High Five for Friday!

I'm following along with Dawn on our weekly reflection, "High Five for Friday."  Here's my top five moments of the week!

1. FaceTiming with my parents on Thursday:  Regardless of where my parents are (they are retired!), we can catch up in person over FaceTime.  We usually FaceTime with my sister and my niece, but now, our FaceTiming tradition extends to my traveling, adventurous parents!

2. Getting through an entire week of T-25! My friends at work and I have managed to be a great support for one another for this workout program.  I completed the workout for every day, even waking up at 5am on Friday to fit my workout in!

3. Meeting with Dawn on Wednesday: Dawn and I met on Wednesday over salads to discuss our blog and future endeavors.  I'm so lucky to have a best friend who is easy to talk to AND someone I'm partnering up with on this journey.  It makes blogging even more exciting!!

4. 2 Hour Delay on Wednesday: Just like Dawn, I had a two hour delay!  It is so nice to be able to sleep in, and get to work at a leisurely pace on those days.  It was a really nice way to break up the week! Since mid-December, I think I've had a snow day or a delay every week!

5. Looking forward to a weekend at home. You may say...what?? Yes. I said it.  I'm looking forward to being home, not traveling away anywhere, not packing a bag to go anywhere.  Staying. Home. I feel like since December every weekend I was packing to visit my sister  or sleep over my parents for the holidays or another event!  There is something to be said about the saying, "Home Sweet Home."  There's nothing like your own bed, in your own home, in your own surroundings.  It's nice that the holidays are done, my birthday is done, and life is getting back to normal (whatever that is, haha!).  I'll blog about the fun things I'm up to this weekend later on!

Happy Friday!  What are your top five moments for the week?

This post was inspired by www.thelaurenelizabeth.com's "High Five for Fridays."  Check out her blog for more High Five for Fridays every week!

High Five for Friday: Sibling Love

I found the idea for "High Five For Friday" through The Small Things Blog and recently noticed that her sister started this! Head on over to Lauren Elizabeth for more "High Five for Fridays." I'm taking part in this fun reflection each week. Hopefully you will too! 

1. Today is January 31st and we made it through our first month of blogging! We may not have started on the first of the month, but the third is close enough! :-) I can't believe it! I'm so proud of us! I'll reflect on my favorite post of the month soon. 

2. I completed 2 favorite DIY projects on Sunday. Each of them involves photos. I'll be blogging about them soon... making some finishing touches!

3. I had a 2 hour delay on Wednesday. Getting the call at 5:15am was almost the best part of my week. I reset my alarm and went right back to sleep. Absolute heaven!

4. My husband is finally feeling better. Thank god!! I was so worried at the beginning of the week due to his crazy symptoms. We had a date night tonight and I received an interesting fortune. I think it describes me perfectly. Haha! 

5. The biggest highlight of my week: I received a group text with my 3 siblings on it today. Normally everyone is included on our group texts (including our significant others), but today it was just the four of us, and after a verrrrryyy long day, it put the biggest smile on my face. I can't wait to see them all tomorrow night to celebrate my mom's birthday. My heart swells with joy when I visit with my entire family! They're my everything! 

http://www.thesmallthingsblog.comwww.thelaurenelizabeth.com

Celebrating My Mom: Happy Birthday!

Today is my mom's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I'm attempting to find the right words for this post. There's so much to say... how do I express it in the best way?! So, here's the short and sweet version without shedding too many tears along the way as I write.

My mom is the kindest, toughest, most accepting and understanding, most interested, most selfless, most hard-working, and most beautiful woman I know and I'm so blessed to be her daughter.

My mom always has a glass-half-full sense of optimism. When I am sad, happy or stressed, my mom is always by my side. She is my joy and comfort. She shaped my character and influenced my outlook towards this world.

My mom has strong willpower and persistence. She is the best teacher who has taught me more than anyone else, she not only inspires me with strength to overcome hardships, but also with invaluable life lessons.

My mom taught me compassion, she taught me strength, she taught me love, she taught me to give rather than receive. My mom gives the best hugs and taught me how to express love to others. No matter what ever happened in my life, I knew there was a hug waiting at home.

Mom, I hope you know just how much I love you, each and every day. Thank you for being my rock. I still want to be just like you when I grow up! ;-)

 Happy Birthday Mom, I love you!!


