Things I'm Loving Friday XLIII

Before I get into the regular Things I'm Loving, let me just take a moment and say that one year ago today I moved home to Houston. I cried the entire drive home from Austin, already missing what I was leaving behind, and incredibly anxious about what lay ahead. I was not in a good mindset as I started this new chapter of my life, but today I am reminded of His faithfulness, because tonight is the unofficial start of year two with day one of our freshman volleyball camp, and I could not be more excited about where I am and what I am doing. My attitude has taken a 180, and I'm feeling ready for both this hectic but exciting volleyball season and this sure-to-be-wild school year. Bring it on, baby!

Trainwreck
This movie is wildly inappropriate at parts, but it is wildly hilarious. Amy Schumer's breakout film can only be described as a raunchy romantic comedy, that she herself wrote. From a young age, Amy has been taught that "monogamy isn't realistic," and her character could easily be described as being loose. When her job puts her in the line of a sports surgeon, the two surprisingly hit it off. Amy doesn't quite know how to handle this good boy, but she really comes into herself and learns to love herself by the end of the movie. Hilarious, yet touching at parts. Schumer did a standout job on this one. And Lebron James absolutely killed his part. A star on and off the court.

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Watermelon
The perfect summer treat, and I cannot seem to get enough of it. If I'm not careful, I can find myself eating the entire bucket without even realizing it. Though I guess I can't feel too bad about it, because it's hydrating - it's 92% water - it can soothe sore muscles, and it has a surprisingly high vitamin C content. It's also most refreshing on a hot summer's day. And actually, August 3rd is National Watermelon Day. So eat up, buttercups!

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35 Realistic Ways to Squeeze Healthier Habits into Super Busy Schedules
I ran across this extremely relevant article while perusing Pinterest. And I absolutely love it. Because let's be real - we're all busy. Just putting dates into my planner exhausts me, and I don't even want to think about juggling volleyball practice and inservice meetings. But there are so many ways to squeeze healthy habits into a go-go-go day. Realistic ways. And this article talks about 35 of them. I'm all about food prep - it saves me so much time during the week, crock pots are a lifesaver, I'm a huge fan of sneaking veggies into anything and everything (smoothies and eggs, especially), I bring my own lunch each and every day, HIIT workouts are my go-to during volleyball season, I drink water like it's nobody's business, I swear by to-do lists, and just when it seems like you can't take it anymore, a vacation is just what you need. Yes, we're all busy, but that's no reason to sacrifice your health and well-being.

Healthy and easy on-the-go snack

Becks Prime Mediterranean Salad
Unfortunately, this one is only relevant to my Houston and Dallas readers. I'm not ashamed to say that I ate here twice within the course of 24 hours. Their Mediterranean Salad + grilled chicken is just that good. The spring mix/romaine fix is topped with Kalamata olives, capers, cucumbers, red onion, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes, tossed with Becks Prime balsamic vinaigrette, and I opted to add the grilled chicken. It's healthy, it's refreshing, and it's one that will surely be making a more regular appearance in my diet, as there's one close to my house, and one close to Bellaire. Two places I seem to be on the reg.

Texas Children's Fight Song
In the midst of all the bad happening in this world, these kids at Texas Children's Hospital put on a show that will warm your heart. They perform Rachel Platten's "Fight Song," which is already an inspiring song on so many levels. And when you pair it with these brave, strong children who put up such a fight each and every day of the week, it's hard not to be inspired. And it's hard not to have a smile on your face throughout the entire performance. These kids are fighting hard, and they will continue to fight hard, and they manage to bring a little bit of fun to a situation that is the furthest thing from fun.

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And that's all I've got for you. My next 32 hours are going to be busy-busy-busy, as I run from Bellaire, to literally running through and around Memorial Park, back to Bellaire for a weekend full of volleyball. But after that, you can find me on the couch watching Harry Potter Weekend. Yeah! Have a great one!

