A New Series: Seriously, Pinterest!?

Seriously, Pinterest!?

I'm all about crafting and creating and baking and all, but there are some things I see on Pinterest and I think to myself:
"Who in the WORLD has time for that!?"

I mean, I work full time, but I don't have kids yet, and I still cannot see myself doing these time intensive projects. Here's one I thought was extra ridiculous...unless you have 8 hours to make the dessert you are taking to your next Christmas party.

You need tweezers? I'm out.

Thanksgiving

When things aren't seeming to go your way, it is hard to be thankful in your circumstances. Of course, there is MUCH to be thankful for, which I cannot take for granted--my health, home, family, freedom, job and much more. But, when you are mourning a loss, or lacking hope, or dwelling in pain, it is hard to find comfort in being thankful for your current situation.  I certainly felt this way for the past two Thanksgivings, and so I've tried to focus on the "little" things to be thankful for.

Here's my Thankful list:

• sweet walks with Maggie
• cute fuzzy ear warmers
• coffee (specifically while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade)
• good books
• my ability to still run 3 miles after my race
• a clean house
• my favorite sweet potato recipe from my favorite second grade teacher, Mrs. Heigel
• Tom having 3 hours off to enjoy Thanksgiving
• a fully decorated house for Christmas
• sleep

I have many blessings to count, and although that doesn't take away pain or hurt, it brightens my soul a bit to dwell on God's goodness.

Truth

This past year I've been struggling with anger and despair and darkness. Sometimes when you are in such a dark place, you repel anything that has even the slightest bit of light. That is what I've been doing. But, in my recent hope, I've let a sliver of light in, and it is oh.so.beautiful. This song came on my Pandora station and usually I would "skip" it, but today I listened to the beauty and truth of the words and was overcome with the TRUTH.

When A Heart Breaks

Life isn't easy and it isn't clean, but BOY do we need Jesus.

Hope

Today I am feeling hopeful and thankful and peaceful. It may not last long, but it is how I'm feeling now. And, if I've learned anything in the past year, it is embrace the hope and the joy in the now. Don't linger on yesterday or tomorrow, but soak in the beauty that is in the present.



I'm listening to Thankful by Josh Groban. It is actually a song from his Christmas album, but it is fitting all year. We all have so many blessings in our life each day and I will cling to the hope and strength and be thankful today!

Honesty

I am by no means a blogger who has followers, but I was recently reading some of the blogs I follow and was so encouraged by their honesty. I was also very convicted.

Honesty. It isn't something we find too often on the internet. If all at. We hide behind Facebook profile pictures and Instagram'd life events and Twitter updates that make our lives seem perfectly put together, uncomplicated, and unbelievably joyful. But life isn't always like that. Often we are broken, depressed, dealing with complication and confusion.

I'm thankful for the honesty of these two bloggers that wrote exactly what I needed to hear yesterday: Across the Pond and Tales of Me and the Husband

Let's be honest with one another. I'll start.

Runner's High

Freezing before the race

In Corral 19...way back there!

Almost to the start line

Alright, I'm hooked! :)  I had so much fun today running 13.1 miles in my first half marathon! I ran the 2013 St. Louis Rock and Roll Marathon in downtown St. Louis. The weather was freezing, which I wasn't quite prepared for. I get hot easily and thought I would be fine in my tank. When I realized it wasn't going to warm up past 32 degrees at 10am, I grabbed a long sleeve running top too. It worked out and I shed that layer at the 4 mile mark. I felt really good the entire time. At around mile 5, 8 and 10 I was bothered by my ankle, but I tried to shrug that away mentally. That worked pretty well, because I felt great coming in at mile 12 and 13.

My goal was to run the whole time, and I did it! I really underestimated myself, since I thought I would finish in about 3 hours and instead I completed in 2 and a half hours. YEA! Next time (yes, there will be a next time!) I hope to beat my time and sprint in the last half mile or so (instead of the last 20 yards). I am really excited about this new passion and hope to run more half marathons in the future, which I think is a great sign as to how the race went.

I also realized how many people were there for me and cheering me on and praying for me. That meant so much!! Especially Tom, who got up early, drove me down and managed to follow me with the camera!

