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.

(Source)

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.

(Source)

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

(Source)

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!

Birthday Monday

This post may be small in length, but big in content. Or maybe I should say it's important in content. Either way, I've got T H R E E very important birthdays to share with you guys today.

First and foremost, today is my best friend's birthday! Fate had a plan for us when we were seated at the same table on that fateful first day of sixth grade. Okay, that one might be attributed to the fact that our last names are so close to one another, but that didn't mean we had to become best friends. Gayle is the kind of friend who only comes around once in a lifetime. She is loyal and loving and faithful and selfless and genuine and encouraging and all things good. We are very similar, yet very different all at the same time. We went off to rival colleges, yet our friendship has stood the test of time. She has been there for me every single step of the way, and we are happiest when we are sitting together talking. She gets me, she speaks so much truth, she makes me a better person, and I'm just not sure what I would do without her. It's hard to believe that we are 23 years old, she's on her way to becoming a CPA (!!!), and that this spring break, we'll take our 12th consecutive trip to the rodeo together.

Second, today is Texas Independence Day! I have said it before, but I am a Texas girl through and through. I love this state, I love that everyone can locate this state on a map, and I can't imagine ever living anywhere else. Yes, we are chock-full of Texas pride, but if you lived in a state that took ELEVEN HOURS to leave, you would probably be proud, too. We can fly our flag at the same level as the American flag, we have our own pledge, and while Texas may not be what comes to mind when you think beautiful, I think it's plenty pretty. And more importantly, it's home.

25 Reasons You Should Never Visit Texas

And lastly, today is Dr. Seuss' birthday. Give me one child who didn't grow up reading Dr. Seuss books, and I'll go ahead and remedy that right away. But seriously, talk about a man with an imagination, and a thirst for chaos and fun. His books often pack a message, but in a way that is still very kid-friendly. And though children are his main audience, his work can be enjoyed by people of all ages. In fact, he even said that "[he] doesn't write for children, [he] writes for people."  He's colorful and poetic and he was a staple in my childhood. And his words are still applicable. Always remember that "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose."

I hope your Monday is a great one!

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.

(Source)

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.

(Source)

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.

(Source)

(Source)

(Source)

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.

(Source)

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.

Things I'm Loving Friday VI

Happy, happy Friday! It's been a crazy week with this being my first week back at work, as well as a mid-week trip to Houston, and just not getting quite enough sleep. Luckily, I have a pretty low-key weekend in the books, so hopefully I can spend some time relaxing and maybe getting a head start on that summer reading.

MayBooks

I’ve talked about MayBooks on the blog before, and I was sitting down to put some dates in my calendar when I noticed that June is the last calendar month of my current MayBook. I loved the way this one was set up, and I also love the ability to make it your very own design. After much deliberation, I decided on the Bike Ride Mint planner under the Trend Setter category. When I arrived back in Austin, my planner was there waiting for me, and I immediately starting putting important dates into it like the Type A human that I am. I think it will be perfect for my first year of teaching!

Texas Baseball

Today marks the first day of the Super Regional that will hopefully send our Longhorn baseball team to the College World Series. We beat our longtime rival, Texas A&M University, this past weekend in order to advance to the Super Regional, and the victory was made even sweeter after the A&M pitcher fired a horns down sign to a dejected Longhorn bench after the loss on Sunday night. Rookie mistake, and it just fired our team up all the more. The victory over A&M advances us to our ninth Super Regional since 2000, and I would love to see our team play in Omaha next weekend.

Quinoa
You have probably heard of (or at least wondered about the pronunciation) the popular superfood quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), and have wondered what all the craze is about. Many people use it as a replacement for rice, myself included, but it isn't actually a grain. It belongs to the spinach and beet family. It is a complete protein, and it is also a good source of magnesium, calcium, and iron - no wonder it's considered a superfood! I have recently been really into salads with quinoa in them, and quinoa is such a versatile superfood that can be incorporated into breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Check out this list of the 50 best quinoa recipes.

