Another (the last) End of Year/Year in Review Post

Roll your eyes. Enjoy that feeling. This is the last one. I think.

* In 2012, I gained (another family member - Gabe is my new nephew)

* I lost (Aunt Carol - we've been over this before)

* I stopped (caring)

* I started (taking medication again)

* I was hugely satisfied by (afore mentioned medication - and food)

* And frustrated by (people, myself)

* I am so embarrassed that (I acted the way I did. It wasn't necessary.)

* Once again, I (rolled over and took it)

* Once again, I did not (use my time wisely)

* The biggest physical difference between me last December and this December is (maybe my weight)

* The biggest psychological difference between me last December and this December is (I'm back on medication - broken record much?)

* I loved spending time (in the kitchen, in front of the camera, snuggling Ivy)

* Why did I spend even two minutes (worrying)

* I should have spent more time with (family)

* I regret buying (the car. I think we could've managed without it. It would have been difficult, but it would've saved us a lot of money)

* I will never regret buying (personal beautification items) even though with that money I could have (saved it)

* I (ate) way too much.

* I didn’t (read) enough.

* (The kids) drove me crazy.

* Was/were (peoples' clothing choices) crazier than ever last year? Or was it me?

* The most relaxing place I went was (bed/bath)

* I feel so relaxed when I (have time to nap and nothing else to do.)

* Why did I go to (see that movie? I could've done without that.)

* The best thing I did for someone else was (given them my time or resources)

* The best thing I did for myself was (take time for myself)

* The best thing someone did for me was (hug me. Hugs are the best. I love hugs.)

* The one thing I’d like to do again, but do it better, is (my job - I can always improve)

Crack Potatoes

Another successful Pinterest completed

Crack Potatoes or Loaded Potato Casserole

2 (16oz) containers sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 (3oz) bags real bacon bits
2 packages Ranch Dip mix
1 large (28 - 30oz) bag frozen hash brown potatoes - shredded kind

Combine first 4 ingredients, mix in hash browns. Spread into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes.

I thought the mixture ratio to potatoes would be too much, but it wasn't. The hash browns do need to be thawed. I added extra cheese on to and let it bake a wee bit longer. I am certain this can be halved as well.

And yum. Yum yum yum.

End of Year Survey

What did you do in 2012 that you have never done before?

Stage kittened. I had a lot of fun that evening. My dance teacher asked me to and I had volunteered a long time before hand. I guess this is/was the closest I will ever get to performing. It was a new view of the scene - backstage.

Did you keep all of last years resolutions?

No? I don't even know what they were. Come to think of it, I don't think made any. It's always the same thing anyway. Be more ladylike. Be a more "well-rounded" individual. Do more good with my time instead of waste it. Exercise. Save money. I guess one worked. I did my nails more often.

Have you any resolutions for next year?

I guess the same as every year… better myself, manage money, etc. Take care of myself. Do what I like to do.

What would you like to have in 2013 that you didn’t have in 2012?

I would love to have a house. But I don't think that'll happen. Even though our income has doubled, our savings has dwindled due to the need to purchase a new vehicle and pay for child care.

What date in 2012 will remain etched in your memory?

November 21 - Ivy fell into the pool and I save her life.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I honestly feel that I did not achieve anything this year.

What was your biggest failure?

All of my lows. Not keeping it together. Anxiety and depression hit hard this year.

Did you suffer any illness or injury?

Not really. Just stress related issues.

What was the best thing you bought?

Bath products. A ton of it! And a lot of it on sale.

Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

My own

Where did most of your money go?

Food, work, nail polish

What did you get really really really excited about?

YouTube. Watching YouTubers and trying to be one.

What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worrying and wasting time

How will you be spending Christmas?

We decided to spend Christmas in the hometown this year.

Which bloggers did you meet for the first time?

Didn't meet anyone.

Did you fall in love in 2012?

Besides Ryan and Ivy? I really like a rat named Truffles.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Nope

What was/were the best books you read?

Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth. I thought I had read more books this year. Hm.

What was your greatest musical discovery?

Purity Ring and some old music.

What did you want and get?

What I wanted

What did you want and not get?

Other things I wanted

What was your favorite film this year?

For actually watching? "Brave" and "Django Unchained"

What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

I turned 32. I had a doctor's visit. I don't remember anything else.

What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?

If I had gotten back on my meds a long time ago

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?

So freaking relaxed (read=lazy). The last half of work (Jan-June), we wore a lot of blue jeans. The first half of the new work year (Aug-Dec), I mostly wore blue jeans.

What/Who kept you sane?

Medication which is a new addition.

Which celebrity did you fancy the most?

Joseph Gordon Levit - he's done a lot of good movies lately

Which political issue stirred you the most?

Presidential election, school shooting

Who did you miss?

Aunt Carol. She passed away in January. I (we all) still miss her terribly. She always led the children's Christmas songs at the family reunion/Christmas party. 

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?

Don't take anyone for granted, not even myself.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year…

Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine

"I am done with my graceless heart, so tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart"

Actually, the whole song really sums up my year. A reminder the let things go and just effing live. Because I need to.

To Edit? Or to Not Edit?

That's my question.
Today, we saw Django Unchained. And I'll be Dang-o. That movie was awesome. Quentin Tarantino did not disappoint.

It's a story of a slave turned freed man slash bounty hunter searching to find his wife. And he delivers justice/revenge along the way.