Mile 4

The numbers:

• Finished in 2:30:46, which gave me a 11:31 overall split
• My 5K time: 32:54
• My 10 K time: 1:09:30
• My 10 mile time: 1:54:59

The Finish Line

All wrapped up, it was cold afterwards!

With my medal

-

Enjoying the concert by Atlas Genius and ready for lunch!

We'll see where my next Half Marathon leads me!

Been Out for a Run

I have no reason for my lack of posting recently, except that I have been busy RUNNING! I've set a big goal that I have been wanting to attain for awhile. Tomorrow, I will be running my first half marathon! I'm excited and nervous about running the 13.1 miles. I'm trying to psych myself up for it...I know my body can do it...now just my mind needs to get in the game!

A little motivation:

I can't wait to post about how it went!

Blank Pages

Yesterday was the first day of school! Here's to a new school year, and a new year (To me, this is the new  year more than in January, because my birthday is coming soon and I'll be starting another year of life)! Being a book lover, I connected with this quote. Since I'm starting a new journey as a reading teacher, and saying goodbye to the experience of being a classroom teacher, I feel like I'm writing a whole new book.

I hope it is a good one!

The 12 Minute Work Out

Tom shared this interesting study with me about how 12 minutes of high intensity workouts, even at a low volume, can reduce cholesterol and fat successfully. The 16 minutes work outs were even better, but still at a manageable time limit.

This is so surprising to me, but refreshing too. In my mind, a workout should be 1-1 1/2 hours long! I know. Ridiculous! But that's what I did in high school and college and I was in great shape (not surprising I guess, considering the time I spent at the gym.) So, now, I feel this pressure to work out for a long time. But you know what happens? I get so overwhelmed by not working out long enough that I just DON'T work out at all. So silly. And not at all healthy.

So, all that to say, I can handle 12 minutes, or even 16 minutes! It is so do-able! Here's my plan I've been following (keep in mind: high intensity):

16 Minutes to Fitness

2 minutes of bosu ball burpees

2 minutes of jump rope

2 minutes of side steps with resistance band

2 minutes of pylometric jacks

2 minutes of push ups

2 minutes of regular burpees

2 minutes of mountain climbers

2 minute plank

Stretch!

Here's my oh-so-fabulous gym I belong to:

Fooled ya! It's my basement and it USUALLY doesn't have wood in the middle of it. 

And guess what? Once I do my 16 minutes, then I wind up stretching and wanting to do more exercises because my adrenaline is going and I feel great. In the end, I'm working out for a solid 30 minutes, which I feel pretty dang good about. [Because let's face it, you only have time for hour and a half work outs when you are in college. I mean, I had to squeeze them in between studying and playing intramural football and hanging out and getting my meals cooked for me and having dance parties and studying and talking and sleeping. Rough life!]

Here's to 12 minutes of fitness!

My new (old) friend Denim

I am no fashionista. But I love to try out new looks and put together outfits where I feel like one. The problem? Lack of disposable income...aka the ability to buy every cute thing I see at Target. I shop mostly at Target with a little Macy's and Forever 21 thrown in there. I am proud of a few purchases I've made that incorporate denim. I feel very put together in these outfits, and that always is a benefit to my [low] self esteem.

Here they are:

A denim shirt from Forever 21 I mentioned here paired with a super cute denim accented fedora from Target [bonus: it was on sale] with white shorts:

My new denim jacket I found for a good deal at Marshall's. I tried to by like this fabulous shopper and blogger and take my picture like she does. MUCH harder than it looks, although I didn't have access to a mirror, I believe that helps!!

Denim on denim makes me a bit nervous though, it seems to be a trend, but it also goes against everything I ever learned about fashion. We'll see about that! :)

Refreshed

I needed some refreshment and that's exactly what I got this past weekend! I had the 6th Annual Cottage [where I lived Senior year of College] Reunion, with all my fabulous closest and dearest friends.

We did everything every girls getaway should: screaming with excitement, shopping in the cute area of Cedarburg, stopping ice cream and coffee houses, talking and laughing, eating, sharing stories, staying up until 2am, ATVing, laying out at the pool, loving time one another, getting dressed up for a fun night out, going downtown to Milwaukee, sharing exciting news, taking a million pictures, talking and crying, screaming with animation, eating more snacks and ice cream and dessert than I ever need, having dance parties, more talking and praying together. 

