It is hard to believe the weekend is already coming to an end. I used to be someone who suffered from the Sunday Blues, now I love my Sunday rituals that help me gear up for the following week. We usually try and cook a nice dinner on Sundays.....although this Sunday we opted for popcorn while seeing Law Abiding Citizen (which I highly recommend). I do all of my pampering on Sunday evening such a deep conditioning my hair, giving myself a facial, etc. Doing these little things make me feel refreshed, relaxed, and ready for a new week. While I have found a way to conquer the Sunday Blues, I know not everyone has. For you, I am giving you this assignment, read below and think of 5 of your own!!
My girlfriend Sonya gave me the book, 14,000 Things to be Happy About. Whenever I need a little pick-me-up, I flip to one of the pages and read. Tonight, I share 5 things to be happy about from page 41....
1. Snow forts
2. Wristwatches
3. Lying motionless in the warm sun
4. Goggles
5. Flipping coins into a fountain
See, doesn't that make you think of happy things when you read those words?!?! Now, it is your turn, think of 5 things that make you happy. Here are 5 that make me happy.
1. Feeling a sense of accomplishment after cleaning the house
2. Warm towels right out of the dryer
3. Hot chocolate with whipped cream and mini marshmallows
4. My dog
5. Spending time with Jeremy
Happy Sunday. I hope Monday starts your week off right!!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Feel the Burn!!
It may be that I have a gorgeous wedding dress to get into in less than 5 months, but let me tell you I am on a workout kick! I am working (job-wise) like a crazy woman and normally would find any excuse not to go to the gym, but I cannot get over how great I have felt lately! Seriously, if you are reading this thinking that you would love to be motivated to workout, I have 1 word for you...BOXING! Boxing has brought my inner athlete back! Not only is it an amazing workout, it is a fantastic stress reliever!! Just think about it....how amazing would it feel to punch the crap out of something...and for an hour nonetheless!!
I take boxing every Wednesday and I am hoping to start taking the Saturday class as well. I have an awesome teacher and I truly believe that the teacher plays a huge role in the enjoyment of a class. He knows his stuff, but he is not a jerk about it. The class has a great mix of males, females, sizes, and skills. Everyone there works their booty off!! Tonight was no exception. We had a new teacher tonight.....she worked with my regular teacher so I believe she is training. She was cute, petite, and totally toned. I thought class would be pretty easy tonight....WRONG!!! Let me tell you how much she kicked our butts! The big 'ole boxer guys in my class were begging for a break with her! Her idea of resting in between exercises was intense jump roping or fast jumping jacks......umm, that is a workout to me. A break means I can be laid out on the floor with my water bottle, panting and wishing I was on the couch.
She taught the first half of class and my regular teacher taught the second half. I do not know the last time I sweat this much! Aside from dancing, this is my favorite type of cardio class to take. While I like to think I workout for the health benefits, I will admit my number one motivator revolves around vanity. I want to look good and I make no excuses about it. I am 3 weeks into my classes in addition to going to the gym 3 other days a week and I have totally noticed a difference in my arms. I have the world's longest and most gangly arms....I could put many basketball players to shame! For the first time I getting total definition in my arms and they are not looking so skinny, it is very exciting!!
So for those of you looking for some motivation or a great stress relief, take a boxing class!! I may not be able to write for the rest of the week because my arms are so sore already, but it is so worth it!! Happy hump day!!
I take boxing every Wednesday and I am hoping to start taking the Saturday class as well. I have an awesome teacher and I truly believe that the teacher plays a huge role in the enjoyment of a class. He knows his stuff, but he is not a jerk about it. The class has a great mix of males, females, sizes, and skills. Everyone there works their booty off!! Tonight was no exception. We had a new teacher tonight.....she worked with my regular teacher so I believe she is training. She was cute, petite, and totally toned. I thought class would be pretty easy tonight....WRONG!!! Let me tell you how much she kicked our butts! The big 'ole boxer guys in my class were begging for a break with her! Her idea of resting in between exercises was intense jump roping or fast jumping jacks......umm, that is a workout to me. A break means I can be laid out on the floor with my water bottle, panting and wishing I was on the couch.
She taught the first half of class and my regular teacher taught the second half. I do not know the last time I sweat this much! Aside from dancing, this is my favorite type of cardio class to take. While I like to think I workout for the health benefits, I will admit my number one motivator revolves around vanity. I want to look good and I make no excuses about it. I am 3 weeks into my classes in addition to going to the gym 3 other days a week and I have totally noticed a difference in my arms. I have the world's longest and most gangly arms....I could put many basketball players to shame! For the first time I getting total definition in my arms and they are not looking so skinny, it is very exciting!!
