Monday, January 31, 2011

*squeeeeee*

I'm shocked that I was able to wait until today to show you this. Because I saw it Wednesday and I'm not gonna lie... I squealed loudly in my classroom. I watched it on my lunch so it's not like I frightened the children or anything.

But the REAL Old Spice Man is back. And ladies, it's time to enjoy his and all his manliness while we fan ourselves in our excitement.




SERIOUSLY. Where do they come up with this stuff??? I may or may not have watched this video several times already. Possibly more than once in a day.

Happy Monday.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Friday Photo

It's Friday! I'm so ready for it this week. The constant fog is getting to me. It's so gloomy! And I think it has my kids going a little stir-crazy. Pretty sure it's just bugging everyone right now. The weekend forecast has a chance at rain, which I will happily embrace.

Anyway, last weekend my bestie came over and I finally got to see all her wedding pictures. Remember last June when I was in a wedding? Well, she used the same fabulous photographer I used (hey Mariano!) so I was already going to love every picture.

Then I came across this one. Which I had totally forgotten about.

That would be me with another dear friend from college, Liz (or Liz Liz as I like to call her). We decided to have an epic battle of the bouquets. Because that's the kind of stuff we do when we're together. Really. Mariano turned and caught us playing and told us to continue. I love how into it we are in this picture. I might have to put this one up in my house.

So have a laugh, and happy Friday!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Poor Greenlee

I guess soon she'll learn that mommy gets loud during American Idol. Especially now that Steven Tyler is on. I made her jump a couple times tonight.

BUT IT'S STEVEN TYLER.

And when he sang a couple lines of his song while the last girl (who is seriously only 15?!) was singing... I died. Then I came back to life and died again. That is one group I should have seen. Too bad my dad has excellent taste in music but doesn't like concerts. Otherwise I could have had him take me.

But yes. American Idol causes random outbursts from me. And Greenlee isn't used to it yet. Poor jumpy baby and her loud mama...

January Books

I know, January isn't over. But there's less than a week left and unless I hole up and ignore the world this weekend, I'm not going to finish another book in this month.

So I have an app on Facebook that helps me keep track of the books I've been reading. I did it last year and didn't do so hot. I guess starting a brand new job and feeling a bit overwhelmed will do that. Now that I'm halfway through my first year I'm feeling much better about my time management and I've actually been able to read three books this month. So I'm going to pretend you care about what I do in my free time and share them with you.

Just finished this one Monday night. It only took me... four days or so. It's a quick read. Fun. Not the strongest writing so if you're looking for something thought-provoking you can skip it. But I still enjoyed it. Doesn't hurt that I got for about five bucks at a sale.

Had been wanting to read this for awhile. Mentioned it to my mom late last year and she bought it for me. Then it took me some time to get to it. But I liked it. I don't think it quite qualifies as self-help. But it's definitely one that makes you step back and look at your relationships. Not in a negative light at all. I'm kind of hoping hubby wants to read it next.

Ohhhh and this one. I was late to the game on this one. This was the first one I read this year. Started it New Year's Day since I was home by myself and it was raining. Finished it in the wee hours on January 2. Yup, it was that good. Now I need to read the other two. NEED.

If I remember I'll do this again in February. We'll see if the list manages to be as long. It could be. I have a full week off in February. And I'm getting a new book to go to a certain book signing this month... but you'll have to hear about that later. :)

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Just Thinking Out Loud

Some people really suck.

I'm sure you're all aware of this. These days most kids have that figured out by fifth grade. Which is sad. But that's what happens... some people suck so much that kids can see it.

Don't go worrying about me at the moment. I'm actually pretty good. Feeling good about work, today's my grandma's birthday, my dog is listening pretty well lately... I'm bueno. But I despise hearing about people who live to make others miserable. I'm not even sure they're aware they're doing it.

So can we all do something today? For your friend Typhoid? Actually, two things.

One, pray for the sucky people that I'm thinking about. I won't give names - that would be rude. But just know that I'm aware of some people who need to take a good, long, HARD look at themselves and see what they are doing to their "loved ones."

