My first 5K!

I cannot believe it! I did it! I ran my first 5K!! I admit, I had minimal training, but what an amazing feeling to get one done! Thanks to RunDisney's Virtual Running Shorts, I was able to sign up, and get it done when it worked for me! I didn't have to take time off work, or travel somewhere special. I just got up, looked at the weather and said "Today is the day" and off I went.

I have signed up to complete the 3 months of races--June, July and August.

I went on the ever favorite, Pinterest, and searched for Disney Running Playlists. The ideas were endless. I spent a few hours creating a playlist, and boom, I was ready to go! Of course, I have now discovered that Spotify had s list as well! So, we know what I will be running with in July...

I do not have much advice, except stretch before you run--like a lot! And maybe, have a foam roller handy for when you finish.

I will be posting more as I go, but...hurray for me!!

Time for...Clases de Español!

 I am not a certified Spanish Teacher, but I learned it with my Abuelas knocking it into me, if it was thing ever! (I am so grateful they did that!!) I also attended a bilingual school in Miami, FL, where Spanish was taught weekly from preschool, all the way until 8th grade. I continued through High School, as well. I have perfected the art of speaking and writing it, with the amazing help of my hubby and in-laws and familia.

I receive an email from one of my amazing co-workers asked me who could tutor here littles in Spanish. She said they were extremely curious about learning the language. I told her I would be happy to help them out this Summer, and get them a foundation. I have searched high and low in the depths of the interwebs and found a very helpful site: Mudpies and Makeup
She has  a great setup for "calendar" that reminds me of my old classroom. I like the portability of it. My new room is rather small, and so I need to find things that are easy to put up and take down. I am in the process now of putting it together, so pic to follow of what it looks like completed.

I hope you all pass over to Muspies and Makeup and check out what else she may have to offer!

Hasta Pronto!!

7 weeks in and exhausted...

This is now week 7 of the school year (day 36 for those of you who are actually counting), and I feel like a rookie all over again. I know I have been out of the game for a few years, but this Common Core should come easy. It is alot (almost identical) to what I did with PYP, but for some reason I am having a really difficult time making things work. I have scoured the interwebs and Pinterest trying to find ideas that will make my life easier. I know better than to reinvent the wheel. Why is it so hard to make things happen?? I feel like my schedule isn't working, and that everytime I turn around, my desk is a mess. I don't want to work all weekend ( I have a family, you know), but I find myself working crazy hours and staying late. Does anyone out there in the cyberworld have any tips or ideas?? Please Please Please Please share!!! Sincerely, The crazy teacher in Kindergarten

Back In Teaching Mode!

It's nice to be back in Teacher Mode. :) It has taken several weeks to get my brain back into it, since I have been out of teaching for 3 years!! (WOW!!) I got a job as a Kindergarten Teacher here in Indiana, and I am very excited!! I have been trying to get everything ready for my new class, and forgot how expensive it all is! So, I got to working on my My Memories Suite, and started creating!

This is only 1 of the several things I have created. As soon as I complete my stuff, I will load a couple of Freebies on my TpT store! Please share your thoughts below!!

Summer Purge!

So, this Summer, my hubby and I packed up the Offspring, and sent him to visit his grandparents in Florida. Yes, he is only 3, and we miss him like crazy, but it has given us a chance to purge! I am not just talking "throw away what I know he/we are not using," I am talking "Go through every closet, drawer, cabinet, toy box" type of purge! I have donated boxes of clothes and toys, moved toys down to the basement, organized office supplies, re arrange closet space...I have been a busy little bee. My biggest accomplishment, has been my recipe book(s). Our grocery store, always has little recipe ideas, and I always take them so I can try to make something new. Well, the stockpile of recipes was growing and growing. It was so bad, I didn't want to open the cabinet where I stuffed them all! This afternoon, I sat down and organized my mess!

This is the final product. I failed to take a picture of what the insanity looked like before, but it was not this well organized. I used a 2"-3" binder, some plastic sheet protectors--the regular ones, and the ones that are for Photo Albums), Dividers, an old fashion hole punch, scissors, time and patience.

I determined what my categories would be...
-Poultry
-Meats (Beef, Lamb, Veal, Pork, Sausage)
-Seafood
-Pasta
-Salads, Soups, and Sandwiches
-Grilling
-Appetizers/Sides
-Breakfast
-Desserts
-Snacks
-Beverages

I then went through each of my recipes, and see if they fit any of those categories. Once I separated my recipes, I started putting them in the binder. Now, sounds simple, right? WRONG!! It would be simple if all the recipes were 8 1/2 x 11, but THEY AREN'T! So, I had to use my hole punch, and make them fit in the binder. I had some that were from the back of the box, so those went into a sheet protector. The small "Recipe Card" sized ones fit perfectly in the Photo Sized Sheets.

THAT'S IT!! Recipes are organized...now..what's next??

This is the size that my recipes are...see? NOT 8/12x11...

A Ragu Sauce from my mom...Make due with what you got, and an envelope was what I had with me!

A dessert recipe from the back of the box...instead of fighting with the hole punch, just put it in a plastic sleeve!

Brew Over Ice

I just received my "Brew Over Ice" Keurig from BzzAgent.

I am so excited to try it. I love ice tea and iced coffee, and I am absolutely sure this is going to save me some money from stopping at a high end coffee shop every morning! I will report back in the next couple of days (given the 100+ degrees outside, I won't be having anything HOT for a while). I have embedded a video of how easy this is!



Let's get brewing!

SoBe--So Be Yourself!

Hello Summer! Yesterday was the beginning of the Summer Solstice. Of course, here in Indiana, it feels like it has been summer since May! They SoBe Lifewater has been a very refreshing way to get through the this heat. There are over 25 flavors to choose from! I have had the Mango Mandarin, Pomegranate Cherry, and the SoBe Lean Green Tea. So far, Mango Mandarin is my favorite! Drinking these, is like a drinking a tropical drink by the beach!

The "SoBe" (Short for South Beach) name pays homage to the vibrant Miami (my hometown) neighborhood. Living in Miami, I know how important it is to stay hydrated. You always try to find ways to stay hydrated that are beyond plain water. I remember the first SoBe Drinks with Ginseng, Guarana and other herbal ingredients. I drank it all the time! I am so glad they have come out with new flavors!

I took the Coconut water and mixed it with some frozen fruit, ran it through the blender, and made some fruit smoothie pops for my son and I. LOVED THEM!! There are 35 Calories, and only 8 grams of sugar. That's pretty good when trying to watch what he eats and drinks!

So Why the Lizard Logo? Relaxing in South Beach, a lizard on the side of a local hotel caught the eyes of the founders, and the logo came to be!

If you want to know more about SoBe drinks, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.