28 Things I’m Grateful For

 Today is my birthday! I don’t normally make a big deal out of it most years but in 2020, I’m leaning into anything that gives me joy! I was trying to think of something to post for my birthday, and after some thinking, I decided on a list of things I’ve been grateful for in the past year. The majority of the year since my last birthday has been spent in quarantine, away from friends and family. Somehow I’ve been able to really focus on what I’m grateful for in this time and today I’m sharing a list of 28 of those things in honor of my 28th birthday! These are in no particular order.

1. My husband, John, who puts up with all my shenanigans 
2. My supportive family
3. Comfy clothes to lounge around in
4. Take out food
5. Taylor Swift and her music
6. Colorful pens
7. My students and their sweet families
8. Social media to stay connected
9. Clean water to drink
10. My snuggly cats
11. My two sweet nephews
12. Poshmark for both buying and selling 
13. My priority planner
14. Rachel Hollis’ motivation
15. Gretchen Rubin’s books and motivation
16. 7 minute workout app
17. Video chatting
18. Fun masks
19. My kind coworkers
20. Dunkin’ iced coffee
21. Running
22. Books
23. My cozy house
24. Grey’s Anatomy
25. My new car
26. The Happy Headband Co. headbands to give me cute hairstyles on crazy hair days
27. Revel Nail dipped manicures
28. Hot or iced chai lattes

Question of the Day: What are you grateful for?

{November} Currently

 Hellllo! Yes, I'm still here! I had all of last week off for NJ Teacher Convention Week so I used it as an opportunity to stray away from my phone and computer. Now I'm back and ready to get these blogging fingers moving! I had intended to write a more exciting post for today, but work ended up getting a bit hectic this week so I'm settling with a simple "currently" post. I think I might start posting one of these once a month.

I am currently...

Eating

An early Thanksgiving. I picked up a turkey breast for a good price over the weekend so we've been eating that for lunches. I've been doing turkey sandwiches while John has been making a turkey bowl with stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce.

Wearing

My Vans. Our dress code at work has been leaning on the more relaxed side lately so I've been wearing my Vans most days. They're so much more comfortable than flats and still look fairly nice!

Reading

Fewer Things, Better by Angela Watson. My sister sent me this book through Amazon a week or so ago and I'm really loving it. It's a book for teachers on how to lighten your load and focus on what really matters. What perfect timing for this book!

Watching

Gilmore Girls. John and I started binge watching this a few weeks ago and I am hooked! We are in the middle of season 3 right now.

Drinking

Lots of water! Wearing a mask while teaching means I have to talk much louder. That leaves my throat so dry which has me drinking water constantly, especially with a Nuun tab!

Listening To
Podcasts. These have been helping me survive my commute to and from work each day. I got a list of recommendations from a friend (thanks, Maureen!) and I'm slowly working through the true crime podcasts.

Question of the Day: What is something you’re currently eating, wearing, listening to, etc.? Pick one :)

Just Another Manic Monday

We've made it halfway through this week! I'm back in the school teaching from my classroom so my schedule has been a bit off this week. I thought I'd pop in today and share my Monday in pictures! The title is a little misleading since, as you'll see, my day looks quite boring. The crazy school stuff isn't pictured haha. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

I start every morning with my Start Today Journal where I write out 5 things I am grateful for and 10 dreams I'm going to make happen. I try and do this before I even get out of bed in the morning to guarantee I do it.

I wanted to start my week off on a good note, so I pushed myself to go on my daily run before work knowing I'd be exhausted after work. Running in the dark takes some getting used to.

After packing up my bag and lunch, I started working on my Priority Planner to kill time before leaving for work.

I picked up a Wawa coffee on the way to work since teachers get free coffee until September 30th. I had been working from home the past week or so which meant I had to get my little area all set back up in my classroom.

I took some time when I got home from work to fix up my nails with my dip powder.

John and I were both way too exhausted after work to cook so we went and grabbed dinner from our favorite diner up the street. I got my favorite turkey chipotle panini with sweet potato waffle fries.

When we got home, I had to package up a Poshmark sale I had made that morning.

I finished off the long day with a stress relieving bubble bath. I read a bit of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas while I soaked.

