Skirtember: Week Three Recap

All but one day in skirts again. Well, that's sort of a lie. I'll get to that in a bit.

Linking up over yonder

Monday, I took Cora carpet shopping. I wanted to be taken seriously, and it was a bit cooler that morning. Hence, the one long skirt I own.

I am sooo glad I found that white cardigan again. I thought I'd lost it forever, but it turned out to be tucked way behind a bunch of winter clothes. I really love this outfit! (And my aunt made that necklace.)

I seriously don't remember anything about Tuesday other than the re-debut of my riding boots.

Warmed up a bit on Wednesday.  Cora wanted to be in the picture, too.

Missed Thursday completely. I probably had reasons, probably involving working at the new house, in which I'd rather wear old basketball shorts or painting pants.

Friday, I took Cora to the library for story time. I was a bit overdressed, but I didn't care one bit. I also had forgotten that they didn't have story time this week for whatever reason, so she just got to play in their children's area (which is an amazing place) and look at the fish tanks.

We did some shopping on Saturday and went to vigil church. Yes, I wore this to church.

I don't think the alpargatas worked so hot in this one, but I gave it a shot. At the end of the day I remembered how uncomfortable leggings get after a while.

On Sunday morning, I put on the brown skirt from Day 17, but got cold before we even left for the park. I nixed leggings and opted for jeans. Later in the day, we went to the church picnic, and I stayed in the jeans. I actually got hot and wished I had been wearing a skirt! Oh, autumn, you are a fickle one. I changed into this church after getting home and still being hot.

I don't like the way the button protrudes on the skirt, and the skirt also likes to move around me a bit much--as in, the front seam ends up over on my hip and the whole thing is sideways. You can see it creeping in the picture. I think this one might be ready for the donation pile. (I've had it since college.)

Overall, I did okay this week. I'm having fun with it, and I haven't even used all the skirts and dresses in my closet (some are more on the formal side). It's this next week I'm fearing, though. The mornings now are hovering in the 40's, and the afternoons are sunny and nice. Since I get dressed in the morning, I seriously don't even know what to do since I get cold easily. I also need to be adjusting my lungs to the cold so I can run a 4-mile race on Saturday morning. I miss the South already!! If you'd like to hear more on just how much I hate winter, here is a post I wrote back in April when it snowed. Again. 

Maybe next year we could do this in June or July? Skune? Skuly? (We'll work on the name.)

5 Favorites: TV Edition

For today's 5 Favorites, I'm going to share 5 TV season premieres I'm looking forward to in the next week!

Linking up with Moxie Wife (day late, dollar short)

1.

The Amazing Race

I started watching this show a few years back, and I got hooked. It's definitely less catty than other reality shows (sometimes), and I usually latch on to a team to cheer for until they get eliminated--or race to the finish! Plus, I sorta get to 'see the world' with them. (B says that he could never be a contestant because they mostly just see in the insides of airports. He has a point, when you think about it. They do hurry up and wait a lot. But at least we don't have to watch that part.)

Season 23 premieres Sunday, Sep. 29 at 8pm EST on CBS.

2.

The Middle

Y'all, this show is hilarious. It's set in some fictional Indiana town, so of course it hits home. The mom sorta reminds me of my mother-in-law. The best character, however, is the middle child, Sue. Seriously, watch it and you can't help but root for her. Brick, the youngest, is growing on me, and I think he's B's favorite because he loves the 'Brick whisper.'

I've been watching this show since way before we knew we'd be living here in Indiana, but I've now decided that someone in the writers' circle has ties to Fort Wayne. There is a road I drive almost every day that is dedicated to a police officer named Eryk Todd Heck (Heck is the last name of the family in the series), and a former mayor of Fort Wayne was named Harry Baals (an episode last season involved the oldest child campaigning for a politician because he was named Harry Butts).

Season 5 premieres Wednesday, Sep. 25 at 8pm on ABC.

3.

Modern Family

There's a reason this show has won so many Emmy's. It's just plain awesome. The cast is top-notch, and the writing is good. I love some of the takes on parenting, since that's where I'm at in life. My favorite gem, thus far:

Raising a kid is like sending a rocket ship to the moon. You spend the early years in constant contact and then one day, around the teenage years, they go around the dark side and they're gone. All you can do is wait for that faint signal that says they're coming back. 

And BOTH Sofia Vergara and Julie Bowen are beautiful and hilarious, two things I aspire to be.