And this is why I'm not a writer. My brain has just shut off. I don't know what else to say about this movie. This is my favorite of the year. Yes, I had to hide my eyes at one point because it was just so gory. There were quite a few lol moments. My biggest surprise was Christoph Waltz. His character was a very compassionate man. Al also really loved the sountrack. Tarantino's films always have a great variety of songs that seem to be almost a carefully thought out mix tape. On point!

I highly recommend Django. Go see it.

Merry Christmas!

Another year has come and gone. Well, it's nearly gone anyway.So I present to you A Summation of My Year:2012. Are you ready? It's rather quick. But before that, some holiday chit chat!

Ivy grasped the concept of Christmas this year - being three and all so we got to have a bit of fun! We took her to see Christmas lights. We did a very basic Elf on the Shelf. She refused to see Santa for a photo-op. She didn't do a real letter to Santa. But she did leave out milk and cookies and was hoping to see Santa when she woke up. She was rather upset with that but was again thrilled when she realized he left her something. She really enjoyed opening all of her gifts this year!

2012 in Review

This year was filled with ups and downs. But a couple of things were somewhat constant throughout the year: We attended several burlesque shows and movies and I regularly attended dance/fitness classes. I also noticed a cycle with my moods and once it got pretty bad, I went back to the doctor for some much needed assistance.

January - Beloved Aunt Carol died

February - Got my CHL, Dallas Burlesque Festival

March - I think we bought our guns this month, Spring break, hometown visit

April -  Became interested in vlogs and started vlogging, hometown visit for Easter, tornado

May - Got transferred to another school, became interested in makeup

June - Graduations, annual girls beach weekend, became a coffee drinker, San Antonio, another death in the family

July - Celebrated my birthday, new nephew, hometown visit x2, got a new car

August - Started working at the middle school, Ryan started his new job and celebrated his birthday

September - Anxiety on high alert

October - Crafting and costume making, Halloween, high hits of depression

November - Presidential election, stage kittened, Ivy nearly drowned, Ivy turned 3, hometown visit, back on head meds, Thanksgiving

December - Became good friends with Truffles the rat, school shooting, end of the world, hometown visit, Christmas

A lot of highs and lows. I'm ready to try again for 2013. I hope to make things better.

I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas holiday!

12 in '12

Last year, I did an 11 in '11 blog post. Since it's coming up on "that time of the year" again, I decided to see if I could find one for this year. I will probably do other posts similar to this in the next few days. I found this year's version of 11 in '11. And it is appropriately named 12 in '12.

Via miss-kindergarten.com

This year's theme is 12 Favorites! 

12. Favorite movie you watched: I took my mom to see Breaking Dawn part 2. It wasn't a good movie. It was awful. The experience was why I say it's my favorite. I took my mom on a date. She needed some time for herself. She takes care of her grandson and was so exhausted (she is exhausted every day, actually). We had dinner at a local sushi restaurant. She had gift certificates for the theater so we got in for free even though I intended on paying.  

11. Favorite TV series: Parenthood. I went through two seasons in about a month on Netflix and started the current season. It is interesting to see all the dynamics of that family and to see how the characters are written. I still like Grey's Anatomy too. I've been watching since season 2. We don't have cable and the first season was on when I was going to college in Denton. We could get that channel in with the antenna and it was fuzzy. But I got hooked.

10. Favorite restaurant: Mua Sushi - Every time Ivy is out of town, I make a point to go there. I just love sushi. I always get a shrimp tempura roll (at any sushi place really) on soy paper and they're usually topped with crab meat and spicy mayo. The one at mua has cream cheese in it too.

9. Favorite new thing you tried: Fortune Cookie Soap. I had been watching vlogs that reviewed their products so I got a sample box and had been waiting for their subscription service to open up. I got my first real subscription box in and I love everything! I also tried vlogging. I wouldn't say I've given up - I just don't have much time to sit and edit hours of videos. But I want to continue!

8. Favorite gift you got: Ryan gifted me an amazing personalized date photo. He took photographs of the numbers of Ivy's birthday and all the photos were significant to our life. Her first home, her doctor's address, her birthday balloon... It was so touching and it is very beautiful. I cried when he was explaining it. And then I don't know if you'd call it a gift but we got MacBook Pro's at work. All teachers got one. I haven't touched my laptop at home and I loathe booting up my laptop at work. They're just so clunky! 

7. Favorite thing you pinned: Mostly crafts. I've made quite a few crafts because of Pinterest. Christmas ornaments, recycled t-shirts, some food/recipes. Makes me think that I should create a board of things I've pinned that I made/did/whatevered.

6. Favorite blog post: I'm not going to lie, I don't read many blogs. So I'm going to do this... Favorite vlog. Well, favorite vlogger: MyHousewifeLife. She has two other channels and I'm subscribed to them all.

5. Best accomplishment: I do not feel like I have accomplished anything this year. And this is sad to say. I don't think I have done anything noteworthy that I worked for. If anyone could let me know otherwise, I'd be appreciative. 

4. Favorite picture: I have a lot of photos I love this year. Photos filled with color, smiles, accomplishments, sentimental moments. But this one trumps them all. I cannot get over this sweet sleeping face. Sure, it was my pillow and I was basically kicked out of the bed. But her sleeping is always so nice to see. Everything is calm and quiet. She is peacefully resting. She is warm and she smells wonderful. I see the newborn and infant in this face. Time rewinds even though she is growing so fast. This picture makes those days last a little bit longer.

3. Favorite memory: Would you believe it's about Ivy? We took her Fossil Rim to drive through the "safari" again at the end of the summer. Is this a yearly tradition now? Who knows. She absolutely loved seeing all the animals up close. But there was one animal that surprised her. Maybe it was sticking it's head in the car or was next to the car. But all of a sudden we heard her scream "JEEZUSS!!" Not something we normally say so of course we had to laugh until we cried. I still get tickled when I think about it.

