Blogging While Waiting & TAG!!!

What a Saturday! The Dump Run we had at church today was so worth it! For me it was a great time offer my service to people within our church and for my husband it was a great time for him to serve the community! What fun was that!? So now i am waiting to go and pick up the hubs at the church.... I can't make my sweetie walk home! So here I am. Blogging while waiting! 

(ok so for the record this post has taken all afternoon... I obviously got interupted  sidetracked by having to pick up the hubby! Its ok though... I love him!)

So, i have been tagged! Beverly over at la,la, Love, Learn, Laugh is oh so kind and wonderful! She tagged me! Check out her blog when your done reading here! She has some great posts about fashion, pinning and her upcoming wedding! 

Here Are The rules:

* Post these rules

* Answer the 11 questions that the tagger posted for you

* Create 11 questions of your own to ask the people that you're about to tag

* Tag 11 people and link them with your post (and let them know they've been tagged!)

So here are the questions the beautiful Beverly asked of me.... 

1.  What high school did you graduate from?I went to Tustin High School in Tustin, California. We were the Tillers. No one ever knows what that is. They are farmers, so overalls were constantly being worn in high school. (Tho i cannot even remember if i owned a pair in high school!) I graduated in 98 and boy does that seem like a long time ago!!! 
2.  What's the most exciting post you have done to date?Well, my post on Stuffed Peppers was a TOTALLY exciting post. I had 399 page views in an extremely short amount of time and that was just exhilarating. (My average is usually much MUCH lower!) I also really truly enjoyed writing about my breakfast sandwiches. I love those warm little things and sharing them was pretty cool! 
3.  Who is your blog-bestie?Not sure i have one yet, but Jami over at Somewhat Domesticated is a good personal friend of mine and her little blog (tho on a short hiatus) rocks! I miss ya Jami! 
4.  What would you do for the rest of your life (if money wasn't an issue)?I would be a mom. I want kids and truly don't want to have to work. I love teaching, but i can't wait to teach my own about life and so much more! 
5.  Do you have a hidden talent? What is it?Hidden talent? Hmm... well I have been really into cardio kickboxing for the last 8 1/2 years. I have a pretty decent round house kick. (We don't fight against people but we do use bags on Saturdays!) 
6.  Do you have any dogs? If so, POST a pic!No puppies. No cats. Do my students count?!? Someday we will have paws in the house ... just not now. 
7.  What's the first blog you started reading (like daily)?I began reading Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits daily but truly had so many other blogs that i followed as well at the same time. My list of blogs grows all the time. I am addicted to reading about all sorts of stuff from teaching, cooking, crafting, families, wine, and there's just so much to read! Love it!! 
8. Who's your celebrity crush?Hmm. I enjoy entertainment, but i would not say i have a favorite celebrity. During the days of Good Will Hunting I loved Matt Damon, but since then not so much. When it comes to movies I usually just go and see what looks good. 
9.  What show MUST you watch (or else your week falls apart)?Its a guilty pleasure but when The Bachelor or The Bachelorette are in season. I must watch that show every week! Love it! I also watch The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Southland, and Parenthood (which i just spent two hours watching and crying along with! Man, I love that show and to date it seems to be the longest and most accurate representation of asperger's syndrome). 
10.  Do you have any brothers and/or sisters?Yes! I have one successful sister who lives in London, England with her boyfriend! They are both dedicated to being awesome professionals and even just bought a flat together about a year ago! I don't say it enough but i truly am so proud of her!!! 
11.  What inspires you? This is an easy one. There are a few things that inspire me. Here's a bulleted list

• My Husband - when the going gets tough and i feel like giving up, he is always there to give me a nudge in the right direction. He is my best friend, encourager, love, and the one i can't wait to tell everything to! He is pretty darn cool and he makes me laugh ALL the time! 
• My students - gosh, this year i have such a rough bunch, but truly i see little successes every day and that makes me want to come back and do it again the next day. Its been tough lately. I can't share much about the details but my little ones have my heart and often it aches for these little ones. So i love to see their little successes whether it be academic, socially, or behaviorally! 
• The Lord - I know i am about to sound like a televangelist (or maybe the blogger-vangelist!) but truly this is why i have the heart that i do. He is truly the one who inspires me. He changes me and is molding me on a daily basis. He is who i pray to through out the HECTIC day and who gives me strength and courage to move on, endure, or whatever it may be. Underneath it all, HE is there. 