Season 5 premeires on Wedensday, Sep. 25 at 8pm on ABC.

4.

The Big Bang Theory

I think the fact that B's 84-year-old grandma enjoys this show says everything.

Season 7 premieres Thursday, Sep. 26 at 8pm on CBS.

5.

Shark Tank

Wouldn't it be neat to be one of the sharks (most of them self-made millionaires) and get to decide on new products to invest in? Plus, I just love seeing some of the more wacky ideas out there. This is a perfect Friday night show.

Season 5 premieres Friday, Sep. 20 at 9pm on ABC.

-----
I think I just gave you a pretty good taste of my TV-watching habits. Obviously no crime dramas, no medical dramas, no "train wreck" reality shows. I just like to laugh and learn stuff--and we don't have cable, Netflix, Hulu Plus, or even a real antenna. Two other shows I love that have already premiered are The Chew on ABC and Project Runway on Lifetime.

Are any of your favorites on my list?

Skirtember: Week Two Recap

Another week of skirts and dresses!

Linking up with some lovelies

B had Monday off, so we painted a room together at the new house while Cora napped. I did determine that one of my skirts was so old and ratty that it could be used for painting. I wore a t-shirt, which stayed behind at the house and changed into this so we could go to the store and look at refrigerators.

Looks like I'm still in college...

Tuesday was a lot better. No manual labor. I took Cora to Chick-Fil-A for a free breakfast in the morning, and then we went shopping. I actually wore this same outfit for some family pictures we had done in July.

Don't remember what I actually did on Wednesday, but this was super comfy. Love my jersey skirt from Old Navy.

Also, I'd gone back-and-forth about TOMS-style shoes (actually called alpargatas in Argentina) for a while, but Chantal's post last week convinced me that they looked good with skirts. So I bought some! These are Bongo brand from Sears, and wayyy cheaper than TOMS.

The jersey skirt and alpargatas returned on Friday.

Saturday was a manual labor day, and I never made it into anything other than my painting pants. If I do this whole month and just don't do the Saturdays, I think I'm okay with that.

Sunday was church, of course! The weather turned cooler, and it was time to debut a new sweater dress.

I suppose it's a *tad* form-fitting, but I didn't feel to weird about wearing it to church.

And with all of this Skirtember madness, I've even been putting Cora in more skirts and dresses lately.

Who can resist an adorable toddler in a cute dress?

7 Quick Takes

--- 1 ---

I'm kinda sick. I'm sneezing, stuffy-nosed, my throat hurts, and I'm a little achy. Actually, I went running on Wednesday morning and I had this wacky pain/soreness shooting through my quad and into my glutes. It stopped the second I stopped running and started walking. Yet I just pushed through it and ended up running 2.5 miles. My goal was 4 miles, but it just didn't happen. It sucked, and I probably shouldn't have done it. I'm praying that it's related to my minor cold and not anything major. Fingers crossed.

--- 2 ---

Last week I had the first night(s) without my baby in her entire life. B had to go to Indy for Drill weekend, and he took Cora with him (he stays with his parents there). She spent the whole weekend with Grandma while I slept in(!), painted, and did other things in our house. I also managed to shop for a dress for my BIL's upcoming wedding (Cora is the flower girl!), but came up empty-handed. I've never bought a dress online, but I think that may be what's about to happen. Or I can just wear my 'nice' LBD, but who wears black to a wedding? (Guilty.)

--- 3 ---

After a quick search through the past 8 years of tagged Facebook photos, I wore this black dress to at least 4 weddings between the years of 2006 and 2009.

Here is when I caught the bouquet a few months before my own wedding:

(It was my first time ever catching the bouquet, and obviously the last time I could attempt it.)

Nice dress, I should probably try it on again just in case.

--- 4 ---

We bought a refrigerator! It's being delivered to the new house tomorrow.

After listening to quite a bit of pros and cons about fridges from various people and looking at our budget, we decided to go with a side-by-side in satina steel. This looks like stainless but it's magnetic and it doesn't get finger prints. (Feel free to tell me how awesome your french door with bottom freezer is, but only if you hand me the extra thousand bucks to buy it.) We got this Whirlpool model:

One of the gripes I heard was that you couldn't fit a frozen pizza in a side-by-side so I made sure we got a model that has adjustable shelves in both the fridge part and the freezer. (B's original solution: "Just don't buy frozen pizza." You could probably see the glare I gave him from the moon.) It also has a child lock on the ice/water maker and the ice maker is in the door.

