Fall Wish List

Last winter / spring I posted about my spring wish list and a few items that I wanted to purchase.  It wasn't a long list, but the items were on the pricier side.  Looking back at that list, I only ended up getting one thing from that list and it was a set of beautiful bedding from Pottery Barn that I am now enjoying in my new place.  The other items either didn't work out, I could never find, or never went on enough sale for me to purchase.  Such is life...

My fall wish list is also pretty short.  I'm trying to save money and want to take a couple vacations, so I'm trying to motivate myself not to buy much that I'm not in love with.  Plus, some of the items I want are on the pricier side.  I've made a lot of progress in this area in the past year or so, but I still could cut back more.

Fall Wish List featuring a matte eyeshadow

Clockwise from the top:

1. I really want another bubble necklace (of the eBay variety, of course), but I'm not totally set on my next color.  I already have the yellow, so I'm debating on whether I want another bright one like that gorgeous pink, or something more neutral like black, white, or gray.  Decisions, decisions...  I also have to add that I feel like these necklaces are becoming super trendy in the blog world and that they're not very original like they used to be...  Then I realized I've never seen anyone else in person wearing one, so I can still be original!  :)
2. My nail polish collection is pretty healthy, but I do lack colors for fall and winter that aren't super dark.  I'd like to get one or two nice neutral nail polishes (not too bright) and maybe a fun rose gold-y glitter.  Essie and Sephora by OPI both seem to have some nice colors and glitters that would be nice for the new season.
3. I'd had a pair of Sperry Top-Siders on my wish list for spring and never got any.  All of the ones I like were either too expensive or the colors were ones that I didn't think I'd get a lot of wear out of.  I like these leopard ones and feel like they fun, yet neutral enough I'd get some good wear out of them.  I feel like getting something like this or a metallic would be more year-round than the bright colors I was looking at last spring.
4. Until recently, I wasn't that interested in the Naked palette's from Urban Decay.  They looked nice, but nothing that great.  I'd seen a few You Tube videos that sparked my interest though, so I took a closer look at Naked 2 at Ulta the other day.  I really liked it!  I don't need any eye shadows right now, so this is something I'll allow myself to buy if I hold off on buying unnecessary makeup for the next few months.  I know Ulta and Sephora usually run customer appreciation deals sometime before Christmas, so I'm hoping to snag it during an event like that.  Hopefully between now and then I can whittle down my current eye shadow collection a bit.
5. I've really been wanting a cute gold watch for the past few months.  I love Michael Kors and Fossil, but I've had my eye on Marc Jacobs watches.  Even better, TJ Maxx has been getting some!  They've been running about $100, which is pretty good considering they're usually $200 - 250 or more and they're a pretty classic piece!  It would be a splurge for sure, so this one might be my Christmas gift to myself.  
6. Okay, I made this wish list and then discovered J.Crew was running and extra 30% off sale items, so I actually have another Tippi sweater on its way to me!  It's very similar to the brown one in the pic, but is a slightly lighter shade that I think will be a perfect neutral.  I'd also love to try one of the Tippi cardigans that they recently came out with, but that'll just have to wait for another sale.

Okay, now it's your turn...  In the comments I'd love for you to leave one of your own wish list items for fall.  What is something you're really like to have and why?

Saturday Randomness

Happy Saturday!

I've been quite lazy over the past few days and trying to enjoy my last few days of my summer break.  The kids don't start back until the 15th, but I have to go back on Wednesday.  *sigh*  Another summer has come and gone all too quickly...

This is going to be a very random post, so bear with me...

Shopping

jcrew.com

I know I totally said just last weekend that I was going to cool it with the shopping for this month and then of course I turn around a buy a few new items.  I'm actually quite happy with my purchases and don't consider any of them to be anything all that extravagant.  Plus I've spent less than $70 on three items and the original price of one item was $79.50.  Not too shabby.

