Friday's Letters 12.28.12

Dear Santa,

  You were so good to me! Thanks for being so faithful to make your annual stop for 27 years!

Dear Christmas Break,

  You have been cathartic. I haven't got a lot to show for my time off, but I can definitely feel it. A little R&R goes a long way!

Dear Family,

  I think I've been blessed with the best! I have so enjoyed spending so much time with you and excited for more this weekend!

Dear Skyllar's Family,

  Thank you so much for including me in your Christmas festivities. Y'all always make me feel so welcome and a part of the family. I love you like my own!

Dear Jenna Blair,

  Finally, some girl time! Loved hanging out and going to the movies with you! 

Dear Tacky Christmas Party/Jared's Birthday Party,

  Too much fun. That's all I have to say about that.

Dear Neck/Back Pain Plaguing me as I Type,

  GO AWAY!

Friday's Letters On Saturday 12.22.12

Dear Dr. Seuss,

  How crazy is it that I completely forgot the story of the Grinch. I have to admit that when I was tying this story in with a math lesson, I had no idea how the Grinch's story was going to end. Made me a little sad that I'd forgotten such a classic. 

[Image obtained from www.fanpop.com]

Dear Titanic Exhibit,

  Wow! I so enjoyed taking a look at you. I would highly recommend you to anyone who is in greater Atlanta area.

[Image obtained from www.naturalsciences.org]

Dear Yankee "Sparkling Snow" candle,

  My house smells like Christmas because of you, and it's wonderful! Many thanks to one of my fabulous co-workers, Beth!

Dear Brooke,

  I still cannot believe we spent THREE HOURS on the phone!! I swear I haven't done that since high school. It was so cathartic. I miss you!!!

Me and Brooke from way back when. We know, we were some hotties.

Dear Skyllar and Family,

  You have been my rock through this hellacious (sorry, there is no other word for it) week. I truly believe your encouragement and prayers were the only things getting me through it with a smile still plastered to my face.

Dear Mrs. Kay,

  It's hard to believe you will not be at the Sunday morning church service. You were one of the most kind and genuine women I've ever known. You knew how to sing, cook, and tell a great story. I am so going to miss you! You were always so encouraging and up-lifting. Now you're doing the same in Gloryland with your Savior and Mama! I love you!

Dear Christmas Shopping,

  I am done with you! Yay!!!

Dear Ricky and Hayley,

  I am so glad you're in Dixie! Cannot wait to get my arms around y'all and give you a hug!

Uncle Ricky and Hayley

Dear Christmas Break,

 You are here! That's all I need to say (with a smile on my face)!!

Dear Etsy dealers,
 Thanks for FINALLY shipping my gifts. You waited until the Friday before Christmas, but you got here. I guess that has to count for something. However, you should know the amount of stress and emotional trauma you caused is almost unforgivable. I realize that you probably have a gazillion orders to fill, but it should not take THAT long to ship something. But, I digress...   Oh, except for Chane Hart, with What the Hart Likes. You were speedy and fabulous!! If you haven't had a chance to visit her etsy site, do it! She's fabulous, as are her products.

Friday's Letters 12.14.12

Friday's Letters   12.14.12

Dear Christmas:

  You sure are coming up fast, but I'm ready. Well, I will be. 

Dear Christmas Break:

  You are not coming up fast enough. Hurry!!!!

Dear People Obsessed with being PC:
  Being politically correct is fine and dandy, but some of you are going to have to let loose a little bit. If you don't like me saying Christmas then GET OVER IT. America is the great melting pot. We cannot simply water down everything so that no one is offended. Christmas is part of my religion, culture, and up-bringing. Christmas will remain Christmas in my heart and also my mouth, and we will just have to agree to disagree. I imagine the phrase "Merry Christmas" sounds to you like "Happy Holidays" sounds to me.

Image obtained from www.masterthebusiness.com

Dear Skunk:

  I am so glad it's getting cold again. You sure are super cuddly in the winter. :)

Dear The Office Christmas Party:

  I know I'm a week late, but thanks to my DVR I just watched you. I'm so glad you decided to celebrate the last office Christmas party with Dwight's Christmas. Belsnickel was great! I'm sure going to miss you after this season!

Image obtained from www.tvfanatic.com

Dear Aubrey:

  I'm so glad you're coming home this weekend!!