So there are my answers.... AND NOW.... I get to TAG BACK!!!! (lately my tendency is to tag blogs that I love to read but also that are fairly new to blogging. Today will be a bit of a mix. Abby @ Teacher "Extraordinaire"Lindsay @ Trial By SapphireMichelle @ Teach 123Laura @ tattling to the teacherChrissy @ buzzing with Ms. BReagan @ Tunstall's Teaching TidbitsErica @ Erica Bohrer's First GradeJami @ Somewhat DomesticatedJennifer @ Herding Kats in KindergartenErika @ The Honey BunchFarley @ Oh Boy Fourth GradeRandi @ Teach it with Class(yep, i know that's 12 - oh well I broke the rule! Oops!) 
And here are my 11 Questions for all these lovely ladies:

1. What sport - if any- did you play in high school? If you didn't play a sport, why not? 
2. How many hours do you spend each day reading different blogs? What are your Top 5 blogs? 
3. What has been your favorite post that you have written? 
4. If you are married, getting married or dream of getting married, where did you take a honeymoon to? If you aren't married where are you planning on going or where would you like to go? 
5. What does your hubby/boyfriend/significant other think of your blog and do they read it on a regular basis? Or is your blog your domain alone? 
6. What is your favorite beauty product that you use on a daily basis? 
7. What was the last thing you bought at Target!!!??? 
8. Do you sing in the car? In the shower? 
9. Sunrise or sunset? 
10. What is your favorite meal too cook for yourself and others?
11. What inspires you each day?   
12. (12 blogs to tag = 12 questions) What is your favorite dessert?

Thanks again to the lovely and talented Beverly at la, la, Love, Learn, Teach for tagging me! 

Hope you all had a great Saturday! 

It's my weekly HIGH FIVE!

It's Friday again! 

Time to link up with my HIGH FIVE! 

|one|

I love that parent teacher conferences are all done and phew.... glad those are over! Also, five school days to go until my wonderful SPRING BREAK!!! 

|two| 

The nutella cookies I made this week were pretty delish! Here's what they looked like before they were eaten and here's where I found the recipe! (Turns out my original Pinterest pin was a joke! Yuck!)

|three|

Tomorrow my church is hosting a Dump Run - basically we (well not me, but teams of Terra Novans) are picking up junk as a free service to people. Trying to spread the love! I get to help make breakfast for all the teams going out tomorrow! Here's some pictures of the First Annual Dump Run from last year! 

|four|

Baseball Season begins this week!!! Woo hoo! Opening day is Thursday and I am way stoked about htis. It will be awesome to watch baseball and even just to have it on in the background!!! Can't wait for the season to get going and see how the Angels will do! 

|five|

This weekend we get to hang out with our Life Group friends and go BOWLING!!!! Awesome! Can't wait! 

So that's my five. What are yor five favorites this week? Are you looking forward to something? 

Please do share! Let me know you stopped by! (You all know i LOVE comments right??!?!)

BTW I was TAGGED! I get to share more about that tomorrow! Thanks to Beverly @ la, la, Love, Learn and Laugh! Can't wait to respond to her questions and tag a few of my favorite blogs! 

A Little Help From My (Blogger) Friends

Alright my blogger friends, this one is for you. Its a bit of a hodge podge, but i have faith that you can help!!! 

My first Blogging Bit of Help is directed specifically to those of you who are teachers and who make units on TPT or TN. I have a few questions .... This is where I ask for a little help from my friends! I would really like to begin making units for my kiddos to share with YOU! I have somewhat of an idea of what i would like to do first but i need some guidance first. So here are some questions: 

1. Many people say they use PowerPoint. Is this the best? Can anyone point me in the direction of a good tutorial on how to create units using PowerPoint? 

2. Where do u get ideas for games? I know there are so many games out there. And when i look on blogs and on TPT, there seems to be so many bright, adorable and well thought out games. Help! Where do i come up with this stuff? It feels like i have writers block already!

3. Also, where are some great spots to get graphics? Any good FREE ones? Just wondering if i have missed anything besides Just So Scrappy and Scrappin Doodles. 

So in addition to my first Bit of Blogger Help, I am also lost as to how to get sponsors and just want to explore that idea. I have truly enjoyed this bloggy world and cant wait to see how far it goes. I know i have a long ways to go and feel there is really no harm in asking for a bit of help! 

