Well, in what felt like forever and the blink of an eye at one time, summer is over. It isn't over for the real world, but I go back to school tomorrow for teacher inservice week! While I would NEVER trade in getting out of school in May when the weather is perfect, it is rough knowing that summer for us is half over soon after "official" summer begins.
All that said, I am ready. I have a new teaching partner, a couple new members of the team I am really excited about, and I am ready for a new batch of kiddos. This year, I am only teaching reading and writing, which both breaks my heart and excites me at the same time. I am excited for the simplicity, and the laser focus I will be able to have. I am planning to do a lot of mini reading lessons involving science and social studies books and related topics, so I can get my fix in. Science is the love of my life, reading comes second.
I am really proud at how I spent my summer. I really didn't travel at all, in the end. I thought I would go to North Carolina, maybe Pennsylvania, and definitely to the beach and to Lake Anna. Funny thing is, none of those things happened. Not one. Getting more focused about finances and changing my approach to that was a major reason, as my current car won't last forever and this time next year I am hoping to be in graduate school. Despite not doing these things, I still did a lot. I spent my time focused on myself, and after a rough school year, that was exactly what I needed. I rediscovered old loves and started some new ones, and I am very excited about how continuing them during the year will help me feel when things at school get overwhelming.
Reading - I used to be the most voracious reader as a child. Going through one book per day on a weekend was agiven, and often it was two. College kind of broke me of my love, as it does so many, and I only read lightly from then on. This summer I read most days for at least an hour, which sparked the book monster inside me, and I couldn't be more excited about it!
Podcasts - I admit, despite podcasts being so trendy right now, I never understood them. Then, as I was looking for a new outlook on weight loss, I decided to look at podcasts as an option. Now, I listen to podcasts of all kinds. I listened for at least an hour a day most days this summer, like reading. I listen when I cook, when I am wasting time playing freecell, and when I drive most often.
Kombucha - I both fell in love with drinking kombucha as a soda replacement and brewing my own this summer. This one is major as it inspires a bit of creativity, has a "cooking" element, saves money, and is generally really cool. I have brewed 3 batches so far, and the carbonation has not quite gotten there yet, but I think that is largely because I got overexcited and increased my brews from one gallon to two very quickly, and my scoby is growing but still hasn't gotten big enough to brew strong enough yet to accommodate that. I also began making a kombucha sibling, Jun. Jun is a fermented tea as well but uses green tea and honey, supposedly is fizzier (which could be perfect!), loves colder temps (we keep it rather cool here), and brews faster! Updates on that after I brew a batch or two.
Cooking - I did a great job this summer at balancing ordering food (a constant temptation) and cooking. I made some very indulgent things, and they are things I plan to keep in my arsenal. Cooking has been an area I have worked to improve on since beginning this blog, so I am always excited when I realize how much more I have grown and how much growth I have yet to do.
Swimming - I might not have gone to Lake Anna or the beach, but I did find a little place to swim on the river, and went swimming a few times. As it turns out, I don't necessarily care how I get to swim, as long as swimming is an option!
Now, on to some surprising things I did not do this summer. Well, not surprising that I did not do them, but very surprising that I do not mind.
Walk, bike, or exercise much - Despite having all the time in the world, I really slacked off here. I am 100% ok with it. I started the summer walking like a fiend because the weather was amazing. Then I got attacked by a snake, saw the scariest spider I have ever seen in my life, and it got hot. I am very sensitive to heat, and I began resenting exercise. An activity I normally love and need to function was causing me such negative feelings, I gave myself permission to take a break this summer. I am now excited for the weather to cool down so I can get back to it. My fitness level has gone to the crapper, but it doesn't take long to get it all back!
Lose weight - I spent all summer trying to get back on track, and failed. I would be on track for a few days, then blow it, and the cycle would continue. I just have such a hard time sitting at home all day, being able to cook, and not going over calories! During the school year, all physical needs (including hunger) tend to be on hold from 7am-4pm. I eat breakfast, lunch, and a snack, but the calories are a lot more limited, and give me more freedom for dinner. Combined with my lack of exercise, I maintained my weight for the most part. I am pretty proud of that. I think everyone needs a break sometimes. I have a lot of weight to lose, so really, what rush am I in? As of this past Wednesday, I have been tracking my food again, and starting next Wednesday plan to be back on plan because school will have begun.
In all, a great summer. Very few to no complaints. Next summer, I am hoping to have the financial freedom to travel a little more, get my ass to the beach like I have been trying to do for the last five years, and maybe start graduate school. I feel rested, prepared, and generally excited for the new year!
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Been Awhile!