So for those of you looking for some motivation or a great stress relief, take a boxing class!! I may not be able to write for the rest of the week because my arms are so sore already, but it is so worth it!! Happy hump day!!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The Good Ole Days
While I do not have children of my own yet, I get to work with almost 500 children everyday as a teacher. As a primary teacher, I often find myself reflecting back upon my youth and how simple the "good ole days" were and how as a child, you can get away with certain behaviors that adults cannot.
For instance, I was walking down the hall on Friday and a first grader was in front of me dancing her little heart out all by herself as she walked the the restroom. I couldn't help but smile as I watched her, without a care in the world, skip and shake her way down the hall. Even when she saw I was behind her, it didn't stop her. Now, as an adult there are times when I would love to skip and dance as I head to the bathroom, but I would most likely get lots of odd looks and hear some whispering behind my back. At what age are you no longer allowed to skip to the bathroom?
This instance reminded me of the FRIENDS episode where Phoebe runs in the park. Rachel asks her why does she run in such a funny way and her response is about how much fun running was as a kid and it didn't matter what you looked like. She definitely has a point. As we get older a lot of the fun is taken out of the things that we do on a daily basis.
Life can be stressful, as adults we are very aware of that. When the going gets tough, I think it is time to check in with our inner child and bust out some of our favorite old dance moves while walking to the bathroom or doing the ordinary everyday taks. I hope you are all having a great weekend! Don't forget to shake it!
For instance, I was walking down the hall on Friday and a first grader was in front of me dancing her little heart out all by herself as she walked the the restroom. I couldn't help but smile as I watched her, without a care in the world, skip and shake her way down the hall. Even when she saw I was behind her, it didn't stop her. Now, as an adult there are times when I would love to skip and dance as I head to the bathroom, but I would most likely get lots of odd looks and hear some whispering behind my back. At what age are you no longer allowed to skip to the bathroom?
This instance reminded me of the FRIENDS episode where Phoebe runs in the park. Rachel asks her why does she run in such a funny way and her response is about how much fun running was as a kid and it didn't matter what you looked like. She definitely has a point. As we get older a lot of the fun is taken out of the things that we do on a daily basis.
Life can be stressful, as adults we are very aware of that. When the going gets tough, I think it is time to check in with our inner child and bust out some of our favorite old dance moves while walking to the bathroom or doing the ordinary everyday taks. I hope you are all having a great weekend! Don't forget to shake it!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
On the Road Again
Up until 1 year ago my dad drove 65 miles one way to work. He did this for about 19 years. I have recently started commuting 25 miles to work and after 3 weeks doing this, I called my father up and told him what a saint he was and that I could not believe he did this for so long! He said when I have kids one day I will do the same for them......65 miles is a lot though :o)
Some days traffic is just fine. Other days, you would think I was on the road with everyone is the state of Illinois. Like I said, I work 25 miles northwest of Chicago......not bad, except the smallest thing can turn my 45 minute commute into 2+ hours (as it did the other day). Driving past the second busiest airport in the world doesn't help traffic either.
Here is where my issue comes in to play......we live in a city that has 4 seasons; winter, spring, summer, and fall....5 if you include the construction season which seems to last all year long. We have days where it seems like all 4 seasons happen within 15 minutes of each other. So why is it that a simple shower turns my 45 minutes commute into 2 hours!! 2 hours crawling in traffic!! Two hours where I could have been a good wife-to-be and made dinner for my future hubby.....thankfully he is an incredible cook so it worked out just fine.
Back to the real issue. What is the deal? Why is it that people seems to lose their minds the moment precipitation enters the radar? If it takes me 2 hours to get home during a shower, I dread what will happen during the first snowfall. I am a strong proponent of safe driving, but those who are afraid or hesitant of driving in the elements should refrain from doing so! This week was a nightmare for commuting. Not only was there rain this week, there was wind, and last but not least, the ever dreaded "sunshine delay!" I know that looking directly into the sun when driving can be a real pain, but I can't help but crack up when I hear the traffic reporters talk about the sunshine delays :o)
I know with the changes in weather my commute is only get worse. It is time to be proactive so I am ready when it does. I think I am going to get some books on tape....wait, I believe they are referred to as digital books now! Maybe I can finally become fluent in Espanol. 2+ hours is a lot of time to kill, the possibilities are endless!
I hope you all had a great weekend and have a stress-free upcoming week!
Some days traffic is just fine. Other days, you would think I was on the road with everyone is the state of Illinois. Like I said, I work 25 miles northwest of Chicago......not bad, except the smallest thing can turn my 45 minute commute into 2+ hours (as it did the other day). Driving past the second busiest airport in the world doesn't help traffic either.