2. Goal for 2013: Get better. Enough said.

1. One Little Word: Patience. For myself. For others. For my goals. I'm getting help with that. I want to improve.

Hopes and Wishes

Some days, like today, I'm more lazy than I normally am. Or running behind. Or both. I skipped out on my shower this morning. And I neglected to make myself a lunch. I have something that I can eat but it isn't any good.

It would be nice if there was some service at the school every day that takes teachers' lunch orders and goes and picks it up. Or businesses would have a representative that would deliver. Yeah, that'd be nice.

Last night or the night before, I sang some songs to get Ivy to calm down and go to sleep. I pulled out one of the lullabies my mother passed down to me. She heard it from her grandmother. It's an old song. And apparently, lullabies happen to be sad. I remember when I was young and hearing this song, it made me cry. And that's the exact same thing that happened with Ivy.

I'd heard three lyrics and one year, I found a 'new' or unfamiliar second lyric. So here's the lullaby.

Oh do you remember a long time ago poor babes in the wood, whose names I don't know, They were stolen away, on a bright sunny day. And left in the woods, I heard people say Among the trees, beneath the blue sky They picked bright flowers and watched the birds fly; Then on blackberries fed, and strawberries red, And when they were weary "We'll go home,' they said. When it was night, wo sad was their plight, The sun it went down, and the moon gave no light! They sobbed and they sighed and they bitterly cried Poor babes in the woods, they lay down and died. And when they were dead, the robins so red, took strawberry leaves and over them spread And sang them a song, the whole night long Poor babes in the wood, poor babes in the wood.

Slowly Cooking

Today is Menu Plan Monday! I know, we are all excited. With cooler (read: not colder) weather, we have wanted soup. Last week, it was cold. This week, it's significantly warmer than last week. And I've been cooking with my crock pot! Sometimes it works. Sometimes, it goes wrong.

Prep is easy. I've been prepping the crock pot dinners the night ahead. I peel, rinse and dice my potatoes, cover them in water and store in the fridge over night. Drain them before putting them in the crock. I set out the colander and the crock and put the dry ingredients in the colander. All I have to really do is strain, pour and stir.

Last week I made a baked potato soup. It was surprisingly delicious! The recipe is below. I'm also going to review the recipes.

But first, this week's MPM!

Sunday - Chicken fettuccine alfredo
Monday - Crock pot beef stew (recipe below)
Tuesday - Crock o leftovers!
Wednesday - Crock o leftovers!
Thursday - YOYO - I'm going to a work holiday party
Friday - Possibly chicken with couscous
Saturday - Possible leftovers ... it's time to clear out the fridge!


Today's adventure in crock-potting is beef stew. I picked up the following recipe from MyBiscuitsAreBurning

Ingredients

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups beef broth

3 potatoes, diced

4 carrots, sliced

Directions 

Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours. 

Adapted from allrecipes.com

I think we had a bit too much of the beef. I got two packages at just over a pound each. I only used two large baking potatoes and I didn't have any room for the carrots. I also eliminated the onions as I don't like them. But everything else went in.

It turned out... okay. The liquid was a bit too 'brothy' for me. I think I would've liked it more if if the stew was thicker and more 'stewy'. Maybe next time, I will half the recipe. I think it also needed some more salt. 

Aaaand the baked potato soup from last week!

Crock Pot - Style Loaded Baked Potato Soup from Food.com

Ingredients:

6 large baking potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/2 -inch cubes

1 large onion, chopped

1 quart chicken broth

3 garlic cloves, minced (or pressed)

1/4 cup butter

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 cup cream or 1 cup half-and-half cream

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 cup sour cream (optional)

8 slices bacon, fried & crumbled

cheese, for sprinkling

Directions:

Combine first seven ingredients in a large crock pot; cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours (potato should be tender).

Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soupy is slightly thickened.

Stir in cream, cheese and chives.
Top with sour cream (if used), sprinkle with bacon and more cheese.

Completely easy! I thought all the broth still sitting there before mashing was unnecessary and took some out. Wrong! It actually ended up being pretty thick and I put some broth back in. But it was certainly yummy!

Oh, Rats!

I totally cannot stop thinking about this rat!

A couple of the science teachers have classroom animals. And there are students who take care of the animals during the day and over weekends. For some reason, one kiddo came by my room with a rabbit and it hasn't stopped since. It may have to do with the fact that I squeal and baby-talk because I love animals so much. 

The teacher who these little friends belong to had to just check with me the other day. Making sure the kids weren't telling stories. I told her that any animal is welcome and the kids ask me first and I am totally okay with it.

The other day, one kiddo brought this rat and I got to know her... "Truffles." The kids have started to bring in animals during my class (of course, I approve of it if it's an appropriate time). I have started to request Truffles. She is just the sweetest little animal I have ever come in contact with! I put her on my shoulder yesterday and she just hung out there for two classes! For one class, she was walking back and forth and tickling my neck - and avoiding all of the other hands that tried to reach for her ;). The second class period, she relaxed and fell asleep. When it was time for her to go back to the teacher, I held her in my hands and nosed her and she fell asleep in my hands too! Love it! Her little tail wrapped around my wrist and neck. If I could, I would totally take this little baby home.

A Pleasant Surprise

Where first?

