Seeing All Sides

Five on Friday: Family Photos, Royals, Hawkeyes, and Fall Things

I always find it hard to work on Fridays...so how about a Friday blog post instead?

We had family photos taken last Saturday. They were with a new photographer, our kids had been sick all week, and it was cold the morning of. The ground was wet, my white shirt got muddy, and Brantley cooperated for a whole 4 minutes. Needless to say, I didn't have high hopes for the results...until our photographer posted our sneak peak. Oh. my. goodness. I'm not sure I've loved our family photos anymore. I can not wait for the rest of them!! (Photos by Whitney Revelle Photography)

The Royals!!!!! For the second year in a row, the Royals are headed to the ALCS...and then hopefully the World Series! The were down two games to one in the ALDS...and down 2-6 in the eighth inning. Nearly every Kansas Citian assumed their season was over. And then...by some miracle, they found a way to score five runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth to win 9-6. Which brought them back to KC for a game five...in which they won 7-2. I mean, this team is some kind of magic. Blue Octobers are so much and I hope they can keep the magic going!

Vanessa sent me a link to these awesome wallpapers and printables. I can't even pick a favorite. I mean, they're all so stinkin' adorable! And they're free! Thanks, Vanessa, for sharing and thanks, Audrey at Oh So Lovely Blog, for creating!

Speaking of sports, my Hawkeyes are still undefeated. 6-0 going into week seven of college football! I still can't figure out if they're that good, if they've played easy teams, or they've just gotten lucky?! Either way, I'll take it! Go Hawks!

This weekend is my all-time favorite weekend of fall! Why, you ask? The Lenexa Chili Challenge!! We go. We eat. We enjoy the gorgeous fall weather. My parents are coming to visit this weekend, too. Mainly because they were here for the Chili Challenge two years ago and loved it! Aparently, I've only blogged about the Chili Challenge once before (in 2013). Sounds about right for my blogging habits this time of the year!

And finally, we fall-ified our front porch last weekend. Pumpkins, mums, the works. Fall porches are so ugly, said no one ever. :)

And with that, my plan period is about over, which means it's time to go teach! Happy Friday and have a great weekend, friends!

Linking Up With:

Momfessionals and A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites
September F A R M for Oh, Hey Friday

A.Liz Adventures for Five on Friday

Stitch Fix #8

Also known as the one with all the jeans!

Let's just be honest for a minute. Shopping is fun. I could do it every day and never get tired of it. But shopping for jeans?? I'd probably rather go to the dentist. (And I hate the dentist.) For me, finding a comfortable, perfectly-fitting, and flattering pair of jeans has always been hard. I'm on the skinny to average side, but also very curvy (pear-shaped, as they say). I've come to accept that over the years (on most days anyway), but it doesn't make me any less picky about how things look and/or fit. Instead of heading to a department store's fitting room to deal with horrible lighting, mirrors that purposely distort your body, and an overwhelming selection of styles, I decided to request five pairs of jeans from Stitch Fix. I've always been impressed with the pants they've sent, and I figured, 5 pairs--surely I'd be happy with one of them?!

Rewind to last Thursday, and let's just say, this may have been the smartest shopping move I've ever made! How they managed to send me five nearly perfect pairs is truly beyond me!

Here's what I got!

Item #1 | Liverpool Mira Skinny Jean ($78)
This first thing I noticed about this pair of jeans was the elastic waistband. Basically maternity-like non-maternity jeans! I was already excited! I tried them on and they are about the most comfortable pairs of jeans ever. If you combine leggings + sweatpants, only make them denim, this is what you'd get. A co-worker said they make me look "hippy when I'm not" (hips hippy, not 70s hippy) but I assured her that I am and thankfully, I was happy with how they looked. Verdict: Keep!

Item #2 | Liverpool Collen Straight Leg Jean ($78)
Stitch Fix called these straight leg, but they definitely had some flare to them. According to quite a few blogs I follow, flare jeans are back in a big way. I really, really liked this pair of jeans. As did Craig + everyone who commented on my IG photo. They are black, which means I could get away with wearing them to work. And they were super comfortable. But...they were black. My goal for this fix was to find a few new pairs of casual, weekend jeans. These had more of a dressy than casual feel and they were not jeans I could wear with casual flats. In the end, I just didn't want to spend the money on a pair of work pants. Verdict:Returned :(

Item #3 | Kut from the Kloth Dayna Skinny Jean ($88)
This was the one pair of jeans I wasn't initially in love with. Although I could have made them work, they felt a size too big and I assumed they would stretch while wearing. I also didn't love the color - super dark navy. I would really like to try this brand of jeans in a smaller size because they seemed comfortable and I've heard great things about the brand! Verdict: Returned

