Happy Survey Sunday! Survey Sunday is easily one of my favorite weekly fitnessandfroyo traditions, as hard as it can be to find new surveys each week. But I found this one through a quick search of Julie's blog, and I couldn't help but give it a go. Enjoy, and may you learn something new about the girl behind the blog. Five Places
I’m Dying to Visit
Alaska – Ever since I saw The Proposal, I’m eagerly anticipating a trip to a state where
summertime daylight rarely ends.
Italy – I’ve got some Italian in me, and everything I’ve
seen and read about Italy just seems so picturesque.
Pacific Northwest – When I’m 25 and can rent a car, I
would love to spend a few weeks driving through Yosemite, up through Oregon and
Washington, and over to Montana and Idaho.
Chile – My trip to Argentina developed a love in me for
all things South America. My uncle has spent some time in the country, and
everything I’ve heard of it has been nothing short of amazing.
Five Foods
I Eat Every Day
Eggs, or egg whites
Chocolate
Cooked oats
Pickles (seriously)
Yogurt
Five
Talents I Wish I Had
Calligraphy - Perhaps I can find a class to take?
Dancing
My attempt at learning to tango
Singing, or anything musical
Photography
Tennis (more on this to come)
I may not have many tennis skills, but I've got the tennis skirt down
Five
Healthy Food Bloggers I Wish Would Cook For Me Every Day
Padded running socks – Thorlo and Lululemon are my
favorites.
Headband – Typically Lululemon, but I don’t discriminate.
Shark Watch – I’ve got quite the impressive watch tan
line. While I usually trade in the sports watch in favor of a more … “professional”
watch that I wear to school, I don’t think I took this watch off one time while
in Argentina. It was a permanent fixture.
EOS Lip Balm
– I put this stuff on obsessively. And it comes in so many fun flavors. All of
which I have probably tried.
Dermablend Powder – Smooth coverage, definitely not cakey, and gets
the job done.
Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser – Okay, I might
be guilty of skipping a day or two or three here and there, but this random
find is my favorite of any face wash I’ve ever tried.
But this face mask was fun to do
Benefit They’re Real! Mascara – Mascara and eyeshadow is
about as much make-up as I will apply on a regular basis, and now that I’ve
tried this particular product, there’s no going back to drugstore mascara.
And with that, I'm off to get in my final long run before next weekend's trail race. My first, and I'm starting with 13 miles in the middle of a Texas July. Call me crazy, and be on the lookout for a recipe post (or two!) as well as a product review coming in the very near future.
Happy Sunday! Whew, we have officially made it through the first week of the new year. And that deserves a pat on the back. I don't know about you, but getting through that first week back after two weeks off is always a little bit tough. Especially when your building has no heat and partial power. But hey, no complaints from this girl. Actually, I complained about the cold a little bit, but my room quickly warmed up when 37 freshmen got settled in my room. That's right. 37. Every single desk in my room is filled, but I actually love having a full class. Though ask me if I still feel that way when I've got 60+ essays left to grade. Moving on. Can you guys believe that we are ONE WEEK out from the 2016 Houston Marathon? I can't, and I was a little hesitant to even look forward to it after experiencing some pretty horrible foot pain this past week. My foot is still tender, but I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to be in pain on Sunday no matter what happens, so I have decided to run through it. If something really drastic happens between now and then, I'll re-evaluate, but my 8-mile run last night wasn't painful enough for me to even think about throwing in the towel on these past 26 weeks of training.
But now, as usual, here's a little survey for your Sunday reading enjoyment.
What is
your road trip essential snack?
Cuties are my go-to road trip snack. I typically find myself as the driver of
such road trips, and cuties are easy to eat while driving. I also love snacking
on my No Bake Energy Bites. Those things can be dangerous!
You’ve been handed two free round-trip
tickets. Who are you taking and where are you going?
