Moving Madness!

Good morning!  

Today is ANOTHER day of moving madness!  We're in the final stages of packing - you know, the ones where you think you're all packed, but then you open a couple random cabinets and realize you're no where close to being done?  We've been lucky because we already have access to our new home.  So over the last few weeks, I've been making trips over with all our breakables - saving me the headache of wrapping them all in tissue paper, packing them carefully, praying the movers don't break them, unpacking, washing and then putting them away.  It's really helped so much, but has been a ton of work!  And it really doesn't feel like I'm making much progress.  Let me tell you - packing with a 1 year old should be an Olympic event.  If I even think about packing a box when he's around, he either desperately needs me somewhere else in the house, or he "helps" by taking everything out of the box and putting is somewhere else (usually over the baby gate into the office!).  But after this weekend, it'll all be over! 

We've also resorted to eating everything we have left in our fridge and pantry... which is making for some crazy meals.  I'm trying to keep the baby's food as healthy as possible, but as the week has wound down and we've run out of his usuals and I've had to be more creative... it's getting trickier and trickier!  I usually try to do lots of fresh foods, but today, he's having frozen meatballs and broccoli, which will also be followed by some applesauce pouches we have leftover.  Because that's about all we have left in our sad freezer.  

Don't mind the paper plate... like I said, all our breakables are at the new place!  I see a HUGE grocery shopping in my very near future!

The move has given me LOTS of ideas and projects to work on, so I'll be back for Monday Made It after the weekend!  PLUS I've been working on my #SLANTbox.  I'm sending a box to the super sweet Courtney from Ramona Recommends (check her out if you don't know her - she has a TON of fun things going on on her blog!) and will be getting a box from Amber at Creative Upper Grades which I am SO excited about!  Amber has been such fun to get to know, and it turns out we have so much in common!  I'm so happy that I stumbled upon the SLANT box - it was a complete accident, and I've really lucked out with my matches (thanks Jamison!)!   I'll be back to blog about the box I send AND the box I get once the month ends.

I've been happily following everyone at the TpT conference in Vegas - living vicariously through your Instagram posts and blog updates.  Maybe next year I'll be able to join y'all! 

I'm still here!

Every time I've looked at my computer lately, I get a guilty feeling in my stomach, because I WANT to keep up with my blog - but summer days are getting away from me and I'm just not keeping up with it.  I WILL be better about it - I just haven't gotten into a summer rhythm yet (despite being out for almost a month!)  My family is moving this weekend, so hopefully once my life is sorted out and unpacked I can figure out a better routine.  

I hope you all had wonderful 4ths!  We went away, and had an awesome family lobster bake.  My little guy crawled around with his first lobster, and then spent most of dinner gnawing on an ear of corn (with the occasional bite of lobster).  As for me, I didn't get to see any fireworks (such a bummer because the 4th is my FAVORITE holiday of the year!) but I still had such fun with my family and friends. 

Those of you heading to Vegas, have a BLAST!  Keep us updated through Instagram so we can all live vicariously through you!  I hope to join  you all next year! I hope to be back soon, with something more substantial to say!  Maybe even with a project to share!

July Currently

I'm linking up with Farley for currently again!  This hasn't been the most productive few weeks of my life, and I'm trying to get back on track.  Hopefully this will help me kick off a more productive July!

The 4th of July is my favorite holiday of the year!  I love all the fireworks and town parties... and now with a little one, I'm loving it even more because there are so many things for us to bring him to do too!  Anyway...

Listening: as many people probably are right now - we're watching the World Cup.  I'm so NOT a soccer fan, but my husband is (he's a fan of ALL sports... he'd probably watch paint dry if someone said it was a competition).  Belgium just scored... but we're still believing we can win!

Loving: my new sail bag!  Have y'all heard of these bags?  My best friend gave one to me as a bridesmaids gift last month and I'm crazy about it.  I bought another one last weekend... They're made out of old sails, so they're REALLY durable... plus I always love supporting small businesses.  

Thinking: a couple times a summer, it's just too hot to cook - or even think about cooking.  Today is one of those days.  So... I'll probably have ice cream for dinner.  :) 

Wanting: we're moving in less than 2 weeks... and I'm just not getting the packing done the way I'd like to.  So I wish my house would just pack itself.