Well, it has been quite a long time since my last post. As it tends to be with teaching, and moving, things were quite the whirlwind. Combined with my first teaching year being (predictably) overwhelming, things like this blog got away from me.
I am hoping to restart posting here regularly, but first I should do some catch up first.
Location: I am still living in Virginia. It took me over a year to furnish this apartment so it looked like a real (semi) adult lived here, but I finally did it! I enjoy this area, and could see myself staying long term. I live with a girl I lived with in college, and having her as a roommate has been awesome.
Work: I have loved being a third grade teacher the last two years. Third grade is really in my wheelhouse as a great age group, and I have worked with some amazing people. There have been some issues with some coworkers and certain students, but such is life. I am excited to start a new year with a fresh batch of kids this fall.
Dating: I have been casually dating a man here for about a year, it is not destined to go anywhere, as he is a certifiable train wreck. But we have fun, he is a lovely person, and he provides companionship as I periodically attempt dating elsewhere. So far, my attempts have been unsuccessful, but school tends to be all consuming. I make stronger attempts during summers.
Tea: The tea hoard is actually getting under control. School has prevented me from being as active on Steepster as I would like, but school also prevents me from justifying new tea purchases. I have slowly but surely been working on it. New count to come soon, as well as pictures of my awesome tea/coffee setup!
Cooking: I have really gotten my shit together on the cooking front. I am no master chef, but I have mastered quite a few super awesome dishes that I can't wait to post. They are seriously amazing. I've been making a variety of deliciousness, enough that aforementioned man I date has no idea I am not a natural born amazing cook! I am still striving to improve, as I still stick to mostly simple things. No shame in my game, but I don't like the idea of being intimidated by anything, let alone a recipe.
Weight Loss: On January 1 of this year, I rejoined Weight Watchers. Things were kind of stressful at school, I was tired of how I looked and felt, and decided to just get serious and take the plunge. I have lost about 35 pounds since then, and am feeling great! Things have not always gone super smoothly, but I have stuck with it, and have every intention of continuing. My goal for this calendar year is to have lost 65 pounds total, which I feel is doable. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen, but I am a big believer in challenging but achievable and realistic goal setting.
Exercise: I have always loved walking, but beginning Weight Watchers spurred me to kick up my exercise into high gear. I bought an inexpensive stationary bike, and went from walking three miles a couple of times per week to walking 5-7 miles five or six times per week. With the summer heat, I have not been exercising nearly as much, but I know come fall I will be walking like it is going out of style again. Walking alone or with my roommate is truly therapeutic for me, and I know I can't stay away for too long!
Well, that is the update. In many ways, things are exactly the same. In so many more, things are very different. My confidence is higher, I am healthier, and more adventurous. I am hitting financial goals, dabbling in the world of podcasts, meditation, reading for pleasure consistently for the first time in too long, and I've decided to start brewing my own kombucha. It is summer, why not?
I have made a particular effort to focus on myself these last six months after spending a year and a half totally immersed in my work, and I am looking forward to continuing to do so even more intentionally!
I am hoping to restart posting here regularly, but first I should do some catch up first.
Location: I am still living in Virginia. It took me over a year to furnish this apartment so it looked like a real (semi) adult lived here, but I finally did it! I enjoy this area, and could see myself staying long term. I live with a girl I lived with in college, and having her as a roommate has been awesome.
Work: I have loved being a third grade teacher the last two years. Third grade is really in my wheelhouse as a great age group, and I have worked with some amazing people. There have been some issues with some coworkers and certain students, but such is life. I am excited to start a new year with a fresh batch of kids this fall.
Dating: I have been casually dating a man here for about a year, it is not destined to go anywhere, as he is a certifiable train wreck. But we have fun, he is a lovely person, and he provides companionship as I periodically attempt dating elsewhere. So far, my attempts have been unsuccessful, but school tends to be all consuming. I make stronger attempts during summers.
Tea: The tea hoard is actually getting under control. School has prevented me from being as active on Steepster as I would like, but school also prevents me from justifying new tea purchases. I have slowly but surely been working on it. New count to come soon, as well as pictures of my awesome tea/coffee setup!
Cooking: I have really gotten my shit together on the cooking front. I am no master chef, but I have mastered quite a few super awesome dishes that I can't wait to post. They are seriously amazing. I've been making a variety of deliciousness, enough that aforementioned man I date has no idea I am not a natural born amazing cook! I am still striving to improve, as I still stick to mostly simple things. No shame in my game, but I don't like the idea of being intimidated by anything, let alone a recipe.
