moments - it always make the week better :)

What's something small that makes you happy? 

Link up any post that makes you happy - the sky's the limit (or just comment if you don't blog)! Grab the button, link up and check out some other posts. If you like some blogs, please take the time to follow them. 

Thanks for stopping by for week 8 of Happy Monday!

<a href="http://www.crazycasak.com/search/label/Happy%20Monday" target="_blank"><img alt="Crazy Casa K" src="http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u668/crazycasak/HappyMondaysmall_zps43a25dd6.jpg"/></a>

Make sure to join us next week for Happy Monday! I'll be writing about St. Patrick's Day ~ as a good Irish girl, that day always makes me happy!

Keeping my Blog Organized!

I try very hard to be organized. It may be more of a love of planners than anything else :) I currently have three in my purse. Yeah, I know, too many. My blog planner...even color-coded! I am currently just using a regular planner, and it works for a monthly outlook, but I thought it might be nice to supplement with a weekly blog planner - one specifically designed for bloggers.

There are actually quite a few amazing free, printable blog planners out there! I decided to try Mommy Words Weekly Planner. I wanted something with blog specific action areas, one page to fold into my other planner, and simple!

My attempts at being organized!

I've been using it now for a few weeks and I have to say there are some things I love - it is a great addition to my regular planner! Overall, I think it has been a great way to organize my thoughts.

There are really four sections - info on the upcoming post, To-Do's for the week, Communications and a box for "shards of brilliance." (I love that phrase by the way - reminds me of The Dark Crystal (brilliant movie) - but I digress!).

I'm pretty good about planning out my posts - but I had never about labeling the category - which is a great idea! I love the to-do list at the bottom, I really need to start thinking about the more administrative aspects of blogging. This is a great reminder. In addition, I really like the simplicity, design and how it is on one page! See for yourself :)

Just click to take you to the free download at http://www.mommywords.com/

For my own purposes, I also like to keep track of followers on different sites, so a weekly tracking area would be nice. However, I can always keep track in the notes area...though my notes end up being much longer than a small box - I love to write down random ideas. That said, this planner is perfect as a supplement to my other planner. I can write daily to-do's, keep track of more detailed info and tuck this one pager in for easy access each week!

You should definitely check out Mommy Words for the free planner - and other sage advice! Thanks so much for making this free for all of us to use!

This is a free product that I reviewed without compensation. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. 

In my Spare Time....

Wait, spare time - what's that? In fact, I do have some spare time, both with and without the little guy. Though I may not go out as often as I used to and travel is a little more complicated, my hobbies haven't changed too much since I became a mom. I just have to think differently about how they are done!

Traveling and hiking is so much fun with the little guy :) 

Some of those that I try to do :)

1. Blogging - this is my newest hobby! I've really enjoyed "meeting" so many amazing people. I enjoying having some time to write at the end of the day. I enjoy sharing, writing and all the great stories out there.

2. Photography - I have had fun taking photos of A as a baby. Now that he is a little older, it's harder to capture him sitting still, but it also gives me time to take notice of the other things around. I've really enjoyed finding others who dabble in photography through blogging - and finding those that inspire me!

3. Reading - Little guy goes to bed at 7 pm, which means I have some time to read at night again. Though most books recently have been about parenting or blogging :)

4. Travel - We had an amazing vacation this year in the Canadian Rockies. Glad to have an international trip again! Also, we've had fun exploring California. A is actually pretty good at traveling, and we are also lucky enough to have my parents nearby so we can travel a little on our own!

5. Hiking/Running - Well, running, not so much lately, but hiking - always. We went last Friday and saw a beautiful waterfall! Since I'm a park ranger, it's just part of who I am. Luckily I live in a place where I can hike year round!

What are your hobbies? Any new things I should be taking up? :) This week I'm linking up over at Growing Up Geeky to talk about Hobbies.

Top Baby Blogs

I try not to ask for too much for you - but if you like Crazy Casa K, I'd love it if you could vote for us on Top Baby Blogs :) They reset their numbers this week so help us stay as a top blog! Just click on the button below, then on the owl on the left. You can vote once a day...

Thanks!

My Love of Photography

I love taking photos. I love exploring the world around me and the colors that catch my eye and the smiles that you catch in a fleeting moment. I haven't taken any formal instruction since college (way back in the days of film and dark rooms!), but I haven't stopped dabbling. Recently I've been loving being part of the photo conversation in the blogging world. There are so many talented artists out there and I love exploring the different styles, visions, and moments. I love the support and sharing of ideas!

This fall I'm planning on participating in the "Nurture Photography Challenge" - I'm really excited! So come back on Friday's this fall to join in :)

I've also been participating in some great weekly photo fun and inspiration!

The Liebster Blog Award

What a nice surprise! Early this week, when I sat down to check my blog, I saw that I had been nominated for a Liebster Blog Award!  I am so excited - thank you to Renee at Mother Daughter Book Reviews for nominating Crazy Casa K.  It made my week!  Please make sure and visit her blog - she is a fellow book lover and mom. She even has some great book giveaways!

The Liebster Blog Award:

The Liebster Blog Award is given to bloggers by bloggers. It is a way to acknowledge each other and say “you’re doing a great job.” It is for blogs with 200 or less followers, so it’s also a great way to spread the word about smaller blogs and get them more readers and followers! When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer 11 questions from the person(s) who nominated you. You pass the Award onto 11 other blogs (make sure you tell them you nominated them!) and ask them 11 questions. You’re not allowed to nominate the blog(s) who nominated you! 