And just to be sure that I am clear with all my followers... 
You most certainly have 

ANYTHING from this BLOG! 
I am here to share - as long as it is done in good faith! 
While I am at it, please feel free to follow me on Pintererst as well! (The Lord knows how addicted we all are to this site... what's one more person to follow? I say the difference is a bunch of pins to love!) 

Anywho, any help would be appreciated! I am loving this little blog of mine (even though it and I have struggled the last couple weeks) but still i press on! I hope you enjoy what you read each day! 

Gone the Sun

Saturday = 3/10 = MY BIRTHDAY! Oh boy! Yep I turned 32! Wowie, zowie! 

So, on my birthday the plan was get up and head to the game to watch players warm up on the practice fields. Game time was 1pm and we got there by 11:30. We missed most of the warm ups but did get to see some catchers practice. This was so cool. We watched Ianetta and Conger practicing throwing to 2nd base. This was super cool! Have i said that it was cool enough??!?!? Anyway here's a shot of the line up for the day: 

 

We also noticed a huge amount of fans who were there. There was a huge increase in people as compared to years past. I think this might be for two reasons ....

1. Albert Pujols

2. There are only 2 Saturday home games for the Angels this spring training!

Check out the crowds! Oh yeah, and one of those guys in the dug out is Albert Pujols.
He didn't play that day , but he was in the dugout! 

The game was a ton of fun! It really was one where we sat on the edge of our seat quite a bit! Every time the Angels were in the lead the Giants seemed to tie it up. The Giants never seemed ot gain the lead and the though in my head is that this game would not be any sort of foreshadowing for the future of the season. (Angel fans should get this 2002 reference!) Anywho, the Angels won! Woo Hoo! That was a great birthday treat! 

*** Side note: I have forever stated that the Yankee's seem to "purchase" their wins/pennants. I am still maintaining this but yet i feel as though the Angels are seeking the same thing this season. I know the Angels have a shot, but my commentary is that i wish we could do it with homegrown talent and not by spending gobs of money to get wins. (This completely could be wrong, but I must say the team is lookin pretty!) 

Immediately after we headed to Mill Ave. and really had a yummy treat! This was my ice cream sandwich! OMG! 

This was from Cookiez on Mill Ave. See the what Yelpers have to say here! 

Salted Carmel homemade ice cream with homemade cookies! Oh GEEZ!

That night we headed out to get some BBQ at Bobby Q's .... this was a spot we found on yelp last year and really enjoyed it! I truly recommend the "Q Rolls" and i truly love their brisket! This was all around a GREAT birthday! I loved spending the day with my husband and enjoying a good game of baseball! There is no other way to spend a birthday in my opinion. 

The following day we hit the road, but not before a quick meal! This time i tried to find a place close to our hotel and well reviewed on Yelp. (What would i do without this app on my phone?!?) So we tried out Scramble and loved it! (I was a bad blogger and forgot to take pictures... no excuse but i happened to be starving!) The hubby and i both tried he 2 different scrambles that were on the menu. They were yummy! And the banana caramel pancakes awesome as well! Oh and don't forget the potatoes! Yum! (I think finding new spots while on vacation is half the fun!) Anyway read what Yelpers had to say here!

So we got on the road and only stopped to use the potty, change drivers, and get a look at the Pee Wee Herman Dinos! 

 The sun set as we passed through Palm Springs and alas we were sad to leave our trip behind but truly happy to sleep in our own bed! What a great trip, yet again! 

Arizona Trip in Review!

Our trip to Arizona was pretty fun, relaxing and entertaining! 

Every year my husband and I head to Arizona as a birthday treat! My husband and I have birthdays 11 days apart. For the record, yes I am the older one! 

So, our ride out was good. It only took us about five hours and I spent the entire time reading with the iPad on my lap. What was I reading? .... 

why BLOGS of course! 

 By the time we got into the Phoenix area we were starved and hubs had a chance to try out Five Guys for the first time! He loved it and even asked to go there again the next day, but alas we tried other non-CA places instead. (We have spots we go to every time we are in AZ!) Our first day then consisted of exploring the hotel grounds, resting and then ordering room service! (We had a scrumptious cheese plate with a bottle of wine that we had bought in Paso Robles!) 