Man oh man. There are so many places I want to go. I would probably take
Cheyney with me to the Maldives because we made a promise to one another that
we would one day dive there. Though there are about 100 different places (and
this is not even an exaggeration) that I would like to visit.
What was
your high school jam?
Party in the USA – Miley Cyrus. This brings back so many senior year
memories.
It's fine; judge me.
Would you
rather have a perfect butt, or a flawless face?
Flawless face.
What shows
are you ashamed to admit are on your DVR?
I don’t have DVR, but last night I watched The Middle for about three straight hours. It was glorious.
What’s
your ringtone?
Just one of the default iPhone ringtones. When I had a flip phone (blast from
the past), I used to love updating my ringtone to my favorite song of the
moment.
What was
your first car, and did you name it?
A 1992 Lexus. Yes, this means the car was born the same year I was. And I
personally didn’t name it, but my friend Laura named it Doug. Doug and I made a
pretty good pair, if I do say so myself.
Do you
have any siblings, and if so, where are you in the birth order?
One younger brother.
What would
you request for your last supper?
WHAT, this is so hard! Honestly, probably something from Hungry’s. Because old
habits die hard.
Have you
ever been hospitalized, and if so, what for?
I haven’t! And I hope it stays that way for a while.
How tall
are you? Do you wish you were taller, shorter…or are you just right?
5’5”, and while I wished I was taller throughout my volleyball days, I remain
pretty content with my height. It’s definitely an average height, though I do
find that I am shorter than many of my students.
Do you
prefer to DIY or hire it out?
I wish I could DIY better than I actually can, but it typically turns out to be
more trouble than it’s worth. At least for me, anyway. And is it just me, or is
it more often than not more expensive to do-it-yourself?
What do
you eat for breakfast?
Scrambled egg whites with spinach, mushrooms, and salsa. Followed up with Chobani
Coconut Yogurt, homemade granola, and chocolate chunk mix-ins, of course.
What would
you do for a living if you didn’t need money?
Honestly, I really love my job. And here’s some more honesty for you – it’s not
like I’m in it for the money. I would probably continue to teach as long as I
still loved waking up in the morning to go to school, and then I would step
down and do something with writing.
Finish
this sentence: Every room needs…
a blanket.
How
frequently do you wash your hair? Do you have any hair secrets or tricks?
I feel like every time I open the Internet, I see yet another article that advises
me against washing my hair every day. But if I don’t wash my hair for 36+
hours, my hair gets unreasonably greasy. So much so that I can’t stand to look
at it, and I haven’t quite mastered the art of dry shampoo. So, long story
short, every night.
Will you
leave the house without makeup?
Absolutely. I will probably throw on a little powder, but I 100% guaranteed
will not put on makeup if I am just out and about running errands.
Last book
you read? Wild by Cheryl Strayed. 5/5 recommend
this book. I absolutely devoured it, and it’s one of the best books I’ve read
this year. Okay, that was lame, but it’s definitely one of my new favorites.
What are
you listening to?
FOOTBALL. And even though my Texans got absolutely manhandled yesterday, there
is not a whole lot that I love more than sitting down and watching football on
the weekend.
Last Movie
you watched?
Ugh, is it bad that I don’t even know this? I actually want to watch the movie Wild (who doesn’t love Reese
Witherspoon?), but I sadly couldn’t tell you the last movie I watched.
Remedying this ASAP.
Where did
you go on your last holiday?
New York City! Read about my experience here.
And I'm off to enjoy a relaxing swim. I love post-long run days, because it means I get to take it easy on my body. Adios!
Happy FRIDAY! This Friday is a little bit happier than usual, as it is my LAST Friday of my very first year of teaching. And what's better is that we are giving final exams today, and my only final exam of the day is over at 10:00am. While I still have to scan and enter grades, I'll be home well before I normally would. So I really have no room to complain. And I really have no room to complain, as today is my last day with my seventh period class. While I really do love those students, that class has most definitely tested my patience throughout the course of this semester. Miss Tomlinson learned how to get tough quick. But before I dance my way out of school in happiness, let's get going on our 35th edition of Things I'm Loving Friday.
