Christmas Time Is Here

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Ah, Andy Williams (he’s apparently the first one to sing it.) Anyways, Christmas time 🙂

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source: http://www.prettydesigns.com/35-christmas-quotes-you-will-love/

I haven’t written in a very, very, very long time. Mainly because I have so much to do these days and I have all these adult responsibilities now. I feel so old…ha. Even when I do get a spare moment, I like to just sit, or clean something, watch TV, of trying to frantically finish this cross stitch chart I’m doing. Tonight though, I attended the Christmas pageant at my church. This is where all the kiddos in the church get up and act out/sing about the birth of Jesus. It’s the sweetest thing! I was sitting there listening to them and watching them and laughing at/enjoying all their little quirks which got me thinking about the students in my classroom that I’m with every single day. I was sitting there trying to soak it all it and I realized that…..this is what life is about. Life is about singing, rejoicing, talking, laughing, playing, and wondering. It’s not supposed to be difficult. You aren’t supposed to spend every minute trying to control and fix every little thing. It’s about freedom and enjoying yourself and life. I was sitting in a pew with all these thoughts swirling around and coming to me and filling my heart. Maybe it’s just the Christmas spirit coming into my heart and filling it to the brim. I’m choosing to think something else though. Maybe this is God stepping into my heart and filling it even more. I found myself listening to the lyrics of Joy To The World and thinking about how much joy I was feeling and how thankful I am about how far I have come since August.

Halloween

It’s been a long and rough 4ish months. I’m a new, first year teacher and things were TOUGH at the beginning. I found myself in tears so often and thinking I would never get the hang of anything and like I was going to have to find a different career path because this was NOT working. But I stuck it out, I dragged myself through it every day. It was hard. It was so freaking hard. But about a week ago when my students were writing letters to Santa (and telling me seamlessly unending stories about their Elf on a Shelf), I found myself reflecting on how we are almost to the end of the semester and how far I have come and how far the students in my room have come. This isn’t so bad anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I still feel like the cliffhanger at the end of a TV show each week. “Tune in next week to find out what happens on Mrs. Powell’s Corral. Will she get all her grading done? Will she be prepped and ready for next week? Will all the parents remember to pick up their children?” It’s been an interesting ride and quite the learning process so far and I can only imagine what the second semester will bring.

 

I’ve come quite far in a number of aspects in life.

(Fall Festival Day. Can you see my holiday leggings?! Yes, I did find quite a few Christmas pairs!)

That’s not to say that Ed hasn’t been here with me the last 4 months. Boy, has he. He’s there every day. But most days he has shut up a little more. He shows up every day at lunch to tell me that what I’m doing is dumb, but I’ve just gotta drown him out really. He’s there most afternoons telling me to go run my little heart out (Christmas videos and shows have been helpful entertainment lately). He’s still present. But I think he may be quieter. It’s been so hard to wrap my mind around how my body looks now. So hard. I don’t even know an expression that is great enough to explain how I feel. I’m trying to focus on the positive aspects of it and learn to accept myself.

Instead of trying to focus on the negative things I’m trying to hard to focus on the good: what’s positive, what brings me joy, what brings others joy, what makes me feel good. Like I said, maybe it’s all the Christmas décor in my house, the Christmas movies on TV, the thought of a break from school and all the Christmas crafts I’d like to do, but I’m trying to think of it as more of a healing process.

There is probably so much more I could say but I’m trying to frantically get these words out on the page before I completely lose what I have been thinking about for the past few hours. I hope you are well and are having a wonderful Christmas or Holiday Season 🙂

We start reading The Polar Express tomorrow!

 

Fun Friday 8/5

What did I do my last week before I become an officially employed person? I watched way too much Scandal, made cinnamon bread and wished it was fall instead of summer! That’s normal, right???

I’m such a boring person……

I’d be lying if I said Hobby Lobby wasn’t one of my “happy places”. It definitely is. I love that place. I’m kind of been wishing it was fall these past couple of days and Hobby Lobby didn’t help. Although, I kind of brought the yearning for fall upon myself. I made cinnamon bread the other night and I put a scent in our bathroom wallflower from Bath & Body Works that smells like ‘warm apple pie’. It’s magnificent though! No regrets there!

I had to visit Hobby Lobby to get some new thread for my new cross stitch project. I swear, I don’t know how I don’t have every color. And since they always put out holiday things way too far ahead I got to explore Thanksgiving and Christmas 🙂

I am totally convinced that I’m going to need this little turkey door sign when it actually gets closer to fall. How could you not find him totally adorable?!

I did practice some self control yesterday…because I kind of have a thing for Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. They did have some Charlie Brown Christmas theme decor.

