Monday Motivators!

[Different face than last week, but I still get that same 

warm, fuzzy feeling inside when I look at my boy...look at that expression]

This Monday, and the next few to follow, will feel slightly different from the last. Every few days, more and more of our students are entering school.  Last week, it was just 2nd grade (of those that I work directly with) today was first grade and Wednesday is  PreK and kindergarten!!  

This stagger start is planned for several reasons, the biggest of which is  to solidify a strong student culture.  This is when the kids get to know the rules and procedures of the school and their classrooms. Put simply: teachers are setting the norms of behavior.  A successful school is a highly structured school.   Much energy goes into this, so a steady progression is smart. 

In addition to the mounting number of little scholars being added to my life each day, the following things are charging me up for a strong week...

1. I attended a yoga class today at my gym! They hold classes every Monday and Thursday. For now, I plan to go each Monday, and hopefully work my way up to adding Thursday's INTERMEDIATE class. Today, I successfully held crane pose for about 15 seconds!! Huge feat!!! 

2. I'm traveling to Baton Rouge on Thursday for a training session for a reading grant our school just got. Breaks in the week like this are always nice.  

3. I got a NEW PHONE!! Finally got on the iPhone bandwagon and am now 100% Apple.  I can't even imagine how or why I didn't have this phone before. 

[IN LOVE]

4. I got to show off my new necklace at a birthday party last weekend...looking forward to many more outings with this piece from Francescas.  

[*IN LOVE*]

Make it a fantastic week!! 

Friday Five!

I

Getting the home up and around as much as possible in just 6 days

So I still don't have Internet connection. I've been told it won't be hooked up until next Friday! Boo. No Netflix and minimal blogging (besides iPhone updates that I don't really know how to format) this week. It's amazing how we get into routines and when those routines are disrupted how discombobulated one can feel. 

Anywho, since I'm typing this on my phone I'm gonna keep it short :) This week has been great. Getting organized in the house, and cleaning is definitely a task. A large one. But it's coming along and I can't wait to share pictures of the place when it's ready. 

This weekend we are continuing the nesting process. Every little bit helps (cant wait to get my shower gifts all unpacked)! We may take a break this evening and hit up the Twisted Bull now that we are so close. My parents are coming up tomorrow and I'm gonna put them to work.... Somehow... Sunday we're talking about going blueberry picking at Sandy Bottom Berries in Rockford and maybe check out Rockford Brewing. Just a normal weekend ;) 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Friday Forte: Internet Friends - Knife Party (wackiest song ever! Awesome for a run... Parental discretion advised!) 

Sushi dinner with an old friend last weekend at my favorite downtown bar, Rockwell! 

The amount of visitors and food we got was unreal! If I would have known this I would have moved into a house a long time ago.

Enjoying a nice cocktail with Momma last Friday before my first bridal fitting :)

Organizing clothes (some new :)) and enjoying my fav new beer 

  

No Internet Connection...

Bye bye apartment life...

While Max and I settle into our new home I might have to take a slight break from blogging. We are debating on Internet and cable servers. Oh the joys of home ownership! But ill be back as soon as I can! 

Loves 

Monday Motivators!

[One look at my precious baby girl is enough to motivate me all week]

Today is the first day of school for most kids in our network.  The little ones (grades PK-2), which I directly work with, don't start until later in the week, but there's still plenty to get done in preparation for their arrival.

In addition to all of the schedule-making, email-checking, diagnostic-testing and professional development researching, I've decided that one doesn't have to be a student or a teacher in order to qualify for some back-to-school shopping.

The following motivators are charging me up this Monday morning...

1. Mini-shopping spree @ OldNavy.com.

 It's still weird to me living in a region that is so warm so much of the year...these items will likely get me well into Thanksgiving...

I'll just need to add a cardigan! 

2. Once my weeks get into a nice flow again, I will try and find time for personal (fiction) reading again.  This one is next on my list. Meg: I think you'd really like this one, too!

3. I can't wait to start meeting a new batch of kids at my new network of schools! A large percentage of the students I work with will be in preschool...and 4 year olds are some of my very favorite people!

4. I am SO thrilled for Meg & Max and the excitement of moving in to their very first house! This week I'll be mailing them a house-warming package to keep their SPIRITS high (*hint, hint) as they settle in to their love nest.