Brownie Cookies Also known as the Brookie. Mrs. Watson, if you're reading this, this one goes out to you. I told my students that I would bake them something on the day of their final, and as I mentioned above, today is seventh period's time to shine. I wanted to keep things simple, because these kids really don't want anything exotic, and I decided on the best of both worlds - the brownie cookie. Now, I have dabbled with the Brookie on many occasions, but I have always made them in brownie form. This time I made them in cookie form, and I'm going to go ahead and say that these are going to be a hit. You just can't go wrong with this combo.
Monsters University Okay, I'll admit it. If you would have walked into my classroom this week, you would believe the stereotype that "teachers don't really do anything." Is that a stereotype anymore? Anyway, while I have made sure to go over every single part of the final exam review, in both reading and in English, I will also say that I have put in Monsters University for my students' viewing pleasure. With an altered schedule this week, I've had some of my classes for two hours some days, and some days I don't see some classes, and to be honest, how else am I supposed to keep high school freshmen entertained for two hours without showing a movie? And this was the most attentive I've seen some of them in a while. But their expressions and giggles throughout the length of the movie were absolutely priceless, and it reminded me that they're still just little kids. My heart was full. And I myself enjoyed the movie along with them.
The Egg and I Continuing on with my Teacher of the Year acts, yesterday was sixth period's turn to be in session for two hours. And throughout this semester I've set up shop in the English department lounge with another teacher who has a floater in his room that period. Yesterday we decided to take advantage of our two-and-a-half hour lunch break by getting away from school for a little bit and taking a trip to The Egg and I. Though I have one just minutes away from where I live, I hadn't been there in months, and I more than enjoyed my Chicken Apple Sausage Scramble. Great food, and some great company. So, Mr. Olsen, if you're reading this, thanks for being a mentor-type to this rookie teacher. You really made me feel a part of the Bellaire family, and I am so very appreciative.
Mother always told you to eat a good breakfast
What to Do When Your Life Doesn't Go as Planned I really loved this article. As I think back to a year ago when I graduated college, I was wide-eyed and full of excitement and ready to dive into the whole real world thing. I graduated with high honors, I had a rockin' job, a great boyfriend, and about 100 other things going my way. And then I moved home and started working and it was hard. I was about as miserable as one could be, but I pasted a smile on my face and said, "It's great; I love it" when asked about my job. It wasn't great, and I didn't love it. And Dylan and I were navigating the long-distance waters, and things started getting choppy. And that was hard. What was supposed to be an exciting time in my life had me longing for everything I had left in the past. Nothing was going as planned. But somewhere around the first of the year, I let go of all expectations and simply enjoyed the moment that I was in. I let my current season shape me, and I practiced being and living in the moment. I chose to be grateful for each day, and ultimately, I chose to trust the One who holds my future.
Now when asked, I really do love my job
Healthy Breakfasts It's no secret around here that I'm a big time breakfast lover. It's my absolute favorite meal of the day. And while I still love my scrambled egg whites and spinach, it's nice to mix things up every now and again. And contrary to popular belief, healthy breakfast doesn't have to be boring. I know many people love it, but I just can't do oatmeal. It's something about the texture. But there's more to a healthy breakfast than oatmeal. In fact, this article highlights 28 healthy and delicious breakfast recipes. And a lot of these recipes are really pretty easy. And they're just begging you to add your own personal twist.
And that's all I've got, because I've got a final to administer. Catch y'all later!
Raise your right hand if you're sick and tired of this weather. Because I am 50 shades of over it. We got a bit of a reprieve from it yesterday, but the thunder and lightning are back in full force today. I can't be too upset, because I'm currently sitting on the couch with my mom, eating Hungry's and cheering on the Rockets as they try and finish off this series for a spot in the Western Conference Finals. But before we get too ahead of ourselves, let's finish out this series. Because our Houston teams have a way of imploding. But the fact that we're even playing in this game seven is a miracle in itself. But in the words of our very own Rudy T, "You can never underestimate the heart of a champion."
