Happy Birthday weekend!

Just wanted to say Happy 30th Birthday to my best friend~ Love you Julie!

Currently, my bff and her hubby are in Africa on a mission trip.  Mr. and I were lucky enough to see them off in September! 

 I'm so happy for her and all the new experiences she is gaining, and the peoples' lives she is changing.  

Hope you have an amazing day and wish you all the love in the world!  

Can't wait to see you in June!

Wear my Reads

After writing my lesson plans and updating my classroom website, I decided to do a little online browsing....

I decided when I teach this book, this is what I will be rocking!

I not only love the book, but I love the color!  My students can expect me to order lots more from this website Out of Print.  Check it out!  The last day of school, I may rock William Golding's wear - who doesn't want to be reminded what boys will do when they are stuck on an island with no adults??

Read and wear it!

Cake Pops

After Christmas and the book hub bub of the holidays, I have so much to write about but I feel like not enough time.  My aunt made Cake pops  for Halloween, and they came out so stinking cute! Halloween,  you might ask?! Is she really posting about Halloween NOW? In January?  Is she off her rocker?   Yes...I might be....
But Cake pops. Back to business.  They are the cutest thing.  Now there is a whole book dedicated to these little perfect desserts.  I realize that the cookbook has been out for awhile, but I was just able to get my hands on the written word...and my my my. I have fallen in love with yet again, another book.

Here is what my aunt made for our Halloween party a few months ago.  Didn't they come out great?  She used sand pails to stick the pops in - and it made a fantastic center piece....

Perhaps next Halloween I will post about our great ideas around the general month of the holidays....till then - perhaps this will hold you over.   Till then, sink your teeth into these cutie petuties - and imagine what Valentine's Day cake pops you can make!  Or would you believe these are Valentine's Day cake pops - just made by someone who is jaded and hates the pink and white holiday?  Maybe they felt orange and black matched their mood better? (no...you're not buyin it...)

Date Night Rejuvenated

How predictable am I? My first few posts of the year are typically about what I would like to accomplish....lose...create...find...restore..read..so on and so on.
If I was to list all of my 2011 goals, it would be overwhelming not only for me to type but for the reader (you my little darlings) as well! And since I am not here to torture you, I decided to spare you the nitty gritty and get on with my life/year.

One goal I  WOULD like to mention is  Date Night (and I definitely  am not referring to the movie..thought it was good).  Before the vow exchange, Mr. and I would go on "dates" every month.  Not just your movie and dinner date (we had those too), but like an actual planned out date - whether it was to a bed and breakfast, musuem, scavenger hunt, bird watching - we had actual legit dates.  It was fantastic and romantic.  Then we got married....dunt dunt dun.  That seriously seemed like the end all and be all of our fun times. Who knew?!

2011. Let that be our year to reconnect (Are you there B? It's me, your wife).  I would like to bring back the inventive date nights/days/weekends.  If that means we will have to say no to some other plans, or not attend every practice or game, or not tutor as much - then so be it!  I can handle that - and I think the people around us can handle it too.

According to a recent study, just the plain ole' dinner and a movie isn't enough anymore to keep marriages sparkling.    According to NY Times, "Rather than visiting the same familiar haunts and dining with the same old friends, couples need to tailor their date nights around new and different activities that they both enjoy, says Arthur Aron, a professor of social psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. The goal is to find ways to keep injecting novelty into the relationship. The activity can be as simple as trying a new restaurant or something a little more unusual or thrilling — like taking an art class or going to an amusement park."

I think we can handle that....I'm going to put my thinking  headband on (I like to wear it like Rambo), and brainstorm neat-o things to do in January....and Mr. can plan for February !! (hint hint!)

52 weeks of baking...or just 51

As previously stated in other posts, I decided last year that completely ONE single resolution wasn't enough for me (seriously what was I thinking?!). I wanted to come up with monthly goals, and this year I came up with goals that involved the number 3 (because really, who doesn't like a theme?).  In addition to those goals, I came up with something else that may not help me lose weight....but will definitely make our tummies happy!

There are so many recipes that I would like to try so I decided as part of my New Year's resolution I would bake once a week.  Sundays maybe?  But seeing that I already passed the FIRST SUNDAY of the year, I am one step behind.....I hope this isn't a look into things to come for the year!  I have a few days to figure out something to bake.......so many delicious recipes to try!

Goals for 30

I almost want to laugh, to keep myself from crying - when I look back at my goals for the previous year. I don't think I could have done anything LESS towards those goals.... That really isn't totally true - I have definitely stayed on task with sticking to a cleaning schedule (something I pride myself on). But, other than cleaning - I didn't do anything else!

 This year, I will 30. The big 3-0. What does that entail?  That means that I would like to set the 30 Change.  I made that up - haha. but I would like to:

1. Lose: 30 pounds
2. Try: 30 new things
3. Watch: 30 movies
4. Read: 30 books
5. Complete the 30 day challenge by Jillian Michaels
6. Cut down 3 credit cards debts
7. Go on 30 dates :)  (with my husband of course)
8. Run: 3 miles (that doesn't sound like a lot to most people - but I can't run down my driveway right now!)
9. Create: 30 crafts

Since I have 6 months, I figure all of this is pretty reasonable.  I like my list because it is divisible by 3. This isn't a list like "Oh my goodness, I'm turning 30 and my life is over. I'm official OLD." It's more like I love lists and due dates.  I also want to feel like I achieved something.