Putting myself first

I'm approaching thirty years old...I have 7 days left to enjoy my twenties before I enter the next decade of my life. Can you tell that I'm having a hard time with this? The other day I was doing some reflecting, as I have found myself doing a lot lately, and I realized that maybe this next stage of my life is a GOOD change. 

My twenties was filled with lots of ups and downs...college graduation, my first job, landing a job I really wanted, getting laid off and rehired twice from the said dream job, meeting a man who I thought was Prince Charming who turned out to be more of a villain, bought a house with said villain, got engaged to the villain, broke off the engagement, moved back with my parents while my mom went through her second round of breast cancer treatments, sold the house to free myself from the villain, dated and met nice guys and not-so-nice guys, moved into my own apartment and have finally have started to REALLY focus on the one thing that maybe I should have been thinking more about: myself! PHEW! 

After listing all of that, I've really started to think about myself, what's going to make me happy and focusing on developing myself into the successful young, single woman in her thirties. I think back to the one single question we all answered over ten years ago as we graduated high school: where do you see yourself in ten years?  My answer was typical: working as a successful elementary school teacher, and married with a family. Although part of my ten year plan hasn't exactly gone the way I had hoped, I'm learning more than ever to enjoy the journey, look around and appreciate all of the love that I do have in my life, and what is to come.  The more positive I can be, the more I'll get out of this one precious life.  I know it's all going to work out just the way it's supposed to. In the mean time, I'm going to spread my wings and fly, and see where this journey takes me!! 

I'm so glad Dawn and I decided to write this blog...I'm thrilled to have you here to come along on this journey with me!

High Five for Friday!

I found the idea for "High Five For Friday" through The Small Things Blog. I fell in love with the title and I really like the idea of reflecting on my week in this way. I will take part in this "High Five for Friday" reflection each week. Hopefully you will too! 

My top 5 moments of the week:

1. Starting the week off right, I joined Amanda for Shaun T's T25, a twenty five minute workout, on Sunday afternoon. It was a high intensity workout and I totally felt it the next day! It reminded me of my workout bootcamp days!

2. Making two NEW successful dinners that my husband enjoyed. High five for that!!

 3. Listening to my students share stories about their 2 week holiday break.  It's fun to hear highlights from a 12 year olds perspective. 

4. Participating in my wedding photographer's 2013 year wrap up. She created a contest on her Facebook page and tagged us in two of our beautiful wedding photos. Although I don't think we'll win, it's all about "enjoying the small things" throughout this wedding process as it continues to dwindle down. Every tiny bit has warmed my heart in so many ways. It's hard for me to put into words.

5. Celebrating the 9th of the month with my husband. Yesterday was our five month wedding anniversary. Our officiant spoke at length during our ceremony about using the 9th of each month to communicate about our "ups and downs", or strengths and weaknesses experienced during the 30 days. We have made sure that we do this and we celebrate in other fun ways too! 

2014 Brings New Adventures!

This new year began with a resolution to gain more confidence and to channel my energy into positive experiences and new journeys to feed my creative side.  This blog was one of those resolutions.  When Dawn and I decided to start this blog, and began to carry it out, I gained a confidence in the fact that A) I truthfully can stick to something I promise to do B) that I can feed my creative side like I wanted to...and I'm not stopping here!

This week I signed up to be an Origami Owl Designer.  Origami Owl sells lockets and charms.  Each customer chooses their locket, chain and charms to go inside the locket.  Everyone loves them, and the company has an inspiring vision.  The founder of the company is a 16 year old girl who wanted to buy a car.  The company has grown very large over the last few years.  If that isn't inspiration...I don't know what is!

Origami Owl and this blog are only just the beginning.  Dawn and I have some other ideas up our sleeves.  Stay tuned for more creative, exciting announcements as the year goes on!  Happy Friday!!!

Keeping it all in perspective

Today was a tough day at work.  My team plans together every Thursday for the upcoming week.  We share plans, giggle and laugh, share funny stories, vent and discuss how things are going during lunchtime. I pull together the ELA plans for the grade level, and share what I've come up with.  It seems that as we get closer to the state assessment, the work load increases, and everyone gets stressed, students and teachers included.

I do have to say, I love my job.  I love seeing the spark in a child's eyes when they learn something new.  It's fun to introduce new information to children for the first time, and see their excitement and eagerness to learn more.  It energizes me and gets me out of bed each morning.

I photographed this magnet on my refrigerator because it was one of the first gifts I received as a teacher.  At times when we're striving to see how many 3's and 4's we'll have in our class this year or trying to calculate who fell above or below the benchmark, each number is really a student. With feelings...and more to them than that silly number.  Each student in my class has the potential to do great things in this world.  I always tell my students that.  They inspire me and when I think of them, my heart fills with love and joy, because each and every child that I've ever taught works harder than they ever thought they could.  