--- 5 ---

We also got a suh-weet deal at Lowe's with 10% off with our military discount AND we're getting another $120 back from a rebate they have going. So all of the locals here who keep telling me Menards has lower prices (no military discount, no rebates, fridge was the same price to start with) can just hush for a bit.

--- 6 ---

The fridge is being delivered at 7:30am tomorrow. We still don't live at the house yet. It's 30 minutes away, and I am not a morning person. Argh. (I also have to tote the tot, her breakfast and lunch, toys, and naptime stuff, since we're just gonna make a day of it.)

--- 7 ---

My car turns 6 years old tomorrow! She had 2 miles on her when I got her, and now has been titled in 4 states (GA, VA, FL, IN).

Here is a picture of its backside:

Corollas are roomier than they appear!

p.s. This is my mommy car. For now.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

5K Race Day Essentials

As much as I would like to call myself a "new" runner, I have actually been running 5Ks for over 10 years. Intermittently, that is. Times sure have changed since I was just doing the annual charity walk/run with my mom's company. There are so many more high-tech devices that some people deem "essential" for their runs. However, the basic core of running has remained (mostly) the same.

Here is my list of what I think are the 6 Essentials you need to have a great time on Race Day!

1. Good shoes
This is the most expensive thing you need, but also the most important. Consider it an investment. I've run on old shoes that were in bad shape, and they gave me shin splints. I've also bought lighter shoes that actually shaved time off my pace.

My current shoes (and faves so far) are Nike Lunarglide +4. I have hideous all-bright blue ones since those were on sale (pictured above).

2. At least a month of training
Not many people can just up and run 3.1 miles without having at least run a bit for practice lately. Trust me, I tried. About 4 years ago I signed up for a race thinking, "Hey, I'm young and in good shape and do the occasional elliptical workout; how hard can this be?" The answer: very hard. After a mile into the race, my body revolted and I almost vomited, fainted, and shat myself all in the course of a few minutes. Luckily, none of those things happened, but all I could think was, "Why did I pay good money to feel so miserable?"

So get out and run a bit. I especially urge you to get off the treadmill to the great outdoors and do a bit more than 3.1 miles in training a few days before the race, and you'll find a 5K isn't so bad!

3. Proper Running Form
I'm no running coach, but I don't know why so many girls my age flail their arms outward like a flippin' T-Rex when they run. I see at least one of these gals every time I hit the trail. Put your arms by your side with your hands in loose fists with thumbs on top. Move your arms front to back while you look ahead of you. It ain't rocket surgery. Here's a good tutorial from Runner's World on proper form.

Also, lose the smartphone in your hand or get an armband. Actually, for a race, I definitely say to just lose the phone and wear a watch if you want. (Remember those things??)

4. A Buddy
Races are just more fun with a friend. I know this one first-hand as well. I won my age group at a race I went to alone while my husband stayed with our toddler back at home. I walked up, got my trophy, and then had to take a selfie in my car of me and the trophy. Cue sad trombone. At least my Facebook friends cared.

Putting on a happy face. Can't you tell I was actually crying on the inside?

So bring your husband, your sister, your bestie, your mom, or whomever. If they don't want to do the race, then that's fine too. And you luck out because you now have someone cheering you on at the finish line and someone to hold your keys.

With my favorite cheering squad

5. Extra Pins and Twist Ties
Just keep a little baggie of these in your car, mostly for races that where you check in the day of the event. Maybe it's because my last name is at the end of the alphabet, but I have totally been screwed over before. I was once given on safety pin and no twist ties for the shoe chip, and when I asked for each the volunteer had no idea where the extras were. That did not get me in the best mindset before race time.

6. A Positive Attitude
Races are fun! That's why people do them! If you're going into the experience dreading it, or because your wife dragged you along (*ahem* to my husband), you're probably going to have a bad time. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what your finish time is, but whether or not you enjoyed it. Raising money for a charity you believe in can also help you push yourself in new ways.


Is there anything you would add to this list?

Skirtember: Week One Recap

Hey, did you know it's Skirtember? My grand plan is to wear a skirt or dress every single day of the month of September.

Linking up with some flirties in skirties

Let's check in and see how I've been doing.

The month started out easy enough. The first was a Sunday, so I wore my jersey LBD to church.

