Christmastime is here...

 

It's very possible that starting a blog the same time as I was starting out my career wasn't the brightest idea... I can't seem to find time to update! Over the past few months, I've had idea after idea for blogposts and I literally just couldn't find a few spare moments to post!  Being a first year teacher is tiring! (Be assured, however, that I'm still absolutely in love with what I'm doing...) My days are over before I feel like they've even begun, my mind races at 100 miles a minute, and it's all I can do to cook a decent meal, keep my apartment clean, and deliver quality lessons.

 

That being said, here I sit on a Sunday afternoon, a long to-do list in front of me with only three (out of many) items checked off, and I'm choosing YOU, blog friends, so you should feel special!

 

I am one of those people who is, and I don't say this lightly, obsessed with the Christmas season.  I love the music, the cookies, the movies, the cookies, the smells, the cookies, the snow... I love it all! I set up my Christmas tree and decorated my apartment earlier in the week and put up my fresh evergreen garland that I ordered through a fundraiser at school, so my apartment smells wonderful!

Yesterday, I finished my Christmas shopping, and in the next few weeks, I will finish up my homemade gifts! (I will post about those after the holidays, of course, in case any of the gift's recipients frequent this blog!) It feels good to have it all accomplished, but it makes me a little sad, too.  I think so often people rush through the holidays that they forget about the true spirit of Christmas.  As I was shopping yesterday with my mom and sister at crowded shopping mall, I was shocked with the large amount of crankiness and general unfriendly attitude of people.  I know that not everyone loves the holidays like I do, but c'mon people! It's Christmas! Life is too short to not enjoy every minute you're given... and Christmas shopping, time spent with family or friends picking out the perfect gift for a loved one, should be enjoyable.  Who adds a minute to their life by giving dirty looks or bumping into someone and not saying excuse me?? Okay, I'll end this little mini rant here and get onto a recipe share!!

 

 Chocolate Star Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are my favorite to make over the holidays. I used to make them with Hershey's kisses, but I always thought they were a bit too chocolate heavy (I know, say what?!). The kisses took away from the yummy peanut butter cookie, so I started using the milk chocolate stars from Brachs.

 Ingredients:

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

¾ cup sugar

1 bag Chocolate Stars

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In mixer, beat together butter, peanut butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla.
4. Slowly add dry ingredients.
5. Form dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll in sugar.
6. Place on baking sheets about 1 inch apart. (They don't spread very much)
7. Bake for 8 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and quickly press 1 chocolate into each cookie.  (You'll know the cookies are cooked for the right amount of time because when you press the star into them, they kind of I crack)
9. Move to cooling rack.

Keep in mind that these cookies need to cool for quite awhile before they can be layered into a tupperware for storage... The chocolates take a looooong time to harden up.

Enjoy!

It's FALL!

I've taken a hiatus from the blogging world for the past few weeks while I've been getting used to being a full time teacher.  Okay... I've taken a hiatus from just about everything other than lesson planning, grading, and other school related things. Until today, my house was a mess, my closet disorganized (if you know me, you know that's a big deal), and the fridge empty.  I have literally come home many a night and had a bowl of Cheerios or Apple Jacks and maybe some string cheese and called that dinner. If it wasn't for some of the frozen meals my dad made and sent home with me when I visited last, I wouldn't be able to even tell you the last time I'd had an actual meal. This first year teacher thing is crazy.  I'm putting in about 50-55 hours every week at school, and then, I'm coming home and putting in another couple of hours at home each night.  And want to know what? I'm loving every second of it.  Sure, there are frustrating moments, when because of my inexperience, I can't understand something, but most days are wonderful.

Anyway, back to the messy house. Finally, today I had time to clean.  And I mean deep clean.  The kind of deep clean where you are on your hands and knees scrubbing the floor and every single crevice you can find, kind of clean. It was very therapeutic, actually. A great way to relieve stress. (don't you feel like telling me, "You tell that floor who's boss, Katie!" ??)

And now that my apartment is clean and sparkly, I get to decorate for fall! I absolutely LOVE fall. I love the smells, the colors, and the crisp air. I love apple crisp, apple cider, getting to wear sweaters and scarves and boots, and getting to walk to school without melting!

