Workin' It: Planning for the Holidays

Hey ladies!

It's a Workin' It Wednesday today with Erika and Shay. 

The second Wednesday of each month these ladies share a new topic. 

If you're interested in the topics so far this year or ones to comes, check out the graphic below.

This month we're sharing: 

Planning for the holidays!

I try to make Christmas as stress-free as I can, so I plan all throughout the year. 

It's sounds crazy, but I'm that weird person thinking about Christmas in every single month that leads up to it. 

With that being said, there are a few things that I like to do to help be organized and ready to go come December. 

Christmas Club

 There's a Christmas Club at one of our local banks, so I save money all throughout the year, and then I get a check at the end of October to buy Christmas presents. 

My mom started this for my brother and I way back when we were young. 

We had to save like $2 a week and then got $100 to spend on family for Christmas. 

It really taught me a lot about money, saving and buying for others. 

I truly enjoy buying and watching my family members open their gifts more than I enjoy opening gifts myself. 

There was always so much planning involved in getting just the right gift that I still feel that way to this day. 

The Christmas Club account helps me not feel like I'm stressed for money come December, and it allows me to stick to a budget. 

I only buy as much as I have available in the check I receive from my Christmas Club. 

My gifts are meaningful and not over the top. 

If I want to spend more $ here, then I spend less $ over here.

 Christmas List

I keep a Christmas List with gift ideas for everyone on my phone all throughout the year. 

That way when I hear something that someone likes I jot it down and have the idea ready to buy come October/November/December. 

Keeping a Christmas List all year helps me be better prepared to buy a meaningful gift. 

I'm not quick on my toes, so I need lots of time to think and plan and that running Christmas list allows me just that. 

 Menu Planning

Along with my running Christmas List on my phone throughout the year, I also keep a menu for our Christmas dinner. 

Last year was our first year to host Christmas dinner. 

It was an enjoyable time with family but also a ton of work, especially since we went to two places on Christmas Day before coming home and trying to prepare a meal for 18 people. 

I started way back in June with planning out our menu for this year. 

I cut out some things because we just don't need as much food as we had, and I was intentional on the menu items that I added. 

Some items will be quick that we can make the day of, and others will be made ahead of time. 

I love a home cooked meal, but I need to make something that's do-able come Christmas Day. 

I don't want to be hosting a meal when I dread all of the preparation. 

To this day I'm still fine tuning the menu, but for the most part it is set, and I'm already mentally preparing for when I will make the dishes that I need to make ahead of time. 

Christmas Cards

I tried to get some pictures of Alex and I throughout the year to use on our Christmas cards. 

Last year we used wedding pictures, so that made it super easy, but this year I wanted to use pictures from various vacations. 

I've put my request in for our cards to be made and am just awaiting a reply. 

I like to send cards out during the first week of December to get them done and out of the way. 

Christmas Games

I'm still in need of some help with a fun gift card game to play on Christmas evening. 

In the past I started a little tradition of buying various gift cards, covering up the $ amount with a sticker and then wrapping them up. 

So a person would choose a wrapped gift card, unwrap it and then it would move on to the next person.

 I did it where each person chose a card, and after the first person chose their card, anyone could steal a card that was previously taken or unwrap a new one. 

We waited until everyone went and then they got to uncover the sticker covering the amount of the card. 

This game was fun, but this year I've decided to discontinue that and instead am including a little blurb on our Christmas dinner invitation about bringing a gift card of your choice if you want to be included in the gift card game. 

Any ideas on a neat game to play with gift cards?

I'm all about organization and planning, so when it comes to planning and being organized for the holidays, I'm even more about it. 

I can't wait to read everyone else's fun tips!

Workin' It: Making Your Home Cozy!

Hey ladies!

It's a Workin' It Wednesday today with Erika and Shay. 

The second Wednesday of each month these ladies share a new topic. 

If you're interested in the topics so far this year or ones to comes, check out the graphic below.

This month we're sharing: 

How to Make your Home Cozy!

I love a cozy home. 

When I think of a cozy home I think of a fall or winter evening with twinkle lights and dimmed room lights. 

My number one tip when trying to make a home cozy is to dim your lights!

I'm so glad that we put dimmers on a lot of our lights when we redid our house. 

I love having the option of making a room bright and making it dim and cozy. 

We're starting to get into some of my favorite months for a cozy evening at home. 

