Thankful and Festive

Hello There!
   This post is some life lately for ya in that crazy festive time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We had a wonderful break and a lovely Thanksgiving with family. Thankful doesn't really scratch the surface, honestly. It's special to have some extra time off to slow down and appreciate all we have been given. 

AJ's brother Matt flew in from Denver the weekend before Thanksgiving and AJ's parents drove from Oregon and it was a fun weekend all together! Matt and I did some shopping, we ordered pizza in, went for a chilly walk, relaxed, and just hung out together. Hank adores his Uncle Matt and since he left, Hank's been walking around requesting his presence. 

The two days of school before Thanksgiving break were a whirlwind of a time....my classroom got new carpet finally, I got all decorated for winter, and I got to do my pilgrim butter making lesson with all 150 or so 1st graders. I just love teaching during the holidays. It's crazy town, but it sure is fun! It was also snowy out so I carpooled with my sweetheart both days (AJ got music control, but I got a coffee stop on the way. #compromise) 

AJ and I went on a date Tuesday evening and other than that, we just hung out and got caught up on random things. On Thanksgiving we went to my parents house and all enjoyed the lovely meal together. I love that our 2 families come together for Thanksgiving. Next year I offered to host. Ahhhhh! Hank is in love with his Aunt Libby and asked for her the entire drive to their house. 

I found this printable on Pinterest so I attached it to mini bags of M&M's to play after dinner. 

By the end of the evening, Hank was so done. Lol. We packed him his Christmas pj's to change into so he could sleep in the car. But he didn't. He'd rather chat with "Gandma" and "Gampa" Haha. 

On Black Friday, AJ and I hit the stores bright and early to do some furniture shopping. We had shopping success and were home before 11 to say goodbye to his parents and put our Christmas decorations out! (Speaking of Black Friday, Santa discovered Kohls black Friday sale started online on the 25th so Santa went ahead and placed an order, avoiding having to fight people for a play kitchen at midnight. Crisis averted). 

Hank is ALL ABOUT the holidays this year and on Monday we are going to meet Santa. He talks about Santa all the time and loves lights and decorations. I want to make a point to demonstrate to him that Christmas isn't JUST about all that stuff, but all the "holiday-ness" sure does make our days merry and bright. In our boxes of Christmas decorations, I came across the stocking the hospital gave us to wrap Hank in since he was born just a week before Christmas. So sweet. I've been enjoying our tree(s) this year and posted this on my social media:

 Watching The Grinch with my guys while the snow falls. ❄️ We went low key this year and instead of a real tree like we normally get, we “borrowed” the 3 mini trees that decorate Hank’s lumberjack nursery all year long. These ornaments just get me every year....the way they narrate our story in sweet colorful hanging bursts. We’ve got the standard nativities, Santas, crosses, angels, monograms, home states, alma maters, thoughtful gifts from friends, beloved mascots, and sparkly stars. There’s “We’re Engaged,” “Our first home,” honeymoon souvenirs and gift shop goodness from near and far. We’ve got crowns for our Princess, H’s for our two babies, a Harley for Hadley, a guitar for Coco, a Starbucks red cup, plenty of teacher themed ones and more and more. It doesn’t all fit into one theme or color scheme but it’s our story wearing its holiday finest and I love it so much.

This was another great holiday week for the books. I'm still working on my goal of Creation Over Consumption, especially with holiday gatherings, Hank's birthday, wrapping, planning, gifting, and more on the horizon. I'm so grateful for it ALL. That includes this fun little corner of the internet. Thank you for reading, commenting, and being present in this space. I know blogging is sort of a bygone thing, but I still enjoy recording memories and making connections. Thank you for being here.

Savor Your Sparkle,

Leslie

November Reads

It's here! My favorite post each month--reads! This month I read 4 books and I really enjoyed them. These were some great, quick, entertaining reads.

