What I'm Loving Today

Today is Wednesday, so I'm linking up {{here}} for What I Love Wednesday.

Although, today is not any ordinary Wednesday. Today, August 15th, marks my last day of peace and sanity summer vacation... because tomorrow is Day #1 of my required 190 work days before my next summer vacation.

Shall we start counting down to Thanksgiving break now?

Even though I'm sad to see the lazy/hazy/crazy days of summer come to an end, I'm stoked to meet my new class and dive head-first into a brand new curriculum. Should be fun... right?!

Anyways, here's what I'm loving today:

1. Hot Air Balloons

For a recent date night, J and I went out to dinner at our favorite Mexican joint here in town. After dinner, he surprised me by suggesting that we go check out the Hot Air Balloon Festival that was being held in town. Of course I responded with, "Yes, please!!!" ...and then I realized I didn't have my 'big' camera with me. All I had to capture that majesty of these balloon beauties was my cell phone and good ol' Instagram. These pictures turned out okay... but next year, I'm definitely going with my DSLR in tow!

2. My New iPad Cover

I wanted to start the new school year with a cute new iPad cover, so I scoured Etsy until I found the perfect one. I think it turned out adorable! I love the light grey chevron in contrast to the pink. You can click {{here}} to visit the store from which I ordered.

3. Classroom Improvements

Spent several mornings here and there over the past couple of weeks working in my classroom to get it ready for a new crew of second graders. I bought a yellow canopy (flame retardent, mind you) to replace the tiki hut from last year that the fire marshall did not approve of. I also made a sign for my door that I saw {{here}} on Pinterest. I had to make a few adaptations because I have a window on my door, and I like the look of all of the affirmations on one sheet in black and white. The superintendent of our county stopped by my classroom this morning while I was making the sign and he loved it. Score!



4. Chipotle

My favorite "fast food" to get on the go is a Burrito Bol from Chipotle. I get white rice, black beans, peppers & onions, chicken, two scoops of green chili salsa, corn salsa, cheese, guacamole, and lettuce. And of course, I get a bag of chips to eat with my Bol. YUM-O! Celebrated the end of summer today with a Burrito Bol by the pool at lunchtime (and then ate the rest of it for dinner!). Love me some Chipotle!

5. Quality Time with my BFF and my "Nephew"

My last hurrah of summer vacation was an afternoon spent by the pool with my BFF, Beth. She brought her little guy, Lane, along with her (my adopted nephew). We had fun playing in the water and soaking up some sunshine. Love these two!

6. My Kitty

She is just too cute. That's all.

7. Back to School Sales

Took advantage of Maryland's tax-free shopping on clothing while I was at the beach. We had a day of rainy weather, so we spent an evening at the Outlets. I scored BIG TIME at Bass. Remember how I talked about needing trousers that fit me in length? Well... they had my size AND length. These pants were originally $69.99 and were on sale for $19.99! I bought four pairs and didn't think twice. Love them :) Notice my kitty making herself at home ON TOP of my new pants. I think it's her way of silently protesting the fact that I'm going back to work tomorrow. Ha!





8. My Love <3

Last, but certainly not least, is my Hubby. Love him so much it hurts! Right before I left for the beach, he made sure my car was in good working order and he washed it for me, too. He takes such good care of me... I'm so blessed to share my life with him.

 

What I'm Loving Today

It's Wednesday and I'm linking up {{here}} for "What I'm Loving Wednesday."

1. Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life - A Daily Devotional'

I LOVE my Bible app on my iPad. It's super easy to navigate through the Bible, and I can change translations with the mere click of a button. I also love this app because it includes several different devotional plans. I am on my 11th day of a year-long Joyce Meyer devotional about promises in the Bible. There is a mini-lesson, a scripture reading, and a prayer-starter for each day. I love starting my day with God's word. Here's a screenshot of my devotional today:

2. Quality Time with my Hubby

Jason and I went to Hershey Park last week. We opened the park at 10am... and we stayed until the park closed at 10pm. Wow.. LONG DAY, but it was awesome to spend an entire day, uninterrupted with my best friend. I'll post more about our day later :)

3. Pampered Chef Products

I. Am. Addicted. I went to my very first Pampered Chef party last month and I have fallen in love with their products. My first two purchases were the Deep Covered Baker (stoneware that you can use in the microwave to create a delish meal in 30 minutes or less) and the Manual Food Processor. The Deep Covered Baker is also known in the Pampered Chef world as "The Magic Pot". You can roast an entire chicken in the microwave in this natural stone baking dish in 35 minutes... and it's the juiciest chicken you'll ever try. I know, I didn't believe it when I heard it either... until I tried it for myself! I made some Brushetta Chicken Pasta the other night in my microwave and it was AMAZING.

4. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

I have never read a Jodi Picoult book that I didn't enjoy, and while Nineteen Minutes has been published since 2007 and is not necessarily a "new" title, it's a great book so far.

