Things I'm Loving Friday LVI

I'm really glad I picked the last week of (my) summer to start writing again. I'm not sure what has gotten into me, but maybe I'll pop in a time or two over these next couple of months when inspiration hits me. Or when I have a free moment and something I want to share. But let's just focus on the fact that I'm getting a post out today. Another roundup of some Things I'm Loving lately, so without further ado, enjoy!

I Skeptically Tried Practicing Gratitude

If you have been around for awhile, then you know how much of a sucker I am for articles like this. If you start losing yourself on Instagram, you'll see a lot of posts with captions that include the word "grateful". And I totally understand that that word can elicit eye rolls from many. But I totally believe in the gratitude thing. There's a lot of negativity around us. And it's really easy to find things to complain about. But by consciously focusing on just five specific things to be grateful for each day, that's a game changer in my opinion. When I'm having "one of those days", I have to remind myself that every day may not be great, but that there's something great in every day. A little gratitude can go a long, long way, and I'm hoping to pick the habit back up at the start of the new school year.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

And with my 11th book of the summer, I present to you this monster written by Stephen King. This book had been on my list forever, but I was a little intimidated by the sheer length of it. I was an English major in college, and I am an English teacher, but I avoided reading a book because I thought it was too long. So, okay. Anyway, I borrowed this book from a friend and let it sit on my bedside table for a week or so before grabbing it as I was heading out the door for the airport on my way to Chicago. And guys, if you haven't read it yet, do yourself a favor and READ IT! I'm incredibly fascinated by the Kennedy family, and this book ultimately deals with trying to travel back in time to try and stop the JFK assassination. But more than that it deals with the idea of love and the butterfly effect and history and dancing and sappiness and do-overs and what ifs and some truly extraordinary characters. Once I really got into it I absolutely could not put it down, and though it is only my second Stephen King book, I see there being more in my future. 

Off-the-Shoulder/Cold Shoulder Tops

Sometimes I'm super on board with the big summer trend. Other times I'm not. This summer I'm 100% on board and then some. I absolutely love the off the shoulder trend that is taking over the Instagram world. Living in Houston (and honestly anywhere), summer months call for as little clothing as possible. But is still appropriate. Tank tops are always a go-to, but I'll be the first to admit that my arms are not my favorite part of my body. I'll rock shorts in the middle of December, but this off-the-shoulder and/or cold shoulder trend allows me to stay cool while not having to feel self-conscious about my upper body. It's a win-win! My favorite OTS top is this one -- only $35 from Nordstrom and it comes in so many fun summer colors! And I recently purchased a couple of OTS dresses from Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale and I can't wait for them to come in.

Dairy-Free Cupcakes
This really only helps my Chicago readers (do I even have any of you guys?), but this cupcake tasted so good that I think it's worth posting about. While on the Signature Dishes tour through Bobby's Bike Hike (which, if you are ever in Chicago, I highly recommend you do this tour -- we had a blast), we stopped for deep dish pizza, cupcakes, Chicago dogs, and beer. I was thrilled when we walked into this cute little bakery – Swirlz – and saw that there were multiple dairy-free options. For those who have a gluten intolerance, there are also gluten-free options available! I opted for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and even after telling myself I would only eat half, I ate every last crumb. And I think that's more important than the fact that the cupcake tasted delicious is the fact that I allowed myself to eat it. The entire thing. I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I let myself eat an actual dessert that wasn't a cop-out like one scoop of sorbet or a bowl of fruit or something. And you would think I would understand this by age 25, but as it turns out, I didn't gain five pounds, it didn't affect how I performed during my half marathon, and while it's not something I am going to indulge in every single day, it was a sweet reminder that I can allow myself a treat every now and again.

Bitmoji
I know I'm incredibly behind the times here. But to be fair, I knew about Bitmoji as it was becoming popular, I just never acted on it. And the reason I finally created my Lizzie McGuire voice is because I saw other educators using Bitmoji in various Google forms, and I wanted to do the same. I'm definitely thinking of having my students create theirs so it can be used throughout the school year, but for now I'm enjoying communicating with my friends solely through Bitmoji expressions. 

Maze Dog Bowl

This one was an absolute game changer for Mack. And I actually learned about while on one of my dog-sitting assignments this summer. One of the dogs I stayed with was a Doberman, and they tend to scarf down their food in about four seconds flat. That's typically not very good for a pup's digestion, so his owner showed me her way of slowing the giant down - a Maze Bowl. My beagle is also one to just scarf down his food, cleaning his bowl in less than 30 seconds, but this particular bowl causes him to to take minutes to eat his mere half a cup of food (he's also on a slight diet, so I'm pretty sure he's always hungry). He has to actually work for his food, so I like to think that he's enjoying it a little bit more this way. These bowls come in different sizes depending on the size of your dog, and it is probably the best $9 I've spent in a while.

