Fitness Update

I have been doing a great job of tracking with both spark people and weight watchers. I have lost 5 lbs in the past two weeks. I have been really proud of myself for tracking everything even when Phil and I went to South Carolina this past weekend where they have pralines! I love pralines. I am looking forward to running with Galloway group this weekend... 10 miles. The last long run before my half in 2 weeks. I am already starting to get slightly nervous but as long as I use the Galloway method I feel like I will certainly be successful! :)

Book #7

Practice Perfect was lent to me by my Aunt Kim who knew that I really loved Doug Lemov's book "Teach like a Champion." I didn't like this book nearly as much as Teach. I thought that the authors were missing their mark on who they were writing for because they would use quite a few examples about teaching but switch to how you could use this in the business world. Because I am a teacher and how helpful "Teach like a Champion" was I wished there had been more direct ideas of what to do in my classroom versus flip flopping on who could use the stratgies and how. Overall, I loved his first book because it was written with teachers in mind but this one fell flat for me.

Book 6 out of 50 :)

I had bought this book last year after reading "Why is God Laughing?" By Deepak which I really enjoyed. This book was slightly difficult to get through but has many helpful hints on reminding present and includes mantras and tips to include in your daily meditation practice. It is a book I feel I will read again when I feel I need help in remaining at peace with my present reality. If you enjoy books of a spiritual nature I would definitely encourage reading this one as well as "Why is God Laughing?"

Valentine's Day Weekend 2014

Before Valentine's Day this year we had a horrible snow storm leaving me stuck inside for a few days but thankfully the roads were clear to go out to dinner on Friday. Phil and I went out for sushi at Vine which is where we had our second date. I hadn't really liked it the first time I had been there on that date but I was also pretty nervous the whole time. The sushi this time was delicious! I loved the detail that they put into making the boat with a watermelon heart which I ate after we were done. It was a great palate cleanser! Phil and I decided to walk next door to Madhatter's bakery where I ate half of a slice of German Chocolate cake.... Delicious! 

On Saturday, Hay and I went out for dinner and a movie. We went to see August: Osage County which was amazing! I loved it. It was thoughtful, truthful, and provoking! I thought it was going to be slightly dull at first but oh I was very wrong. It had many twists and it will definitely be one that I buy in the future. Definitely a must see for movie lovers.

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's celebration!

In Love with the Bling

And so it begins my goal for this Spring...the triple crown for completing 3 half marathons in 4 months. I am completing one every month for this year but I also am working towards completing several different races to recieve this extra medal. I don't know why but I will run anything for a medal especially a special medal. I guess it must be a competition thing but I just love knowing that I will have something shiny at the end of the race even if I am in a ton of pain it will take the edge off. 

This will be the first triple crown that I will attempt. Hopefully training will go well and in a few months this medal will be posted on this blog with my smiling face. :)

Gregory Vineyards

Phil, Lukas, Lauren and I travelled to Angier yesterday to go to Gregory Vineyards where they make muscadine wines. I don't know why but I love the sound of muscadine and scuppernong... They just sound so fun to say. 

I have been here several times once with Hay and once with Phil but it never seems to disappoint. The wines are a little but sweeter because of the muscadine grape but I love sweet wines and I ended up leaving with quite a few bottles to try at home. My favorites were the love-a- Rita which is a slushie shown above and the Bald Eagle which was a dry white wine.

Angier is quite a drive from Durham but I loved the tour which talked about the differences in grape types in North Carolina and sampling the wine. Hay and I went there in the summer when the vines were blooming but unfortunately in February the vines are not as pretty. I definitely would love to go back in the summer. The vineyard and tasting rooms are beautiful. Definitely worthy a try and it is locally owned with great deals and events happening all the time.

Website: http://www.gregoryvineyards.com

Erin's Birthday Party!

