Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Recap: Girls Go Glam & Duggar To-Dos

Tonight on TLC...

19 Kids and Counting "Duggar Girls Go Glam"
  • Jana, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, and Joy-Anna visit Freshair Salon to experiment with hair and makeup styles for Jill's wedding. "We never really go to salons," says Jessa. "We have friends who can cut hair, and they will do that for us."
  • At the salon, the four oldest girls have their hair curled and pulled partway back, while Joy requests a full up-do. On the day of the wedding, they decide to wear their hair curly and mostly down, which is Derick's favorite style.
  • When asked about her relationship status, Jana replies that she is "good with just waiting right now."
  • Joy-Anna says she does not plan on entering into a relationship any time soon.  "It's just a lot of work," shares the almost-17-year-old.
  • After hair and makeup, the girls browse for bridesmaids dresses. They are looking for a dress that provides covering from the "neck to knee" and is practical enough to be worn for future events.
  • The girls fall in love with a lacy, mint green dress. To make it fit Duggar modesty standards, Jana purchases an additional dress for extra material so she can add sleeves, raise the neckline, extend the length, and create a more vintage look. The dresses cost less than $30 each.
  • Jana is the family's primary seamstress, although Jessa, Jill and Michelle are also proficient at sewing. Jana says Jinger and Joy are "working" on their sewing skills.
  • In Washington D.C., Anna and the kiddos learn how to prepare healthy foods from Heather, a friend they met at the farmer's market. For a snack, they prepare meatball-grape-pineapple kabobs, which Mackynzie and Michael love. For dinner, Heather introduces fingerling potatoes cooked with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper; green beans and squash; and salmon with peaches.
  • Josh approves: "Anna and Heather did a great job with the meal." The kids don't care for the squash, but they enjoy the rest of it.
 19 Kids and Counting "Duggar To-Dos"
  • The Duggars usually purchase shoes from thrift stores, but they decide to splurge for Jill's wedding. Michelle, Grandma Duggar, and the girls head to Famous Footwear to pick out tan heels for the bridesmaids and white sandals for the flower girls. Jill plans to go barefoot.
  • "I think that every girl likes a new pair of shoes," says Jinger.
  • When asked if any of her daughters have a shoe obsession, Michelle responds that a number, and perhaps all, of her girls could fit that bill.
  • After their honeymoon, Jill and Derick will temporarily live in a large house that Jim Bob owns and plans to sell soon. While the ladies shop, the guys meet a flooring specialist at the house to lay carpeting. The Duggar dad's goal is for his sons to learn a new skill they can use throughout their lives.
  • Some guys would find it inconvenient to constantly have their younger siblings around, especially while doing jobs that could potentially go much quicker without having to supervise little ones, but John-David says he sees it as "planning for the future."
  • In D.C., Josh and Anna and the kids decide to make a (slightly unconventional) wedding gift for Jill and Derick...a Nepal-themed baby mobile.
  • "For anyone else, I wouldn't get them a baby gift as a wedding gift, but for a Duggar, it's just kind of appropriate," says Anna. The reasoning behind the theme is that Nepal is where Jill and Derick's love story began.
  • Does Anna hope to be pregnant again soon? "I would love to have more children, but it's just that balance of welcoming more and enjoying the three children that God has for me," says the young mom. 
  • As the show wraps up, the Duggar ladies keep Jana company while she alters the bridesmaids dresses.
  • "We have a lot of work to do on these dresses to make them fit right and work right, but we also have a short period of time to do it," says Jana. Just a few weeks until the wedding!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Recap: "Jill Says Yes to the Dress"

