Bubbles!!!

This post is dedicated to my niece, Sarah!  Sarah's a year and a half old, and loving every second of her little life.  She laughs and giggles, and has learned to say words like "I love you" and "pizza."  I can't believe how fast she's growing!  I spent the day with her as my sister and her husband settled into their new apartment!

I searched tonight for some cool ideas that you could use with bubbles and your kids!  Enjoy!!

Mommy's Bundle has a recipe for art with bubbles using kool-aid!

Inspiration Lab's baking soda and bubbles!

Mummy's Musings and Mayhem encourages children to play with utensils!

Growing A Jeweled Rose suggests creating a bubble pool for kids!  

Happy Friday: Summer is Here!

This was another short week, and one that felt long! I think my class and I have spring fever, which makes getting through the days a little bit difficult!  We only have 19 days of school left before we do the "Big Wave" outside of school as the busses pull away for the last time.  I have to say that as much as I'm looking forward to summer vacation, I'll be sad to say goodbye to this group of kids.  Whenever we have visitors into our classroom, they note how wonderful the class is.  I'm lucky!  

Here's my top 5 for the week!

1. I got to spend an extra day with Marc this past weekend.  We were able to hang out, unwind and see a few friends!  Life has been filled with family events, wedding events for friends, and work, that we've had little down time.  We're really looking forward to our getaway in July!

2. I went shopping for the first time in a REALLY long time! I have been starting to pick up a few things for my trip to Europe...even picking up scarves to wear around my head when we head to Morocco.  A trip always gets me excited to shop!

3. I got a facial on Wednesday. Trips to the spa are necessary to unwind, and I've found a spa that I really love.  Bella Maiya Day Spa is located in Briarcliff Manor, New York. I booked an appointment for Spa Week, and this was my second visit! In fact, this summer they're giving teachers 30% off any of their full price services!  If you go, tell them Amanda sent you! Bella Maiya Day Spa

4. Visiting Bellvale Farms Ice Cream Shop (Warwick, NY).   The ice cream at this place was delicious, but the view makes it even better.  You have a view of the entire Hudson Valley as you sit and eat your ice cream on the hill outside the shop.  I'm sure I'll be visiting this place a few more times this summer.  I better jog home after, too. ;)

5. Christmas Vacation Trip: BOOKED! Well, when you're in a new relationship with someone, as time passes you learn more and more about them.  Marc and I have discovered we are both major planners, which could be a good thing if we use it in the right way.  Every night this past week we have been talking on the phone until 11:30 PM discussing vacation plans for Christmas.  We finally decided on a place, and are very excited about it!  We're hoping that both  his and my family will join us.  I'm not sharing where we're going JUST yet, but it is, by far, one of my most favorite places on Earth. ;)

Tonight we're linking up with Lauren Elizabeth and the ladies that host 5 on Friday! Click on over for more awesome stuff! Happy Weekend! :-)

High Five for Friday: Poolside!

Happy Friday, everyone! May was such a great month and I still can't believe how fast it flew by. This week was a wonderful 4 day work week and here are a few favorites to share:

1. May was our most successful month in the blogging world. Our blog continues to grow... and I know I say it all the time, but it's so exciting to watch! Our numbers jumped big time this month. Our daily views were consistent with very high numbers. Our name is getting out there and we're being recognized. Our Top 10 Favorite Posts have jumped around quite a bit and our Memorial Day posts were very popular! I absolutely love and enjoy every bit of this blogging journey!

2. We were featured A LOT this week! Well, a lot in our eyes! ;) We were featured on Memories by the Mile blog. We participate in their Treasure Box Tuesdays party and our Blueberry Strawberry Jicama Salsa was featured! We were also featured on A Savory Feast blog for the Hump Day Happenings party! Our Emily Giffin book signing post was featured! It made our week! We were SO excited!! :-)

3. Spontaneous Saturday Night FUN! After having an awesome dinner Saturday night with my brother and his girlfriend, we decided to be spontaneous and take a drive to Mohegan Sun, a casino resort in Connecticut. Relishing in our spontaneity, we though it'd be fun to pick up my grandma, lover of gambling, and have her tag along too! It was by far, one of the most fun nights ever, especially since Gram was there with us! I will surely never, ever forget it! I love you, Gram!

4. Shopping with Ro & Gram! We had a shopping trip planned the morning after our very long, spontaneous Saturday night. Gram & I were exhausted, but we couldn't resist a day of shopping. We had a fun afternoon as we attempted to find cute spring and summer clothes and shoes. 