AAA
I can't tell you how many times AAA has come to my rescue. You know how people get Starbucks Gold Cards after a certain number of trips? Well, I feel that way about AAA. I am constantly locking myself out of my car, losing my car keys, or needing some sort of towing service. I will forever be grateful for their quick service, and the way they have helped me out of every mess I have gotten myself into. 

Taza Chocolate
You guys are probably tired of hearing about my lactose intolerancy (word?), but here I am talking about it again. You guys have also probably learned that I am a big-time chocolate fan. And those are two things that don't usually mix. Taza Chocolate is the perfect solution to that problem. It is Mexican-inspired, stone-ground organic chocolate that comes in a plethora of flavors. The Chocolate Mexicano Discs are my very favorite (mainly because they're the only things I've tried), but I highly recommend them, lactose intolerant or not!

Have a wonderful Friday! I plan on squeezing in an afternoon swim, and then taking some of my YoungLife girls to see The Fault In Our Stars. The perfect remedy for a crazy week!

Lucky Seven

I am making good on yesterday's promise, and I am sneaking in a post before the day is done. Today has been a day full of baking, running errands, and doing a little bit of review for my certification exam. And when I say a little bit, I mean a very little bit. I'm just having a hard time motivating myself to study when I'm on Christmas break. Oops! Maybe the motivation will hit come January 1st.

It took me a while to get motivated enough to squeeze in a workout, as today was a very bitter day. The sun never came out, and the temperature never rose above 46 degrees. Around 4:00pm I bundled up and ran my favorite neighborhood route. After 5.5 miles, my hands were very chilly, but it was some nice running weather.

Tomorrow you can expect a very cliche look back at the year / New Years Resolutions-type post, so tonight I will focus on some supposed "lucky" food that is supposed to bring about prosperity and good health in the new year.

Greens

Greens are eaten on New Year's Eve because they resemble money. I'll get my greens in early on in the day with my favorite egg whites and spinach breakfast.

Beans

Beans resemble coins, and they are said to bring prosperity in the New Year. In the South, black-eyed peas are said to show humility, and as I made sure to pick up some black-eyed peas at the store the other day, you better believe I'll be cooking some up for my family before we all go our separate directions to ring in the new year.

Fish

Fish scales resemble money, but they also swim in schools, which promote the idea of abundance. While some might choose to see this as an abundance of money, I'll view it as an abundance of love, good conversations, friendship, and other things that money can't buy.

Pork

I learned something new today - pigs never move backward, so pork is thought to symbolize progress. This is a big one for me, because with this new year comes quite a bit of change, and I hope to progress in many, many ways.

Circular Foods

Because they symbolize "coming full circle," foods in the shape of a ring are thought to bring good luck. I'm going to put my English degree to good use and do a little interpretation on this one. I've experienced a lot of the "grass is always greener" phenomenon, especially with this being my final semester of college. The truth is, the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and you might have to dig a little bit deeper to find the good in the things that you have, but once you find that good, it's sure to be very rewarding.

Go ahead - eat that cookie! You'll run it off tomorrow.

Long Noodles

Popular in China, Japan, and other Asian countries, these long noodles signify longevity. Apparently, the longer the noodle, the longer your life, but take care not to break it before you get all of it in your mouth. If you eat noodles, it's sure to be a meal filled with lots of slurping!

Does spaghetti squash count as noodles?

Pomegranate

This one has a lot of good luck attached to it (which might go along with the fact that they take a very long time to eat), but their red color symbolizes life and fertility; their medicinal properties represent health; and their abundant, round seeds represent prosperity.

Does pomegranate frozen yogurt count?

Do you have any "lucky" food traditions that you plan to enact tomorrow? If so, please share them with me!

