Things I'm Loving Friday LVII

Happy FriYAY! It has been a crazy week of volleyball tryouts and two-a-days, and now we head out to Cypress to compete day one of the pre-season scrimmages. It's kind of a whirlwind trying to get freshman ready to compete in this fast-paced introduction to the world high school volleyball, but I'm excited to see what today brings. And while I'm doing that, enjoy some of the things I'm loving this week!

Run Fast, Eat Slow
When a four-time Olympian and American record holder (Shalene Flanagan) joins forces with a chef and nutrition coach (Elyse Kopecky) to create a beautiful cookbook full of healthy recipes for athletes, you know you have to check it out. This cookbook features step-by-step recipes that really squash the idea that eating healthy has to be boring and bland, or that you have to follow some strict, joyless diet. There are so many misconceptions out there when it comes to fueling your body, especially for females, and this cookbook is full of recipes that show you that it's okay to indulge while giving your body the right nutrients. The photos are fantastic, these two women looked like they had the time of their lives writing this book, and each recipe is Shalene-tested and approved.

Cult of Pedagogy Podcast
Okay, maybe only my teachers will be interested in this one, but honestly I think there are episodes that any parent or businessperson can also relate to. I've mentioned before on the blog that I'm not a huge podcast listener. Like it really has to engage me for me to continue listening. And this one absolutely does. I know people love podcasts because they can listen to them while they're driving, but with this podcast all I want to do is write down everything I hear, so it works best for me when I listen to it while walking my dog. Anyway, this podcast series has so many fantastic ideas - from classroom management to teaching strategies to personal wellness to the use of technology - and each episode I have listened to has left me feeling nothing but energized for the upcoming school year. Jennifer Gonzalez is upbeat, gives practical ideas and advice, and keeps me coming back for more. Definitely worth a listen, even if you're someone who claims to not be a "podcast person".

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I only just started listening a couple of days ago, but here are a couple episodes I loved:
   Episode 33: Five Powerful Ways to Save Time as a Teacher
   Episode 57: Nine Simple Solutions for Common Teaching Problems
   Episode 60: Six Ed Tech Tools to Try in 2017
   Episode 67: What to Do on Lame Duck School Days
   Episode 71: Why It's So Hard for Teachers to Take Care of Themselves

Gatorade Commercial: The Secret to Victory

I'm not sure how I missed this commercial when it first came out, but ever since I saw it on TV a couple of weeks ago, I have been all about it. It features star athletes such as Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, and Serena Williams, among others. The whole message is if you want to find success, you first have to experience failure. MJ not making his varsity team. Manning going 3-13 in his rookie season. Williams being on the wrong side of the biggest upset in her sport. But aren't these names some of the biggest in sports? Using failure to fuel growth has kind of been my mantra lately, and this commercial did nothing but get me pumped for volleyball season, the new school year, and marathon training.

Russ Rose: Commitment
Russ Rose is a legend in the college volleyball world. And rightfully so. He has coached his Penn State team to seven national championships and has earned the respect of so many across the country. And when Russ Rose was asked to pick one word for "The Word on Coaching" series, his word of choice was COMMITMENT. He talks about being all-in, about being focused on the end goal and distancing yourself from distractions. Of course, he's talking about the work his athletes put in on the volleyball court, but it applies to so many areas of life. If you want to be the best you can be, you've got to commit. I think the best compliment I have received as of late is someone telling me he has always been impressed by my commitment to my training. Maybe I'm not the best runner out there, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to reach my goal. Whether that's with running, teaching, coaching, being a dog mom, whatever. If you want to be the best, get out there and work hard. It's not supposed to be easy.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The Illustrated Edition
It is no secret that I am a Harry Potter junkie. Like I have to tell myself that there are so many books out there that I want to read and while I will most definitely get something new out of re-reading the Harry Potter series for the umpteenth time, it's probably not the best use of my time. BUT then I was introduced to the illustrated editions of each Harry Potter book and you guys, they are absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I am trying to be good and only purchase one of them at a time (as of today, only Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets have been released), but these are going to make a most excellent addition to my coffee table. And I might even bring them up to school for some of my more reluctant readers. Obviously these books are wonderful for any age (because 25 is not too old to read a picture book), but these would be perfect if you are looking to open up the magical world of reading to a young one. Bravo, Jim Kay, for so beautifully bringing the wizarding world to life.

Have a fabulous Friday!

Things I'm Loving Friday XLIX

Happy FriYAY! It's a cold one down here in Houston, so I can only assume that it's even chillier in other parts of the state and country. But it’s been a hot minute since I have posted a Things I’m Loving Friday, but I’m committed to making this blog a regular part of my routine again, so here it goes!