Erin celebrated her birthday on Friday. You can barely see Erin in between Hay and I. Nice photobomb. Hayleigh and I ate dinner together and began watching She's All That a 2000 classic movie when Phil came to pick us up to take us bowling. Normally I rarely can do anything in a Friday night but I am so glad that I went. Erin is one of the coolest people I know... She's quite amazing! (I feel like this statement needs more exclamation points) We went to AMF bowling in Cary and glow bowled the night away. After we went to Erin and Adam's house to eat deliciously homemade carrot cake. I don't even like carrot cake but I ate almost half of Phil's piece. Erin is also one of the best cooks I have ever met. It was a great night filled with bestie time, friend time, dancing, laughs, and singing Good Riddance in the car ride home. Lovely way to kick off a weekend!

Madhatter's for Brunch

Last Saturday, Phil and I were running errands and decided to stop by Madhatter's for brunch. I have posted a few things about Madhatter's which is a wonderful locally owned restaurant which is delicious as you can tell by the photos. Phil had the french toast with strawberries and I had their huevos rancheros without the tortilla. They buy most of their food locally which I am a big fanof and you can just enjoy the tastes of wonderful fruit or veggies in every bite. The atmosphere is great in the restaurant and dining in is not always easy to find a seat but guarantees good people watching as well as art on the walls to enjoy.

Book #5: The Reason I Jump

If I never accomplish my goal of reading 50 books this year or even if I do this will be one of my favorite reasons I chose this goal. This book blew my mind. It was written by a 13 year old boy who has autism who is nonverbal. In it he details his daily struggles, his dreams, his writing skills which are translated letter by letter by a teacher. This book was worth every minute not because I work with children who have autism but because my perception of children with autism has depeened. I used to work with a nonverbal student who I always knew was brighter than people had claimed she was and this book reaffirms what happens when we place judgments or biases on people regarding their IQ score or their communication level... Sometimes we are severely mistaken.... And, I am very grateful for that. 

Definitely worth a read even if you know no one with autism it will enlighten you.

Hayleigh's 100lb Celebration!!

Last Friday quite a few ladies and Phil gathered to celebrate the awesomeness that is Hayleigh and her astounding pound loss of 100lbs! We gathered at our old home La Cocina. Hay and I used to eat there every week to this day I know exactly what she used to get. So after almost a year of no jumbo margaritas she finally got to enjoy one! The staff at the restaurant didn't even recognize her because of all the weight loss. I had a great time and ate fairly well because I am still working on weight loss efforts... :)

Hayleigh has been using weight watchers and working out regularly. She sticks to the program and tracks everything and pushes herself to strive for more every week. Truly an inspiration! I asked her last week when weight watchers was going to make her a poster for the meetings....maybe someday soon. Hayleigh and I have been friends for almost two years and I am so proud of her accomplishments. She has been an inspiration to me to look at what I am eating and to live a happier life. I am so proud of her and cannot wait to celebrate more and more of the amazing goals so has yet to accomplish. Yay!

Book #4: Catcher in the Rye

I had picked up this very old well used book a few years ago from a book sale at my parents church. I for some reason had never read Catcher in the Rye. I am thinking that it was assigned to me and I must have cliff noted it for a paper.... Not the greatest idea but I have finally read it and I am glad. This is a very well written character that I at first hated but over time noticed his better intentions and struggle through adolescence...because no one struggles through adolescence right? :) 

I noticed the other day using what I had learned from the book with working with my students and other students of the school...instead of being black and white about thinking that the students that were out if class skipping or avoiding their teachers I thought to myself what if their lives were so difficult that they just need time to talk to someone so I began to listen more and want to connect with them more and all in all I felt really good about not being so stern all the time and bringing a little but more me into my teaching. Ahhh... Lessons learned from chapter books.... The best!

13.1 Done for January

My first half marathon of the year! One of my students colored the bib for me. I am attempting to run/walk a half marathon every month of the year. I stole this idea from my friend Meredith. I had to do 3 miles on the stationary bike because I ran out of time this month with the runny/icky weather. Unfortunately the treadmills at my school are broken which makes it slightly difficult to get some of the miles done. I have realized that I am a fair weather runner.... cold/hot not so great for my motivation. Hopefully this month's half marathon which I am beginning this Saturday will be more running than walking! :) 

Snow Day!!

