Who doesn't love Kate Middleton?

She's an official style icon of our time.  How could you not love her?  From the moment Will put the sapphire engagement ring on her finger, she became a role model in so many ways.  Wouldn't you just love to have something she has hanging in her closet?  I know I would!  

Here's some photos from the Royal Tour in Auckland, New Zealand from this weekend.  I'll give you some links to grab some of Kate's looks.  I'm hoping I can snatch some of her outfit up, too!

Blazer: Zara nothing on their website is exactly like this :(

Shirt: Me + Em Brenton Shirt Currently Out of Stock But check back often to snatch yours up!

J Brand Skinny Jeans: Get yours at Nordstrom!

Wedges: Russell and Bromley COCO Wedges

She then changed into her Sebago Bala Slip on Shoes. 

Hopefully we can grab some of these casual looks from the Princess!  She makes even the simplest looks beautiful!

High Five for Friday: Easter Egg Hunt

Amanda and I participate in the link party, High Five for Friday, from Lauren Elizabeth's blog. Head on over to Lauren Elizabeth for more "High Five for Friday." We're taking part in this fun reflection each week and hopefully you will too!

Friday, I love you dearly, but Spring Break welcomed me with open arms at 3pm and swept me off my feet. I'm in love.

1. We're all in this together and we survived. My colleagues and I endured a crazy week of scoring state tests. Believe it or not, this crazy time brought us closer together. I love the team of teachers that I work with. I'm not sure what I would do without them.

2. One of my colleagues walked into my classroom this morning and surprised me with a beautiful Easter plant. What a sweet, sweet way to end the week. We were faced with many challenges over the past few weeks and we lifted each other up when we needed it the most. This particular colleague inspires me each day.  I adore working with her. She's simply the best!

3. Receiving sibling/family text messages. These are the best messages to find at anytime of the day. My sister texted everyone yesterday with a picture of plastic Easter eggs. She's coordinating our Easter Egg hunt. Yes, we're in our mid-late 20's/early 30's and yes, we're having an Easter Egg hunt. I. cannot. wait. Go blue team!!! My brother texted me this morning on my way to work. He has incredible drive and motivation! Love that kid!

4. Presentations the day before Spring Break. I've never done this before and it was a genius idea. My students came prepared with their artifacts and written reports, they each presented for five minutes, and it took up our entire day. They impressed me over and over again. The best part? They listened to each other and were truly captivated by what each person said. This actually happened the day before Spring Break!? Score!!!

5. Dinner with Amanda...finally!! This was SO long overdue! We haven't seen each other in weeks and there was so much to catch up on! It felt so good to catch up, vent, and laugh. A common thread throughout our discussion was summertime. We can't wait to visit each other's pools and make new changes to our blog! Hurry up, Summer!

High Five for Friday: Hello, Spring Break!

Dawn and I participate in the link party, High Five for Friday, from Lauren Elizabeth's blog. Head on over to Lauren Elizabeth for more "High Five for Friday." 

We're taking part in this fun reflection each week and hopefully you will too!

What a week it has been?!  I can't even tell you how exhausting the past five days have been.  The weeks before school breaks are always the longest.  There were some pretty incredible things that happened this week.  I can't wait to share them with you!

1. Dawn and I got together tonight

It's been weeks since Dawn and I have actually had the time to get together and catch up.  Tonight was so refreshing to talk about work, life, and the blog.  We have some fun things planned for our blog this summer.  We can't wait to share it with you!

2. Inspired

Teachers all have moments they'll never forget as they make their way through their career.  Today was one of them.  We were discussing what the word "inspired" meant, and I asked the students if they were ever inspired by someone.  The first student I called on responded, "you."  Wow.  I didn't know what to say. To continue making my point, I asked her why I inspired her, and she responded, "Well, you allow us to learn and have fun.  You make sure we learn everything we need to, and you make sure we don't have anything to worry about.  That's why you inspire me."  Thank you, dear, for making me feel like my hard work is paying off AND you realize it.  

3. Met My Cousin for Dinner

On Tuesday night, I met my cousin Kirstin for dinner to wish her well on her new journey in life.  It's so nice to see people making changes in their life for the better.  I know she'll do great things in Virginia. 

4. Dinner with Marc on Saturday Night

Marc and I have dinner with friends a lot, but sometimes, you just need some alone date time.  This past weekend, Marc took me to a delicious restaurant, and we had the best time together.  It was nice to just chat and talk over an incredible meal.  We weren't in any rush...it was a good date in my eyes.  He's pretty amazing. :)

5. Calling my mom on the way home

A few times this week, I just called my mom on the way home to say hello.  There's something about talking to your mom after  a long day at work that makes everything better.  I know Dawn wrote about her mom earlier this week, and she hit the nail on the head about loving your mom.  There's no one like her!  

