Stuff -n- things

Merry Christmas everyone!

• Did Santa bring you lots of goodies?  He did pretty well with Keith and I.  I'll post about that later, my pictures haven't arrived in my email from my phone yet.
• I had to go return a few things today on the biggest return day of the world.  It wasn't that bad except for the girl at Victoria's Secret who was new.  Umm manager lady, why why why would you put your newbie on the register on return day.  She majorly f-ed up the return on their end to the point that I wish the lady well trying to fix it when they close tonight.
• We are headed to Nashville for New Year's.  We have been invited to be VIP's at the Music City Bowl on the 30th, then we got tickets to the Blues/Preds game that night, then NYE in downtown Nashville.  Should be fun!
• We went out to dinner with my in-laws for Christmas Eve, like usual.  Keith's 4 year old niece asked us for our lemons.  My retarded MIL tells her "no no no you cannot eat lemons, they will destroy your teeth.  My dentist said my teeth are falling apart because I ate lemons before."  I looked at Keith and under my breath said, "wtf is she telling her" and my brother in law says to my MIL, "umm could it be your teeth are bad because of the ungodly amounts of soda you drink daily instead?"  Needless to say she shut up pretty fast...until the bill came and she got mad about having to leave a tip.  Gotta love in-laws! :/
• I had to work last night.  It sucked, there was only 2 people in my area all night.  However I did make my math lesson plans for the first 2 weeks we're back - score!!

I had a lot more to post but my brain is mush!

Stuff -n- things

• As of 4pm today I am on Christmas break from teaching until January 5th.  I cannot tell you how excited I am to sleep in tomorrow!
• I will still be at the hotel but it won't be that bad.
• I have a lot of wrapping to do and tomorrow will be my crazy running around last minute shopping day.
• We have a Winter Party today.  It will be interesting to see what the head room parent has planned.  Originally I had no parents offer to do it except for 1 so of course we jumped on that.  However she's been telling me everything they are doing they are donating.  Uhh hello these are Kindergartners, they will not understand why they can't take this or that home.  I have a lot on backup just in case.
• We are headed to Nashville for New Year's Eve...as long as the weather isn't bad.  So excited!
• In Nashville we will be headed to the Music City Bowl (I haven't been since 2003) to see Notre Dame & LSU then the Blues/Predators game.  Plus, of course, lots of other fun!
• I have a lot of posting to do, that's what break is for! ;)

Have a great Thursday!!

4 things

I've seen this floating around blogland and I figured it be an easy post.  I promise, I have some quality ones coming up soon ~ stay tuned!


4 names people call you other than your real name:
1.  Mrs. Love
2.  Miss L
3. Hey Teacher
4. Jules

4 jobs I've had:
1.  Preschool teacher
2.  Retail at Pottery Barn
3.  Hotel concierge
4.  Teacher

4 movies you've seen more than once:
1.  Top Gun
2.  Almost any Disney movie
3.  Sweet Home Alabama
4.  Elf

4 places I've lived:
1.  Ballwin, Missouri
2. Cape Girardeau, Missouri
3. St. Louis, Missouri
4.  oh....did I mention Missouri?

 4 places you've visited:
1.  Riviera Maya
2.  Puerto Vallarta
3. Colorado
4. Florida

4 places you'd rather be right now:
1.  On a beach...preferably in Mexico with a fruity drink
2.  On Christmas break so I can sleep in!
3. In the Rockies, in Colorado, at a ski resort
4. Anywhere but Missouri!

4 things I don't eat:
1. Hamburgers at restaurants
2. Salmon
3. Mayonnaise
4. Mustard

4 of my favorite foods:
 1.  Pizza
2.  anything Chicken
3.  Any kind of Mexican food
4.  Boneless Wings

4 TV shows I watch:
1.  Real Housewives...of all of them!
2.  Vanderpump Rules
3.  Vanderbilt MD's
4.  Parenthood

4 Things I'm looking forward to this year:
1. Christmas vacation in 2 1/2 days
2. Getting my own classroom hopefully!
3. Taking a nice vacation
4. Exploring more

4 Things I'm always saying:
1. Shhhhh (to the kids)
2. Be quiet! (to the kids)
3.  Told You So!  (to Keith about a lot of things)
4.  I'm tired (this doesn't need an explanation, ha!)

A funny restaurant shenanigan!

Need a laugh?!?