While I was decorating, I found some Fall silk flowers in a box, so I put together a quick arrangement for my table. Whatdya think?

 

Notice my cute Fall table runner, too? Now, I just need to replace the scents in my Scentsy warmers to something a little more Fall-like. Right now I have "Fried Ice Cream" which is basically a Vanilla Cinnamon smell, but I'm feeling something more like  Pumpkin Spice or Apple Harvest... Any Scentsy lovers have a suggestion?

 

 

'Til Next Time!

 



First Day of School:

Follow this link to read about my FIRST first day of school as a teacher!

 

Dad's Minnesota Limerick

Dad thought he'd give this Minnesota Limerick thing a try... here's his version!

There was a girl who grew up in Big Lake
Who had a hank'ring for venison steak.
But along came no deer,
So she had to switch gears
And settle for some nice Mallard Drake.

Pretty good, huh? (By the way, guess who the girl who grew up in Big Lake is?)

 

Minnesota Limerick

During one of my Language Arts workshops, a teacher from a nearby school shared that he celebrates St. Patrick's day in his class by having his students write a "Minnesota Limerick." I won't get into it much, since this isn't an education blog, but we were asked to compose our own Minnesota Limericks based on the town we grew up in.  I thought it'd be fun to share my limerick! Enjoy!

There once was a girl from Big Lake.
She dined on nothing but juicy red steak.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner,
If vegan, she'd be thinner,
But that's not a change she's likely to make.

 

My Heart With You

I heard this song on Pretty Little Liars awhile ago and fell in love with it.  The harmony, the lyrics, AHH! It's just so beautiful, I had to post it!

I had a fantastic weekend spent with my family! It was a perfect way to round off the summer vacation and welcome in the school year.  We went to a cookout on Friday night, went to the wedding of someone who may as well be family on Saturday and then spent today relaxing and watching The Hunger Games!

I hope your weekend was as enjoyable as mine!

 

Famous!

Look what was on the front page of the local newspaper! An introduction to the NEW TEACHERS!

First day of school is one week from today! Eek!

Sister Day!

I'm one of those lucky people to have a sister who I can also call a best friend.  This summer, my baby sister has been a camp counselor at a church camp in Northern North Dakota and finally came home a few days ago.  Luckily for me, her first wish upon her arrival in Minnesota was to pay her sister a week-long visit!

Today, I picked her up in Alexandria (a halfway point between my parent's house and mine) and we spent the day wandering around the cute little shops and got to have lunch with Mom (who works in Alexandria!) We had SO much fun!

Look at our super cute new (almost) matching bracelets!! We picked them up at a little shop called Magpie.

I start workshops tomorrow, but every evening this week will be spent with my sissy! It promises to be a fun week! :)



Book Review: The Forgotten Garden

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Click on the cover to go to the Amazon page!

Remember how I said that The Red Tent was the last book on my summer reading list? Well, it was.  But when I finished it, I realized that there was still a few weeks left of my summer. The thought of not having a book to accompany me on those beautiful last couple weeks of vacation terrified me, so, I did what I always do when I don't have a book to read, I begged my mother for a suggestion.

My love for reading is definitely genetic.  I grew up in a family of book lovers.  My mom, aunt, and grandma had a constant book exchange throughout the years and eventually, when I was old enough,  I was included in that group.  Now, with the combination of eBooks, well used library cards, and my grandma not reading much anymore, the book exchange is no longer active.  BUT, my mom and aunt are always still willing and ready to share a book suggestion at any given time, and that is how I found myself bothering Mom for something to read.

Luckily, she had just finished The Forgotten Garden and highly recommended it.  When she handed it to me, I was a little overwhelmed.  It's a big book. 549 pages to be exact.  Usually, big books don't overwhelm me... in fact, they usually have the opposite affect. But I only had two and a half weeks to finish this book before school started, (and my spare time would be filled with lesson planning and grading...) and I didn't know if it could be done.

I finished it in just over a week.

And let me tell you, it was AWESOME. I loved this book and will be buying another written by Kate Morten on my trip to the bookstore tomorrow! The last 100 pages or so went so fast; I couldn't put it down.