And with that, I'm off to continue cheering on my Longhorns in their final game of the 2013 season. Not only that, but tonight's game is the end of the incredible Mack Brown era. It would be hard to find a guy classier than Mack, so today, win or lose, we celebrate him. Thanks for a great 16 years, and for everything that you did for the university. The eyes of Texas will ALWAYS be upon you, Mack.

“Don’t let this be the greatest thing that ever happened to you.” (Source)

A Refreshing Weekend

I am just not sure how it is already the middle of November. In fact, it is nearer to the end of November than it is to the beginning. There is only one week until I get to go home for Thanksgiving break, and after that, there is only one more week of class. Time really does fly!

Anyway, this past weekend my parents came up to Austin so that we could all go to the football game together. They went to Norman so that they could watch a game with Daniel, so I guess they felt like coming to Austin would be the fair thing to do. I thought it was going to be a really exciting game, but it turned out to be Mack Brown's worst career loss at home. We just couldn't get into a rhythm, and we couldn't seem to stop their quarterback from running the ball, so we were handed our first Big 12 loss of the season. So though the game wasn't very exciting, it was still a very fun day.

My parents got to my house around 11:30am, and we spent some time hanging around my house before heading out north to the Arboretum area to get lunch at a new-to-me restaurant, Z'Tejas. The very first Z'Tejas location was born right here in Austin, Texas, on our historic 6th Street, and there are now 11 locations open for business in the Western United States. It is a classified as a "southwestern grill," and it has a little bit of Tex-Mex, soup and salads, sandwiches, burgers, steak and seafood - so it really has a wide range of food from which to choose. We ordered some of the tableside guacamole, freshly made at your table, as the name implies, and I give it two thumbs up. I wasn't sure about some of the ingredients, but I couldn't stop eating it!

(Source)

For my main dish, I went for the Grilled Salmon and vegetables, and I ate nearly every last bite, despite being extremely full. The salmon was grilled to perfection, and the vegetables were sauteed in a way that I just can't seem to do myself!

My mom, after much back and forth, opted for the Avocado Turkey Burger, and a side of sweet potato fries (I helped her out with those), and my dad went for the Green Chili Barbacoa Enchiladas. Dylan joined us for lunch and the game, and he went for the Sante Fe Smoked Chicken Enchilada.

All of our plates were pretty near clean by the end of the meal, and we all agreed that it was a great meal filled with great company. After lunch, we headed back in the direction of campus, and made it to the game right on time. I should probably be ashamed to admit that this was my first football game to attend this season, and it was also my last home game as a student, as I probably won't be making the trip back to Austin for our Thanksgiving Day game. I'm bummed that it wasn't a better game, but the weather was great, and I am thankful for that time spent with my parents.

We left the game before it was over, and after getting stuck in quite a traffic jam leaving the stadium, I was back at my house, ready for a little bit of relaxation time. I was sad to send my parents back to Houston, but it was a little easier knowing that I would see them again in just a week.

Sunday was another busy one full of homework and YoungLife, but Dylan and I did take time to go to dinner together before our all-area meeting. We went to Mandola's Italian Market in the triangle, and though my grilled chicken salad was tasty, my strawberry gelato stole the show.

I think I even shocked Dylan a little bit when I ate a large chocolate chunk out of his mint chocolate chip gelato. I figured a little bit of dairy wouldn't hurt me, and those large chocolate chunks are my favorite!

And now it's back to the craziness of another week, but hopefully I will be better about updating y'all this round! Have a great Tuesday!

Red River Rivalry

I am a little embarrassed that yesterday I wrote about my lack of confidence in the Longhorn football team in the big Red River Rivalry game today. But to defend my words, our play so far this year hadn't given me much reason to be hopeful about this game. I don't know where it's been all season, but our team came ready to play today. And I am so proud to be a Longhorn, and I can't wait to see our beautiful tower lit up orange tonight.