1. Ghost by Jason Reynolds: This was an assigned reading for a professional development retreat/seminar I am participating in this year. The topic for November's session was about how to reach all students right where they are. This is a young adult (probably like a 5th or 6th grade level) book. The main character, nicknamed Ghost, lives in a rough part of town and has experienced trauma. His mom is struggling to get by as a single parent. Ghost finds a welcoming home on the track team and with the inspiring coach, he begins to imagine a brighter future for himself. This was a great, inspiring read and I think it'd be great in upper elementary or middle school to have discussions with.

2. You've Been Volunteered by Laurie Gelman: I loved this fun book! This is the sequel to the book Class Mom. This is about a feisty go-getter mom who is the class mom in her youngest son's 3rd grade class. She's funny and fabulous and like the first book, this one has lots of emails peppered throughout that made me LOL. If you like the show American Housewife, this is basically it in book form.

3. Naturally Tan by Tan France: I am on the waitlist for Jonathan Van Ness' autobiography, so I thought I'd go to another one of my Queer Eye faves, Tan! This book is Tan's story from his childhood, his successful career in fashion and how he ended up on Netflix's hit show. Tan has this definite silly, irreverant side to him in this book that we don't necessarily see on the show. This book was a breeze to read and a fun, light look at how Tan overcame adversity. If you are a fan of Queer Eye I'd recommend it. Otherwise, I'd skip it.

4. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell: This was my November Book of the Month Club pick and I liked it! Here's the thing, it was confusing at first (various timelines and point of view narration), but it ended up being really suspenseful and I couldn't wait to keep reading to find out how it would all resolve. This book is about a wealthy London family who falls under the influence of a con man cult leader. He wreaks havoc on their family with disastrous results. It's pretty creepy and I don't think it's for everyone, but if fit the bill for me for a suspenseful, entertaining read.


And now here are all the books I've read in 2019....with stars by my faves!
1. An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
2. The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
3. The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank
4. *Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
5. Happy Teachers Change The World by Thich Nhat Hanh and Katherine Weare
6. The Day I Went Missing by Jennifer Miller
7. *Glow Kids by Kardaras Nicholas
8. Final Girls by Riley Sager
9. *Becoming by Michelle Obama
10. As Long As We Both Shall Live by Joann Chaney
11. *The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth
12. If You Only Knew by Jamie Ivey
13. *The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman
14. Adequate Yearly Progress by Roxanne Elden
15. *Regrets Only by Erin Duffy
16. *Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell
17. I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella
18. *The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
19. *Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott
20. When Did I Get Like This? by Amy Wilson
21. *Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman
22. Maid by Stephanie Land
23. Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson
24. Sh*tty Mom by Laurie Kilmartin, Karen Moline, Alicia Ybarbo, MaryAnn Zoellner
25. Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson
26. Dietland by Sarai Walker
27. The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth
28. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
29. *Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler
30. *Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand
31. Those Other Women by Nicola Moriarty
32. *The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
33.  Roar by Cecelia Ahern
34. A Love Letter Life by Jeremy and Audrey Roloff
35. The Summer of Good Intentions by Wendy Frances
36. *Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
37. *Can I Get An Amen? by Sarah Healy
38. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
39. *Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
40. How Do You Tuck In a Superhero? by Rachel Balducci
41. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert 
42. *No Exit by Taylor Adams
43. *Things You Save In a Fire by Katherine Center
44. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
45. *Again But Better by Christine Riccio
46. *Secrets from the Eating Lab by Traci Mann
47. I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi
48. Well Met by Jen DeLuca
49. What Happens In Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand
50. Ghost by Jason Reynolds
51. *You've Been Volunteered by Laurie Gelman
52. Naturally Tan by Tan France
53. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell 


We are entering December, one of my favorite months! Happy reading!
Savor Your Sparkle,
Leslie

Creation > Consumption

Today's blog post is a topic I've been considering frequently: Creation vs. Consumption. In other words, I've been seeking to be reflective on what I passively consume (in all forms) and how that compares or contrasts to what I actively create. Let's break it down.....I'll be honest- I listen to many podcasts, read a lot of books, watch a lot of TV/movies, read plenty of blogs, eat a lot of food (lol), buy stuff (some needs, some definite wants. I'm looking at you acupressure mat), and I do a lot of stuff. Some of it is just for me, some of it is for my family, and much of it is for my job.