The Forgotten Garden is unique in that it follows three generations of women in the same family.  It spans from 1900 to 2005.  Throughout the novel, the characters and storyline work to find an answer to the following question: Why was a four year old girl sent on a ship from London to Australia, apparently abandoned by her parents, in 1913 with nothing but a small white suitcase?  This young girl arrives in Brisbane and doesn't know her name or where she came from.  She is taken in by the Portmaster and his wife, given the name Nell, and raised as their own.  It isn't until her 21st birthday that she finds out that she is not the biological daughter of Hugh and Lil, an insight that leaves her confused and devastated.  She slowly starts to piece together the story of her past, but is halted on her path to discovery when her young granddaughter, Cass, comes to live with her. Many years later, after Nell's death, Cass finds herself the owner of a a small cottage in Cornwall and travels to England to finally solve the mystery of Nell's origin.

The Final Say:

Spanning over 100 years, this novel shifts from one generation to the next seamlessly as it follows this family and their quest for discovery.  The Forgotten Garden contains just enough mystery and intrigue to keep its reader captivated, and I definitely was.  As I said earlier, I thoroughly enjoyed Kate Morten's writing style and can't wait to read another of her novels. Another neat aspect of this novel is its quirky parallels with Hodgsen Burnett's The Secret Garden... Burnett is even found at a garden party hosted by our main characters in the early 1900's!  Despite its large size, it truly is a quick read, and I think you're likely to enjoy it as much as I did!

However, I still have just over a week until school starts and once again find myself without a book.  Any suggestions?



My new HOME tour

I've been moved into my apartment for just about a week now and it's starting to feel like home! There are still a lot of things I want to do (decor and organization wise), but I thought I would FINALLY post some pictures so my loved ones far away could get a little glimpse.

...PS: don't think that just because I'm posting pictures means you don't have to come visit me!! It looks way better in person, I promise!..

WARNING: there are going to be a LOT of pictures in this post... so prepare yourself.

The Living Room: When you walk into the apartment, the living room is immediately to your left.

It's pretty eclectic and unique, but I absolutely love it! It's definitely me. It's been so fun decorating and putting things where I want, not having to consult with anyone else! There are a lot of  pieces in this room that were from my grandparents' house. It's awesome to have some of these constant reminders of some of my favorite people in my living room.  The wall art is from Bed, Bath, and Beyond and the curtains are from Target.

Both the TV cabinet and chair were from my grandparents' house.  The pillow, candles, and wordart are all from TJ MAXX.

The Kitchen: The kitchen is ahead and to your right from the front door (but to the left of the picture below).  I didn't take any pictures of the actual kitchen because it is still a mega work in progress.  So stay tuned.

I'm still trying to figure out what I want to put over the table... so this is a work in progress as well.

The Bathroom: The hallway is straight in front of the front door. 

The door on the left is for the office/spare bedroom. The door straight ahead is my bedroom and the door on the right is to the world's smallest bathroom. :)

Yes, that is Real. Simple. Soap. on my counter!! Thanks, Val!

The Spare Bedroom/ Office:

And finally,

The Master Bedroom: This has been the most fun for me, but it is still unfinished as well.  Here's what it looks like so far!

My dad and I refinished all of my bedroom furniture this summer, so it is now all black and matching! I'm in love with it!

My new curtains are from Target and the wall art I've had for a few years, but it came from Pier One.

One of the pieces of furniture Dad and I redid.  My grandpa built this nightstand for my mom way back when and it's been in my bedroom for my whole life! You can also see the refinished headboard as well!

The other side of the bedroom.   The door straight ahead is to my beautiful, wonderul, perfectly HUGE closet. Can you tell I'm excited about it??

And now, the pièce de résistance.... my closet. Keep in mind that there are still a LOT of organizational things I want to do in here!

I ran out of hangers, so my winter clothes aren't hung up yet.  It will be so nice to have all of my clothes nice and organized! 

It's been so fun organizing all of my things, putting them in place.  I finally get to have all of my hats laid out, my necklaces hung up and my headbands all in one place!

There's this great cabinet in the closet, I can finally have everything easily accessible! Remember how I said I've been having so much fun organizing? See those ice trays on the second shelf? I had a few of them sitting around, so they became...

Earring holders!!!

So, there ya have it! Home, Sweet Home! Who's going to come visit me first??