Teacher Appreciation Week begins MAY 5th!!!

Today, I had parent-teacher conferences from 12:45pm until 8:30pm.  Needless to say, I'm exhausted!!  One of the best parts of parent teacher conferences (besides meeting with all of my students' families and giving them good news about how well their child is doing in my class) is the PTA luncheon.  The PTA serves us a pot-luck style lunch with everything from hot food to cold sandwiches, and amazing desserts!  (I think this explains why I didn't lose weight this week...oh well!)

As I was thinking about Teacher Appreciation week, I can remember my sister and some friends asking me "what is a good gift to give teachers?"  Well...here's some ideas I've gathered for you!

1. Gift Cards
OK...so I'm not going to lie.  Gift cards are a favorite gift among teachers.  They can buy whatever they'd like, when they'd like to! Chickabug has great free printables to include with your gift card to the teacher.

2. Teacher Survival Kit

This gift will take a bit more time on your part, but I will tell you that this was one of the BEST gifts I had ever gotten as a teacher.  A few years ago, one of my students walked in with this Survival Kit on the first day of school (brownie points to that kid! ;) )  Anyway, it was extremely useful, and everything that was inside it was necessary for my desk drawer.  Come to find out, that boy's mother was a teacher...she knew best!  This gift is appropriate for any time of the school year.  Serenity Now Blog has some great ideas for this gift!

Also...don't be shy to throw a small bottle of Advil and some Chocolate in there, too! :)

3. Beach Bag!

Another incredible gift that I got last year was a beach bag filled with two towels, a beach blanket, awesome products from Bath and Body Works for the beach (lotion, shampoo and conditioner, sunscreen, etc), a water bottle, an insulated lunch bag, games to play on the beach and more.  This was an incredible gift for the end of the year.  BUT...why not give something like this to the teacher sooner?  She's probably looking forward to the summer and a gift like this will get her excited for the big break that's coming up soon!

Here's an idea from The Taylor House.

4. An Origami Owl Necklace

You're not surprised that I'd recommend this, are you?  ;)  All teachers love Origami Owl.  Why not create a locket that expresses your appreciation?  There are some really cute charms that represent teachers.  Check out Origami Owl to order your locket!

5.  If all of these ideas sound great, but you don't have a lot of time, why not write a really nice thank you note?

Most teachers don't expect anything, but one of the best, most treasured gifts are the words from a parent thanking us for all we do.  That is more meaningful than any other gift you could give us.  We spend more time with your kids than you probably do during the week.  A quick thanks will be treasured forever!

The Educated Owl on Etsy has some really nice printables for Teacher Appreciation week!

Yup, I'm Obsessed!

I have an obsession with Target. I go there almost every weekend, I scour every aisle, and never, ever walk out with just one bag. The seasonal section always sucks me in completely. This time, it was the patio furniture and accessories that had me at hello. Firstly, anything summer related captures my attention instantly these days. And secondly, the bright colors and totally fun prints made me want to buy every. single. thing.

But... there's just one problem... I fell madly in love with patio furniture and accessories and I don't even have a large enough patio to decorate. So, I started dreaming about what my patio would look like if I could decorate it with Target's accessories...


1- It would start with a gorgeous outdoor chevron rug in navy blue. My heart literally skipped a beat when I saw this and then it broke into a million pieces because I knew this wouldn't be a possibility at all with the small patio that I have.

Target has some pretty fabulous outdoor rugs to offer right now. The patterns and colors are so fun. You'd be silly not to snag one. They're going fast!

2- Use poufs and pillows to accessorize! These were what really drew me in. How awesome are these pillows and poufs?! The bright colors get me every time...

3- Ottomans, lanterns, and tables! I adore this navy blue table. Such a great touch to the patio! The lanterns that match are adorable, and I just love ottomans. I have them all over my classroom and I love their multi-function/use shown in the picture below. Use it as a tray/table! Love, love, love!

Ottoman inspiration for my patio!

I was totally fascinated with The Creativity Exchange blog post (pictured above too) as she revamped her patio this year with accessories from Target. This is the front of her house - which makes me fall even more in love with this picture. It's so cozy, warm, and inviting! Check out her blog, it's awesome!

I'm excited for my future home and look SO forward to decorating my outside patio with furniture and accessories similar to what's shown in this post. If you have the space available, I totally recommend popping into Target to check out these items for your own eyes. I don't think you'll be disappointed. They always have great deals and don't forget to download the Cartwheel App!