Powerbeats2 Wireless In-Ear Headphones

I finally bit the bullet and solved my headphone problem. I figured if I’m going to get serious about one day (hopefully in the near-ish future) qualifying for the Boston Marathon, then I had better get the gear that will help make it possible. Not that there’s anything wrong with the headphones that I currently use, but on my longer, faster runs, they sometimes fall out of my ears. And then there are the days when I just don’t know what to do with the length of the wires. You would think after five solid years of running I would have it figured out, but these wireless headphones are the answer to all my problems. It took me a little while to get used to over-the-ear headphones, but they stay on while I’m running, and in my opinion, the sound quality is excellent. As silly as it sounds, every second counts when it comes to qualifying for Boston, and I would hate for it to come down to a headphone malfunction.

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Longhorn Coaches

I’ll admit that I’m bragging a little bit with this one. It was the start of 3^rd period yesterday, and our head football coach popped his head into my classroom just as I was explaining to my class what we were going to be doing that day, telling me to step outside for a minute because he had a surprise for me. My jaw dropped when I was greeted by two HUGE men wearing burnt orange Longhorn warm-ups. I quickly figured out that it was Oscar Giles and Michael Huff, who are football coaches at the University of Texas, and they were visiting Bellaire to, I assume, take a look at some of our football players. 

And I love to think that some of our students’ college football dreams could be coming true. It puts a smile on my face that is equivalent to the one I’m wearing as I got to put my horns up alongside two coaches who will hopefully help bring the winning tradition back to Longhorn football. I truly couldn’t stop smiling the entire rest of the day knowing that the people I work with not only knew how much it would mean to me to get to meet them, but that these two coaches took the time to shake my hand and thank me for the work that I’m doing. Hook ‘em horns!

Adidas Superstar

Guys, this pair of shoes was the best purchase I ever could have made. I bought them on such a whim – I saw someone at school wearing a pair of black and white Adidas Superstars, and it reminded me of the stylish orange and white pair I had back in the day. I did a quick search to see if there was anything in the red and white realm, because school spirit, obviously, and ever since I got them in the mail sometime around mid-October, I wear them to school at least once a week. They’re comfortable and stylish. I say this because I always get compliments from my students whenever I wear them. And when your students compliment you on your shoe choice, you know you’re rockin’ it.

Harry Potter and the Sacred Text

Podcasts are the new “it” thing these days. And I’ll admit that I’m jumping on board. My school next-door neighbor told me about this podcast, and being the Harry Potter lover that I am, I knew I had to check it out. I was driving from my apartment to the Memorial area in rush-hour traffic just this last week, and I had more than enough time to finish the first episode (?). And I absolutely loved it. I’m already a huge fan of Harry Potter, and one college summer I wrote an entire blog post about how much the Harry Potter series means to me, and how it’s more than just a “wizarding world.” It’s chock full of valuable lessons, and this podcast decodes the text in such a way that makes it meaningful to our own lives. Each episode explores a central theme, and even after listening to just one episode over the topic of commitment, I’m hooked.

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Nine Easy Ways to Fit Mindfulness Into Your Daily Life

I don’t know if it’s just me, and I hope it’s not just me, but it’s so easy for me to get bogged down in my daily to-do list and all that I have to juggle. I feel as though the second my alarm clock goes off, I jump out of bed and my mind starts going. I think about all of the tasks that I need to complete that day and I rarely take time to appreciate the little things that are all around me. I’m so guilty of pulling out my phone while waiting in line at the grocery store instead of striking up a conversation with those around me. Granted, not everyone may want to have a conversation while in line at the grocery store, but you get what I’m saying. I can’t remember the last time – aside from Thanksgiving – I ate something without staring at a television, computer or phone screen. I was actually walking up the stairs to my classroom just this morning thinking about how so many of my students don’t know how to be alone with their thoughts, and then I had the haunting realization that maybe I don’t know how to be alone with my thoughts, either. So my goal going into the end of 2016 and the start of 2017 is to practice mindfulness.

And on that note, I'm off to enjoy a wild Friday night babysitting for some kids down the street from my parents house. I'm not complaining, because a night of Hungry's and watching Elf is surely in my future. And after a go-go-go week, I'll take a relaxed Friday night in. Hopefully I can stay awake longer than the kids!

Things I'm Loving Friday XXIII

F R I D A Y! We made it! And just ask me how much of a struggle walking up three flights of stairs was this morning. And then I had to walk back down and up again because I left my set of classroom keys in my car. Maybe I'm in long-distance running shape, but I'm nowhere near being in Felipe shape. You win some, you lose some, I guess. And today, I'm definitely losing. But as my students would tell you, "failure can strengthen a person because it motivates them to do better next time." You can tell I've got expository essays on the brain. And I actually sat down and wrote one myself the other day. More on that later.