Weight Loss: On January 1 of this year, I rejoined Weight Watchers. Things were kind of stressful at school, I was tired of how I looked and felt, and decided to just get serious and take the plunge. I have lost about 35 pounds since then, and am feeling great! Things have not always gone super smoothly, but I have stuck with it, and have every intention of continuing. My goal for this calendar year is to have lost 65 pounds total, which I feel is doable. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen, but I am a big believer in challenging but achievable and realistic goal setting.
Exercise: I have always loved walking, but beginning Weight Watchers spurred me to kick up my exercise into high gear. I bought an inexpensive stationary bike, and went from walking three miles a couple of times per week to walking 5-7 miles five or six times per week. With the summer heat, I have not been exercising nearly as much, but I know come fall I will be walking like it is going out of style again. Walking alone or with my roommate is truly therapeutic for me, and I know I can't stay away for too long!
Well, that is the update. In many ways, things are exactly the same. In so many more, things are very different. My confidence is higher, I am healthier, and more adventurous. I am hitting financial goals, dabbling in the world of podcasts, meditation, reading for pleasure consistently for the first time in too long, and I've decided to start brewing my own kombucha. It is summer, why not?
I have made a particular effort to focus on myself these last six months after spending a year and a half totally immersed in my work, and I am looking forward to continuing to do so even more intentionally!
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Long time...Recipe: Light Fettuccini Alfredo
Blogging fail. Since my computer being broken I have been hyper focused on getting my applications re-rolling (as I am discovering there truly is a never ending list of places to apply, given the application takes an hour on average) and getting my computer back to where it was before in terms of preferences and bookmarks and such. Also, subbing is of course a never ending adventure where at the end of most days I shake my head and realize exactly why so few certified teachers without contract jobs are subbing. It is rough work, so far almost as rough as actual teaching, because the pros and cons are so different. I have been exhausted, and taking a day here and there for more stomach trouble which I turn into an application day.
But, I am making good progress and have relooked at DOZENS of recipes I went back to hunt for to restore my to-make list from before. Last night I made this slightly unconventional Light Fettuccini Alfredo recipe from Laura In the Kitchen. She is one of my favorite YouTubers for food, beauty, and to watch vlogs for, which is rare. Don't let the amateurish website with terribly placed ads fool you, she is very good and also has a Food Network show I have yet to see, and a cookbook coming out this fall that I have already pre-ordered. I always find it strange when established brands have websites that look cheap or thrown together, given how easy it can be to find someone to design a site that is attractive, professional, and functional. That being said, I care about her food, not the site, and things are pretty easy to find on there. I tend to only go to the site to search a specific recipe for measurements, I subscribe to her YouTube channel and watch those for my primary instructions. I like that her videos are so easy to follow, as it REALLY helps me to be able to see step by step what things are supposed to look like.
I found this recipe to be easy to follow, very tasty, and pretty darn similar to an alfredo, despite the fact that it isn't made with heavy cream. It also only took me fifteen minutes to make, which is downright miraculous. After a day of teaching, I need things that can be made in a jiffy. It wasn't as creamy when I reheated leftovers, as the pasta absorbed the sauce a lot, but it tasted the same.
Ground chicken was a bit of an odd texture, given that traditionally cut up chicken breast is used, but the flavor was the same, and it did bulk up the dish a lot more. I was concerned I had not added enough flour, but it all worked out in the end.
I have been trying to use up my chicken bouillon cubes, so I used that to make the chicken stock, so I didn't season the chicken with salt when I browned it, and it worked out great.
I was concerned it wouldn't thicken up enough, so I let mine simmer a few minutes longer. My concerns were unfounded, as I underestimated the thickness of the cream cheese. Still had the same great taste, was a bit less saucy because the thicker sauce stuck to the noodles tighter.
I actually used Trader Joe's Garlic Basil Linguine because silly me forgot to buy fettuccini when I went to the store to get cream cheese and parmesan. Good parmesan really does taste better.
Added in the parsley, and that was all it took.
Seriously, fifteen minutes or less to make. Plenty of leftovers, so I would consider making half batches to keep things more reasonable for just me and remaking more fresh the next day so I could keep it saucy, but it was tasty reheated as well.
I am a hair behind schedule with all the sickness and stuff with my goal of cooking 50 new dishes this year, but that's ok. I am not on a schedule. 11 down, 39 more to go, and hopefully two more this week.