Movie Goer + Smoothie Parfait Recipe

Here we go again! Another Monday. And my last real Monday before my schedule starts getting crazy. Okay, not crazy, but it's my last week of freedom before I start having actual things to do with my days. I'm working a couple of Rice Volleyball camps, one of my friends is getting married, and I'm rounding out the summer with a trip to New York City. Because those three things are such a huge burden, so I am sure I am receiving all of your sympathy right now. But I am hoping to get a lot done this week, while still maintaining some regularity with this blog. Here's to hoping that I have a completed to-do list before I leave for a weekend in Austin on Friday afternoon!

Breakfast

I've got another new recipe to share with you guys today! It looks far more complicated than what it actually takes to throw this creation together. After waking up and going for a neighborhood bike ride, and running the hill up at Stratford, I was more than ready for something cool and refreshing. Thus, this smoothie "parfait" was born. 

Ingredients:
For the smoothie -

• Pink portion
• 3/4 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 sliced banana
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• Handful of ice cubes

• Green portion
• 2 handfuls baby spinach

For the parfait -

• Granola
• Blueberries

Directions:
1. Line the bottom of a mason jar with granola. I used my own version of this homemade granola, but any granola will work.
2. Place all ingredients for the pink portion in a blender, and blend until smooth.
3. Pour half of pink portion into the mason glass, over the granola.
4. This is where it got tricky for me. I happened to have blueberries handy in my fridge, and they are not the most buoyant fruit. They didn't sink to the bottom, but they didn't quite float on top of the pink portion. In any case, I added in blueberries as my next layer.
5. Add two handfuls of spinach to the blender, blending the spinach into the remaining portion until smooth.
6. DO NOT JUST POUR THE GREEN PORTION OVER THE PINK PORTION! Instead, and this is a bit more time-consuming, spoon the green portion over the pink portion, going around the edge of the glass first. Once one layer is complete, keep spooning the green portion into the mason jar until full.
It really doesn't take that long, and you'll get an Instagram-worthy breakfast.
7. Top with another spoonful of granola, and another handful of blueberries.
8. Enjoy!

Movie Mania

You guys may or may not know that I am not a big movie-goer. It's rarely something that I will choose to do, and even if suggested by another person, it's a 50/50 chance that I will actually go with said person. It's not even that movies have gotten so incredibly expensive, because they have, but it's that I often feel guilty about sitting for two hours, doing nothing but looking up at a big screen. I feel as though there's something else I could be doing, and while that is usually true, sometimes being still is exactly what I need at that point in time. And even then, I'll often choose reading over seeing a movie. Which is why I haven't seen a movie in theaters since October, when I saw Gone Girl (which, by the way, didn't hold a candle to the book).

However, when my uncle came to Houston in late April, he talked about how he spent an extended afternoon at Sundance Cinema downtown. And this wasn't the first time I had heard talk of Sundance. Many of the teachers at school frequent it, because it's the type of place that won't be overrun with teenagers. Not that we don't like teenagers, of course, but if how they behave in the classroom is any indication of how they behave when they are out and about, I can speak for all teachers when I say that we'd prefer not to share a movie theater with them. I'm just saying. Anyway, I had heard that Sundance is the best of the Houston movie theaters, so as a devoted Houstonian, I knew I was going to have to check it out. So after Friday evening's massage, I made my way downtown, drove around a bit trying to find the best parking (sidenote: Sundance will validate parking up to three hours. Score!), and ventured inside for my first Sundance movie experience. And after having a Sundance movie experience, I'm not sure that I can ever go to another theater. And here's why -