I would have to say that winter is my favorite, especially when the snow is coming down outside, but for now I will enjoy the twinkle lights and a warm blanket and a dimmed light while reading an interesting book. 

Here are a few pictures of the coziness of our home:

Some during the daytime

Got in some good lesson planning while sitting in my reading chair and covering up with a blanket!

Nighttime twinkle lights!

Some more lights atop the unlit fireplace!

So there's a little look at the coziness of our home.
I love burning a good candle too!
Right now I'm obsessed with the Pumpkin Caramel Swirl from Bath and Body Works. 

Workin' It: Back to School

Hey ladies!

It's a Workin' It Wednesday today with Erika and Shay. 

The second Wednesday of each month these ladies share a new topic. 

If you're interested in the topics so far this year or ones to comes, check out the graphic below.

This month we're sharing: 

Ready for Back to School!

I'm a teacher, so I'm all over this topic.

I don't have children yet, and I'm sure life is way more hectic when you're a teacher and have kids to get ready, but for now I'm prepping myself and my classroom.

The whole summer is part of my preparation for myself.
At the end of the school year I'm just drained.
I love it, but I need a break, and that's exactly what I do.

I don't live and teach in the same community, so once the school year is out I don't see anyone until the school year starts again with the exception of some co-workers who I see at lunch dates throughout the summer.
It's nice to just enjoy life.
I turn off my alarm.
I sleep in; I stay up late; I read books for myself; I don't worry about what I need to do for tomorrow.
We enjoy vacations, and I really live up the almost three months of freedom because once school starts I know that I will need to do a million different things and won't take the time to do stuff for me.

So after I have a mental break I do a little shopping for myself.
Here are a few new purchases I made over the summer for myself:

I'm always cold, so a cream jean jacket was a must.
I'm still looking for a regular denim one.

The beginning of the year is so hot when you don't have air conditioning, so I'm going to try out some skirts.

I was in dire need of new black pants and found some that fit without at belt at JCrew.
Hello Winnie Pant!!

Some new black shoes!

Now on to the big part.
Prepping my classroom!!
I read new books all summer long.
This summer I've been reading lots of Holocaust books and books that go with my theme for the year-Overcoming Adversity!

Here are a few that I enjoyed:

I love having the time to try out new books.

I've made a few fixes to activities that I did last year, and I've added some new pins to my Back to School and Bulletin Boards on Pinterest.
Check me out @beabout on Pinterest.

Last week I got my classroom all set and ready to go.

I moved my bookshelves around this year, so it's still a work in progress.
I also got a library scanner system that will allow me to simply scan a book and check it out for a student.

Some new and more middle schoolish posters.
I have an extra bookshelf, so it ended up here.
There are random things on it.
I really need to make it look better, but for now it's there.

Read, Revise, Edit Board
This is left from last year.
I challenge students to find errors in books, newspapers, emails, magazines, tv, snap a picture and send it to me.
It's embarrassing at how careless we are with checking over our work!
I love this real world application!

So I've rested, shopped and decorated. 

Now, I've got to finalize my plans for the first two days, and then I'm set. 

The next two weeks I will be having a Back 2 School Series Linkup. 

If you're a teacher or would enjoy blogging about teacher topics, make your post and linkup. 

I'm excited to read how everyone else prepares for Back to School. 

I'm sure there are a lot of parents who are SO excited. 

Let the year begin!

Workin' It: Weekend in Your Life

Hey ladies!
It's a Workin' It Wednesday today with Erika and Shay. 

The second Wednesday of each month these ladies share a new topic. 

If you're interested in the topics so far this year or ones to comes, check out the graphic below.

This month we're sharing: 

A weekend in my life!

I used this past Sunday, July 9 as part of my weekend. 

Now that it's summer my weekends are pretty calm and boring. 

During the school year I get caught up on cleaning, laundry and grading, but during the summer I have all day to do those things, so the weekend is pretty much like all of the other summer days for me!

I forgot all about taking pictures on Saturday, so Sunday was my go-to!

On Saturday it rained and rained and rained, so I did lots more cleaning and got to view these sweet things in between the rain. 

Sunday started late. 

I'm not used to sleeping in, but I woke up at 8:45!

I couldn't get a shower and get ready in 30 minutes, so I decided to watch church online while making eggs and toast for Alex and I. 