I feel like they are nutcrackers but I’m not positive. How cute though!!!!

Finally, if you like classic Christmas animation, I think you might like these cuties.

Rudolph and Clarice!! 

If I had a child I would be all over these. I just think they would need them. When I was a kid I had to settle for a Rudolph stuffed animal that only kind of looked like him. Jealous.

I think I just had a little too much fun yesterday exploring Hobby Lobby.

Link Love: Mother’s Day Edition

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers out there!!!!

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Happy Mother’s Day to my Mommy who I have to say, is pretty amazing. We may or may not have this best friend relationship type going on. Be jealous. She’s been one of my-if not the biggest-supporter through all these years of eating disorder recovery and I could not be any more thankful 🙂 (Think Gilmore Girls) I can’t show you what I got her for MD but it’s pretty dang cute and I’m proud of the cuteness and symbolic part I got from it. Hopefully she’ll like it.

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Health/Body Positive:

Eating Recovery Day: Why We Celebrate– via Eating Recovery Center

11 Totally BS Things Life Is Too Short For– by Lindsay Holmes via Huffington Post

HA HA #5!! #6 I also think is pretty important.

Candace Cameron Bure Opens Up About Her Recovery From Bulimia– Alexandria Gomez via Women’s Health Magazine

The 5 Things Your Scale Would Say If It Could Talk– by Cayanne via HealthyEzSweet

Fun/Quizzes:

13 Stages Every Jesse & Becky ‘Shipper Experiences When Watching ‘Full House’– by Jordana Lipsitz via Bustle

They are just so sweet ❤ But Becky’s wedding dress…..”have mercy!!!”

12 ’90s Movies That Will Take You Right Back To Your Childhood Summers– by Courtney Lindley via Bustle

YES. Babysitter’s Club, Parent Trap, A League Of Their Own! Just, all of them.

When Are Bath & Body Works 90’s Scents Coming Back? – by Kali Borovic via Bustle

I’m totally guilty of wearing Cucumber Melon. (Major icky to me now!) I think it was my first scent?? I just miss Brown Sugar and Fig.

14 Things You Would Have Said To Your Parents In The 90’s– by Lara Rutherford-Morrison via Bustle

Personally, I found the Internet boring this week.

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Thinking Out Loud 4/28

Thinking Out Loud this week with Amanda over on Running With Spoons 🙂

1. All last week pretty much was rainy. This week, it’s finally starting to feel like April/beginning of May!! April showers brings May flowers? These warm days now have got me reflecting on life so often. I catch myself staring at God’s beautiful scenery, the greenery He has growing in the fields and the trees that have leaves coming back and the beautiful sunsets He paints. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. So of course, I have to take pictures in it.

2. Ebay is one of THE coolest places, y’all. I hope whoever invented that site is a billionaire at this point. Genius. I can get cool stuff (that others might find dorky) likeeee…. Peanuts miniature keepsake ornaments from Hallmark!

 

3. I have this thing lately where I like to save all of the inspirational quotes/body positive things I come across on Facebook. Today I have 3 to share. Leslie Knope gets me every time. Also, the dog food comparison is gold!

I think all of these came from HerCampus.com

4. Am I the only one who is basically obsessed with decorating for the holidays even when they are nowhere near??? It’s probably just me. I’m odd like that. It’s just so fun! Maybe it stems from this is my first year to be married??? I don’t know. Actually, right now I’m obsessed with finding a wreath for our front door.

5. Do yourself a favor and look up Sheldon the Tiny Dinosaur on Pinterest or on Sheldon the Tiny Dinosaur. This is the cutest thing I’ve seen in a while! I came across him by accident on Pinterest yesterday. He’s a dinosaur that thinks he is a turtle. You can’t not smile when you see these! They have given me life….yeah, I’m such a dork.

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6. Lastly, I’ve never in my life been a watch wearing person. However, now that I’m older, I find myself in search of a wrist watch. Sure, my phone is great, but I wear dresses often and they don’t always have pockets to put my phone. Plus, it isn’t always appropriate to be whipping your phone out, especially in a classroom or meeting. I’m on a quest for a watch with a strap. NOT one of the bracelet ones….they pinch me. Ouch!

Society Is A Real WhatChaMaCallIt!

Today I found myself at a job fair. I’m on a major hunt for a steady teaching job right now. At this job fair, I wandered around and spoke to some schools but that’s not the point I’m getting to. I visited this one particular table where they had a fun-size candy bucket. Once I left the building, I sort of aquatinted myself with being “that kid” at Halloween. We all know the “one” I mean; the “one” who takes one than one single piece of your fun-size candy in the bucket. That was mean today…I took like 3..maybe 4. That’s what they are for, right?

