Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends!

I am currently writing this post from the airport! Chris, my brother, and sister in law are off for a weekend adventure. Follow along on instagram (@SarahTuckerUp) to see where we are going!! All I can hint at is that the weekend involves lots of food and baseball!

Let's get started on my favorites, shall we?

1. I talked about this outfit on Wednesday and so many of you felt the same way about mules. TRUST ME! #uglyoff #cuteon

Also, I can't wear this cactus tank without getting multiple comments about it. Plus, it is super soft and stretchy. 

And, a cardigan with tassels? Yes, please! I stupidly washed and dried a batch of my cardigans and now they can fit a doll. So, I've been in search of replacements that are good transition pieces. This cardigan is really lightweight and would be great for layering.

2. Graham. This child is SO full of life. Anyone who meets him knows how much joy he brings to a room. He will be the class clown because he loves to make others laugh. If you merely giggle at something he is doing, he will continue doing it until you "sign" to him "all done." All done is taught to kids while their eating, but G takes it to a whole other level. I'll be singing in the car and he signs "all done." Chris will be tickling him and he signs "all done." We will be at the park swinging and when he is over it he signs "all done." It is so useful because we always know when he has had enough!

3. Working out has been something that, as a family (including my bro and sis in law), we are committing to do together. I get more motivated when there are other people pushing me to workout. We've been doing Kayla Itsines BBG program. Graham loves to get in on the action and tends to take the place of my weights. 

4. Random pictures of my child. That's an everyday favorite, but I couldn't help add a few of my recent favorite pictures.

5. Y'all have been LOVING this magnetic phone holder and I don't blame you. It is amazing and would make a perfect stocking stuffer!

6. Speaking of Christmas...My sign shop is exploding! Tucker Up & Co. has really been depending on the "Co." (i.e. my family!) lately and I'm so blessed by it all! Be sure to get in your holiday orders early as I will be closing the shop before Thanksgiving to ensure I can fulfill all my orders and spend time with my family. These growth charts are, by far, the hottest item lately and would make a great gift for any family!

Have a great weekend and be sure to follow along on my weekend adventure!

New Favorite Shoes + Link Up

Right before school started my dad took me on a little back to school shopping trip. I think it is true that I'll always be his little girl, because he sure treats me like it. And, I don't mind one bit!

After I had Graham I got rid of most of my flats because they just. weren't. comfortable. Starting back up for the school year, I knew I needed some and, honestly, I thought these looked terrible just sitting there on the shoe rack. Then, I saw a sales girl wearing them and they looked SO CUTE! And, now that I have them, I have to agree. So ugly off your foot, SO cute on!!

Happy Wednesday!

An InLinkz Link-up

My New Job + Life Lately

diaper bag (the best thing ever!!)

hat

top

shorts

sandals

G's shoes

Hello!!

I sort of left you guys hanging on whether or not I got a job and I am super happy to announce that I accepted a position as an instructional support teacher and an elementary school not far from my pervious one. I am really excited to be in a new place, doing something new!! We started back (just teachers) last Thursday and, if I'm being honest, it felt really good to get up and have a purpose for the day!

Graham is going to a 'summer camp' at the church he goes to preschool at. Real preschool will start in a few weeks, but they so graciously put together this little camp for all the teachers who send their kiddos there. I thought he would cry a little when I dropped him off, but I was so wrong! He totally knew his teachers looked familiar and went right to them. I asked for a kiss and he half-heartedly leaned his forehead towards me and then he took off for the toys. It made me feel good about leaving him!

This past weekend we had some family in town and decided to take all the kids to the Dallas World Aquarium. I highly recommend going early if you are wanting to go! We got there right at 9:00am and it was perfect. It never felt crowded and when we were leaving around 11:00am, the line to get in was super long! The aquarium is close to Shake Shack, which was a perfect place to let the older kids burn off some energy. They played corn-hole and ping pong. It was a cloudy day, so we sat outside.

After we ate, G fell asleep in the car almost immediately. When we got home, everyone took a nap! It was pouring rain and the perfect lazy afternoon.

Saturday night we went to my cousin's house to swim and hangout. I love when family is around because someone always wants to hold/play with G which gives me a little break!

Sunday I worked on signs all day long! Chris inherited an 1100 lb smoker from his uncle that him and three friends managed to move from the trailer into our backyard! I can see lots of BBQs in our future!