Needing: I have a couple TpT things I've been working on that I've neglected the past few weeks!  I just need a couple hours to myself (actually by myself, not just at the table typing while also talking to my family) to get them done.  Somehow I have to work that out soon.

4th Plans: we always go to Maine to our lake house for the 4th.  My town has a huge 3rd of July celebration which we always stick around for - awesome fireworks and a big festival at the park.  Right after that though we head north to the lake.  We have a lobster bake and boat and jet ski rides... hopefully the weather will cooperate!

If you haven't linked up with Farley yet, hop over and join her party.  I try to get mine done early, but today was busy so I'm just joining - and am going to be at least the 240th person to participate.  So it's not too late!!!

Hi!

I just turned my laptop on for the first time in 2 weeks!  I've definitely been busy - both enjoying summer vacation (walking, beaching, playing), and prepping for our move!  We're moving in 20 days, and are living in a sea of boxes.  I've never moved with a baby before, so this has already been an interesting experience.  I've learned to pack like a crazy person when my little guy naps.  The first couple days I was packing around him - which, as it turned out, was impossible.  He was either underfoot the whole time (saying "up, up, up!") or he was unpacking everything I packed.  I got NOTHING done!  So now I pack while he naps.  Currently I'm going through all our closets and throwing a bunch of things away - and putting other things aside for our yard sale!  I haven't had a yard sale since I was a little kid, and I've certainly never had my own, so I'm excited!  Hopefully people will come and buy up all the things we don't need any more.  I'd be so happy if it all went to a new home instead of in the trash.  

I'm a VERY organized person at school - I know where everything is, and so would you if you were to come to my classroom, because everything is labeled, everything has a home, and there's no clutter.  My house however... I TRY to keep it clean and organized, but it's hard!  I'm sure many of you can relate.  Forget the fact that I have a baby - by the time I get home at night, I'm either too tired, or have other things to do - so the organizing and cleaning gets pushed off.  But moving is forcing me to organize and declutter - and I'm so so happy to do so!  Today I tackled the linen closet.  Or at least, it's supposed to be a linen closet.  As I discovered - it's turned more into a closet we throw our junk in instead.  I think I found 2 sheets in the entire closet!  But now it's an empty closet, all packed up and ready to make a move!

I hope to check back in soon - there are so many Linkys I want to do, and I've got a running list of TpT things I want to work on too... somehow I hope to find time to fit it all in!  I'm also participating in my very first SLANT box!  I'm so excited about this!  I'll blog about that process too as I get to know more about it.  :)

Money Saving Friday? Is that a thing?

I’ve been teaching for 10 years and, until last year, I always worked full time in the summer.  Last year, with a 4 month old, we decided I wouldn’t work.  And I had an incredible summer, but to be honest – I had a 4 month old! A 4 month old doesn’t really do much…  and because he couldn’t walk or crawl anywhere, he was very portable.  I took him everywhere.  The beach, the pool, the mall, out to eat… but THIS summer, I have a 1.5 year old.  Things are a bit different now!  We don’t go as many places because he’s so active – going to the beach or pool is no longer a “sit and get a tan while the baby sleeps in the shade” event.  It’s a “chase my baby around and make sure he doesn’t fall in the water” event.   But I wouldn’t trade it for anything, and I’m so blessed to have this time with him.  Over the next 3 months, I'm sure we'll perfect our beach and pool routine.  :)

As I said in my bucket list, I’m the teacher who tries not to think about school during vacation, but does anyway.  I can’t help it.  I like planning, organizing, and creating.  While my little guy will be a fun, and welcome distraction, I know I’ll also spend time thinking about school.  As my husband would gladly tell you- when I’m thinking about school, I usually, inevitably, end up spending money.  Fabric, borders, construction paper, glue sticks, scissors, BOOKS, materials for Pinterest projects I see... you know the list goes on and on.  I try to be good at looking at sales and being smart about what I spend, but it’s inevitable that I’ll buy a bunch of things.  Being a teacher can be expensive!