(Source)

I am happy to say that with this win, I can officially continue on with my four-year graduation plan. If we had lost, I was contemplating taking a victory lap, solely to see if I could have one memorable football season (though our 2011 Thanksgiving victory against Texas A&M is certainly one to remember), but my parents will be relieved to hear that I can in fact graduate next May as planned. There are other reasons to celebrate our win, one of them being there will certainly be an increased morale on campus, and we just might have a bit more school spirit. I know that I'm already excited for when my parents to come to Austin in November so that we can all go to the OSU game. If we keep playing like this, I'm calling a Big 12 championship. You heard it here first! I'm also happy for the sake of Mack Brown. Though I think he should step down at the end of this year just as much as the next person, I think winning the Red River Rivalry is a good way to do that. He's done great things for this program, and it was so nice to see him smiling on the sidelines this afternoon.

(Source)

And this win was made all the better due to the fact that my little brother is currently a freshman at OU. I didn't know how I was going to live it down if we had lost this game. 

I'm a little bummed that I didn't make the trek to Dallas for my senior year Texas/OU game, but the best seat in the house is often the view from the couch, or from a treadmill, which is where I spent the majority of the first half.

I got up around 8:00 this morning, and opted to work on a little bit of homework instead of hitting the gym first thing. Around 11:30 I finally changed out of my pajamas and headed up to 24 Hour Fitness, and set up shop on a treadmill that was very close to the TV that was showing the game. I ended up running just over seven miles in an hour, and because I was watching the game, the time absolutely flew by. Plus, it was fun to see everyone reacting to the game. I am really feeling ready for my upcoming trip to San Francisco, and that feeling is heightened due to the fact that I just brought down my suitcase so that I can start packing. I always do this, in that I get started extremely early, but then I tend to leave most of the packing to the last minute. Let's see if I can break that trend this time!

After my time at the gym, a quick trip to Target, and a very refreshing shower, I heated up a bowl of my chicken and pineapple vegetable dish, and ate it while parked on the couch watching that beautiful, beautiful football game. 

I'm honestly so happy that nothing can bring me down, even the fact that my plans for the rest of the day include working on lots of school work. Hook 'Em Horns, and Texas Forever! Have a great rest of your Saturday!

Hook 'Em Horns

And it's back. Longhorn football, that is. Though I did not order season tickets (I know, I know), I am still very excited for the upcoming football season. I have hope that we will make up for our dismal past three seasons, and maybe that we'll even beat that team north of the Red River. Our first game is tonight against New Mexico State, and I am hoping that we will see our beautiful tower lit orange!

(Source)

Workout

I woke up around 7:45 this morning and knew that a good run would be the best way to start off my Saturday. I originally told myself that I needed to run seven miles in preparation for my half marathon, but I can push that back a week or two, so I decided to keep it at an even five miles (actually, 5.4) using my 45-minute treadmill workout. The first few minutes were pretty rough, but I got into a groove and I felt as though I could have kept running for miles. However, Dylan and I both needed to return something to the Co-Op, so we decided it would be better to do that before things on campus got too crazy with the big game. It was pretty perfect timing as I managed to get home and take a quick shower before he got to my house.

Breakfast

I know you guys are getting tired of the scrambled egg whites and spinach picture, so I decided to keep things interesting and switch it up a little bit for you guys today. I originally had plans to try a new recipe entirely, but as I didn't get home from running those errands until after 11:00am, and I was still pretty hot from my run and walking down the drag, I opted for a smoothie made using frozen peaches, raspberries, flax milk, spinach, and chia seeds. This smoothie was a bit of a struggle to blend, as the peaches were pretty frozen and were giving me some serious trouble this morning. It was one of my thicker smoothies, but it was still delicious. The peach-raspberry combination is definitely one of my favorites!

But, be on the lookout for a new-to-me recipe on the blog tomorrow. It should be a good one!

And now I am taking a break from some school work to type up this blog post. I am currently posted up in the beautiful new liberal arts building on campus, as I tend to get distracted when I study at my house, especially when all of my roommates are home. It's no fault against them, but I often want to hang out with them instead of doing my work. Plus, it's really my last semester to take advantage of being on campus, and I plan to discover the best study (and lesson planning) spots around the 40 acres.