Sunday night we gave Graham his first big haircut!! I'm not at all sentimental, so, although his curls were adorable, his hair needed to be cleaned up! He looks like such a little boy now!! (I failed to get a good picture of him from the front!)

Now it is Sunday night and I'm asking myself where the weekend went!! This week is my last week before students start school! There is no better energy than the first day of school!

Happy Monday!

Microblading || What You Need To Know

Microblading is all the rage right now! Brows are the feature of the face and perfect ones are what everyone wants. I, personally, have never lacked having hair (wide eyed emoji), so I am not a great candidate for microblading, but one of my best friends, Cali, just recently had her eyebrows done and I asked her to document her experience for y'all!

1. What all was talked about and done in your pre-consultation?During the consult, Andrea at iBrow Stuido explained the entire process to me. I was very nervous and unsure about getting microblading done at first, so she was very thorough and even took the time to draw them on and give me an idea of what they would look like.

2. What was the process the day of the appointment? How long did the appointment take?The day of the appointment I came in and filled out some paperwork. The appointment took about 2 hours. The first 45 minutes or so she worked on measuring and drawing on the outline of my eyebrows. She drew on two different shapes and I chose which one I liked the best. She then matched that eyebrow and she was ready to go! The remainder of the appointment she microbladed. The last 10 minutes I sat with the pigment on to be sure it set.

3. Does it hurt?

At first, it hurt a little bit. Before applying the numbing cream, she had to break the skin on both brows. It felt like a constant scratch. It was uncomfortable, but not unbearable. After the skin was broken, she applied numbing cream. From then on, it felt like someone was drawing on my eyebrows with a pen. In between microblading, she would rub some pigment (color) on the brows and it tingles a bit. Andrea was great about telling me each step so I was prepared and aware with what was going on!

4. How long will it last?

It will last anywhere from 12-24 months. You do have to go back in 4-6 weeks after initial session for a touch up.

5. How much does it cost?Andrea at iBrow Studio was running a Groupon special for $200. Her normal pricing is $350 for microblading and $150 for the touchup.

So, there you have it! If you're in the Dallas/North Dallas/McKinney area check out Andrea at iBrow Studio. Also, you can follow Andrea in instagram @ibrowstudiotx. AND, until August 20th she is offering $100 off your microblading session if you're a teacher or work for the school district! 

Here is an adorable picture of Cali and her brows before microblading!

ISR Swimming Lessons

Happy Monday!

I've been getting A LOT of questions about Graham's swim lessons over on my Instagram (@SarahTuckerUp), so, after tons of you requesting a post, here I am finally cranking one out!

We knew we wanted G to be in swim lessons this summer. My parents just sold their house and are moving to the lake permanently and my in-laws back up to a HUGE pond on a golf course, so the chances of Graham being around water are very high. We hope to one day have a pool and water safety is just something you can't put a price on.

I'd seen videos on Instagram and Facebook of these babies, BABIES, being dunked into the water and then floating and I would get hooked on the ISR hashtag. When it came time to enroll Graham in swim lessons, I started to do some real research on ISR.

ISR stands for Infant Swimming Resource. The ISR technique is designed to teach children how to survive (and swim!) in the water if they so happen to fall in accidentally.

I'll let you all research on your own, but after realizing that blowing bubble and learning to "kick, kick, kick" wouldn't save him, I was 100% on board with ISR.

The swim lessons are one on one, five days a week, and only last 10 minutes. Swimming is exhausting and these little ones are working HARD for the whole 10 minutes.

I will admit that the first few days/weeks are hard because your child cries the whole time during the lesson. They are learning to hold their breath and it is really hard to watch. BUT, BUT all I thought about is how THIS COULD SAVE HIS LIFE!!! By the second week, the crying didn't phase me. After about three weeks, Graham hardly ever cried and would lunge to get into his instructor's arms.

I was truly amazed at each lesson how much he learned and retained. It is crazy how a little one can truly SWIM!

In 6 weeks, Graham has successfully completed ISR. His final test was to be 'flipped' into the water fully clothed and he had to float for a whole minute. His diaper probably weighed 5 pounds when he got out!! You can see the video of his float on my Instagram (@SarahTuckerUp).