It was beautiful. Every minute. And I feel oh so refreshed.

Provoking and Powerful, a book reccommendation

I love reading, and as you saw on my Summer Bucket List that I had a few books on my list for the summer. This is the current one I'm addicted to:

I absolutely love Peggy Orenstein's style of writing. The way she conveys emotion, truth, pain, and [sometimes irrational] hope is amazing and speaks right to my soul. I certainly don't agree with everything, maybe even many, of her religious viewpoints or perspectives, but it is very interesting, and made me think deeply about various beliefs that I had not considered before. I highly recommend it, whether or not you have faced infertility, I think it is a powerful read.

What did YOU do for 4th of July!?

BBQs, parades, fireworks and snow cones might be the norm for 4th of July, but we stepped out a bit. Tom was off (yea!) but we both have early mornings tomorrow (like 4am early) so we did all things us to just enjoy the day and relax: walked to Starbucks, read on the couch, ate bruchetta for lunch, did some yard-work and talked on the patio drinking diet coke. It was wonderful!

Oh, and we shaved our dog. YES, I guess we're *those* people now. I feel so bad for Maggie, she hates the heat, but who wants their dog to look like *that* dog. {You've seen 'em before, it's bad.}Don't worry! It was pretty minimal and she still looks pretty darn cute if you ask me! And hopefully, a little bit cooler!

Happy Fourth of July!

To Run or Not to Run?!

I think I'm feeling ill. I am *considering* running a half marathon this fall. I could go either way right now.

PROS:
-force me to stay in shape/get in shape
-I set a goal to do this last spring and should follow through
-accomplish a bucket list item

CONS:

-really, do I need to say anything here!? I used the word marathon, that should be enough.
-extensive amount of time it takes to train
-I would have to run a lot.
-expensive [my main justification, because let's be honest--those other cons are just excuses]

We'll see. I mean, I should just go for it, right? Now or never! My feet hurt already.

This is what I'm considering: St Louis Rock and Roll Marathon

I'll keep you posted!

Summer Blues

I love summer! This summer was been wonderful because I'm loosely working [6 hours of tutoring a week], working out like crazy [love/hate relationship with my personal trainer], fitting in all my appointments and to-do list items and projects [seriously, that is almost a full time job] and relaxing [did you say read a book at the pool!?]. It's great.

But today I got all bummed out and in a funk. It probably had something to do with Tom beginning residency today [Alert: He's a real doctor, people!] and knowing I won't see him much for the next 4 years. He left home at 4:45am and returned at 7pm, so it's a crazy life. I took Maggie on a walk at 5:15 and then I made dinner and then I waited. I'm not much of a time waster or a wait around and do nothing kind of person, but that's kind of what I did for the last half hour. And I got all sad and lonely and thoughtful about life and it wasn't very fun. And whenever that happens, I go straight to music. I love music. And I love this song:

It's not that new, but I like it. I like thinking about things that make me "feel again." And I learned my lesson: tomorrow Maggie and I will take a longer walk.

Graduation Party Ideas

Tom graduated Medical School, so clearly we needed to celebrate BIG TIME! I also finished my Masters degree this past year, so we opted for a double graduation party. I really wanted to enjoy the opportunity to be creative and make it special. I love being crafty, but often lack the time. So...I was ultra-prepared. The party was earlier in June, but I started crafting in February, so I wasn't stressed at the last minute, well, at least with the stuff that could be done in advance! :)

Here are a few ways I included both a Medical School Graduation theme and a Reading Specialist Masters degree [say that five times!] theme into one {fabulous} party:

Welcome to the Party!

Wreath with graduation pictures

                                 [yarn wrapped wreath + cardstock + pictures + scrapbooking letters]

Mantel filled with Graduation Memories and Banner

Pinterest-inspired quotes and inspirational sayings banner

Pencil and alphabet vase 

 [2 boxes of pencils + actual teacher alphabet desk strips + washed out veggie can + lots of hot glue]

A dressed up card box

                                             [I had an "extra" mailbox. I may be a *bit* of a hoarder.]