My first purchase was another J.Crew Tippi that was on clearance with an extra 30% off.  I wanted a more neutral Tippi for fall and winter, so when I saw it was marked down so much and that they still had my size I knew I had to jump on it.  

jcrew.com

My other J.Crew purchase was this tee in Neon Rose.  I bought the tank version of it and it's super bright, but I totally fell in love with this color.  I decided the tee version would be a litter more versatile and modest.  I've seen a few bloggers pair this color with neutrals like gray and dark denim and it totally works.  I feel like regardless of whether or not the neon trend stays super popular, I've had enough investments in the brights since the spring that I'm going to personally keep this trend afloat a while longer.

I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing there's no J.Crew near me...  I probably spend less than I would otherwise, but I also had that their shipping is $8.95!  C'mon, J.Crew, get competitive with your shipping costs and lower your "flat rate" cost!  

Finally, I hit up Old Navy for their $15 jeans sale for men and women (kids are $10).  My little brother needed new jeans for school and I decided for $15 I'd try on a few pairs for myself.  I did just buy new jeans at AE last week, but between the two pairs I've spent less than $40, so I feel like I've done quite well in that regard.  I ended up getting the Diva cut in a super super dark wash.  I mean these are about as dark as jeans get, but I like that because I think I can get away with wearing them to work.  I'll add as a side note that the 3 boot-cut styles they offer for $15 are very similar.  Honestly, I couldn't tell much difference between them.  The Divas were my favorite, which is ironic because they're described to have a "slim thigh" and my thighs are anything but slim.  They're very stretchy and flattering, though without being obscenely tight.  I haven't had luck buying Old Navy jeans since early high school, so I was shocked to like these as much as I did.  To be honest, I would have paid $30+ for these.  I highly recommend hitting up Old Navy's jeans sale if you're looking for cute and cheap jeans for the fall.  

I'm planning on hitting Gap's Friends & Family 40% off event next week for work pants (and maybe a few other basics for fall), but that's pretty much going to be my shopping for the month.  I may go to some outlets when I go out of town for a wedding next month, so I need to keep some shopping budget left for that.  I passed on going to both Ulta and Sephora today, so yay for me and resisting the urge to buy makeup I don't need!

Curtains for the Classroom

For some reason I found it necessary to take on multiple craft projects this week.  I can't talk about one of them yet because it's a gift and I don't want to risk spoiling it in case the recipients read this blog, but let's just say it was (of course) Pinterest-inspired.  

My other project was to make new curtains for my classroom.  I love my K-State curtains (in the pic), but I was ready for something new!  I don't have any pics yet, and of course I forgot to take them to school on Wednesday, but I'm pretty sure they're going to look pretty cute on my front window in my classroom.  I found an exact match polka dot fabric at Hobby Lobby to the fabric I used for my shelf curtains 5 years ago.  (The original fabric was from Wal-Mart, but all of my stores have since eliminated their fabric departments.)  What's even better is that I did this all without sewing!  I picked up some heat bond fabric stuff (I threw away the package so you'll just have to deal with that name) and just did my "sewing" with that and my iron.  I did two little cafe-type curtains with the top one having a little polka dot ribbon on the edge.  I'm excited to get them up and see how they look!

My New Favorite Salad

I'm not a fan of cooking big meals for just myself.  It's a weakness I struggle with.  I've been into salads lately and they're perfect for making a single serving meal.  

Here's my new fave combo:

1 pouch of Starkist Garlic & Herb Tuna or Zesty Lemon Tuna

Organic Fresh Leaf Spinach

Marinated Artichoke Hearts 

Kraft Mayo w/ Olive Oil

Mozzarella & Parmesan Shredded Cheese (Market Pantry)

I mix everything but the spinach in the bowl and then add in the spinach.  I tend to have to add more spinach in as I eat the salad.  It's really quite tasty and relatively healthy.  It's very satisfying without being super filling.  I don't seem to buy a lot of meat, but I pretty much always have tuna on hand.  I'm thinking this one is going to be my lunch quite often once school starts.  

