TEACHER WEEK: MY MAKE AHEAD SNACK

oh. my. goodness. It has been one of those weeks. I know it is only Tuesday, but Labor Day weekend can’t get here soon enough! …it is a welcome relief to take a little break from all things school and share one of my favorite recipes.

DISCLAIMER: If you read my five fun facts yesterday, you know I just bought a house. Before my big purchase, I was living on the drive-thru and snack after snack because I never had time to make it home between school and evening commitments. …so I’m not really used to this whole cooking thing.

…so let me share with you my favorite, HEALTHY snack!  My best friend introduced me to this stuff, and I am slightly addicted. (I really have no idea where she came up with the recipe, but you can find it [here] if you want to pin it.)

The best part: It is incredibly simple to make.

1 can of corn, drained
1 can of black beans, drained
1 small white onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

That is it! Combine, stir, enjoy, become addicted.

TEACHER WEEK: FIVE FUN FACTS

It is like the ladies at Blog Hoppin' were reading my mind.  ...my blog has been a bit neglected lately, and I can't think of a better way to start giving it a little much needed attention than being a part of Teacher Week!

I could probably come up with MANY random and ridiculous facts about me, but…

1.  I bought a house! ...and it is adorable if I do say so myself.  I officially live like two minutes away from school and I am LOVING the twenty extra minutes I get to sleep in every morning.

2.  #lovemyhsyg.  In addition to teaching, I am also the Youth Director at my church.  This past summer I was blessed to go on a mission trip to South Carolina with the most incredible group of high schoolers.  It was AMAZING and I am so proud of my little family.

 

3.  …I am pretty sure I run solely on Starbucks and Dr. Pepper. 

4.  If I weren’t a teacher, there is a good chance I would be a professional sleeper.  I’m just really good at sleeping.  …or I would be a librarian.  …or a professional sleeper.

5.  These girls are the best!  I am so blessed to teach with my wonderful, talented friends.  This year we are taking our school by storm to make this year THE BEST YEAR EVER!!  Our school theme this year is “Mission: Possible” because we know that with God, all things are possible.  On the first Friday of the school year we surprised our students with an afternoon of Agent Training!  Among other activities, each student had to have their photo taken for their Agent ID.  …and we may have taken over the photo booth for a few pictures.

…and that is a little bit about me! If all goes according to plan, I will be back tomorrow with a few of my favorite recipes.

IT’S CURRENTLY MAY!

Hello May!  The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and summer is FINALLY right around the corner.  …what better way to celebrate than linking up with Farley.

LISTENING: ...I blame my best friend.  She got me hooked over spring break when I spent endless hours at her house working on the yearbook.  Now every time I come over we marathon as many episodes as possible.  Mr. Fitz is super hot, and A is a bit terrifying.

LOVING:  While I LOVE my job, I love summer and sunshine!

THINKING:  I am so unprepared for this Outdoor Education trip.  Each year my 6th graders and I ditch the classroom and make our way to Camp Lutherhaven for a two-day camping extravaganza. ...wish me luck!!

WANTING:  I repeat, I LOVE my job, but I am ready to enjoy my summer.  ...and I have so many exciting things to look forward to...

NEEDING:   There are still so many things that need to be accomplished before the end of the school year.  It is hard to believe that I only have eighteen days left with my lovely 6th graders.

YES, I am going to Ron Clark Academy for the National Educator's Conference!!  I am beyond excited!  ...and the best part is that I get to go with the best coworkers.  [Brittany @ Nifty in First Grade and Holly @ Mrs. Ehle's Kindergarten Connections]

...I always have high HOPES for a relaxing summer of lake time, sunshine, and hours of napping in the hammock.  ...but then when summer actually hits, it is one thing after another and before I know it I am setting up my classroom for another year. ...of course, if my DREAM comes true, it will probably cut into my lake time.

#SPRINGTEACHERBLOGGERMEETUP2015

This Spring Teacher Blogger Meet Up better be an annual thing, because I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend!!


