Blog Fail

So I have yet to post anything today. To be honest I haven't had a free second, so I will just leave you with a brain dump.

1. Kole is getting a little sassy these days. For instance, I will say, "Kole I am counting to three!" His response will be, "No, IM counting to three." Sometimes his sass is funny and I have to try not to laugh because I don't need a sassy child. He is almost 3 and I have to remember his age.

2. After posting about all of my shows, I am now super behind on my shows. Ironic?

3. My eating habits have been terrible lately. Ice cream, sure why not? Chips and dip, bring it on. Jeans fitting tight, umm not good. I need to get myself together!

4. My family likes to make fun of me because I will say "this girl I know" or "one of my friends" and sometimes it is referring to TV characters or bloggers I don't know in really life. Does anyone else catch themselves doing this?

5. Just like you have cleaning services to clean houses, there should be a service to clean cars weekly. My car gets so GROSS. I honestly don't even know how. It is disturbing and out of control.

6. I have switched from regular detergent to pods and LOVE it. Convinient and smells great.

7. My kids love taking their vitamins in the morning. Kole always asks for more and I try to explain it could make him sick. One time my brother ate an ENTIRE bottle of sour gummy vitamins. He was literally 14 and too old to make a decision like this. I am laughing remembering my parents getting onto him and his defense being that it was a healthy snack.

8. I wonder if my brother reads my blog?

9. I tried to teach my Dad how to read my blog. I still don't think it has happened, yet he has tried very hard.

10. I use the term "my blog" like this is a legitimate blog people across the country read daily. I'm going to go discuss "my blog" with some of "my friends" now.

What I Am Watching

I. Love. Television. I know,  it's not fancy, but I love my shows. After everyone is asleep at night, watching my shows is MY time. Let's start with reruns. These are shows I am so sad ended, but I am still a fan and watch over and over.



First up is Designing Women:


The Sugarbaker sisters never get old. And this summer when I was in Florida, I might have cried when I learned Anthony had passed away. Right up there with crazy Bernice is Sophia from the Golden Girls:

I love the Golden Girls and I love Betty White. Betty better hang in there a few more years because she is all we have left from this series.

The Wonder Years is a favorite of mine. I cry anytime I see the finale. Kevin and Winnie were supposed to be together forever.

I cannot even describe how happy it makes me when my kids what Full House. And I was in all my glory when Candace Cameron Bure was on Dancing with the Stars. She made her faith a statement every show and I adore her for it.

I think we have already discussed my love for Dwight K. Schrute and The Office. It was never the same after Michael Scott left the show. I had high hopes for Dwight's spin off, The Farm.

I still love the King of Queens. When I lived in NYC and saw a delivery truck, I was secretly looking for Doug to step out of the truck every time. And Arthur? Funniest character EVER.

I am still a little bitter that this show just ended....and that the ending wasn't necessarily the ending I was hoping to get.

When Krews was a baby, Kyle and I watched season after season of Friday Night Lights. We would stay up late watching them and could barely turn the TV off when we were on a roll. If you haven't watched this serious, why are you waiting? BEST SHOW EVER. I am also nostalgic to the time when we could just lay in bed with our newborn baby and watch episode after episode of a show.


Let's talk what shows I am currently watching.


Starting with DWTS:

Did I mention how much I loved Candace last year? I was seriously obsessed. I was on a morning radio show last week and could barely focus because someone mentioned they were announcing the new DWTS cast on the TV behind me. Luckily they were just announcing the pro dancers. I cannot wait to hear about the new cast and am THRILLED that Julianne will be a full time judge. After DWTS on Monday nights, Kyle and I both watch Castle.

This show is funny and a mystery. It has been a favorite of ours for a very long time!

Also on Monday nights...DALLAS! Speaking of Dallas, I also love Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making The Team. 

These two think girls are overweight who maybe weight 115 pounds. They need to chill out a little and let those skinny girls have a milkshake before they pass out in their precious uniforms.

Are you watching Nashville yet? Because it is FANTASTIC!


Now it is confession time....the shows I don't really want anyone to know I am watching, but I bet a few of you can't help but watch too.

I might watch every Real Housewives franchise minus Atlanta. And I might enjoy watching. I said might. I also might love Bravo shows such as Don't Be Tardy, Southern Charm, Game of
Crowns, Jersey Belle(hilarious) and all Million Dollar Listings.

I said might.


My friend Jessica had been on me to watch Parenthood. I also hear great things about Scandal. What other shows am I missing? Or did you stop reading this after about 5 seconds?

Patience.

Patience...The virtue I sometimes struggle with the most. I am always trying to make things happen immediately and on my time instead of God's wonderful timing. Lately God has been trying to show me that his timing is better than my timing could ever be.