Coincidentally, I saw this Target commercial on TV tonight... a great recap of what's shown here! :-)

Amanda and I are taking part in another link party tonight... THE Pin It Party Pinterest Linkup. We found this link party through the Creative Geekery blog and are excited to take part in this each Thursday.

The Drawing Hope Project

Did you know that April is National Volunteer Month?  The Drawing Hope Project is a non-profit organization run by Shawn Van Daele, a wedding photographer who realized he could turn children's drawings from their imagination into something real!

Not anyone can get this special gift, Shawn does this for children who suffer from illness. The child draws a picture and sends it to Shawn.  Then Shawn has a photoshoot with the child, and then uses his magic on the computer to recreate the story that came from the child's imagination.  This incredible gift shows the child without pain or suffering.  The gift usually brings tears to everyone's eyes!

The Drawing Hope Project is a gift to the child, free of charge.  The photos speak for themselves!

All photos were taken from The Drawing Hope Project.  

I still need my mom.

As I leave school in the afternoon, there are many days where I just can't wait to call my mom. Sometimes it's simply to hear her reassuring voice, sometimes it's to feel the comfort of home, and sometimes it's the actual comfort and normalcy in her voice that, after a very long day where I was pulled in a thousand different directions, centers me and helps me feel less overwhelmed. Talking to my mom is like pressing the reset button. She knows how to listen and give advice, especially without hurting any feelings.

Although I'm nearing thirty, living on my own and married, there are so many days where I just want my mom. I still need my mom. I'm sure many of you, even married with children, can relate to this feeling. Especially when you're sick, right? :-)

My mom truly cares to know about my day. She gets excited over my successes, feels pain over the difficult times I experience, and of course, helps me troubleshoot my way through life.

My mom knows the real me. She knows what's really going on just by looking at my face or listening to the sound of my voice. She knows what I really mean to say, even when I can't find the right words.

My mom always encourages me and makes me feel better. She talks me through everything and is the most supportive person in my life.

My mom is the woman I've looked to for strength, support, and answers every day of my life. I'm blessed in a million-gazillion ways to have her. A lot of people aren't as lucky... I see it everyday with my students. I may not thank my mom enough but I know she knows how I feel about her. She's my mom; she just knows! 

Hump Day

I didn't get home until very late tonight because I was scoring state tests. Yes, we have to score them after school. So...I'm VERY happy that tomorrow is Wednesday! Over the hump, half way through the week.

 Happy Hump Day!

My kids love this commercial and always mimic the camel.

A very short post tonight. I wanted to share this open letter found in the Huffington Post:

Dear Public School Teachers,

We are sorry. On behalf of graduates of public schools, parents of children in public schools, those who value public education and teachers unions, we apologize. Your profession has been vilified, scapegoated, mined for profit, and deprofessionalized.

Earlier this year, a kindergarten teacher named Suzi Sluyter resigned after more than 25 years as an educator. She wrote: "I have watched as my job requirements swung away from a focus on the children, their individual learning styles, emotional needs, and their individual families, interests and strengths to a focus on testing, assessing, and scoring young children, thereby ramping up the academic demands and pressures on them... I did not feel I was leaving my job. I felt then and feel now that my job left me."

Ms. Sluyter taught in Cambridge, MA, but her letter articulated the concerns of teachers from across the country -- from small towns to cities. Tenure protections have been gutted and public schools starved while standardized tests, lay-offs and charters proliferate.

Here in New Jersey, in the city of Newark, under the state appointed superintendent'sOne Newark plan, several schools will be closed, turned over to charters, or "renewed." A "renewed" school means that all the teachers have to reapply for their jobs. (It's quite the euphemism.) Black teachers would be disproportionately affected by the plan as they are more likely to teach at schools targeted by One Newark. Black and/or low-income students are also more likely to attend these schools.

From students to PTO presidents, Newark residents are fighting the plans to privatize, close or "renew" their schools. This month, hundreds of students walked out to protest One Newark and the underfunding of their public schools. "I'm sick and afraid about what's going to happen to our school," said Nydiqua Johnson, 16, a junior at West Side High School in Newark. "They're closing my school, and I really don't appreciate it. And most of our teachers are getting fired."

