August Recap: A blogging conference, DIY projects, and more!

And just like that August is almost over. We are already one week into the school year, on the downhill side of 2014, and I can see fall weather wanting to creep up. Okay, that last one was a lie. It is still over 100 degrees here, but I feel like if I talk about the fall weather coming, maybe it will actually drop below 80 degrees.
August was too awesome not to recap. I was going back through my posts and was realizing how much fun I had!
I finally found the camo pants I had been on the hunt for...

I attended The Hundred Event and met some of my blogging idols. I also wrote a post on '10 Tips I Learned from a Blogging Conference'.

I got a diaper bag and use it as my teacher bag and, to be honest, I am in freaking love with it. So much so that I told Chris that when we do have a child, I will be needing another Lily Jade bag. Seriously, y'all, there is a spot for EVERYTHING!

I showed y'all our master bedroom and how I stained our side tables.

And Caitlin and I announced The Lovely Lookbook! Don't forget to come back Monday to link up you dresses!

Happy Friday!

I Admit 5 Things

A picture I once sent to my girlfriend in college who then sent it to Chris when we were first dating...#embarrassing

1. I admit...Germs don't gross me out. I eat things off the floor, don't care if someone eats off my plate, and don't freak out when someone drinks out of my glass. I do, however, always wash my hands after using the bathroom and, now that I am back in school, I wash my hands more often because my babies are the most sanitary things on the planet. Chris on the other hand is a hand sanitizer freak. But, on the flip side, he will gut a deer then rinse his hands with water out of a jug, then eat a burger. Makes no sense to me.
2. I admit...I am sort of a freak when it comes to the sheets in my bed. The flat sheet and the comforter have to be perfectly lined up or we have to ge tout of bed and fix it. I cannot sleep if the sheet is way far up by your face and the comforter is like a foot lower. Drives me nuts.
3. I admit...I'd rather mow the lawn than do laundry. When mowing the lawn you can get in a workout, tan, and listen to music uninterrupted....three things you can't do while doing laundry.
4. I admit...My best friend and I used to get on AOL instant messenger and tell people we were twins that drove fancy cars and our dad was a doctor. We were basically 'catfishing' over decade ago.
5. I admit...I cry at all things sappy. Commercials, sob stories on reality shows like American Idol, weddings on TV, etc. Chris thinks it is so weird, but I seriously can't help it! 
PS: Don't forget to link up your fashion posts here!
And if you're feeling up to it, you can follow me:
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WIWW: Polka Dots and Neutrals + Link Up

On Wednesdays we have to "dress nice" to school. Meaning we don't get to wear our normal jeans and a tee shirt, which is what I rock four days a week. I am trying to get use out of my nicer dresses that I save for a special occasion...then end up not wearing. Basically what I am saying is I need to stop worrying about saving dresses for maybe/possibly/theremightbeachance special occasions, and just start wearing them!

I bought this dress over two years ago for one of my wedding showers and I have maybe worn it three times. Yikes! I didn't want to wear it to school in fear of it getting ruined, but I think it is time I just start taking the plunge and wearing my 'so called' nicer items that never get worn.

As for this blazer, I got it over two year ago from Target on major sale. I want to say it was like $10. Major score. I am just waiting for the temperature to cool off so I can actually wear it outside instead of just bringing it to school to wear when I get cold.

Randoms:

- This week of school is kicking my butt. Getting into the swing of things is tough. Couple that with a sour stomach yesterday morning and I am ready for this weekend.

- Bachelor in Paradise, love. So much less crazy screaming, but just as much drama.

- We had Ikea Swedish Meatballs last night and they weren't half bad. Actually, I really loved them and Chris said, "You don't have to make this meal like every week...just every once in awhile." Noted.

- Don't forget to link up on September 1st for The Lovely Lookbook!! If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can click here for more information!! Get your dresses ready!

Now for the link up!   - All I ask is you link back to my blog and link to a specific post. 
- Write about something fashion related :)
And if you're feeling up to it, you can follow me:
Instagram @SarahTuckerUp Twitter @MrsSarahTucker Pinterest - SarahTuckerUp Facebook: facebook.com/tuckerup123

Happy Wednesday! 

Thank you for linking up!

To see other WIWW posts, click {here}

Linking up with Because Shanna Said So, Get Your Pretty On, The Pleated Poppy. 

Life via my Iphone photos: a photo dump post

Last Tuesday we went to TopGolf with Chris's parents and my Dad (he was in town for work). We hadn't been in quite awhile and were quickly reminded that we need to go back more often!
We are all super competitive which makes it even more fun. Chris has been begging me to go play real golf with him, but I just get so bored. I ended up hitting the back net twice (I must have had a lot of luck with me that day....) and was a driving machine, so now Chris is really hounding me to play with him. Maybe when it isn't 100 degrees outside and if we only play 9...I get really bored after the first 9 holes!