Two, take a look at yourself today. See if you've been doing anything - anything at all - that could be making a person close to you angry/miserable/resentful/etc. Or if there's someone you know that's just trying to control you, tell them! They might not listen (true nature of a control freak), but you may feel better having said something.

Okay, I guess I have a third thing for you to do for me. Appreciate someone who does not suck. I know I have some people in mind who I will tell in actual words, "Thank you for being sane."

And now, have a happy Wednesday. Or try. I will. I'm not gonna let the lame-o's ruin my day. :)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

5 Things

*yawn*

I've been tired. So have my children. Maybe yesterday was a mix of the Mondays and the fog we've been having, but I feel like my kids were so sleepy! Anyone else have a day like that? Better yet, any teachers feel that way? I came home and read (for fun, yay!) until I fell asleep. I love naps.

Anyway, I'm over the fog. I want some rain. Fog is boring. Rain is better. And there's so much fog that my class is having to stay inside at recess because it's wet. So why not have rain instead.

So should we get to this week's list? I kind of made it up off the top of my head.

5 Random Things
  1. So even though Greenlee is our little furbaby, we're planning on getting a second furbaby this summer. Six months of her being an only child is plenty, right? Hubby and I have furbaby #2's name picked out. But I'm not telling yet. :)
  2. I think I need another pair or two of boots. The tall, flat ones. Because as of right now, I want to wear my black ones every day. It's the only way I'll even consider wearing a skirt right now. Unfortch, I'm cheap. This does not make boot shopping easy.
  3. I made an appointment to check something off my 30 Before 30 list. I'm also making progress toward another thing on the list. In related news, if a road trip is something I've always wanted to do anyway, does that count as a legit vacation? Because hubby and I are possibly planning one.
  4. I have Valentine's Day off. So does hubby. I want to make plans.
  5. I may actually watch the Super Bowl this year. Last time I did was... in high school? Haha, probably last time Green Bay was in it. Which would be the only reason I watch this year. Don't ask me how a California girl gets to be a fan of a Wisconsin team...
There you are. A peek inside the scrambled thoughts in my head. There's a lot more going through there right now, this was just some of the more interesting stuff.

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Monday Coolness

So remember the guy who timed his Christmas lights to Slayer in 2009 (even though I just posted about it last year)? This year it was Pantera.




Happy Monday!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

*Check*

If you take a peek at my sidebar, you'll see I crossed something off my 30 Before 30 list. And it only took... (checks calendar) over a month! At this rate... yeah, I better pick up the pace.

I made brownies. From scratch.

See this is kind of a big deal. Because my mom may or may not have said she'd disown me (okay, it was "not") if I didn't just try it. I've always used boxes. And they work fine for me. They're easy! But her recipe is a one-bowl recipe. I like the idea that there's only one big bowl to lick... I mean, clean. Yeah... clean.

So I finally made brownies after work yesterday. And, um, they were kind of super easy. Not quite as fast as a box mix because I had to melt the chocolate. But still ridonk easy. And as far as I know, everyone at our meeting last night liked 'em. Tad liked 'em. And when I got home hubby said I can feel free to make them again.

So there mom. You were right.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Friday Photo

Random picture of Tad this week.

He really likes my webcam and all it's functions.

I'm looking at another busy weekend ahead. And this time it's not even three days!

Happy Friday.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

A Story

There was a lot of talk about dumpsters when Tad was at my house just before school started. I don't know where it came from. So enjoy a super random story.

Once upon a time, there was a giant. His teeth were so big and rotten. He was bigger than a two-story house. So the giant began to die at a two-story house. And then everybody looked at his head. And then his head flipped over and then he died. He never came back to life again. And they threw him in the dumpster. The end.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Just Call Me Doubting Typhoid

Oh American Idol... why did I doubt you? I do miss Simon, let's just get that out there right now. But I pink puffy heart Steven Tyler. See, my dad raised me listening to GOOD music (AC/DC, Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, and the list goes on). So I seriously love Steven Tyler.