After several ridiculous roller-coaster cycles of emotions, I noticed so much of a decline that my depression really hit me. I was constantly feeling anxious and angry - for no apparent reason. Lashing out at everyone. I lost 10 pounds because of the anxiety affecting my digestive system and appetite. And I had daily thoughts of suicide. After a panic/anxiety/asthma attack at work, I made the decision to go to the doctor. I don't like to rely on medications. Sometimes I feel that it is a cop-out. Why can't I do this on my own? But then I realized I probably needed it.

And my life has changed. It. Has. CHANGED. I've been back on my medication for about a month. We can all tell a difference. I'm happy. I don't yell at anyone. I rarely get angry - unless it is warranted. I have patience - a TON of it. The downside is that I notice I still have a low energy level. I'm tired. I go to bed early - I'm talking fall out on the couch at 8pm. I have dizzy spells too. Not quite as bad as the first week, but it's still there. I'm also having trouble with my memory but I've gotten The Lists going again to help out with that.

This is necessary.

And I think I am more productive too. Last night, I cooked a side for our dinner of leftover chicken. I prepped a crock pot soup that I made this morning. I also made an actual lunch for myself today too. I did the laundry, we made this week's menu, and went grocery shopping.

Here's a Menu Plan Monday!!

Sunday - Leftover Hot Wings with Smashed potatoes

Monday - Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup (recipe forthcoming if it's any good)

Tuesday - Leftover soup

Wednesday - Leftover soup

Thursday - Nachos

Friday - Fettuccine Alfredo

Saturday - Pizza

The Rest of my Thirty Days of Thankfullness

The first 12 are here.

13. Thankful for family and new additions.
14. Thankful for restored appetite and an early Thanksgiving lunch at work.
15. Thankful that the medication is working.
16. Thankful for excellent time spent with Ivy. Girl's day!
17. Thankful for a break from work.
18. Thankful to finally see my momma again!
19. Thankful for my child's health. I'm glad she is feeling so much better.
20. Thankful that I can help.
21. Thankful for my quick reflexes and my child's life.
22. Thankful for some yummy yummy food.
23. Thankful for a good book.
24. Thankful for my little girl and everyone involved with her birthday to make it such a special day for her!
25. Thankful to be back home. Not quite so thankful that the vacation is over.
26. Thankful for awesome coworkers who covered my classes for me so I could go home when I got sick.
27. Thankful that I can finally eat after two days.
28. Thankful for another holiday. I get to experience Christmas through the innocent, excited eyes of my three-year-old.
29. Thankful to work at a great school. We got new laptops - MacBook Pro!

30. The most important thankful... Saving the best for last. Family.
Ryan, my soulmate. We have learned so much from each other and grown together. I can't live my life without him.
Ivy, my precious character of a daughter. I never thought I would have her in my life. I can honestly say that my heart no longer beats in my chest, it runs around the living room making silly, bird-like noises with a wildly unkempt hairdo.
My parents and Ryan's parents who have taken care of us and brought us up to be the intelligent individuals we are today and who also take care of Ivy and are the greatest grandparents.
Our brothers and all of extended family members who have influenced our pasts and continue to grace us for our present and future.

20 Birthday Questions

I saw this on Pinterest, of course. You ask your child a series of questions on their birthday and they see how they change. Since Ivy has 'conversation' down, I decided to do it!

1. What is your favorite color? Purple
2. What is your favorite toy? Cars
3. What is your favorite fruit? Pizza
4. What is your favorite tv show? Chuckie (Chuck E Cheese - but there is no tv show)
5. What is your favorite movie? Rapunzle (Tangled)
6. What is your favorite thing to wear? Princess dress (her Halloween costume)
7. What is your favorite animal? Zebra (I don't think she was really 'serious' about this one. But I asked her a second time and she gave me the same answer.)
8. What is your favorite song? Never Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift
9. What is your favorite book? Dora
10. Who is your best friend? Dora (The Explorer)
11. What is your favorite snack? Fruit
12. What is your favorite drink? Apple juice
13. What is your favorite breakfast? Crackers - said with a giggle
14. What is your favorite lunch? Food
15. What is your favorite dinner? Chick-Fil-A
16. What is your favorite game? Footie - We don't play a footie game so I'm not sure where this came from
17. What is your favorite thing to play outside? Car - Again, I don't know what this is
18. What is your favorite holiday? Birthday
19. What do you sleep with at night? Rapunzle - At this point, she had no Rapunzle to sleep with but she got one for her birthday and has slept with it every night since.
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Batman

My kid is cute!

The Eve of Her Birthday

It's taken me a lot of thinking for the past couple of days. Do I want to write about it? Put it out there? But then I think, it could save someone.

I saved my child's life.

The day before Thanksgiving, we were in the front yard just hanging out. We were all taking pictures, even Ivy. She loves taking pictures with our cameras. It was time to go inside and since we were at the front, it was the best option. Ryan went inside and Ivy took off along the driveway to the back gate. And I followed. She was fighting the gate and couldn't open it and started to get upset but she let me open it for her. And that was when she started to have a tantrum. She didn't want me to go into the back yard with her. She didn't want me to close the gate. And she didn't want to follow me to the back door, which I found to be locked and knocked. She started to run along the side of the pool to the back-back yard. She turned to look at me and she veered left and slipped into the pool. One of the things that I am always afraid of when we visit just happened.

And I ran.
*Jump in here*No*I won't make it in time*

Somehow, she grabbed the side of the pool and looked straight at me. A look of shock. And she slipped under. I can still see her little body sinking below the surface of that cold water.

I was able to reach and grab her left arm and get her out of the pool.

Five seconds. Five seconds.

She was standing and crying. Breathing. She swallowed no water. She held her breath. She is fine.