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1. Reserved seating. This isn't required, but if you buy your ticket online, you get to pick your seat. So if you have a favorite spot in the movie theater, you can make sure it's yours.
2. The seats rock, for lack of a better word. Roomy and comfortable, and the armrests are huge. Which is a nice plus because then you don't have to feel as though you're in your neighbor's lap throughout the entirety of the movie. It feels like you're on an airplane, you know, without the plane part. This would really be an ideal date night theater.
3. Though I didn't check it out, as I was riding solo this round, Sundance has a bar, with food and drinks that are made to be carried into the theater with you. Like I said, ideal date night theater. 
4. And mainly catering to the adult crowd, there are both indie and mainstream movies shown here. The prices aren't that much more than they are at any other movie theater, and to me, the experience was worth it. Though I don't see my movie-going percentage increasingly significantly, I will certainly be returning to Sundance the next time a movie craving hits.

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And I actually saw two movies this weekend. I know. We're going 0 to 100 real quick over here. Friday I saw Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, which I absolutely loved, but made me cry in such a way that no movie has done in a while. I'll even step out and say that this film was better than the film adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars. I didn't love that movie, though I absolutely loved the book. I digress. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is actually based on a young adult novel as well, and it chronicles the senior year of three teenagers - Greg, Earl, and Rachel. It's the typical "high school" story - the relationship between a teenager and his overbearing parents, the reality of high school cliques, and the unique relationship between student and the "cool" teacher, but it does it in such a way that truly mimics reality. It captures the stereotypical high school moments, but not in a stereotypical way. It's tough to be a teenager, and that's highlighted in the protagonist, Greg, who is clearly not comfortable in his own skin, even preferring to call his best friend Earl his co-worker because he doesn't want to give someone the friend label and then be let down. High school is a time when self-esteem issues are commonplace.

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And then we have Rachel, the girl with leukemia. Something no teenager should ever have to face, but unfortunately, something that teenagers do face. Rachel isn't interested in those who pull the cancer card, and while Greg originally hangs out with her on his mother's request, a genuine (doomed) friendship eventually develops between Rachel and Greg. And Earl, too. Greg lets his guard down when he lets Rachel view the films he and Earl have made growing up, and they even try to put together a film for Rachel as her condition continues to decline. 

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I obviously have a soft spot in my heart for high schoolers. I really think they're the coolest. And I appreciated the way this movie captured the complexities of what it means to be a high school student today. Self-loathing, low self-esteem, selfishness, genuine friendships, feeling out-of-place, bumps in the road. And I really appreciated that this wasn't a cliche love story. Because believe it or not, high school boys and girls can just be friends. A raw and real portrayal of adolescence that gets five stars from me. 

Saturday's movie was an accident. I was hanging out with Gayle as she unpacked and organized her room from her big move home from College Station - okay, I probably distracted her more than anything - but she and a college friend who has also moved home to Houston had plans to hang out that evening. She invited me to join them, and it was decided that we would do dinner and a movie. Gayle's mom suggested we see Spy, but neither Gayle nor I am a big Melissa McCarthy fan. And I've heard only good things about Disney Pixar's Inside Out. So Inside Out it was. And I absolutely saw what all the hype is about. 

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Another coming-of-age movie, this one focuses on Riley, a girl who is taken from her life and friends in Minnesota when her family moves to San Francisco. As is the same with everyone, she is guided by her emotions - Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust - the little voices inside her head who work in Headquarters to guide her through life. Joy prides herself on the fact that many of Riley's memories are just that - joy. But when she moves away from everything she knows, she begins to experience loneliness, isolation, and sadness. And I think what is most memorable about this movie is the importance of Sadness. Without it, Joy can't do her thing. It allows viewers to understand that sadness is real, sadness is normal, and that it's okay to feel it. We just can't be happy all of the time, and more often than not, sadness is what draws our loved ones closest to us, which allows us to feel that joy again.

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I won't even begin to pretend that this is scientifically correct, because I do remember some things from my AP Psychology class senior year, but I thought it was a wonderful presentation of the complexities of our feelings and emotions, and how it's okay to feel them. We don't have to put on a happy face all the time, and acknowledging these other feelings will often result in genuine happiness.