I was in a hurry, as Alex was leaving to golf, so this is all I have of our breakfast-the dirty dishes!

I listened to church message, and then headed downstairs to do an upper body workout. 

I've been loving various Pop Sugar Fitness videos lately, so I did another one of them. 

Then, shower and water/deadhead flowers. 

I spent a lot of time on the back porch working on a module for my Teenage Brain class. 

While working on my class work I did two loads of laundry. 

One of them went in the dryer and the other went outside on the line. 

I love using our outdoor clothes lines, but I'm picky about my clothes. 

I want them to feel soft and cozy, so I usually put clothes on the line and then fluff them up in the dryer. 

These were Alex's work clothes and he doesn't mind them to be hard, but he wasn't home to catch me throwing them in the dryer to fluff them up for him!

After finishing my module, I planned out the next four courses that I want to take. 

I've been loving Advancement Courses.

The course I'm currently taking is tough. 

It's all about parts of the brain and what they control and how it influences teenagers. 

Advancement Courses updated this course but sent me the old material. 

Unfortunately, it's been a bumpy ride, but they have been so gracious and helpful in trying to get me the assistance I need. 

After ordering a course, you have 6 months to complete it. 

I love the flexibility with these courses and hope to take four more within the next year. 

I spent some time in the dining room redecorating the table and some other areas.

I even grabbed a little nap in between Alex coming home from golfing and heading back out to the Indians game. 

I made dinner for myself.  

Then, I finished another great Holocaust book- Prisoner B-3087.

I took this book and a magazine I recently finished to the library drop-box and headed out on my bike to see my parents. 

I enjoyed a good bike ride, and then re-potted a flower did some upkeep on my flower boxes. 

For some reason we have earwigs really bad. 

I've actually found a few in our basement near where our utility sink and washer/dryer are, but it wasn't until this summer that they've capitalized on my flowers. 

Luckily I caught them before they destroyed everything, and now I'm on their game. 

I got to talk to a relative and plan another summer getaway, and then I finished the night working on this blog post and watching Full House. 

Workin' It: Prepping for Vacation

Happy Wednesday!

Today I'm linking up with Shay from Mix and Match Mama and Erika from A Little Bit of Everything for Workin' It. 

Today we're sharing..

How We Prep for Summer Vacations

This is such a coincidental/ironic post. 

If you've been following Erika, she's currently on a trip to adopt her new daughter!

How fun is that!

I'm sure there was TONS of preparation for that big trip. 

Coincidentally enough she booked our summer cruise!

If you're interested in a trip and need a little help, contact Shay or Erika from Mix and Match Travel Agency. 

They've done a great job for us so far, and I love how experienced they are in traveling themselves!!

So, I'm a Type A person, which means I'm a planner. 

Even though we have an agent, Erika, who is doing everything for us, I like to help out. 

She may love me or hate me for that. 

I really try not to get in her way, but I'm such an inquisitive person, that I love planning things out and finding the best deals. 

Last year I planned our destination wedding from 1,260 miles away. 

I had never stepped foot in the Keys before even showing up the week of our wedding.

In addition, the resort where we were getting married didn't even open until 4 months before our wedding. 

On top of that we were the FIRST wedding ever there!

And I had to switch wedding planners the month before the wedding because she really wasn't helping the situation and she was THERE, while I was HERE!

I did a ton of investigating online.

How would we ever survive before the internet?! 

To prepare for any vacation I like to get everything planned out ahead of time. 

I like to plan the actual event/place.

From there I like to book flights/rental cars. 

Then, I like to look for restaurants or activities.

Most of my trips have been planned around the beach or NYC.

At the beach we don't typically like to do much other than lounge around, but in NYC I'm all about finding the best restaurants and cool things to see/do!

Before every trip I like to plan out a few things...

1. Clothes

I always plan and set out my outfits ahead of time. 

This might involve thinking about them a few months before so that I can buy things that I need. 

We are going on a cruise this summer, so I started thinking that I needed a new cover-up, suit bottoms, some sunscreen, a new pair of sunglasses and a few other items. 

I put those things on my list and have been slowly crossing them off. 

Recently, I got a new cover-up.

It's not even listed on JCrew anymore. 

Sorry, I can't show you. 

Last week I showed you the new swim bottoms from Athleta that I got. 

Recently, I got some powder sunscreen that I can't wait to try out. 

All of these items are things I will use on our cruise. 