I saw this on Pinterest and I just love it. I am going to tell it to my kiddos all year long. The joy that is yet to come is so, so sweet!

I also saw this on Pinterest and Chris audibly "awwww"ed. It was precious.

 

Saturday lounging on the couch with the fam. I have about 10 pictures like this on my phone, so it must have been a commercial break.

We have jalapenos people! Chris bought a jalapeno plant a couple months back and we had no expectations as to whether or not it would live. If we were betting people, we would have bet it would have died the day after we got it. We looked at it last weekend and what do ya know?! Four, yes FOUR little peppers are almost ready to be picked!

Happy Tuesday!

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DIY Garage Door Scoreboard

Friday night we had some friends over after dinner. The guys played darts while the girls chit-chatted and watched our men act like boys.
I noticed the guys were keeping score on a cardboard box that we had laying around in the garage. I instantly thought how cool it would be if we converted the grungy garage door into a scoreboard with chalkboard paint.
So, Sunday after breakfast, church, and completing the ice bucket challenge, we cracked open the can of chalkboard paint and got to work. I got a little carried away and coated many other things in chalkboard paint, but you'll have to wait another day for me to reveal my other projects.
Chris was really happy with the way it turned out. He told me this was "the best DIY project idea to date!" Thanks, honey!
Other than this Sunday streak of painting, much of the weekend was spent laying around and preparing for the first day of school! Today is the day I meet all my cherubs and I am so excited!
How was your weekend?

Linking up with Leeann & Kimberlee!

And if you're feeling up to it, you can follow me:
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College is not a dream, it's a plan.

I saw this quote on another teacher's board and it really stuck with me. Something I want to focus on this year is helping them realize that college is in their plan. It isn't a dream, it isn't someplace they hope to go, it is just the next step after high school.
For my cherubs, most of them are the first ones to go to school. When, not if, they graduate, they will be the first to accomplish graduation. So, to think that college is the plan, and not the dream is huge.
Being in my classroom all week is getting me pumped for this coming Monday! Tonight is Meet the Teacher and I can't wait to meet some of my new babies!!
Happy Thursday!
Linking up with Annie and Natalie!

WIWW: Teacher Pants + Link Up

Bag: Lily Jade here // Shoes: similar here // Pants: veryyy similar here

I am always on the hunt for teacher pants. Now, you might ask what teacher pants are, so let me tell you. They are pants that, if ruined, you won't cry. They are cheap. They are comfortable. And, usually, they have a pattern or are a dark color to hide pen and marker stains.

When I came across these pants at Ross for $8.99, I knew I had to have them. I know the patterned pants are just a trend and, for all I know, they are so last year, but to this teacher, they are back in school for this semester!

Here is where I feel like you might get a little jealous. You might say, "You can have those nutso pants, but I want those shoes!" I don't blame you and when I tell you how much they cost, you might cry a few tears.

Ya'll, these shoes are Chinese Laundry (normally found at Nordstrom) and I found them at Ross for....$9.99. Not. Even. Kidding. I almost died when I saw the price tag. I thought that surely there was a mistake. Nope, no mistake. Just some really great shoe luck.

In other random news, this week Chris and I have been getting up at 4:40am to be at the gym by 5:00am. I know that is totally crazy, but knowing that when I get home, I don't need to go to the gym, is an amazing feeling. I am in my pj's by 4:30pm and in bed around 9:00pm.

My classroom is coming along great! I can't wait to show how I have changed it around this year!

I am still trying to get over the fact that August is almost over. Eyyeyeyyey!

And one last thing!! Don't forget to come back on September 1st and link up your dresses for The Lovely Lookbook!! You can read all about The Lovely Lookbook here.

Now for the link up!   - All I ask is you link back to my blog and link to a specific post. 
- Write about something fashion related :)
And if you're feeling up to it, you can follow me:
Instagram @SarahTuckerUp Twitter @MrsSarahTucker Pinterest - SarahTuckerUp Facebook: facebook.com/tuckerup123

Happy Wednesday! 

Thank you for linking up!

To see other WIWW posts, click {here}

Linking up with Because Shanna Said So, Get Your Pretty On, The Pleated Poppy. 