And with that, I'm off to sit by the pool and read before heading up to Bellaire for tonight's open gym. I've got my fingers crossed that I'll even get to play tonight, as many players are in New Orleans for Junior Nationals. Catch y'all later!

Things I'm Loving Friday XXV

It's the F R I D A Y before S P R I N G  B R E A K and I could just jump for joy. Seriously, I think teachers may anticipate spring break even more than the students do. And you better believe I'll be out the door maybe faster than my students. I've worked hard this week to get organized and get my grading done, so that I can fully enjoy nine days off. And I've already got some fun things on the agenda. But mainly I'm just looking forward to some rest and relaxation. And hopefully a week full of sunshine!

Busy Is a Sickness
One of my Clubhouse roommates posted a link to this article, and I was intrigued. Because I am the queen of saying "I'm so busy." I'm way busier than you are, so don't even try saying otherwise. Which is obviously not true, but that is my mindset a lot of the time, even when I'm not conscious of it. So, I opened this article and my first instinct was to just skim through it, because I obviously don't have the time to actually read it. But then I sat down and read it, and wow, is it powerful. Just like the writer of this article, I wear busyness like a badge of honor. The writer hits the nail on the head when he writes, "We are defined by what we do," and that if we are not doing something, we are seen as inferior. Or we believe we are inferior. He presents some medical findings, nothing new here, and his last paragraph just got me, so I'm going to share it with you guys.

• "That I stop defining myself by my doing, and start defining myself by my being. That I stop measuring time by the clock on the wall, and start measuring it by the experiences I share with those around me. And that I stop seeing my life as "busy," and instead, see it for what it truly is.

• Full."

Yeah, I could stand to live by this philosophy. 

Note to Self Series
I've been on the hunt (okay, maybe not a hunt, because I've been lazy at times), for a nondenominational church to call "home" here in Houston. I've tried out a few here and there, and while I've liked aspects of each of them, there's something in me that prompts me to keep searching. I gave Bridgepoint Bible Church a try, and maybe I found it in the middle of a series that hits close to home, but I loved it. Their current series is called Note to Self, and it basically talks about how our society is run and motivated by the idea of "self," so that we may begin to feel significant. In truth, we are significant in Christ, and while this is not a new idea, it's certainly one that I can relate to. And (un)surprisingly enough, my people pleasing nature is indicative of that self-control that I so desire, and that I should be fighting against. It's good stuff, people.

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Boyhood
Okay, I'm way late to the game on this one. This one has been on my to-watch list since July, when my friend Alex gave it rave reviews. But I was "too busy" to see it during the start of both volleyball season and the school year. And after the fact that it received an Academy Award and I learned that the director is a Bellaire grad, I knew I had to watch it. And am I glad I did. What an absolutely simple, yet complex, beautiful, and honest story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child. I am having a hard time even putting into words what I loved about this movie, but I absolutely loved it. Add to the fact that much of it takes place in Houston (and Austin!), and the soundtrack features some of my childhood favorites, I give this one a very easy five stars. If you haven't seen it, take the time to watch it. It's easily in my top five.

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21 Things You Should Know Before Dating a Teacher
My fellow first-year teacher sent me a link to this article and I tried really hard to pick one favorite. But seriously, every single one was SO true and so applicable. Minus maybe the coffee (but that's just me), the Elmer's Glue, and the manicures. Who has time for that? Number 13 may be the frontrunner, and I am sure that Dylan could have attested to more than one of the items on this list. Embarrassingly, 'on fleek' is in my vocabulary more than I would care to admit, we get summers off because we need summers off, and list-making is the way I make it through the day. And number 21 puts it best - we have to be 'on' every single hour of the day, making hundreds of important decisions in the spur of the moment, and though I vent about how my kids can't ever seem to remember to bring a pencil, if that's the worst I've got to complain about, I've got it good. There really is never a dull moment. Even on those "quiet" test days.