Question of the Day: What is your favorite way to relax at night?

Currently

Happy Hump Day! The past week or so has been a whirlwind for me so I thought I'd take a moment to check in with a "currently" post since I've been lacking in the blogging department! School is now in session and it's crazier than ever. Hopefully once I get into the swing of things I can get back into blogging a lot since I have a lot of ideas swimming around in this brain of mine! Anyway, enjoy today's post!

I am currently...

Eating

Salads. They've been the easiest thing for me to make for work and I love how versatile they can be. Lately I've just been getting lettuce and putting whatever sounds good on top.

Wearing

My nice work clothes, finally! We have the option to work from home, but since I co-teach, going into the classroom has been easier. I've been so happy to finally be able to wear some of my cuter clothes and not so much workout clothes (at least not all day).

Reading

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. I am only 1 chapter in so I don't have much to say about this book just yet. I have heard a lot of good things about it, plus it seems like a quick read, so I'm excited to zip through it!

Drinking

Pumpkin spice coffee, both hot and iced! I'm a huge Dunkin' fan so you can find me there most mornings haha.

Watching

Private Practice. It's been on our list to watch since it's Addison's spin-off of Grey's Anatomy and we've finally gotten around to it. It was hard to get into but now that we're a few seasons in, we're hooked!

Listening To
Taylor Swift's Folklore Album. I've had it on repeat in my car since it came out!

Question of the Day: What is something you’re currently eating, wearing, listening to, etc.? Pick one :)

Friday Favorites

Happy First Friday of August! I have a love/hate relationship with the month of August. I love it because a lot of important dates fall during this month but then I hate it because it means work starts back up very soon. One of those important dates I've mentioned is our wedding anniversary this Sunday! As of now we have a low key weekend planned that may or may not involve waffles & ice cream 😉 Anywho- another Friday, another post with some things I've been loving!

My New Car

On Tuesday I finally traded in my 2001 Honda CRV for a 2017 Honda HRV EX-L! I am over the moon excited over here! We've been planning to get me a new car for awhile now, then covid-19 happened and our search came to a pause. We picked back up last week and during our search came across this beauty! It is the perfect car for me and has so many great features, most importantly being heated seats and power locks (you'd understand if you ever were in my old car). I highly recommend this car for anyone in the market for a smaller size SUV. 

Nuun Tank Top

I saw this new Nuun tank top pop up in my Nuun Ambassador Facebook group last week and knew I just had to have it! I'm currently doing a runstreak so all my running clothes are really taking a beating. I used that as justification for treating myself to this! This tank top is super soft, the pink is very eye-catching, and it has a very flattering fit. It's Bella + Canvas brand, which is one of my favorites! All proceeds of the sales benefit the organization &Mother, an organization who breaks down barriers
"that limit a woman’s choice to pursue and thrive in both career and motherhood."

Old Navy Linen Shorts

I bought a pair of these shorts last year because I needed some new shorts for my honeymoon. They've since become my favorite casual shorts and I'm not sure why I don't own them in every color yet. They're lightweight, have a drawstring to tighten them around the waist, and aren't super short, making them very comfortable! I'm hoping I can find a few pairs on clearance as the summer comes to an end.

Question of the Day: What is something you've been loving this week?

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! Did you miss me? I'm hoping you didn't think that I was just abandoning my blog. To be honest, my lack of a strict schedule since school officially ended has really thrown me off. And then last week John and I took a 5-day trip up to the Poconos to relax and recharge. I spent this past week adjusting to my newfound freedom (I have either had marching band or worked every summer since the summer of 2007...) but now I am back and ready to blog the summer away because really what else can I do? 🤣

It's been a hot minute since I've posted a Friday Favorites so I have tons of ideas swimming around in this head of mine. I'll try not to bombard you with too many today haha.

These Views

Like I said, we spent a majority of last week in the Pocono Mountains. We spent almost every day and night at the lake fishing since there wasn't much else to do with limited options. I really enjoyed being at the lake at night because the views were absolutely stunning! I snapped a couple good shots while we sat on the dock because I was just in awe at the colors and beauty of the sky. You don't see this kind of stuff that often where I live lol.