I selfishly love Fridays, because the day doesn't really start until after lunch for me. I give my reading classes a quiz every Friday, though today I am going to have to spend a little bit of time going over affect vs. effect, as evidenced by the practice they did yesterday, and I give them the entire class period to do it. When they finish they have time to catch up on homework for their other classes, kind of as a "Congrats, we all made it to Friday!" And even in English, I've been doing essay conferences with my kiddos, so they have been responsible for reading the last four chapters of A Lesson Before Dying and completing the study guides on their own before the exam on Monday. Some have been responsible. Others, not so much. But today I'll spend the last 20 or so minutes of class reviewing for the exam, and those who pay attention will really benefit from it. So, a relatively easy Friday. And it's Go Texan Day! You know I couldn't continue onto our regularly scheduled Things I'm Loving Friday without mentioning that. The Rodeo Cook-off kicked off last night, and the first concert of the season is Tuesday, March 3rd. I absolutely love Houston Rodeo season, and though a lot of the concerts that I want to attend are not during my spring break, I am still hoping to make it out to a few of them. I guess I can handle getting a little less sleep than usual! And you better believe I'm sporting my boots today. I'm a Texas girl through and through!

Now, let's move on, shall we?

Things I'm Loving Friday

Scary Close
Guys, I started and finished a book in three days. DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. That's how good Donald Miller's Scary Close is. Seriously, if you do one thing this next week, purchase a physical copy from Barnes & Noble, order a copy from Amazon, or download a copy to your e-Reader. This book made me think in such a new way about relationships. And not just romantic relationships, but relationships with people in general. Friends, family, co-workers, and everyone in between. How we can't put up a wall if we want to have real relationships. Vulnerability is hard, but it's absolutely necessary. I can't tell you how many quotes I wrote down while reading this book. And because you guys know how much I love a good quote, I'll share a few of them with you.

• "Those of us who are never satisfied with our accomplishments secretly believe nobody will love us unless we’re perfect."
• "Life is more about connecting with people than it is about competing with them"
• "Sometimes the story we're telling the world isn't half as endearing as the one that lives inside us."

Like I said, it will change the way you approach relationships. And if you want another book to go along with that, read Love Does by Bob Goff. Love Does Stuff, y'all.

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Red Velvet Oreos
Oreos are one of the only cookies I can actually eat, thanks to the fact that it contains no milk byproducts. How that is possible, I am not entirely sure. But every once in a while I let myself indulge in one or two. And though these limited-edition Red Velvet Oreos feature a cream cheese center, there is neither cream nor cheese present within these cookies. That being said, I did not taste test these cookies, because I had to use every last one of the 20 cookies that came in that $4.50 box. Yeah, I know. But these Red Velvet Oreo Cupcakes from My Baking Addiction looked too good to pass up. I surprised a couple of my CPA-studying friends with them, and fingers crossed they brought some good luck along with their good taste.

New Houston
It is no secret that I love Houston. I was born here, I was raised here, and to be honest, I would be perfectly fine if I never moved out of Houston. Moved out of my childhood home, of course, but the city itself? I love it. And so do other people, evidently. Yes, the traffic is a huge bummer, but find me a big city without it. Seriously, I might consider moving there. Anyway, our fine arts scene is top of the line, our restaurant selection might, dare I say it, be better than Austin, it is diverse, in many senses of the word, and the people here are some of the friendliest. Again, though, probably not on the freeway. If you're going to live in Houston, you have to be an aggressive driver.

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Harry Potter Magic
If you're new around here, I love Harry Potter. I hope that doesn't offend you. But I wish I could make all of my students read at least the first book, so that their eyes could be opened to the magic of this world. Literally and figuratively. So, Harry Potter combined with BuzzFeed? Yeah, that just can't be beat. This article featuring 34 of the Most Magical Sentences in the Harry Potter Books almost had me in tears. Seriously. Magic. And you can't deny the valuable lessons found within the 7,000+ pages.

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Lavett & Chinn Original Sea Salt Texturizing Mist
And for those of you who don't want to mess with purchasing three products, or put three different products in your hair, I have found a new curly hair product obsession, courtesy of J. Crew. Let's be honest, who doesn't wish she could recreate those perfect and effortless waves that form after a day spent at the beach? Especially in the frigid (am I being too dramatic again?) temperatures we are currently experiencing. And I may even like this product a little bit better. It makes my hair more wavy than curly, which suits my rounder face much better. Plus, that gives it a little added length, which is much-wanted after recently chopping off a couple of inches.