One example is this weekend when I was making no bake cookies for the boys. I was in a hurry and didn't take time to look at the recipe. I was struggling with patience. I made the cookies and took my first taste of the batter and it was the most bitter thing I have ever tasted. At this point, I had to open up the recipe book and see what was missing. Have you ever tasted something that you were expecting to be deliciously sweet, but then realized the cook forgot to add the sugar? That was exactly what happened with these cookies...I forgot the sugar. If I would have just been patient and read the recipe, I wouldn't have had to experience that bitter taste. Isn't that how we do so many times with God and His word? We are looking for an answer quickly and struggling with patience, so we just make an irrational decision without first looking at his recipe for us in the Bible. We have to experience bitterness or other bad tastes because we are impatient and don't take time to study His word, pray, and wait for clear answers.


I was able to go back and add sugar to these cookies and make them sweet and wonderful again. And God can always add the sugar to our lives to make them wonderful again. Only God can take the bitter taste away that you are struggling with and I encourage you to pray about whatever it is you are struggling with today. I am no Biblical scholar and make mistakes constantly, but love the Lord and try my best to follow His word, and would love to help anyone struggling today and needing a friend or prayers.


Next time, I will check the recipe before I bake anything. And everytime I will check with God before I make impatient decisions without prayer and Biblical studying.

 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” 
Psalm 37:7

Fanny Pack Fashions: What my kids are wearing

For this edition of Fanny Pack Fashions we are talking ALL about what my kids are wearing. I remember my mom always telling me when I was younger that it was so much more fun to shop for me and my siblings than for herself. As a child and teenager, I never understood that concept. WHY ON EARTH would you rather shop for others than for yourself??? But now I am a fanny pack mama, and I more than understand what she meant. Point in case these two little OKC Thunder loving guys:

Sidenote: This cake is for one of many Very Merry Un-Birthday parties. I love Alice in Wonderland and love to have pretend birthdays. Kyle thinks it is crazy...maybe its because I have never thrown him one? Or maybe its because he doesn't love cake...I know, I know WHO DOESNT LOVE CAKE???

Here they are pictured in their jerseys. They love sports....so they love to dress for the sports they love. This brings us to popular clothing item number 1...Under Armour or Nike:

This cake, however, is actually for Krews' 5th birthday. His real 5th birthday. He is due for a Very Merry Un-Birthday party any day now tho.

In this picture Kole is representing our beloved Yankees, while Krews is wearing his favorite Under Armour shirt. Do you know why this is his favorite shirt? Because it changes color/pattern when wet. This leads to him constantly "accidentally' spilling water to magically make the shirt change. I do love Nike and Under Armor outfits myself though. I love that you can mix and match pieces within the brand. I buy most of these pieces at Dillards on sale, or at Marshall's when I can find them. The shirt below I found at Marshalls for $7 (Under Armor AND Spiderman.) I also love the Nike pant/jacket combos they sometimes have for around $12-$19

The pant/jacket combo...And Kole's beloved Daisy is stuffed in his shirt:

These are all great play clothes. I also love inexpensive clothes from Gap or Old Navy

Shirts from Old Navy and basic shorts from Gap. We have also loved these rubber shoes this summer from Zappos

I always order shoes from Zappos because of great prices and crazy fast shipping. You get free next day shipping! Boys are pretty simple...I keep a good pair of tennis shoes, dress shoes for church, sandals in the summer, and boots in the winter. I was glad to find these shoes for something different, yet so functional. They are rubber so I just throw them right in the washing machine.


PBQS...you remember her, right? She always judges me for dressing my boys like they are twins. I realize they are not twins, but I think it is fun to dress them alike. And its easier to keep up with them that way (kidding...not really...ok maybe a tiny bit of truth.)

Who can resist two sweet boys dressed alike? PBQS...that's who. I think PBQS and I should dress alike. We would be just darling.


So the next point is dress clothes. I like for my kids to look nice for church and other functions. My go to brand for this is Polo. I find Polo for kids at Marshall's or at Polo Outlets. I buy dress pants from Gap because the adjustable elastic waist is perfect for my boys. I also find dress clothes at Crazy 8 (like the outfits in the picture above) or at small boutiques. This is how they feel about dressing up:


I hope you have enjoyed another Fanny Pack Fashion Editions. Any tips of new places to find cute things for these cute boys?

Friday Favorites: Matthew McConaughey Edition

Favorite shoe:

These are my new favorite shoes. Perfect for transitioning from Summer to Fall. I got these from Sole Society. Love them!

Favorite statement:

Matthew McConaughey WORE A FANNY PACK.