Here's a favorite poem that says it best:

Thank you mom
for always keeping me happy, safe, protected and nourished.
Thank you for your kindness, caring and immeasurable patience.
Thank you for looking out for me even when I didn't think I needed it
and for letting me fall when I had to learn by making my own mistakes.

Thank you mom for always being there;
for waiting up and worrying, for the lectures and the endless concerns.
Thank you for laughing with me, even though I knew at times that you were also laughing at me.
Thank you for the limitless hugs, kisses, vitamins and bandaids
and for the support I receive from you every single day.

Thank you mom
for keeping me warm, for keeping me calm and for keeping me sane.
Thank you for understanding that there were times that I would be mad with you
but always forgiving me in the end.
Thank you for sticking up for me, for encouraging me, for believing in me and
for letting me know that you never expected more than the best I could do.

Thank you mom
for teaching me to be honest, courteous, appreciative and loving.
Thank you for teaching me to be neat, tidy, and organized.
Thank you for teaching me to try to see the best in people, to be diplomatic in the face of conflict,
and when I had no choice but to fight, to fight fair.

Thank you mom
for instilling in me a love for travel, books, flowers, photography and food.
Thank you for nurturing me to always try something new and to keep an open mind.
Thank you for the thousands of back rubs, millions of phone calls, and for always sending me home with left-overs. Still, to this day, you spoil me and I am incredibly grateful for it.

Thank you mom
for showing me how much beauty is around me, and reminding me of it constantly when my world feels dark and frightening.
Thank you for the endless stories, songs and games when I was young, and the endless conversation and knowing smiles now that I am older.
Thank you for putting up with thousands of diapers, my know-it-all teenage years, and my crazy 20's
And through it all, thank you for loving me no matter what.

Thank you mom
for being so smart, so beautiful, so wise and so talented. It's nice to know that I have the potential somewhere in my genetics to possibly one day be as special as you.

Mom, the words "I love you" are not adequate enough to express how grateful I am to be your daughter, how much you are appreciated or how much you will always mean to me,
so I will simply say:

Thank you mom for being my superhero, my expert-in-everything, and my very best friend.

Planning a Baby Shower: Part 1

Planning a baby shower can be exciting, and overwhelming all at the same time!  It's hard to believe my niece is already almost 13 months old.  It feels like yesterday we were anticipating her arrival!

I love event planning.  I think because I plan every moment of every day with my students, I thrive in the event planning setting.  When I learned that my sister was pregnant, I began to gather ideas for my sister's baby shower.  My mom and I had so many different ideas, but we went with an at-home baby shower, where my sister could be relaxed, and our guests could come and go as they pleased.

I started to brainstorm different ideas to make the day extra special.  Over the next few weeks, I'm going to blog about the party planning process, from invitations to finishing touches to make the day memorable.  Perhaps you'll find some ideas here for your party!

The All Pink Candy Bar

It was my goal to have an all pink candy bar be the focal point of my sister's shower.  I had seen them on Pinterest, and was inspired to recreate the candy bar!  My mom and I had scoured different stores to find the right glass containers to put the candy in.  We found the glass jars at HomeGoods, Christmas Tree Shops and Michaels.  

I then searched the internet, and found an amazing candy website, Candy Warehouse, that I could search different candy by color.  This made it easy to find the kinds of candy I wanted to have displayed at the shower.  I wanted soft and bright pinks to bring out the fun of having a girl!

Once I chose which candies to order, I placed the order, but when it came, I learned that I had ordered WAY too much candy!! oops!  It was truly fine, though!  We were able to share it. If I had to do it again, order one package of each variety.  More than that will be overkill!

On the day of the shower, we set up the decorations around the candy bar.  I made tissue paper decorations, and inserted a cute saying in a frame to encourage guests to help themselves.  

When all the guests arrived, they were so excited to sample all the different kinds of candies.  Take a look at the photos below.  I can't help but love every single one!  This detail was one that all of our guests will never forget!

If you have any questions about anything in the photos you see above, don't hesitate to ask!!

My Favorites: Ellen, Sophia Grace, and Rosie

What makes me laugh and smile the most when I get home from work? Watching Ellen. I love her, I love her show, and I adore the two girls in the video above. I fell in love with Sophia Grace and Rosie almost 2 years ago when I first saw them on Ellen. They're so adorable!! This video clip is of their first visit on Ellen. They often make appearances on her show now because they're such a hit! Sophia Grace raps and sings extremely well and Rosie is her sidekick...she shows off her dance moves as Sophia Grace sings. 