Here I am in the hotel gift shop... trying on hats! 

On Friday morning, we woke up and headed over to US Egg. Both of us have eaten here before and enjoyed that there was no line! It was nice to sit down, eat and then head out! After a good meal we headed to the Dodgers v. Rangers game in Surprise, AZ. This field was nice. I liked that there was ample parking and no parking fees! (Not sure if this was cause it was a Friday!) Anyway, we enjoyed the game and especially enjoyed our seats! We were in the third row behind the on deck circle for the Dodgers. We had a great view of when players taking warm up swings and also to hear what they had to say. (Matt Kemp mentioned that a call took forever!) Don Mattingly and Joe Torre were right there too!!! So cool! 

 

After the game we headed to SUPER Target! This was a fun place to explore! After that we headed to our massages! This was a special treat provided my hubs' boss. They actually called up the hotel and gifted us with spa treatments! AWESOME! 

After all the relaxing it was time to head to a late dinner at Four Peaks! We love this place! I always order an Arizona Peach and enjoy every last drop! Hubs always wants pizza, and so pizza he got! We shared it and loved every bite! I wish that they distributed their beers to CA! Maybe someday! 

My Arizona Peach! Yum! 

After dinner it was back to the hotel... we relaxed and watched TV! It was great to just get away and relax! 

There's more to share.... but that's more for tomorrow!

Boo Hoo, Woo Hoo, High Five!

Hey Friday! 

If you have ever talked to me about how i feel about Friday, you would know i am not a big fan, though i do truly love the weekend! The truth is Friday can be a really rough and tiring day in my classroom. I am not just whining. Others on my campus know this as well! There is so much hope for a great weekend, but it often seems a bit murky until about 2:30 pm! 

(Can u guess what happens then?) 

Anywho, lets focus on what I love... so here's my HIGH Five for Friday link up with From My Gray Desk:

|one|

Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup | Pinned Here 

|two|

That my dear friend made a yummy LARGE Snickers cake for my husband's birthday! She rocks! Love ya Jen! 

|three|

NPR! I especially enjoyed the This American Life episode this week! Check it out HERE 

|four|

Yummy Asian Noodle Salad | Pinned HERE

|five| 

Treating my husband to a fun surprise this weekend! Plus the other stuff i did to reall try and make the day more than just an average work day! Love that man! 

&

A Little Brown Box

Ugh... OK so I lied this week... call me guilty. I apologize for not truly returning to the blogging world. But let me say this, boy, oh boy how i have missed making my little posts. Nothing is wrong, just have had a crazy couple of weeks! I guess that's what i get for taking two days off! 

So here's what my husband dug out of our mailbox the night we got back from our little trip! 

It's my very first BIRCH BOX!!!!

So here's what I found inside:

From Left to Right: Orofluido Beauty Elixir, Color Club Nail Lacquer in Age of Aquarius, and Annick Goutal Eau d'Harien

 So far, I have yet to use the first two products, but the perfume went on immediately. I thought to myself as i put it on that i felt like a little girl, once again. This was a great feeling after having just turned 32! (BTW I remember being given perfume samples when i was a little girl)

My Lifestyle Extra  is Tea Forte skin smart teas. These will be yummy! And will make my skin RADIANT! (Oh boy the kiddos  will think i am glowing! No, people, its just the tea! 

 I cannot wait to try these! Maybe this Saturday when the rain is said to come! A review to come for sure! 

Top to bottom: One Love Organics Skin Savior Waterless Beauty Balm & Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint

So I have yet to use the tint, but the little tub of beauty balm smells great and seems so versatile. I am trying not to fall in love with it as one full size container is a bit costly! On the flip side I am really good at making things like this last! 

Did you get a Birchbox this month? Is there a product you love already? Did we get anything that is the same? 

So good to be back! 

Linked Up again! (Plus a Preview!)

Hi all! 

Boy, do i have so much to share!  Let me begin by giving a sneak preview! In the coming days/week you can expect to see this little blog back in action! Here's the upcoming list:

• A run down of my Arizona trip including a couple great restaurant reviews for the Phoenix area! 
• My Birch box came!!!! Woo Hoo!!! Its my first one and i am excited to use and just flat out receive this cool little box!
• A St. Patty's Day meal ... after the fact! (Currently bubbling away in the crock pot!) 
• Another recipe found on Pinterest... all packaged and ready to go to work! 
• A little from my classroom too! 
• Asking for a little help from my friends.... (singing the Beatles song in my head ... la la la)

But for now ... I just gonna link up! I am adding this little blog to the Kindergarten Lifestyle Link Up for K-2 Teachers with blogs! 