Today is the first snow day I have had in a few years and it actually snowed! The snow was supposed to start yesterday afternoon so we had an early release from school so that every one could make it home safe and sound. The snow started in the evening and I watched from the warmth of our apartment. 

I am grateful for the snow day and hopefully everyone stays safe!

Book 3 out of 50: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners

I seem to be reading a lot these days which makes me very happy. I finished my 3rd book the other night which my mother bought for me a few years back when I began running. I had started the introduction of the book but never finished it. I really love the Chicken Soup series of books which there are many titles. I read Chicken Soup for Teens when I was a teenager which I loved very much because it made me feel like I wasn't crazy for being so moody all the time. 

The running book was filled with great stories some funny but mostly encouraging stories of why running is so powerful for people and why people push themselves to the next level. While I have never said I wouldn't do a full marathon I am happy sticking with my half marathons but this book made the idea of a full a little more appealing to me. I am grateful that I put aside time to read this and now it is one of my books off of my goal list. Yay! 

47 more to go!

Training Plan

After my Monday run... It was 65 degrees out. So beautiful!

Recently I haven't been making it to the Galloway runs because it has been in the teens in the mornings which doesn't sound like to much fun to me. But I'm very proud that I have continued running and training with the help of Hayleigh who goes to the gym almost every day.

Our school has a room with weights and a few machines that are for teacher use after school. I have been using the elliptical and recumbent bike when they are working. It is great to be able to catch up with other teachers as well as Hay after the work day. 

This week's training plan:

Monday: Ran 2.11 miles (9:40 pace) Fastest I have ran in a few years but had to cut the run short because I desperately needed to stretch.

Tuesday: rest day

Wednesday: Elliptical minimum of 30 minutes

Thursday: 30 minute run

Friday: yoga/rest day

Saturday: Galloway run 8 miles

Sunday: Pure Barre class

I signed up for a deal at a brand new Pure Barre location opening up less than 10 minutes from my apartment. I have never done it before so I am really looking forward to trying it for a few weeks. If you are interested in trying it out here is their website: http://www.purebarre.com

The Happiness Project Book Club

Last year I joined a Happiness Project book club off of meetup.com. The club talks about the book so titled by Gretchen Rubin. I went for a few months and loved the group. The stories, laughter, and warmth from the group was amazing. Very rarely have I met people especially complete strangers who I felt close enough to open up to. It was a great place. Then all of a student the group organizers didn't have the time anymore to put in to keep it running. So, the group stopped.

A few weeks ago I was lying in my bed just thinking and I looked at the book on the shelf and thought maybe this would be a good time to see if anyone wanted to start the club up and running again with new team organizers. So, I wrote on the Facebook group page and within a few minutes Kristin wrote back that she would love to get together. I was so excited. Kristin has this amazing calm aura about her that is warm and comforting. She is originally a northern girl like myself and used to be a teacher. Amazing! 

We met last weekend and I invited Caty along because we were going to the movies afterwards and everything seemed to fall into place. We didn't really get to talk a lot about the book but it was nice to be in company with people that wanted to move the group forward and hopefully we will be able to reach out to other people soon.

If you would like to join just let me know and I will invite you to the Facebook group.  :)

Food Truck Rodeo

I am a huge fan of food trucks. One of my first jobs as a teenager was working for a company that had the first food truck in our small town in Maine. This past weekend Caty and Justin invited us to go to the Food Truck Rodeo in Durham. I was so excited that I barely ate anything all morning so that I could save my points up for something off of a truck. When we got there it was packed! Caty finally found a spot and my anxiety began to creep up but I was still so excited that I just kept going. We walked or squeezed our way through the whole event looking at where the longest lines were and which ones sounded good to us. Phil found a truck that had falafel tots at it so of course we had to try that. They were delicious and had tzatiki sauce with them which is actually quite good on WW points. 