But, I am making good progress and have relooked at DOZENS of recipes I went back to hunt for to restore my to-make list from before. Last night I made this slightly unconventional Light Fettuccini Alfredo recipe from Laura In the Kitchen. She is one of my favorite YouTubers for food, beauty, and to watch vlogs for, which is rare. Don't let the amateurish website with terribly placed ads fool you, she is very good and also has a Food Network show I have yet to see, and a cookbook coming out this fall that I have already pre-ordered. I always find it strange when established brands have websites that look cheap or thrown together, given how easy it can be to find someone to design a site that is attractive, professional, and functional. That being said, I care about her food, not the site, and things are pretty easy to find on there. I tend to only go to the site to search a specific recipe for measurements, I subscribe to her YouTube channel and watch those for my primary instructions. I like that her videos are so easy to follow, as it REALLY helps me to be able to see step by step what things are supposed to look like.
I found this recipe to be easy to follow, very tasty, and pretty darn similar to an alfredo, despite the fact that it isn't made with heavy cream. It also only took me fifteen minutes to make, which is downright miraculous. After a day of teaching, I need things that can be made in a jiffy. It wasn't as creamy when I reheated leftovers, as the pasta absorbed the sauce a lot, but it tasted the same.
Seriously, fifteen minutes or less to make. Plenty of leftovers, so I would consider making half batches to keep things more reasonable for just me and remaking more fresh the next day so I could keep it saucy, but it was tasty reheated as well.
I am a hair behind schedule with all the sickness and stuff with my goal of cooking 50 new dishes this year, but that's ok. I am not on a schedule. 11 down, 39 more to go, and hopefully two more this week.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Icy Day
My motivation is a bit off today, and has been lately. Getting signed up for subbing has just been one annoying road block after another, the latest being that I need to get a new TB test done. And of course, it is ice pellet-ing today. Schools are closed, and I nearly killed myself getting something from my car, so no driving to get it done today.
I am trying to maintain perspective. Worked on application stuff for contract positions instead, repeating in my head that this is really the end goal. Subbing is just something to do, a way to get my face into schools, and make a little money while I work on getting the contract job. The real goal. Without that I have little to no idea where I am headed in 6 months, which is not a state of being I really enjoy.
Additionally, I realized yesterday that today was my dear friend Tracy's birthday. Tracy passed away from breast cancer almost four years ago at age 30. I truly can't believe how time has flown, but it also somehow feels so much longer than that. I met her two months before she got diagnosed, when I had just moved to Baltimore and begun working at the animal hospital. I was having a hell of a time fitting in there and adjusting to my new position. In the months after her diagnosis, we started to get a lot closer. I didn't know then that after she was diagnosed, she lost a huge number of her oldest friends. I never thought about her cancer as impacting whether or not we would be friends. She was a lovely, inspiring person who never ever stopped working for her dreams and improving herself. She was diagnosed as stage 4, but still sought out opportunities to go back to school and start her own business.
I think, as frustrated as I am about my employment situation, it was good for me to have reason to stop and remember her so much today. Not because I am alive and she is not and she was SO alive right up until she wasn't, or because I feel bad for being frustrated. But because she would be so proud of what I am doing, even at my most frustrated. She saw the good in everything. To this day, the most touching compliment I have ever received was the time she told me I was brave. It was six months after I moved to Baltimore, deeply struggling with the transition, and learning to live on my own. I was telling her that I was feeling like a failure at my job, at practical life things like knowing what to do when the car won't start, and other practical day to day things I seemed to lack knowledge about. And she just looked at me and told me that I was one of the bravest people she had ever met. I had chosen a profession that was hard, not really in line with the expectations of my family, and moved to a new city where I really didn't know many people to make a life for myself. She had never left Baltimore, and I had never considered how it might affect someone to never live anywhere else.
So while I might not be meeting standards I set for myself, pretty much ever, I try to remember how supportive Tracy was, and that I shouldn't minimize what I am doing because even if it is not going as quickly as I would like or according to plan, it is more than most people even try to do. I should be proud.
So today, I am working on the big dream, the contract job stuff, in Tracy's honor, and not worrying about subbing. Well, not worrying as much as I am capable of not worrying. I have been talking to a new guy on OkCupid, a professional musician who seems to live very much in the now. I wasn't expecting to enjoy him as much as I have been, and he said he would call to talk again today or tomorrow. He is a lovely phone chatter, which helps undo some of the dating frustration. I think regardless of what does or doesn't happen, he was the exact right person for me to encounter right now, during a time where I need help worrying less about the future even as I work towards it.
I am also working on my yearly goals by making a new recipe today. I have one planned to post about already, and this will be another if it turns out as well as I hope it will. Today is an icy, semi rainy day. Tracy always said that she loved rainy days, not because she liked the rain, but because we need the rain. Today is a rainy day.