Saturday night we celebrated my sister in law's birthday (a post on that soon!) and one of the stops was dinner at Red Lobster.

Keith goes to the bathroom and comes back and says you'll never believe what happened.

(long pause because whenever he has a story to tell it takes him FOREVER to tell it)

He said he was washing his hands at the sink after he had used the restroom.  He was lathering the soap, about to rinse when suddenly his wedding ring fell off his finger...and rolled under the stall where the was a guy doing his business.  Keith quickly rinses his hands off as the guy walks out and hands him his ring and says you'll probably need this.

hahahahah!

So Keith has this issue with public bathrooms as it is.  So for that to happen, not to mention the guy that was doing his business hands him the ring before washing his hands probably made Keith quite embarrassed.  However the entire party (all 20 of us) got a great laugh out of it!

...as I hope you did!

Have a great Monday!

Meet Candy Cane

Meet Candy Cane:

He is visiting our kindergarten classroom this holiday season (well until Dec 18th at 4:00 when Christmas break starts).  I've never actually done Elf on the Shelf before - its kind of fun however its hard when I'm limited in the classroom.  But the kiddos love it and that's what matters!

Stuff -n- things

Hey happy Thursday!

• I have a lot of posts to write, I hope to use this weekend to get them up!
• Thanksgiving went well.  Spent it with my family as my in-laws wanted to stuff their faces at Golden Corral at 9:30am - not my kind of party.  Keith was fine with that too, he made the decision ultimately.
• However, of course, there was drama with my in-laws, specifically my mother in law.  Without going into major details (that are still making me mad), a decision that Keith and I made jointly together (because, you know, we're married) was shot down immediately towards me and me being told it was my fault.  It lovely being talked about while in the same room and your MIL goes on and on to your husband while he stands there and doesn't say a word.  Let's end this by saying she told me that I needed to keep the peace (yet she did this demonstration) and if I didn't watch it I'd be like those black people who are causing shit in Ferguson.  Her words, not mine!
• Needless to say the above made me mad.  I only deal with her when I have to, and that will be Christmas Eve, which I'm sure she will have more drama.
• I'm doing Elf on the Shelf for the kindergartners.  Not having done it prior, its hard to think of ideas, especially when I'm limited to a classroom.  I'll post what I did on week's end but its cute to see them excited about it.
• Christmas parties start this weekend, yay!

Have a great Thursday!

ABC's of being thankful!

I saw this post floating around and thought it was perfect for the day after we all gave thanks.

~A~

apples for breakfast!

~B~

bar-b-que as its one of the best meals ever!

~C~

cheering on my favorite sports teams

~D~

Diet Dr. Pepper whenever I need a caffeine kick

~E~

elastic bands to hold my thick hair in ponytails

~F~

friends who last a lifetime

~G~

glasses that I need on a daily basis

~H~

hugs from my students that let me know they are having a good day

~I~

ice cream, specifically chocolate chip

~J~

jumping jacks that do a body good

~K~

Keith :)

~L~

love...love...love

~M~

margaritas...fiestas, forever!

~N~

nights with those unforgettable people

~O~

ocean views

~P~

pictures say 1000 words

~Q~

quotes that make you smile

~R~

reading a good book

~S~

snow on the ground

~T~

traveling because memories last a lifetime

~U~

umbrellas

~V~

vacations are the best!

~W~

working out

~X~

xrays that show that my body is doing what its supposed to

~Y~

yellow sunflowers that remind me of my mom

~Z~

Zoo visits as St. Louis has one of the best!

What are some thing you are thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I am thankful for my family, friends, and those of you in this awesome blog world who visit me when I get a chance to post.

I hope that your day is full of fun, food and football!

Cheers!!

I confess...

...that I wish the Honda dealership would change the channels from CNN to ANYTHING ELSE!  I've heard enough about Ferguson since I live in the same state where it is all happening.

...that when we left the Blues game last night, and I heard that protesting was happening a mere 2 miles away, that we got on the highway as fast as the car in front of us would let us to get the hell out of dodge.

...that I have a lot of blog posts to write...just need the time to do it!

...that if you work for the same school district that you send your child too, that you should have some idea of how the grading scale works.  Really, don't ask about it every.darn.time you get a progress report.

...that protesting in other cities because of Ferguson has me on edge even more especially with us traveling in December for New Years.