It is my only hope that for as long as I stay in the teaching profession, that I keep making dreams happen each and every day.  Putting all the other stresses aside, I know that having that goal will make me a highly effective teacher, whether my test scores show that or not. 

Almost 1 week of blogging!

Today is January 9th and it's hard to believe that we've been blogging for almost one week. I decided to list 9 things that I've learned in this process so far: 

1. I take the time to slow down and reflect on one little thing in my day. I often reflect on many things in my life, but this blog encourages me to do this differently and it feels good.

2. I know a lot about my best friend, Amanda, but I enjoy learning more about the small moments in her life. It's also different when it's written!

3. It allows me to slow down in life (overall) and be grateful. This was one of our motives for the blog and I'm glad it's working.

4. As a teacher of reading and writing, it pushes me to enjoy the craft of writing more. 

5. It can be hard to find something to take a picture of and then write about. That sounds silly, I know! I want the post to truly capture the feelings, emotions, and events that I experienced in that day.

 

6. I feel the adrenaline in my blood when I notice the amount of people reading our posts. It's so awesome and exciting! 

7. I am inspired by the blogging world more and more! I want to keep going! I want to try out new things to add to our blog! 

8. I enjoy writing each night. I haven't done this in years. Write. every. single. night. It's challenging, but so worth it.

9. I used to journal on paper. I've written blogs before on a laptop. Ever since I started this, I've written on my iPhone and I LOVE IT! It's totally working for me. Normally I'm cuddled up on the couch with a blanket when I do this. That's the picture tied to this post. :-)

I'm looking forward to reflecting on this process  again in another week ...or month?! We'll see! ;)  

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

One year ago, my family was changed for the better.  As I mentioned yesterday in my blog post, my sister gave birth to the most beautiful, sweet baby girl one year ago today.  I couldn't help but devote this post to the super special, Sarah, my most favorite (and only ;) ) niece!  Sarah arrived at 6pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013.  I'll never forget the phone call that my sister made to my parent's house that night. The baby girl arrived!! We were all so happy, filled with excitement.  I begged my sister to send us a photo of the little star, and I'll never forget seeing that little girl's eyes for the first time on my iPad.  My parents and I cried and held one another, as the new addition to our family was more beautiful than any of us could have imagined.

I raced up to Boston the next morning to be with my sister, brother in law, and niece.  Holding the little baby was magical.  I fell in love with her the moment I held her.  The bond that she and I share is incredible, and I now can't imagine what life would be like without Sarah.

I can't help but buy the cutest baby clothes whenever I am out.  I have recently had to stop myself, because the now one year old grows like a weed!  She says the funniest things, and is smarter than any of us realize.  She'll be walking any day now, and before I know it, she and I will be shopping together, getting manicures and discussing the best chapter books.

We're all savoring each moment as Sarah grows into her next stage of adorable toddler.  I never could have imagined being an aunt this exciting, but it truly fills my heart!  I think Sarah and I will have this special bond together forever.  I can't wait to see this little one grow up!  Happy first birthday, Sarah! Auntie loves you very much! xo

My classroom is my second home

My classroom is my second home. It's where I spend more than 8 hours of my day. Each morning when I walk in, I am enveloped in its warm hug. Literally. It's like a sauna in there! :-) This is my fifth year being in the same room and I absolutely love it.

I may not love my job every day; the world of education is hard right now and there are many ups and downs that we experience, but my classroom remains my sanctuary. It's a place where I feel safe, needed, respected, loved, valued, and most of all, a place where I can be me. 

I haven't  dramatically changed the layout of my classroom since starting in that room 5 years ago. Every summer, the custodial staff makes changes to the room, like painting it a baby blue color, or ripping the carpet up and putting tile down. These changes bring new fun and bring an obvious refreshing start for the new school year.

This past August, my superintendent launched the school year by stating, "in our profession, we're lucky because we are able to start over and start fresh every year. We experience change. Think about the other professions that don't get that chance, they live the same routine and agenda year after year." Although I knew this, it was a big ah-ha moment for me in many ways. 

Pictured below is a portion of my desk at school. Maybe I'll post other classroom photos in later blogs. :-) 

Lucky Seven the Whole Way Home

I consider myself a spoiled girl in many ways. Two words to justify that statement: heated garage. 

Yep, it's true! It's heaven. When you live in a state that experiences all four seasons, where winters are terribly long and cold, this luxury is absolute heaven. 

Each morning on my commute to work, I leave my heated garage never knowing how hot, warm, cold, or humid it is outside until I arrive at work. Another perk to this? Watching the digital temperature gauge in my car fall as I drive into work on my 35-40 minute commute. It only takes about 5 minutes for the temperature gauge to adjust, but boy is it fun watching it drop!