19 Kids and Counting "Jill Says Yes to the Dress"...
  • Michelle boards a plane to Washington D.C. with her five oldest daughters (Jana, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, and Joy-Anna) to shop for Jill's wedding dress.
  • Jill says she is "excitedly nervous" for her big day.
  • "I'm very excited for the moment that Jill is going to try on these wedding dresses," says Michelle. "But at the same time, it's kind of surreal because I realize, 'Wow, we're really here.'"
  • "I think having so many siblings and weddings coming up in our future, I think we are going to be doing a lot of wedding dress shopping," adds Jana.
  • When they arrive in D.C., the Duggar ladies meet up with Anna and her kiddos for brunch. During the meal, Jill asks Jana to be her maid of honor and asks Jessa, Jinger, and Joy to be bridesmaids. (Johannah will also be a bridesmaid.) "I chose Jana as my maid of honor because growing up, we've always been really close," says Jill.
  • The girls are thrilled, especially Anna, who was not expecting to be in the wedding party.
  • At Ava Laurenne Bride, Jill gets the "Princess Treatment" package. First, she has her hair and makeup done, and then the girls share heart-felt notes with the bride-to-be. Joy, who is especially close to Jill, breaks down crying when she reads her letter. "She was my live baby doll," Jill says of Joy.
  • The dress shopping begins, and Jill falls in love with the eighth dress she tries on. "It's what I was praying for," she says. According to Jill's family, the dress fits her personality perfectly. Michelle's dream wedding dress would be one with poofy sleeves and a lot of sparkles, but Jill's styles are simpler than her mother's.
  • While the girls are away, Jim Bob and John-David take Derick Dillard and Ben Seewald on a camping trip. While the guys drive to the cabin, Jim Bob offers marriage advice to Derick and Ben. He tells the young men that love is more important than money, that communication is key, and that what the wife says often goes.
  • John-David says his dad gives him a hard time about being single and has tried to set him up with girls in the past. "One of these days, I'll find the right one, and I'll join the ranks," says John.
  • While preparing to rock climb, the guys joke that John-David is the most expendable because he does not have a wife, fiancĂ©, or girlfriend, but Jim Bob assures his son that they all love him and would miss him.
  • After rock climbing, the guys jump off a cliff while attached to a bungee cord. Derick and Ben take the leap with no problem, but it takes Jim Bob a few minutes to gather enough confidence. John-David decides not to jump.
  • "You know, I've got 19 children," reasons Jim Bob. "Can they afford to lose their father?"
  • "I jumped off, and my life flashed before my eyes," says Derick.
  • As their adventure comes to a close, the guys take a ride on a zip line. At the end of the trip, Jim Bob says Derick and Ben passed the test. "Two daughters down, seven more to go," says the dad of 19. 

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Recap: "Duggar Dirty Jobs" and "Duggars Decorate & Diet"

Tonight on TLC...

19 Kids and Counting "Duggar Dirty Jobs"
  • Jill and Derick, accompanied by chaperone Michelle, purchase wedding bands at White's Jewelry, the same jeweler Jim Bob and Michelle visited 30 years ago while preparing for their wedding.
  • Ben Seewald recently became the first single, non-Duggar male to live on the Duggars' property. He and Jessa have purposed never to be alone together. "...Ben realizes the responsibility before God and before Jessa's daddy to not make any mistakes" says Michelle. 
  • According to Jessa, one downside of living so close to Ben is that she always has to look her best.
  • "If you want to marry a Duggar girl, you can't be afraid to get your hands dirty," says Jim Bob, who sends Ben out to work with John-David. Their first task is to fix a fence, but after determining that they don't have the right supplies to complete the job, John and Ben decide to grab a box of donuts.
  • Next, the men install windows. "I haven't done a whole lot of carpentry work before," says Ben. "Measuring tapes and Ben, well, we aren't the best of friends.
  • When Jessa says it would be nice to have a handy husband, Ben responds that that is not an "absolute necessity" and that "some guys just might have strengths in other areas."
  • The last item on Ben's to-do list is to bathroom cleaning. John says part of the reason his dad invited Ben to move onto the family's property is because he wants to prepare Jessa's boyfriend to support a wife and family.
  • Meanwhile, Grandma, Michelle, and Joy take the younger kids to Imagine Studios to paint pottery as wedding gifts for Jill and Derick. 
  • "I'm excited for Jill and Derick to get married..." says Jackson. "...cause they've never gotten married before," adds Johannah.
  • Joy says it's bittersweet to watch Jill prepare to move out, since the two sisters were buddies and slept in the same bed for many years.
19 Kids and Counting "Duggars Decorate & Diet"
  • Michelle, Jessa, and Joy take on the task of reupholstering stools. The Duggar mom says she doesn't think it's likely that any of her kids will have more than 19 children but that it isn't entirely impossible.
  • While enjoying a homemade, Southern breakfast of biscuits and gravy, bacon, eggs, and sausage at their home in Washington D.C., Josh and Anna are shocked to welcome an unexpected visitor...former professional football player Steve Conley! About a year ago, Steve put Jim Bob and Josh through an intense physical training regimen.
  • "The good think about this breakfast is that it's so full of preservatives that it will keep you around for a long time" jokes Anna, who says she usually prepares healthier foods.
  • "I think with moving, I've kind of slacked back into my old ways," says Josh.
  • When Steve looks through Josh and Anna's pantry and fridge and discovers a lack of healthy options, he takes them to a local farmer's market to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies.
  • At the market, Steve turns shopping into a game for Mackynzie and Michael, as he sends them to find foods that match certain descriptions.
  • Back in Arkansas, Jinger snaps engagement photos of Jill and Derick. Jessa comes along as the wardrobe coordinator and photographer's assistant.
  • Jill and Derick say that saving the physical side of their relationship for marriage gives them incentive to have a short engagement.
  • Jim Bob supervises the younger and middle-aged kids while they paint the soap box derby cars they built during last week's show.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Recap: "Duggar Daughter Dates" and "Duggar-Sized Wedding Planning"