Wait. First things first.

Yes, I'm watching Idol this season. After I swore I wouldn't with Simon gone. Tonight did not disappoint, but there was the typical excessive amount of filler. I got through the whole show in about an hour and fifteen minutes. (Thank you DVR.)

Okay, Randy is still annoying. I didn't miss him a bit. Jennifer Lopez... meh. I was never a huge fan of hers, but I didn't dislike her either. She's in some decent movies. Hubby has a strong dislike for her so he had some amusing comments. But Steven Tyler... oh that man. I may have been the only first grader in my class who could recognize him. My dad had Aerosmith cassettes for days (I just 'fessed up to cassettes, showing my age much?). He has taken the weirdness that Paula brought and made it better because he just CAN. I'm going to enjoy watching him.

So the contestants... plenty of good ones. The typical bad ones. One that could sing but made me want to punch her in the throat (the girl with the drawl so strong that it sounded fake). And let me just say this now: sign me up for the Travis Orlando fan club. Ya know, the last kid who was absolutely adorable? Yes. Yes. And yes. If I was 16 I would be crushing. But I'm kind of far past that age...

Anyway, I imagine I will blog the season much like I did in the past. The only difference is that it won't be live blogging this year. *sads* I finally miss something about my laptop. I guess this means I'll be taking notes every night and spewing my thoughts after the show. But I promise I'll try my best to be just as clever and slightly snarky.

Because you know that's what you come for. Now go do your happy dance that I'm blogging this ridiculous show for yet another season. :)

Wednesday Wish List

Don't rejoice too hard. I'm not sure these are back permanently. They likely won't be every week. But I was inspired this week. My kids are learning about past times in history and yesterday they learned a little about how school used to be. I had a slate that my grandpa used and a couple old texts - one belonging to my grandma and another older one from 1883! My mom has tons of cool stuff from family members, but that stuff I knew would get the attention of my kids.

So I turned to Etsy to check out some vintage stuff. I loved all of this and more. But this stuff is big enough that I can put it on my weird wall/shelf/things in my living room.

Seriously, I love this stuff and would be stoked to get it. I told hubby I now want a small collection of old school books. There's a TON on Etsy.

"Readin', 'ritin', 'rithmetic." Seriously?! Love. (via MidwestSplendor)


My mom has an old school desk. But this one is small enough that I could put it up on the wall ledge/shelf/thing (like my fancy terms?) without an obscene amount of work. Although I bet it's dang heavy. (via VintageModernDesign)


Do you guys remember this?? Totes not in condition to play with, so it can join my vintage school stuff collection. (via kitschcafe)


And I would definitely need an old globe, right? I want one that glaringly out of date. It just adds to the awesomeness. (via onelovelyrosebud) *Um, holy cow, just looked at the other pic for this globe and it totes says "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics." I NEED it now!!!

So there you are. A fun wish list. Well, fun for me. But it could be fun for you too if you like this stuff. Seriously, hit up the vintage section on Etsy sometime. Just for fun. I typed in "school" and came back with all kinds of fun stuff. And if you ever decide to buy me a tiny present, the vintage books are totally reasonably priced. :)

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

5 Things

Ahhhh... three day weekends are glorious. And this is my last one for awhile. Although I do have a week off in February. Ahhhh... weeks off are glorious. haha

Anyway, my weekend was relatively productive. Wanna hear about it? Of course you do, that's why you're here.

5 Things I Accomplished This Weekend
  1. Ice skating! Went for our nephew's birthday on Friday night. Surprisingly, I did not fall and injure myself. Tad had a ton of fun and wants to do it again.
  2. Helped sissy out at her house on Saturday. Cleaning up, folding laundry, playing with children... all fun. Because I was with the right person.
  3. Painting! I painted a picture frame for the wall above my mantel, a wreath hanger, and a little birdcage. Happy with all three.
  4. Crafting! Made two wreaths. One mini, one smallish. Love them both. Especially LOVE the one for above my mantel.
  5. Snow trip! Yesterday hubby and I took my two cousins (in high school) and headed up to the snow. Had fun laughing at each other falling. Had fun watching me try to kill myself (I ate it twice while sledding down a hill). I'm can guarantee some soreness today. If you see me later ask me how it was getting out of bed. :/
So as you can see I used my three day weekend and had fun with it! How was yours?