...that I'm ok that Keith told his parents were weren't going to go to Golden Corral with them at 9:30 in the morning for Thanksgiving.  Who can eat all that food that early anyway?!?

...that I called into work on Monday because of the verdict being read.  The hotel is 2 blocks away.  I couldn't risk being on lock down in the hotel when I have to teach the next day in a district that wasn't getting canceled.  My safety is more important than a part time job that doesn't pay a lot!

...that because of calling off, I'm off until Sunday.  Works for me!!

...that I really want to decorate for Christmas and if I don't this weekend, I'm afraid I'll have no time!

Have a great Wednesday!!

Girls Night Make -n- take

For November's Girls Night Theme, the host, Christina, wanted to make a Christmas craft.  We did some research and decided to make this Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Quick Bread:

Christina had a nacho bar waiting for us for dinner while we each brought something to provide for the craft.  We created an assembly line and got the fun going:

It was a fun night.  If you weren't into the Christmas spirit yet, this certainly got us.  I'm trying hard not to decorate yet (partially because I don't have the time, ha) until Thanksgiving weekend but its hard with seeing everything.

December will be our yearly ornament party.  I considered doing a favorite things party but I think I'm going to wait on that because we have a few new people in our group that people are still getting to know and it'll be better to do that once we all are familiar with each other.

What a fun night!

Burst into Flame Character Interview

One of my real life friends, Lyssa Layne, published her 2nd book not too long ago and asked me to interview one of her characters.

I hope she's not too upset that it took awhile for this to appear on my blog.  Better late than never ;)

Anywho her latest book is Burst Into Flame, is the continuing story of Jesse & Katy as they enter the next stages of their relationship.  I interviewed Katy, which you can see here, and thought it would be fun to talk to Jesse this time around.

Jesse: Hey Jules, how ya doing?

Julie: Not too bad, shall we jump right into the questions?

Jesse: Sure thing, just take it easy on me, okay? 

Julie: I'll try not to be too hard. First things first, why did you feel the need to keep your secret from Katy?

Jesse: *Scratches his chin and looks down* Not too hard, eh? Kate had been through a lot the past year, too much than one person should have to go through. I didn't want to burden her with my stuff so I was trying to work it out without getting her involved.

Julie:  Before you and Katy became official, would you have had any issues with her having relations with another man, considering the bro code of the fire department?

Jesse: I'd hate to see Kate with anyone besides Nick or myself, but if it made her happy, I wouldn't hold her back.

Julie: Any worries about Katy and Jeremiah becoming closer like they use to be?

Jesse: I know Nick was always concerned about their relationship because he'd been burned in the past and had to "share" her with him because they were so close. With everything that happened with Nick, I saw their true friendship and I know that Kate needed him to help her get through it. Like I said, if it's something Kate needs or wants, I'm not going to stand in the way.

Julie: Have you given any thoughts on leaving the department and truly being "safe" at home with your family?

Jesse: *laughs while shaking his head* You been talking to Kate? Unlike Nick, yeah, I'd consider it. His passion was fire, it was mine for a long time too, but you see things in the line of work we do that really gives you a new outlook so I'm open to all options at this time.

Julie: Thanks for stopping by today!

Jesse: *Winks and kisses your hand* Thanks for chatting with me, Jules. I should get back home, promised Nicky we're build a train track throughout the whole house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interested in finding out more about Jesse, Katy and everything?  Check out Burst into Flame by Lyssa Layne on Amazon.

Stuff -n- things

• Two blog posts this week, yay go me!
• Its officially cold here in Missouri.  I will not complain, however, because eventually it'll get hot as hockey sticks and we'll want the colder weather back.
• I was able to get to the gym both Tuesday and Wednesday and it felt great.  I also found out that my turbo kick class is on Wednesday nights so if my schedule stays the way it is, I can start going to that.  I miss it!!
• Continue to pray for STL - from what I had been told, the verdict could be read this weekend.  It will not be pretty no matter what the outcome is.
• My hotel now has rent-a-cops.  No joke and honestly I wouldn't trust my life to them because they don't look like they could take anyone down.  Considering the hotel is 2 blocks from the courthouse, my decision has been made on what I will do in terms of work when this all happens.
• I heard on the radio this AM that they are saying more more 2 spaces after the end of a period.  If you've noticed on my writing, I still do it.  I'll have to read more into it but they are saying 2 spaces is old...
• I'm far behind on my Goodreads goal for this year.  I could still do it, we'll see!