Have a great college football Saturday and Hook 'Em Horns! 

Summer Days

Happy Friday! Before I start in on today, I'll take you through my last couple of days, because they were the perfect example of what summer should be. First of all, I didn't have to work yesterday, and though I love working at SRD, a day off work (and a day where I don't have to wear real-world clothes) is always appreciated. Two of Dylan's good high school friends came in town Wednesday evening, and another one of his friends was staying with him before attending UT orientation, so we all enjoyed a beautiful view while enjoying a delicious dinner at Hula Hut on Lake Austin. Hula Hut has been one of my favorite restaurants ever since middle school when we would come to Austin for volleyball tournaments, so I always say yes to a trip to Hula Hut.

By the looks of our empty plates at the end of the meal, we all enjoyed what we ordered. I went for the Slow-Roasted Pork Tacos, and they were excellent. I have had them on my mind for quite some time, as I went to Hula Hut with a friend ages ago and she ordered them, making me instantly regret not ordering them. If there is one thing I have learned from living in Austin, it is that I love a good taco.

Yesterday morning started bright and early for me, as I woke up around 7:15am, and was out the door by 7:30am so that I could squeeze in a quick workout before a day full of fun adventures. I drove my usual route down to Town Lake, but before run/walking my usual three-mile loop, I stopped by the Austin High School track to complete eight laps of sprinting the straights, walking the curves. As tough as sprinting is for me, I really enjoyed this workout, and I consider it a good addition to the half marathon training that will start before I know it.

After a quick shower, I threw on a bathing suit and tank top, and drove over to Dylan's house so that we could get an early start to New Branfels. We had plans to float the Comal River, and we got to Texas Tubes rental just about 11:00am. We rented tubes, applied sunscreen (and I still smell like sunscreen), and were on the river by 11:15am. We floated for almost two hours, and I am really sad I didn't have my phone or camera with me, because it was so pretty, and there were some really cute cottages along the river. If you ever need a weekend getaway, I would definitely recommend coming down to New Braunfels, because once you are done floating the river, you can head ten minutes down the road to Gruene.

Kevin, Megan, me, and Dylan

I have lived in Texas my entire life, but I have never been to the historic Gruene, Texas. It is probably the cutest town I have ever seen, and though it is now a thriving community, it was once little more than a ghost town. Gruene Dance Hall is probably the charm of this town, which remained open during the Great Depression when all other family businesses went under. We ate at the cotton gin-turned-restaurant - The Gristmill - right next door, and it was excellent. Everything on the menu looked wonderful, but I opted for the grilled chicken spinach salad, and we all shared a big bucket of baked fries, which reminded me of Hungry's french fries.

Our plates were clean by the end of the meal, and we were all more than ready for a nap, but we managed to find enough energy to use at the San Marcos Outlet Mall. We were there for maybe 45 minutes, but I was somehow able to do quite a bit of damage in that short amount of time. Granted, the purse I purchased was over half off, and the reason I bought it is because I can use it for student teaching. It is very "cutefessional," as one friend coined it, and it will likely last me forever. The woman knew she had talked me into it when I told her to "let me just call my mom really fast." All four of us were pretty successful at the outlets, and we arrived back in Austin around 5:30pm. A long day, but a wonderful day.

When I got back to my house, I ate a light dinner, sat around on Pinterest for a while, before finally lacing up my tennis shoes and heading over to Town Lake. I planned to just end the day with a walk, but as soon as I got to the trail, I felt like running. I ended up running the entire thing, finishing up just as the sun was setting. It made for a wonderful sight, and it was the perfect end to a great day.

I was pretty drained by the time I got back home, so after a shower and a little bit of reading, I was more than ready for bed. I work until 2:00pm today, and then I will hopefully cross off some of the errands I have been meaning to run all week. Have a great Friday!