Item #4 | Mavi Freida Skinny Jean ($98)

What I liked about this pair of jeans was that they worked well with flats. The other pairs seemed to be better suited for booties, but this pair was a little shorter and skinnier at the bottom, making them pair nicely with my Toms. Initially, I really liked these and thought they were a definite keeper...until I wore them around my house for an hour. They were much lower-rise than the other pairs (thank goodness super low-rise is a thing of the past!) and a lot tighter. They just weren't as comfortable and they didn't seem quite as mommy and/or teacher-friendly. Verdict: Returned

Item #5 | Level 99 Briley Skinny Jean ($108)
And last, but definitely not least! In fact, these were the fan-favorite when I asked for opinions on IG. Of course, they were also the most expensive (#alwayshappenstome), but when comparing to some of the jeans I bought five years ago, they were still less. Verdict: Keep!

So I ended up keeping only two pairs--the most expensive, but also the least expensive! I heavily debated keeping all five pairs. In fact, I tried selling some of my old Miss Me and Mek jeans to justify such, but I only sold one pair for $30. I also tried selling pair #3 above on a Stitch Fix Buy/Sell/Trade Facebook group, but no hits on those either. Without the 25% discount, I just couldn't justify more than two pairs.

But seriously, as long as Stitch Fix is still a thing, I will never go jeans shopping again! I highly, highly recommend this to anyone in the market for jeans. Your own environment, your own mirror, your own lighting, your own shoes. And no one will know if you wear them around for two hours in order to decide! Want to try for yourself? Use my referral code to help me earn a $25 credit to put towards my next fix!

What's Up Wednesday (on a Thursday...night)

Remember the last time I did one of these posts? I mentioned that I may not do another until November! I'm proud to say I'm back for another edition and it's only ~~September~~ October. :)

...WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS WEEK...

Sunday: Leftovers
(We had a late lunch at Chipotle, so we opted to save our nice meal until the following day and dined on a few leftovers.)

Monday: Grilled steak, twice-baked potatoes, and asparagus with roasted balsamic tomatoes

Tuesday: Leftovers...again
(I have my moms' group--that includes dinner--every other Tuesday, so unfortunately for the fam, they didn't get a home-cooked meal.)

Wednesday: Chick-Fil-A
(This was end of quarter for Craig and he worked until 8. I had to get the kids from daycare, which is quite the haul from my work, so I swung through the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru on the way home. We took it home and ate it on our patio in the gorgeous weather.)

Thursday: Something from Hello Fresh!
(Finally a decent meal! I received my first Hello Fresh box yesterday, so tonight we will be enjoying something from that. Either Pan Seared Chicken Sausage with Tangy Cabbage and Butternut Squash-Apple Puree, Seared Steak with Creamy Horseradish Sauce with Rosemary-Roasted Root Vegetables, OR Potato Latkes & Marinated Beet Salad with Sour Cream, Apples, and Chives. I mean, say those don't sound good! If you're interested in Hello Fresh (a delivery-to-your-door foodie subscription service), check for a Groupon or Living Social! This box was purchased with a Groupon and I purchased another discounted box through Living Social just yesterday!) *Update: We had the chicken sausage. It was good--not amazing--but good!

Friday: Perhaps another Hello Fresh meal?

Saturday: Who knows...the last of the Hello Fresh meals, maybe?

Sunday: Chili for the Chiefs game!!

...WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT...

Two years ago TODAY, I posted this little image on my social media.

It's crazy to think that that turned into this.

It's true what they say - the days are long, but the years are fast! How in the world do I already have a 1 and 3 year old?!

...WHAT I'M LOVING...

Two words. Old. Navy. Like every other girl out there - I love fall fashion. There's something really fun about looking trendy again after a summer of shorts, tank tops, and flip flops. Don't get me wrong. I loooooove summer clothing (it's so comfy!), but fall is my favorite season for fashion. And Old Navy? Let's just say that I've given them a few of my dollars in recent weeks. ;)

Here are some of the new tops that have graced my closet.

And these pants. Can we talk about these pants for a moment. I was skeptical. And a little nervous about whether I could pull them off. But, oh my goodness, are they comfy!! It's like wearing pajamas to work, and every time I wear a pair, I get complements galore! Two of my co-workers even ordered themselves a few pairs after seeing mine last week! I highly, highly recommend them. They work with flats, wedges, and even booties! Even better--each pair was in the $12 to $14 price range! Thank you, Old Navy!

...WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO...

A trip to Iowa.