Have a great Thursday!

Because I'm happy!

I really just like being in the classroom again on a daily basis.

Pray hard that its permanent for next fall!

Start dancing and enjoy your Wednesday night :)

Stuff -n- things

• Getting back into the swing of things with teaching, and the hotel on occasion, is hard stuff!!  I'm doing my best, I'll post when I can but nowadays I'm just ready for bed, ha!
• If you guys are following the Ferguson stuff still, or see it on the news or Twitter on occasion, the verdict is supposed to be read within the next two weeks.  My brother, being a cop, has advised us on what we should do and where we shouldn't go.  Its scary to think about what he's telling us they are preparing for but the sad thing is, is that it will happen.  Pray for St. Louis and I'll keep you informed.
• On that same note, the hotel is two blocks from the courthouse where it all is taking place.  I contacted my hotel general manger to see if there's an action/safety plan in place because other buildings/businesses that surround us have them already and doesn't shock me that we don't have one.  So needless to say my safety is #1 and I will not go to work if/when this all starts back up again.
• We had a fun Halloween...I need to post about that soon!
• Last night I realized I have Divergent from Netflix to still watch.  Yeah it came in September...

Have a great Thursday!

Peace - Love - Kindergarten!

I've been MIA from blogging on a regular basis because I'm back in Kindergarten!

The long term started on Tuesday and I feel like I'm already disconnected from the world.  It'll get better but for now its craziness.

I will be in K for the rest of the year as after this one is over in February, another teacher on the same team in the same school will be leaving to go on one.  You better believe I won't be drinking the water at this school ;)

Anywho that's why I'm kinda MIA - once I'm in a schedule I'll be around :)

This weekend I...

was very busy!

Friday night was Girls Night at Ellen's house.  If you caught my Thursday post, I wasn't sure how a certain person was going to react to me and sure enough she was rude.  Didn't talk to me, I had to instigate all the conversations.  However everyone else was talkative so I just did my thing with them.  We had a homemade pizza night and it was delicious!!  We will see how she is towards me at the November one or I will be calling her out.  I'm tired of it, I didn't do anything but try to help her when she wanted it.

That night I came home to a cranky husband who was already in bed because he apparently tweeked his foot at soccer on Thursday.  Of course he thinks its nothing so he's not doing much about it.  I'm praying it doesn't turn worse.


Saturday we wasted time while Keith's car was getting an oil change.  We had to make a stop at our travel agent to pick these books up:

to start planning our summer vacation.  We're looking into the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.  Our friends are opting to marry in Destin, Florida so if the big vacation doesn't pan out, we can always do that but Keith is wanting all inclusive again...which is fine by me!  Anyone been to the above and have suggestions on where to stay?

We then went to dinner at Sybergs downtown and cheered on the Blues to a victory against the Chicago Blackhawks.  It was an exciting game to be at:

Sunday was the yearly Kimmswick Apple Butter Festival where we snacked on kettle korn

while walking around to all the vendors and seeing the goodies they brought this year.  I ran into 2 students of mine that I taught back in 2009 who are now freshmen - man I'm old!!  We also ran into several other friends of ours and it was good to catch up with them all.  That night we headed to my parents for our weekly dinner and Walking Dead watching.  However I watched Spongebob with my mini me instead.  It was fun!

I'm now on day 1 of 14 working without sleeping.  I don't get to sleep in until November 8th.  We're going to see how my body does again working back to back (the long term starts tomorrow) and if I can't handle it, a decision will be made.  We shall see!

Have a great Monday!!

Skinny Bitch in Love - BCF

Yay its Friday...and another book review!

This week I'm reviewing:



Goodreads says:
Clementine Cooper is a born vegan, com­mitted in every way to the healthy lifestyle she was raised with on her father’s organic farm. But how bad could a little butter be? Bad enough to get the ambitious and talented sous chef fired when an influential food critic discovers dairy in Clem’s butternut squash ravioli with garlic sage sauce. Though she was sabotaged by a backstab­bing coworker, Clem finds herself unceremo­niously blackballed from every vegan kitchen in L.A.