Jenna, Me, Aubs, and Brandi at Bonefish Grill last year

Friday's Letters 12.07.12

friday's letters

Dear The Walking Dead,
  While the suspense is kinda fun, I really HATE that I have to wait until February for you to come back on television.

Dear Christmas shopping,
  I'm not your biggest fan.

Dear Ladies Missionary Christmas Party,
  You are always so much fun! I am so glad I took a nap after work and didn't let exhaustion get in the way of me coming. Those monthly meetings are so cathartic.

Dear Tarte,
  I cannot get enough of you. You have got me running to Ulta and then price checking Amazon and QVC. You are seriously the best make-up line ever.

Dear Skunk,
  If you do not stop screaming in the mornings when the alarms start going off, I am going to kick you out. Those precious minutes between snoozes are ultra important and you're completely ruining them. I mean it.

Christmas Shopping is the Devil

  I have noticed that I pretty much say everything is the devil. But only because those things really are. Christmas shopping goes right along in that category. Yes, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, it's fun to give gifts to people you care about. And, yes, it is still a big ol' pain in the rear. However, I'm almost pretty sure I'm the one that makes it, as I say, the devil.

  My lack of planning is partly at fault. I don't want to designate a day/night of my weekend for this task, but I am too exhausted by the end of a work day to do it. I usually do it during those first days off of the break but that won't work with this year's school calendar. I've just been doing it little by little. I've got two gifts so far doing it t his way.

  My stubbornness is partly at fault. Unfortunately, I have this unquenchable desire to be able to tell myself, "I did that all by myself." I don't care if anyone else knows that all the credit goes to me; I just have to know it. It's pretty ridiculous. This is not just restricted to gift-giving; it takes hold on everything in my life. From gardening to cooking to working. Quite honestly, the only thing I've found that I absolutely don't mind divvying up the work for is cleaning. I can use a helping hand with that any day. So, yeah, asking someone what they want for Christmas is always a sure-fire way to ensure you get them the perfect gift, but then I wouldn't be able to take all the credit for it.

  My love of getting something new is at fault. I went to Target yesterday to pick up a couple of gifts. I wound up getting one gift for someone else and two gifts for me. Make no mistake, I had no need for my two gifts nor did I go into Target wanting these items. I guess online shopping is going to have to be the way to go this year. Thank goodness for Etsy!!

  Don't let this post fool you, I will have every single gift checked off before Christmas. I am mainly posting this to light a fire under myself because wrapping them is a whole other thing....   

Friday's Letters 11.30.12

Dear Gym,
It's so nice to see you again. I realize that I pay money to see you often, and in reality, only see you every couple of months. My apologies. Thanks for being easy on me this week; I suspect it's about to get more tough. I guess I'm okay with that.

Dear Christmas Tree,
Wow! You are gorgeous!!

Dear Mrs. Meyers Cleaner,
You have completely transformed my outlook on cleaning. Thank you!!!!! My house is clean and smells wonderful!

Dear Mom,
Thank you for teaching me to be respectful to adults. Thank you for teaching me the art of closing my mouth when an adult tells me to do so. If there were more parents out there teaching their children the same thing then perhaps this week wouldn't have been near as challenging as it was.

Dear Students,
Thank you for decorating our classroom tree. It is lovely!

Dear New Girl,
Thank you for being the funniest show ever. Your ability to make me LOL is uncanny.

Dear Holiday Bazaar,
I certainly hope you are worth all this prep work.

Introducing Friday's Letters

  For those of you who do not know, "Friday's Letters" are trending in the blog world. Several friends' blogs that I follow have started their weekly postings on Fridays, and I absolutely love them. And, so, I have decided to start my own. Hopefully this will motivate me to blog a bit more.

Ahem, I am proud to announce the first edition of Friday's Letters. Enjoy!

Dear 27th Birthday:
I was so busy that you slipped up on me and I had no time to mentally prepare for the idea that I will have to say "27" in response to someone's question, "How old are you?" (Although, I'm at the age where asking that question has become taboo.) However, you were a wonderful day, and I sincerely hope you'll be as good to me as 26 was!

Dear Family and Friends:
Thank you so much for the cards, calls, texts, and Facebook posts. You made my birthday complete and I am so grateful for you!

