Happy Valentine's Day to my favorite readers! I love an excuse to show extra love and appreciation to all of those around me, and of course, I'm always happy for an excuse to wear a little pink! Things I'm Loving Friday is something that my blogging inspiration, Peanut Butter Fingers, does almost every Friday, so I decided to follow her lead and share a few of my current favorites with you guys.
East of Eden
This was never a book I was made to read in school, but I really like John Steinbeck, so I recently made the decision to tackle what Steinbeck regards as his greatest novel. It's a long one, and I am not very deep into it, but I am already enjoying it (and trying to keep all of the characters straight).
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Manicures and Pedicures
Yesterday, because my usual Thursday evening class was not taking place, and I got home a bit earlier than usual due to an early-afternoon substitute teacher orientation/training, I decided to make good on my promise to myself and treat myself to a relaxing manicure and pedicure. I've been saying that I was going to do this for weeks now, and because Sarah so generously gave me a gift card to a nail salon in Austin for my birthday, I decided that yesterday was as good a day as any to put it to good use. It was just what I needed to relax and pamper myself a bit before I hit the ground running for these final six weeks of student teaching.
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| I know, I've got some abnormally long fingers |
Running the Show
My cooperating teacher is out of town both today and Monday, so although I cannot be considered an "official substitute" quite yet, I am still able to fully run the show while my teacher is out of town. I love my cooperating teacher, and I love it when she is in the classroom with me, but I feel just a little bit more confident when I'm the only "teacher" in the classroom. I had such a great time today taking attendance, administering the exams, writing the agenda, and even just getting everything organized, set up, and ready to go. Though I simply watched the remainder of the college presentations and administered benchmarks and outside reading exams, I am feeling both important and accomplished as I round out day one of being fully in charge.
Sabra Individual Hummus Packs
I am a big-time hummus lover. I was at Randall's one day buying my usual container of hummus, when a 4-pack of individual hummus containers caught my eye. I knew these would be perfect to take to school with me to eat for lunch alongside a serving of carrots and celery. It might be a little bit more expensive than buying a bigger container of hummus and spooning it into individual Tupperware containers, but one, it makes cleaning up a whole lot easier, and this allows me to control the portion size. Sometimes the benefits outweigh the cost (basic economics, am I right?).
Surprise Treats
Last night our doorbell rang long about 9:40pm. None of us were expecting anyone, though we thought maybe it was a delivery from Tiff's Treats that one of our parents had sent for Valentine's Day. So, you can imagine our surprise when it was one of our friends delivering a fresh-baked loaf of banana bread. She is selling banana bread to raise money to buy a new camera that recently broke, as well as help raise money to send high school kids to Wilderness Ranch in Colorado. We hadn't ordered any ourselves, but I was told that it was a gift from the sweetest guy I know, and it was very much appreciated!
You know that saying about how teachers learn just as much from their students as students learn from their teachers? Well, I took a page out of their books and bought this EOS Lip Balm after seeing many of them use it during class. It intrigued me because of its spherical shape and the fun colors it comes in. I am a big-time chapstick user, and though I usually swear by Burt's Bees, I think this Evolution of Smooth lip balm has taken over first place. I have tried the blueberry acai, sweet mint, and strawberry sorbet, and they have all kept my lips feeling happy and smooth. You can find this lip balm at Target or Walgreen's, so do your lips a favor in this constantly-changing Texas weather and treat yourself to your favorite flavor.
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And that's all I have for you guys today. I'm finishing up my lunch period at school, and after one and a half more block periods, I'll be headed home to get ready for what is sure to be a delicious Valentine's Day dinner with Dylan. Have a great evening, and I hope you are experiencing as beautiful of a day where you are as we are having in Austin.
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