Tonight on TLC...

19 Kids and Counting "Duggar Daughter Dates"
  • Ben and Jessa head to a local shooting range (the same one Jessa went to for her 18th birthday) with Jason as their chaperone. Ben has a small pick-up truck, which makes chaperoned dates a bit tricky. "Joe and John-David don't come with us a lot," says Ben. Ben jokingly points out that once he and Jessa get married and no longer have to bring chaperones everywhere they go, there will be a lot more room in the truck.
  • Both Ben and Jessa do very well at the shooting range, but Jason thinks his sister is a better shot than Ben.
  • Derick takes Jill on a hiking date for her birthday, accompanied by chaperone James. "For me it's not awkward being a chaperone because I'm just here for the food," says James, who ends up getting carsick during the drive.
  • After hiking to a beautiful lookout point, the three enjoy a picnic lunch of bread, cheese, humus, and figs, packed by Derick.
  • Meanwhile, Michelle takes Jennifer, who has been straining her eyes while doing schoolwork, to the eye doctor to get fitted for a pair of purple glasses. Jim Bob, Michelle, and Jill also wear glasses.
  • Michelle says that Jennifer, who turned seven in August, usually has a very serious look on her face but that she does smile from time-to-time. 
19 Kids and Counting "Duggar-Sized Wedding Planning"
  • Jill and Derick, along with Jessa, visit the home of their official wedding baker, who also happens to be one of Jill's midwifery clients, to choose a flavor of cake for their big day. The couple decides on French vanilla cake with strawberry filling and off-white, butter cream frosting. In addition to a fancy wedding cake, Jill and Derick will also have sheet cake for their guests.
  • Jessa says she plans to go the nontraditional route and serve ice cream instead of cake at her wedding. Stay tuned to see if Ben agrees!
  • The next step for Jill and Derick is finding a wedding venue; they bring Michelle along to help. The first two locations don't end up working out. Magnolia Gardens has a maximum occupancy of 300 guests, and Springdale Country Club is sizeable but is too fancy for the Duggars' tastes. "We're more barefoot and backyard kind of people," says Michelle. 
  • The third venue that Michelle, Jill, and Derick visit is Cross Church, which holds a very special place in the Duggars' hearts. Cross Church is the church where Jim Bob grew up and is also where Jim Bob and Michelle married in 1984 and renewed their vows in 2009. The church can easily accommodate all 3,000 guests that Jill and Derick have invited, so they decide to book it.
  • The Duggars are planning Jill's wedding on a budget. According to Michelle, Jill mentioned the idea of setting a wedding budget even before Jim Bob and Michelle brought it up. 
  • Back home, Jim Bob splits the kids into three teams, led by Joseph, Jeremiah, and Jedidiah, to build soap box derby cars from kits that the children found online. They quickly discover that the kits are missing wheels but end up assembling as much of the cars as they can. Jim Bob plans to organize a race once the wheels arrive. 
  • In Washington D.C., Anna, who enjoys doing hands-on activities with her children, helps Mackynzie, Michael, and Marcus make and decorate concrete paver stones. The project ends up being very messy, but the stones turn out great.