FEELS LIKE HOME TO ME: September 2012

Fall Fun

Another busy week has come and gone. I've been work, work, working. The girls have been growing and the weather has been changing. Can you believe September has flown by so quickly?!

We officially closed the pool this week. Drew, with help from our friend, Brett, covered the pool last night. Goodbye summer, hello fall.

Here's a few cute pictures from opening weekend of dove season. Libby and Sawyer played while their Dads were in the field. As you can see, they were proud of the prize birds.

Yep, proudly holding DEAD birds.

I'm not a hunter and usually feel bad for the animals that are hunted. But Margaret and I took a turn with the (poor) birds to humor my husband.

And Georgia Kate was there, too. She said no birds for her. Smart girl.

We are looking forward to the weekend. Catching up on sleep, running (what seems like endless) loads of laundry, SEC football and spending time with my girls. I love weekends, I really do. Enjoy yours, too!

9:21 AM
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Great Read

I just finished reading How to Never Look Fat Again by Charla Krupp. My mother passed the book on to me. Not because she thinks I look fat, but because it really is good information to have. I recommend all women read it!

[2010 HARDBACK] Charla Krupp (Author)How to Never Look Fat Again: Over 1,000 Ways to Dress Thinner--Without Dieting! [2010 Hardcover] Charla Krupp (Author) How to Never Look Fat Again: Over 1,000 Ways to Dress Thinner--Without Dieting!

The book is easy to read and has lots of pictures and examples. The author addresses areas such as muffin tops and flabby arms head on. She points out that we all have areas that we don't love on our body, no matter our weight, but you should never draw attention to those areas. And I know I see it happening every day. A plus-sized, adult woman wearing a baby tee or a tube top with her mid-section showing. Noooo! Charla doesn't skirt the issue by trying to be nice, she blatantly says DON'T DO IT. And I agree with her.

If you don't have time to read the book, I'll share some key points.

V-neck shirts are critical. They elongate your neck, making you look thinner.
Invest in shape wear, like Spanx. The author calls this "heavy artillery" and recommends having several different styles: high-waisted leggings, bike shorts and camisoles. They smooth, flatten and eliminate back fat and panty lines.
Wear forgiving fabrics. Satin is not forgiving.
Buy tops and dresses in wrap styles or ruching. They hide what you don't like.
Invest in a pair of nude pumps to wear with dresses. They make your legs looks longer.
No short shorts, no skin tight tops or dresses and no flat shoes. Wear heels or wedges as much as you can stand them.

At the end of the book the author compiles a list of the 100 Most Fattening Clothes. Some we all know to never wear:

A fanny pack

Crazy colored tights

Crocs

Floral pants

Cut offs or Daisy Dukes

Scrunchies and Banana clips

Mom jeans

Orthopedic looking shoes

Over sized T-shirts

Plaid anything

But did you know that these things are also considered "fattening clothes"?:

Ballet flats

Capri pants

Capped sleeves

Gladiator sandals

Uggs

Peasant skirts

I'll admit, I've broken a few of these rules. Not every item on the list is bad for every body type. But she has a point, Uggs are bulky and don't slim your legs. Capri pants cut you off at the shin. And capped sleeves, especially if they are tight, draw attention to the widest part of your arm. She also reminds the reader that you don't have to jump in on every trend that comes along. Some things, like super skinny jeans, just don't look good on most body types (mine included.) And just because a run way model or celebrity can pull it off doesn't mean the average person can do the same.

Go read this book! And good luck never looking fat again!

9:30 AM
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Papa's Party

There's finally a cool feeling in the air. Fall is trying to make her presence known. Yippee!

Here's what going on with us in these almost fall days...

Georgia Kate is growing and getting cuter by the second. She survived her first week of daycare. One of the same teachers that rocked Libby is taking care of GK now. She also has her first case of the sniffles. Most likely a free gift from school. :(

Papa had a birthday!

He chose to cook out for his birthday dinner. So we put the grill master to work.

He and the girls tossed the pigskin around.

And GK watched the action.

We had a great meal, good fellowship and Papa's team won their football game. An all around good evening!

Each birthday is a special gift and I am so thankful to have such a smart, kind, God-fearing man for a father. I know I don't say it enough, but I love my father and am thankful and proud to call him Dad.

Love you so much, Papa! We are blessed!

8:52 AM
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Summer Wrap Up

September is here. Wow, I say it every few months, but it feels like I'm holding my finger on the fast forward button of life. Since summer flew by, let me back up and recap the end of August.

As August wound down, Drew and I hosted an End of Summer pool party. Everyone was getting ready to head back to school, but we didn't let that stop our fun.

We enjoyed swimming and playing with our friends and their kids.

Thanks, everyone, for a fun afternoon and evening! Farewell long summer days, heat and humidity. They'll be back before we know it.

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It's not news that college football season is here, but isn't it great that it's back?

My friend, Mandy, sent Georgia Kate the cutest game day shirt.

Roll Tide from GKP!

Thanks, Mandy! Half of our family loves it! The other half might have to run out and purchase some Auburn wear to even out the playing field.

So for now (at least until the baby can speak for herself) we'll let her cheer on the SEC. It's the best conference in college football. That we can all agree on!

10:34 AM
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Chalkboard Project

I have a cute and easy project to share with you. A DIY chalkboard in our kitchen.

I'd been considering the idea since last year. This summer I finally tackled this project. We had an open space at the end of the cabinets in our kitchen, so I thought it would be the perfect spot to leave notes and for the girls to play and be creative.

I started by having Drew measure a border and tape off the area to be painted.

I used Rust-Oleum's chalk board paint. Purchased it at Wal-Mart.

It took several coats. The directions said to give each coat at least 4 hours in between.

I ended up doing three coats to make sure it was as dark and streak-free as possible.

After the final coat dried we waited a few days and conditioned it (took chalk, turned it sideways and covered the entire area.) After erasing the first coat of chalk, we let Libby loose.

She absolutely loves it! She loves to draw and trace while I'm in the kitchen cooking or washing bottles. And even though it's chalky in this picture, it actually stays pretty clean. She loves to get a damp cloth and wipe down the board so she can start fresh every day.

This was such an easy project. Go forth and turn everything in your house into chalk boards!

11:28 AM
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Labor Free

Happy week after Labor Day. Did you enjoy your long weekend? We did and tried to make the most it of by breaking for the beach. We had our old system of traveling down pat, but have had to reassess now that Georgia Kate is part of our family. With some planning, packing and traveling went smoothly.

Georgia Kate got to spend a little time on the beach. But it was pretty hot and I didn't want to push it, so she chilled in the condo most of the time.

But she sure did look cute when she was lounging on the shore.

I probably don't have to tell you that Libby had a great time. She played so hard and enjoyed every minute on the beach. She also spent time in the pool. Can you parents tell me why kids beg to go to the pool when they're at the beach? It's a true parenting mystery.

And we had the benefit of several of our friends being in PCB the same days we were. So Libby had a built in playmate, her pal, Allie. Good times!

And Drew and I enjoyed hanging out with our friends, too.

Can you believe another summer is in the books? Of course down south we have several more weeks of warm weather, but fall is just around the corner. And as much as I'll miss the pool and beach, I'm certainly excited to have SEC football and cooler weather to enjoy on the weekends. Have a great week, blogger friends!

10:24 AM
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