After that starter, Phil and I ventured around again trying to find a short line to get a meal from. At one point Phil was behind me and asking me why I wasn't moving but there literally was no place to walk. It was so stressful for me who rarely does crowds especially to this caliber but I made it to a shorter line at Bandido's. Hay has told me many times that she and her sister Whitney used to go to Bandido's all the time so I have asked her lots of times to go but we always settle on La Cocina. I figured why not try it and see if I liked it. I ordered a burrito and Phil ordered nachos. The burrito was eh but the nachos were of course delicious. Hard to go wrong with cheese smothered things except of course on my points. Needless to say I didn't need to eat dinner that night so I only went over my points a little bit. Yay! 

I don't know if I would go back to the food truck rodeo but it definitely was worthy try. One thing down that I have always wanted to try.

Have you ever been to a food truck rodeo? What did you think? Where did you go?

The new semester begins...

This semester is off to a great start. I am teaching one class with my bestie Hayleigh which is so exciting. It has been awesome to work with her and see what a talented teacher she is. She has the perfect balance of serious, slightly playful, and warm. Our students so far are doing a really great job. It is quite a large class but thankfully we are getting through it together. I can't wait to continue working through out the semester together and learn what I can from her. <3

My other classes are off to a great start as well. I have put into place some new ideas as well as some new books to use with the class including "7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens." I loved the book and am hoping the students will learn to use the strategies as they need them in their life. I also use "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Teens" which by far is their favorite because I created a worksheet that goes with each one of the headers so we do a small activity after each one. I like both of these books because it makes for great transition from school to work which I am always looking for and it allows for great discussion in class about what they want from their life and how to get there.

Training Run

Caty and I ventured on a run/walk this weekend. We walked over 5 miles together and I did a few on my own for a total of 7 miles. Yay! It was great to go outside and walk and talk. :)

I am looking forward to getting back to running with Galloway this weekend... I am hoping that the temperatures warm up for me to run in. I haven't been to fond of the 15 degree mornings with wind. Yucky. 

Homemade Granola Recipe

The other day I was at panera looking for a weight watcher friendly snack and settled on a yogurt and granola parfait which was a whooping 7 points but had the most delicious granola on the top of it. I decided to try to copy the recipe and make my own granola which came out very good. I love that I am making my own recipes to make things healthier for myself.

Homemade Granola

4 cups of oats

3/4 cups chopped pecans

1/3 cups shredded coconut

1/2 cups of brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup olive oil 

1/4 cup honey

1/8 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Mix together and then place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees rotating every 10-15 minutes until brown. It took about an hour to finally bake all the way.

Book 2 out of 50: 7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens

Book 2, I finished in a day... Mainly because I am using parts of it in my class and wanted to get it finished before the new semester starts. This book is great! I wish it had been around when I was a teenager because it had great tips on just coping with being a teenager and how to improve your lives. 

I am looking forward to using it in my classroom. I especially like that some of the materials I could relate to as an adult maybe I am acting like a teenager? :)

Any other teachers have books that they love to use with students?

Book 1 out of 50: To Marry an English Lord

My first book of the year is done. Phil have me this book for Christmas. I wanted to read it before I began the tv series of Downton Abbey. The book was extremely interesting considering in don't usually like to read historical books or haven't read one in a long time. I found the premise interesting that American Heiresses would marry Englishmen to gain titles in the Royal Family. 

After I finished it last week I began my 2 series of Downton Abbey which was over quite quickly. The episodes were great and I am glad that I read the book in conjunction with the tv show. 

I am working on a few books right now but keep bouncing back from one book to the next.

Any one else reading anything interesting right now?

Birch Box: January!