As far as the financial investment, it honestly was something we talked about as an investment. It is $95-100 per week and your child typically needs 6 weeks. When I compared the price to a swim school close by (where G wouldn't have learned to float and SURVIVE!), it was worth the additional couple hundred dollars in our eyes.

He will need refresher lessons later this fall (Texas is HOT until about November) and then in the spring. Next summer he will probably need about three weeks of lessons to remember all he was taught and learn a few new skills.

For his age, 16 months, he was taught to swim and then float. Next summer he will be taught to roll back over from his float and swim toward the edge of the pool and then float when he needs to rest.

The whole experience was truly amazing! I'm in awe of the little babies I witnessed float for minutes! And, I'm in awe that my own child can float for longer than I can!

If you have any comments or questions, I'd love to give you all the information I have. I really encourage you to research ISR and, if you're going to be around water, think about this as an investment! It is so worth it!!

Recent Finds + Link Up

Recently, I haven't been getting out of my favorite Nike running shorts and workout tanks. Graham has ISR swim lessons every. single. morning. and from there we always run errands or go play with a friend.

Yesterday I told y'all a secret I've been keeping, so that took up much of my time the last week or so interviewing and whatnot. By the end of the night, when I have someone around to take my pictures, I'm already a hot, sweaty mess from the day's activities that the last thing I want to do is change to go take pictures!

But, I didn't want to miss out on telling y'all about some of my recent favorite finds!!

This dress has become a weekly wear. For only $19.99, I can't believe it has pockets! It is really stretchy, so soft and comfy,  and really long! I'm 5'3" and typically wear a S/M (more medium!) because I love things to have some room. I read the reviews and everything said size down, so I went with the small and I probably should have gone with the extra small because the neck scoops down pretty low and it is really long on my short body!! But, I've already spilled a martini on it and, if you're wondering, it washes great! Wash and hang dry/lay flat to dry and you're good to go!

I posted the top picture on my instagram a few days ago and y'all were going nuts over my cactus tee! I've worn it so much and feel like I've posted about it so much, but there were still quite a few of you dying to know where I got it! It is only $14.99! Once again, it is super soft and stretchy! I am wearing a medium, but should have got the small because it goes down really low under the arms! I just love my mediums because they're so roomy :)

AND, we have to talk about these Spanx leggings everyone is raving about. I went to Nordstrom because I haven't had a real bra that fits since before G was born and, with me starting back to school, I figured I needed to get that situation taken care of. I successfully fell in LOVE with these Spanx bras (I bought two!) and then noticed right outside the dressing room were these raved about Spanx leggings, so I thought I'd try them on. 

And, now I get it. They're amazing. They're so well made and I felt like I could go in public with these on without having to worry if anything was showing through. I'm wearing a medium and was not about to stuff my body into a small. They are high wasted, so they really suck it all in!

An InLinkz Link-up

I Quit Being A Stay At Home Mom

Hi, friends! I'm coming at you today with another turn in this crazy adventure we call life!

As my post title says, I quit being a stay at home mom! Yup! Only two months ago I wrote out how we felt it was right for me to stay home with Graham and here I am telling you that job wasn't for me. Let me explain.

Last summer I ultimately decided to go back to teaching because I knew, at that time, I wasn't cut out to stay at home with a baby all day, everyday. Yes, I LOVE my child and would literally do ANYTHING in the world for him, but I needed adults.

Fast forward to the end of this school year and G is a totally different kid. Chris and I talked and we decided it would be fun for me to stay home this coming year. 

So, I happily resigned and assumed my new role under Graham's leadership.

And, after two months I started panicking because I realized that this was my new normal. Everyone got to go to work and talk with adults and sip coffee and go to the restroom alone, and I couldn't. Then, I started realizing that, now that I'm home, I'm now the primary cook and cleaner. Then I really started to panic!! I can stay home with G, but being a 'homemaker' is NOT my jam!! 

I resigned in hopes to get a position the district was implementing that was three days a week. It was a new program and I applied to get more information about it at the end of the school year. After contacting my old principal and asking if there were any updates about that position, he let me know that the district had decided to no go with that 'plan.'

That was my plan!! I was so in love with the thought of working three days a week! Now, here I was in July thinking how I did not feel "ready" to be home with G full time!

So, I sent out a desperate plea to my old principal whom graciously told me that, sadly, all the spots were full at my old school, but he would pass my name along.

Bing, bang, boom and I'm now going to be an instructional coach at a school just a few miles away from my old one!! 