Monday, January 17, 2011

Monday Coolness

I LOVE a good fall. America's Funniest Home Videos can get me with a good fall. Wipeout is pure AMAZINGNESS for me. Real people falling or tripping because they can't stop texting for two seconds?

Gold. Enjoy this video of a girl going right into a mall fountain. If you really want to laugh, turn up the volume and listen to the MALL SECURITY laughing at her.




Happy Monday. Keep your head up. :)

Thursday, January 13, 2011

A Story

Another random story by Tad. I just don't know about this kid sometimes...

Once upon a time, there was a zombie. It was just like a giant. A giant mummy zombie. So Junior ripped his head off. So then Junior threw him in the dumpster. And then Super Tad came out of the sky and killed all the mummy zombies. So Super Tad kicked the zombie's head off. And then he threw all of the zombies in the dumpster. So then there was one more zombie. And then Super Tad ended the whole story. The end.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

So...

I posted on my Facebook page that wish lists take a lot of work. Plus progress reports were due today so that kind of took priority last night when I typically would have made a list. I'm looking for something else to post. Maybe I'll start doing food posts. Or clothes. I don't know. Do y'all have any ideas?

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

5 Things

School has started again and every night I'm hoping for a weather report saying no fog or at least not bad. For those of you who don't know I pretty much drive through country, orchards, and vineyards to get to work. Not the best when you have foggy conditions.

What does that have to do with my 5 things today? Ummm... nothing.

5 Things I Love Right Now
  1. My skinnies. Have I mentioned my love for them before? If I have, that just shows you that I truly love them.
  2. The fact that I can wear jeans to work. 'Nuf said.
  3. Fires in the fireplace. I just wish the fireplace was in our bedroom.
  4. The fact that it's only our first week back, but this weekend I'm looking at a three-day weekend. Score!
  5. My free nail polish that I scored that should be coming in the mail pretty soon here. I love nail polish. Free is even better.
There you are. The random things I'm loving right now. You'll notice that waking up early didn't make the list. ;)

Monday, January 10, 2011

Monday Coolness... Or Not

Can you believe I have no new clever videos to share? I tried to squeeze every last minute of sleeping in and lounging under a blanket this weekend. And then I threw in some lesson planning. Because, ya know, I'm back at school today.

So everyone that's been jealous of my three weeks vacation... go ahead and laugh at me today. Because waking up early again is going to be a beast.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Still Here

I haven't disappeared. Just enjoying my last week of vacation. Brainstorming with the pastor I work with yesterday, Tad time today and tomorrow, cupcakes by Saturday... it's busy around here.

I'll try to get back to normal when work starts up. Vacation just makes it so hard to get up and do stuff!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Monday Coolness

So last week I mentioned that I had some special cupcakes planned. And I LOVE how they turned out! Last cupcakes of the year...

GLEE CUPCAKES!!! Do you love???

I think the slushies were my favorite. I had done a batch earlier in the month for one of my darlings at church. But a friend of ours has a daughter who is obsessed like me. So I made some for her birthday on Thursday. So much fun.

And yes, the WMHS Cheerios cupcakes have actual Cheerios on them. I had so much fun with these. Totally a great way to end a year of baking.

And now I'm off to plot the next cupcake adventure... for this weekend.

Happy Monday!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

First

Just checking in to see how everyone spent their first day of 2011. I got in a nap with the fur baby. Watched a Jaws marathon on Encore. Snacked on random food I happened to have at home. Never changed out of my sweatpants. Built a nice fire. And started a book. I'm guessing when hubby gets home we'll do more of the same. Maybe grab some dinner because cleaning the kitchen was NOT part of my day. :) Hope everyone else was able to relax and enjoy their day.