Self Care: A Fresh Coat of Polish

I can't be the only one that loves a fresh coat of polish?!?  There are a couple things that make be feel (somewhat) put together and nail polish is one of them.  I am a firm believer in self care and spending some quiet time painting my nails, after my kiddos go to sleep, is one thing that helps me manage stress.

Color: Pre-Show Jitters
Bracelets (from top):
Balance Intention Bracelet
Nicholette Stretch Bracelet
Strength Intention Bracelet

However, I do not like the fact that regular polish can chip in 4.2 seconds.  Thank goodness for gel polishes!  I have been loving essie brand gel couture.  The colors are gorgeous and the polish actually lasts throughout the week.  One trick I figured out is that I have to seal the polish in but applying it to the front of my nail.  I don't know why, but it seems to help it last longer.

Colors from left: Pre-show Jitters, Haute To Trot, Once Upon a Time, Gel Top coat

What is your go to polish?  Leave a comment below for a chance to win a coffee on me.

*two random comments will receive a Starbucks gift card.  Winners will be chosen Sunday May 7, 2019*

April Book Club: Rest Play Grow

Alright mamas and educators, its time for us to dive into a book together.  Whether you have a preschooler, teach one, or know someone that acts like one this read is for you. 

I just ordered my copy and can't wait to dive into it.  Throughout the month, I will be posting discussion points here, on my Facebook page, as well as Instagram. 

Have you ordered your copy?  What are you excited to uncover?

Be Brilliant

It is Autism Awareness Month!  

A month that allows us to stop and pay closer attention to a disorder that impacts so many of our students.  As an educator, I have seen an ever increasing number of students with ASD.  Each students' needs are so different from the next making accommodations and treatment for each individual so important and also expensive.

I am so excited to be able to give back to The HollyRod Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing compassionate care to those living with autism.  100% of the net proceeds of this gorgeous bracelet go to The HollyRod Foundation.  

Thank you in advance for your generous support. Every order counts and together we are doing good while looking good! If you have any questions or need help placing your order, just drop me a comment. 

 

xo P.S. If you know someone that would like to purchase this super cute bracelet, please forward the link and they can shop too!

Sunday Sanity Saver: Laundry Saved!

This week is all about saving your laundry from those inevitable stains that we all know too well.  First off, why don't more parents warn you about kid stains and the amount of laundry that would be added to your daily/weekly chores?  Since having my son, I swear my washing machine doesn't stop.  I am not one for super fragrant detergents and I made my own laundry soap for quite a while, but stain removal continued to be an issue.  Even more of an issue was the amount of clothing that got thrown away due to oil based stains that never cleaned up right.  I had just about had it until I stumbled across a random pin, on good-ole Pinterest, and decided to give it a whirl.  I have since played around with it and today I have for you the GREATEST DIY stain remover!!!
All you need is: Dawn dish soap, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and an old toothbrush.
Start by finding a garment that makes you want to shed a tear.  I was so upset that I had only gotten one wear out of this beautiful top, from Paizlee.  Little man thought that shaking his oily hands at dinner was a great idea; it was cute until the oil was all over my new top and not his hands.

Drizzle Dawn dish soap on all the stained areas.

Sprinkle baking soda over the dish soap.  I always use too much baking soda, but it doesn't hurt the recipe.

Next, coat the baking soda in a layer of hydrogen peroxide.  You want just enough to create a thick paste.

Use the toothbrush to gently work the paste into the stains.

Let this stain remover sit on the garment for an hour and then wash it normally.
Finally, wear your favorite piece of clothing again!  I posted this picture after using this incredible and easy stain remover.

I figured if it worked on the delicate fabric my top was made out of, it was worth a try on little man's stain-ridden clothing.  I followed all of the above directions TWICE, yes, two times, and look at the before and after.

I am still shocked as to how well it worked.  Yes, it really is the same onesie!

What are your tips for keeping up for laundry and attacking all those crazy kid stains?  Leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you.

Adding Color To My Life

Oh, Crayola!  You have been a huge part of my life forever!  As a teacher, I have an excuse to use you everyday, but now, oh man, now I have a better excuse!
Enter...