Enjoy watching! This post is short and sweet tonight! More to come tomorrow! :-) 

5 of My Favorite Things

This week, I'm loving everything that can help me relax, have fun and feel good about myself.  I hope that some of my favorites may become yours, too!

1. Decorware, Inc. Milk Bath Remedy Candle: The scent White Tea Froth is amazing.  Now that the holidays are over, I've put away my Yankee Candle Mistletoe scent, and now I'm back to the relaxing, light scented candles. I bought this candle at Marshalls/TJ Maxx.

2. Mark West Pinot Noir:  This is my go-to wine.  It's an amazing Pinot Noir that my whole family is hooked on.  www.markwestwines.com

3. T25: I purchased the at home fitness program in December.  With the holidays (and all that good food), it was super hard to keep up with the workout program.  Now that I'm back in the swing of things, my friends at work and I have started to create a little support/workout group challenging one another to stick with it.  This workout program only requires 25 minutes, a TV and DVD player.  I'm hoping that I am more fit and in shape by the time summer arrives!

4.  GrooveBook: This seems like an awesome app! I haven't ordered my first GrooveBook, but I can't wait!!  I saw this on Shark Tank a few weeks ago and loved the idea! www.groovebook.com

5. Tadaa: An awesome photography app available for your iPhone or Android.  I've used it to take some photos for the blog.  I love how it allows you to manipulate the photos to look like you took them with a DSLR.  Try it out!

Long Distance Friendship

This afternoon, after a long day of work, I was able to get around to checking my mailbox.  I don't check my mailbox daily because I don't get mail here at my apartment regularly.  Anyway, I went downstairs, opened my mailbox and there was a key inside.  The key means one thing: check the big mailbox below because you have a package!  YES!! I love mail, I love presents, and when it's both, I feel like I hit the jackpot!!!

One of my closest, oldest friends lives in Florida.  Allyson had texted me last week letting me know that my birthday present was on it's way.  I knew that the box that arrived today was a present from her.  I came inside, and opened it right away.  Underneath styrofoam peanuts was a mug wrapped in tissue paper.  After I was able to unravel the tissue paper, it revealed the sweetest, most thoughtful gift!  A mug with New York and Florida, with a dotted line between where we live.  On the inside, of the mug it says "miss you."  

The hardest thing about having a long distance friendship is that you can't meet up for coffee, ice cream, drinks, dinner, or anything.  We rely on texting and Facebook, mainly because we're both teachers and have completely crazy schedules.  Over the past few years we've been taking turns on who gets to visit in the summer time so we can actually catch up on everything.  

I'm pretty lucky to have Allyson as my friend.  She's honest, hard working, creative, a good listener, a level-headed advice giver, and was a good side kick when I needed her most.  There are some friends you'd do anything for, and Allyson is one of those friends.   I can't wait for our visit this summer!!

Allyson purchased the mug above from the Etsy Shop: Tenth Avenue Mugworks.

Preparing for Valentine's Day

Today I met with my Social Action Club during lunch and after school. This is my second year being the advisor for this club and I absolutely adore it! I inherited the advisor position from a retired colleague and I love the work that we do. The mission for Social Action Club is to work on projects that help needy people and animals, as well as the environment. We help at the school, local, and global community level and educate/create awareness about these topics, as well. Most of our club is made up of kids in grades 5-6 because the kids in grades 7-8 play modified sports and can't commit to being in two places at once. :-)

At our meeting today, we discussed selling Valentine's Day cards to students in our school and we needed to decide on a few organizations that we could possibly send our proceeds to. As I explained my agenda to the kids, I could barely get those words out fast enough before they unanimously decided that all proceeds would go straight to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. My heart melted.

Last year, we found many fun valentines on the computer, printed a ton of them, cut them out, and taped heart-shaped lollipops to each. We tried to find cards that were appropriate for middle school kids... not too babyish, not too boyfriend/girlfriend-ish, but just right, to suit the needs of kids in grades 5-8. This was a hard task, as Valentine's Day in middle school can be quite interesting and scary to witness. "Love, Teach" blogged about this experience and nailed it PERFECTLY. Read about it here: My 2014 Valentine's Day Lesson Plan. Amanda and I both follow her blog. Once you land on her page, browse around and don't forget to bookmark it! You will laugh over and over and over again, even if you're not a teacher!