11 Random Facts About Me:

1.  I used to be a venomous snake zookeeper.

2.  I have been to 47 states - can you guess which ones I am still missing?

3. In my real life, I am a park ranger, and I love it!

4. In high school I played the clarinet, bassoon and saxophone.  I was also valedictorian...a little nerdy?

5. I am an incredibly fast reader. The last flight I was on I read 2 books and 5 magazines.

6. I spent two years in the Peace Corps Panama - I lived in a brick house with windows that were really just holes in the walls. I had an outhouse, chickens and no privacy whatsoever.

7. Donuts are my downfall. I love them. I could eat them for every meal.

8. I met my husband in Yosemite National Park. 

9. I used to speak German, then I learned Spanish. My brain can apparently only comprehend one foreign language at a time. 

10. I think flip-flops are the best thing ever. I would wear them every day if I could. I would go barefoot if I could. Enclosed shoes are a very bad idea.

11. I secretly want to write a novel.

The Questions That I Was Asked:

1. How long have you been blogging? I started blogging when my son was a few months old in July of 2011. That means I have been blogging for a year now, wow!

2. What’s the last movie you’ve seen? The Amazing Spider-man. We were planning on going to see Batman this weekend, but I am feeling a bit nervous about it...does that make me weird?

3. If you could witness any past event, what would it be? When humans first walked on the moon!

4. Donut or cupcake? Donut, Donut, Donut. No contest. Icing is actually really gross.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? On a beach somewhere. Warm, swimming and snorkeling right outside my door!

6. What would you name the autobiography of your life? Just Getting Started

7. If you could be reincarnated as any animal, what would it be? Definitely a bird...not sure what kind. A macaw, perhaps? A has really been obsessed with birds lately - so anything that he likes, I end up paying more attention to. They really are pretty amazing, smart, long-loved and they can fly! Imagine, flying!!

8. What is the most embarrassing song on your iPod/MP3 player? Other than "The Itsy Bitsy Spider?" It would have to be "Fire Burning" ...(Somebody call 911!). What can I say, it gets me exercising!

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Hockey, hands down. Let's go Caps!

10. Which celebrity (artist, musician, athlete, author, etc.) would you switch lives with for one day? For a day? Not sure, someone who has a beach house on a secluded stretch of beach where I can sip a mojito, read some books, swim in the ocean and look good while doing it :) (Yes, I love the beach)

11. Where’s Waldo? When did I get so old? It's hard to see! I'm much better at A's "Where's Elmo?" book!

My Nominations:

Please check out these great blogs (in no particular order).  These are all blogs that I’ve come across recently that are really interesting! I’ve tried to choose blogs that seem authentic and tell great stories. I really like to feel like I get to know fellow bloggers, and these are some of the best I've come across. There are so many good ones to choose from! Please show these bloggers some love by giving them a quick visit and saying hello.

Aidan with EOS

Moments That Take my Breath Away

The Chrancy Family

Life as we Know It

Under the Urban Sun

Hello Jack

A Life in Progress

The Kavanaugh Report

Two Red Birthstones

Blissful & Wishful

Frugal Foodie Mama

Questions for My Nominees (Come on now, be a good sport!):

1. What kinds of blogs do you enjoy reading?

2. What is your favorite book?

3. What songs would be on the soundtrack to your life?

4. Most embarrassing moment?

5. Why did you start blogging?

6. What Olympic sport would you win a gold medal in (in a perfect world)?

7. What motivates you?

8. Perfect Vacation Spot (I need some ideas!)?

9. If you could meet any famous person (artist, writer, actor etc.) who would you choose?

10. What song gets stuck in your head that you just can't get out? (it's there again, isn't it?)

11. Favorite National Park? :)

Thank you again for the nomination! I am honored to be nominated and hope you find some great new blogs to read!

NYC - full of life!

I was in New York City last week. It is an amazing, vibrant, huge, overwhelming, hot, humid, dirty, fascinating city. As I walked down the streets I saw every type of human on this earth, doing an incredible range of crazy things.

As a blogger, my mind was reeling. So many ideas for things to write about. So much that I wanted to share with you, so many crazy colors and people and stories. I thought, if only I lived here, I'd have so much more to write about! Then I realized you probably get used to wherever you are. The people on the streets of New York City were just going about their business not even noticing the craziness around them.

Parks on abandoned railroad tracks, musicians, artists, homeless people, flies in drinks, tasty food, sundresses, suits, history, future. Overwhelming. Beautiful but too much humanity for me. I need some space, less humidity, more green, more hills. Nice to visit, glad to leave.

Some photojournalistic evidence of my overstimulating week!

To old friends!

I just wanted to say that one of best things about this blog is connecting with friends, both old and new!

In the last couple of weeks, it has warmed my heart that two friends have reached out to me and told me how much they enjoy reading my blog and reading about my life. That's why I do this - to connect with   my favorite people. I enjoy writing and sharing my experiences and hearing from you.

So Elena and Colleen, it means the world to me that you reached out and let me know you are reading! Sometimes I get discouraged and wonder if anyone is listening :) I love that you are part of my life and blog. I hope to see you both soon - thank you for telling me about your lives too!

Crazier than Normal at Crazy Casa K

Things are normally a bit crazy at our house (but what is normal anyway?). Two working parents, a very active 13-month old and a dog that thinks he's human makes for a busy place.

The next few weeks are going to be even crazier! So some of the amazing and talented mommy-bloggers that I have met through this adventure I call my blog, have agreed to write some guest posts for me. I really hope you enjoy them and take some time to check out their blogs too.

A big thank you to my fellow bloggers that are helping me out!