Also, now that my flight is booked for the wedding in October, I CANNOT WAIT to see the house in person! 

5. Finally, at my new gym, I recently found that they offer 3 different levels of yoga classes--each of which are given at a time in the evening that works out great for my new schedule!

My initial goal will be to attend two a month...and if that works out, I'll increase that to once a week! So excited about this new physical challenge...race season will be here before I know it, so I must get LIMBER & STRONG!

Make it a happy & productive week!! 

Friday Five!

{lolla tickets finally arrived!!}

This week has gone by S.L.O.W. The anticipation of moving is killing me. Another thing killing me… P90X! I’ve done it off and on with the “GFS Fit Club” crew since last November, but never the actual program. We would mostly create our own circuits, go running or do Insanity. But starting this past Monday, we are officially in the midst of the 90-DayChallenge. I’m already so sore, but it will be worth it come October 4^th J

Tomorrow is D-Day!! Moving weekend has finally arrived and I’m more excited than ever! I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks… MONTHS… and it’s finally here! Our apartment is in a state of pure chaos, but I would rather that than have no chaos at all (that would mean we weren’t packing!). It’s so weird to think that we will only be sleeping in our first apartment together one more time. We have made this our little home for 2 years. It’s where we’ve daydreamed about our future. It’s where we’ve celebrated promotions. It’s where we became an engaged couple. It’s where we became a family. So excited for this next chapter!

Today I am taking a half day and trying to clean and move as much as I can (even with the storm front headed our way, eeek)! The more “stuff” moved today, the more we can focus on getting furniture moved as quickly as possible tomorrow (I also have my first official bridal fitting this afternoon!). Tonight, I’m actually taking a little break from the madness. My friend, Sara, is crashing at our apartment (if you can even call it that anymore…) before she flies out of the Grand Rapids airport early Saturday morning for work. She and I plan on celebrating, everything, downtown over dinner, a few cocktails and catch-up conversation.

Friday Forte: Royals– Lorde (don’t know what it is about this song… perfect for summer)

{catch up time with my Latvian friend}

{celebrating momma’s Birthday at Winchester}

{the last Sunday dinner we’ll ever have at our first home}

{thrifty find}

Funky Junk Flea Market

This past weekend I finally got to experience a Grand Rapids flea market! It was nothing like I thought it would be. It was a lot smaller. And it was outside… in the dirt… But I was surprised at the amount of things I liked! It was overwhelming, as these places usually are, but SO much fun to explore. I've learned from many blogs that when you visit a flea market you have to go into the situation with an idea of what you’re hoping to find. If you go into haphazardly then you might end up with random pieces that don’t match your décor or fit in with the vibe of the space you’re trying to decorate. I took this advice to heart and compiled a list with Max of certain things we want to keep our eye out for, things that we need to have (eventually) as well as some nice to have’s. 

Need to have’s: 

- End tables

- Picture frames

- Mirrors 

- Large glass milk jar (something we’re planning for the wedding)

Nice to have’s: 

- Bedside tables

- Eclectic artwork

This list did not include random nic-nac’s that are cool to “put on a shelf”. We’re trying to be budget conscious, now that we have a mortgage and all, and didn’t want to buy unnecessary items that would clutter our new space and collect dust.

There also happens to be a MASSIVE antique market across the street. I have yet to find out if this is open all year round... stay tuned...

If only I was in Cali to visit the world famous “Rose Bowl Flea Market” that has all the West coast fashion bloggers salivating on a monthly basis.

P.S. Happy Birthday Mom!

{this mirror is now mine!}

{future bar cart?}

New Job. New Office. New Start.

What has been motivating me ALL week... (not just on Monday) is really settling in to my new job.
I've given a few presentations, gathered, organized and shared some of my best resources with teachers and come closer to setting up my new office.

While my hope is to spend more time in classrooms than anywhere else, it's nice to know that I have a space to call my own for reflecting, planning and researching next steps for the teachers and students I work with.

[Essentials]

[I HEART Children's Literature]

 [Motivation. Inspiration. Grounding. Comfort]

[New draft of a Writing Workshop Curriculum that I adore]

[The sacred binders]

[New book I'm reading on early child development]

[Studying teaching videos to inspire next steps in instructional coaching]

I hope everyone is having a happy & productive week!