Dear Unnecessarily Slow Drivers:
 Please speed up. You are a constant reminder that I just might need to slow my lifestyle down and be as nonchalant about time as you are, but I seriously need you to speed up.

Dear Thanksgiving:
Thanks for being such a wonderful holiday. I got to spend QT with my family, and it was AWESOME!

Dear Sickness that is Plaguing Skyllar:
 Please go away. I want my boyfriend back. (I kind of need him to help me with the Christmas tree that I'd really, really like to buy this weekend.

Dear Iron Bowl:
Hope you are worth watching!



Thankful for the Small Things

  November is the month that reminds us all of our blessings, and the big day is this week. Many people post something that they're thankful for on their Facebook status each day in November. Tried that. Many people write it down in list format on a piece of paper. Tried that. Unfortunately, my A.D.D. kicks on about two days into each of these and I somehow miss a day. Then I get back on track with my daily  listings of thankfulness--until I miss another day. And another. And then one more. You see, I'm just not good at these things. My thankfulness status tally totals up to a whopping 3 or 4 posts and I've got three items I'm thankful for written down on my paper list. I've got so much more to be thankful for then that. I'm just not great at taking time out of my day to type or write it out. I certainly do think about it. And, so, I've decided to do it all at once. Now some may say that's cheating. Well, ya know what I say to that? Pish posh. That's right, pish posh. I am most thankful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Next, I'm thankful for a wonderful, loving, and an ever-supportive family. Third, I'm thankful for great friends and a fantastic boyfriend. 

But this list is more about the little things. If someone is fortunate enough to have the things previously mentioned then chances are they are grateful for them each and every day. This list is to remind me that I live a pretty great life. These things remind me that I'm rich in so many ways.

 

1. My electric blanket. It's getting cold out there, y'all.
2. The fact that Skunk is soooo soft. Even when he stays outside all day and all night. He's SOFT.
3. Sweets. Cake, pie, cookies, honey, sugar. I don't care about the specifics. I am just plain thankful for sweets.
4. Lotion. I sure do need it this time of year.
5. Pureology products. Enough said.
6. Fast, reliable Internet access. I remember a time when it took 10-15 minutes to get online. Those were the longest minutes of my life back in the day. Of course, there's something to be said for delayed gratification. 
7. Soft socks. Man, they feel great!
8. Rocking chairs and hammocks. They're great for relaxing.
9. Candles. But not just any candles--the kind that fill up a whole room with their sweet aroma and take a while to burn down.
10. Memory foam. My pillow greatly improved my quality of sleep years ago, and my new mattress has completely alleviated my back pain.
11. People who hang wreaths on their doors year round. It just makes you feel more welcome when you walk up to someone's house and see a wreath hanging on their door.
12. Girl talk and girl time. It's cathartic.
13. A good razor.
14. The changing colors in fall. So dang pretty!
15. A good pair of jeans.
16. Target clothing. Cute and affordable. What's not to like?
17. A free car. Thanks Mom and Dad!
18. A job. Too many people in this country do not have the opportunity to work. And too many people in this country do not realize that a job is an opportunity and choose not to seek one.
19. My cappuccino maker. It greatly improves my quality of life.
20. A good sale. 
21. Random cards in the mail. It's nice to know you're thought of.
22. Compassion. 
23. A chivalrous Southern gentleman. I'm lucky enough to have one of those ;)
24. Rummy and Tetris. They're old-school, but you cannot go wrong with a classic.
25. Laughing. It's my favorite thing to do. No joke.
26. Homegrown tomatoes. I sure am missing those this time of year.
27. The fact that my Mama was right. Me and Kelly really did grow up to be good friends. I thought she was telling a tale....
28. My Grandma's cooking.
29. Growing up in the country. Or the South for that matter. 
30. Hot rollers. 

Out of the Mouths of [Semi] Babes--Round 3

So we're about a month into the new school year, and I've already heard some interesting things out of my not so young lil' babies. Here's a few to make that will do one of the following (a) bring a smile to your face, (b) make you laugh out loud, or (c) shake your head wondering who's gonna take care of you when you're too old to do it yourself.