'Til then,



Silhouette Project

As I was thinking and planning about my new apartment, I was literally scouring pinterest for decorating ideas/ diy and craft projects.  I love to craft and create things, so when I came across this pin, I knew I had to make my own.  Even though I love Disney, I am more obsessed with something else.  Any of you who know me, know how strangely addicted I am to everything Harry Potter.  I should probably be more embarassed of this addiction, but I'm not... at all.  Hence the creation of this fun decor for my new office/ spare bedroom!

Like the pin suggested, I just googled "Harry Potter Silhouettes" and came across these beauties. I printed them, cut them out, and traced them onto black cardstock. I then glued them onto white cardstock and tadaaa!

Harry

Hermione

Ron (The more I look at this one, the more I realize how funny his chin looks... woops)

This last sign was inspired by this pin. (Yes, I do have a board completely dedicated to Harry Potter...)

The frames are just cheap wooden frames from the dollar store that I painted with some teal acrylic paint. My camera doesn't show the color correctly; it's a little more green than it looks!

I'll be posting a tour of my new apartment shortly, so keep checking back!

Enjoy your day!



Book Review: The Red Tent

Click on the book cover to go to the Amazon page!

I was recommended this book by quite a few people over the course of the last year and I finally added it to my Summer Reading List.  I was a little bit hesitant because, although I love historical fiction, I'd never read anything based on this time period.  That being said, I am an avid reader and will read anything put in front of me, so when it came down to this book being the last on my list, I dove right in.

...and I mean DOVE right in.  Who knew this book would captivate me the way it did? Who knew I would put this book down only when it was time to eat or sleep or take care of one of those other annoying mandatory tasks and still be thinking about it, totally ensconced in Dinah's world.  When I finished the last page, I was dying to read another similar book, but I've yet to find one that measures up! Any suggestions?? Anyway, on with the review.

The Red Tent follows the lives of women from Biblical times, the wives of Jacob and his only daughter, Dinah.  The novel delves into the turmoil of Dinah's life as it gives it's readers a first hand look into the traditions and practices of women of this time. The story starts with Dinah's mothers Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah, four women each unique in their femininity and their love for Jacob and Dinah. The story follows Dinah through her life filled with hardships and happiness until her death.  The Red Tent is a beautiful story, rich with biblical tales woven together with stories of Diamant's imagination. 

"Like any sisters who live together and share a husband, my mother and aunties spun a sticky web of loyalties and grudges. They traded secrets like bracelets, and these were handed down to me, the only surviving girl. They told me things I was too young to hear. They held my face between their hands and made me swear to remember." Anita Diamant in the voice of Dinah.

The Final Say:

If you like historical fiction, this book is a must read! It is so well written, you almost forget that you are being taken to such an ancient world.  I must say though, it is important to remember, as with any historical fiction, that though this novel is loosely based on biblical stories, it is not fact.  As a matter of fact, I think Dinah is just quickly mentioned in the book of Genesis, so most of her story is completely fictitious. There are also some parts of the story that made me a bit squeemish.  You know when you're watching a movie and something gross or super inappropriate happens and you squeeze your eyes shut until it's over? (Okay, maybe that's just me...) There were definitely quite a few of those instances in this novel.  You go along with Dinah while she experiences many rites of passage into womanhood and they are pretty archaic.  That being said, there are also plenty of heartwarming moments throughout the story of mothers' and daughter's love, so it evens out.  Overall, a wonderful story, one that I would definitely recommend!

Okay, so what are you waiting for?? Go read it!  

Happy Reading!

 

Hello there!

...and welcome to my new blog! You may know me from over at Love, Inspire, Teach, a blog where I write about my experiences as a new middle school Language Arts teacher. I really enjoy writing about teaching, content, and classroom management, but it occured to me, not long ago, that I needed to have a blog where I could express mySELF a little more.  At Love, Inspire, Teach, I get to talk about a lot of my thoughts and ideas as a teacher, but I don't get to share all of the other things that make me UNIQUE.

So please, come back and visit soon! I have been very busy this summer (one of the perks of being a teacher... summer vacation!) and can't wait to share some of the projects I've been working on, reviews of some books that I've read, and some of the recipes I've used!

Until then,