I am trying to maintain perspective. Worked on application stuff for contract positions instead, repeating in my head that this is really the end goal. Subbing is just something to do, a way to get my face into schools, and make a little money while I work on getting the contract job. The real goal. Without that I have little to no idea where I am headed in 6 months, which is not a state of being I really enjoy.
Additionally, I realized yesterday that today was my dear friend Tracy's birthday. Tracy passed away from breast cancer almost four years ago at age 30. I truly can't believe how time has flown, but it also somehow feels so much longer than that. I met her two months before she got diagnosed, when I had just moved to Baltimore and begun working at the animal hospital. I was having a hell of a time fitting in there and adjusting to my new position. In the months after her diagnosis, we started to get a lot closer. I didn't know then that after she was diagnosed, she lost a huge number of her oldest friends. I never thought about her cancer as impacting whether or not we would be friends. She was a lovely, inspiring person who never ever stopped working for her dreams and improving herself. She was diagnosed as stage 4, but still sought out opportunities to go back to school and start her own business.
I think, as frustrated as I am about my employment situation, it was good for me to have reason to stop and remember her so much today. Not because I am alive and she is not and she was SO alive right up until she wasn't, or because I feel bad for being frustrated. But because she would be so proud of what I am doing, even at my most frustrated. She saw the good in everything. To this day, the most touching compliment I have ever received was the time she told me I was brave. It was six months after I moved to Baltimore, deeply struggling with the transition, and learning to live on my own. I was telling her that I was feeling like a failure at my job, at practical life things like knowing what to do when the car won't start, and other practical day to day things I seemed to lack knowledge about. And she just looked at me and told me that I was one of the bravest people she had ever met. I had chosen a profession that was hard, not really in line with the expectations of my family, and moved to a new city where I really didn't know many people to make a life for myself. She had never left Baltimore, and I had never considered how it might affect someone to never live anywhere else.
So while I might not be meeting standards I set for myself, pretty much ever, I try to remember how supportive Tracy was, and that I shouldn't minimize what I am doing because even if it is not going as quickly as I would like or according to plan, it is more than most people even try to do. I should be proud.
So today, I am working on the big dream, the contract job stuff, in Tracy's honor, and not worrying about subbing. Well, not worrying as much as I am capable of not worrying. I have been talking to a new guy on OkCupid, a professional musician who seems to live very much in the now. I wasn't expecting to enjoy him as much as I have been, and he said he would call to talk again today or tomorrow. He is a lovely phone chatter, which helps undo some of the dating frustration. I think regardless of what does or doesn't happen, he was the exact right person for me to encounter right now, during a time where I need help worrying less about the future even as I work towards it.
I am also working on my yearly goals by making a new recipe today. I have one planned to post about already, and this will be another if it turns out as well as I hope it will. Today is an icy, semi rainy day. Tracy always said that she loved rainy days, not because she liked the rain, but because we need the rain. Today is a rainy day.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Updates: Teaching, Weight Loss, Dating
My certification is in, which means I am officially a teacher and can (and am) applying for jobs as I like. The relief that this process didn't take too long is overwhelming. Hopefully I will be subbing soon. The head of field experiences for my program emailed me with news of a long term sub position she thought I might be interested in, 5th grade for a local parochial school. Not a place I had ever really imagined being, particularly in a grade that is outside my cert. For parochial schools, a teaching certificate is not a legal requirement so I could teach any grade they would accept me for. I don't think it is a wise thing to take at this point, as I will hopefully be going on lots of interviews for contract positions in April and May and June, but having the glimmer of hope that something soon will go my way professionally was REALLY needed. After two and a half years of studying, I have been feeling like a real job is so close yet so far...and it got just a little bit closer with that email.
I have been making good progress on making good exercise choices, though my running has been stalled due to having a lot of pet sits taking up my time, and not awesome weather. I have been walking many days a week though, which is still the most important activity to me. I have been making progress with my weight loss, slowly. In the first two weeks of the new year I have already learned to make four new recipes (out of the 50 I hope to learn this year), though I have not been counting calories in the strictest sense. That being said, I am trying not to weigh myself except for once every few weeks, maybe even once per month so I can avoid the losses and gains from hormones, and not focus on the number as much as the choices that contribute to the number that is my weight. As of now I am 308 pounds, down 7 pounds from my original post, though pretty far from my original end of the year goal. Student teaching ended up being too all-consuming to focus enough on what I was eating. But now I am back on track.
