What I Wore Wednesday July Edition

Some of my outfits lately:

It was a little cooler so I pulled out an outfit from the Spring Challenge.

This is a new dress I got from Golden Tote.  I added the jacket for the movie date with my husband.

The dress isn't the most flattering on me but it was really comfy.

We attended a birthday party at an Indian restaurant.  Sophie Rose ended up helping the magician.

Wasn't sure about the color combo but I think the scarf pulled it all together.

Swimming time!

Summer Style Challenge Wrap-Up

Alison at Get Your Pretty On did another challenge for the summer.  I talked my sister into doing it too and since our birthdays are both in June, some new clothes were our gifts.  Unfortunately, most of the pictures I took using my cell phone and posted on the facebook group.  For part of the challenge we were on our vacation cruise so I had packed using the first few days as inspiration.

**Not a challenge outfit**

 Here's how the challenge works:  after you sign up, Alison sends you a list of the clothing pieces she's going to be using, giving you a couple of weeks to gather them from your own closet or go shopping.  There are substitution pieces where appropriate.  Then the challenges start.  Each night you get an email with the next day's outfit and some styling tips. There's a private facebook group for members to post pictures, get advice and provide encouragement.

The challenges can sometimes push you out of your comfort area.  Sometimes an outfit just doesn't work, but usually you have a better idea of why and maybe even how to make it better.

I think the last day is my favorite because Alison sends you a PDF document with everything, all 21 different outfits.  I print this out and use it to plan more outfits.  Tuesday after the laundry was done and my wonderful mother-in-law ironed for us, I put together 16 different outfits using the challenges and also my Stitch Fix cards.

Not everyday has to be "fancy"

Even when I'm not wearing a challenge outfit, just taking some time to think about what I'm putting on makes me feel better and more confident.  Like the one above, we were staying at home waiting for the cable guy so no need to dress up.  But I specifically thought I should wear that shirt since my paint polish matched.  Ha, ha!

Lots of Freezer Meals for Summer

I was getting tired of cooking...every...single...day!  So I scoured my pinterest boards and found several freezer crockpot meals.  I spent a couple of days gathering supplies and ingredients, then spent a Sunday afternoon prepping it all.  I ended up with 26 bags that included 15 different meals.  I'm guessing that with vacation, eating out, and dinner at my sister's, I won't need to cook again until school starts.  (At which time, I will probably do it all again.)

Everything ready to go

 I made sure to label my bags before I filled them.  I used a tall plastic container to support the bag while I filled it.  Then I laid the bags flat for the freezer.

Most of the meals were chicken but I also had some ground beef options too.  I also made sure that I had a few soups because that's what we usually have on Sundays.  All the meals were slow cooker ones as well except for one grilled option and one baked casserole item.

I'll keep track of the ones we like so that I do it again in a couple of months.  Below are links to some of the recipes I used:
Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken
Creamy Italian Chicken
Quick and Easy Taco Soup
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Hawaiian Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken
Honey Rosemary Chicken
BBQ Chicken
Chicken Fajitas

These I don't have links for and don't remember where I found them (but I do have the recipes written down):
Thai Chicken Wings with Peanut Sauce
Meatballs Stroganoff
Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
Cheese Tortellini
Taco Chili

Another plus to this process is that I finally did some organizing on my pinterest boards.  Initially, I had one board for all my recipes, now I've broken it down into categories...much easier to find them now.

Spring Style Challenge WIWW

I participated in a Style Challenge hosted by Allison at Get Your Pretty On.  She provided a list of about 18 pieces that she then styled over 21 days. 

My original, basic pieces based on her list.

Throughout the challenge I added some more pieces (mainly because I don't do laundry often enough) as well as some additional jewelry like this Texas necklace I found online.

Here's the outfits:

She's doing a Summer Style Challenge too and I am excited.  (Registration starts today.)  It made getting dressed super easy and was also very inspiring.  I loved "shopping" my own closet for new ideas.

Top 10 List of Randomness

School's almost out and I have so many things I haven't blogged about (although I have been active on Facebook).  So, today I'm organizing my pictures and getting prepped to get it all done before school is out and summer break officially begins.  Here is some of what I have been doing this spring:

1.  Changing out this display board with the seasons, holidays and events.  This was the Easter version and the Mather's Day version.  Currently, it has our Summer Countdown and a list of summer activities to do on it.

 2.  I went to a book signing for this book but didn't actually get to have the author sign it because I had all 4 kids and they were restless.  I read the book in a few days and it was very good.

 3.  Playing "find the baby bunny" in our yard.  Our area always has lots of rabbits but we found 2 in our backyard.  I shoo-ed them to the side of the house so I didn't have to worry about Wrangler having a new friend.

 4.  Painted my first canvas with my mom and sister to celebrate Mom's birthday.  I chose something super simple because I was so nervous about doing it.  I also made sure it would match our living room.  I took advantage of Micheal's Stores current sale of buy 1 get 2 free on custom framing and got it framed.  Can't wait to get it back and hung up.

5.  Thinking a lot about my special friend Keri (Carrie).  And apparently so has Sophie Rose.

 6.  Spent way too much time in a car with a bunch of teenage girls.  Paul invited the twins Codie and Sara (and their friend Jess) to Comic-Con this year.  All 4 kids and I drove to Hawkins to get them. The drive back took longer than expected because Sophie Rose got car sick and threw up twice before she finally passed out asleep.  The teens had a blast and we all enjoyed having them visit.

 7.  I can't believe it is the end of the school-year already.  I put these lanterns together for the kids' teachers along with a poem I found online.

8.  Enjoying time with my sister. We had a girls weekend over spring break where we stayed at a hotel, enjoyed a club, and went shopping.  She also helped me choose my first Coach purse that just happened to match my Nook cover.

 9.  Trying harder when I get ready in the morning.  Participating in the Style Challenge helped a lot but I also felt better about myself and it's always nice to get compliments from your kids.

10.  Getting ready for summer.  I have been so busy planning vacation, kids camps, and activities to keep us all busy.  I actually started some of the fun in May just because.  Here's a sneak peek: