We love holidays in this family. Of course the children love them because they’re treated to things that they don’t normally get like copious amounts of sugar and presents. Easter is no exception. This year, we’re on quite the budget so I set a $15 limit for Madilyn’s basket, a $15 limit for Grady’s budget, [...]
Sep 152012
If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with Auburn Football. Auburn is my first love and I stand behind them win or lose. I have a Saturday shirt and earring tradition, where you will find me parked in front of our TV shouting “WAR EAGLE!” and belting the school song, or shouting at the players and telling them to run faster.
I love the friendly rivalries that come with being a college football addict and I never miss an opportunity to yell, “WAR EAGLE!” to someone wearing an Alabama shirt.
I’ve recently become quite obsessed with the Cute Polish channel on YouTube. I found a really great color blocking nail design that looked easy enough to do while the babies were napping and cute enough to show my school spirit on game day. This nail design is inspired by this cute design.
Of course you could use the same technique for your favorite NFL teams as well. It just so happens that my Tigers have the same colors as my Broncos so I’m golden…but I bleed orange and blue.
The technique is SO, SO easy and relatively quick. Cute Polish recommends using a striper brush to draw diagonal lines but I found it easier to rest my hand on a hard surface and roll my finger to create a thick line, then brush downwards to spread the color all over my nails.
So here it is:
Materials Needed:
Base coat
White Polish
Team Color #1
Team Color #2
Top Coat
Step 1:
Paint your nails with a base coat to protect and strengthen your nails.
Step 2:
Paint your nails with an all-over white polish. This really helps the other two colors pop!
Step 3:
Carefully paint a diagonal line with Team Color #1. It is best to rest your hand on a hard surface and rotate your finger while keeping the polish brush steady. Once the line is drawn, paint downwards to evenly spread color on the bottom 2/3 of your nail. Do a second, thin coat to even color. It’s OK to make a mess. We’ll be cleaning your cuticles when we’re done.
It’s OK to make a mess! We’ll clean them up when we’re all done.
Step 4:
Take Team Color #2 and draw a diagonal line from where Team Color #1 ends, at the lowest point. Once line is drawn, carefully paint downwards to evenly spread color over the bottom 1/3 of nail. Apply a second coat to even color.
Step 5:
Apply a top coat to protect your design and provide a beautiful shine.
Step 6:
Dip a cotton swab in nail polish remover and carefully clean the skin around your nails.
Step 7:
WAIT UNTIL YOUR POLISH DRIES to change diapers, do dishes, and rummage around your purse for the last feminine protection option in your house. The time this takes will completely depend on what sort of nail polish you used for each coat. I try to buy quick-dry polish for this reason.
Step 8:
Head out to the nearest football party to cheer your team on and show of your super festive nails.
English: Sports logo of Auburn University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Odwalla (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I am always so excited to give back to the community and nothing makes me feel better than helping someone in need, which is why I was so excited when Collective Bias, Champions for Kids, and Odwalla put together a sports equipment donation drive. I had the fantastic idea of mobilizing Styles’ 5th grade classroom into donating to the cause.
Then I got sick.
Really sick.
I sent in a flyer to go home with all the children but I wasn’t able to go into the classroom and pump everyone up without the huge possibility of passing along the bubonic plague to the entire 5th grade. The flyers went home and I went in several days later to pick up the donated sports equipment.
But there was none.
I was so sad. I bought tennis balls, a tennis racket, and a t-ball bat that came with a ball for Styles and I to donate, but I was so excited to be able to drive up to the boys and girls club with a van full of sports equipment from the Godley Station 5th grade, but there was nothing else to donate.
As disappointed as I am, I understand that times are hard right now. We live in a very depressed part of the country and things are tough for many people. I also know how 5th grade kids are about showing their parents what is in their backpack at the end of the day.
But it doesn’t stop me from being disappointed.