I also went on a date this week that was the first I've been on that made me excited for a LONG time. I've dated since my breakup, but it was more to get back into the mental space of dating, and to help give me things to do given how few friends I now have around here since the breakup. But they were all just one or maybe two dates with the same kind of not-so-interesting man. Given my life circumstances being in such transition, I haven't been willing to compromise on anything I might want in a partner. Only the best would be worth the effort. This latest guy so far has met my best and then some, and I couldn't be happier. Some hope is in my professional future, and even if things don't go anywhere I now have hope in my romantic future as well. So far this is an amazing start to 2015.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Goals and Resolutions
Welcome to 2015, and may it be an amazing year for everyone. It will be one of big changes for me, that is for sure.
I am not a huge resolution-y kind of person, because I find they end up setting me up for failure if I am not succeeding a few months in. So I stick more to goals, and keep them generalized. I do tend to have target numbers, but that is really only to keep me focused on always moving forward.
Goal: Continue to lose weight. Ideally, around 40-50lbs.
Goal: Cook more, order out less. Financially, this one is necessary. Health wise it is helpful too. I want to learn 50 new recipes this year. Even if I only try them once, even if it is simple and three ingredients or involves super low prep. My biggest challenge with cooking is just my lack of experience so trying anything new is a huge help in the long run. 50 sounds like a lot, but really the goal is about one per week.
Goal: Continue to amp up the exercise. I did a great job walking more in 2014, particularly over the summer, and I want to continue that trend of walking more, but also incorporating the couch to 5k program I started.
Goal: Finish more of what I have, organize better, keep cleaner. I have trouble with clutter, and having lots of things around. Particularly makeup, beauty products, and tea. I am already well on my way to paring down the makeup stash even more (a serious win of 2014), haven't bought new lotion in months (thank god), and have made great progress in lowering my overall tea stash. And I have done a great job in organizing my three main hoards so that I use more, more efficiently. This year I began the rule of "if you haven't touched it in a year, contemplate if you REALLY need it" when it comes to organizing. I need to continue that effort throughout my apartment, in prep for moving in the summer.
I believe all of these things are good, attainable goals even among unknown moving situations and job stress and whatever may come.
I am so proud of my progress with my tea. I posted in August about having 45 samples and 59 containers of full size tea. Thanks to amazing deals and a general lack of control, even as I gave away a ton of tea throughout the fall and drank a ton...I currently have 66 full sizes and 47 samples as of December 31. Womp. Why am I proud? Because I reorganized them, have begun purchasing more wisely in general, and am still plowing through my stash at a rapid enough rate that I feel confident I can continue to get my stash to a more manageable level in 2015. My goal is to have all of my tea fit into my cabinets I store them in (post about organization later). Now that I bought some new tins for cheap from New Years sales, my cabinets are about 2/3 of the way full with as many tins as I feel I need.
Overall, I am feeling pretty positive about the new year. Updates on how these goals are going will be regular, I am thinking of making them a monthly thing so I can keep myself on track.
I am not a huge resolution-y kind of person, because I find they end up setting me up for failure if I am not succeeding a few months in. So I stick more to goals, and keep them generalized. I do tend to have target numbers, but that is really only to keep me focused on always moving forward.
Goal: Continue to lose weight. Ideally, around 40-50lbs.
Goal: Cook more, order out less. Financially, this one is necessary. Health wise it is helpful too. I want to learn 50 new recipes this year. Even if I only try them once, even if it is simple and three ingredients or involves super low prep. My biggest challenge with cooking is just my lack of experience so trying anything new is a huge help in the long run. 50 sounds like a lot, but really the goal is about one per week.
Goal: Continue to amp up the exercise. I did a great job walking more in 2014, particularly over the summer, and I want to continue that trend of walking more, but also incorporating the couch to 5k program I started.
Goal: Finish more of what I have, organize better, keep cleaner. I have trouble with clutter, and having lots of things around. Particularly makeup, beauty products, and tea. I am already well on my way to paring down the makeup stash even more (a serious win of 2014), haven't bought new lotion in months (thank god), and have made great progress in lowering my overall tea stash. And I have done a great job in organizing my three main hoards so that I use more, more efficiently. This year I began the rule of "if you haven't touched it in a year, contemplate if you REALLY need it" when it comes to organizing. I need to continue that effort throughout my apartment, in prep for moving in the summer.
I believe all of these things are good, attainable goals even among unknown moving situations and job stress and whatever may come.