My January Birch Box has arrived! The box contained: tea bags, moisturizing lotion, dry shampoo, lip/cheek stain and a clarifying lotion. My favorite so far is the pink body butter. It smells delicious! I tried the dry shampoo but I felt like my hair was greasy all day so I might try it another time. The clarifying lotion is nice but it has foundation in it which I don't use very often at all.

I love my birch box. I have seen on Facebook that there are all kinds of boxes especially training/running boxes which I may try out soon.

Does anyone have any other boxes that they recieve regularly that they enjoy?

Guglhupf

Two weekends ago, Phil and I wanted to try something new for breakfast so we decided to quickly drop into Guglhupf (no matter how many times I feel like I say it wrong). I tried an elephant ear and Phil had a croissant both of which tasted delicious. I am looking forward to trying this place during the summer so we can sit outside. 

Lilly's Pizza

My personal pan pizza.

Phil's pizza

Phil and I went to Lilly's Pizza a few weekends ago for a quick lunch. We wanted to compare Lilly's Pizza which is voted best in town compared to Pizzeria Toro which unfortunately is closed due to a fire in the building so we were relying on memory for the comparison.

Lilly's Pizza is located near Brightleaf Square which is a quaint place near downtown Durham. The building is very interesting with memorabilia for the various sports in the area. Both of them had homemade crusts and homemade sauce. Yes! I usually prefer a thicker crust but to me the crust from Lilly's Pizza was overwhelming compared to Pizzeria Toro. So, in the long run I feel like I would prefer Pizzeria Toro. Either way, you cannot go wrong with any of these pizza places they both are locally owned pizza places that are interesting and eclectic.

Online Dating: Pros, Cons...

Most of my friends know I was a huge user/believer in online dating. All three of my long term relationships came from online dating and hopefully my current one is a keeper. :) I thought it might be helpful to share my experiences with online dating and list the pros and cons of the ones that I have used in the past. Online dating to me is a lot easier than meeting in a bar or meeting through friends especially when your friends are all married. 

Eharmony

PROS:

Eharmony allows you to go through a process before you get to email someone. They also ask you to take an assessment to match people based on their personality. When you finally go on a date off of eharmony you feel like you know that person a lot more because they ask you questions: like what are some of the things you must have in a relationship or can't stand. Every date I went on with eharmony which was a quite a few I felt like I had something in common with the person I want on a date with.

CONS:

It is typically more expensive than any other dating website but in my opinion you get what you pay for. I have heard of horror stories of people meeting off of free websites and it never seems to turn out to well. 

Match

PROS:

With match you have a lot of choice. You can look up people and do customized searches which you cannot do with Eharmony because they match people for you. You can also IM people right away instead of sending emails back in forth.

CONS:

There were too many choices. There were so many people to choose from I felt overwhelmed. It also didn't do a great job refining my age limits so I had people who were well above my age emailing me which made me feel quite uncomfortable. For the people I went on dates with there was only one person I felt compatible with and the rest they either didn't look anything like their picture or they just weren't what I would have wanted for myself.

Remember to be safe and never reveal any personal information about yourself and meet in a public area. I thankfully never had any issues but I always followed those two rules. 

Best of luck in your search and let me know which sites have worked for you! :) 

New Year's 2014

Phil and I had a few friends over for New Years and I made specialty drinks. They were pretty amazing. I bought two North Carolina alcohols: Top of the Hill and Mystic. TOPO is distilled in Chapel Hill. Phil an I went a few weeks ago to their tour. Their gin is amazing. It doesn't taste like pine trees. Yay! And, the whiskey from Mystic is distilled in the one and only Durham. Both very good products. I had such a great time with friends and celebrating the beginning of the year.

Hope everyone had a wonderful celebration!

Coffee Corner

My new favorite addition to our teeny apartment is our coffee corner with the Keurig machine which is one of the best inventions ever. Every day I have a cup of coffee or tea in just a few seconds. Amazing!

Our apartment is coming together nicely and these little organized additions make our life so much easier. Bliss. The corner features a mug from Hayleigh, mug from NCCAT, and lobster photo from Christmas.