As I was leaving the building to go run some other errands, I got to thinking about something that I didn’t realized bugged me until today. You know all those articles that pop up around Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter about ‘how long you have to run to work off holiday treats’ or ‘what 100 calories really looks like in your candy’? I decided that they really infuriate me!!! It makes me mad in my deep, down core for multiple reasons. Here we go, deep breath.

Oh! Do you get the title now? A real WhatChaMaCallIt??? You just gotta Rolo with my Mounds of Gummie jokes here.

Article examples:

These Photos of 100 Calories of Valentine’s Day Candy Will Probably Break Your Heart– by Jenny Sugar via PopSugar

How Long It Takes to Burn Off Your Favorite Fun-Size Treat– by Leta Shy via PopSugar

How Much Exercise It Takes To Burn Off Your Favorite Valentine’s Sweets– by Kaylin Pound via Elite Daily

First of all: IT’S A DANG HOLIDAY!!!!!!!

Aren’t these the days that we aren’t supposed to be worrying about calories or what we are eating. Aren’t we supposed to be enjoying these holidays? Are we not allowed to divulge a little bit?! It’s Christmas/Halloween/insert your favorite holiday here for crying out loud! Heck, even if it’s not a holiday, maybe you just had a really crumby Thursday and wanted to eat your fun-size Snickers. I don’t think you should be judged.

Second of all: WHY are we so hyper-focused on ‘burning off’ our food?

Personally, because I’m still in the process of recovering from an eating disorder I do sometimes think about how I’m going to get rid of whatever I just ate later. However, I don’t think normal people are doing that. That’s not normal or intuitive eating. That’s disorder eating!!! These articles are having people think disordered thoughts! This is how eating disorders begin, y’all! When you begin to think ‘oh, how many miles am I going to have to run later?’ or ‘how many minutes of spin class/yoga do I need to do?’ if I eat *this specific piece of candy/chocolate* that’s when you are no longer enjoying what is supposed to be a treat. That’s when you begin to not want to eat anything be vegetables and water. We shouldn’t constantly have to feel like we need to have “food guilt” when we eat a fun-size snack! It’s highly dangerous in my opinion and these articles are just thrown around on just about every holiday I can think of.

Third of all: Why does society feel the need to constantly tell us to ‘be fit’ or workout?

I see it everywhere. Magazines, Facebook, random ads that pop up, news sites, radio, there are more places I know but those are all I can dish out right now. I see these headlines of ‘shrink 3 sizes in 2 weeks’, ‘look hot from behind’ and ‘look great naked’ among countless others. This one almost takes the cake for me: ‘how I got my body back’ wait, was it lost!? Good gosh, can’t we just be happy how we are?! These articles and magazines go around preaching ‘self-love’ but it really seems like are leaning towards promoting self-hate. Why do we need any articles about this at the grocery store? Where’s the article about how to like yourself more? I NEED that one!

I can’t really say it any better than how this Instagram user I follow said it. Her account is Nourish And Eat and her name is Gina and she promotes loving yourself and eating disorder recovery. She’s pretty inspirational.

Finally: If we analyze everything we put in our mouth…..are we really living and enjoying life?

That’s the whole point of eating disorder recovery. It’s about feeling all your emotions and enjoying life and everything in it. I don’t know about you, but this girl needs her chocolate and I’d like to be able to savor it and not worry about what I just consumed and how I’m going to rid myself of it later. Life is meant to be enjoyed not merely in fun-size, but all the time. I think we just need to focus less on the ‘what’s in my holiday candy’ and enjoy eating the holiday candy we love! Because let’s be honest, it’s so so so very good and one perk of being an adult is getting to take more than one piece out of the Halloween candy bucket that night 😉

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Rest Day and Restoration

It was an Easter-filled weekend!! On Saturday, Marty and I celebrated with his side of the family by having lunch at his grandmother’s along with his cousins. I used Easter as a good excuse to get a new couple new dresses. It doesn’t help that Easter is at an awkward time of the year where it’s slightly cold and windy.

On Sunday, we enjoyed the church service with my family and then went out to my parents’ house for an Easter barbecue lunch. It was delicious! It’s been too long since I’ve eaten barbecue. I’ve really missed it.

 

Easter with my side of the family was on Sunday. Gotta take a picture with my two boys (that’s the-not so little-little brother).

You would not believe how unbelievably difficult it is to get my own husband to take a picture!! However, this is a pretty accurate look at the two of us.

Oh! Also, I sort of cut my hair. It’s much shorter than it was before. It’s kind of freaking me out because I’m not used to it yet but I really like it! Putting it up in a pony tail is so odd!