Last year, fifty-four teacher bloggers gathered in French Lick, Indiana for a relaxing weekend away.  This year there were over one hundred teachers from all over who came to be a part of this INSPIRATIONAL event. 

Everything about this weekend was exactly what I needed to be rejuvenated for the rest of the school year.  I LOVE teaching and I love surrounding myself with other teachers who LOVE teaching as much as I do; teachers who are passionate, enthusiastic, and dedicated to what they do.  AND, I was able to spend it with two of my favorite coworkers. Brittany @ [Nifty in First Grade] and the event planner herself, Holly @ [Mrs. Ehle's Kindergarten Connections].

On Friday night we decided to explore the West Baden Springs Hotel.  …I love me some history, and it doesn’t take much to understand why this hotel was once called the “eighth wonder of the world.” …and we are pretty adorable as well, if I do say so myself.

Saturday.  The Main Event.  …a teacher tool swap, technology tips and tricks, round table discussions, and a pajama party!!

The teacher tool swap was broken into grade levels.  I loved the opportunity to spend some time with my “middle school” girls.  There were so many brilliant tools.  I think there is a good chance that I will be investing in a stapleless stapler very soon.  yes, that is a real thing.  My favorite part of the day was the round table discussions.  I grabbed so many great, simple ideas for increasing student engagement, getting myself more organized, and making the most out of the iPads in my classroom. 


oh, and we got to take home some really fabulous #teacherswag!!  [Keep reading to win your own Spring Teacher Blogger Swag Bag!]

As if that wasn’t enough, [Teachers Pay Teachers] and [GoNoodle] sponsored a pajama party so that we could be INSPIRED all evening.  …everyone who brought a business card, walked away with someone else’s card; someone to encourage and uplift in the coming months.

“A key to growing as a teacher is to keep company mainly with teachers who uplift you, whose presence inspires you and whose dedication drives you.” –Robert John Meehan

I feel so blessed to have been a part of such an amazing weekend!

Spring Teacher Blogger Swag Bag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

IT’S ALREADY CURRENTLY FEBRUARY

…well, it is that time. 

LISTENING:  I enjoy sports way too much.  IU is playing Wisconsin, and I am hoping for a small miracle.  Go Hoosiers!!

LOVING:  guys.  You need a heated mattress pad.  It is my current favorite material possession and it makes winter slightly more bearable. 

THINKING:  Both my fifth and sixth graders took math tests at the end of last week.  Despite the extra day that was added to my weekend when we got twelve inches of snow on Sunday, they still have not been graded.  …so little motivation…

WANTING:  I rode on a four wheeler for the first time this weekend.  It was exciting and now I want one. 

NEEDING: …I want nothing more than to visit Ron Clark Academy.  I have basically wanted to visit for ever, and then Kim Bearden had to go and write the most inspiring book ever, Crash Course, and then my best teacher friend went to RCA, and now I am just so jealous.  It will happen.  I will make it happen.  …it will.  #slidecertifiedplease

okay.  I am the most indecisive person ever.  I just overanalyze everything and make myself miserable whenever I have a decision to make.  It is ridiculous, but I can’t help it.   

I always love linking up with Farley.  …but hopefully I will manage another blog post between now and March…

IT’S CURRENTLY JANUARY!

I think one of my resolutions should be getting back into the habit of blogging.  …so what better way to start than linking up with Farley for a little New Year fun.

LISTENING:  I tend to be way more productive when there is background noise.  Since Spotify starts when my computer does, we are kind of like a little team.

LOVING:  I’m not necessarily spontaneous, but I couldn’t resist spending New Year’s with a great friend.  …and considering I still haven’t finished scrapbooking pictures from college, a New Year’s Day Scrapbooking Marathon will be the perfect way to spend today.

THINKING:  I am bad at spontaneity because I overthink everything.  …although there is a strong possibility I would have done absolutely nothing on my to do list today if I was home, I can’t help but think about the long list of things I should be doing to be ready to head back to school on Monday.  blah.