Here is where my issue comes in to play......we live in a city that has 4 seasons; winter, spring, summer, and fall....5 if you include the construction season which seems to last all year long. We have days where it seems like all 4 seasons happen within 15 minutes of each other. So why is it that a simple shower turns my 45 minutes commute into 2 hours!! 2 hours crawling in traffic!! Two hours where I could have been a good wife-to-be and made dinner for my future hubby.....thankfully he is an incredible cook so it worked out just fine.
Back to the real issue. What is the deal? Why is it that people seems to lose their minds the moment precipitation enters the radar? If it takes me 2 hours to get home during a shower, I dread what will happen during the first snowfall. I am a strong proponent of safe driving, but those who are afraid or hesitant of driving in the elements should refrain from doing so! This week was a nightmare for commuting. Not only was there rain this week, there was wind, and last but not least, the ever dreaded "sunshine delay!" I know that looking directly into the sun when driving can be a real pain, but I can't help but crack up when I hear the traffic reporters talk about the sunshine delays :o)
I know with the changes in weather my commute is only get worse. It is time to be proactive so I am ready when it does. I think I am going to get some books on tape....wait, I believe they are referred to as digital books now! Maybe I can finally become fluent in Espanol. 2+ hours is a lot of time to kill, the possibilities are endless!
I hope you all had a great weekend and have a stress-free upcoming week!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
To Be or Not To Be?
What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? Where is that one missing sock that did not make it out of the dryer? These are some of life's big questions which begs me to ask, Where do you do your best thinking?
Think about it (haha). Obviously we spend a lot of time in various places thinking, but do you have a place or time when you do your best thinking? My head is always going a million miles an hour! I am always making lists...I should own stock in post-its and I always have a pen and paper on me. But, I do my best thinking away from the papers, away from the noise. My best thinking takes place while I am in the shower. I am not sure if it is the running water, the absence of distractions, or the warm water beating down on me, but that is the place where I have always done my best thinking.
I thought about doing this blog and things I would write about while I was in the shower. Growing up I was a dancer and I thought of much of the choreographing for dances while in the shower. Throughout college I thought of many paper ideas, thought provoking questions, and presentation ideas while in the shower. I think of many lessons plans and creative projects for the classroom while I am in the shower. While I have no pens or papers in the shower, you best bet I have post-it notes within easy access as soon as I get out :o)
Now that I am teaching and getting up so early, I am showering in the evening. This has been a big help in 2 ways......1. I can sleep for an extra 15-20 minutes in the morning and 2. I am able to get all of my thoughts on the day (be it good or bad) and this allows me to hit my pillow much more relaxed at the end of the night.
The bad thing about thinking in the shower.....well for me I do think short thoughts. I am one of those people that will initially over analyze everything and then rationalize my thoughts. Needless to say that is not always a quick process. I try in many ways to be green and help the environment, this is obviously not one of the ways I am helping.....hmm, this blog post is making me feel very guilty all of a sudden.
Anyways, think about it, where do you do your best thinking? I hope you are all having a great week. Looks like it about that time of night.....I will try to make it a quick shower tonight!
Think about it (haha). Obviously we spend a lot of time in various places thinking, but do you have a place or time when you do your best thinking? My head is always going a million miles an hour! I am always making lists...I should own stock in post-its and I always have a pen and paper on me. But, I do my best thinking away from the papers, away from the noise. My best thinking takes place while I am in the shower. I am not sure if it is the running water, the absence of distractions, or the warm water beating down on me, but that is the place where I have always done my best thinking.
I thought about doing this blog and things I would write about while I was in the shower. Growing up I was a dancer and I thought of much of the choreographing for dances while in the shower. Throughout college I thought of many paper ideas, thought provoking questions, and presentation ideas while in the shower. I think of many lessons plans and creative projects for the classroom while I am in the shower. While I have no pens or papers in the shower, you best bet I have post-it notes within easy access as soon as I get out :o)
Now that I am teaching and getting up so early, I am showering in the evening. This has been a big help in 2 ways......1. I can sleep for an extra 15-20 minutes in the morning and 2. I am able to get all of my thoughts on the day (be it good or bad) and this allows me to hit my pillow much more relaxed at the end of the night.
The bad thing about thinking in the shower.....well for me I do think short thoughts. I am one of those people that will initially over analyze everything and then rationalize my thoughts. Needless to say that is not always a quick process. I try in many ways to be green and help the environment, this is obviously not one of the ways I am helping.....hmm, this blog post is making me feel very guilty all of a sudden.
Anyways, think about it, where do you do your best thinking? I hope you are all having a great week. Looks like it about that time of night.....I will try to make it a quick shower tonight!
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