Smirnoff Ice Zero Sugar Original

My mom introduced these to me recently and they have quickly become my new favorite. I don't drink often because usually the drinks I enjoy are higher in calories and super sugary. These are the perfect choice because they are made me zero sugar but don't taste like it! John and I both agree they taste similar to Mike's Hard Lemonade, which is one of our favorites. I'll be sipping on these all summer long!

Yes, I still take ring pictures... ;)

Wifey Mug

Right before Father's Day I made my first trek into a Wal-Mart since before COVID. It was the only place that sold what I needed for my dad so I masked up and went super early in the morning to avoid crowds. That was a good idea because then I had the chance to wander around and find this beauty! Since getting married, I have been saying I wanted some sort of mug that either said wife, wifey, or Mrs. This mug exceeded my expectations because it is huge at 16 oz, I love the font of the word wifey, AND it was less than $5. Win! 

Voortman Sugar Free Wafers

Not to overload this post with sugar free items, but this is another awesome find that doesn't even taste sugar free! I found these at Dollar General for $1.50 but I am sure they can be found at other stores. First I bought the orange cream flavor and was amazed at how delicious they were! The orange flavor is strong without being fake tasting, if that makes sense. I thought the chocolate would taste bland since the actual wafer part isn't chocolate but I was wrong! Just like the orange, the chocolate flavor is strong but doesn't taste fake. I may have eaten this quicker than any human should... I also bought strawberry and vanilla wafers but have yet to try those!

Question of the Day: What have you been loving lately?

A Day in my Life

Happy Wednesday! I honestly thought yesterday was Thursday so as you can see, my whole week is thrown off. I don't think I've ever posted a day in my life so I figured what better day to do it than yesterday, the last official day of school for my students!

I started my day off as I usually do with a 6 am run around my neighborhood. 

I straightened up the kitchen afterwards and then gave myself a dipped manicure to celebrate the {almost} start of summer!

My first grade class had our last class Google Meet for the year which called for dressing up!

I headed out right after the meeting to go finish up some things in my classroom. I dropped off some thank you cards for my students along the way.

Of course I stopped for an iced coffee along the way! It was an odd feeling leaving the school for the summer.

I ended up going to my parents house for lunch after being at the school. No pictures were taken but we just relaxed and had burgers for lunch! Along the way I stopped at a Little Free Library for a new book.

I convinced John to go on a walk with me when he got home from work. It was gorgeous out!

We saw baby ducks along the golf course!

For dinner we made burrito bowls in the Instant Pot. One of our favorite meals since it is super simple and quick!

After dinner, we watched some Grey's Anatomy and hung out before going to bed.

Question of the Day: Do you have any summer plans yet?

Friday Favorites

Another Friday, another list of things I've been loving! This week went by super slowly for me for some reason so I'm pretty pumped that it is actually Friday now! We have yet another chill weekend ahead of us. Tomorrow we are planning to have a window date with our nephews since Joey turned 1 yesterday! We may also try and have some sort of indoor date night either tonight or tomorrow. Other than that, you can find me relaxing :) I hope you all have something nice planned for the weekend!

Brookside Crunchy Clusters

Some of my coworkers arranged a "booze fairy" thing where we took turns "boozing" one another. The person who boozed me last week really spoiled me! Along with the booze, she also gave me some snacks, one of which were these Brookside Crunchy Clusters. They are a mix of crispy pieces and chewy berries covered in dark chocolate. They are dangerously good! It's took everything in me not to finish the whole bag in one sitting.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Kya Clark is a quiet girl who has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home. She is referred to as the "Marsh Girl" by everyone in the nearby town and is pointed to as the suspect when Chase Andrews, a well-known man, is found dead. The book intertwines two separate timelines that follow along with Kya's life as well as the murder case of Chase. 

This book was really hyped up for me by many people so I was happy when I got my hands on it. It wasn't a book I'd normally pick up on my own but I am so glad I got around to reading it. I was hooked from the beginning and stayed up late one night because I couldn't stop reading until I knew what really happened!