But, before I get too sappy, let's get on with another survey.
1.Chocolate
or Vanilla? – Chocolate, always.
2. What
would you do with 1 million dollars? What a
question! If I’m being honest, I would probably buy myself a new car first.
Because as much as I love my car, I would love to be the owner of a dent-free car.
I would make sure my parents and family were well taken care of, I would probably
go on a little shopping spree, and I would donate money to a charity or two.
Possibly something in the education realm, and I would likely write a large
check to YoungLife, because it's an organization that has changed my life as well as the lives of so many others.
3.Where
is your favorite place to buy groceries?I love
Central Market the most, but sadly, I no longer live within walking distance of
one. So, I split my time between Randall’s, Kroger, and I’ll even make the
occasional HEB trip.
4. What is
your biggest fear? I
realized very recently that I am very much a people-pleaser. And while at first
glance that seems like it would be a good thing, it can also get me into a lot
of trouble. Basically, I fear letting people down, and I also fear that I’ll become
complacent and stop dreaming as big as I could.
Dream bigger than the mountains behind us
5.What is
the last book you read? I went
through a phase a couple of weeks ago where I constantly had a book in my hand.
Since then, I haven’t picked up a book in weeks. I just started reading Jon
Krakauer’s Into the Wild, and I have
quite the list to carry me through the summer.
6.Favorite
movie? This
question showed up on last week’s survey, so I’ll pick some new movies for you
guys. She’s the Man will never get old, Dead Poets Society is a must-see, and to be honest, Mean Girls will always be one of my favorites. And what's a list of favorite movies without Harry Potter? Because Harry Potter weekends are the best kind of weekends.
7.What do
you see yourself doing in 5 years? I see
myself continuing to teach and coach, hopefully still at Bellaire. I see myself
continuing this blog, continuing to live a healthy lifestyle, continuing to
pursue my love of travel, and gosh I’ll be 28 years old, so who knows what’s in
store for me!
8.Romantic
or comedy movie? How
about a romantic comedy?
9.Last dream
you remember? I’ve
had some strange dreams lately. Just in that they’re very random, and I wake up
thinking about how random the dream I just had was, but I can only ever
remember bits and pieces.
10.Have you
ever been in a car accident? I’ve
been in a few. Fortunately, all parties have walked away one hundred percent
okay, but they’re enough to shake you up a little bit.
11.What is
the longest friendship you have ever had? Quite a few of my Pre-K friendships are still going strong today.
So that makes what, 19 years? In fact, I’m very thankful for all of the
elementary, middle, and even high school friendships that I still have.
And I'm back with another round of Survey Sunday. Once again, I apologize for skipping over last week's, but the beautiful weather kept me away from my computer. And I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing.
But, let's get back on schedule, shall we? This survey asks me to
Name Your Favorite…
Person– Because
today is Mother’s Day, I’m going to have to go with my mom on this one. And because
I’ve already given her a lengthy post highlighting only some of her incredible
qualities, and I know she doesn’t want another one, I’ll just say that I’m more
than thankful for all that she has done, does do, and will continue to do for
me. I surely could not have made it through this first year of working without
her going above and beyond to help me get it all done. And keep my sanity. Because that last one was questionable.
Color– On
Wednesdays we wear pink.
Food– This
question always gets me. But I think I’m going to have to go with dark
chocolate. Can woman subsist on dark chocolate alone?
Smell– I love the
smell of summer nights. I love the smell of Anthro’s Volcano candle. I love the
smell of homemade chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven, and I could go on
and on and on.
Book–This question
is another toughy. Redeeeming Love, Harry
Potter, East of Eden, Love Does – I could go on for days and days. If you
ever need a book recommendation, you know where to find me.