This has been so exciting for Fanny Pack Fans everywhere. And then my friend, Amanda, sent me this picture of her son rocking a fanny pack. How cute is he?

Favorite snack:

My boys made these with "Ms. Hannah" and I literally ate ½ of them.

Favorite visitor:

PBQS came to see us!!!

Favorite show:

The return of Dallas! I miss JR…but let’s be honest John Ross can play people almost as well as his daddy.

Favorite future plans:

Dinner with my family and friends for one of my good friend's birthday. Maybe Matthew McConaugney and I will even hang out this weekend with our fanny packs. You never know.

Closet Diaries: What's in your closet?

Today one of my oldest friends Megan at More Sweet Tea Please and I are teaming up for a fun post. We have been friends since I was a teenager. Our dads worked together and we immediately hit it off! Fun for us included driving 45 minutes to the nearest TCBY and going shopping with a notepad to strategically plan who would wear what and when to school. We would ride together to school and RUN to the car to get into the air conditioning and out of the humidity. Crazy I tell you! So today we are finding certain items in our closet and comparing them:


Let's start with oldest item:

Juicy Couture velour track suit. Listen. I have had this since high school and before I had it wished for it for ages. In my mind, nothing would make me more J.Lo than this velour track suit. Considering it is still in my closet, my desire to be like J.Lo is still going strong.

Also old is my Grandmothers faux fur vest and coat. I never actually wear them, but these are the most comforting item in my closet. They still smell JUST like her. My cousin, Maddie, can vouch for this because she has a purse of my grandmothers that she can open up and feel like Grandmother is right there. And yes we called her Grandmother. She was the exact description of a perfect Grandmother.


Best Bargain:


A true Fanny Pack Mom loves a bargain. I especially love items that look expensive, but are actually a steal! I love this dress! I found it at Shop Bella C 50% off for around $22! One of my friends asked me if it was Tory Burch....#winning.





Most used accessory:

This summer this style of earrings has been my go to look. I love the pop of color and Kate Spade style! The black set is from Stella & Dot and the others are from Banana Republic Outlet.


Staple item:
Hands down my AG Jeans from Blackbird

I LIVE in them. I have 3 different pair I have collected over time. One is the mom style...high wasted. The other is a legging style, and I have another that is lighter colored and rolled up at the bottom. They are so comfortable and the most flattering jeans EVER. They are more pricy, but are so worth it because they last FORVER and do not stretch out or lose shape. I always watch for them on sale. I wear them with boots, flats, booties, sandals....dressed up or down.


Don't forget to visit Megan for her closet diary. She even has some #tbt pictures of us to share!

Fanny Pack Feedback

Since I am potentially up to 7 people who follow my blog regularly, I want to hear your feedback. I would LOVE to grow to 10 followers....I can't even imagine the excitement. My main reasoning for blogging is to always remember the past. I want to be able to look back in 10, 20, 50 years and be able to remember the little things that get lost in time. I want to remember the things my kids are saying and thinking....how I felt when I dropped them off at school. All of those little things that time fades away from our memory.



I also want to have fun with it though. I have always loved to write and studied journalism in school. This blog has been such a fun hobby for me, which is what a blog should be! I want to keep the blog fun and creative so I need some Fanny Pack Fan (if that is even real) Feedback. What do you like to read about? What are ideas for Fanny Pack Fashion Editions? What questions do you have for a fanny pack mom?



Leave your comments on the blog or send me a private email. I hope to get some great ideas!! To have some real content today, I will leave you with a back to school recipe. This is easy and my whole family enjoys it! Maybe I will start posting recipes....all 5 that I have down ;)



Pork Tenderloin: A recipe I made up.



Shopping list:
Pork tenderloin (shocking)
Extra virgin olive oil (a staple)
Cavenders
Lawrys seasoning salt
1/2 bottle lite balsamic vinaigrette dressing



Directions:
Lay the pork tenderloin in the pan (Aunt Lu---are you following this??)
Lightly cover with EVOO.
Sprinkle on Lawrys (ok sprinkle heavily.)
Pour the balsamic on top of the tenderloin and pour 1/2 the bottle on top.
Cover in cavenders.
Bake on 325 for 4 hours covered.
Uncover and bake on 400 until golden brown (about 20 min)
Eat. Clean. Wait for my next recipe.