5. Back to School Shopping

One of the perks of being a teacher is getting to go back to school shopping as a grown-up! Fun, fun, fun! I went to Kohls on Saturday, armed with my 20% off coupon and saved $357.00. I bought seven tops, a pair of shorts, two pairs of trousers, a pair of flip-flops, and three new button-down shirts for J. My budget was $200 and I only went $15 over. I think Round One of Back to School Shopping went well. Hopefully Round Two ("Trouser Shopping for Short-Legged Teacher") will be equally successful next weekend - ha!

6. Fun Times with Friends

Amy and I spent Monday together. We went on a photo safari! Over the course of the day, we took photos at the school farm, Pen Mar Park, High Rock, my friend's winery and vineyard, and Cunningham Falls. We had a great time! I'll post more about our adventures later this week. Then, today, my BFF took me to a fancy spa to get a pedicure as a late birthday present. It was totally relaxing and a great chance to catch-up with each other!

7. Pinterest Posters

Here are some posters from Pinterest that struck a particular chord in me this week.

Until next time... XOXO

Trifle Love

Don't know about you, but I love anything almond... especially almond-flavored cookies, cakes, coffee, etc. I buy the Tastefully Simple Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix and keep several boxes of it on hand for whenever my sweet tooth craving flares up for something almondy and delicious.

For my mom's Fourth of July Picnic, I decided to tweak a recipe on the back of the Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix to make a trifle. I followed the recipe for the most part, but I "jazzed" it up a bit. I named my trifle "Strawberry-Amaretto Almond Trifle". A better name for it would be "Sin in a Bowl" ...because it's really, really good. Just LOOK at it:

Here's what you need to enjoy your own bowl full of heaven:

Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix*

3/4 cup melted butter (1.5 sticks)

1 cup water

3.4 oz box of instant vanilla pudding

1 1/2 cups milk

8 oz. thawed whipped topping

2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled & sliced

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup amaretto liquer

Directions:

1. Prepare Absolutely Almond Pound Cake as directed on the package with butter and water. Cool completely; cube. *If you don't have any Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix on hand, SHAME ON YOU!!! ...Just kidding :)  You can use your own pound cake recipe and add some almond flavoring! ...But seriously, save yourself the time and energy and stock up in the Tastefully Simple mix!

2. In a bowl, sprinkle the sugar over the sliced strawberries and pour the amaretto liquer over the strawberries. Give the strawberries, sugar, and amaretto mixture a good stir to combine. Let the strawberries soak in the amaretto syrup for a few minutes...or hours. (I usually do this step the night before I assemble the trifle and let the strawberries soak up all of the amaretto goodness overnight).

3. Combine pudding and milk in a separate bowl. Whisk 2 minutes. Fold in the whipped topping.

4. In a clear glass bowl, layer pudding mixture, cake cubes, and strawberry slices. It's important that you layer in that order so that the pound cake absorbs the strawberry-amaretto syrup and juices.

Makes 10-12 Servings

Linking up {{here}} and {{here}}

If you are interested in purchasing some delicious Tastefully Simple products, click {{here}} to contact my friend Amanda, and be sure to tell her I sent you!

On a side note, check out the pretty bowl that I served my trifle in! I actually went yard-saleing on the 4th of July at the "Mile-Long Yard Sale" near my town in search of a pretty trifle bowl. I came across this lovely find, with an asking price of $5. I ended up getting the bowl for $2... love a bargain! It has a pretty silver base that polished up nicely with some baking soda.

...And since it's Wednesday, I'm linking up {{here}} to share what I'm loving today!

1. My new 85mm prime lens from Nikon! It's a fixed focal length, no zoom. Great for low light situations (goes down to f/1.8) and has a great bokeh effect - gets really blurry outside of focus area. It's recommended for portrait photography. I got to stretch its legs during a wedding on Saturday and on a hike with J on Sunday... and I AM IN L-L-LOVE!!!

2. Quality time with good friends. My friend Amy and I went out for dinner and fondue the other night. We played catch-up for four hours... she's one of those friends that I may not see or talk to her every week or even every month, but whenever we get together we pick right up where we left off. We have a lot in common because we are both teachers, our husbands are friends and share a common interest in tractor pulling (...I know, I know... I hear the crowd saying, "Tractor-what?" Don't worry, I'll explain this hobby in another post), and we are both into photography.

3. Fondue... Yummm! Amy and I had some chocolate marshmallow fondue to finish off our dinner the other night, and I *LOVE* the spread of sweet and salty treats that we got to enjoy.

4. Local gems. Took my summer school kiddos on a field trip today to the Washington County Rural Heritage Museum. Saw all kinds of neat exhibits about our county's history. Loved this particular exhibit of old photography equipment.

5. Sparkles. Love this shirt/necklace/earring combo!

What would the world be like without sparkle?!