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I hope your Friday is a great one! Tonight is sure to be low-key, because some of my friends have a belated birthday surprise scheduled for tomorrow night. I have absolutely no idea what it could be, but you know I'll be back with a full report!

And before I completely sign off, I am absolutely puzzled over #TheDress debate. What color do you see? Black and blue? Or white and gold? Please weigh in, because the whole thing just baffles me. In the words of Ellen, the world may forever be divided between those who see black and blue, and those who see white and gold. For the record, I see white and gold, but there were instances where I glanced at it and saw black and blue. And I really can't wait to hear what my students have to say about this pressing issue.

Myers-Briggs

Another Monday is almost in the books. Selfishly, I love that our day to quiz and test is Monday, because a weekly vocabulary quiz and short answer response is a nice way to ease back into a Monday. Especially a Monday after a wedding weekend. Which was absolutely beautiful, by the way. It was a long trek out to Fort Worth, but it was more than worth it to watch Sarah marry the man of her dreams and become Mrs. Patrick Vondra (!!!). Plus, I got to reunite with all of my roommates, minus one, which was a blast and a half. You never know what will happen when the ladies of The Clubhouse get together, especially when an open bar is involved. I’m just saying. I’m actually mostly kidding about that one, but a good time was had by all. And now one of our own is a married lady. Who can believe it?

Workout

Before I get going on the heart of this post, let’s talk exercise. I thought about going to bed early, in the hopes that I would wake up early and go for a run before school, but I decided to be a human and actually stay awake for the entire Super Bowl. It turned out to be one great game, which is about all you can ask for when you don't have a dog in the fight. And of course, I loved watching the commercials. Among my favorites had to be –

• Snickers

• Budweiser

• Microsoft

• Toyota Camry

• Always, Like A Girl

• Doritos

So, there was the Super Bowl, and though I knew a temperature of 38 degrees would make for good running weather, I also knew that dragging myself out of my warm, cozy bed to go run for 45 minutes around my neighborhood at 4:45am probably wasn’t going to happen. Driving takes a lot out of you, and I knew that I needed the extra rest this morning. Plus, I knew the high wasn’t going to get much above 50 degrees today, so an after-school run would still be quite pleasant. And it was. In fact, it felt so good outside that I turned my usual 5.2 mile run into a 6 mile run. Not a bad way to wind down what was otherwise a very slow Monday.

And when you follow up a great run with some Chobani Apple Cinnamon yogurt, topped with 18 Rabbits Jr. Chocolate Banana Granola - a new-to-me granola because my usual brand hasn't been in stock at Target lately - Monday really can't be beat.

Myers-Briggs

I am sure this comes as no surprise to you guys, but I love personality tests. I love taking surveys and quizzes of all kind, especially ones that tell me about myself. Granted, I should be the expert on myself, but I like to see how well these quizzes match up to what I think about myself. And Myers-Briggs tests tend to be pretty accurate, and my official score was:

ENFJ

• E – Extrovert. N – Intuition. F – Feeling. J – Judgment.

But, if you remember this post, I think I identify as an ambivert, because I absolutely have traits of both the introvert and the extrovert, and I think they are pretty darn balanced. So, when I match my personality type to some sort of chart, I often look up results for both ENFJ and INFJ. And to be honest, this personality type could change with the time of day. My intuition result was just barely intuition, and I often think I identify more on the sensing side of things, as I consider myself to be a very realistic and practical person. But these were the results I received when taking a test sent out by a professor at UT, so I tend to go with it.

And if you want to know the reason that I took this personality test, it is so I could see which Harry Potter character I matched up with. Are you surprised about that? You know I love Harry Potter. My results?

• Albus Dumbledore – The Teacher (ENFJ)

and

• Remus Lupin – The Counselor (INFJ)

Albus Dumbledore comes as no surprise, as obviously, I am a teacher. Though the introvert in me cringes at the thought of talking in front of a large crowd the way he does in The Great Hall. And Remus Lupin is also not much of a surprise, as I am thinking very seriously about getting my Masters in Counseling. I do care a lot about the needs and cares of others, and I often shoulder other people’s burdens without even realizing it. I take some of my student’s stories home with me, but I absolutely love listening to other people’s stories, though I definitely have trouble standing up for myself, even with high school students!

 

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And what inspired this post was when I saw this article – The Best Careers For Your Personality Type. First, you must determine your personality type, and you can click here to take this quiz. Of course, there are many, many quizzes out there, but this one seems to be pretty reliable, and linked to by the creator of the Harry Potter chart.