And my mind starts playing the should've-could'ves and what-ifs. It could have so easily ended very badly.


Ivy has so bravely retold the story and replayed it in a much lighter point of view. She's called me Diego because I rescued her. And she will pretend to fall and say "grab my arm and pull me out!" Later that night, she asked to see the moon and stars and she asked me to take her. So I carried her outside in the back to look at the sky and she laughed "but not to go swimming!"

I hope that she is not traumatized by this. I want her to not be afraid of the pool. It's not something to fear, it's something that we have to be safe around. Summer isn't the only time to be alert around a body of water.

Tomorrow is her third birthday. I hope we can make all her wishes come true.

Thirty Days of Thankfulness

I saw this on a blog I read and I've seen it several times over on Facebook. I have been posting them over there so I'm going to collect them and post them here.

1: Thankful for 4pm
2: Thankful for students who surprise me with the progress and change we have all made.
3: Thankful for ... sleep.
4: Thankful for the sortof mini-vacation and the extra hour of sleep.
5: Thankful for suuuuushiiii.
6: Thankful for my freedom to choose.
7: Thankful I can have fun at work.
8: Thankful for down time.
9: Thankful for new opportunities.
10: Lamely thankful that Target had Pumpkin Pie PopTarts.
11: Thankful for my freedom. Thank you veterans!
12: Thankful my momma taught me how to cook. I have a very full tummy and a happy husband.

Crab Rolls

I saw this recipe on Instructables and tried it out. The husband is actually fond of it and when I say let's have appetizers for supper, this is actually requested. And he doesn't really like imitation crab. Winner!!

So I was too lazy to look through papers tonight and found this recipe:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed 
1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 cup imitation crabmeat, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, green onions and dill weed.
Unroll crescent roll dough onto a greased baking sheet, being careful not to separate dough into pieces. Press dough into an 8X11 inch rectangle.
Spoon crabmeat lengthwise along center of dough.
Spoon cream cheese mixture over crabmeat.
Fold long edges of dough over cream cheese mixture, slightly overlapping edges;pinch edges together to seal.
Place seam side down on baking sheet.
Cut slits in top of dough.
Bake 20 minutes.


My notes:
I didn't use green onion. I just sprinkled garlic powder to taste.
I added a little salt.
I don't measure dill.
I did separate the sheet into rectangles, pressed the triangles to create a solid rectangle and cut in half (to make a square). Dalloped some crab mixture and pulled up the corners much like a wonton wrapper. No need for slits if using this method.
Temp and time is perfect!

Just Breathe

I really should be doing some work right now. But it is Friday and I want to have a smidgen of fun or relaxation.

Challenges at work - I am not going to lie. I haven't been enjoying it. With a younger crowd, it has just been so challenging. I cannot relate to the kids as well. This has been leading to a lot of anxiety issues. However, the one class that challenged me the most has flipped completely. They're the first to refocus, share their feelings and visit with me throughout the day. My class has become their favorite. I do have to admit, I knew this would happen. My most challenging students become my favorite and we all care for each other. This feeling is amazing.

Vlogging - I have really enjoyed filming every day of October. It started off just fine but then my program wouldn't work so I had to find another. And I was able to use it on my computer finally but then I haven't had time and I am so far behind. I do intend to edit and upload those vlogs. And I am considering vlogging again at the end of this month through Christmas or even New Years. "Vlogidays?"

Crafting - Just like last year, October became Craftober! I made several costumes and t-shirts. I made Ivy's princess dress for Halloween. I have started a stuffed knit bunny for Ivy's birthday - it looks so weird. I've started and unraveled a scarf for myself. It just looks strange and I keep messing up, stupid yarn. I am even extending my crafting into November as well. The students are making clothing projects and I'm right along-side them. I'm making a few Christmas ornaments too.

Halloween - Ivy had her first real trick-or-treating experience. Last year, we only visited my brother-in-law. This year, we took her to a few houses behind my place of work. She was excited at first but when it came down to really trick-or-treating, she got timid. But then didn't want to stop! Next year though, she will be all over that. Halloween lasted for about 5 days. We went to a Halloween dance one day, the next day was a city festival, on Tuesday she went to the family night festivities at Chick-fil-A and then the real deal on Wednesday.

And fun was had by all!

Brain

It hurts right now. I am in a down again. Which was pretty quick after the last one. I cannot discern if it is because of the cyclic nature of this junk or if it is the seasonal malarky. I cannot decide if medication will help with this or if it will just be nothing again.

Just waiting.

Sleepy

My blog has been asleep for quite some time now. I've just been really neglecting it, haven't I?

I have really been putting my all into vlogging. But I am having technical issues. I cleared up one just to find another. It is rather disheartening. I am nearly 20 days behind. I am really having fun vlogging - even though my day-to-day is boring and repetitive.

Every time I open blogger to write, I am so concise and it all sounds so compact and facebook-y or tweet-y.

Apparently October this year is Craftober just like last year! I have only made one mum this year so far. I already made Ivy's Halloween costume - a purple princess dress. And I've been making other little things. I've started knitting again because I'm teaching the kids. So I'm making myself another scarf and a bunny for Ivy. I am making a couple of Christmas ornaments this year. I'm considering making Christmas cards (an Ivy hand-print thing). Other crafts going on that are work related - I painted a shirt and altered another shirt for a spirit week. And the students and I will be reconstructing and tie-dyeing shirts. I guess that this is the time of year that I feel most crafty.

Until later!

What? Huh??

I know this isn't going to be the best post ever. Allergies are in full force and I feel like crap.