Special drink coozies for the grads

                                     [Dollar bin at Jo Ann Fabric + scrapbooking letters]

Scrub shirt cookies for dessert

Large and small versions

     [Recipe for the cookie found here: Authentic Suburban Gourmet; Recipe for the icing found here: AllRecipes; "Gourmet Writer" edible marker bought at Hobby Lobby; cookie cutters found locally]

Alphabet and school supply cupcakes

My amazing mom made this great teacher themed table runner...

and tablecloth for the drink table!

And you can't leave without a party favor!

A prescription from the Dr.!

[purchased empty pill bottles + Avery labels from Wal-Mart + a color printer + a little creativity

 + lots of different "prescription-y fonts]

We had a wonderful turn out and a fabulous time celebrating with friends and family. It was a treat to have everyone who supported us through the past years in one place to celebrate. I'm so glad I did all the detail work ahead of time, because cleaning our house and setting up was enough work the week of! And, making those cookies!! [Seriously, it took 2 days, or the equivalent of watching 5 seasons of the Office.]

Beautiful Interruptions

I am a planner and when you have a plan and a type A personality, you simply don't want anything to interrupt it. I find that sometimes I am so linked to the plans in life, that I am missing out on the unplanned, the surprises, the life that happens in-between and instead and in the interruption. This week I have been blessed with two beautiful interruptions. Twice this week I received phone calls from far-away (but very dear) friends. Each time I looked at my phone, and in that instant my planning brain said:

You don't have time!
You'll be late!
What about ____ that you were going to accomplish this morning?
This is not in the plan!
You aren't being productive!

But, after my unfortunate pause, I answered my phone. And each time it was the most beautiful interruption. Each time I was blessed with selflessness, friends calling to see how I was doing, what I was struggling with, what I needed from them. And there I had been--selfish enough to think about dismissing their call, because it wasn't the best time for ME.

So, my goal is to look for and seek out and accept and answer the beautiful interruptions that life provides. I know that I'm missing so many of them and I can't wait to see what life has to offer me when I'm willing to be interrupted. And willing to put aside my plan and accept the one that God has given me.

Getting Old

I'm 28, and my birthday is a few months away. I thought my life would look a bit different when I turned 29, and that's okay. But what I think is interesting is how I used to LOVE my birthday and I have to admit, I'm not quite as excited about this one. Once I hit 29, then it is the big 3-0. Scary. I used to think 30 was old. Hmmm.

This AMAZING video talks about being 32, and is a parady of Taylor Swift's song "22." It's awesome. Watch it, you won't be disappointed!

You're welcome. My 28 looks an awful lot like her 32. What about you?

Summer Bucket List

Each summer I make a list of all my to-do's of what I need and should accomplish for the summer. Sometimes most of the time I don't finish everything. For a to-do-list-loving-person like me, that calls for some serious disappointment, but I try to not get toO hung up on it. My list usually morphs as the summer goes and items come up or disappear. What is on my list this summer?

Summer Bucket List:

 Make a special memory gift for my niece's 18^th birthday
Paint back door blue
Lose 10 pounds...aka work out and eat healthy
 Watch all 9 seasons of The Office
 See The Great Gatsby at the movie theater  Just saw it today, it was fabulous!

 Scrapbook/make photo albums for:

o  Yellowstone Vacacation (3 years ago)

o  DR vacation (2 years ago)

o  Pictures from our House (home improvement projects, etc.)

 See The Bling Ring 

 Go to the zoo
 Organize the basement

 Simplify clothes

 Read 3 books:

               o  Finish Sense and Sensibilty

               o  Memoir I ordered: Waiting For Daisy

               o  the first Harry Potter book (I've never read them!)

 Go to a [free] concert: Josh Turner

   

     I counted yesterday that I have 8 weeks left of summer...it goes so fast! Hopefully I can do all this, and more!  

Already Reminiscing

Yes. I'm back to reminisce about my students whom I miss. Already. You would too if you knew how cute and smart and sweet and kind and creative they are!!