In short, I take in a lot. We all do. I, like most people in our culture, am a consumer. An informed one. A proud one. A dedicated one. But all this consumption comes at a cost. Consuming more means creating less. Consuming means noise....in many many forms. But, for better or worse, I  like consuming. I love pop culture. I love whipping through reads. I love tackling my school to-do's with gusto, I love learning more, doing more, embracing more, receiving more. Always with the more! That's who I am. I'm a solid ENFJ, enneagram 9 , Type A kinda gal. And that's ok, it's not changing anytime soon. Or ever. But maybe, if I pull back just a twinge, I can replace some consumption with its more soulful cousin, Creation, and see what happens. How, exactly, do I plan to achieve this? I created a list (see, I created something already!)

-Take a day off of podcasts in the car and just listen to music (hello Hamilton soundtrack, my old pal)
-Experiment in the kitchen and create my own recipe instead of following one
-Take some time each day for writing....it can be here in the blog space, in my journal, just a post-it of a verse or thought for the day. I just need to write something every day.
-Create more time for "us." Marriages take nurturing. I want to continue to create a space for our marriage to thrive.

-Create a new center activity for my class. If you're a teacher, you are very familiar with the term, "Don't reinvent the wheel." It's fantastic advice and with the advent of Teachers Pay Teachers and more quality, comprehensive curriculum out there, wheel inventing need not occur. However, sometimes there's nothing better than creating something new and great just for your kiddos.
-Create holiday memories: I am so excited to experience this Christmas through Hank's eyes. I LOVE TRADITIONS!  I'm so excited to savor family and friend time and soak it all in this season. I want to create a tradition of family giving. It's been so fun shopping for family and friends but I want to balance that with creating other, more soul nourishing forms of joy.

-Try and take more seriously the idea of needs vs. wants. Do you really NEED anything? I sure don't.
-When I do consume, whether it be a purchase, a movie, or a holiday treat, I really want to mindfully enjoy it. That means calories should be fully worth it and shows and books need to be worthwhile or else no thanks (and worthwhile for me might look like TLC reality crap. Hey, self care is a real thing).

-Say no. This one is so difficult for me. Especially this time of year. I'd rather do a few things well than 100 things half-heartedly. I'm learning there is great grace in practicing the phrase, "I just couldn't get to that."

Basically I can sum it all up in 3 words: Take. In. Less.

And to take this whole concept further.....what if I didn't consume OR create? Well, now, that is a beautiful, graceful state of being and I'd love to live there. I'll add it to my list.

Savor Your Sparkle,
Leslie

Life Lately: HME edition

Hi There,
   It's been a minute! I'm back on the 'ol blog with a life lately post for ya! I really really really miss putting pen to paper (err, hands to keyboard?) and writing. I've been feeling like it's been missing from my life lately and guess what one of the pages on my daily calendar was this week...."Make time for your writing. It's important." Okkk, universe, I got you, mama's listening.

  Full disclosure, I've felt like a bit of the conductor of the Hot Mess Express ever since we've returned from Hawaii. We've had a ton going on, notably our house is for sale! Ahhhh, it's true! We're building a home in Herriman, which is about 10 minutes away. However, it's contingent on our current house selling and we went on the market November 1st. We have truly loved this little place and hope it will be the perfect spot for its new owners. Keeping the house "show ready" with a toddler is FEAT, ya'll.

Hank and I dancing in our upstairs loft! 