Down the turnpike, off Exit 9, the small town of Highland Park has not been immune to the school reform agenda. Last fall, the district eliminated nearly a dozen essential positions, including literacy coaches and a counselor who helped students with substance abuse issues; two of the eliminated positions were held by the local union President and Vice President. At the same time, a data analyst (a new position to the district) and two administrators were hired, each commanding a six-figure salary. In response, the teachers and staff union endorsed a letter stating, in part: "We are currently working in a climate of fear and uncertainty due to the lack of good judgment, foresight, communication, and absence of humanity shown by our Board of Education as well as the sweeping changes that are being implemented by our administrative leadership."

As teacher autonomy and creativity is replaced with uniformity and data-driven instruction, no detail is too small to be managed, scripted and judged. Earlier this year, administrators in Highland Park told teachers at the primary school, which houses pre-Kindergarten through first grade, how to craft their bulletin boards. The bulletin boards were to follow specific guidelines on how and what was displayed. The teachers' evaluations were to be based, in part, on their bulletin boards. In New Jersey, poor evaluations in two successive years jeopardize a teacher's tenure. More than 200 parents, residents and alumni signed a letter (including this author) addressed to the Board of Education, stating their opposition to using bulletin boards to assess teachers.

And, so, to the educators in Highland Park, to those in Newark, to those in Cambridge, to those across the nation, we apologize. To those educators who value play, critical thinking and creativity, we apologize. To those educators who are driven from the profession, we apologize. To those educators who believe that not all children learn at the same speed or in the same way, we apologize. To those educators who have seen public education turned into a business to make the rich even richer, we apologize.

But we know words are not enough. We all learned the importance of "show, don't tell" in the public schools that educated us.

We refuse to allow public education to be privatized, perverted by profits, and reduced to endless hours of test preparation. We refuse to allow our schools to be judged, opened, closed, and funded on the basis of test scores. We refuse to allow the teaching profession to be scripted and threatened.

We write this letter to apologize, yes. But also to say we are angry, fed up, and inspired to opt-out, speak out and stand with you.

In solidarity,

Those who care about and value public education

Good Luck, Kirstin!

Tonight's post is dedicated to my cousin, Kirstin! 

She's making a huge life change, relocating to another state to be closer to her sister and her family.  She's in the process of making herself a priority...something more of us should do!

In just a week or so, you'll be packing your last boxes, checking the closets to make sure they're empty, and walking through the empty rooms of your condo.  You'll say goodbye to some of your closest friends and family members, but we know you'll be back to visit.  This change is for you, and this change is good.  

I am so excited to hear about your transition down to Virginia, and your time spent with your niece and nephew who are absolutely excited to see you more often.  The time with them that you are gaining is something that you can't put a price tag on.  The memories you are about to create are ones that you...and they will never forget!

I think sometimes change like the one you are about to embark on are moments in life that lead us to greater things than we could have ever imagined.  Who knows?  A dream job that you wouldn't have ever thought existed 6 months ago?  A friendship with someone who you wouldn't have otherwise met?  A new relationship with someone who completely sweeps you off your feet?  Whatever it is, I know...and you for sure, know, that this was the best decision you could have ever made.

So, I wish you lots of things.  Good luck, happy times, and great memories.  When you come back to New York to visit, we'll have a dinner date, catch up, and laugh about old times.  Remember when you'd pick me up for a road trip, and we'd scream as we would pass the big trucks on the highway?  What about our dinners to Just-in-Thyme?  Or our time visiting Grandma and Grandpa?  These memories are ones, for sure, that I'll never forget.  

Now, go make some new memories with your sister, brother in law, niece and nephew.  They're waiting for you.  This is the final countdown!  Good luck!!!

Slow Carb: Week #3!

I am so excited to be writing this blog tonight, because I'm getting into a new routine for life!  I can't tell you how good it feels to be eating real food, feeling satisfied, and feeling healthy!  I don't really miss junk food.  I have a "cheat day" once a week, and on that day, you'd think I'd go nuts.  I really don't!  The biggest "cheat" food that I had was a plain bagel with cream cheese.  I LOVE bagels, and it sucks I can't eat them all the time...but I'd rather eat healthy and be healthy, than eat a bagel every day and have tight fitting pants!

I started on this journey about 4 weeks ago, around the time when I got my wisdom teeth removed.  I was seeing the scale creep up higher, and higher as the weeks marched on.  I was trying to stay active with the T25 program, but I wasn't seeing the results that I wanted.  I talked at length about how I felt with my boyfriend, and he suggested the 4 Hour Body Slow Carb way of eating.  (I call it way of eating, because I hate the term "diet.")

After being true to the diet, I'm starting to see results.  The scale, for one, is starting to go lighter instead of heavier.  I'm also fitting into my clothes better, and seeing a difference when I look in the mirror.