Lots of time outdoors.

T.Swift concert for me.

We updated our fall artwork.

...WHAT I'M DREADING...

The days are getting shorter, which means one thing - winter schminter.

...WHAT I'M WORKING ON...
A whole lot of planning for my Advanced/Pre-AP class this year. I'm having a blast teaching those kiddos, but man, is it a lot of work. For the second year in a row.

...WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT...

1) Halloween
2) The cooler weather
3) Being almost one quarter of the way done with the school year! #alwaysanoptimist
4) Liz's blog fall scarf exchange!

...WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING...

Football and fall baseball!!! The Royals are in the playoffs for the second year in a row (and only second time in 30 years) and the Hawkeyes started the season 4-0 for the first time since 2009--also known as the year they won the Orange Bowl.

...WHAT I'M LISTENING TO...

Pandora while I ~~work~~ blog.

...WHAT I'M WEARING...

Currently, a pencil skirt with the above light blue ON shirt and booties. But a whole lot of leggings lately.

...WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND...

We have a pretty low-key weekend planned. Perhaps a visit to the pumpkin patch. And chili/the Chief's game with our old neighbors on Sunday.

...WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH...

Well next month is November, but considering I was supposed to post this yesterday....I'll tell you what I'm looking forward to for October. Cooler (but hopefully not cold!!!) weather, the changing of the leaves, soups, the Lenexa Chili Challenge, family photos, pumpkins, visits from both of our families, and mostly, Halloween in our new neighborhood!! I can only imagine it will be a fabulous time since we always have a blast with our neighbors! And it's on a Saturday. #canyoncreekpartay

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...WHAT ELSE IN NEW...
Ummmm...I joined Snapchat? I'm still trying to figure it out and I only follow about 10 people (The Bachelor's Janner, included!), but I will say, it's fun! You can find me at sarahbsides.

...FAVORITE HALLOWEEN TRADITION...

I don't know that we really have any major Halloween traditions. I mean, we go Trick or Treating, but doesn't everyone? (Old Trick or Treat posts: 2012 | 2013 | 2014) Something my co-worker does that I have always admired--her son leaves his Halloween candy for the "Halloween Fairy". The fairy takes his candy and delivers it to girls and boys who can't go trick or treating. The fairy leaves a new toy in place of the candy. I really like the idea and have always said I would do that once my kids are old enough!

That's it for this edition. Perhaps I'll be back later this month!! ;)

Linking up with Shay @ Mix & Match Family and Mel @ The Larson Lingo.

Five on Friday

I'm jumping on board this Five on Friday thing - only about two years late. Because sometimes a random blog post is where it's at. Am I right?

This weekend, we're headed to Iowa for our first Iowa football game in a few years! Craig and I used to go to each home opener, but honestly, I can't even remember the last time we set foot in Kinnick Stadium! Three years ago, perhaps? I wish we could take Brantley...he thinks it's hilarious that the stadium has our dog's name...and I know he would love it. But considering each body that enters requires a ticket, and the cheapest ticket is $60, I think we'll pass this year. Besides, it's a 7pm kickoff (a rarity for Iowa football), so needless to say, we have a good excuse to leave the kiddos with Gramma and Papa. I am so excited to see Kinnick Stadium striped in black and gold...something I've seen on t.v. a number of times, but never in real life! Go Hawks!

Speaking of football...remember when all I ever wanted was a little girl to dress in frills and bows? Yeah, well, I have completely changed my mind on that and realized I was *made* to be a boy mom!! Dressing these boys in their jerseys and sports apparel on game days = heart melted. I've also taught Brantley both the Iowa and Mill Valley fight songs and it's the cutest thing ever listening to him sing both!

Halloween is, oh, only about six weeks away and I've been trying to come up with some costume ideas for the boys. Brantley has made it very obvious that he wants to be a snowman (Olaf, specifically) and of course, I wanted something similarly themed for Holden. As of yesterday, I got it. I have always loved penguins and how adorable is this one??

This week is Homecoming at my school. You better believe that teachers enjoy dressing up as much as the kids! Wednesday was Decade Day, so myself a few other A-hallway teachers donned our best 80s gear! I even crimped my hair......with the crimper I had as a child.

This morning, I walked into school expecting a normal Homecoming Friday, but found myself a dance party instead. The seniors arrived super early and decorated every square inch of the foyer in our school colors: midnight blue and silver. Students from all classes were dancing, laughing, and have an all-out grand time....at 7am. It's crazy how much this school climate has changed in my nine years. The school spirit has increased exponentially, and I finally feel like students know what Homecoming is all about. Go Jags!