Other things contributing to my ride on the Hot Mess Express (HME): I was hit with a random awful 24 bug during Halloween week (I'll spare you the deets, but I think I said "I feel like I'm dying" no less than a dozen times and even the very full DVR didn't provide solace), I've been putting the finishing touches on my math class project for the semester, my school is getting new carpet installed in all the classrooms (don't even talk to me about it), parent teacher conferences were last week, and ya know, just general adulting. That said, I did have yesterday off and it was just what I needed. Hank, my sister, Libby and I spent the morning visiting a new coffee shop, I napped when Hank did, and then went shopping for some winter gear for Hank.

conferencing 

This boy loves himself a happy meal. Mom was happy to oblige. 

AND.....Starbucks holiday cups/drinks debuted on Thursday! I haven't missed a Christmas launch in years and of course hit it up bright and early Thursday morning. While in line with the other bleary eyed Starbucks/Christmas fanatics, I just felt this great sense of community. The manager came out with gingerbread cake for everyone, people were extra nice to the incredible baristas, we were all swooning over the new seasonal ornaments and cups. It felt like the jolliest, sweetest stop aboard the HME yet. Maybe it was worth being about 1 red light from being late to school. Ha.

We had a super fun Halloween. We took Hank to the Harvest Fest/Trunk or Treat at his school and he was the cutest little Boss Baby I ever did see! On Halloween night, my family came over with dinner and held down the fort while we took Hank around the block. Hank made out like a bandit and despite us allowing him only one piece a day, his stash is significantly dwindled (she typed...while eating a handful of gummy bears).

I found his suit on KSL and ordered the tie and aviators on Amazon. I made his briefcase from a graham cracker box! 

I was Pete the Cat! This was my 3rd time being Pete. It's alllll good. 

"Talk to me" 

That smile SLAYS me

Hank loved throwing around his candy and putting it in and out of the bowl 

Halloween is hard work. Boss Baby needs some R &R 

Halloween with the G'rents

We have been soaking in as much fall as we can. I love few things as much as I love a stroller walk with my guys.

I really love my class this year. We had lots of seasonal fun reading with our "witch fingers" and doing candy corn math. Seasonal teaching is the best! Gearing up for making pilgrim butter this month and Gingerbread Day and Polar Express day next month! 

The Hot Mess Express isn't the worst place to be. Life's crazy because I spend my day with some pretty rad little humans, we're gearing up for some chaos because we're fortunate to be moving (fingers crossed) to a house with more space, toddlerhood is messy, and crazy, but hilarious and sweet. My heart swells every time Hank says a new word (even if it's repeating the "sh"word just like mom. Whoops).  We've just got lots to do, love, and be. All aboard, folks!

Savor Your Sparkle,

Lesiie 

October Reads

This month I read 4 books and listened to 1. I'm excited to share them with you! I always say there's nothing as awesome as snuggling under a big blanket with a mug of coffee reading a great book.....but this month, I think reading on the beach in Maui under the 85 degree sun miiiiight be just as good, maybe better! I cannot believe after this I only have two monthly book posts left this year. What a great year of reads! Here we go.....

1. Again But Better by Christine Riccio: I really enjoyed this book! I was on the waitlist for the book for what felt like months, so I decided to scrap that and try the audio version. The narrator was great and it was a light enough read that listening in the car worked well. This is about a shy college student who decides to ditch her pre-med regimented lifestyle and study literature in London. I would probably classify this book as Young Adult, but there was a great love story, fun characters, and an amazing setting. About half way through this book, I was thinking oh please, do not let this go the predictable way I'm thinking and it didn't. This is a sweet fun book about second chances, living your passion, and first loves. This would be a great little book to read this holiday season.