They went on my list and now have been crossed off.

2. Checklist

For every trip I have a checklist on my phone. 

It's a Google Doc, so I can easily update it and access it from my phone. 

There are usual items like toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, hair dryer, diffuser that I always take. 

Then, there's things like extra plastic bags, snorkel gear, beach bag that I don't always take. 

I try to update the essential items on this list every time. 

I'm always fearful of forgetting things, and this list really helps to try to diminish that.

3. Reminders

I like to set reminders on my calendar on my phone of things that I need to make sure that I take with me. 

I want an extra step to make sure I have everything that I need. 

This time around I know there's a specific credit card I need to take for our hotels and rental car ahead of time. 

I put it in my phone and get a reminder a couple of days before we leave. 

4. Specific to this vacation-Book Excursions and Transfers

When we went on our cruise last summer we booked our excursions ahead of time. 

I really had no idea that sometimes you can add them after being on the ship. 

That really sounds like a hassle and waiting until the last minute to me. 

In addition, we booked our transfer from the port to the airport ahead of time. 

I know some people like to wait, but I really don't want to think of being stranded someplace or not having as good of a time because we missed the excursion we wanted. 

We searched, discussed and then booked our excursions and transfers ahead of time. 

This time Erika helped give us ideas and then did it for us. 

I LOVE travelling! 

As stressful as it is for some people, I enjoy it!

Some day I'd really like to inquire about becoming some time of agent on top of being a teacher. 

There are so many different kinds/types. 

I really want to help people LOVE planning for vacations. 

So, that's it for today. 

Are you a travel planner lover or hater?

One of my close friends just told me the other day that she can't stand to book vacations; she just wants other people to do it for her because there are too many options. 

In my head I was shouting "Pick me! Choose me! I'll do it!"

Workin' It: Spring Cleaning

Workin' It Wednesday

Today, I'm linking up with Mix and Match Mama and A Little Bit of Everything to share

SPRING CLEANING!

This is seriously one of my favorite topics to discuss.
For some reason I've always enjoyed cleaning.
I hate things out of their place and dust, so everything just seems better in my world when it's clean and tidy!

After we put away our Christmas decorations I tend to get the itch to start spring cleaning.
Even though it's far from spring at that point in time, I start my spring cleaning, so that when spring arrives and the weather is finally nice, I can be outside and enjoy it.

Snow days seem to be a good day to knock some things off of my spring cleaning list.

Here's what I love to spring clean:

Cabinets

Cabinets seem to get unorganized and dusty quickly.
This past February I took every. single. thing. out of our kitchen cabinets and wiped them out.
I restacked pans and organized a bit so that items fit together better.
This is such a chore, but I love it when it's done.

After cleaning out the kitchen cabinets I moved to the bathroom cabinets.
Again, I removed everything, wiped it out and put things back in nice and neat.

Both of those tasks I was able to complete on two separate snow days.
It wasn't fun, but it's done.

Closets

I like to clean out my closets between seasons.
I get spring/summer clothes out and then fall/winter ones.
Recently I tucked away some heavy sweaters and set aside a pile that I no longer wear and want to get rid of.
Then, when it's finally warm enough for shorts, I will get those out and dust my drawers and closet.
Even though they don't get super dirty, I like to dust them and reorganize everything.

For our coat closet, I will wait until the cold weather is over, and then I will wash all of our coats, so that they're nice and clean for next season.
Anything that needs dry cleaned will be taken to the dry cleaners, and we will have it ready for winter when that time comes.

Floors

We have mostly hardwoods around our house.
When we refinished our house, we pulled up all of the carpet and redid the floors ourselves.
I'm very surprised at how much dust I notice.
I can sweep the floor one day and two days later I see dust.
I really hate that and still can't figure out a fix, so if you know one, let me know!
I tend to sweep the floors every week, but I don't wipe them every week.

Every so often I will get a damp rag and wipe the floors.
I'm the old fashioned kind, where I get down on my hands and knees and slide around until it's done.
I know some people hate that, but it just doesn't get as clean without being on your hands and knees.

Blinds

I like to dust my blinds with a little Swiffer duster.
We have white faux wood blinds, so you can see whenever I can see the dust particles I get my little duster out and go over each and every single blind.
It seems like it takes forever, but it's really not that bad.