Movie– Remember the Titans is one of my all-time
favorites, as is The Breakfast Club.Boyhood is a more recent fav, and I
absolutely recommend you give it a watch.
Time of day– Morning. I
am far more productive in the morning than I am at any other time of day. I’ve
mentioned before that I shut down right around 3:00pm, which is why I have to
get to work at 6:30am so that I can get some work done.
Day of the week– Friday.
Call me crazy, but I enjoy going to work. I love getting to see my students and
my co-workers, and I also love that everyone’s spirits are a little higher due
to the upcoming weekend. Because who doesn’t need a break by the time Friday
rolls around?
Thing to do when bored– Go for a bike ride, read, or bake.
Drink– Water will
always be my number one. But I’m not one to turn down a mimosa or a glass of
white wine.
TV show– Lately I
have caught a few episodes of Friday
Night Lights, and it reminded me why I binge-watched that show in the first
place. Coach and Tami Taylor forever!
Fruit– Cuties.
They’re cute (obviously), delicious, nutritious, and portable. What’s not to
like?
Vegetable– I never
thought I would say this, but I really love Brussels sprouts.
Store– Anthropologie.
Yesterday everything in the store was 20% off (shout out to moms for making
this one possible), and you know I took advantage of it.
Clothed in Anthropologie, and she is poor in the days to come
Workout– Running.
Though my runs have been hot and humid lately. Here we go!
Quote – I love
love love a good quote. In fact, I have been cutting out quotes that I plan on
hanging up in my (fingers crossed) classroom for next year. Because I don’t
have a favorite, I’ll just give you the last one I pinned.
Girl’s name– Reagan or
Rylie. You know this English teacher is all about that alliteration.
Meal of the day– I love
breaking the fast. And the possibilities are endless.
Season– Spring or summer,
but I also love fall. And I don’t dislike winter, but I really dislike layers.
Dessert– Frozen
yogurt, of course!
Lifehack– What a fun question! I actually have an entire book of LifeHacks, so this is a tough question for me. As someone who loves to bake, and who is surprisingly horrible at cutting things neatly, it was nice to learn that (unscented) dental floss will cut soft solids perfectly.
And on that note, I'm out. Be sure to give a mom-like figure a call today, as they are truly the real MVPs.
Happy 2015! Can you believe it's 2015? I turn 23 this year, and apparently nobody likes you when you're 23 so... Anyway, I hope you all had a fun and safe new years celebration. Mine was pretty low-key, which is just what I needed this year. I had all the intentions in the world to wake up and run the Commitment Day 5K sponsored by LifeTime Athletic in City Centre, but when my alarm went off (and went off and went off and went off), I just could not seem to drag myself out of bed. My dad came in and asked me if I planned on getting up, and I mumbled a convincing "No," and rolled over. I stayed in bed until 11:00am. I'm just soaking it up while I can! But I truly can't remember the last time I stayed in bed that late. It's been a long week! I got up and immediately exchanged my pair of Happy Socks for some athletic socks and my tennis shoes, and headed out the door for my first run of 2015. It was very cold and started misting a bit, but I've already got 5 miles of mine and Amira's goal of running 2,015 miles down. Not a bad start to the year! I didn't quite give myself enough time to shower before meeting up with one of my sweet YoungLife girls who happened to be visiting Houston for a couple of days. It's hard to believe that I met those girls when they were in 6th and 7th grade, and now they're sophomores in high school. Time sure does fly, and it was wonderful to share lunch with her at my favorite restaurant (I'll let you guys take a guess at that one), and catch up on how life is going for her back in Austin. We braved the cold and rain and walked around Rice Village a little bit before retreating back to my car where we turned the heater onto full blast.