• I was in an e-mail conversation with my mother. I was telling her about an unsure thing that I was getting pretty excited about. Her response was, "Don't get your hopes up just yet. I hate to see you disappointed." Upon reading this, I giggled out loud because that was such a Mom thing to say. One of my students asked what was so funny and I replied with, "Oh, just read an e-mail from my Mom. Isn't it awesome that our moms are always there to keep us grounded?" The child responded with, "No! I hate when my Mom grounds me!" It took me a second, and then I realized the word "grounded" means something totally different when you're their age. :)
• I told the kids that the cadavers in the Body exhibit that we will be visiting on an upcoming field trip were all Asian cadavers. One of the kids pointed to a little girl who is Asian. When I told him that was inappropriate and rude, another child stood up for the girl and said, "Yeah, she's not even Asian anyway. She's probably from Korea."
• A student is making a crazy cat-like noise. I ask her why she is making that noise, and she replies that she does not know. I ask her to stop and tell her that she's distracting me. She obliges, pauses, and then asks, "Can I still make the noises in my head?" Ummm, go right ahead....
• There is a spot for students to write their middle names on today's test. A sweet little girl asked if I could look up her middle name on the computer and tell her how to spell it. I obliged thinking it was going to be some crazy name. Nope, it was a five-letter all-American name. I thought it was a fluke. Next class: another student tells me she doesn't know how to spell her middle name. Again, it was a generic all-American name. For goodness sakes people--it's your NAME. You should be able to spell it by the time you're TWELVE!!!
• Same test; new class. There is also a spot at the top to write your teacher's name. Students always have trouble writing my last name so I reminded the students that if they were having trouble with the spelling of my name they could look at the back wall. There's a big banner that has my name on it. Also, my name is in BIG letters on my desk. A student raises his hand and says, "Is that the correct way to spell your name or did you make a mistake because that's not how I spell it." No, sweetie, I know how to spell my name. Of course, I didn't say that. I just smiled and told him that was, in fact, the correct spelling.
• I cannot take credit for this one because it didn't happen in my room, but this one just had to be included. The teacher decides to give a student  a visual so he can see that there are, in fact, 3 ft in 1 yd. After showing him that, she left the yard stick with him to remind him of the conversion. The student raises his hand and says, "this ruler ain't got no minutes on it." Nope, sure doesn't.
• My birthday card from a student. She loves me in spite of my country accent.

• A semi-new to America student asked me what Thanksgiving is. I explained the holiday's origin and what it means to us in the present. Finally, he said, "Ohhh, I understand. We should have a whole summer break of Thanksgiving." Yes, we should.
• Student: "Miss Floyd, my uncle told me to get a mouthful of Skittles, find a pretty girl, and tell her to come taste the rainbow." Me: "Please don't do that. Also, does your mother know your uncle told you to say that?" Student: "Oh no ma'am!". 
• "If I chew gum then I won't get caught. That's why I don't chew gum."
• "Pork brains. What kind of brains are those?" Okay, Jessica Simpson.
• Me: "Did you get a hair cut? It looks nice." Kid: "Yes. My dog chewed my hair." Me: "I'm sorry, did you just say your dog chewed your hair so you had to get a hair cut?" Kid: "Yes, I gave her a treat and she was in my lap and some of the treat got in my hair." Me: "Wait, how did you get some in your hair if she was laying on your lap??" Kid: "She's a messy eater. I fell asleep and she started chewing on my hair to get the treat." Me: "Did you wake up?" Kid: "No, my Mama walked in and saw it. She just left though. She told me about it when I woke up and it was all uneven." Me: "So the dog literally chewed the hair out of your head and you didn't even wake up?" Kid: "No, I was really sleepy. But I had to even it out so I got a hair cut. I love my dog."
• Me: "You people are crazy. I'm just going to put that out there." Kids: "Well, when we have a teacher like you what do you expect. You teach us things."
• "I don't know how to add letters."
• Kid: "You don't have makeup on today, do you?" Me: "No, not today." Kid: "Aren't you leaving for the beach tonight?" Me: "Yep! I'm very excited!" Kid: "Don't forget your makeup."