We made this video during the last of school together. It's a "brain break" or, I heard recently, a "Brain Booster", which really is a more accurate description. Each day we take a few minutes as we transition from Language Arts to Math to move--get energy out, wake up a bit, get our minds going--and then quickly settle back down into our work. It works like a charm! I had a very energetic group this year, and they truly benefited from our brain breaks. In fact, if we skipped it on accident, we all felt it! Plus, it promotes being active and healthy! Bonus!

They each had an opportunity to choreograph their own dance move. Then, we learned everyone's move and performed. It was the best day! 

Enjoy!

Out with the old, In with the new!

As you saw from my previous post, something new is coming my way! A new job! It was definitely not expected, as I actually turned down this same job a few months ago. But, timing is everything, and this time, when I received a phone call encouraging me to apply, the timing was right. I received that call on a Wednesday evening and thought and prayed about it all night. Thursday I applied for the job, Friday I interviewed, and on Monday I accepted a call from Human Resources. So, what will I be doing?!

Next year I will be a Reading Intervention teacher, which means I'll teach reading to those students who are struggling (think: lowest 20%) in grades K-5. I'll actually be working at two schools, which means traveling mid day each day to another school. That's the reason I initially wasn't interested in the job, but I think traveling between two schools, although stressful at times, will be nice. New perspectives, new ideas, new people...and I'll see the outside world each day! The sun?! What's that!?

Knowing that I left the classroom (maybe forever!) a few weeks ago made for a emotional roller coaster, much less leaving my most amazing teammate and friend Danielle, AND knowing I'm *kind of* leaving my school, since I'll only be there part-time. Whew, it is a miracle I made it through the end of the year. That also explains my blogging disappearance. Packing up 6 years of classroom teaching + report cards + emotional goodbyes + the regular end of year stress = a very overwhelmed and exhausted teacher.

So, I leave you with another thought I'm hanging onto as I begin this new journey.

I'm excited as a think about what the fall will bring. I'm not sure when it will set in that I'm not going back to the classroom, or my "regular" job, we'll see. In the meantime, I'm not stressing about the next school year, I'm just soaking up summer.

Change

Just when we thought there wouldn't be change in our lives, it manages to creep in. Surprising, sudden, and sweet, yet overwhelming, alarming and exciting. So, I focus on this truth:

It's hard for good things to end, and I'm not good at endings. It's been a long time since I've had a new beginning, so I'm not sure how I handle them. We'll see. More to come.

Surprise! Fred Bird is in the house!

This past week was the fabulous 1st Grade Show...entitled "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." The students were adorable, the music sounded lovely, but what stole the show...Fred Bird's surprise arrival! I was lucky enough to be an honorary Team Fred Bird Girl, which is a lot tougher than it looks. I mean, the high level of energy, the t shirt launcher, keeping up with Fred Bird! He is a PARTY! And, well, there certainly was a party at school that day!

Here is a brief video as my debut as Team Fred Bird:

And a few more highlights:

Go Cards!

Fashion Challenge Attempt #1

I'm trying to be more fashion forward! Here are a few of my recent attempts at stepping out:

Chambray Shirt

I bought this one here at Forever 21. I've been looking for the perfect chambray shirt in my price range for awhile, and I stumbled across this one. I wasn't sure about the pockets, but I love it now. Here's me trying it out with my yellow pants, and a favorite scarf from my very stylish sister-in-law.

I don't love myself in this picture, but it is the only one that showed the entire outfit. I haven't yet tried denim on denim...we'll see about that. For now, I like the denim shirt with bright pants for spring! Next up, trying it with a skirt.

Accent Nail Polish

I've seen this trend on celebrities, etc., but haven't had the courage to wear it myself. Maybe you've seen it, like this one: one finger a different color than the others, called an accent nail. I started with a silver and grey combination.

I liked the look, and I felt a little edgier already!

I look forward to trying out a few more styles and fashion tips in the future!

Bloglovin'

I don't know what I'm doing in this blogging world! But, I started a Bloglovin' list so I can more easily read the blogs I like to check out.

You can, of course, follow me too, if you have one. See my new link on the right, you can't miss it! If not, get started here.

Other than that, I really don't know anything about it. I'm about a year behind with pretty much all things in life--innovations, news, fashion, technology, etc. Oh well! Maybe one day I'll be able to keep up!