***

Okay, was that random enough for you?  Clothes, curtains, and salads?  If you're still with me then you deserve a pat on the back!  Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday and enjoy your weekend downtime!

It's that time again... August Currently!

August is here and the beginning of the month means it's time to link up with Oh' Boy 4th Grade for Currently!  Don't you love her mustache theme going on here?!?  

Click here to go to Farley's site and check out the other Currently posts for the month!

I'm down to my last couple days before inservices.  I've been making a few last minute appointments and finishing up back to school shopping today!  I don't really have any plans for the weekend, so it'll be nice to have some time to relax.  I'm feeling pretty good about everything I've accomplished right now and aren't too terribly stressed out about starting school quite yet.  I feel pretty ahead of the game, so my focus right now is to catch up on things at home and work on little school tasks as they come.  

HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

Fashion Friday: Sensational Six

Happy Friday! 

I shared on Monday about my basic makeup routine, so I thought I'd follow up with a list of six of my current favorite products in the makeup / beauty category.  I'm overall pretty budget conscious, but I am willing to spend a little more money on quality items.  This are the items I always have around and have decided are totally worth repurchasing!

1. Garnier Pure Clean 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner - This is my new fave 2-in-1 (it saves time in the shower and I use a leave-in conditioner anyway).  It smells absolutely amazing, really gets my hair clean, and is free of all of harsh chemicals.  Plus, a big bottle is only about $5 and it lasts a super long time!
2. Revlon Lip Butters - Yes, again with the Lip Butters.  I'm up to 5 right now, but I'm going to cool it for a while.  These are a great go-to.  I've had fun getting brights and neutrals in these.
3. Clinique Even Better foundation  - This has been a really nice foundation for me over the past few years.  It's the first high-end foundation I've used, but is totally worth the money because one bottle lasts me so much longer and works better on my skin.  (I'm currently using the Stay Matte, which is okay, but hard to blend and I don't think it's all that much better in combating shine than Even Better.)
4. Bath & Body Works shower gel - I use this in the shower for shaving particularly and love the formula!  It's been a long time favorite of mine (like back in the 90s long time).  A single bottle lasts quite me quite a while, so I usually stock up on different scents during the semi-annual twice a year.  
5. Ulta eye shadow in Lustre - This is my total go-to color.  I don't think I've ever had another eye shadow I loved enough to buy the exact same one as a replacement.  It's a gorgeous shimmery tan-ish neutral that is great by itself or as a highlight shade.  I love the quality of the Ulta brand eye shadows and you really can't beat the price.  (Plus they're almost always running some sort of sale!)
6. Clinique Acne Solutions bar soap - I have to give Clinique a great rating for having products that are long-lasting.  One bar of this soap lasts me 3 - 4 months and I use it at least once a day.  I keep mine in the shower and use it not only on my face, but also on my body after workouts.  It really helps to deep clean my back and chest after a sweaty workout. 

Beauty Faves  featuring revlon makeup

Now it's your turn to share your must have beauty products!  I'd love to hear what you can't live without and get recommendations for new things to try!

Goals for the New School Year

There are several things that I've been contemplating setting as some "goals" as I begin the new school year.  It's kind of like having a New Year's resolution, but for the school year.  I think it's good to set some goals and motivate myself in several ways.  

These goals have to do with a little bit of everything, both inside and outside of the classroom.  I guess I have a wide range of things I want to work on.