Walls

As much as I'd love to say that I wash down every wall, I don't!
I have intentions to wipe down a couple walls that look streaked.
Hopefully I will get to it in the next week, but we shall see.

So, what great tips and tricks do you have?
I love to clean, but at the same time it can get overwhelming.
I start making myself feel guilty and tend to always think there's something else to clean.
How do you keep sane with the never ending task of cleaning?
Can't wait to read what everyone has today.

Workin' It: Balancing Work and Home

Hey Ladies!

Today I'm linking up with Shay and Erika to share how I'm workin' it!!

You should grab their graphic and linkup too!

Today's post it about how we balance work and home. 

This is a great topic. 

I'm so excited to see how everyone else seems to manage life at work and life at home. 

This can be so so hard sometimes. 

I tend to get in over my head at work. 

Sure, we have set hours, but truthfully I don't even know what they are because there's so much work to be done that I'm always there before and after our required time. 

I find it extremely hard to separate work and home. 

So, I can't wait to see all of your tricks and tips to help me out. 

Being a teacher is sometimes the best profession ever and sometimes not. 

I get so caught up in trying to do the best at my job that I really put too much time and effort in it compared to my life at home. 

Once upon a time I was skipping out on Sunday meals at my grandma's and not doing anything besides grading and planning. 

I would wake up early, go to work, come home, plan and do it all over again. 

I slowly started to despise my job because it was stealing the life out of me. 

My co-workers were quick to tell me that you have to put an end to it. 

The papers are never done being graded and there's always another lesson to plan, but you can't kill yourself over it. 

Here's how I work teaching and home life. 

It's not awesome, but it's better than it was. 

I Get Up Early and Go To Work Early

I'm a morning person, and I know that, so I capitalize on it. 

I know that I do my best work in the morning, so I set my alarm early and head to school. 

I love being the first person there. 

I can make copies without a line, prepare my day, grade and lesson plan without being disturbed!

Then, when the bell rings at the end of the day, I clean up the day's mess, get things organized for the next day and leave. 

I want to go home and enjoy the sunshine, run and see my husband.

It's best that I go to work while he is still sleeping, so that I can come home to him in the afternoon. 

I really really really hope that one day when we decide to have a family that this will work. 

Right now I go to work before my husband and get home after him, which stinks but it is what it is. 

I have a commute to work, so that doesn't help, but I'm hoping that he can get the kids ready for the sitters/school, and I can pick them up.

This is the spot that welcomes me every morning right around 6 am!

Sunday Planning

I love to plan out my outfits and meals on the weekend. 

Usually I wash all of our clothes, set out my outfits for the week and iron/steam them on Saturday or Sunday. 

I hate being rushed, so this allows me to premake any meals that I can, along with having my clothes ready, so that there's no hassle in the morning. 

My week goes so much better when this happens. 

If for instance we go on a trip and I don't have my clothes or meals ready, life just seems bad. 

I love planning things out so much that if we are going on a trip over the weekend, I will plan out more outfits, so that they cross over into the following week so that I'm planned and ready to go when we get home. 

 Pack Your Lunch

I'm not a happy person when I'm hungry, so I pack my own lunch and do it the night before. 

This kind have falls into the category above, but I thought it should be it's own category. 

I put my silverware, napkin, and snacks in my lunch bag the night before. 

In addition, I portion out anything that needs kept in the refrigerator so that all I have to do is pull them out in the morning, throw them in my bag and go. 

This helps me from eating junk and having good nutritious meals. 

In addition, I pack my husbands lunch. 

We're opposites in the fact that he's not going to prepare anything ahead of time. 

He will be running out the door to work at the last second. 

To prevent him from eating junk, I pack his lunch too. 

This helps him to eat healthy meals and have it ready at his fingertips in the morning.

Limit After Hours

This is super hard, but I've been trying to limit the hours that I spend at home on grading and lesson planning. 

I try to keep myself from working over 1-2 hours at night and even try not to work one whole day on the weekends. 

This is definitely the hardest. 

If I know Alex has someplace to go, I will pull out school stuff because then I don't feel guilty.

The problem is when he's home and doesn't have anything to do, and I have a list a mile long. 

The more years that I teach, the easier it gets, but still teaching is time consuming. 

I think my students deserve my best, but so does my husband. 

All tips and tricks of how teachers balance work and home are GREATLY appreciated!!

Props to you moms who balance teaching and a family!!

I don't know how you do it!! :)