This whole week I’ve been struggling with the anxiety of not working out one day this week. Well, long rambling cut short, I didn’t run yesterday and I’m still living enough to type this out and I didn’t seem to gain an obnoxious amount of weight merely overnight. So, instead of going and running and spending my time in the not so warm weather yesterday I got to work on this old chest that Marty took out of storage.

It just needed a little love and a whole lot of lemon oil. I don’t have an after picture, but I swear it looks much nicer now!!

But it was a learning experience. I learned that I don’t always have to working out. I’m trying really hard to learn about taking rest days. Was it hard? Hell yes. Am I still freaking out over and is it still kind of bugging me this afternoon? Yes, it is. But the point is that I didn’t do it, and I used the time that I had to do something other than torture myself. Plus, it was kind of fun cleaning up this old piece of furniture and doing a mini restoration. It was kind of like looking at my own life. I am that old, dirty, slightly beat up chest there in that picture, but if I take rest days and try to take care of myself then I can hopefully feel like the restored version of the chest 🙂

Easter Love

Image: http://www.nopatternrequired.com/2009/04/my-vintage-easter-decorations-cards-towels-and-tins/

Happy early Easter!!!!!

Since this Sunday is Easter Sunday, I think I’m going to try to theme this post out to be more Easter oriented. We’ll see how this goes.

Fun/Humor:

18 First Day Of Spring Memes So That You Can Start The Season Off With A Laugh– Chelsey Grasso via Bustle

Health/Body Positive:

A Numbers Game: Why Your Weight Shouldn’t Matter– credit, Andi Hatch and Rachel Waymire via The Everygirl

Hating Yourself Doesn’t Make You Thin, Just Like Loving Yourself Doesn’t Make You Fat– by Kylie via yeah…Imma Eat That

This was just beautiful. I totally agree with her on the woman in the yoga class. You are carrying a tiny human for Pete’s sake!!! 

We Are Being Lied To About Weight Loss– by Jessica Bailes via Jessica Bailes: Nutritionist and Dietitian

Image: http://weheartit.com/entry/8142885?group=A&imgres=

Easter!!!!!! I really like infographics….

The Origins of Easter Traditions– via Above&Beyond a blog from Bed Bath & Beyond

25 Things You Didn’t Know About Your Easter Candy– by Ole & Shaina Olmanson via Babble

Easter Fun Facts!– by PartySugar via PopSugar

I know this post is kind of dated…but still.

 

 

Easter Bunny Thoughts

Image: http://vividscreen.info/pic/cute-white-bunny-painting/20150/for-1920×1200

Does Easter make anyone else feel..well, weird? Sad-like? No? Just me? I thought so. I don’t know why but Easter has always given me this gloomy feeling, even when I was a child. I know that even if you aren’t religious like I am that it shouldn’t be a holiday that makes you feel “sad”. If you are religious, then it’s a day you should celebrate Christ rising from the grave and saving you from enduring a life of pain and suffering. Which is just even think about if you step back and let that soak in. If you aren’t, it’s still a happy day, you think about this adorable white bunny (the Easter bunny I picture in my head is white. Yours might be brown or spotted or something. Lol) that comes and brings you eggs and best of all…..CHOCOLATE!!

Image: https://sqonline.ucsd.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/chocolate-easter-bunny.jpg

I don’t know, maybe I’m just a weirdo. I was thinking about all of this last night while I was helping out with the children at church last night while the entire story of Easter was being read to them. As I was driving home it was still daylight and the sun was setting. It seems like I’m never going to get used to this whole spring forward nonsense, but yesterday it was a blessing because I got to see this:

The sun was setting and the clouds were just right to create the ray of light streaming. It was beautiful. The fact that I had just listened to the Easter story and was thinking about the whole concept of Easter made me feel like God was really speaking to my heart through the sunset. It was actually very comforting.

Also yesterday I did some fun shopping 🙂 I’m very proud of my Hobby Lobby purchase for the kitchen. We have a whole bunch of empty space above our cabinets and on one side I put these old Peanuts glasses that my mom had but the other side was awkwardly empty. I’d been wanting something that sort of represented us but still fit with the theme of our kitchen. I was really sad because these super cute old timey food/diner type things just wouldn’t work —> Seriously, how cute is that burger boy?!?!?!

But it turns out I was even more successful!!! I found this sheep!! Considering my husband works most of the time with sheep and sheep seem to always be in my front yard, this was just perfect. I just felt like I couldn’t have picked anything better.

