Its Fall Y'all!

Oh Happy Fall!

Fall of course is one of my favorite seasons (tied with spring and winter and WAY ahead of summer, which I could do without except for laying by the pool and sandals) and this fall is going GREAT so far! I have a new nephew, Finley Rucker Schwegel (good luck in spelling, buddy) and he is just so precious! I can't get enough of the little cutie! He weighed only 6.4 lbs. and was just under 20 inches long. I was asked to be in the room during the big ordeal and it was so miraculous! Okay, at least sideways it LOOKED miraculous since I had to lay down on the couch a couple of times to regain my composure. But nevertheless, it was amazing! I've only been on the other end in the labor and delivery room, so it as quite interesting. I took over 100 pics over the course of the 7 hours or so, documenting my sister Jessica bringing her first child into the world and its just so neat to see how God uses strong women like Jess to bring new life to the planet! So cool.

Another reason I love fall is the fall clothes! I know this subject totally pales in comparison to the subject above, but how do you follow introducing Finley???

But anyway, I LOVE fall clothes! I especially love boots and jackets and scarves! And of course I can't forget jewelry! But for those out there just wondering, here are my top fashion picks for the fall that you absolutely must have:

1) Something PURPLE- this year's hottest hue and if you don't wear it, get a fun purple necklace like the Rhapsody or Purple Passion in our Premier catalog, I can help you with that. lol

2) Flat boots- these are especially cute under the long dresses we wore in the spring/summer but paired with a jean jacket or drab-shab blazer. Also fun over skinny jeans or leggings.

3) Cowboy boots- coming from someone with 5 pairs of cowboy boots, I really do believe these are a necessity! Wear them as mentioned in #2 or wear them under boot-cut jeans and you are one foxy cowgirl.

4) Giant gold earrings- Again, I can help with this. Gold is BACK!

5) Pashmina style scarves- worn doubled and looped around the neck or wear it old-school scarf style and spread part of it out on your shoulder for a very elegant look. Good as a wrap, too when you're freezing in church, etc.

6) Enormous rings- Yes you can, dah-ling.

7) Long runway-style necklaces- These break up the monotony of color in solid dresses and sweaters and also slim you if worn in layers. Do not be afraid of the length! This is a very flattering look when done correctly.

8) Big handbags in skins or metallics

9) Bangles- not the band, but stacks and stacks of bracelets on your wrist that let people know you're coming from a mile away. Love it!

10) Dresses with jeans- This one I love by default because I'm 5'9" so most 'dresses' end up being long shirts on me anyway, so the leggings sometimes make me look like a dress with bird legs sticking out of the bottom. However, pair that cute dress with some skinny jeans and some high heels and va-va-voom, honey, you are looking hot!

Okay so these are just a few of my picks in the fashion realm. Feel free to add any as comments! I love to know what YOU'RE wearing this fall and what you don't love as well! (i.e. stirrup pants and short military jackets...I mean, REALLY?? Or skinny pants on guys...just stop it.)

I am looking forward to more fabulous fall weather and stuffing myself silly on Thanksgiving with my family.

So Happy Fall Y'ALL!

Do you REALLY want to be healthier?

I think that being a group fitness instructor allows people to think that I am a wealth of fitness knowledge, overflowing with dietary tips, nutrition facts, random weight loss plans, and quick-and-easy workout routines that I can spout off in less than a minute. Judging by the questions that some people, friends & family included, have asked me and also talking with other folks in the fitness realm, this must be a common perception.
Here are a few examples:
"Sarah, how can I tone up my (insert triceps/belly/butt/thighs/other random body part HERE)?"
"Sarah, how much is a gym membership?"
"If I can't afford a gym membership, or I won't go to the gym, how can I get in shape without it?"
"What should I eat/drink/not eat/not drink to lose weight?"
And my personal favorite which isn't really a question: "Oohhhhh, you don't eat meat? No wonder you stay so thin!" lol.

So though I really don't mind these inquiries for the most part (really, I don't! This isn't a 'stop-asking-me-questions' venting blog post, I promise!) I feel the need to post some easy day-to-day things here that I think can help us all. By posting them here, those who want to take my advice, can and will, and those who don't can just stop wasting their time--and mine--by pretending that they will! And I mean that in the most loving way possible! :)

Also, as a disclaimer--these tips are in no way designed to imply that I ALWAYS do these things or ALWAYS eat right, etc. We all have our splurges and we all have our days where we are not on our game! I just think some of things are easy enough to implement in our everyday lives and really do make a difference in how we look and feel.

Sarah's simple tricks to leading a healthier lifestyle:

* STOP drinking empty calories.
This is not a no-brainer. Diet Coke is NOT good for you. Its not even THAT much better for you than regular Coke. Do I EVER have a Dr.Pepper? Yes! But not even once a week. Maybe once or twice a MONTH. Though tasty and refreshing, carbonated soft drinks are simply empty calories along with juices, sweet tea, sports drinks, etc. If you can cut your daily Diet Coke/sweet Tea/Dr.Pepper out, you will be surprised at the results. Try it for 28 days.

* Choose healthy snacks.
This one is not so easy for me. Cut out snacks? No. Cut out cookies/cupcakes/ice cream/Doritos/buttered popcorn/Quaker granola bars? YES. Moderation is key. I snack all day long, but there is a big difference between having a handful of grapes or even a baggie of Multi-grain Tostitos chips and having 3 chocolate chip cookies. Also, don't think that 100 calorie packs are 'healthy'. They are just smaller portions of our fave snacks. But 100 calories of cheetos are still 100 calories of cheetos and they sho ain't gonna' fill you up! The best advice I can give in this area is to make your own 100 calorie packs of foods that you do like but that you tend to overeat on. I can sit and eat half a bag of Tostitos "Hint of Lime" chips. I've had witnesses. So if I bag these chips up in advance, I'm far less likely to be tipping the bag back and letting all the leftover salty goodness flow into my mouth at the end....sigh.

* Yes you have to exercise.
This is not an option. You CANNOT be healthy without some form of exercise! Does this mean you need a gym membership at the best club in town? I'd like to think so...haha just kidding! NO! You don't! But do you need to have a DOUBLE-DOSE of self-discipline if you don't have a gym to go to? Yep you do! There are free and super cheap classes all over the place! City of Southaven offers them at Snowden House, Brown's M.B. Church and Colonial Hills in Southaven also offer free/donation only classes, plus there are several gyms in the area that are very inexpensive and some are even open 24-hours. Not all of us are runners and can make ourselves run 3-5 days per week to keep fit. But we all have to do some sort of exercise. 3 days a week is a minimum. Find something you enjoy doing, even if its taking your kiddos on a walk or doing a fun video in your den. But DO it. Seriously, this is not an option. Your body can't benefit without exercise and your heart definitely can't hold out forever without cardiovascular 'encouragement' from you. No I will not write you out an exercise program, especially if you aren't really going to use it. But I will encourage you to stay active. So Stay Active! :)

Okay okay so that is all for now. More to come! I assure you that if you make tiny tiny changes in your every day life, those things will add up and make you feel and look much much better!

Letter Rip!

Okay so I am VERY thankful for folks out there who have super cute creative ideas that are duplicable enough for the rest of us! I then like to tweak it or make it my own for a fun craft! For example these giant monograms for front doors, the picture frames for kids, and the other photo frames that make great gifts. Just a few ways I can save money on gifty items and give something that has that truly personal touch!