Shirt: Gap

Necklace & Earrings: Premier Designs

And, as always, love my Hubby!

Here he is on the day I became his wife. Best day ever.



Until next time... xoxox



What I'm Lovin' Today!

Happy 4th of July!

I'm so excited to spend the day with my family.

I made a de-lish Strawberry Almond Trifle with an amaretto glaze and can't wait to have some later on. I'll share the recipe for it later this week.

Can you tell that Mom's fur-baby, BoBo (short for Rambo!), is ready to picnic?!

It's time for What I Love Wednesday! Linking up {{here}}.

1. Sidewalk Chalk. Gave my ELL kiddos some sidewalk chalk to play with the other day at recess and they loved it. At first they drew pictures, played tic-tac-toe, traced outlines of each other, etc. Then, they decided to grind the chalk into a fine powder on the black top... of course, HUGE MESS, but they loved playing in the "chalk dust." Everything came right off with water, so no harm done.

2. Rose Blooms. My mom got me a rose bush earlier this spring, and over the last week it has really started blooming. Love it!

Maybe I have a green thumb after all - ha!



3. Banana Boat Dry Oil. One of my pool must-haves this summer. Love that it's not greasy, and there's just enough sun protection to keep me from getting burnt while also helping me achieve a nice summery glow.

Sprays on easily... no messy hands :)



4. Good Music. Love the Pandora radio on my iPad.

The perfect mix of stations for a fun day of floating in the pool.

5. A "Real" Book. Don't get me wrong... I love the Kindle app on my iPad, which is where I do most of my reading. But aside from the fact that I can't read in the sun on my iPad due to glare (BOO!), it's refreshing to hold an actual book in my hands... to have the gratification of turning a page and finishing a chapter.

6. Packages. Love when packages arrive with my name on them! Even when I know what's inside, it's still exciting to rip into the box and find your treasures. In this case, some Tastefully Simple goodies were waiting inside of my box!

7. Summer Storms. Love a nice summer storm in the evenings. The weather around here has been hot and dry lately, so the farmers gladly welcome the rain for their crops (and I welcome the rain so I don't have to go out and water my flower beds - ha!).

8. The Calm After the Storm. The sky turns beautiful shades of pink and blue as the storm clears out. The temperatures cool off slightly, making it a great time for a run. ...Which brings me to my next love (see #9).

9. Couch to 5K. I started the Couch to 5K (C25K) program a few weeks ago. It's a program designed to help the non-runner build their stamina for running, so that at the end of the 8 weeks, you're able to run for 30 minutes (approx. 5K). I've never been a runner, unless I see a snake or am being chased by bees. However, this program might just be changing my mind about running. Check it out by clicking {{here}}.

Here are the stats from my run last night. Love how the app even uses the GPS on your phone to track your run. Burned 290-something calories in 30 minutes last night... not bad!

10. My Humble Abode. It may not be big, and it may not be fancy. But it's my home. Our home.

...And it goes without saying that I am totally, whole-heartedly, head-over-heels in love with this guy:

Enjoy your 4th of July!



10 Loves

Linking up with {{This Kind of Love}} for What I Love Wednesday

...And be proud of me: I used Instagram in this post - ha!

I'll admit it... the app is growing on me.

Here's a list of what I'm loving today:

1. The gorgeous weather we are having! Blue skies, bright sunshine, a gentle breeze to keep you comfortable. Pure bliss! Wish the entire summer would stay just like this.

2. My hard-working hubby. Love him!

3. Our landscaping... Didn't J do an awesome job on our landscaping? Love it.

4. My favorite place to sit and admire our blooming landscape? My porch swing. Lots of great conversations happen here. I drink some amazing cups of coffee here, too.

5. Loving this shirt and this necklace combo.

Shirt: Lauren Conrad @ Kohls

Necklace: Premier Designs

6. Blooming flowers in my flower bed. Love these precious little button blooms from my white phlox plants.

7. My beautiful kitty, Casey. Loved the way the early morning sun was shining on her as I left for work this morning. Love her eyes... they pop!

8. The fact that I have the most popular kitty on the block. She has nightly visitors that come to her window to say "hi".... or "meow," rather. I've named this particular suitor "Ro-meow" because there's just something very "Romeo and Juliet" about this whole situation. Ha!

9. My summertime favorite... the pool at Mom & Dad's house! Spending lots of summer afternoons lounging by the pool, reading great books, and relaxing on my favorite float. Ah, the perks of being a teacher. Can't complain about the view, either (or the company, for that matter - love you Mom and Dad!).

10. Being blessed with a summer "job" that is more fun than work. I look forward to waking up in the mornings and spending time with my ELL summer school kiddos. Yesterday we learned about different kinds of foods and I taught them how to read a recipe to make s'mores in the microwave. You should've seen their faces when we were done - chocolate and melted marshmallow GA-LORE... but fun learning memories made, all the while. These kids bring tons of joy to my life.

What are you loving today?