1. Get up earlier.  I'm sooooo not a morning person and I'm on an awful sleep schedule right now.  I've totally mastered the bed, shower, door in less than 30 minutes routine.  I love taking time to do my hair and makeup, though, and would like to get away from doing just the bare minimum (or finishing at stoplights along the way).  I also live a teensy bit further from school now, so I'd like to try to get up about 15 or 20 minutes earlier so that I'm not so rushed getting to school in the mornings.
2. Be more creative with what I wear AND plan my outfits ahead.  I'd say I started on this goal last year and made some progress.  I get into a rut of wearing the same things over and over.  (Black pants everyday I'm not wearing jeans?  Guilty!)  I'm definitely in the market for some more work pants that aren't black!  
3. Enter grades online each week.  I'm supposed to do this, but I'm totally guilty of not sticking to it.  Once the year gets rolling I want to designate one day / plan period a week that I will consistently update grades online.  I keep up on grading papers just fine, but for some reason getting them into the computer isn't my strong point.
4. Blog more during the school year.  I really slumped off of blogging last fall, but I've been so into it this spring and summer I hope to keep up momentum!
5. Eat healthier.  I love summer for the fact that I have more time to prep my meals.  My school is pretty much in the middle of nowhere (sort of), so thankfully, I'm not all that tempted to go swing through a drive-thru during lunch since that would take up most of my break.  I'd like to break away from my Lean Cuisines and frozen meals a bit more and whip up more salads or make dinners that will provide me with leftovers.  
6. Consistently send out my classroom newsletter.  Some years I'm super consistent with my newsletter and other years (like last year), I'm a little more relaxed with my timing.  My goal is to send one home each week.  We have so many short weeks that I skipped a lot last year or forgot to write it until the day I wanted to send it home.  I also want to go back to e-mailing it out to parents since I got great feedback when I did that a few years back.  It's a little more effort, but I think it's totally worth it and super convenient for parents.
7. Workout right after school.  I go through phases with my workouts and when I like to go during the school year.  The Y by my house is super packed from about 5 to 8 p.m., so I sometimes prefer to go later and dodge the crowd.  But, that usually doesn't put me getting home and showered until at least 9:30 or 10 p.m.  Plus, parking at my new apartment isn't the best, so getting home earlier and staying in would be a plus.  I don't see this goal being much of a problem right now, but once after school tutoring starts it's going to be a real struggle since that adds an extra hour to my school day.
8. Integrate technology more in my classroom.  I use technology everyday, but I want to do more to get the kids using it on a daily basis as well.  I'm hoping for a new Mimio strip this fall and that will definitely motivate me to get more interactive!
9. Go to bed at a decent time.  It's the middle of the night and I'm writing this post...  Geez.  During the school year I shoot to be in bed between 10 and 11 p.m.  The problem is that I then get on my iPod or laptop in bed, plus watch TV.  I'm going to try to limit the computer time and be off by 10 p.m.  This is honestly probably going to be one of the hardest goals for me to stick to, but getting to bed earlier will help me get up earlier.
10. Praise my students more.  I feel like I'm a pretty positive teacher on an average day.  I try not to let the kids see me get stressed or upset, but I do feel like I need to be more consistent with celebrating with them at times.  I think this year may come with its challenges, so keeping a positive attitude and building my students up is going to be something I consciously work on.

What are your goals for the upcoming school year?  

Do you have any tips for me to help me achieve my goals?

I'm (Almost) Done!

I spent another long, exhausting day in my classroom yesterday, but I'm very excited to say that I'm pretty much finished setting up my classroom!  I was hoping to take pics before leaving, but of course the SD card for my camera was sitting on my dining table at home.  :(  Oh well, I still have some finishing touches to add when I get my class list, so I guess that can wait.  I really love the way my classroom has turned out this year both in decor and space planning.  There was something about my room last year that just didn't quite work for me last year, so I'm glad to enjoy it more this year.  

I don't have to officially go back for meetings until Wednesday, so I plan to spend the next few days enjoying what's left of my summer break and getting things done around the house.  I also need to figure out how to fix my sleep schedule between now and then!  

I'm also planning some posts for the next few days, so here's a preview of what's to come:

• Classroom pics and tour (once it's 100% done)
• My non theme classroom theme
• My fall wish list
• Makeup and beauty faves
• Tips for the first days of school
• Random decor and organization from around my home

Finally, I wanted to thank all of my followers for making July the highest read month ever!  I'm a geek that likes tracking the number of views and July shattered the previous record by nearly 4,000 views!  Crazy, huh!?!  Anyway, thank you all for reading and following.  I never imagined I'd get into blogging this much when I started this blog last year.  It's definitely evolved and is still doing so, but it's been a super fun journey to share with you all!