Today, I read Third Grade Tidbits post, Slim Down Saturdays.  I loved the fact that she blogs publicly about her journey towards feeling better, too!  I'm going to report my stats to you!

My Ultimate Goal: To lose 15-20 pounds

Gain/Loss for This Week: -1 lb.

Total Since Starting: -3 lbs.

Positives from the Week: I started T25 again after injuring my back.  

I'm really enjoying the new recipes!

Something to do better: Drink more water.  

Stay on track with exercise. 

Re-start my 30 day squat challenge.

Goal for next week: Begin squat challenge.

One Word: Determination

I think filling out this form keeps me focused!  I hope it helps you, too!  Tonight, I had an amazing dinner with chicken and string beans.  Marc and I (well...really Marc) cooks for the two of us on Sundays, and then we have food prepared for the week.  It takes a TON of stress off thinking about what to eat for dinner, as well as the fact that you have no choice but to eat healthy.  

Here's what I'm eating this week:

Breakfast: Egg Beaters and Spinach

Breakfast #2: Mexican Style Fritatta (so delicious!) 

Lunch: Large Salad with Romaine, Chicken Sausage, Turkey Bacon, Avocado, Walnuts and onions.  

Snack: Lara Bar (my favorite is Cashew Cookie!  It's a treat!)

Dinner: Chicken with Veggies (your choice)

Good luck this week if you're taking this journey with me!  Summer is coming, and I can't wait to feel confident in a bathing suit again!

Two [MUST SEE] Things to Share

I'm excited to share two [MUST SEE!] things that I found today...

1. Little Humans Book by Brandon Stanton (from Humans of New York) 

You know I have a slight obsession with Humans of New York. I've blogged about them twice already... here and here. HONY is a part of my daily routine! I absolutely love reading Brandon's daily updates.

The Little Humans book won't be available until October 7, 2014. Which seems like FOREVER! But, I'm loving the fact that this book is, in fact, a children's book! The book is for ages 2 to 7.

Here's what Brandon posted on his blog today:

Pretty much the exact same time we signed a deal for the HONY book, we began working on a HONY kids’ book too. Over the last couple years, it went through a few different concepts and rewrites, until we ended up with the treasure that is LITTLE HUMANS. The final product ended up being a short narrative about what it means to be a little human. On each page there is a kid portrait which illustrates each aspect of little humanity. (Several of the photos have not been posted to the blog, which required a lot of self-restraint, because I especially love the kid posts.) 

Little Humans was so fun to write, I’m really proud of it, and am really excited for everyone to see it. I must also disclose that my girlfriend brought instrumental kid-knowledge to the table, gathered from years of intensive babysitting. 

Amazon has it listed here for pre-order and here's the information that they have listed so far:

Little humans are brave and bold,

creative and curious,

stylish and sweet.

They love their brothers and sisters,

their moms and dads,

and their friends.

Each little human is perfectly unique.

Just like you!

Street photographer and storyteller extraordinaire Brandon Stanton is the creator of the wildly popular blog "Humans of New York." He is also the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Humans of New York. To create Little Humans, he used some of his favorite children’s photos from the blog, in addition to all-new exclusive portraits. The result is a hip, heartwarming ode to little humans everywhere.

I can't wait to purchase his book and share it with my students!

2. Cancer Dancer 

I saw this video on the news and then saw it on The Ellen Show. Deborah Colin danced in the operating room with nurses and doctors before her double mastectomy surgery. Watch the clip below:

Easter Decorations: Easter Bunny Banner!

This weekend I concentrated on putting my last few Easter decorations out on display. This was super fun because my sister created a "Spring Decoration Gift Basket" as one of her gifts for my bridal shower. Check out more about that on my Wedding Wednesday blog post here. She stuffed the basket with tons of adorable decorations. Here are a few of my favorites:

Cookie cutters (so fun!), Easter baskets, plates, and napkins!

Dish towels, wooden Easter sign, Easter bunny (so adorable!) & eggs, Easter bunny candy dishes

I was also able to finish the Easter Bunny Banner that I blogged about here. I traced the bunny cut-out onto scrapbook paper, cut them out, cut two slits at each bunny ear with an X-acto knife, pulled the ribbon through, and finally glued cotton balls to each... and voila! I had myself my very own Easter Bunny Banner! I'm in love with it!

Amanda and I are taking part in the "Be.YOU.tiful Lifestyle Link Party" this week. Click over to Fry Sauce and Grits to read more!

We're also taking part in the Craft & Recipe Link Party through 3 Little Greenwoods . Click over to 3 Little Greenwoods to see more awesome links!