Thursday Confessions

I thought I'd do another random post today with some Thursday confessions!

• I could probably be perfectly content only watching reruns of "Full House" and "Friends."  Some evenings I just watch blocks of those on Nick@Nite and take an hour break in the middle when they show "The Nanny."

Tom Hanks performs some slam poetry about "Full House"...  This is hilarious!

• Speaking of TV...  I hate HATE hate the show "Happy Days."  I can't even pinpoint why I hate it so much, but it takes about 2 seconds of the theme song for me change the channel.  
• Some many nights my definition of "cooking" is making mac and cheese or a box of Rice-a-Roni.  Just simply standing over the stove and not popping something into the microwave is enough to count.  
• I really don't like Taylor Swift.  I think all of her songs sound the same and pretty much the only thing I feel like she sings about is another breakup.  Even my 11 year old brother made this observation about her much (and he made that statement without me saying anything first)!  She is the common denominator in all of those failed relationships.
• I can't sleep unless my closet door and bedroom door are closed.  I can nap on my couch just fine, but if I'm in my bedroom, even during the day, those have to be shut.  It's another one of my weird OCD things.

To Do Tuesday

Let's start with last week's goals...

• Workout at least 3 times.  Success!  I only made it those 3 times (mid-week got a little crazy), but Sunday I fit in a long, glorious workout!
• Contact at least 1 out of town friend.  I kind of failed on this one, but I spend some time with one of my friends that's in town that I haven't hung out with much lately.  I think that's gotta count for something.
• Find my dining table (again). It's amazing how you're forced into things when you have company over!  I even switched up with some cute spring place mats!

And now this week's goals...

• Workout at least 3 times.  Hopefully I can make it more than that, but 3 days is pretty much my minimum.
• Track meals and workouts on The Daily Plate everyday.  The Daily Plate is pretty much my go-to when it comes to needing to get back into good habits.  I don't use this site / app all of the time, but I do go back to it when I need a little healthy habit jump start.  
• Get some spring cleaning done at school.  I want to get some cleaning and organizing accomplished little by little before the end of the school year.  I figure if I tackle a few small things each week I will be on the right track!

What are you hoping to accomplish this week?

How much does a teacher's appearance matter?

Last week it came up in a discussion at work that a radio caller phoned in to a local morning show and talked about how teachers in our city are the worst dressed people around.  We joke that since we're in a suburban school they weren't talking about us because we're a pretty stylish staff of teachers.  In fact, several of our new teachers this year commented on how we're much dressier than many schools they have previously been to.

I really don't think of our staff has being exceptionally dress, but I do think that as a whole we dress in an appropriate and professional manner while at the same time being pretty trendy.

There's really only been one time I've been bothered by the appearance of teachers in a school...  My mom did long term subbing back in the day and I went in with her for a week or so after I was done with school.  It was right after I had completed student teaching and graduated, so I was used to dressing up to go to school.  I wore typical "teacher clothes" on the days I went in and my mom always dressed for the job in what I consider to be a pretty appropriate way-- black pants and a nice top.  The kids at this school were required to wear uniforms, but it was pretty quickly apparent that the teachers at this school didn't have much of a standard for dress.  Jeans, shorts, and t-shirts was the norm for the staff everyday.  It really bothered me that these elementary school kids dressed up more than their teachers!

This discussion got me thinking, though, about how teachers are perceived by their appearance.  It makes sense if you think about it...  Would you trust your child's care and education to someone that looks polished or someone that doesn't appear to care about their appearance?

Now, it's totally legit to argue that you can dress up all you want and still be crappy at your job.  That aside, though, it's sometime hard not to judge a book by it's cover.

I don't think I'm the best dressed teacher in the world and I don't feel like every outfit that I wear to school is amazing.  BUT, I do try to make an effort and let my own personal style shine when I get ready for work. I think personal appearance does make a difference, no matter what your job is, and that you should present yourself in a way that makes a positive impression on others.

Sometimes I like to "think out loud" on this blog, so thanks for letting me share.

As a reward, I'm going to share a few of my favorite teacher looks with you.

Sunday Social

It's time for Sunday Social over at A Complete Waste of Makeup!  This week's theme is Pinterest, so of course I had to participate!

I have over 5,000 pins on there, so choosing my favorites was a little bit of a challenge, so these are ones that have recently inspired me.

Favorite Outfit Pin

Image via Pinterest

I'm really wanting to add some green to my wardrobe. Maybe it's because emerald is the Pantone Color of the Year and it's been all over the place... Maybe it's because I really don't have much of it in my wardrobe. I can totally see myself in this outfit.

Favorite Food Pin

Image via Pinterest

For someone who has 602 recipe pins, I really don't cook very much.  I do love a good breakfast casserole, though, and that is one of the things that I've actually made a few times thanks to Pinterest.  This one made with biscuits and is my most recent breakfast casserole find!

Favorite Wedding Pin

Image via Pinterest

I resisted starting a wedding board on Pinterest for a really long time because I'm nowhere near getting married and I don't want to be that desperate single girl that's planning her dream wedding.  That said, I did finally give in because there really are some great ideas out there that I would like to have filed away for someday!

Favorite DIY / Craft Pin

Image via Pinterest

I think this is my favorite because I've actually made my own earring holder inspired by this pin!  

My version!

This was also my first Pinterest project / DIY a few years ago, so it's kind of what started it all!

Favorite Quote / Verse / Lyric Pin

Image via Pinterest

I'm not sure this one is my favorite, but it is a really good reminder!

...And share one more favorite pin you love!