This summer though, I have a plan to both get what I need, and make my husband happy.  Last year, I saw an ad for this secret shopper app called Mobee.  I dismissed it a bunch of times, and might have even marked it as spam at one point.  But then I got curious and looked it up – turns out it’s legit and pretty easy to work.  If you’re not familiar with it, you should check it out. 

It’s pretty easy to use – while doing normal things (getting coffee at Dunkins or Starbucks, ordering pizza, shopping at CVS or Target), you answer a few questions and take a couple pictures to earn points.  After you earn enough points, you cash them in for gift cards to places like Amazon and Target – and here’s why I’m blogging about this – I was such a smarty-pants this spring, and cashed in for a bunch of Target gift cards, that I’m saving for this summer.  That way, I can buy what I need/want for my classroom, and when my husband asks about it, I can tell him that it was free.  Because it was!  I've hooked my entire family on the app, and now we're all competitive with each other about who can earn points fastest.  Between our #FitBit competitions and our #Mobee competitions, our families get quite competitive!  J

What do you do to help keep school costs down? 

I won’t spam my own blog up with ads, but if you end up downloading Mobee, I can give you a code that gets us both bonus points…  :)  

Workin' It Wednesday - Summer Fitness Goals

This morning I stumbled upon Surfin' Through Second Grade's Linky party and knew I had to link up.  If you've been reading my blog, you know I'm all about my FitBit this year.  I'm so obsessed with it, it's sucking my iPhone battery dry ALL THE TIME - because I hook the FitBit under my shirt, and since it wouldn't be too lady like to be looking at it all the time, I instead am constantly turning on my bluetooth so that my phone will link up to update my steps... but it's worth it because it's SO motivating.  So here are my goals!

1.  Increase my daily steps to 15,000 - I've already set that goal on my FitBit, but now it's time to #StepItUp and meet that goal every day!  Today I'm 1,000 steps short, and my husband is working late - so I'll have to walk laps around my house since the baby is upstairs sleeping.  But I'm going to get those steps!  (Exciting side note: I've been "running" a bit during my walks - VERY short distances, but each day I try to do a bit longer.  I do the "run x amount of telephone poles" running plan...)

2.  Eat better.  I don't always eat that well, and I know myself well enough to know that I can't do a "diet".  I have been very successful in the past with making simple, small changes - things that are practically unnoticeable - changing white bread for wheat, adding spinach and tomatoes to my scrambled eggs instead of cheese... things like that where I still feel like I'm eating, but am making smarter choices.

3.  REST.  I think it's just as important to work on your mental fitness and health as it is to work on physical fitness and health.  So after all my walking, I also want to make sure I rest and turn off my brain for a little... :)

#StepItUp

Hi!  It’s SUMMER!  Or practically.  My little ones were dismissed for vacation yesterday, and I have a few days left of meetings and packing to do – but really, without kids… I feel like I’m on vacation already!

I’ve been blogging about my FitBit a bunch lately, and now that it’s summer, I’m really going to focus on trying to stay healthy and active.  I’ve never been a runner (always wanted to be, but just am not) and thinking about going to the gym makes me want to cry… so this winter I decided to start out just with walking.  I know I’ve said it before, but I found that I do almost 10,000 steps a day without really trying at school – so I made my daily goal higher.  I’ve decided, now that it’s summer, to set it at 15,000 a day.  So far I’ve been pretty motivated – but it’s only been ONE day!  I do like how the FitBit can connect with other users, and sends me an email of who’s in the lead.  Looking at that list DEFINITLEY encourages me to #StepItUp!  Last night I got home and had only done 8,000 steps… so after putting my little guy to sleep (which took over an hour and is a WHOLE other story) I put on my sneakers and hit the road.  By the time it got dark out, I’d only hit 13,000 steps – but that’s better than nothing!

This spring a bunch of my friends were doing the #100happydays thing on facebook.  The school year is so busy, I knew I couldn’t keep up.  BUT, we have about 100 days of summer vacation, so the other day I started my #100happydays thinking I’d be able to focus better.  Yesterdays #100happydays was being able to take a walk by myself!  J

I’m going to keep track of my activities with #StepItUp to try to challenge myself every day!  If you’re interested in joining me, follow my Instagram button above to hop over to Instagram, follow me, and use #StepItUp!  We can motivate each other!