Change of Plans

Here’s what I planned to do today:

• Go sign paperwork for new part-time job (more on that tomorrow!).
• Read some magazines and finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (again) out by the pool (so excited for the last movie!).
• Get a weights workout in.
• Go to a farmer’s market near where I play softball.
• Go to Softball game.

Here’s what actually happened:

• Went to sign paperwork for new part-time job and ended up sitting in the lobby for half an hour waiting for my new boss (oh well, anything for a job! ).
• Snuggled with Dobby while he took his afternoon nap…. and fell asleep, too. Oops!

• Found out softball game was canceled. Oh darn, I didn’t get to make that lovely 40-minute drive to get our butts kicked get our first win!
• Figured I might as well skip the farmer’s market to save gas. Hopefully I will be able to go on Saturday!
• Got distracted by So You Think You Can Dance (love Melanie and Marko!), and didn’t do weights until 10pm. Priorities people!

Who could resist that little face?

… Okay, maybe when he does this:

Fashion…. Wednesday?

I’ve been thinking about doing a fashion post (maybe even having weekly Fashion Fridays?), but it just seemed so random that I’ve put it off until now. I’m still trying to figure out how to best organize my posts so I’m not all over the place… So bear with me!

Growing up I was more into playing sports and riding horses than I was into shopping. But in fifth or sixth grade I started getting ideas about what kinds of clothes I wanted to wear, and started actually wanting to go shopping. But while most of my friends were wearing stuff like this:

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I was more into this:

(oh yeah, that’s me- haha)

I got teased a little for my outfits (think bright polyester shirts and shorts and neon sneakers), but looking back I’m proud of myself for having my own style (even if it wasn’t so cute).

As I got older I started getting into fashion and trends, and began to learn more about what works for me. And now I love clothes and figuring out different ways to style them. I’m definitely not a “fashionista,” but I have developed a style that meshes with my personality and body shape. I don’t always follow the trends, or keep up with all of the designers, but I enjoy reading about them and getting ideas for my own personal style.

In the past few years I have collected pieces that I love and that will (hopefully) stand the test of time. They aren’t from super expensive designer labels (mostly because I can’t afford that), but they are things that I love. You can take a peek at some of those on my Fashion Page.

So I will now leave you with a few images of styles I am inspired by (whether I can actually afford it or not is another story). And I may be coming at you with another Fashion post on Friday, unless you all protest it… But I might just do it anyway.

Question: How has your style evolved over the years?

Cover Letters Will Be the Death of Me

….Okay, probably not, but it feels like it. I have sent out soooo many applications for teaching jobs, and it is driving me bananas. I’ve had a few interviews, but no job offers yet.

Last week I met with an administrator who used to work with my mom, and is now a principal in the local elementary school district. He agreed to meet and take a look at my resume and cover letters to see if he could help me tweak them a little to increase my chances of getting interviews.

He was super nice and had some great advice! A few things he mentioned were:

• Make sure your resume is very easy to read; use bold words to highlight the important stuff. Have a career objective listed first that explains how you are unique.
• It’s okay to have your resume on two pages. He showed me his, and it’s three pages long!
• Always include bullet points under each job or volunteer experience, and use key words to explain what you did (use words that relate your experience to the job you are applying for).
• Find out who the “gatekeeper” is for the hiring process, and make sure you address your cover letters to them.
• Email the principal (“head honcho”) right after you apply online (or send in your application) and let them know you have applied. Ask them if they would be willing to talk with you about their school and perhaps give you a tour.

I’m sure some of this is common knowledge to many people, but for someone just starting out, it was a huge help!  Anyone else have any job hunting tips?

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On the topic of teaching….

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I took my mom and nana to see Bad Teacher this weekend (and Bridesmaids– finally!). It was a silly movie, but it had some funny parts. All three of us are teachers (they are retired High School English teachers – in fact, about 2/3 of my family were teachers), so we could relate to some of it.  But for most of it we just laughed because it was so ridiculous.   It was entertaining, though, so we enjoyed it.

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*Just know that about 97% of what was depicted in that movie could never have happened in real life! The other 3%….. well, not all teachers are in education because they love working with kids. But most of us are!

Super Oats to the Rescue!

Breakfast today was Super Overnight Oats. Basically, I made a big batch of overnight oats earlier this week, and have been eating it for breakfast the past few days. So it’s suuuper overnight oats.

Still good, though, and easy!

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I made it using (approximately):

• 5 cups old fashion oats
• 3 Tablespoons Chia seeds
• 3/4 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use MGN Pure Isolate Whey in Cake Batter)
• 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder (I use Teras Whey in Dark Chocolate)
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups milk (depending on whether you like ’em runny or thick)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix it up and leave in the fridge overnight (or for a few nights). Add a little milk if it seems too dry after a day or two. Enjoy!

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Lunch was pretty insignificant- I don’t even remember what it was…

Oh, wait, now that I think of it, I’m sure it was a big bowl of kale, Swiss chard, broccoli, and cauliflower, with some Brussels sprouts on the side…. Because you know how much I LOVE veggies!

Hahaha.    Just kidding, it was probably yogurt and a bagel thin with some Laughing Cow Swiss cheese.

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Dinner was whole wheat spaghetti made by my dad. But shhhhh… don’t tell my nana, because she LOVES my dad’s spaghetti and we kinda forgot to invite her out. Oops!

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Workout today was a short run with my running buddy Hailey (our Dobie), made even shorter by the fact that she saw a cat run across the road…. and broke the bungee leash trying to chase it.

It was kind of annoying running with 15 feet of unretractable lead line to deal with (not to mention a hyper dog at the end of said lead line), so I didn’t run as far as I had planned. Time to get a stronger bungee leash!

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Yay, it’s the weekend! I hope everyone had a good week!

Movie day tomorrow for my nana, mom, and me!