Things I'm Loving Friday L

Happy FRIDAY! Can you believe there are only TWO days until Christmas (if you celebrate Christmas, that is)? And if you celebrate Hanukkah, it's even closer. Time is absolutely flying, and I'll admit that while I don't have all of my Christmas shopping done yet, and I certainly don't have all my wrapping (aka stick the present in a Christmas bag and add some decorative tissue paper) and card-writing done, I'm almost there. And I plan on getting it totally finished today. I did some major gift-giving last week when I was delivering baked goods to all my teacher friends, and baking out the wazoo for my students because that's the deal I have with them -- every semester when final exams roll around, I'll reward their hard work with baked goods. They particularly enjoyed the slutty brownies.

But as much as I enjoyed baking for my students, I have more than enjoyed this break. I am batting 1,000 when it comes to naps, and I have already finished reading four books. I've caught up with friends, I've run quite a few miles, and I have spent some quality time with my precious pup. And now, it's time for another round of Things I'm Loving Friday.

Daring Greatly
I read Brené Brown's Rising Strong this past summer, and I have listened to a few of her TED talks, and I fell in love with her outlook and perspective on how we live our day-to-day lives. I was a little out of order, but I picked up Daring Greatly at Brazos Bookstore while doing some birthday shopping for my dad, and I finished it three days. Embracing vulnerability is what this one is all about, and she talks a lot about the difference between guilt and shame. I found so many points that are applicable in the classroom, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to live a wholehearted life.

Chocolate Pretzel Bites
If you're looking for an easy, last-minute, aesthetically pleasing and also tasty treat to bring to your family Christmas, look no further than these chocolate pretzel bites. You'll probably spend more time arranging the pretzels and unwrapping the Hershey's Kisses than you will putting on the M&M finishing touch. All you need are a bag of window pane pretzels, Hershey's Kisses (or Hugs or holiday-themed Kisses), and holiday-themed M&M's. The beauty of this dessert is that it's customizable to any holiday. You unwrap a Hershey's Kiss, place it on top of the pretzel, and stick it in the oven heated to 350 degrees for two to three minutes, or until the Kisses begin to melt. As soon as you take them out of the oven, press down with an M&M so that the chocolate covers the pretzel. And that's it! They make a nice appearance, and you can make a lot of them in a small amount of time. And the best part is, all there is to clean up are the Hershey's Kisses wrappers. I'll take it. 

Anthropologie Golden Monogram Mug
I was (secretly) super bummed last semester when a student reached over my desk and accidentally shattered my golden "K" mug. It wasn't that it was worth a lot of money -- I got it for only $8, but I knew that because it was limited edition, I wouldn't be able to replace it. I don't drink coffee or tea, but I like to use mugs to hold my various pens, pencils, and 

highlighters, which is why it sat on my desk at school. So when I saw the email from Anthropologie that announced the return of these limited editions mugs, I jumped right on it and got myself a new one. TBD if I am going to bring it to school with me.

Josh Groban's 'O Holy Night'
Hands down my favorite Christmas song of all time. There were days when I listened to this song on repeat the entire drive to school. His voice is magical, and it's somewhat fitting that my favorite line of the entire song is "a thrill of hope; the weary world rejoices." I think we can all agree that 2016 has left us a little weary, and we'll take any ounce of hope that we can get going into 2017.

Cherry Glacier Gatorade Frost
I was never a big Gatorade drinker growing up. I really only started drinking it within these last couple of years because I'm the world's saltiest sweater, and I needed something to replenish the electrolytes I was losing while running. And I was always really grateful that yellow Gatorade is what is on the majority of race courses, because I thought that was the only flavor I liked. Rewind to a few months ago when the JV girls gave the freshmen girls a "Beat Lamar" basket, and in it was this Cherry Glacier Gatorade Frost. I put it in my refrigerator, not giving it a second thought until I came home from an exceptionally tough Sunday run and this was the only thing in the fridge. It was love at first gulp, and now it's my go-to flavor when stocking up on Gatorade. It sure has come in handy in these 70-degree December temps.

Define: Bounce

So, my last post saw me mentioning that I was hoping to do something this Christmas break besides just run, and though I have mainly stuck to running and walking my dog, I decided to give the Define studio just a ten-minute walk away a chance. The first class is free, and I wanted something that would be both low-impact - my shins have taken a beating - and fun. I contemplated taking a Body Pump class, but I knew that would leave me feeling so sore that my Thursday tempo run would suffer. I checked the Define website, and saw that there was a bounce class happening Wednesday morning, and for those of you who know me, you know that I love a good trampoline session. I was a little nervous when I got to the studio and I was told that this class was all about staying with the rhythm of the music because I've got very little rhythm. I ended up absolutely loving the class - the 45 minutes absolutely flew by, and my entire body got a workout. It may be low-impact, but it's seriously high in intensity, and FUN!

(Source)

The Stretch Factor
The only downside I see to this place is that it's a little bit of a drive for me, as it is located in Katy, Texas. It's easy enough for me to hop on the Westpark Tollway all the way there, and it's also an excuse for me to stop by my parents' house, as they live smack dab in the middle. This place, which just recently opened its doors, was introduced to me by a teacher at school. He's the same one who is kicking my butt with this running plan he has me on, but he promised me that this place is the real deal. And after just my introductory session, I was hooked. I practically floated off the table. Seriously. I'm notoriously bad about stretching, and I definitely don't place enough emphasis on it even though I know I should. The Stretch Factor is 30 minutes (or an hour) of personalized stretching that I could absolutely not achieve on my own. They focus on your individual needs as an athlete and a human being, and target areas that will help you to maximize your performance and get the most out of your life. I've chatted with both Ryan S. and Ryan T., and they have been nothing but helpful and knowledgeable. Because I am running with more focus and more intensity, I see this as another step in the run and recovery process. Anyone can benefit from a visit to The Stretch Factor, so take advantage of that free 30-minute consultation!