With Easter coming up I’m having some anxiety over Easter dinners and not working out. I’m probably over compensating in areas that I shouldn’t be but I can’t really help it right now. I know that I’m almost certain to miss a workout day and that’s just kind of driving me up the wall. I’m trying to be okay with it because I really know that you actually don’t have to workout 7 days a week and that is it perfectly fine to take a rest day!! I just don’t normally do that so I’m freaking out a bit. I’m trying really hard to be at ease with it but for me that is way easier said than done. I know that God will be there with me this Easter holiday weekend though, through all the dinners (I think I have my side of the family convinced to eat Easter pizza) and hopefully a little bit of chocolate that comes my way 😉

Link Love: Valentine’s Day Edition

Happy Valentine’s Day!!! ❤ 

I’ve been taking a whole bunch of quizzes this week. Maybe it’s all the love in the air that just made me want to have fun.

Quizzes/Happy Things:

1. I took Which Winnie The Pooh Character Are You? (It’s my all time favorite childhood cartoon. I STILL watch it.) OF COURSE I would get Piglet!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/crystalro/which-winnie-the-pooh-character-are-you#.lb2dOkYKJ

2. I then took Which Peanuts Character Are You? http://www.buzzfeed.com/keelyflaherty/which-peanuts-character-are-you#.mjWnVjmwd

Good thing I love Sally and have a “Sweet Baboo” hahaha

3. If those weren’t enough, I then decided I needed to know Which Gilmore Girls Character Are You? I would be. I got Rory 🙂 Of course, I needed my mom to then take the quiz. She got….drum roll please….Lorelei.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kirstenking/which-character-from-gilmore-girls-are-you#.eqMBbPVZ7

Valentine’s Day History: 

http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day

Movie/TV:

Movie List-Took me a while to track down a decent one! http://www.bhg.com/holidays/valentines-day/cards/romantic-movies-for-valentines-day/viewall/

Where Are Michelle Tanner’s Friends?- Bustle http://www.bustle.com/articles/136245-where-are-michelles-friends-from-full-house-today-theyre-all-grown-up-now

The Office- The Best Jim and Pam Episodes for Valentine’s Day- HerCampus http://www.hercampus.com/school/pitt/best-jim-and-pam-episodes-watch-valentine-s-day

This week I’m also in search of a new Easter/Springtime type wreath. Wish me luck!

Last night, I brought Marty heart-shaped pizza 🙂 and then I made chocolate chip angel food cake. The pizza seemed to be a hit. Thanks, Papa John’s!

-XOXO & Have a great day filled with love, maybe flowers and hopefully some chocolate 🙂

Silly Holiday, Love Is Constantly Around!

The holiday of Valentine’s Day is upon us!!!! The spirit of love fills the air and hopefully YOU!!! I know, I know, it’s kind of a silly holiday. I’m right there with, ya! I hear you. It’s goofy to have a specific date tell you when you are supposed to publicly proclaim your love for another individual. But also…..don’t you sort of secretly like it/love it? (slowly raises hand) I’ll admit it!! I’m a closet Valentine’s Day lover/appreciator. I mean, you don’t HAVE TO or NEED TO get me anything expensive or cool, just tell me you love me and we can eat pizza.

On that note, I’ve decided to just say some things I’m thankful for this holiday or that make me feel all the butterflies/fluttery hearts/warm and fuzzy inside ❤

1. Family that Cares: Marty’s grandmother made enchiladas and somehow got them across the county to us! Nobody asked her to make them, it was literally out of the kindness of her heart that she just took it upon herself to make them. It was so stinkin’ sweet! So kind and thoughtful! Just to have someone think about you can make you feel all fuzzy 🙂 Marty said they were good.

2. Shared TV Shows: When Marty waits to watch the new episode of The Big Bang Theory until I get home, even though he doesn’t have to.

3. Children/Teaching: The kids at school who come up to you and how they are always excited to see your face and always willing to give you multiple hugs. Even IF they don’t know you!!

4. These quite spectacular zebra slippers that I forgot I had at my parents that now live with me again. Yay! Warm feelings.

5. Little things: Like when you come home a baby shower on a Sunday and haven’t been home since very early Saturday morning and your husband has picked up the house, run the dishwasher, cleared up some clutter, and separated the laundry piles. Little things can be big things.

6. Husbands/Marriage: When Marty and I find funny pictures on Facebook at night to laugh at together before bed.

Sometimes in all of the hardships in life, we have to stop and find the little things that make life so spectacular. We have to stop, refocus, and marvel. Not everything in life worth marveling at will hit you straight in the face or out rightly make you realize that it’s something big. Often times, little things are the big things. They are always there though. Always. You just have to be willing to take a minute to appreciate them, soak it all in.