Crayola Chubby Sticks, by Clinique!  Guys!!!!!!  These are AMAZING!  This is coming from someone who does NOT like makeup.  Seriously, I do not like the way that it feels on my face, but I am not getting any younger and I need to do something to look more "put together".
So, these Chubby Sticks have a creamy texture and they go on super smooth.  What I like most is that the colors are not the ones that stain your lips.  These have a lighter appearance, even the bolder colors.

My only disappointment with these is that the case didn't come with all ten colors.  For some silly reason tickle me pink and razzmatazz are sold as individual sticks only.

Clinique will only have these Crayola Cubby Sticks for a limited time, so if I were you, I would jump over to their site and grab a set today.

So my Crayola finds didn't end at the amazing Chubby Sticks.  Have you seen these My Color Is... packs?!?!  Each color pack is loaded with Crayola's fabulous products, but in only that color.

I was able to find My Color Is Pink, at my local Target, but I am on the hunt for the other colors.  The window crayon has been a huge hit in our house lately, and I can't wait to use it in my classroom.

What is your favorite Crayola product?

DIY Teacher Mama: Felt Board

Keeping an 18 month old actively engaged without batteries and lights can be an interesting challenge now-a-days.  As an educator, I want to expose my own child to the language I know he needs to be successful.  As a mom, I want to see my little boy having fun and being creative.  Well, you know me, I searched for both and I found it...

Felt Board Fun!  

Plus, I found another awesome use for all of my clipart.

Here is what you need:

To create the board just spray the adhesive on the poster board and cover with felt.

Obviously, you will need a printer and an iron, but that should be a given. 

The fun part is picking out all of the images.  My son LOVES Sesame Street and DinoTrux so I did an image search and found some great ones.  He also loves animals, so I went through my clip art and added some of his favorite animals to the list.  

The most important thing to remember is to reverse the image so that when you iron it on everything is spelled correctly and is facing the right direction.

Once you get all of the images picked out follow the printing directions on the paper and print your heart out.  Then, all you need to do is iron, peal, and play.

My happy boy with his new characters!

I just need to whip up a second board for my classroom.  I am going to use it for story retells and story starters for my reluctant writers.  It will be the perfect tool for my ELLs to practice their speaking standards.

Happy Creating!!!

Teacher Style with ULTIMATE Comfort

I am a bit of a clothing nut!  I love clothes and believe that what you wear not only reflects your mood, but can change your outlook on the day.  For a long time, I would wear clothes that I thought were "cute" but they were not always comfortable.  Well that changed the moment I was introduced to LuLaRoe.  LuLaRoe takes comfort and style and crashes them together like a Midwest Thunder Storm!  

About LuLaRoe: ALL LuLaRoe styles are limited. It's unlikely that you're going to see someone with the exact same item that you have. Our designers create hundreds of prints each day. Those prints are then divided among all of the styles LuLaRoe produces. Only about 2,500 pieces are created in a print. Then, those styles are distributed all over the USA. Talk about one-of-a-kind!  LuLaRoe fashions change rapidly so there's always something new to love!

The styles are fabulous and comfortable.  The signature piece is the leggings.  They are without a doubt amazing!  The prints are so fun and they take any dress or tunic to the next level.  If you are looking to try out LuLaRoe click the link to find Myranda Sue's (a fellow teacher) LuLaRoe Boutique.

For those of you that love LuLaRoe and are looking to add to your closet you need to jump on this amazing deal!  Myranda has a Leggings of the Month club that features a VIP discount, free shipping, and well LEGGINGS!

To join just follow these step:

1. Join Myranda's LuLaRoe Facebook Group.

2. Fill out the link on the pinned post.

3. For How did you hear about Leggings of the Month Club? enter Marcy Godesa.

What are your favorite LuLaRoe styles?  I love the Amelia and Sarah, and the leggings of course.

Keeping It Real and Finding the Balance

How do all of you working parents do it?  The stress of the beginning of the school year is so much to handle, yet that is only a piece of my life now.  How do you balance taking care of your children and family as well?!?!  As we all start to transition back to school, I can't help but think about how I want to take better care of myself this year.  I want to "find" the balance between my personal and professional lives.  We all do; don't we?  I have learned over the years that balance is not always about sitting right in the middle ALL the time.  Instead, it is about the give and take.  Yes, at the beginning of the school year my professional life is going to require more of me, but that doesn't mean that I can't carve out time for yoga, hikes, and walks at the duck pond with my family.