We sold over 200 cards last year and we hope to do the same, if not more, this year. We plan on using some of the same cards because they were a hit! We obtained most from www.crapivemade.com. (Isn't the URL great?! Yikes... I didn't notice that last year!) She has these listed as free printables, so make sure to check them out!

Here are a few pictures from last year. I'll post new pictures as we get closer to the 14th! 

And I thought these were too cute when I was researching today. We didn't make them, but she does list the printable and directions if you're interested!

A stressed out, multitasking culture

"Technology has made it easier than ever to fracture attention into smaller and smaller bits." - TIME magazine 

I recently read an article in TIME magazine and wanted to share some of the author's research and experience here because I find the impact of the digital revolution astounding. 

Are you guilty of:

-answering a colleagues question or email from the stands at your child's soccer game?

-paying bills while watching tv?

-ordering groceries while stuck in traffic?

-being hyper connected...having a personal phone, work phone, laptop and iPad, and rarely let an hour pass without looking at a screen? 

-having that heart-stopping feeling of fright when you leave the house without your phone?   

Isn’t it amazing how quickly we’ve become attached to our devices?  They’ve become more than an accessory...they’ve become part of our clothes! Leaving the house without your phone feels like you're naked!

The author states, "In a time when no one seems to have enough time, our devices allow us to be in many places at once- but at the cost of being unable to fully inhabit the place where we actually want to be."

I have a hard time becoming "more aware of the present moment and less caught up in what happened earlier or what's to come." It fascinates me that the world moves this fast, when only a few years ago, things just weren't this way. 

I've noticed a big shift in myself with being "too connected." I often check my phone when I arrive at a stop light, or when I'm watching tv or making dinner, and I always check my emails- work or personal- throughout the entire day.

I notice the impact of the digital revolution on my sixth grade students too. Most of my students have iPhones and utilize apps, like Instagram. I often wonder: Are they developmentally and socially ready for the constant and immediate connection? Do they fully understand their digital footprint? Their technological abilities are very high, but their judgement and maturity is worrisome. 

The TIME magazine article is about "The Mindful Revolution: The Art of Being Mindful." I was immediately drawn to it because a colleague at my school is a trained mindfulness expert. She conducted a session at one of our faculty meetings and teaches a class once a week after school to any interested staff in the district. I've always thought of attending, but haven't yet. After reading the article, I'm eager to give it a shot! I'll keep you updated!

The mindfulness philosophy "intends to help practitioners quiet a busy mind and help become more aware of the present moment." Have you heard about mindfulness? Do you practice it?  Leave a comment and fill me in! Please share your thoughts on the digital revolution, too!

Love between Siblings

Today, I'm not going to write too much, because this video basically speaks for itself.  I saw this video on Kelle Hampton's Blog and it was too touching not to share it with you, too.  This brother and sister team are quite an example of what sibling love is all about.  

I know that I love my sister so much, that I'm not really sure what I'd do without her.  I'm pretty lucky to have a sister in the first place, but to also have her be a treasured friend is a true gift.  

May we all have a brother or a sister like the bond that these two share.  Enjoy!  

The Sunday Blues

Dawn and I have been discussing this common problem since we have started teaching. The Sunday Blues. It's the pit in your stomach that you get on Sunday. It usually kicks in at around 4pm and doesn't go away until you make it into school on Monday morning.

When I had just started teaching, I thought that this condition was just amongst myself and my closest friends. The more that I spoke to colleagues, I learned that this wasn't just a condition: it was an epidemic. I think the Sunday Blues are worse when you're a new teacher...but I also have felt mine intensify now that the Commin Core is in full swing. Teachers are being asked to teach more rigorous concepts with the lack of materials and support staff that are needed to address the neediest students. We are trying to keep up with the evolving curriculum and the needs of our students, and it takes a toll on our well being, especially our mental health. 

The worst part about all of the new standards isn't the fact that they are more rigorous. The problem is that teachers want to do their job well. I have never met a teacher who said they are okay with teaching crappy lessons and 20 year old content. For the most part, elementary teachers care about their students and how each and every decision we make can impact every child's life and future.

So if you ever hear a teacher say they have the Sunday blues, maybe now you can understand just a little bit better about what we're talking about.