Fanny Pack Fashions: Shop Bella C Edition

Today's Fanny Pack Fashion Edition is all about Shop Bella C. I know you are all still laughing that there is a Fanny Pack Fashion Edition. Shop Bella C is known to many as an online boutique (www.shopbellac.com), but to local girls Shop Bella C is a great storefront boutique. I went in last week to find some fall fashions. My favorite thing about Shop Bella C is when you walk in you always see familiar faces who are happy to help! Two of these familiar faces will be in our new Junior Auxiliary class that I am training this year! When I went in I knew I wanted a great staple necklace that I would dress up or wear casually...And I found this great piece:

It only looks expensive! It was under $20!! I can see myself wearing this everyday! Let's take a better look at the top and blazer I am wearing in this picture. (I know my pictures are silly selfies. I'm just trying to keep it real and show you a true shopping experience. Fanny Pack Mom is doing good to even have make-up on everyday)

First of all...I LOVE this tank....I am obsessed with snakeskin prints this year. It's just enough edge and style for a Fanny Pack Mom. And the blazer? I have been looking for the perfect blazer forever. This one makes me look taller like my Punk Beauty Queen Sister. I realize no blazer can make us instantly become twins, but this one is putting in a STRONG effort.

Next up, I started looking for a perfect everyday top and found this one:

I love the pale pink color and it is super comfy. It is also not too fitted or too boxy to lose shape. This is my pick for mamas running all around town. Or Punk Beauty Queen Sisters running to photo shoots to model.

Again, fancy photography. Next, I started looking for a nice dress next. I need something cute to wear to a few events this fall before it turns cold. I know neon colors are in style, but I have had a hard time embracing them. That is until I found this dress that makes neon fun and classy!

I also love all of the small flowers on the dress! And the length is perfect. Not too short, but not awkwardly long. After trying on the dress, I took a step out of my comfort zone and tried on this outfit that I loved!

I usually don't like to wear sleeveless because let's call a spade a spade....I'm a little soft if you know what I'm saying. However, how fun is this top naming all of the fashion cities? And these pants have J. Crew written all over them without the high price tag. And they feel like yoga pants!

At the end of my shopping trip, I even got to go home and enjoy my beloved Diet Dr. Pepper in my new Shop Bella C koozie. That is a #winning day in my fanny pack book.

Fancy Pack Mom Sheds a Tear

Today was the day....back to school for my kiddos. They are just in preschool, but still to them it is big time and official school. Krews has always thrived in school....he loves it! And he loves playing with friends. Kole is a little more nervous about school, but he is still young! Starting Saturday night, Krews started getting a little nervous though. I told him he was just overthinking things and we just needed to pray.



Then yesterday we had open house and by last night all of my friends and I were feeding off of each other's concerns. Typical mamas. We were overthinking things. And then my words came back to get me....just pray about it! My friends, Jessica, sent me this early this morning along with a text saying, "We can do this!"


I prayed this morning. Then Kyle and I prayed with the boys before we left the house. One of my friends posted this saying on Facebook, and I realized I have to let them fly. I cannot always control everything, but lucky for me God CAN and DOES control it all! And how comforting.


Krews did great and was happy to be at school. Kole shed a few tears, which led to me shedding a few years when I got back in the car. I even drove past his school and I saw his sweet teacher holding his hand outside. I know she is super sweet and will do everything in her power to take care of my boy. And he will fly!!!


The funny ending to this story is while driving past his school, I had left Kyle at the revenue office to renew his drivers liscence. He called me and was waiting outside of the revenue office and said to come on back from the post office. I was technically at the post office when he called but had to circle by the school first without telling him because he already thinks I'm a little cray cray. I then confessed to my drive by and he is now threatening to send me to the hospital. Daddy's just don't get it....yet he did ask how he was when I drove by :)

Friday Favorites: The No-Spin Zone

Favorite news:

Krews found out he is in class with several of his friends! Yay! I'm excited to have several of my mama friends to be at class parties with me!




Favorite song lyrics:

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

Matt Redman - You Never Let Go




Favorite activity:

ATV riding at my grandaddy's farm. We also went to dinner with him and talked politics. Grandaddy's love language is a good hour spent talking politics with him. And he is so knowledgeable on the subject as he studies constantly. Let's just say no one was more thrilled with my time spent at Fox News than this man. To this day he still wants to know what "my friends there" think about this issue and that issue. If only I had Bill O'Reilly's phone number I would be golden.





Favorite TV Show:
Mentioning Bill O'Reilly made me think of one of my favorite shows, The Office. In one of my favorite episodes, I remember laughing hysterically when Dwight was in charge of a press conference and yelled "YES! You're entering The No-Spin Zone!"

Favorite date:

Tuesday was Kyle's birthday and we were able to have dinner alone and then go play golf together.




Favorite sport:

Yes, I said we played golf. Yes, my friends who I mostly discuss my lack of physical activity with are shocked. I discovered I enjoy golf this week. Most of all I enjoy playing with my family. My grandmother would be thrilled because she loved to golf. Surely Bill O'Reilly plays golf? I'll find out once I get his number