So Long Sweet Summer

  I can definitely tell summer is on its way out. No, not because there's a crisp in the air. After all, it is Alabama. BUT I haven't been running the AC on high every minute of every day (and night).  Here's a few signs that let me know summer is leaving and autumn is coming:

• the fact that I am back to work now
• last night was the start of college football
• tomorrow is the first AUBURN game (War Eagle!)
• I've already started making my Halloween plans and gathering ideas for costumes
• I looked at my summer wreath on the way in the house last night and decided it no longer looked appropriate
• I can go walking after work and not feel like I'm drowning in my own sweat after walking two feet
• I've put on my house robe a good bit because I'm cold in the house
• I've started looking forward to eating soups again
• My tan is fading quickly--a little too quickly for my liking
• And most importantly, my hair isn't frizzing INSTANTLY when I walk outside

 This time of year always leaves me with mixed feelings. I sure do love those summer nights! Here's a few things I'll hate saying goodbye to:

• Friday nights spent at Chuck's Marina
• lazy days spent by the pool with a great book and a best friend
• having people over any night of the week because I can
• sleeping in
• getting a tan outside of a bottle
• natural highlights
• garden veggies
• And most importantly, this view:

So long sweet summer! It's almost fall, y'all!





New School Year; Old Routine

  I don't think I've ever been quite so ready for the start of a new school year. (Please remind me of this statement come March/April/May!!! I'm sure I'll need to hear it!) I literally did NOTHING all summer. Like got up late and laid in bed watching television kind of nothing. Like so lazy I would get winded watering my flowers kind of nothing. As worthless as I felt, I just couldn't make myself get up and get active. (A big reason is because of that dang bed.) So I started looking forward to August 13, the day I started back to work. Living on a schedule is not such a bad thing, ya know. It's nice to get away from one every now and then for some R&R, but there's definitely something to be said for living your life on a schedule.

  Monday started the third week of my being back at work. It has been an absolutely wonderful school year so far. As usual, I don't really have anything new to report on this subject: same great school; same great coworkers; fresh batch of great kids. Of course, I encourage this type of stagnant trend....

Lovely pic of part of my classroom. I did some revamping to my white board. :)



Ms. Indecisive Makes a Decision (and a few adult purchases)

   So I've been in the grown up world for three years now. It's been a rough and tumble, trial and error, live and learn experience. I was raised to be independent and independent I am! Well, if I'm being honest, I've had to rely on some men to do some heavy lifting around here from time to time. But that aside, yeppers, I'm independent.

   Since being tossed into the grown up world, I've made a couple of adult purchases. Luckily, my house came pretty much fully furnished with appliances so I didn't really have to buy a whole lot when I moved in. Because I have an intense hatred for washing dishes, I purchased a portable dishwasher from a coworker earlier this spring. That thing has saved my life! I had a few haters that thought I was being ridiculous since it's just me in this house. How can one person possibly dirty up enough dishes to justify buying a dishwasher, they said. Well, obviously my parents, aka the haters (love you Mom and Dad), have forgotten just how easily I can dirty up a kitchen with one snack. It also has a chopping block top that comes in handy in my cramped little kitchen.

   I've also purchased some living room furniture that you can read about in an earlier post. I must say it's looking rather nice, and if my house were clean I'd take a picture of it for you. Unfortunately for you, I have not stuck to my self-promise to keep a tidier home during the summer since I have all this free time. I've been far too busy sunning myself to clean this house. I am very unapologetic about this as I feel that this is a much better use of my time.

  My most recent and most adult purchase I've made is a new mattress and box spring set. Jenna purchased herself a new mattress a few months ago and I remember being in awe of such an expensive practical purchase. After spending the night on her best-sleep-of-your-life mattress, I decided I needed one for myself. So off we went to Sticks 'N' Stuff! I got a Sealy Embody memory foam mattress that is to die for! I'm so relieved that I bought it during the summer time when it's not absolutely necessary for me to get out of bed before twelve. Pre-mattress, I can honestly say I would only spend time in my room when I was either sleeping or changing clothes. Post-mattress, you'd be amazed how many daily activities I've managed to relocate to my bed. I take my morning coffee in this bed, read in this bed, blog in this bed, watch tv in this bed, etc.

  So where does this decision making title come in, you ask? The answer is right here. When I moved into this quaint little home, I obviously had to decorate to make it my own. I first concentrated on the rooms where visitors would see--the living room, bathroom, and guest bedroom. After those were done, I just kind of put decorating to the side. It's really not my thing. All that to say, I never touched my bedroom. It still dons the same ol' ugly, gaudy-looking curtains that came with the house.