This morning I watched it fall from 63 degrees to 4 degrees! Our tristate area broke records today due to the frigid cold weather. They're calling it the "polar vortex." Newspapers printed that New York City broke a 118 year record as temperatures fell to only four degrees. 

I had a pit in my stomach all day because I was so nervous about my car starting this afternoon. As I left at 4:30, my face turned bright red on my short walk outside. I sat in my car, praying for it to start. It made a weird sound but it started!! 

My temperature gauge read lucky number 7 the whole ride home. It fell to 5 degrees as I ran local errands down the street from my apartment and then fell to 4 degrees as I pulled into my heated garage. 

It sure is cold, but it's fun living in an area where the temperatures vary from one extreme to another. As much as I dream about living on an island, I know that my body, mind, and soul would crave the change in temperature, eventually. 

Sisters

Today I chose to write about my sister, because tomorrow is my niece's first birthday.  I've been thinking about what she was going through one year ago today to give birth to her beautiful baby girl. My sister wanted a baby so badly, and things weren't so easy to get her little angel.  Once we knew she was pregnant, it was pure joy looking forward to the new life ahead for our entire family.  It's amazing how some things are really worth the wait, and my sister taught me that.

My sister and I struggled to have a good relationship growing up.  From the moment my mom brought me home from the hospital, I rocked my sister's world.  Instead of being another four and a half year old friend, I was a crying newborn that was completely boring!  She asked my mom if I could be sent back, but thankfully my mom refused! :)  Once we started to reach our late teens and twenties, our relationship transformed from a distant, annoying sibling relationship to best friends.  I don't know what I'd do without my sister, because she helps me through a lot of ups and downs.  She's someone I can call for advice or just to say hello.  We're able to giggle and laugh about family stories, the silly things we did in the past, and the fun things we hope to do together in the future.

We don't live close enough to see one another every day, but when we do see one another, we try to soak in as much catch-up time as possible.  As I keep thinking back to life a year ago, I am reminded of the strength inside and out that my sister possessed as she brought a new life into this world.  I'm thankful for the beautiful birthday gift she brought me ten days early (a niece!), and the fun times we've shared since then.  I look forward to making many more memories with my sister, who I can also call my very best friend.  :)

Drink. Eat. Cheers.

A few weeks ago, I was in Home Goods.  (By the way, I love Home Goods.  There is nothing like walking into a store with amazing things for your house...ahhh...)  I usually stroll through the stationery section because I have a huge obsession with fine papers.  I love sending people notes, whether it's to say thank you, I'm thinking of you, or I love you, a hand written note is something I love.  I have a huge crate in my closet full of cards and papers, and almost every time I see it in my closet, I remind myself of how much I really don't need any more of it for a while.

While browsing the stationery department, I came across these absolutely adorable coasters.  I had to have them, because I love the different fonts on each one.  They are also sitting on my side table, reminding me that I need to plan a party at my new place!! I'm hoping one Saturday night in February to invite many friends over to come by and see my new apartment.  I feel like I've been working so hard over the last few months, I haven't had a second to plan anything.

Now that it's the new year, and holidays are over, it will be fun to plan a relaxed, low key party where my friends can come relax and hang out.  It's the first time I'm living all on my own, and I'm proud of the place where I live.  Do any of you have any good party planning ideas or suggestions?  I'm always looking for ways to make my parties fun.  I think the best part of a party are the guests who come to celebrate with you!

A true balancing act

Ever since school started in September, I've been challenging myself to strengthen my cooking skills. I suddenly craved the ability to build a repertoire of meals to successfully make.  

I come from a large immediate family and very large extended Italian family in which every member loves cooking and baking. Growing up, my mom made a big family dinner every. single. night. She made it look so easy, and still does, but it's certainly A LOT of work! 

I've lived with my now husband for 3 years and I never had the urge to learn new meals and cooking skills. Maybe it was because we worked opposite schedules and I was often on my own for dinner. With that being said though, I'm still not entirely sure where the September challenge stemmed from. Maybe wedding planning officially being over? New hobby? Eager to use new appliances from my bridal shower? Probably all of the above! :-) 

Luckily, my husband enjoys cooking which helps with the pressure of having to cook a new meal each night! I've found that it's a true balancing act as you work all day and then have to plan, prepare, cook, and clean a dinner. 

Today was my first day back to school after a two week holiday break. I made a big dinner last night and I decided to take on cooking tonight's dinner, too. I was able to budget my time wisely and it was a successful dinner. Below you'll see the beginnings of my stuffed pepper recipe. 

I'm really proud of myself for taking on these new cooking challenges. I often take pictures to capture my new learning and I send them to my mom and sister. They send cute words of encouragement back and I immediately become motivated for the next recipe. 