I will let you in on a little secret: the only thing that cures the Sunday Blues is seeing the faces of your students on Monday  morning. After all, they're the reason we get out of bed so early! 

Being a guest at my own wedding

I watched the Bachelor Wedding on TV tonight. I follow each season of the Bachelor, but really don't watch it closely until it dwindles down to the last few girls remaining. I remember watching Sean & Catherine and thought they were cute together!

I'm a sucker for weddings and I love watching them on TV just as much as I love seeing them in person. Any celebrity wedding that's televised is awesome! I don't enjoy watching the wedding shows on TLC as much (like Four Weddings) because they're annoying and they don't story tell the event. However, Platinum Weddings on TLC was amazing! Does anyone remember that show?!

Televised weddings are great because you get a birds eye view of everything: the story behind the couple, choosing the dress, how the girls are getting ready, how the guys are getting ready, the guests gathering, the ceremony, and every detail on decorations. 

On our honeymoon, I told my husband more than a few times that I wished I was a guest at my own wedding. I surely lived the event, but I wanted to see every single thing... The setup, the reactions on peoples faces, guests gathering before the ceremony, etc. I felt like I planned every detail for over a year and saw it executed, but missed parts of it happen. Yes, that's what your photographer and videographer are there for... but I'm sure you understand what I really mean.

I really enjoyed watching Sean and Catherine's wedding special. Here were my top 3 favorite moments... Please feel free to leave me a comment about your favorite moment as you watched!

1. The Ceremony: Watching Catherine walk down the aisle. I LOVED the music! I wonder what the connection was behind the song? We added music to our ceremony and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was so special to me. Other fun moments: Watching him cry and her taking deep breaths. As she got closer, she said "I'm shaking." Everything takes over and you just remind yourself to breathe! It was obvious that she was going through the motions, like handing her flowers off and quickly kissing her parents. It becomes so surreal that you just keep moving so that you don't stall and breakdown!

2. Holding hands during their vows. I noticed Sean holding her hands so tightly and rubbing his thumbs across her hands as she spoke. We held hands throughout the entire ceremony and had moments like this too. You're so overcome with emotion and shaking, but you have your best friend to hold onto throughout the surreal moments!

3. Him hysterically crying as they walked out. How friggin precious! There are no words to describe the feeling of being announced as husband and wife. I was hootin' and hollerin' as I walked out and my husband was still a ball of nerves! As if I haven't said it enough... the feeling was absolutely surreal! 

The gorgeous flowers and different seating was so beautiful! I wish we were able to see the reception! Boo!!

My favorite words spoken by Catherine: "Before I met you, before I saw you, I knew you were coming." Swoon!! 

Favorite Photo Gifts

I'm in the process of making new photo gifts and I can't wait to share them with you. I went to Michael's and Home Depot last night and I plan to unveil 3 new photo projects this week that you can try (DIY) or buy for yourself! 

If you've read my blog posts, you already know that I have an obsession with photos. I love giving and receiving gifts that involve snapshots of memories. 

Since I'm adding 3 new ideas to my repertoire this weekend, here are my top 3 photo gifts that I've either received or given to friends and family:

1. Photo bracelet - I ordered these on Etsy and gave them to my mom and sister a few years ago. The description on Etsy stated, "A "photo bracelet" is the perfect way to keep your loved one's with you!" There are definitely certain days where you just want to feel your loved ones close to you, and in my eyes, this was the perfect gift for that! Each bracelet has Swarovski crystals between square silver photo frames. I chose the special photos and they were designed and shipped to me within a few weeks. My mom and sister wear them often. My sister even wore hers on my wedding day! The pictures are of just the both of us! I ordered one for myself too! :-)

2. Photo cube ornament - For my birthday this year, my sister gave me an ornament with 2 wedding photos on it, along with our names and wedding date. She knows the way to my heart and clearly knows that I eat this stuff up! My heart melted when I opened it, especially because it was our first wedding ornament AND first wedding photo gift. It was so special!

3. Fleece photo blanket - My brother and his girlfriend made us a photo blanket with our engagement pictures last Christmas. I'll never forget opening it on Christmas Day. It was a complete surprise and it was one of the most thoughtful gifts we had received. We keep it on our couch and it's so much fun to catch a glimpse of the photos as we walk by. 

Be sure to stop in again soon to hear about my new photo gift ideas! These will be used as decorations in your house. :-)