  Confession: I am mega-indecisive. I know this is old news, but maybe, just maybe, this blog has attracted a new reader. One of the major reasons I have put off decorating my bedroom is because I just couldn't decide on a color scheme. I feel like the bedroom is the most personal room in the house. Because I live alone I have the luxury of making the whole house look like "me". But I just felt so much pressure as to what color scheme would make the bedroom look like "me". I thought maybe if I just looked at comforters and found the one I liked then I'd go with whatever color scheme fit best with the comforter. Sadly, shopping for a comforter is not like shopping for a wedding dress. When you see it, you don't just know. I bet you're thinking to yourself as you read this: "This girl is way over-thinking this." Guilty! I have over-analyzed this decision to the point where it's become so high-stress that I cannot even deal with it.

   Since my new mattress has got me spending lots of time in my bedroom, I figured it's time to decorate it. After all, I'm still sporting my plain khaki micro suede comforter from college and the only theme I've got going on is one I like to call "cluttered with a touch of hideous".

  It took me THREE YEARS to decide on the perfect one for me, but I've got it now. It's from Rachel Ashwell's Simply Shabby Chic line at Target. And here the little beaut is:

  I've decided to decorate with turquoises and corals.



Jelly and a Facial

  Grandma called me the other day to let me know that her bunch grapes are ready for the picking. Of course, I jumped right on that! I enjoyed spending time picking the fruit with my Grandma and visiting with Granddaddy.



  Because I'm planning a nice lil' summer road trip with my bestestest, I'm kinda on a time crunch to get these grapes cleaned, crushed, and canned. I've literally spent ALL day washing, sanitizing, filling, and sealing these jars. And as the timer now sounds with the last wave of readied jellies, I can finally kick back and relax. (Last wave for the day, anyways. Tomorrow's another day.)

  For those of you who care nothing about the how-to's of canning, I'll give you this little lil' home skin remedy to hopefully motivate you to try canning on your own. Using a cotton ball, I swabbed olive oil on my face. I let my face marinate in it all day while I stood over the hot stove with steaming boilers. While the steam helps open pores, the olive oil's rich moisturizers nourish my skin. It's like spending the day at a spa!

How to Prepare Jars before Making Jelly:

(a) Wash jars and lids in hot, soapy water.
(b) Put open jars in large pot and cover with water. Make sure water is 1-2 inches above tops of jars. Bring to a boil. Boil for ten minutes.
(c) Jars and lids need to be hot when they are filled with jelly. Do not boil lids of jars--just boil the jars.

How to Make Super-Delicious Grape Jelly:

1. You will need 3 1/2 pounds of grapes. I don't know the particular type of grape I used--I just know it is some sort of bunch grape. These are pretty much the only kind that grow well in Alabama's hot and humid climate.
*Note: You will also need 7 cups of sugar, 1 packet of Sure Jell, and 8 canning jars.**

2. Remove stems and bad grapes.

3. Thoroughly wash grapes.

4. Crush grapes in a thick-bottomed sauce pan. This step is lots of fun! I crushed using my hands and then used a potato-smasher.

5. Add 1 1/2 cups of water to crushed grapes and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.



6. Extract juice using one of the following: jelly bag, cheese cloth, pillow case, mill cloth. I got a big mixing boil and put a colander on top of it. Then I put mill cloth in the colander. Pour crushed grapes into the mill cloth and let drain into the bowl.



7. Because I did these six steps at night, I put the juice in the fridge overnight. You don't necessarily have to do this if you want to make the day out of canning. It does, however, help with tartaric crystals. (I'm not completely sure what those are, but I know they're a bad thing when it comes to canning.)

8. Measure out exactly 7 cups of sugar and set aside. Do not skip this step thinking you'll have time to do it later.

9. Pour exactly 5 cups of juice into sauce pan. Add packet of Sure Jell and 1/2 tspn of butter or margarine (to help reduce foaming). Bring to a rolling boil stirring constantly.. (A rolling boil is when the mixture continues to boil while you stir.)



10. Continuing to stir constantly, quickly pour sugar into sauce pan. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil mixture for one minute.

**I had to boil both of my batches for longer than a minute for my jelly to pass the sheet test. **

11. Remove sauce pan from heat and skim foam from top.

12. Pour jelly into hot, prepared jars leaving about 1/8 inch of space from the top.

Keeping the lids warm with hot water.