Have a great Friday, everyone! Make sure and do something fun and summery this weekend -- fingers crossed for sunshine here in Houston so I can get some last-minute work on my summer tan. Priorities!

Things I'm Loving XXXIV

And it's already time for another round of Things I'm Loving. But before I get started, I have to take a moment to be a little bit sentimental. One year ago this very weekend, I graduated from the best university in the world. And I grew a little more nostalgic with each "last day of school" post I saw on Instagram, because it's surreal to me that that was me just one year ago. I was getting ready to cross the stage - sad about turning the page on such a sweet chapter, but so excited for (and okay, a little unsure of) the chapter ahead of me. Here's to my real world freshman year, because it has certainly been a great one.

Now that that's out of the way, let's get back to our regularly scheduled events.

Dear Graduates
Going with our sentimental theme, here's A Message from Kid President. I love this kid. In fact, I showed one of my classes a video of his just the other day. And while I am still partial to the message delivered by Admiral McRaven, I think this one is a close second. Graduation is both exciting and bittersweet, and Kid President reminds us that life is like a really good sandwich. It's all how you make it. So fill your life with the good stuff, people. And go be awesome.

Our Spare Change
Talk about a cool business. Our Spare Change was started by two sisters, as they turned their excess coins into handmade jewelry. Of course, these pieces crafted from coins, they say the joy in their business comes through in storytelling. Every coin has a story, because when you think about it, coins have been all over the world and back again. And it's cool to think about the journey it has been on, and how it arrived at each place. The same way every person has a story, and it's cool to think about how we arrived at each place in our lives, so to speak. I ordered a custom long necklace, engraved with my very favorite bible verse - 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - "Be joyful always," - because I want it to serve as a constant reminder to me. While I don't think it's telling me that I have to always be happy, because quite frankly, that just isn't possible. But I think it's a sweet reminder that there is joy to be found in every circumstance, no matter how bad things may seem.

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19 Secrets Teachers Won't Tell You
With the exception of number ten, this list is absolutely one hundred percent true. I do have favorites (and least favorites). My heart still pounds a little bit when I get called to my principal's office. Naturally, I snap pictures of some of the funniest responses I get on written assignments. I hear far more than my students realize, but I simply choose to remain oblivious. Sometimes, I take great pleasure in calling on the kid who I know isn't paying attention (though they don't seem to be too phased by it). And this semester especially, I've made it a priority to separate my school life from my personal life.

PRO Compression Socks
My shin splints are no secret, and while KT tape has been working like a dream in terms of my pain level, it's no match for the Houston humidity. But not much is. So when I received an email from Active Advantage, with the subject line 40% Off Marathon Socks, I didn't delete it right away. If you're at all into running, you have probably seen people wearing bright-colored socks up to their knees. It brings me back to my middle school volleyball days, really, but that's a story for a different post. Anyway, I did a quick Google search, and while there's no real proven evidence, many people reported having success with Compression Socks. And with 40% off, why the heck not? So, I ordered myself a pair, went for a run the day they came in the mail, and I have nothing but good things to say about them. I had absolutely no shin pain, and while I don't know if I can attribute that fully to the socks, or to the fact that I'm taking a little bit better care of my body, but I'm officially a fan.

NOTE: Take 40% off your total order with the code RACE

Audio Device Connector
I have the curse of a 2005 car. And while I love my car - dented roof and all - it's missing two important elements. It is just past the cassette tape days, but not quite to the auxiliary cord era. Meaning, there is no easy way for me to hook my iPhone up to my car, so that I can play the tunes that I want, when I want. First World Problem if I've ever heard one. But when you're flipping between seven stations and all you hear are commercials and talk shows, an audio connector is much appreciated. So, I was at Walgreens just the other day when I came across this audio connector. And I've tried many of these devices, and all of them have failed me in some way. This time, though, I've found one that seems to work. And when I left school the other day feeling like I wanted to cry - or at the very least, find a new job - I was more than happy to plug in my favorite songs and rock out the whole way home.

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Blue Bell Strong
I am sure you are all aware by now that Blue Bell has recently hit a Rocky Road. And I'm not turning my back on them. Because I will always remain loyal to Blue Bell. In fact, I think they are handling this situation with grace, class, and humility. Blue Bell does a lot for its community, and it's something people miss when they leave the country. In fact, one of the dorm moms at SRD said she packed an entire suitcase full of Blue Bell when she went to live in Romania. So, I can't help but smile when I'm running, biking, or walking through my neighborhood and I see signs in people's yards that on one side read, "God Bless Blue Bell," and "Come and Take It" on the other. You don't mess with these ice cream lovers. 

Post Blue Bell Fun Run

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Have a fabulous Friday. My penultimate Friday (with students). Wahoo!

*Sorry this post didn't come as early as it usually does - blogger wasn't working for me at school this morning!