I am so proud of my progress with my tea. I posted in August about having 45 samples and 59 containers of full size tea. Thanks to amazing deals and a general lack of control, even as I gave away a ton of tea throughout the fall and drank a ton...I currently have 66 full sizes and 47 samples as of December 31. Womp. Why am I proud? Because I reorganized them, have begun purchasing more wisely in general, and am still plowing through my stash at a rapid enough rate that I feel confident I can continue to get my stash to a more manageable level in 2015. My goal is to have all of my tea fit into my cabinets I store them in (post about organization later). Now that I bought some new tins for cheap from New Years sales, my cabinets are about 2/3 of the way full with as many tins as I feel I need.
Overall, I am feeling pretty positive about the new year. Updates on how these goals are going will be regular, I am thinking of making them a monthly thing so I can keep myself on track.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Student Teaching: The First Week
Now I know why school districts make the first week short, usually.
Three days and I was so exhausted to my core, and it felt like the longest week ever. But definitely not in a bad way. It was more like I was "on" so much, and absorbing so much new information, that by the time the day was done my feet literally felt like they would fall off and I was just too tired to do a whole lot of anything. I am told that will change as I get more used to things, and as I start taking over teaching.
This week, I am starting off by taking over social studies lessons. It is one of the easier subjects in many ways, though it is actually the least scripted (as they do not have a program they use specifically, and a basal reader to go with it), but for me that is actually good. That means it is a subject I have some freedom in, freedom for projects and stuff. There is nothing wrong with the basal reader lessons, but the college expects us to be doing these revolutionary lessons. I am still not totally sure how much I am supposed to stick to these programs. I don't want to derail the curriculum for weeks, as all 6 fourth grades do the same thing for the most part.
I am surprisingly not nervous most days. Leaving at 6:45 when I DON'T have dog sitting and have to leave earlier is kind of killer, but I think all of the mental prep was good. I am set to finish reading my "for fun" book next week, I took a bath, and walked 4 times this week. Well, I walked on the days I didn't have school. My feet couldn't handle anything more.
This week the goal is to cook a little more as my feet hopefully adjust. I am almost finished my lesson plans for this coming week to be submitted tomorrow, and will spend the rest of the long weekend hopefully getting ahead on lessons for the following week, cooking, cleaning, and relaxing. Once Upon A Time season 3 is now on Netflix and I have been enjoying Criminal Minds.
First week down, 6 more to go for this experience.
Three days and I was so exhausted to my core, and it felt like the longest week ever. But definitely not in a bad way. It was more like I was "on" so much, and absorbing so much new information, that by the time the day was done my feet literally felt like they would fall off and I was just too tired to do a whole lot of anything. I am told that will change as I get more used to things, and as I start taking over teaching.
This week, I am starting off by taking over social studies lessons. It is one of the easier subjects in many ways, though it is actually the least scripted (as they do not have a program they use specifically, and a basal reader to go with it), but for me that is actually good. That means it is a subject I have some freedom in, freedom for projects and stuff. There is nothing wrong with the basal reader lessons, but the college expects us to be doing these revolutionary lessons. I am still not totally sure how much I am supposed to stick to these programs. I don't want to derail the curriculum for weeks, as all 6 fourth grades do the same thing for the most part.
I am surprisingly not nervous most days. Leaving at 6:45 when I DON'T have dog sitting and have to leave earlier is kind of killer, but I think all of the mental prep was good. I am set to finish reading my "for fun" book next week, I took a bath, and walked 4 times this week. Well, I walked on the days I didn't have school. My feet couldn't handle anything more.
This week the goal is to cook a little more as my feet hopefully adjust. I am almost finished my lesson plans for this coming week to be submitted tomorrow, and will spend the rest of the long weekend hopefully getting ahead on lessons for the following week, cooking, cleaning, and relaxing. Once Upon A Time season 3 is now on Netflix and I have been enjoying Criminal Minds.
First week down, 6 more to go for this experience.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Stress and Self Care
One thing I have been working on practically my whole life, and continue to tackle is managing my anxiety. I am happy and proud to report that I am, for the most part, in control of my anxiety the vast majority of the time. I was not always, and it was a long process of self analysis to figure out what triggers anxiety for me.
Unfortunately, the primary trigger, is transition periods. I am doing fairly well managing my anxiety about going from a relationship to being single, but am extremely anxious about student teaching instead. Spending the last two years hearing about how grueling it is, and how stressful, as well as how stressed and overworked we should be (a professor's comment, believe it or not), has made me feel entirely unprepared.
There is nothing more untrue than that feeling. I am entirely prepared. I have experience with handling groups of children already and am reasonably good at classroom management already. My lessons are always well thought out and are more often successful than not. I had a couple of previous field experiences that left me a little bit discouraged and frustrated, but others that really encouraged me and built me up. Everything is very dependent on the cooperating teacher for me in terms of feeling encouraged. I am meeting with my first cooperating teacher this Tuesday, and I am hoping that my anxieties will be significantly reduced as I help her set up her classroom and get to know the school.