Like any vegan chef worth her salt, however, Clem knows how to turn lemons into delicious, cruelty-free lemonade cupcakes. She launches the Skinny Bitch Cooking School in hopes of soon opening her own café in an empty space near her apartment. But on the first day of class, sexy millionaire restaurateur Zach Jeffries puts a fork in her idea with his own plans for the space—a steakhouse. Clem is livid. For a carnivore, Zach is more complicated than she anticipated. He’s also a very good kisser. But could dating one of the most eligible bachelors in the city—and a meat-eater—be as bad for Clem as high-fructose corn syrup? Shouldn’t she fall instead for a man who seems to be her perfect match in every way—like Alexander Orr, a very cute, very sweet vegan chef?

Clem thought she was open-minded, but as she confronts the challenges of budding entrepre­neurship, old rivals, ex-boyfriends, and tempting suitors, she begins to wonder if she can ever say “I love you” to a man who hates tofu.

I say:
I picked this book, and its sequel, up on a whim for my Mexico trip back in July.  I couldn't put them down!!  I started this one on the plane and quickly finished it as we landed in PV.  It was a light read, and had a little bit of everything - love, humor, drama and romance!

I gave it 4 stars on my Goodreads list.

What are you reading this week?

Stuff -n- things

• I start my long term in Kindergarten on Tuesday.  It will be at least until the middle of February, give or take the snow days, but at least 12 weeks.  Then I was asked to do another long term, same school, same grade and team, that will start middle of April and go to the end of the year.  Score!!
• I will not be drinking the water at that school ;)
• Girls Night is tomorrow night.  Normally I'd be excited, which I am as I haven't seen E's new house, but one of the girls owes me and another money and because the other girl isn't going to be there, I have to be the bad guy.  Which is fine because I just don't take shit anymore but S has already put me down the last girls night, which is totally out of her character, so we'll see how this one goes.
• While I'm not a Walking Dead fan, I love Sunday nights at my parents.  Its fun!
• I saw "The Best of Me" Tuesday night with my sister and stepmom.  It was your typical Nicholas Sparks movie.  I liked it, not my most favorite, but I liked it.  If you read the book then plan on seeing it, you'll be disappointed most likely.  Best advice, you don't have to read the book before you see it.
• Keith and I had a lunch date today.  Will be the last one for awhile
• Anyone have any good Christmas craft ideas?  I need something for a friend for November Girls Night.

Have a great Thursday!!

Weekend wrap-up

Hey hey - did everyone have a good weekend?

I know I'm day behind, however, my weekend was pretty fun!

Friday night Keith and I kept it low key and decided to use one of my birthday treats from Chevy's.  Chevy's is one of those places you forget about until you get there and realize that it hits the spot.  I got sang to for my special day and the dessert was the icing on the cake:

Saturday was gorgeous but a bit chilly so we ran some errands before taking our last trip to Grant's Farm for the season.  They were all decorated for Halloween and giving us adults hard apple cider to sip on as we made our way through the park:

 Sunday I got to work, of course, then we watched the Rams beat the Seahawks and went to my parents for our Sunday dinner/Walking Dead watching.  Well they all watch, I read a book as I'm not a huge fan of it.  But family time is awesome!!

What did you do this weekend?

Burst Into Flame - BCF

This week I'm reviewing:


Goodreads says:
“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
-Albert Schweitzer

For Dr. Katy Garrity, life is a whirlwind, and the New York Fire Department is the heart of the storm. After claiming so many people she loved, including her own husband, Katy is left adrift, trying to keep up with a busy career, a baby son, and her loving extended family. Her only anchor is Jesse O'Neil, her late husband's best friend. The charming former playboy has put his entire life on hold to care for Katy and her son. It's inevitable that sparks will flare between them, but all of life seems to be conspiring to keep them apart. Especially Katy's own heart, which shies away from trusting another firefighter. Will the flames of passion burst into a lifetime of love? Or will secrets burn away their connection, causing Dr. Garrity to be burned again?

I say:
I was super excited when I got my hands on a copy of Burst Into Flame, the 2nd story in the Burning Lovesick series.   Lyssa is a real life friend of mine and I love that she's become an author.  I now blame her for my thoughts of firefighters and her books every time I hear sirens :)

I fell in love with the story of Katy & Nick in the first book and wanted to see how the author was going to continue Katy's story as a widow of a firefighter. Having Nick's best friend Jesse take on the male role in her family's life allowed both her and her son to continue on.

Situations arise in Jesse's life that test the friendship of Katy & Jesse to the extent of possibly ruining their relationship. However through twists and turns, they both realize what is best with that thing we call love.

I gave it 5 stars on my Goodreads list.

What are you reading this week?