2. Secrets From the Eating Lab by Traci Mann: This book was a true winner in the world of diet/nutrition non-fiction. I mentioned in another post how I've been enjoying listening to the podcast, Balance 365 Life, all about maintaining a balance with health and nutrition to make healthy, sustainable decisions for busy women. The hosts of that podcast reference this book all.the.time. and even have an interview episode with Dr. Mann. I'm so glad I picked this one up. Traci Mann runs an eating lab that studies the psychology of snacking and food choices. Her discoveries basically boil down to the fact that "willpower" is a misguided tool of the diet industry, sustainable lifestyles require mastery of small, easy habits over time, and how most people who are eating a fairly balanced diet will not go to either a crazy unhealthy or crazy regimented place (as many diets lead people to believe). It's all about balance, moderation, and fueling your lifestyle. Body changes, Dr Mann says, are a bonus that will fall into place once healthy habits are practiced and ingrained. Sound advice! This book references the other diet book I read last year, Mindless Eating, which shares similar research.

3. I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi: This book came onto my book pile upon the recommendation of one of my favorite authors, Jen Lancaster. This one is about a mom who dies under mysterious circumstances and how she views the life of her teenage daughter and husband in her absence. She tries to send messages from beyond and set up their lives for happiness even though she's not there. I thought that supernatural element might be a bit strange, but it actually worked well. This one has a really sweet ending and I really enjoyed all of the characters. I found out the author is actually local, from Park City, so I'd love to check out some of her other books in the future.

4. Well Met by Jen DeLuca: This book was my Book of the Month club selection over the summer and I just got around to reading it on our trip. This book was read entirely in Hawaii and was the perfect vacation read! This one is about a young woman who returns to her small hometown (sounds like the start to every Hallmark movie, right) and gets roped into volunteering for the Renaissance fair. It's cheesy. It's predictable. It's cute. It's rated R for the bedroom scenes. It's got a happy ending. This was good, but not great or memorable by any means. It was the perfect beach read, with a sweet ending, a light plot, and engaging characters.

5. What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand: This is the second book in a 3 part series about a family on St. John's. The main character, Irene, discovers her late husband had a secret life on the island and she moves there along with her adult children. It's classic Hilderbrand--beach setting, large cast of characters, romance, friendship, etc. This book was good but I read the first book in the series last year so I spent the first 20 pages or so confused and needing a refresher. I'd recommend reading the first book, Winter in Paradise, and then reading this one right after. The third book is due out in the fall of next year.

That's a wrap on a great month of reading!

And now here are all the books I've read in 2019....with stars by my faves!
1. An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
2. The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
3. The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank
4. *Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
5. Happy Teachers Change The World by Thich Nhat Hanh and Katherine Weare
6. The Day I Went Missing by Jennifer Miller
7. *Glow Kids by Kardaras Nicholas
8. Final Girls by Riley Sager
9. *Becoming by Michelle Obama
10. As Long As We Both Shall Live by Joann Chaney
11. *The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth
12. If You Only Knew by Jamie Ivey
13. *The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman
14. Adequate Yearly Progress by Roxanne Elden
15. *Regrets Only by Erin Duffy
16. *Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell
17. I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella
18. *The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
19. *Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott
20. When Did I Get Like This? by Amy Wilson
21. *Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman
22. Maid by Stephanie Land
23. Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson
24. Sh*tty Mom by Laurie Kilmartin, Karen Moline, Alicia Ybarbo, MaryAnn Zoellner
25. Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson
26. Dietland by Sarai Walker
27. The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth
28. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
29. *Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler
30. *Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand
31. Those Other Women by Nicola Moriarty
32. *The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
33.  Roar by Cecelia Ahern
34. A Love Letter Life by Jeremy and Audrey Roloff
35. The Summer of Good Intentions by Wendy Frances
36. *Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
37. *Can I Get An Amen? by Sarah Healy
38. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
39. *Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
40. How Do You Tuck In a Superhero? by Rachel Balducci
41. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert 
42. *No Exit by Taylor Adams
43. *Things You Save In a Fire by Katherine Center
44. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
45. *Again But Better by Christine Riccio
46. *Secrets from the Eating Lab by Traci Mann
47. I Liked My Life by Abby Fabiaschi
48. Well Met by Jen DeLuca
49. What Happens In Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

Savor Your Sparkle,
Leslie