Work... I'm finding that I am enjoying teaching middle schoolers. Except for one class. They have a huge sense of entitlement. They're my worst attitudes and they automatically hate me because I'm the new teacher. I don't care that they don't like me. They just aren't open to the idea of a new teacher being awesome, if not better than the previous.

And flipping the classroom videos? Loving it. I don't have to lecture and take two days to do it either. And the kids like it too.

One thing we are doing is working on confidence and self-esteem. So I'm having some students write about themselves. "How I See Me." Then, I'm having the students stand in front of the white board and the class is writing positives about each person. I take a picture of the student and they'll put it in a project and they reflect on it.

I told the kids a personal story and their faces just dropped. This was no longer a funny game activity. It was a serious moral booster. It made a connection. Then they all wanted to do the board activity with me. I wasn't searching for compliments because I'm over all that. I know me. I'm awesome. But this whole activity clicked with them.

Proud moment!

Moving on...

H&M opened in a local mall recently. I decided to take a peek. And I think I officially love that store. I picked up a pencil skirt and a very pretty dress that actually fits without my having to alter it. That's always a difficult thing to find. So I got them both. And the total was really inexpensive!

I think that's all I want to write about. No, not really but I cannot remember what else I thought of! Hate!

I HATE you, Home Depot!

Talking about flipping my classroom... I wanted to get 6 whiteboard panels. The people who came up with this concept recommend having them cut. Okay. Go to the lumber store, have them cut a whole sheet down. Cheap! Fifteen dollars as opposed to ten dollars per each precut sheet. You do the math: $15 or $60?

So I went to Home Depot. Against my better judgement, because I thought "Nah, forget it, yo homes to Bel-air!" Uh, Lowe's. I considered going to Lowe's first. That's my point. I walked through Home Depot and found no one working in the lumber section. Surprise. I grabbed a cart and picked out my own white board. I looked for someone who may have shown up to their station... nope. So then I found the nearest person who then walked to find someone. Dude disappeared. Five minutes later, I hear a "ma'am!" from the front of the store/aisle... that guy I asked for help just decided to yell "someone's coming, it'll be just a minute!" at me from across the store.

I was standing there for a good 10 or 15 minutes waiting. So I facebooked, checked my email, checked twitter... then I decided to place a call. To Lowe's. And not quite so quietly either.

Customer service: How can I help you?
Me: Uh, yeah, so I'm over across the street at Home Depot and need some whiteboard cut. If I come over there now, will someone do that for me real quick?
CS: Of course. We've got like three guys back there.
Me: Mkay, be there in 5.

All the while this obvious call is being placed, no less than TEN workers walk past me and don't even stop to help me or anything. And I am giving them gigantic WTF looks too. Tools. So I went over to Lowe's and I was in and out of there in 10 minutes. It only took the guy about 5 minutes to get my board cut.

I really want to say so much more. Mostly profane stuff. But I just need to get back to work.

Flip the What? What the flip??

Okay. I mentioned this is a recent post but I want to talk about it again. Mostly because I'm excited and nervous about it.

The school district is pushing technology and 'strategic design' and I'm just gonna run with it like a pair of scissors. E-portfolios for the students and flipping the classroom. Since I really like vlogging, and I attended a 'flipping' workshop, I thought "YES! I can do this!"

Flipping a classroom is like vlogging a lesson, the students watch it before the enriching activity and we get to the fun stuff without having to really have an in class lecture. Because they are just so fun, right? And I have THREE of these bad-mamma-jammas done already! Two I won't be able to use until spring because that's how my schedule is going to work out. And the third is just an intro thing for the students and parents.

I have a ton of ideas! Demos for cooking and food labs. Egg baby demo. Clothing illustrations. Color scheme illustrations. House tours. All kinds of fashion stuff. Holy pajoly! Do I want to share the links here? Guh, I don't know! Of course, it will be on a completely separate 'Tube channel.

I'm getting nervous about going back to work with the kiddos tomorrow. Middle-schoolers! And a faster schedule! Eek! I just don't know what to expect. I know I'm going to forget so much stuff.

Pinterest Evidence - Part 1

How I have applied more of Pinterest to my life.

I was putting away laundry. I tend to avoid this because I am lazy and my dresser is getting full. There are pins for life organization or 'whod've thoughts!' Here is one such case. Tshirts that I cannot part with (some I do wear) and have no where else to put them. Instead of stacking them vertically, stack them horizontally. The stack at the bottom of this picture wouldn't have fit in this drawer had I not stacked them like this. I still have room to add to this.

I don't know if I saw this on pinterest or not. It may have been something similar. I finally just got around to doing it. This top photo is how I use to store my flat iron. Out of the reach of Ivy's delicate fingers. Job done, but annoying. So then I decided to get a metal/mesh magazine bin and hung it in my closet. I've also put my hair dryer in the bin and I'm going to put my curling iron in it too. No dangling cords, still out of Ivy's reach, no wire hangers. NO WIRE HAAAAAANGERRRRRRRRRRSSSS!

Here's that calm down bottle...

 

And a discovery bottle...

And an honest to goodness pit stain remover. Remember that guy on Pete and Pete? I really was sceptical but decided the mix was free and the brush was inexpensive.

Before:

And the after. One part dawn dishwashing soap, two parts hydrogen peroxide and a sprinkling of baking soda. Pour, scrub, let sit, launder as normal. And voila! The after picture looks off color, but the shirt was back to normal. Seriously! Even used it on a couple color shirts. No harm done.

Ready for the end

As much as I love summer, it is time for it to end. I am so very ready for fall. I really love all of the seasons. Each have their own positives and negatives... But fall is my favorite season.