WANTING & NEEDING:   …I really haven’t done anything that I promised myself I would do, so an extra week of vacation would be excellent.  (Last winter that actually happened.  Thanks to that not so wonderful Polar Vortex, we had five snow days in a row that resulted in an extra week of break.  I didn’t really appreciate the additional hour that got added to our school day for three weeks to make up all the missed school, but I never grumble about a good snow day.)

YES, I really do need to make more time for ME; a happier, healthier me this year.

MAYBE, I will be able to resist that quick stop at Starbucks on my way to school. …but it is just so tempting.  I WISH, I did more traveling.  …there are just so many places to go and things to do.

Well, Happy New Year!

MY INSTA YEAR

I may have a slight addiction to Instagram.  It is just way to enjoyable to browse the many pictures of the lives of others.  …so I am linking up with [Teaching Tidbits] to bring you the top ten pictures of my year on Instagram. 

(oh, and if you don’t already follow me, click [here] to start.)

the family @ Sacket’s Harbor

This past summer we made our way to upper state New York for a vacation that there is a good chance only we could enjoy.  We spent the weekend along the St. Lawrence Seaway enjoying the Antique Boat Museum, Antique Boat America, Boldt Castle, The Boldt Yacht House, Alexandria Bay, Sacket's Harbor. ...basically, heaven.

life is better at the lake.  #lakehairdontcare.

There is nothing better than a day at the lake, on the boat, with my book in the sunshine.

Here is another one from our trip to New York.  We took a slight detour on our way to Clayton to stop at Niagara Falls.  I love that you can hear them before you see them.

yep.

Reading is my favorite.  I don’t always make time for reading during the school year, but I typically make up for that lost time on breaks and over the summer.  Hello, Harry Potter. 

 

rake and run with la familia.

In addition to teaching, I am also the Youth Director at my church.  #lovemyhighschoolyouthgroup.  This fall we wandered the neighborhood near our church raking leaves as a way of sharing God’s LOVE through our actions.  …don’t worry, we raked after we threw them in the air.

My first group of LOVELY 6th graders are all grown up and off to high school. oh, so proud of this incredible group.  I love you guys!

…the caption is fairly self-explanatory… 

nerd day.  I’m a natural.

I am so blessed to teach at a Lutheran school where I am able to live God’s LOVE and share it with my students.  My favorite week of the school year is National Lutheran Schools Week.  It is full of spirit days and fun ways of celebrating the blessings of His LOVE and Lutheran schools.

I am so proud of my la familia.  #nogreaterlove.  #costaricamission.  #forcedit.

…if I start talking about this trip, I won’t be able to stop.  Read all about it [here]. 

aunt Heather and Henry bonding time. …those lips…

My best friend had this cute thang in October.  It was probably one of the most traumatizing days of my life.  Both momma and baby are now fine and healthy, but complications during a c-section put my best friend in the ICU on a ventilator.  I feel extremely blessed to have both of them in my life.  …and clearly he loves me.

...and…

I just couldn’t stay away…

I guess when you hold a small child people are more likely to like your photo.

There they are.  The top ten pictures of my year according to Instagram. Looking back on this past year has reminded me how truly blessed I am.  I have a loving family that supports me in all that I do, fantastic friends, my dream job, AND I can’t wait to see what this next year will bring.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: BACK-TO-SCHOOL

I am once again linking up with Miss DeCarbo @ Sugar and Spice for another Wordless Wednesday.  "In the world of teaching, a picture can say it all!"

I am back at it.  On Monday, teachers reported for Back-To-School meetings.  After a long day of working in the classroom, [Mrs. Ehle] and I decided it was necessary to spice up the workroom with a bulletin board makeover!!  …just a little way to spread some positive energy as we head back to school. 

AND, you have to love how adorable this board looks thanks to all of the fabulous products CTP has to offer. Be sure to check out some of their new, trendy products [here].

 

What do you do to improve the mood and spread positivity around your school building?!