Have a fabulous, wonderful, lovely Friday. I know I will, because I'm about to turn my alarm off for nine whole days. And that is music to my ears.

Spring Break To Do List

Okay, so I didn’t tell you my whole running story yesterday. I was on such a runner’s high that I didn’t want to share this embarrassing story with you guys until today. It’s sure to make you laugh, because if it’s not one thing, it’s another. So, I was about 3.5 miles into my run when the water I chugged just before I left caught up with me. I was running up Kirkwood when I decided I would run into a neighborhood family favorite – Sam’s Deli Diner – to use their bathroom. I walked in, said hi to the people working, and asked if I could use their bathroom. Getting the okay, I headed toward the back of the restaurant, I guess not noticing the “Wet Floor” sign. I’m sure you know where this is going. But I’ll paint a picture for you anyway. I must have been walking too fast, slipped, grabbed a chair in an effort to catch myself, and proceeded to fall to the floor. I did land on my elbow, but I think I hurt my pride more than I hurt the bone. But I got up and walked it off and I lived to tell the tale. Thankfully, the restaurant wasn’t too crowded, and I hurried out without making eye contact with anyone. Happy hump day to me!

And because we have O N E school day left to spring break, I thought I’d share my Spring Break To-Do List with you guys. It’s more general than specific, but these are a couple of the things I hope to accomplish on my N I N E glorious days off from school. I am so glad my spring break wasn’t this week, because the weather has not been very spring break-esque. My fingers are crossed for sunshine next week so that I can finally get a little bit of color into my vampire-like skin.

Spring Break To Do List

Try three new restaurants

• I have a Houston Restaurant List that is about a mile long. While Houston has plenty to do, our restaurant scene has got to be our claim to fame. And I’m a little bummed that I spent so much of my life eating at restaurants in my own little Memorial bubble, and even then I’ve missed some good ones, because there are so many good ones out there in Midtown, Montrose, the Heights, and Rice Village. So, this break I am going to try at least three new restaurants, though I can almost guarantee that Hungry’s will make a spring break appearance. Old habits die hard.

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Read a book

• This past Sunday I finished reading Mindy Kaling’s book, and I have yet to start a new one. This spring break I am going to start (and finish!) one of the many, many books that I have recently purchased. Once upon a time I told myself that I would finish all of the books I already have before buying any new ones. Ask me how long that vow was kept.

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Declutter

• Remember the 30-Day Minimalism Challenge? Yeah, I haven’t been consciously completing that one very well. But one thing I really want to accomplish is decluttering my room, my closet, my bathroom (which I’ve pretty much already done), my car (this is an ongoing goal), my computer (both school and personal), and my cell phone. Let me explain a little bit. I repainted and redid my room over LABOR DAY WEEKEND. How many months ago was that? And I still have boxes of things that I never really unpacked when I moved home from Austin. I think I was in denial. Or lazy. Or busy. I’ll let you be the judge. Anyway, organization has got to happen. And as for my car. Well, I seem to live out of my car, and I would be embarrassed if anyone were to look inside and see all that I keep in there. And last but not least, we have technology. I have this habit of taking screen shots of quotes or workouts or restaurants that I like or want to remember or try out of visit, and then I don’t do anything with them. Which may be why my phone constantly tells me that it’s almost out of storage. I want to write those quotes or workouts down and keep them all in one document on my computer so that I can delete the photos off of my phone. And speaking of computers, it’s time to go through both my personal computer and my school computer and get rid of unnecessary photos, documents, and downloads. Organization is the motto this break! 

Watch a movie

• I’m a horrible movie-watcher. It’s hard for me to sit down and just watch and enjoy a movie, however, there are many movies that I do want to watch or see. So, my goal is sit down, watch, and enjoy a new-to-me movie. Because there are too many movies that I just haven’t seen. And maybe I’ll even make my way over to an Alamo Drafthouse because evidently teachers get free admission to one movie from March 7 – March 22 for their self-proclaimed Teacher Appreciation Week(s). I can dig it.