Happy Thursday!

Advice for New Teachers

I saw this post earlier today and decided this was another linky I needed to participate in.  It's crazy for me to think about how I'm getting ready to start my sixth (YES SIXTH!) year of teaching in just a couple weeks.  I really don't feel like it's been that long, but then again, my first group of adorable third graders are going into eighth grade this year!   (And the ones I student taught are starting high school!)  

My first year was my most challenging year overall, but I'd say my second year was probably my most challenging class as a whole.  

Let me start by telling you about my first year...

I was 22 and fresh out of college.  The mentor that was assigned to me was a fellow third grade teacher, but was told by a couple other staff members that he wouldn't be any help to me.  I set my standards low and decided I'd just have to be on my own for the most part.  At our open house the night before school started I had a parent tell me that if her son wasn't at school the next day, it was because he'd been driving her nuts and she was going to "string him up."  Wow, way to introduce me to your kid!  I was blessed to have a really good class overall.  I had a lot of girls in my class that year and they were a really sweet bunch that I bonded with very quickly.  My boys were overall a nice bunch as well...  Except for that one...  (Let's call him T.)  

T was probably the worst case of ADHD that I have ever and probably will ever encounter.  This child could not be still or quiet to save his life, but he was cute and likable, which I presume was what had kept him alive up to that point.  T's mom didn't believe in medicating him for his ADHD.  I didn't understand that belief, but I tried to respect it and we worked together to figure out alternative solutions to his problems.  Let's just say her solutions were very non-traditional and one time involved magical rocks to "calm his spirits."  As the year went by, the situation in the classroom got worse and worse.  Let's just say there were days he was crawling around under my desk roaring like a dinosaur, jumping on tables, and having random meltdowns.  (There were a lot of reasons for these things...  I'll just leave it at that.)  I was pretty much told by everyone in the building that this would probably be my worst student ever.  Yup, after five classes of third graders, he still holds that title.  Thankfully, the other 21 kids in my class were wonderful and barely paid any attention to his escapades.  I'm pretty sure that's the single factor that helped me survive that first year!  

In the midst of that craziness of my first year, there are quite a few things I learned that I'd like to share with the rest of you newbies out there.

1. You won't have a life outside of school until about Thanksgiving break.  I told that to my old roommate after she started teaching a couple years ago and she later remarked that I was totally right!  I felt like it was around the end of the first semester that I started feeling like a real person again.  Try to make time for yourself, however little it may be.  You'll be totally consumed with school for the first few months, but just remember, this too shall pass.
2. Form your own opinions of others.  I was told my mentor wouldn't be helpful to me.  I honestly believe I was told this out of concern for my well being and that others were looking out for me.  I set my expectations pretty low, but was pleasantly surprised with how much help he gave me.  (My former mentor is now our principal.)  I learned who to go to for different situations, but in that process I learned to form my own opinions of those around me.
3. You will most likely not be the super teacher that you want to be during your first year.  Accept that and get over it.  Figure out your priorities and focus on those things.  Don't try to do everything at once otherwise you'll end up completely overwhelmed.
4. Don't worry about comparing yourself to others.  I really struggled with this my first year and still do to an extent today.  I constantly compared myself to the other first and second year teachers around me. I finally learned that we each had a unique background, education, and experiences that gave us each our own strengths.  Teaching isn't a competition, it's a team event.
5. Remember that in teaching you get a fresh start each year.  That's probably one of my favorite things about this career.  If I don't like the way I did things last year, I don't always have to do it the same this year.  This is also a particularly nice thing to remember on those horribly crumby days...  There's an end in sight and it's called summer vacation!

Click the picture above to link up over at Teaching in Room 6 and read about how to survive your first year (or any year of teaching)!