Back to school time - school supplies, school clothes... I always loved shopping for school. Oddly, high school football season only for pep rallies and Tx homecoming mums.

The weather - cloudy, sometimes drizzly, and cooler. The crisp smoky smell in the air.

Fall festivals and fairs. And the food, petting zoos, and games.

The decorations and holidays. I am very partial to halloween and thanksgiving.

And the rest of this will be quite random.
I'm anxious about going back to work (with the kids) in 3 days. I don't know how these middle-schoolers are. It's almost like starting for the very first time all over again.

I'm changing some things up in my classroom. I'm "flipping" it. Meaning lectures, lessons and learning are done on the YouTube and homework is done in class. This should save me (and the kids) some time. I already have two videos done that need editing. Oh my! I swear. The district is pushing for technology and something called strategic design. And they block YouTube. I know there are other video hosting websites. But damn.

So there is this new coworker. He and I grew up in the same city. Graduated from the same high school. And lived in the same city (like where I lived two years ago). And now we teach at the same school. It's so odd.

And I think this is where I stop. I could've sworn I had more, but I don't.

Stats... For muh bloggg

I don't know what the heck is up or how it's even happening. There are a lot of hits (because I like to know about my audience) from a lot of strange places. Some, I expect. I do link round-ups and I have my blog connected to facebook and other social media.

But some, how is my link even there?

And then, kerplewie! My link shows up on an *ahem* adult social media thingamabob. I had no idea what it was by the name and I clicked the link. BAD BAD BAD STUPID IDEA. I hope mal/spyware doesn't pop up on the computer. I just saw big giant uh... parts and shut that down.

So I looked at my settings. And I fixed what I think what happened. I just hope my blog is legit-searchable now.

Foooooood!!!

Today is my husband's 33rd birthday. (Happy birthday babe! I love you!) I know! We are so young! Today he gets his choice of meals. I made him sausage and rolls for breakfast so far. I got our babysitter to watch Ivy on Saturday. We went to a dinner movie theater to see The Campaign. I choose not to watch Will Farrel movies because a lot of the time it is gross humor. This one wasn't that bad though. Highly recommend? No.

I made myself some fruit and granola yogurt. Thank you Pinterest for reminding me to freeze my berries when I did. They still taste good, whereas the ones I would buy now don't.




















I had some yummy vegetarian nachos the other night. There are egg whites, black beans, corn, seasonings, cheese abd hot sauce on them. Pretty tasty!




















I was going to do a Menu Plan Monday, but I'm out of sorts. Hooray? Thought not.

Today was my first day back to work. Granted, it is only inservice. No students yet for a week and a half. Phew! But I just re-emotioned the crap from May.

New to campus teachers had orientation today and the quote from the principal today was... "You are Top Gun. Everyone I spoke to proved that to me. And there were five times the amount of people in this room (about 20), if not more, lined up to get these jobs." Oh, except for you Lena. You were handed to us. I feel like a hand-me-down. I'm grateful for my job. I could've, you know, just been fired with a Good Luck Loser letter. But I feel like I didn't prove my worth. I didn't fight for my job.

And then I replayed all the parts of the situation in May and went ahead and cried again.
A fine romance, indeed.

FaceTweet?

Am I treating my blog like a facebook status or tweet box? I dunno.

Have you heard about the Rory Gilmore Book List? There are about 250 books that Rory read and/or mentioned on the show.

Challenge accepted.

I feel like I have lost touch with actual books. I got a Kindle as an early christmas present. And while I really love the gadget, I have to admit that I really miss touching books. Turning pages. Smelling the paper. Hearing the spine crack - oh how I wish mine would... But I cannot justify purchasing books. To the library I must get! But I read so darn slow. Oh well.

The?

It looks like I'm not going to be doing any 'real' vlogging for a little while. The only thing that I think I'll be able to manage is iphone vlogging and that'd have to be unedited stuff. Eww. For some reason, my editing program keeps crashing. I'm going to try something else and see if there is just too much going on in what I'm doing because it's huge. But I've done other rather large videos and had no problem. GAH!

Fill in the Blank Friday

We took Ivy to Fossil Rim again yesterday. One last summer hurrah just before we go back to work.  I'll be editing all the video clips and photos I took for a vlog tonight. I might do a quick Outfit Of The Day and announce a Giveaway on YouTube.

Since I missed it yesterday, here is a Fill in the Blank Friday on a Saturday. Just the normal version - as my last one was videoed and tubed.

1.  The age I will be on my upcoming birthday is 33 in '13. I just had my 32nd birthday a month ago.

2.   The best birthday present ever would be   a personal stylist because I really don't know fashion and I need help. I'd also like a ton of money. I'm happy but I would still like to own a house, pay off my college loans... Real life. 

3.  My favorite birthday to date was   My 28th. I was pregnant and had a nice group of friends join me for dinner. 

4. Birthdays make me feel   Old and awkward. 'Nough said. 

5. The worst birthday I ever had was   My 29th. It was my first birthday as a new mommy and it was spent away from my daughter. It was for work.

6. When I was born  my name was supposed to be Sam as in 'what in Sam Hill?!' Quite the comedian, my mom. My last name was Hill. Anyway, my dad vetoed that and mom named me Lena.

7.  So far my favorite age has been   27 -  I learned so much about myself that year.

I hope you have a thrilling weekend!

Going to Grandmas

I received a small suitcase in the 80's as a child for christmas. The original decal had worn off (with some assistance, of course) so the suitcase was light blue.