I found myself to be an empath (shocking, right?), both with the ENFJ and INFJ personality type. The other categories are pragmatists, caretakers, and theorists. Of the remaining three, I would consider myself to be most like a caretaker, but still more of an empath. So, we are already on the right track. Anyway, ENFJ’s are said to be “Inspiring Guides,” with teacher, health educator, and minister falling under that category, while INFJ’s are called “Compassionate Counselors,” and writer and school counselor are the two careers I can identify with from that list. Completely shocking, right? Your personality type truly has a lot to do with why you prefer some jobs to others, which is a very obvious statement, I know, but it’s interesting to see that I seem to be in the right place. That though I have my days of doubt, what I am most happy doing matches my personality.

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I absolutely love discussing and analyzing things like this, even if I don’t exactly know what I am talking about. People’s personalities and thoughts and feelings (or lack thereof) are of so much interest to me, and while I am not always comfortable in a large group of people I don’t know very well, I find it to be very easy to connect with one or two new people on a very deep and real level. Just my two cents!

And I would L-O-V-E to hear from YOU guys! Does your personality type match up with your career or your field of study? If it doesn’t, why do you feel as though your career is still right for you? Obviously these quizzes and charts are not a rule book, but they are fun to think about. Have a great rest of your Monday! 

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

After completing the half-marathon, eating a filling breakfast, and taking a shower, it was finally time to head to the park we had been most anticipating. Being two HUGE Harry Potter nerds, we couldn't wait to set foot inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

We got somewhat sidetracked as we walked through the rest of the Islands of Adventure, as we discovered they had "Suess Landing," which is a part of the park dedicated to all things Dr. Suess. I was a HUGE fan of all Dr. Suess books as a child, my favorite being "Go, Dog, Go," as my parents like to remind me every chance they get! I wanted them to read it to me so often that the binding of the book was completely undone! Guess my love of reading began early in life!

We came across multiple characters and signs that we felt deserved to be documented in pictures.

It was a restaurant!

One of my favorites!

We finally made our way over to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and we were amazed. It looked so real and I couldn't wait to explore. We started our journey by getting on the Hogwarts Express (or just taking a picture with it) and then went off to explore the rest of the park. We noticed that the Dragon Challenge roller coaster had only a 5-minute wait time, so we took advantage of that right away. It was a crazy roller coaster that featured two dragons (the Chinese Fireball and the Hungarian Horntail) "dueling" one another in a series of twists, turns, and flips upside down. It was definitely a crazy way to start out our day!

We then decided to brave the wait for the Hogwarts castle ride, as that is the main attraction of the park. It was incredible to say the least. The 70-minute wait didn't even phase us as we got to spend some of that time in the actual castle and it was so cool. To a Harry Potter nerd like me, I was so impressed with how real it all looked. And the ride itself was incredible. I truly felt like I was in the quidditch ring and that I was a part of the journey. Way to go Universal, two thumbs up!

My personal favorite sign inside the castle

The Sorting Hat!

"Hogsmeade"

By this time we were rather hungry, so we decided to try the restaurant that had been voted #1 Theme Park restaurant six years in a row, Mythos. We had to wait about 45 minutes, but it was well worth the wait to sit down in some incredible comfortable booths and chow down on a delicious chicken sandwich. I understand why it has been voted #1 six years in a row!

The bread was delicious too - it had the perfect seasoning to it!

After we had some fuel in our bellies, we were ready to hit the shops. Inside Zonko's, we each bought a Pygmy Puff, I named my pink one Polly and Sarah named her purple one Penny. They will have a special place in our rooms next year.

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We also spent some time wandering around Honey Duke's Sweet Shop and admiring just how cute all of it was!


We both knew that we had to have wands to commemorate our experience. The wait to go inside Ollivander's was around 75-minutes, so we decided to forgo the performance that went on in the wand shop and just pick out our wands ourselves. We both have the deep desire to be like Hermoine Granger, so we both purchased a replica of her wand. Definitely worth the money. While inside, I also bought some parchment and a feather quill. Hey, you only live once, right?

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter most definitely exceeded even my wildest dreams. It was such a special place to be and it definitely brought comfort to the fact that there will be no more books or movies to look forward to!

After we finally exhausted all possibilities at Harry Potter World, we decided to try the huge green roller coaster that caught our eyes as we first entered the park. It is called the Incredible Hulk and it is some roller coaster. It starts out going uphill at a normal roller coaster speed before it suddenly and unexpectedly speeds up and sends you through many twists and turns. It was definitely a thrill ride, but it was so much fun!


We had an extremely successful day at Universal Studios and we slept like babies that night!