I think I'll let my husband take over the next few nights though! :-) 

Organization at its best!

I'm not quite sure when my obsession with organization began, but I do know it kicked into high gear during college. I was the student with notebooks and folders that were labeled and matching for each subject. I had various organizers at home and in my car to help store these materials, and lived by my daily planner (which had highlights and sticky notes throughout).

My obsession for organization can be seen in my apartment, in my classroom, and pretty much wherever I go. Although some people think I'm crazy because of this habit, I believe it's one of the best habits to have! As a result of this obsession, I've successfully passed it on to my students at school (whether they like it or not!).

I teach sixth grade, which is a huge year in understanding organization. As students are switching classes and flying around the school, it becomes a learning process on how to stay on top of their materials. It surprises me that so many students struggle with this, but it confirms how society is changing and how some of these skills are lost in our growing digital age. Thanks to technology, with a few clicks, many things are completed. However, teaching kids to stay organized without any help is so important and at the top of my list. There are many things that technology can't fix, like cleaning up your mess after you make it, putting a paper in a folder, and learning how to find places to store important materials.

A few weeks ago, I chuckled to myself as I stepped into the elevator inside my apartment building. There was an advertisement for hiring a "professional organizer." At first, I was jealous because I hadn't thought of the idea. But then it dawned on me that people really struggle with this and need this help! This ad, a woman, was offering to either organize your life or to teach you how to do so. I wonder if people have taken advantage of the deal?

In the picture below, I took a snapshot of my life this evening. Back to school tomorrow after my 2 week holiday break. I had a knot in my stomach as I gathered my school bag and placed it by the kitchen table. I hadn't looked at a crumb of school work over my break. This is so not like me, but this break screamed for down time without school interruptions. Isn't that what these breaks are for anyway? My nerves were put to rest as I opened up my Manila folder filled with weekly plans for the year. I created this upcoming week's plans before I left. I {heart} organization!!

According to my weekly plan template, tomorrow we'll dive back into The Lightning Thief and The Hero's Journey. Each student has a Ziploc bag with their novel, notebook, pencil and post it's inside. (Also pictured below, if you look closely.) Organization at its best! :)

Anything I can do to help?

Sometimes life can present some pretty crazy times, with family, friends, love relationships, etc.  This past weekend was pretty eventful, to say the least, when it came to the most recent relationship I was in.  I have learned when it comes to dating, or any other relationship, you need to constantly reflect on who you are, what you want, and where you see everything going.  I've learned to listen to my gut instinct a lot, and to reach out to the people who are close to my heart.  

Besides chatting a lot with my best friend, (Dawn, of course), I also think a lot about the strongest woman I knew of growing up: my Grandma.  She was one tough lady, who went for what she believed in.  A lot of times, we'd call her the glue of the family, because she always kept things together.  We also called her the Queen Mother, because she handled every situation with grace.  I keep this card that she gave me on my refrigerator.  Before I had a place of my own, I would keep the card in a box or stuck away in a drawer.  Whenever I found myself in a tough situation, it would always amaze me, because I would accidentally come across it.  It was like she actually knew that I was having a tough time.

More surprisingly, my grandma gave me this card just a couple weeks before she passed away.  I'm so glad that I held onto it so I could treasure it forever.  Keeping it on my fridge reminds me that I have a support system here on Earth, and up above, too.   Today, I'm thankful for everyone in my life who supports me and loves me. I couldn't navigate through this life without any of you, walking along side me, or flying up above me in heaven.  

Craving and Anticipating a Routine

It's amazing how after almost two weeks off, I can't help but be a little bit excited about going back to school after almost two whole weeks off!  I was browsing through the after Christmas bargain rack at Barnes & Noble tonight, and I couldn't help but grab a few things.  The boys in my class this year are energized when it comes to good, authentic non-fiction reading.  I love sharing new books with the students, and the choices I came across are definitely going to spark their interest!

On the other hand, in the background, you can see skills books...ugh!  The awful state testing count down will begin when I return to school on Monday.  I know that my students will begin to feel even more stressed and anxious about the task that lies before them.  Six long days of testing, which we never really know what exactly we will be tested on.  I don't mean to sound a little down about it.  I think every teacher does.  But I have to stop myself when I get on this path of thinking.  Can anything good and positive come from this?  One thing I do know for sure is that I do enjoy holding my students to high expectations.  I know that they benefit and succeed when I do this.

I know for sure that we'll go back to school and get into a routine, and I'm sure the days will be long and tough from now through April.  We'll learn and grow, and before I know it, my students will be moving on to fourth grade.   Tonight will be the last night that I can stay up late before I get back to my usual routine.  I genuinely can say that I can't wait to see my students and hear about their holiday vacation adventures on Monday!