I can't wait to read and follow a few more blogs, especially those in the same grade range that i teach! I may be late to the party, but there it is! Make sure you go and visit Kindergarten Lifestyle  to check out all the other awesome bloggers who teach K-2 kiddos! 

A long break

Hey all! I know it's been a while... I'm gonna call it "the I just got back from a long vacation" break! I will be back before you know it and posting about all my adventures!!!

Missing the blogging world,

Simone

And... I'm "currently" in AZ!

Alright... time for a LINK UP! I love these things! 

Here's my monthly link up with Farley @ Oh' Boy Fourth Grade!

I love these currently things! They are truly fun to read! Hope you enjoy mine and others... just click the link! 

(BTW the 3 words are what people would say about me... students, friends, and family - in that order- but all words had to begin with the first letter of my last name!)

See you all when I get back... so ready for this BIRTHDAY TRIP! ....totally headed out of town... like RIGHT NOW!

Just a couple ... AWARDS!!!

Awards for this little corner of the blog world?!? Holy cow! This makes me happy!  

So, here they are ... This blog wears them proudly! 

AND this one too.... (had my eye on this one!)

So from what I can tell I am supposed to:

1. Link back to the blog that awarded me

(And here's where i also share my gratitude!) Thanks to Chrissy over at Buzzing with Ms. B! I have truly enjoyed following this blog... in fact, if i could i would award her right back! Visit her cute little blog and find all sorts of simple ideas! 

I also recieved the Top 10 from the lovely Emmy A Daydreams of a Student Teacher! She rocks! Thanks so much for the award ... oh and that you follow me! That is a huge compliment too! 

2. Follow the person who gave me the award

Duh! Already done! 

3. Pass along the award! In this case two... for the following bloggers! Boy, oh boy... here i go!

In no particular order...

Kara @ Treadwell's Math Adventures 

Though she teaches much older kiddos, I enjoy reading about the strategies Kara uses with her students! 

Jami over at Somewhat Domesticated! Love this girl and her recipe trials, vews on wine, and her GREAT sense of humor! (Oh and she's a baseball fan!) Congrats Jami!

Taylor @ Baking, Crafting, Teaching

Love reading Taylor's stuff about behavior! It seems like she's got all this behavior stuff down packed! Can't wait to read more! 

Angelia @ Extra Special Teaching

I love Special Education and love reading what other special educators do in their rooms. I love teachers, but boy, do I love to read what other special educators face on a daily basis! (It makes me feel less alone!) 

Alicia @ First Grade Factory

Love this blog design! And the post about behavior really was awesome! Great work Alicia!

Jen @ Hello Mrs. Sykes

Lovin' all the reading stuff she shares! Congrats Jen! 

Marcia @ Learning In Bliss

She's got a great post about her Friendship Luncheon that she does for Valentine's Day each year! Great idea! (I am anti-party - its just too much unstructured time for my little kiddos, but something that promotes friendship is a wonderful thought!) 

Beverly @ la,la, love, learn, & laugh

Love this girl! She's got a great view on life! I enjoy reading all her posts, but especially loved her post yesterday! She is so sweet! (Beverly, please know I said a prayer for your fiance's Papa!) 

Laura @ tattling to the teacher

What a great name, who wouldn't want to follow?!? I just want to know how she handles all the tattles and if she has any tricks that i have yet to use! 

Lindsey @ Trial By Sapphire

This girl has some great insights on life, style, and so much more! Love that she is a newlywed and ready to take on the world! 

Abby @ The Teacher "Extraordinaire"

This lady has got some spunk! And I love it! She is super motivated o teach and I love that too! What's not to love about someone whose motivated to teach kiddos!?!?!

Mr. B @ Mr. B's Beach Brains

I think this guy is super BRAVE! It seems like this teaching world is dominated by the ladies and the same is definitely true of this bloggy world! I love that Mr. B hs taken this world on by storm! Great reflections and input on teaching thus far! Enjoy your awards!

Well, that is all for now... that is quite the list of ladies and one gent! Love them all! 

Hope you all had a wonderful TUESDAY!