Our Patio Project

Awhile back John found a pin on Pinterest for a really cool lighting project we could do for our patio that used the string lights I'm obsessed with. We live in a townhouse so we lack a backyard where we can do cool stuff so our patio has to do. John and his dad worked on it for a few days but it may have been able to be done all in one day if they chose the fast setting cement. First we bought pretty barrel planters which they put 8 foot posts in and then set them in with cement. Once that set, we put soil in the planters which later we planted some pretty flowers in. The final step was to drill in hooks near the top and hang the lights! It was a fairly simple project and looks amazing on our back patio both during the day and at night! We have already spent many nights sitting out there and relaxing.

Question of the Day: What is something your loving this week?

Currently: Quarantine Edition

Hey! How is it already May?! With all the free time I have you'd think I'd spend it coming up with some cool blog post ideas but that hasn't been the case this week. Now that schools in New Jersey have officially closed for the remainder of the year, the stress is REAL. I've also been using this time to get a lot of house work done.

Since I feel like the past month or so has been a real blur, I'm taking a moment today to check in and share a "currently" post with you!

I am currently...

Eating

Super Hero Muffins from Run Fast. Eat Slow. by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky. I've been enjoying them as a mid-day snack!

Purple + gym clothes all day, everyday!

Wearing

Work out clothes all day, everyday. There is no real point in dressing up while working from home and I try and sneak in random workouts through out the day, so leggings, a tank, and sweatshirt are my normal attire. 

Reading

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. It's a book all about habits which is right up my alley. I bought it when it first came out a couple years ago and am finally getting around to reading it.

Watching

Grey's Anatomy... again. John and I love this show and we are currently re-watching the whole series.

Drinking

Whipped coffee. This has been my favorite pick-me-up in the afternoon!

On Saturday we did our long run together and even went as far to wear completely matching outfits!

Loving
My new routine of getting up early and running almost every morning! My sister and I have gotten into the habit of going on a run every morning at the same time. We talk on the phone during our run, which gives us a chance to catch up before our days get crazy.

Question of the Day: What is something you’re currently eating, wearing, listening to, etc.? Pick one :)

Our Rhode Trip

Okay okay, I just had to be punny with the title! Anywho, John and I hit the road this past weekend and headed up to Rhode Island to visit my brother at school. We left after work on Friday which meant we didn’t arrive in Rhode Island until close to midnight. We had all of Saturday and half of Sunday in the area and managed to see a lot! Today I’m sharing some of the photos from our trip so I hope you enjoy!

We stopped somewhere in Connecticut for the most delicious pizza! The place was super cute and the most perfect place to rest halfway through the drive up.

Since we arrived in the dark {it was also snowing!!}, we didn’t see our awesome views until we woke up the next morning.

After we woke up, we went downstairs to get coffee and explore. The common room, where the coffee was kept, had the cutest decor and old fashioned board games to play.

I got to see the cute porch when I left for my run.

I had the most amazing views on my run! Our hotel was right on a bay so I just ran right along it. I was shocked that I wasn’t too cold.

I can’t pass up collecting shells!

We did some research for where to have brunch which led us to Annie’s, a cute brunch spot in Newport.

They are apparently known for their eggs Benedict so I figured it was the best place to try them. I highly recommend!

Afterwards we went to another online find, the Cliff Walk. It’s a path that takes you along Newport’s shore while giving you amazing views of some of the mansions.

We entered the spot where you can walk down the forty steps to get a closer view of the water.

The views were great! We were in awe at how beautiful the mansions were.

At one point we even saw people surfing. We both agreed we think that’s the first time we ever saw people surfing live in-person.

For dinner, we ended up at the Brick Alley Pub where I tried my first lobster roll.

Of course I found a running store to check out ;)

The views from our room were even more beautiful the second day!

We spent all of Sunday morning with my brother. He showed us around the base he’s been staying on while we caught up on life. Once we left him, we picked up some Dunkin’ and then headed home. We of course made a pit stop at the Pez Visitor Center!

Fun fact: I collected Pez dispensers growing up and still have the collection!

We saw so many cool Pez at the museum, both old and new! It was so cool for a collector like me!

We got a little after dinner time, just in time to prep for work the next day. It’s Wednesday and I still feel like we are recovering from our short road trip!

Question of the Day: Have you ever travelled to Rhode Island? If so, where is your favorite place there?