(Source)

And on that note, I'm off to get some stuff done around the apartment. It's a wet morning here in Houston, so it's perfect for crossing a few things off the to-do list. Have a great one!

Things I'm Loving Friday XVI

It’s FRIDAY, and though it’s not the first Friday of the new year, and I know I missed posting a Things I’m Loving Friday last Friday, I thought I would start this school year off on the right note and give one to you guys today. As a teacher, my weeks are measured by the school calendar anyway, right?

Anyway, I will say that I am so glad it is Friday. I used to think I was a morning person, and I still am very cheerful in the morning, but waking up early has only gotten harder for me. And I’m lucky that I can get ready for school extremely quickly. I have to give a shout out to my curly hair for making that one possible.

We’ve had some very C-O-L-D weather here in Texas this week, and it’s no secret that I am not a fan of layering. What I find is that I’ll bundle up for about one minute of outside time, and once I get to where I need to go, the building has over-compensated for the temperature outside, and I end up shedding layer after layer after layer. So I’ve decided to just brave the cold with what I’ve got, because chances are that I won’t be outside for too long. Rant over, I promise. And without further ado, here are some Things I’m Loving Friday.

Vests

I invested (hehe, punny) in a vest last year around Christmastime. It was kind of a random, almost impulse purchase, because I am not always sure if I can pull off a vest, but because it was both in a winter white color, as well on sale, I decided to go for it. For something without sleeves, it keeps me surprisingly warm. I’ve worn it to school a couple of times (that’s about as many layers as I’m willing to deal with), and I have worn it quite a bit recently when taking walks around my neighborhood. I’ll wear something long-sleeved underneath the vest, and it works wonders. The vest I purchased is from Old Navy (and I can’t seem to find it anywhere online), though I have seen some cute (albeit a bit more expensive) and similar vests from J. Crew.

My go-to look

Mossimo Boots

Ankle boots, or booties, but I for some reason just don’t like that term, are a very popular trend these days. I still love my riding boots, but I, too, have fallen in love with the ankle boots phase. I have both a brown and a black pair, and I get quite a few compliments whenever I wear my black ones. People are often surprised when I tell them I found them at Target (no offense to Target, because it’s one of my very favorite stores). They are the Mossimo brand, and not only are they cute, but they are comfortable. They have a little heel on them, but it’s more of a wedge, making it possible for me to wear them at school, when I am on my feet all day. Unfortunately, I cannot find a link to them, but they are the boots pictured above the “Bootie” caption on the Women’s Boots homepage.

(Source)

Colored Pants

I don’t really like wearing slacks. I have a couple of pairs that work for me, but others of them are too baggy in all the wrong places. I suppose I could have them tailored, but when my place of work has a pretty lax dress code, why spend the extra money? Instead of wearing jeans every single day (though I certainly have my weeks), I have grown accustomed to wearing different-colored pants - pink, blue, gray, red, you name, I'll probably find a way to wear it. A little dressier than jeans, and a little cuter than slacks. My go-to pants are from Anthropologie (no real surprise there), but I see colored pants all over the place. I’m currently on the lookout for a pair of green pants, as well as a pair of burnt orange(ish) pants, so if you happen to know where I can get my legs into some of those, please send them my way!

(Source)

Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell has been on my to-read list for a while, but a lot of authors have been on my to-read list. A couple of weeks ago I was hanging out with the other members of JAKL (Jeff, Alex, Kelli, Lindsay), and Malcolm Gladwell’s The Outliers came up in conversation. We’re all four pretty nerdy, so this is no surprise. Both Alex and Lindsay said they really enjoyed it, so the next time I found myself at Barnes & Noble, I made sure to pick this one up. I was absolutely hooked. I read over 200 pages in one day, because it was just so interesting to read about how some of the most successful people in our world today were in the right place at the right time, or maybe they were born at the right time, or into the right family. 

(Source)

It takes about 10,000 hours to master something, and my favorite line from the book was this, “Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning.” Yes, teaching is hard, but it one of the most meaningful jobs that I can think of. One of my students was repeating English I this year, and I had him in my 5^th period class. He wasn’t on my roster for this semester, and he told me that he had passed the second semester, so he didn’t need to take it again this year. I told him to keep in touch (because secretly he was one of my favorites), and he promised he would come visit me during lunch often. It’s moments like those that make it all worth it. So, it comes as no surprise that I very recently purchased Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, and I can’t wait to get started.

 

(Source)

And that’s all I’ve got for you today, folks. But before I go, here’s a little update on the running front. I’ve run 33 miles so far this year, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a few dry spells here and there this upcoming weekend so that I can squeeze in a few more. This is the last weekend before half marathon weekend, and I am getting pumped! I’m a little nervous about the weather, but rain or shine it’s happening, so it’s probably better to just take it as it comes. Be sure to check back next week for a Things I’m Loving Friday: Running Edition! Have a great one!