5. Spending Memorial Day poolside. My first day at the pool for the season. Words can't describe how good it felt to soak up the sun as my legs were dipped in the cold pool water. I can't wait to spend my summer days there. 

Tonight we're linking up with Lauren Elizabeth and the ladies that host 5 on Friday! Click on over for more awesome stuff! Happy Weekend! :-)

Congrats, Grads!

You made it!!!  You're graduating and tossing that cap up in the air, shaking hands and grabbing the diploma and walking into the next step of your life!  The hardest days are behind you...and more different, difficult ones lay ahead.  The foundation has been set, and you're ready for your future!  

This video made me reflect on life...and how much things have changed!  Technology has taken life to a whole new level.  You can document every single part of your life.  Enjoy the good times, take pictures and have lots of fun.  You'll look back on these days and wonder where the time went!  Savor every moment!!!

Let's Go Rangers!!!

My most favorite nights are spent at home, on the couch, next to my husband, watching the New York Rangers in the playoffs! For the past two weeks, we've shared these nights consistently and they're definitely my definition of fun! Tonight just so happens to be one of those nights!

A lot of screaming, a lot of gasping, and a lot of walking away from the TV. LET'S GO RANGERS!!!

We grew up watching hockey together. He played hockey all the time. He still plays hockey all the time. Our engagement photos had to incorporate hockey in some way. It's definitely a special thing for us.

Enjoying these moments! LET'S GO RANGERS!!!

Feeling Proud!

I caught the end of NBC News tonight and watched their short 4 minute video on the footage of the 2014 commencement season. I got goosebumps watching (Pomp and Circumstance gets me every time) and I became so emotional. It instantly brought me back to where Amanda and I were seven years ago. Clip after clip revealed the faces of graduates and their friends and family. Each face showing pride, accomplishment, excitement, anxiousness, and hope for what's to come next.

I loved watching the short clips of various commencement addresses that happened around the nation. Here's a few words that I loved from John Legend's address:

I know what it's like to be all ego in your 20s. I know what it's like to be selfish and just focus on your immediate wants and desires. I know what it's like to protect your heart from pain and disappointment. I know what it means to be all about the rat race and winning.

But years from now, when you look back on your time here on earth, your life and your happiness will be way more defined by the quality of your relationships, not the quantity. You'll get much more joy out of depth, not breadth. It's about finding and keeping the best relationships possible with the people around you. It's about immersing yourself in your friendships and your family. It's about being there for the people you care about, and knowing that they'll be there for you.

Click on the link above to watch these beautiful  moments that swept the nation over these past few weeks. After watching that footage, I felt proud of myself. Yes! Myself!  As June swoops in this weekend, I'm reminded of the fact that I made it through another school year. I made a difference in fifty students' lives. Another chapter is closing and I can't wait for the next one to open. The best thing about being a teacher is being able to reflect year after year. Feeling grateful tonight.

Rest in Peace, Dr. Maya Angelou

With the passing of Dr. Maya Angelou today, I thought it was fitting to have my blog post be a tribute to her life and good works.  I use one of her poems, Still, I Rise, with my third graders, and it's one of my favorites.  Phenomenal Woman is another favorite.  I think you'll like it, too.   Rest in peace, Dr. Angelou. 

Phenomenal Woman

BY MAYA ANGELOU

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size   

But when I start to tell them,

They think I’m telling lies.

I say,

It’s in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,   

The stride of my step,   

The curl of my lips.   

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,   

That’s me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,   

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.   

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.   

I say,

It’s the fire in my eyes,   

And the flash of my teeth,   

The swing in my waist,   

And the joy in my feet.   

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered   

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can’t touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,   

They say they still can’t see.   

I say,

It’s in the arch of my back,   

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Now you understand

Just why my head’s not bowed.   

I don’t shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.   

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It’s in the click of my heels,   

The bend of my hair,   

the palm of my hand,   

The need for my care.   

’Cause I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

We're also linking up with 733 Blog for the Inspire Me Wednesday Party! Click on over for more awesome stuff!

End of Year Teacher Gift Suggestions

It's that time again!!  The school year is almost over, and if your kids are getting ready to say goodbye to his or her teacher, it's time to think about how you're going to thank them for all of their hard work this year.  I've given you plenty of ideas to use from my last post here.  I thought I'd give you some more ideas...this time they're all from Etsy!