I AM SO EXCITED!! 

This position is different than a homeroom teacher position. I will be going in to classrooms and pulling very small groups of students to target instruction. 

As always, thanks for supporting me on this journey! I feel like this is the perfect job for me and I'm really excited to get back into the swing of the school year! 

My New Adventure!!

Hi, friends!! I'm coming atcha today with a big leap of faith!

I told you about my newest adventure last week on my Vlog, but it was a million minutes long and I knew not many people could watch the whole thing...which is exactly why I introduced my new little adventure at the end of that video...when I figured no one would be watching :)

After a lot of prayers, and guts, I've decided to make it public that I am now an It Works distributor! I wanted to use the products and love them for myself before I told anyone about them!

Here is my WHY:

A few months ago I went in for my yearly checkup and they drew some blood. Not worrying about a thing, I left the doctor's without a care in the world. I got a call a week later telling me that a few of my numbers were not in the "normal" range and that I'd need to come back in for more testing. I, stupidly, Googled and diagnosed myself with cancer and kidney failure which, in turn, got me staying up all night thinking about how I can't fathom the thought of not watching my kids grow up and growing old with Chris. Let's just say I hate Google. 

Everything turned out fine, but in the week span between getting the new lab results in, I really started thinking about how, ever since Graham was born, my health has been put LAST. I live on caffeine, I eat scraps of G's meals, my dairy intake consists of ice cream, and I was not feeling myself. I never workout more than twice a week, and all the vitamins I should be taking were just sitting on my counter.

A friend who I trust completely started selling It Works a few months back and I saw her posting stuff and thought that it couldn't hurt to try some things out. I needed a probiotic, some sort of supplement to help me get in my fruits and veggies (sadly, G's Goldfish are not in either of those categories...), and was ready to start consistently working out!

So, I met up with her and she didn't push ANYTHING on me. She told me her experience with the products and I decided to give it a whirl. I could support my friend and get healthy!

HERE IS THE THING:

You walk into Nordstrom and buy hundreds of dollars worth of clothes that support Nordstrom's CEO make millions of dollars each year. And, the clothes do nothing for your health!

You walk into GNC and have a teenager consult you on what is best for you, not knowing fully about any of the products.

You spend hundreds at Starbucks (guilty!) which actually is what got me in this dehydrated predicament in the first place! (The doctor determined I was probably really dehydrated.)

My point is that we all buy stuff from people we DON'T trust all the time!! People who may not believe in their product. Yet, we buy it, they make a commission, and then we HAPPILY go tell all our friends about it.

Here's the fact: If It Works was in a storefront, no one would think TWICE about buying it. 

GUILTY!! I had my doubts just like y'all, but you're all willing to try an expensive eye serum or an overpriced foundation, but you block out the thought of trying something a friend sells??

When I really thought about it, if I could support my friend in her efforts to stay home and provide for her family AND get healthy at the same time, why not? She has used the products and could testify to them! That's more to say for the cashier at Sprouts who helped me pick out my previous probiotic.

It Works is known for their wraps, which actually work (ask my brother and sister in law who I forced to wrap!!)! But, I was way more interested in other products that I now use everyday and love!

So, before you unfollow or discount this whole pyramid scheme (eye-roll, which is not what this is because that's illegal...), I encourage you to think about getting healthier and possibly supporting a friend who may just be trying to send her child to dance, or make a few extra dollars to get out of debt. I've heard testimonies, first-hand, from people who were able to get off diabetes medication because of these products. I've heard testimonies from men who never wanted to admit they took the products, but actually lost 30+ pounds.

I'll stop rambling now, but I wanted to thank you all for being so supportive. Y'all know I'm addicted to ice cream and, although it is my true love, I really have to start getting healthy, and this is how I choose to do so.

Your support means the world to me and I look forward to HONESTLY sharing how I feel about the products with you!

If you follow me on instagram (@SarahTuckerUp) you can witness me trying the products and giving you my honest review....and everything has NOT been positive!! Ha!

If you'd like to see the products It Works offers, click here!

Happy Friday!!

Here are my results after using one wrap for 1.5 hours!!

This picture was taken a week later! My results are lasting and momma isn't mad about it one bit!

AND TODAY AND TOMORROW IS BOGO WRAPS! That's a great deal if you're wanting to try the wraps out!!