Tidbits

Hello There,
    Did you know I had "blog" on my to do list since Wednesday, and here I am, Sunday working on it? Oh well, I never ever want the blog to feel like a job and so you know what? It's my zone and my rules! We've had a lazy/fun weekend around here that included: cleaning, breakfast at Penny Ann's for some Heavenly Hotcakes, meal prepping, getting my hair cut, running errands, catching up on shows, and we are planning on a pretty walk/hike this afternoon. Productive/restful/fun....recipe for weekend joy.

I found these adorable squirrel socks at Old Navy. Just some fun for my feet. 

So what else is up? We went to Fred Meyer Jewelry this weekend to get our wedding rings cleaned and on a whim, I decided to design a necklace for my Hadley girl. It's super cute and will be engraved with some special words and includes her birthstone too (a pearl, of course!). It's real silver which is nice so I can have it/wear it forever. I can't wait for it to arrive.

went for a dark mani color this week. Loving it! 

Dr. Phil this week featured Burke Ramsey (brother to Jon Benet Ramsey) and a few weeks ago Dateline had a special on Jon Benet AND there was an A&E special about the case too. Needless to say, I'm obsessed and can't stop theorizing about this cold case. True Crime is my jam. I am so torn about this case but I believe she was injured in an accident that night and mom, dad, and brother, covered it up. But then again, I'm not sure! Any interesting theories out there??

I am having a great year teaching so far and enjoying my class. I am prepping and planning for Apple Day and Pumpkin Day and wondering how we're coming up on Parent/Teacher conferences so soon?! Last week I said a quick prayer that I want to know I'm making a difference, that the work I put in matters and makes the kids' lives just a tad brighter. Well. On Thursday afternoon, I got an email from a former student who is now in 4th grade. She and I have written back and forth a few times since then. She says she wants to be a 1st grade teacher too. Heart explosion! I think I'll call that an answered prayer! What she didn't email about was data, scores, proficiency, or standards. Nope, she wrote about loving school and enjoying to read. Oh teachers, I know we get bogged down in all we're expected to do. All the buzzwords and testing matters, yes, but not more than human connection. Never more than that.

I've been brainstorming Halloween costume ideas and have a few in mind! Speaking of Halloween, I get the feeling that our neighborhood will have lots of trick or treaters. I went to buy some candy this weekend for it, but then stopped: Do I really want that in my house for over a month?! The Twix went back on the shelf until a much, much later date. Speaking of food, we majorly meal prepped this morning. Lunches are: Italian chicken pitas and roasted veggie salads. Dinners are sundried tomato and spinach chicken, veggie/rice stir fry, and something else but that's all I prepped for today. Love having it done and ready by Sunday afternoon. I am not losing weight as rapidly as I did last month (boo) so I'm focusing on my workouts this week and mixing up what I do. I am re-reading Dr. Phil's "20/20 Diet" to learn more and get reinspired. We are about 8 weeks into our "lifestyle change" (not diet!) and we are feeling pretty good. I am drinking SO much water (I aim for 6-8 huge water bottles full per day) and can tell that makes a difference. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

after meal preps, our kitchen is a war zone! 

We bought a new furniture piece for our house last week online and once it arrives, I'm planning on adding some finishing touches and I'll be sure to post pics once we "make over" that small corner of our living room.

I found this on Pinterest and immediately sent it to my new Angel Momma friend. Yes, yes, yes. Have a happy week, readers! (I was going to write more, but it occurred to me I mentioned Dr. Phil TWICE in one post, so safe to say, I'm gonna be done for the day, amiright?) (one closed eye/tongue out emoji).