Our Adventures of Biking the Golden Gate

Ever since Chris and I went to San Francisco in June I have had some emails regarding what we did while there. One thing people have been asking a lot about is biking the Golden Gate. Let me just tell you about that little adventure (eye roll).
For starters, Chris and I are not bikers. We make be '(ex) college athletes' and look like we are in shape, but I assure you, we do not bike. I told Chris days before we rented the bikes that I wanted an electric bike. I always remember spin class in college and not being able to walk for days after. You know, the non-bikers waddle? Ya, I didn't want that.
So, we show up to the rental place, I tell them I want an electric bike, and the chick looks at me like I'm nuts! She casually says, "Oh no! Ya'll are young and in shape. You'll be fine!! Believe me, people much older than you use regular bikes and they do great."
Now, I had gone on a morning run the day earlier and seen the hills we would be biking to get to the Golden Gate and to us Texans, those things basically qualified as Mount Freaking Everest. As the San Franciscan says, "Oh, you'll just have to bike up a small three story hill. No big deal."
That's not what my butt and legs were screaming about five minutes in.
Can I remind ya'll that I grew up on a dirt road, walked everywhere in college, and haven't owned a bike since I was five...when I got my first Barbie bike. That should give you a background on my biking skills. I can ride a bike, but let's not get crazy here, kids.
And just like that, we were off on our adventure. We were about 5.4 miles from the Golden Gate and I'm thinking, "Okay, when I ride the bike at the gym, I can do five miles in like 15 minutes, so we should be good." Ha!
I was Chris's laughing stock for the entire day of bike riding. We start off having to bob and weave through all the fit people running everywhere on our path. Then we hit the park by the bay and the hurricane force winds made me feel like I was a hamster on a wheel; essentially my legs were moving, but I was going no where. It was awful. The path was gravel and I couldn't get good traction. The wind was making me swerve everywhere. I kept telling Chris I was ready to give up and he quickly reminded me, "This was your idea!"  A mom pushing four kids in a stroller passed me, a guy walking 82 (it was actually like 17) dogs passed me, I even think a guy biking with his two kids in a trailer thing passed me. It was pitiful. All the while Chris is popping wheelies around me and telling me what gear to switch it in to. 

Finally we reach the bottom of the bridge where everyone stops to take pictures. Perfect time for my butt to rest and me to gain feeling again in my legs. We had been biking for almost an hour and not yet made it up to the bridge. If this blog contained cuss words, you could insert many of them right here.
After snapping pictures and downing water, it was time to tackle the 'small' three story hill. What rental-bike-lady failed to tell us was that, while biking up the world's largest hill in your bike lane that was two feet wide, there would also be cars whizzing by your at the high speed of make-you-poop-your-pants miles per hour. Chris kept yelling at me to scoot over, and I kept yelling back that this was "the worst idea everrrrrr!" And then I saw another resting spot and my heart felt hope. My thighs we screaming and by butt bones, well, they were about as sore as all get out, and, yet, we still hadn't even made it onto the actual bridge.

We, of course, take more pictures (the more picture, the more resting time), and then decide the easy part is finally upon us. A short, level path straight to the bridge, so we set off on our adventure, sore tushes and all. We enter the east side of the bridge (they only have one side open at a time...) where this wide (sarcasm) bike lane was available to us, and the other 1,000 people. 


Let me give you some estimated measurements. The total path was about eight feet wide, half for the bikers, half for the walkers and runners....going in both directions! So there were runners, walkers, and bikers going both directions on the bridge that is freaking really high and windy and you have goob 1 and goob 2 trying to navigate this monster of a bridge without taking anyone out. It was stressful and one of those 'check off my list' type things. I was constantly ringing my bell in order to warn the poor pedestrians that it was not a good idea to walk 4x4 on a path that you should walk single file.

We stop at the areas where you have to walk your bike, we take some pictures, Chris freaks me out by getting too close to the edge, I kinda start to panic when I really get to thinking about how high I am, and then we decide to tackle the second half of the bridge. 

We finally, like 1.5 hours later, make it across the bridge. Then we discover the steep and windy road that leads you down into Sausalito. I just about wanted to have a heart attack riding straight down this winding hill, with my speed topping out at probably 15 miles per hour with fast car after fast car at Nascar speed racing on by. About halfway down I pulled over into some rando's garage because I had to take a breather. I had never in my life rode a bike on a road, much less on a busy, narrow, steep road.

After a quick breather, we make the final trek down into Sausalito and my oh my was it worth it. That little town is such a gem. I felt like I was in some other land that almost made it worth the bike ride over. Next time, I'll take a cab, but it was such an adventure. 

Did I mention this was on the day of our two year wedding anniversary? It will be an anniversary for the books!
We ate lunch and then walked around town and caught the ferry back to the city. I couldn't sit on my seat for the ride to the ferry, if that is any indication as to how my booty felt. 
Once back, I must have gotten my second wind because I convinced Chris to try and bike from the Ferry building to the Painted Ladies. After consulting with a police officer who said it would be "doable," we decided to go for it. 
Literally, five minutes in, we turned around, bee-lined it straight for the rental place, returned our bikes, and didn't sit for the next week.
 It was a day I'll never forget.
And if you're feeling up to it, you can follow me:
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