Additionally, I am calling BS on a professor's claim that if I have any life at all outside of student teaching for the duration of the 15 weeks, then I am probably not making the most of the experience. An unhappy teacher is unlikely to have happy students. And a completely unbalanced life will always cause a teacher (or person) to be unhappy on some level. I want to be the very best I can be for the students, and give them the best I can give. To do that, I need to make sure I focus on self care as well as lesson planning.
So I am making a list of things I pledge to do during student teaching that are just for me, and will revive me so I can be more energized and dedicated to my work in return.
1. Walk at least 30 minutes, five days per week, weather permitting.
2. Manage my schedule so I put down all work and relax by 9pm most weeknights, if not all.
3. Try to dedicate one weekend day, or two half days each weekend day, to fun. Preferably with friends.
4. Take a bath weekly, and make time to do all the beauty pampering things I love so much.
5. Read one non academic book per week. *This one is a lofty goal, but I currently read at a pace of two to three books per week. Minimum of a book every other week.*
6. Start guided meditation. A friend gave me some she likes, and I want to start giving it a try.
7. If I can save up enough money, book a cheap hotel somewhere local (but not too local) and beautiful for a night during my week off in between placements.
8. Continue to make time for dating, albeit not super intensely, if a guy worth dating comes around.
9. Spend 20 minutes each day tidying up and cleaning, preventing the need to do much intense cleaning sessions and maintaining a space I love coming home to.
10. Keep cooking. As tired as I get. I am cooking some freeze-able things in the next couple weeks, but I also need to make time to make nutritious and healthy food (ideally with portable leftovers that can be easy and delicious lunches) at least on weekends so I can focus on other things during the week without sacrificing my health and weight loss goals.
I feel really good about the attitude I am going into this with - in December, I will recap and see which ones I was able to stick to!
Unfortunately, the primary trigger, is transition periods. I am doing fairly well managing my anxiety about going from a relationship to being single, but am extremely anxious about student teaching instead. Spending the last two years hearing about how grueling it is, and how stressful, as well as how stressed and overworked we should be (a professor's comment, believe it or not), has made me feel entirely unprepared.
There is nothing more untrue than that feeling. I am entirely prepared. I have experience with handling groups of children already and am reasonably good at classroom management already. My lessons are always well thought out and are more often successful than not. I had a couple of previous field experiences that left me a little bit discouraged and frustrated, but others that really encouraged me and built me up. Everything is very dependent on the cooperating teacher for me in terms of feeling encouraged. I am meeting with my first cooperating teacher this Tuesday, and I am hoping that my anxieties will be significantly reduced as I help her set up her classroom and get to know the school.
Additionally, I am calling BS on a professor's claim that if I have any life at all outside of student teaching for the duration of the 15 weeks, then I am probably not making the most of the experience. An unhappy teacher is unlikely to have happy students. And a completely unbalanced life will always cause a teacher (or person) to be unhappy on some level. I want to be the very best I can be for the students, and give them the best I can give. To do that, I need to make sure I focus on self care as well as lesson planning.
So I am making a list of things I pledge to do during student teaching that are just for me, and will revive me so I can be more energized and dedicated to my work in return.
1. Walk at least 30 minutes, five days per week, weather permitting.
2. Manage my schedule so I put down all work and relax by 9pm most weeknights, if not all.
3. Try to dedicate one weekend day, or two half days each weekend day, to fun. Preferably with friends.
4. Take a bath weekly, and make time to do all the beauty pampering things I love so much.
5. Read one non academic book per week. *This one is a lofty goal, but I currently read at a pace of two to three books per week. Minimum of a book every other week.*
6. Start guided meditation. A friend gave me some she likes, and I want to start giving it a try.
7. If I can save up enough money, book a cheap hotel somewhere local (but not too local) and beautiful for a night during my week off in between placements.
8. Continue to make time for dating, albeit not super intensely, if a guy worth dating comes around.
9. Spend 20 minutes each day tidying up and cleaning, preventing the need to do much intense cleaning sessions and maintaining a space I love coming home to.
10. Keep cooking. As tired as I get. I am cooking some freeze-able things in the next couple weeks, but I also need to make time to make nutritious and healthy food (ideally with portable leftovers that can be easy and delicious lunches) at least on weekends so I can focus on other things during the week without sacrificing my health and weight loss goals.
I feel really good about the attitude I am going into this with - in December, I will recap and see which ones I was able to stick to!
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