Selfie game still going strong in 2015
I then popped back home for a quick minute, before heading out once again to run some errands with my friend Gayle. When we get together we can easily talk for hours, and we sat in her car in her driveway fogging up the windows (I know what you're thinking, not like that!) just talking for over an hour and a half. Though it was cold and damp outside, we managed to make the best of the dreary first day of the year. And now, because you know I love a good survey, I figured there is no better way than to start off the year with one. And because I don't have a lot of other material for you guys today, whoops! I'll try to be more creative tomorrow. But until then, enjoy learning maybe even one new thing about me!
1. Do you have a middle name? One of the most common middle names in the world - Elizabeth. Out of nine of us who lived in The Clubhouse, four of us had the middle name Elizabeth. 2. What was your favorite subject in school? I'm probably shaming myself as an English teacher, but I always had a thing for math.
3. What's your favorite drink? I'm a water girl through and through. I also love a good glass of champagne, and I'm finally learning how to like wine. I have never in my entire life liked soda, which made birthday parties as a kid pretty strange. 4. What's your favorite song at the moment? Night Changes by One Direction. I know. Embarrassing. I promise I'm an adult! 5. What would you name your
children? I've got a list going, and I'm holding onto the hope that I have four children - two boys and two girls. Ryan, Ross, Reagan, and Rylie. I'm all about that alliteration.
6. Do you participate in any sports? I actually just signed myself up for a sand volleyball league. Here goes nothing! 7. What's your favorite book? I've got a few, so to be fair to my bookshelf, I'll name my very favorites.
Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers
Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
8. What's your favorite color? I love pink, but I also love orange, yellow, and red. I really love all colors, to be honest. 9. What's your favorite animal? It's been a monkey for as long as I can remember. I even wrote a poem about them once -
"Monkeys like swinging from tree to tree.
I like monkeys, and monkeys like me."
Profound, right? 10. What's your favorite
perfume?
Daisy by Marc
Jacobs. 11. What's your favorite
holiday? I'll be honest, I love my birthday. But if we're being real, I love Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July a lot.
12. Have you graduated from High School? Class of 2010.
Once a Spartan, always a Spartan
13. Have you been out of the
country? I have, and I want nothing more than to explore other countries. I've been bitten by the travel bug!
The Louvre with my cousin
14. Do you speak any other
languages? Once upon a time I was okay at Spanish. I'm not sure that I can make that claim anymore. 15. Do you have any siblings? 1 little brother, who attends that school north of the Red River.
16. What's your favorite store? Anthropologie. I have a serious problem. Either that, or Target. When's the last time you walked out of there with only what you intended to buy? Yeah, that's what I thought. 17. What's your favorite
restaurant? Hungry's. It's my go-to. 18. Do you like school? I do, and though I am still technically in school (on the other side of things), I miss being a student. A master's program may be in my future, so stay tuned.
AP Physics
Creative destruction (this is ironic because I'm not creative in the least)
19. Who are some of your favorite YouTubers? I don't follow any YouTubers regularly, and to be honest, it takes a lot for me to watch a YouTube video, for whatever reason. 20. What's your
favorite movie? Remember the Titans, Mean Girls, She's the Man, The Sandlot, among others. 21. What are some of your favorite TV shows? Friday Night Lights, Boy Meets World, Full House - classics.
22. PC or Mac? I use both a PC and a Mac, and though I am certainly partial to my MacBook, I don't hate using a PC quite as much as I thought I would. 23. What phone do you have? I'm up on the iPhone game and I have an iPhone 6. I know, you all are shocked, because I had an iPhone 4 until right before I traded that one in and got the 6.
Hello 21st Century
24. How tall are you? 5'5" 25. Any pets? No, but I came way too close to applying to adopt a puppy, before realizing that I really don't have the time that a puppy deserves.
Nothing too crazy, I figured that would hold you over until I find the time to go through one of my latest purchases - The Book of Questions. That's when things will really start getting interesting! Happy football watching!
My name is Kelli, and I am so glad you've stopped by! I hope you enjoy a look into the life of a 25-year-old teacher and coach, striving to live a healthy and fulfilling life with a little bit of frozen yogurt thrown into the mix!
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