This year, I want us to support one another.  I want to learn from each of you on how you find balance in your life.  Each month, I will feature two educators and how they find balance in their life.   These features will allow each of us to take a piece of advice from a fellow teacher.  Any educator can participate.  All you have to do is fill this form.  I will create a feature based on the information provided.  Let's support one another and have an amazing school year!  Please let me know if you have any questions (my email button is on the top right of my webpage).

Your Support System

As a new mom talking to other moms was sometimes the only thing that helped me get through the day.  There were times when I was convinced no one understood what I was going through.  That was until I attended my first mom group.  As we sat and introduced ourselves and our littles an immediate calm fell over me.  I was with my people.  "They get me," I thought to myself.  I made it a point to attend these weekly groups while I was on maternity leave and boy do I miss all the mamas I met. 
Since being back to work and taking on the role of a teacher mama, I have learned that I still rely on a different support system.  Now, I fall toward other working mamas.  They have shared the misery of sleepless nights and feeling like you are being stretched to your limits. 
As we search for balance in our lives it is so important to have a support system.  We all need someone or a group that we can trust, talk to, vent to, commiserate with. 

 I saw this sign recently; I am convinced that every moms' group needs this on the door of their meeting place.

Do you have a support system?  I am here for you if you ever need to vent.

Being a Teacher Mom

Last night, as I was up nursing, at 2:30 am, I came across this article.  Since then, I have seen it all over social media. 

As a new mom who recently returned to work, from maternity leave, I get it!  Before I was even pregnant, I was searching for balance in my life.  Now, with an 8 month old that search is FAR from over.  
What do you think?  Can you be a present parent and educator at the same time?

Rainy Day Busyness

There is nothing like being cooped up inside with an 8 month old.  Mind you, my 8 month old is a maniac!  He is into, in, and on everything.  One of his favorite games right now is to crawl over to the window, stand up, and pound on the glass. 
This new found game inspired me to create a version of a busy bag.

All you need is...

hair gel,  ziplocks, tape, glitter, and confetti.
I highly recommend using quality ziplocks and double bagging them (baby nails are no joke)!
Once you gather the materials, just add a generous amount of hair gel into the bag with some glitter and confetti.

Seal up the bag and tape it to a window or the floor.

Obviously, your child should be under adult supervision at all times while playing with this busy bag.

Little man loved squishing the confetti around!

And making faces at me while I tried to snap some pictures.
What have you created to keep your little one busy on a rainy day?

*$%!@ Kind of Day!

Yup!  You read that right!  It was one of those days.  You know, the first day of break when you have a To Do list a mile long that you are ready to make a dent in, and then the world happens.  I didn't know about these days in their entirety until I became a mom.  These days are no joke!  That phrase "go with the flow" was designed for days like this.  Well let me tell you, my Type A self has a hard time going with the flow. 
So after a sleepless night with a teething 8 month old, I am here to tell you 5 things I wish I knew before becoming a teacher mama...

1. Tomorrow is a new day!  As a teacher, I know that when my lesson flops I can try again tomorrow.  As a mama, I have to remember the same thing.
2. To Do lists take time.  I have always been one that loves checking things off of my list.  It makes me feel good.  I have learned that it just takes longer to get things done and that is OK.  Really, it is OK.
3. Breaks are no longer about getting stuff done.  Well, they still are to some degree.  But, breaks are for soaking up time with the babe.  There will be time to check things off of that To Do list later.
4. Love ALL the moments.  Yes, all of them, even the cruddy ones where you want to curl up in a ball and cry.  These moments fly by and you don't want to miss out on any of them.
5. SMILE!  This is one of the hardest ones for me.  I get in the thick of the chaos and I forget to smile and be present.  As a mom, your child is always watching you.  They see and sense all of your emotions.  So even when you are exhausted, just smile.  This goes for dealing with your students, too.

These may seem like no-brainers, but I really wish someone would have mentioned them to me several times while I was pregnant; no promises I would have remembered them then. 

What words of advice do you have for when your day isn't going as you planned?