Jars hot and ready! Ignore the messy kitchen. This is a judgement-free blog.



13. Skim foam from the top.

14. Wipe tops of jars with wet cloth to remove any drippings.

15. Fasten lids onto jars.

16. Seal jars using a water bath and boil for 5 minutes.

17. Enjoy your jelly!



Back In Action

I've taken a four-month hiatus from the blogging scene. This post is just to let y'all know I'm gonna set some time aside tomorrow to get back in the game. Get excited!

Ikea is the Devil's Store

  After a serious amount of time fretting over which piece of furniture I wanted to rest my new (and still unpurchased) television upon, I finally made the decision to make one final trip to Ikea in Atlanta. I have seriously been mulling this purchase over in my head for over a year. In case you can't tell from personal experience with me or just reading this blog, I have a ridiculously hard time making decisions. It's almost a problem. But that's for another post on another day that I'll decide on later.

  Mom and I made the Atlanta voyage a few months back to look around at Ikea and get some ideas. This was not a trip made with the intent of coming home with anything. I finally found the stand that I thought fit best with my style, budget, and living room. Unfortunately, said tv-stand came in different colors, and so, the meltdown began. I was in love with one certain color, but I don't think it would look best in my living room. Mother was quick to point out that I'm renting my house and don't need to plan all my furniture purchases around it since I don't know how long I'll be living there. This is a very valid point, but I see it from the other side. If I don't know how long I'll be living there, it could be for another year or maybe five years. I don't want to have beautiful furniture that clashes with the house for five years.

  Flash forward a few months to March 30, 2012. My dearest friend, Jenna, came along with me. We had three goals to accomplish on this Spring Break Friday: (1) Purchase that dang furniture, (2) eat at the Cheesecake Factory, and (3) Buy some new clothing for ourselves. It saddens me to say that only one of those goals was accomplished.

  We started out with our trip to Ikea. I'm proud to say that I made swift decisions about which tv stand and coffee table I wanted. (Mom, if you're reading this, I would have made you so proud.) Since it was Jenna's first time at Ikea and she has just fairly recently entered the adult world, we spent about +/- 2 hours going through the store. Once we got ready to gather up the furniture boxes, I realized NONE of it would fit in my car. Before you roll your eyes and judge me for thinking it would, you should know that I have a pretty spacious car. So we left empty handed and feeling a wee bit defeated.



  After some high-stress Atlanta driving we made it to the Cheesecake Factory. Knowing that we are going to the beach in a month and going shopping directly after our meal, we decided to get the Lunch portions of our pastas. We'd already decided we were getting Cheesecake no matter what. I'm going to skip the details and just finish with  this: By the end of our meal, we were literally wailing out because our bellies were so full and we were so miserable.



  Next came the mall. We pretty much only cared about H&M and Forever21. After about an hour, we realized NOTHING in H&M would fit us. After about 30 minutes in Forever21, we realized NOTHING would fit us. So we left with the only thing that would fit us after an insanely decadent Cheesecake Factory meal--jewelry.

  I'm not going to sugar coat it, this trip was wildly disappointing. The only positive things we have to say about it is that although our meal induced misery, it was delicious. And me and the bestie finally got to spend some QT together that we'd been needing.

  I'm not even gonna talk about the 2 hour traffic stop that had us getting home at midnight and Jenna having to wake up at 5:30 to work a 12-hour shift at the hospital.....

Who Needs Nashville When You Have These Cakes

   Okay, for reals, I don't really mean that title. I need Nashville. It's calling my name for Spring Break. But let's get serious.

   One place I have to go when we go visit the Bugna's and the Eason in Music City is the Pancake Pantry. It's soooo good! I'll be honest, I'm not a huge pancake lover. I mean, they're nice and all, but that's not typically what I order when I go out to eat. (Even at my fave restaurant, Cracker Barrel.) But if you're going to a place that is known worldwide for their pancakes, you should probably go for those. And, so, I did. I got the sweet potato pancakes the first time I went, and I've never switched it up since. Sure, I dabble in my friends' plates to sample a bit, but I have only fully committed to these deciousnesses. (Yes, I made that word up; no, I don't care that it's not a real word.)