I chose to donate to The Boys and Girls Club because when I was a little girl, my sister and I spent summers at the Girls Club of Alachua County, Florida. Our counselor’s name was Wayne and he was one of the funniest guys I’d ever met. We used to go roller skating, to the public pool which was HUGE and had an amazing slide, and on other fun excursions. I met some great friends there and have some wonderful memories. While I’m in a different city now, I wanted to honor a club that helped shape who I am today.
We were just a little younger than this when we spent summers at the Girls Club
So I went alone today to the Boys and Girls Club to donate what little I had and guess what? They were so humble and so excited to receive ANYTHING.
When I got home to write this post, I realized that my camera didn’t have a memory card in it that entire time. I called the representative at the B&G Club and she laughed with me then agreed to meet up so that we could take some mock photos this week so PLEASE stay tuned for pictures of some very happy and humble individuals receiving some serious tennis equipment.
SO since nobody here wanted to get involved, I’m calling you, my wonderful readers to GET INVOLVED in your community! Give time, give sports equipment, give whatever you can – large or small! And please join Champions for Kids on Facebook and Twitter to mobilize yourself and your family.
Happy volunteering!
This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions and camera misfortunes are my own.
Related articles
- A Tribute to Papa – a SIMPLE Service Project (bananahammocksandtutus.com)
Apr 172012
I have a confession. Those flipping Easter Peeps started chirping my name as soon as the sun broke through the night sky on Easter morning. I was SO good. I told them, “No, Peeps! You stop chirping my name! I don’t want your melty, sugary selves in my bellah, messin’ up my blood sugar mojo!”
Then came the day that we drove back to Savannah. I caved. I thought, “Just one.”
You’re laughing, aren’t you?
Two rows of yellow and pink Easter Peeps, made by Just Born. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I bit the head off of the pink rabbit and swallowed it whole. Then, looking around cautiously to make sure nobody was watching, I inhaled the butt-half. It was so soft and succulent and I was SO ticked off at myself for not enjoying it that I ate another one.
And then another one.
And then another one.
And then my mom (who went Paleo 3 months ago) came outside and nearly busted me.
I took an enormous swig of water and pretended like I had something stuck in my teeth.
And that’s all it took for the blood sugars to take control of my brain.
They camped out in the frontal lobe of my brain where their voices spoke loudly and consumed my inner Cavewoman. I’m pretty sure those blood sugars tied her up and hid her in the back of a cave somewhere. She was completely silenced.
The Peeps turned into chocolate which turned into Smarties which turned into Popeye’s Chicken which turned into jelly beans (I don’t even LIKE jelly beans) which turned into goldfish crackers which turned into a Chik-Fil-A Milkshake which turned into an exhausted and moody Mama.
The day before yesterday, we ran out of candy (Thank you, Holy God).
Yesterday I wanted SOMETHING terrible for me but I resisted. I ate raisins instead. Today I’m making “Anytime Cookies” and “Pumpkin Pucks” from The Paleo Parent’s AH-MAZING new cookbook, “Eat Like a Dinosaur”. If I’m going to eat something sweet, I need for it to be grain- and sugar-free.
I can’t believe that I made it through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and 2 deaths in our families with lots of out-of-state travel without screw-ups this bad.
Then the freaking EASTER BUNNY comes for a visit and I cave to sugar-coated marshmallows!
At least I’m not completely disgusted with myself. I still fit into my jeans, I’m just hurting physically from my screw ups. But there’s always today. And today, The Workaholic is home to ensure my blood sugars don’t hold me hostage any longer.
One more week and I’ll have those nasty little demons tied up and shoved into a recess in the depths of my brain once again.
God, help me the next 7 days.
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Creating Bright Futures for ChildrenIf you’ve been reading Banana Hammocks & Tutus for a while, you know how much I love to volunteer. I am the room mom for Styles’ classroom and over Christmas, I participated in a stocking stuffer program with Champions for Kids. When I was in high school, I was required to participate in 100 hours [...] |
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Come to Our Nest 