Easy breezy not too sleazy.

Then the next day was Labor Day, and I went up to my in-laws' lake house. I looked cute with some ruffles.

Then it went downhill. We just bought a house, and it needs a ton of work! We're still living at our apartment 20 minutes away because of how much work it needs. So I was going over to the house every day and working on stuff while Cora took a nap in her pack-n-play over there. My outfits definitely started to suffer, starting on Day 3.

I was spending most of my time up on a step-stool/ladder thingy removing wallpaper borders and after a day of that it was clear I needed real shoes with real soles. Hence, Day 4.

Day 5: more manual labor. I just gave up on this with the house stuff.

However, I came back home, took a shower, and looked pretty cute by the time B got home from work! (And my feet are always cold, hence the socks.)

Day 6: Toddler Story Time at the library. Read: I have to sit on the floor.
Leggings to the rescue! With my red and black look, back in Georgia they would have said I looked very "gameday" (yep, it's an adjective).

The shoes I wore that day were cute, too.

(from my archives)

Well, they were cute and comfortable until I hit about the 3-hour mark shopping for a dress for a wedding. (Never did find a dress.) It seems one of my biggest issues with wearing a skirt every day has been the shoes.

Day 7: Painting at the house. I give up for the blasted house. I have no skirts I care to paint in. T-shirt and basketball shorts I've had since high school win the day.

B and Cora were away for the weekend (my first time without the tot!), so I got home from painting, took a shower, put on my PJ's and watched the Dawgs play. Sorrynotsorry.

Day 8: Back in the saddle.

It was Sunday again, and I think I made up for the day before by wearing FOUR different outfits throughout the course of the day. This dress to mass, some painting clothes to work on the house in. Then I went to something touristy downtown (it was free that day!), so I changed into my LBD from last Sunday for that. And then workout clothes when I went running right before sunset. Whew!

This week it's more house stuff for me, so we'll see what happens.

All pictures in this post are courtesy of self-timer. :-/

What I Wore Sunday (Football, Skirts, Contact Paper)

First off, happy September! This month means a few things:

1. Football is in full swing! I stayed up late to watch my beloved Georgia Bulldogs fall short of Clemson. At least it was a good game, right?

I found this football book for Cora at the library:

See how happy she is with her book??

That is, UNTIL we got to the letter F.

Whomp whomp.

Yes, the only picture of my team in the entire book is of our player fumbling the ball. I should probably just take this thing back to the library and be glad I didn't waste actual money on it.


2. September is the month of Skirtember! Hey, if the boys can have 'Movember' to grow nasty moustaches (I hate those things, by the way), why can't we have something, too? Today I chose my casual LBD with some extra stuff.

Black and brown, yessirree
Dress: Liz Lange Maternity from Target (nope, not preggers today!) // Cardigan and belt: Charlotte Russe // Cami bra: Maidenform // Sandals: Merona from Target

Outfit is just a re-worked version of this old thing. In that post, I discussed taking Cora to mass by myself and Chick-Fil-A. Well, today I also took Cora to mass by myself, and I also wanted to share with everyone that you can get FREE breakfast at Chick-Fil-A by going to make a reservation right here. Now you can't say I never gave you nothin', right? Except for those of you unfortunate enough not live near any of these delicious chicken biscuits. You should probably move.

3. Not sure how much this has to do with September, but we worked all day at our new house yesterday. I painted the pantry. Why does a pantry need to be painted, you ask? The short answer: because the previous owners were slobs.

My MIL and I also removed a ton of contact paper the previous week, including from the pantry. I have no idea why anyone feels the need to put contact paper onto laminate shelves, which are basically waterproof on their own, but I think these people (or possibly the owners before them) were addicted to the sticky stuff.

Here's your first before-and-after pic from our house.
Contact paper on the left shelf, removed on the right.

And you see how scratched up the wall behind the shelf is? Yeah, I tried to clean it, but it was a no-go. We found some paint in the basement, and I went for it. My FIL took out some of the shelves for painting, but the big one was just a bit too much so I worked around it. The built-ins are very nice (sans contact paper), so this was a fine solution for me.

Wall is scratchy!! Paint looks less green in real life.

Sorry, no complete after pics yet because we didn't have time to get all the shelves in. But soon! I'm happy at least one room in the house is done, even if it is just going to house all my food.

4. Extra pic of Cora because she did great at mass and looks cute today:

We all look cute today.