Image via Pinterest

I love this mix and match aspect of this living room.  I have a major urge to make everything match, so images like this inspire me to break out of that mindset.

***

On a side note, has anyone else tried the new pin embedding feature on Pinterest?  I like the concept, but I don't like that you can't see the pin in your post!  My text and formatting was all off and after several tries today I just gave up.  That said, if you do want to pin anything you see here, click the image and pin it directly from Pinterest since none of these images (other than the black frame) are originally mine.

Happy Sunday!

Thursday Confessions

I had a 4 day weekend this past weekend, but I feel like the last 2 days at school have been crazy.  I'm getting into that mode where I want to get everything done for this school year and start doing a little planning for next year.  This time of year seems to be filled with meetings, special events, and other things that keep me running!  

I have some other posts in the works, but I kind of ran into writer's block and decided a little randomness was in order for this lovely Thursday.  So, how about a few confessions (and random thoughts)?

• I've recently become a fan of "Grumpy Cat."  I don't even really like cats, but I think this little kitty is adorable in a Stewie Griffin sort of way.  
• I have total OCD when it comes to brand name athletic wear.  This is one of the many issues that I have them stemmed from my middle school years.  I recently hopped on the WSU Shocker bandwagon and bought a t-shirt to support the home team.  After 45 minutes of indecisive t-shirt shopping (my mom said the cute neon pink tee was sacrilegious) I settled on a black Adidas tee.  The only problem!?!  I can't wear my Nike shoes or sandals with it!  
• I knew exactly who Shain Gandee was when news of his death broke out this week.  And yes, I did watch every episode of "Buckwild" on MTV.  RIP Redneck MacGyver!
• I ate tuna, ranch dressing, and Wheat Thins for dinner last night.  I got home late and was too lazy to make real food, but have also been trying not to get fast food anymore.  It was delightful!
• I read last week one blogger talking about how embarrassing it is that she owned 50 cardigans...  So, naturally, I went to my closet and counted mine.  Are you ready for this?  I have 75!  Seventy-freakin-five!!!  I could wear a different cardi everyday from now until June 18th.  I need some sort of rehab for cardigan addiction.

www.grumpycats.com

Do you have any confessions to share today?

Happy Thursday!

To Do Tuesday

I'm heading back to work today after a 4 day weekend!  We're in the home stretch as we get closer to the end of the school year!  Only about 7 1/2 weeks stand between me and my summer vacation!

Let's take a look at last week's list...

• Keep up with regular workouts.  Mission accomplished!  I made it to the gym 4 times in the past week, so I feel pretty good about that.  It's so good to get back in there and be working out regularly again!
• Cook at least 2 real meals.  I'm going to count this one as a success, but I didn't really push myself on the creative or healthy side of this goal.  I'll keep working on that...
• Complete at least 4 blog posts.  With "5 Days, 5 Ways" going on last week I posted at least once a day last week.  What a way to end the month!  March was my highest month of views since last August (which was my highest month ever)!  

Now onto this weeks goals...

• Workout at least 3 times.  It's great getting back into the routine of working out regularly.  Truly feel better and have more energy when I'm working out on a regular basis!
• Contact at least one out of town friend.  I haven't been the best at keeping in touch with my friends that have moved away, so I need to make a better effort at staying in contact with them.  You never know how a phone call or a card in the mail can brighten a person's day!
• Find my dining table (again).  I have to confess that since I moved last summer my dining table has become a catch-all for junk mail, magazines, and papers.  I never need it for actual dining, so I've become a bit lazy with letting that being a junk collector.  I'd like to see those cute place mats again!

What are you wanting to accomplish in the next week?

Third Quarter Fitness Update

The third quarter of the school year ended about 3 weeks ago, but I'm just now getting around to doing an update on how I did fitness wise...

In all honesty, there's not much to update on.  My school did a pedometer competition with the teachers, so we kinda stopped with the mileage club during that time and haven't resumed it since.  I did pretty well with the whole pedometer thing in January and then it all just kinda fell apart in February.

I spent a good chunk of February into March fighting the never ending cold from hell.  I think the worst part about being sick was that I was never just full-blown sick, but just had a super annoying lingering cold. Between conferences, getting sick, going on vacation, and then getting even more sick I pretty much didn't workout for about 4 weeks!  Agh!  Add in eating junk for all of the reasons previously stated and it's pretty safe to say that I've not done well diet and exercise wise lately.

My goal over the past few weeks has been to get back into good habits.  I've been trying to get back to the gym 3 or 4 days a week and having some extra days off lately has really helped jump start that.  As we approach the warm weather months I want to get some strength training back into my workout routine (I'm totally a cardio girl who love that elliptical) and get back to going to Zumba as one of my workouts each week.

Here are my goals for now through the end of the school year:

• Workout at least 3 or 4 days a week.  Now that after school tutoring has ended and it's lighter outside later, I don't feel like I'll have very many excuses not to get in at least 30 minutes or so.  
• Start tracking again on The Daily Plate.  This site / app is what I use when I want to get back on track.  It does all of the calculating for me, which is super nice.  Usually using this for a few weeks is enough to jump start me back into making healthier choices again.
• Continue to work on cutting back on my pop drinking.  I think I've gone over a month without having any 12 packs in my house!  I'm not saying I haven't had any to drink in that long, but not buying it definitely keeps me from drinking as much.  I've been totally addicted to the sparkling flavored waters from Target because they totally satisfy my craving for something carbonated and flavored.  I know the aspartame is still something I should work on cutting back on, but this is a start!  

How have you been doing with diet and exercise?

What are your fitness goals as we near summer?