  I am definitely an over user of my sense of touch. Texture is big for me--especially with food. There are some foods that I don't care for the taste but I eat for the texture alone (i.e., bananas). Anyhoo, one reason these pancakes are so divine is their texture. It's so much better than a regular pancake. I can't really describe it, but just know that it's different. In a good way.

  Another reason these pancakes are menu-stealers is the rich cinnamon cream syrup that comes with them. If you forget about the sweet potato deliciousness and the texture fabulousness, this syrup is reason enough to get these pancakes.

   I ravaged the Internet for a copycat recipe, and found this little lovely. I urge you to try it!!

**Notice that after you mix the batter it needs to sit for an hour.
**I used canned sweet potatoes due to a time crunch.
**I changed the syrup recipe a tad by adding some regular syrup as well. That's how it's served at the Pancake Pantry. I tried it both ways, and I definitely like it mixed in with regular syrup.

Okay, here's the link. Go get 'em!
http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2010/08/17/sweet-potato-pancakes/

Pancake Pantry in Nashville

Their's

Mine



Wanted: Roommate Who Likes to Clean & Loves to Eat

   I need a roommate. Stat. It's just gonna have to happen. Warning: this entry doesn't put me in a good light, but  at least I'm being honest. Here's the dirty details:

  I love living by myself. I'm never alone at work. Never. So when I get home to my little sanctuary, I bask in the silence. However, as of late, I've realized that I need another person in this house.

  I realize this when I look around. This place is ridiculous. Don't believe me? Let me just list a few things lying on my living room floor: the three purses I've used in the past two weeks, cell phone charger, take out menu, hammer, adhesive glue, book, sweatpants, two pair of shoes, a yard of burlap, work bag, hat, two bottles of lotion, magazine, cup, hat, & blanket. Just to name a few, of course.

  Perhaps if I have a roommate I will make a little more of an effort to pick up after myself. Since I live all by my lonesome, that usually doesn't happen until Sunday.

  Second reason I need a roommate: I'm a chronic over eater. Thankfully, my metabolism is an over worker. But it's just not healthy. I love, love, LOVE to cook, and so, I do. But then it's just me eating it. And I don't just love to cook; I'm a good cook. A really good cook. (My mom is rolling her eyes right now because her "don't brag on yourself" talk didn't work.) And because this food is so dang delicious, I eat it. Pretty much all of it in one sitting. I mean, we're talking like meal for 2-4 people. Then, I feel guilty for eating so much so I decide "what the hay, I'm just gonna make dessert and eat it too since I've already gone overboard." And this happens a couple of times a week.

  I need someone to share my cooking with. And maybe if I had someone else around who could see my overeating slobby-self in action then I might would pull the last shred of dignity I have lying around under a plate of food or a pile of clothes and do better.

  So yeah, if you're interested, let me know.

Top Ten

Top Ten Reasons Why I Love my Job:

1. I'm not just sitting behind a desk all day. I can be as active as I'd like in my lessons.

2. I can be silly all day long since I teach middle school. (Today I did the macarena with a few silly little boys.)

3. I probably laugh more than the average person. These kids say the funniest things. Usually without trying to be funny, but hey, I'll take my laughs where I can get them.

4. Great holiday time. Hello 2 weeks at Christmas and 2 months in the summer!

5. My coworkers are the best!

6. Fights don't last forever like they might in an all-adult setting. You may be hated one day by a student, but somehow all is magically forgotten the next day and you start all over. 

7. These kids are gonna keep me young forever. New slang? I know it. New technology? I know it.

8. Seeing my kids faces light up when they see me outside of school

9. I work in one of the top 100 schools in the nation. There's not a day that goes by that I don't see exactly why that is.

10. I feel like I'm truly making a difference in my students' lives. No matter how small or big, I'm making a difference. I'm helping to shape them into responsible, productive members of society, and that just feels super good!

(Students' faces have been blurred out.)

Long and Luxurious

  I have just got to plug my new eyeliner. I love it! It's a liquid liner that has lash-boosting serum in it to make your lashes grow. Lashes are visibly longer in two weeks and even more so in four. I can truly attest that it works. I don't have any "before" and "after" pictures, but I can honestly tell a difference. It's not as "potent" as Latise, but at $10 a pop, it's way more affordable.

  So if you want long luxurious lashes, buy this stuff!