Play volleyball

• I’m sure you guys know by now that I played a little volleyball back in my day. And that I coach a little bit in my spare time. Just in case you’re new around here. And I really, really miss playing volleyball. I played some this summer and I absolutely loved getting back into it. And I’ve told myself now that I’m back in Houston I am going to attend open gym at Spike Sport Volleyball Club. It doesn’t start until 8:30pm, and we all know that’s getting close to my bedtime. But a couple of our volleyball managers play for the men’s club there, and they say that open gym is a good, competitive time. So it’s my goal over spring break to attend at least one open gym, because coming back to the game you played for so long is just like riding a bike – It never really leaves you.

Try two new recipes

• Ever since I moved back home, baking has been going strong. Cooking, on the other hand, well, not so much. And I’m really good at pinning really pretty and delicious-looking recipes on Pinterest, but I never actually follow through and make them. It’s just so easy to have leftovers or eat whatever my parents are eating, that I don’t take the time to cook anything for myself. Maybe I could even cook something for my parents, to attempt to thank them for all that they do for me. And if I don’t get back on the cooking grind now, I’ll lose my touch and end up being one of those people who eats only Lean Cuisine in the event that I do move out of my parents’ house. Don’t worry, it will happen, just not quite yet. So, in addition to trying three new restaurants, I also want to try two new recipes, one of which has to be an actual meal, not a dessert.  I’ll likely pick a recipe that includes Brussels sprouts, because I’ve been craving that tasty veggie lately.  

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Try something new

• This one is really open to interpretation. Maybe it will be a new exercise class, a new skill or hobby, a new activity, if you will, but I want to do something outside of my comfort zone. Not even my comfort zone, but just something out of the ordinary. I’m sure it won’t be too hard to find something that fits this bill!

And on that note, I’m off to make sure I’ve got everything covered for the week after spring break. My last goal is to not do any school work over the break. And I’m starting that one off on the right foot by giving in and showing a movie tomorrow in my English classes. So sue me.

Return Of The Plumcot

Happy Saturday! It has sure been one long week, and though I am back at SRD for work, weekends are the easiest, so I can't hate four hours set aside for me to simply read and blog.

Yesterday after work I walked over to Gregory to swim (the Gregory pool is certainly one of the main things I will miss about UT), before returning home to shower, cook up a dinner of zucchini, squash, and chicken sausage,

and head up North to see The Fault In Our Stars with some of my YoungLife girls. I read the book last summer and absolutely loved it, so I was anxious to see how the movie compared.

While I obviously think the book is better (John Green just has such a way with words), I thought the movie was just wonderful. It was so incredibly sad, yet so sweet at the same time, and I managed to hold it together pretty well until the very end. Augustus gave Hazel a forever within the numbered days, and I absolutely recommend seeing this movie (and reading the book, of course).

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I was pretty worn out from this past week, so I went to sleep shortly after returning home from the movie. I woke up around 7:20am, headed out the door for a beautiful morning walk around Town Lake,

stopped by the grocery store to stock up on a few items so that I can do some cooking and baking later,

and made my way over to SRD to work the first shift of the day.

Breakfast

Breakfast looks a little bit different today - we still have our scrambled egg whites and spinach as the star of the show,

but I did a little dance at the grocery store last week when I saw plumcots on display. For those of you who are not familiar with plumcots (I wasn't until my friend Alex introduced me to them), they are a natural cross hybrid between plums and apricots. They are very sweet and very refreshing. They are only in season from June to September, so I know they will be making a regular appearance on my grocery list this summer.

I might even try to do some baking with them, so I'll be sure to keep you updated on how that endeavor goes!

And on that note, I'm going to get back to my book - I finally found one that has made me want to keep reading, and I can't seem to put it down!