Match Day

What a crazy experience! We knew that Match Day was going to be a nerve-wracking day, but we didn't know what we were in for. This was insane! But, it was a wonderful day...

We arrived at Busch Stadium and waiting in the FREEZING cold for 30 minutes. Someone was worried about getting good seats, and boy, did that pay off, when we got the best seats there! You're welcome, Tom. :) We were able to sit next to the wall of windows looking into the stadium, and less than 20 feet from the podium, directly in front of it. PERFECT!

We got our picture taken, walked around in the stadium to see the gorgeous sun coming up over the stadium and the St. Louis Arch, got some drinks and chocolate fondue, and listened to announcements. 

Then, it was 10:59am. At 11:00am on the dot they began calling names. What was amazingly fun was that each student got to choose a song, which played while they walked up to get their letter. This made it more upbeat and fun. Tom's song was Jason Aldean's Take a Little Ride. Then, the student took their letter and went back to the seat to open it. You can imagine, then, that  there is a lot going on: students getting their name called, songs played, students opening letters, people reacting. And that right there is where I began to get a little. bit. stressed. A girl to the left of us is screaming with joy. Another girl at her table is crying because she got her #4 spot. A group to the right is cheering when someone got into UNC. The guy at our table received his letter, crumpled it into a ball and walked out. He never came back. My eyes were wide and my heart was pumping. At one point they called a "Thomas" and I nearly had a heart attack. It wasn't Tom. I had the video camera ready and wanted to get it all on film, but I also wanted to survive. It literally felt like a survival situation. Don't get me wrong, it was a fun atmosphere, but there was this intensity that just hung like a cloud in the room until 12:00 when all names had been called. Whew.

Anyway, back to Tom. At 11:20 they called "Thomas Ganz" and Tom headed up to the podium. He looked fabulous and was all smiles. He came back to the table and opened the letter. I saw his reaction first: priceless. He was BEAMING, called out "YES!" and looked at me. Me? I was worried that he had read the letter wrong. Are you sure? Did it really say SLU? So, I desperately tried to read the size 8 font, and when I did, I may have given the rest of the table a show. I practically jumped onto Tom, gave him a huge hug and then a even bigger kiss. Oops! Who knew that's what my reaction would be!?  I was excited and thrilled and oh so proud of Tom! I'm so glad he was called at 11:20 because I am not sure I could not survived until noon. After that Tom just smiled and we were both so excited! And then, Tom got another drink, it was well deserved!

What does it say!? SLU!

After the Match, we had a wonderful lunch in the Redbird Club and we started to really relax. We talked about how this was the perfect venue, because people could get some space if they wanted to call relatives, and there was also something else to do after the Match. It was one of those events where you didn't want to stick around, but your adrenaline was too high not to do something else. Now it was time for fun! What fun tradition is for everyone to add their name to a map, to show where they are going for residency, which was neat. Tom added his name to St. Louis, mingled a bit, and then we headed to a tour of Busch Stadium.

We loved the tour! Here are some highlights:

The Press Box

We're on the field!

Making a call to the bull pen

In the dug out

They made a huge deal about NOT touching the grass. But, these guys were removing the sod and replacing it, so my 28 year old husband HAD to touch the "ruined" sod in the back of the gator cart just because they had said not to. Good work, Dr.!

After we left Busch Stadium, we headed to The Scottish Arms to continue celebrating. We texted friends and family to let them know we were staying in St. Louis. BUT, we kept it a surprise what program Tom got into. We wanted to reveal that at dinner with our parents. At 6:00 we met both sets of parents at Brio, where Tom gave a speech about wanting to be at SLU, but most importantly, be in St. Louis. Then, he announced he got his #1 choice: SLU OBGYN! Yea!

Dinner was delicious and then we continued the celebration once more at my parents house for a wonderful dessert and coffee. By the time we left at 10:30 we were EXHAUSTED! What an emotional roller coaster day.

We are so blessed to be able to stay in St. Louis, not have to sell our Nantucket home, and for Tom to be able to go to his top choice program in the field he wanted to be in. Praise God, He is so faithful! It is because of God's grace, and Tom's hard work and dedication that we have come so far, and we are SO thankful. It was also so neat to see our families and friends' reactions and encouragement as we went through this experience.

We are so blessed!