It went with me to pretty much every overnight stay at Aunt Carol's or one of my cousins'. It even went with me to camp one year. I even brought it on my(our) honeymoon. After we moved away from family, I used that case for our visits. The thing got used! When Ivy was born, guess what... I passed that little case down to her.

I'd kept it until last year. Until a cat pee'd in it. Couldn't get that stench out. So I had to toss it. I'm still upset because I was attached to that case. And I see the exact same one (the photo above) on Etsy being sold for $36.00. They're listing it as from the 60's. Which is ridiculous because it's from the 80's. There's no way in hell I'd pay that plus shipping.

I've been on the lookout for another like this. And I had a close call. We were donating at Goodwill and the lady right in front of us had a red one. I tried to snag it but the workers wouldn't let it go.

Sadface.

Menu Plan Monday

It has been a strange few weeks. And we have been eating out every day it seems. The opportunity arises that we can eat at our favorite restaurants when we don't have Ivy. So we take advantage of that. I know, shame on us.

I've discovered something new to eat. I decided to try Chobani yogurt and it's so good with granola. But I mainly got it so I can do poached pears for breakfast with honey yogurt. It is pretty healthy too!

Speaking of food, I've made the decision to eat less meat. I am basically just going to eat eggs, dairy and fish. Why am I going semi-veg? I do this every once in a while. Hoping to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in my diet. Meat is expensive. How it's manufactured. How the animals are treated. But I just dug through my freezer and found so much meat, I will need to clear that out (read: we need to eat all this meat) before I make good on my word to eat less meat. I've never been rich so I just don't feel right throwing it all out. It has gotten ridiculous... we have all this food but we end up picking something up or eating out. WHY?!

Sunday - Leftovers - I don't know what they were.
Monday - Fish Tacos
Tuesday - Fondu
Wednesday - Yoyo
Thursday - Nachos or some crock pot chicken thing.
Friday - Salad
Saturday - Out for Ryans bday. Possibly lunch. If so, skillet grilled chicken and steamed broccoli for me.

For more awesome menus, check out Menu Plan Monday. That's where I'm about to head for some new ideas!

VLOG: $20 Make Up Challenge

Wow, for a while there I was writing something every day! Well, I was visiting family and had a bit of time on my hands, and a lot to say apparently. This week, I traveled back home (alone) because I had a conference for work that had me attending meetings and workshops all day for three days in Dallas. I've been before. Love the conference. Just... ugh. And I have been so tired!

Maybe you remember the post I wrote about makeup purchases (lookit!) . I finally filmed the $20 makeup challenge and just now posted it online.

Yup, I did cheat and didn't include the tools in the purchase. I didn't know. And I've seen people whine about people "cheating" and doing a challenge with all elf products. So what?

Anyway, enjoy.

Shhhhh

All isquiet in the house d'LenaBena. She has either been sleeping or busy working. Take your pick. Next week will be back to normal next week. Look forward to posting as normal (what is that?) and at least one vlog.

Fill in the Blank Friday

Regarding one of my previous posts (basically, things vlog about)... I did a video response to the Fill in the Blank Friday at TheLittleThingsWeDo.



You answer the writing prompts that are (der) fill in the blank! Lauren had started this but took a hiatus. I think I only did one right before she took a break. But she is back!

This weeks Fill In The Blank Friday is:
I am:
I have always:
I hope to:
I can:
I dream of:
The way to my heart is:
I am passionate about:

Please check out her website! It's really cute and I love her linkup.
Do you know of any other link roundups? I love those things. Should I do Menu Plan Mondays as a vlog?

PS: I talk about 100 Goals... It is it's own page above!

Vlogaholic

What is that face I'm making!! EEp!

Oh my gosh I am so into the whole YouTubeeeeee. Hi You, Tube. Let's be friends.

Oh, okay. Back to reality? Maybe. I'm a bit tired so I'm a bit weird. I'm finding myself subscribing to a lot of Tubers. Not the potato, people. Nor The Potato People. And I have an idea for a vlog. I was going to just write it up but I'm thinking of, yes, vlogging it.

Fwump!

I think I heard your head falling to the floor. Get up! This is seriously interesting!

So, I shall present these in a numbered list form.

1. Vlogging a Friday response link-up thingamajig. It's called Fill In the Blank Friday from the little things we do. She has a set of questions that have blanks in them and you *gasp* fill those blanks in. I've done one here on the blog before but right after that, she stopped. Life happens, yahnno? Anyway, she's bringing it back and I'm crossing my fingers because I want to vlog that.
2. The Friday Five. Same concept as above except The Friday Five is a series of 5 themed questions. People used to do these a long time ago. Aherm, I mean, I used to do them a long time ago. Again, they seem to be on a hiatus. I don't know if I want to travel back in time to their older questions. Like Pumbaa says, "keep your behind in your past."
3. Who I'm subscribed to you the Tube and why. I don't know. Who the heck are YOU stalkingfollowing? Why are they so speshul?!
4. I was thinking of an open box (where I open a box that I order and you get to see what I bought) from Ulta.
5. How about a coffee talk? About books?
6. I'm going to a conference next week. Want to see a clip reel? Oooooo I think that'd be interesting.

What do you think?

And I decided to go ahead and edit the first $20 challenge. I was able to just cut out and speed up the unnecessary bits. I really just wanted to get that one taken care of. I did "cheat" though, but I didn't know what the rules were. Tools are supposed to be part of the purchase. And maybe include tax? I'm not sure. Maybe I'll do it again. I know that I would probably have to cheat again because of my stupid sensitive skin. But shhhhhhhh! I won't tell if you won't!