A Crayon Monogram Framed $35 from PrettyPaperParty.

Acrylic Tumbler $12 from EmbellishBoutique

Personalized Notepad Set $16 from Hedoe Paper

Digital Teachers Gift Fingerprint Tree $22.91 from Mini Ink Fingerprints

2014-2015 Teacher Planner $16+ from Plum Paper Designs

Bracelet $23.95 from Tais Tags

Tonight we are linking up with the Do Tell Tuesday party! Click on over for more awesome stuff!

Father's Day Gift Ideas

June is already arriving this weekend! That means Father's Day is just around the corner. As I was checking up on my favorite blogs through Bloglovin', I found two super adorable things to share from the I Heart Naptime blog. Turn your printer on and start printing! 

Super Cute Father's Day Gift Idea #1: Free Printable Gift Tags

Super Cute Father's Day Gift Idea #2: Art for Picture Frame

I just love this free printable. The message is so beautiful! 

Tonight we are linking up with the Do Tell Tuesday party! Click on over for more awesome stuff!

Another Favorite Thing... Personalized Pencils!

Another favorite thing to share... personalized pencils! Ha. Can you tell I'm a teacher?! This has been a favorite for a long time. My mom ordered my sister and I personalized pencils when were were little and we became pretty obsessed with them. They were obviously used and abused after a while, but even after a number of years, we'd find a few floating around the house. When I was blog hopping and on Etsy the other day, I came across a listing on personalized pencils and I fell back in love. I want to order some!

Here are a few of my favorites  ... you'll see why! (These are all from Amanda Katherine Designs Etsy shop- check her shop out, you'll love it!)

We are linking up with Treasure Box Tuesday party tonight! Click on over for more awesome stuff!

I have a problem... [Favorite Things Edition!]

I have a problem... I'm obsessed with the eos lip balms! 

Many of my students had these last year and I kept noticing them as I ran into Target, CVS, or the grocery store. I finally had to give in and try them! I immediately became hooked...just like my students! I have a few at school, a few at home, one in my school bag, one in my regular bag... it's insane!

They're my favorite lip balm, by far! They're 100% natural. No artificial chemicals.  I love the texture and consistency. The smell and taste are true and it lasts quite a while after applying. I really love the egg shape too! :-)

Have you tried eos lip balm? Are you as obsessed as I am?  I haven't tried their hand lotion yet... was very close to buying, but couldn't commit! Let me know if you've tried it and if it's worth buying!

Cheese & Onion Dip Recipe!

I found this awesome Chips & Cheese Dip appetizer through Emily Ley's Instagram yesterday and I thought it would be perfect to share here! Emily tagged Pizzazzerie blog, which was where the recipe was from. I immediately checked that blog out and was IN LOVE! Oh my gosh... make sure you click over! Such great recipes, entertaining ideas, and free printables too! She's on my favorite list, for sure!

Courtney, blogger of Pizzazzerie, paired this dip with festive blue corn tortilla chips for 4th of July. She also made star tortilla chips, which are totally adorable!

"To keep things festive, I paired the dip with blue corn tortilla chips, red pepper strips, and cute star-shaped tortilla chips that I made myself. Simply take flour tortillas and a star cutter and go to town! Bake at 350 for a few minutes (not long, watch as they start to golden). Then remove and you’re ready! I think this is a clever way to get in that “red,white, and blue” and they all pair perfectly with the white cheddar & vidalia onion dip!"

White Cheddar & Vidalia Dip

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups Cracker Barrel Vermont White Cheddar Cheese, shreeded

1/3 cup mayonnaise

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup diced Vidalia onion

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon herbs de provence

1/4 teaspoon creole seasoning

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients until mixed thoroughly. Place in baking dish.

2. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling hot!

3. Enjoy! 

Tonight we're linking up with the Show-Licious Craft & Recipe Party over at Three Little Greenwoods blog. Click on over for more awesome stuff! 

Target Dollar Bin Finds!

Whenever I walk into Target, the dollar bin calls my name.  I love looking through each bin, and seeing what inexpensive treasures I can find!  This past weekend, I found trendy stationery, each pack only a dollar each!  I have the worst time passing up stationery.  It's one of my absolute favorite things in the ENTIRE world! :)  

Here's what I found...and if you love these cards, rush to Target before everyone buys them!!