Wow, I don't know where the time has gone! Actually, that's not entirely true. I've been working on my 30 by 30 list these past two months, prepping my class for FCAT (today was the last day of testing!), having a lazy spring break and visit with Tara, and house hunting among other things! It's too much to cover in one post, so I'll just recap what has been checked off the 30 by 30 list.
#8 Adopt a Middie Blythe: On February 28, 2013, my first Middie Blythe arrived. She's a Jackie Ramone and I named her, Sydney. See her Flickr set here.
#9 Do the Color Run: On March 16, 2013 I ran the Color Vibe. It wasn't the Color Run, but it was the same sort of thing, so it counts! Unfortunately, it wasn't a true 5K, so I can't check off #1 on the list yet. The run came in just under three miles. I will dedicate a whole post to this soon since I have a few pictures to share.
#16 and #25: Create my own "printables" and list something on TPT. I started with this one for Valentine's Day, but have some others to post. I probably won't upload them to TPT until summer- too much end of year stuff going on.
#26 Take and pass the GK and Prof Exams: On December 29, 2012, I took all four sections of the General Knowledge Test and passed. Then on February 19, 2013, I took the Professional Exam and passed. I'm getting closer to having my Professional Education Certificate!
#27 Attend a music festival: Last weekend, I attended the first annual Tortuga Music Festival and had a blast! This will get its own post as well. I have a ton of pictures.
So that's six more things completed in two months...not bad!
As mentioned in this post, I have a few things in progress so far. Specifically, 7, 11, 12, 26, 29 and 30. I have some updates to that and a few more to add to that list.
My fun money 'stache (#29) had $20 in it at the end of January. It was hard to put a ten dollar bill in there, but I did it. I have another dollar to add today. At the rate this is going, I will definitely have fun at my 30th birthday. I have already started daydreaming about what I can use the money on. :)
Numbers 1 (Complete a 5k) and 9 (Do the Color Run) will be complete on March 16. I've registered for the Color Vibe 5k. It was originally scheduled for today, but was rescheduled to accommodate more people. I'm pretty excited for it!
I'm putting the final touches on a couple of printables that I'm using in my classroom. I'm hoping to have them posted for free to Teachers Pay Teachers in the next few days. This will take care of numbers 16 (Create my own printables) and 25 (List something on Teachers Pay Teachers or Etsy.)
Tickets have been bought and a hotel has been booked. I'm going to the Tortuga Music Festival on April 13-14! That'll take care of #27 Attend a music festival!
Walking 30 Miles in 30 Days seemed like it was going to be quite a challenge at first. By day 7, I was ill and could hardly function. I laid in bed miserable with a 102.4* fever. But the fever broke and I was determined to start again. So on what should have been day 8, I started over on day 1. There were days that I barely walked a mile and there were days when I walked 2-3 miles. There were days when I went alone. There were days that I had company...thanks, Sam for pushing me to walk longer! There were days when the last thing I wanted to do was walk, but I did it. All 30 days straight. And you know what...I didn't just walk 30 miles, I walked 49.45 miles! I would have pushed myself for that extra half mile had I realized I was so close to 50 miles!
I grew to enjoy my daily walks. I've signed up for a 5k in March. (It actually was supposed to be today, but was rescheduled.) And I've lost five pounds! That in itself is motivation enough to keep going and going and going. Oh yeah, I also gave myself another goal- walk/run 365 miles in 2013. I've walked a total of 57.7 miles so far or 15% of that goal.
I just signed up for the Sweet Nothing Swap hosted by Emily of Yarn Miracle. I'm excited for a simple swap. I haven't swap since last July when I hosted a Blythe and Pullip Swap on Craftster. I need a surprise mail fix!
The swap is a simple knitting notions themed Valentine Swap. Which gets me thinking...I need to figure out what I'm going to do for my class this year. Last year I made these:
Many months ago my sister bought my mom and I Groupons to ECHO Global Farm. They were about to expire so we visited the farm and nursery today. I hadn't been to the farm in years and it was nice to visit it again. The very first time I visited was with my church youth group during 30 Hour Famine at least twelve years ago.
From ECHO's website:
ECHO's Mission is to equip people with resources and skills to reduce hunger and improve the lives of the poor.
ECHO is very resourceful in their gardening techniques. Here are a few of their great ideas...
Tires:
Cinder blocks:
Baby pool:
Gutters and pallets:
Filing cabinet:
Keri and Keegan.
Checking out the lettuce.
We loaded up a cart to get our own gardens going. I bought strawberry, blueberry, and lemon balm plants...all things I can grow in containers!
I'll leave you with some interesting statistics.
They're a pretty amazing organization. Check it out if you are ever in Southwest Florida!
I have quite a few things on my 30 by 30 list that are in progress. Some of them won't be complete until my 30th birthday, but they've at least been started.
7. Get my ESOL endorsement. There are five classes (300 hrs.) needed to get an ESOL endorsement or two classes and taking an exam. As of right now, my plan is to take the two classes and exam. I completed ESOL Methods in November. So, I'm almost halfway there.
11 and 12. Pay off CC debt and car. I think I have my monthly payments figured out to have both of these done right around May 2014.
23. Do a 30 day "mile a day" challenge. I started this on Jan. 2. I was unable to go on Jan. 8, because I felt so incredibly sick and had a 102 fever. I started over on Jan. 9. Today, was day five...so twenty-five more days to go! I have a Flickr album where the pictures are being posted each day via instagram.
26. Take and pass the GK and Prof. Exams. I took the General Knowledge Test on Dec. 29 and passed! I signed up earlier this week to take the Professional Exam. I take the test on Feb. 18. So this is another one that is halfway finished.
29. Make a "fun" money savings plan/bank. Started this today. Anytime I get a bill with a "F" in the serial number it'll go in my 'stache jar. The jar was inspired by this one. I've been looking for the past two weeks for money with a "F" in the serial number and I finally got one today!
30. Update my blog more frequently (30+ times). I've posted more this week than in the last six months! ;)
I saw this idea on Pinterest over a year ago and finally got around to making my own. I don't love the dividers and I may update them sometime in the future. I'm excited to have a way to journal the highlights of my days, even if they are rather mundane.
December 16, 2012
Sun Life Stadium, Miami
Miami Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Dolphins won! (24-3)
I went to the game with my dad, stepmom, and one of my brothers, Matt. We tailgated before the game. I had a veggie burger and one beer. I have a hard time drinking before noon! ;)
Our tailgating wasn't overly excited. I sat and worked on my handstitched hexi quilt. I'm not really a football kinda gal.
We had pretty decent seats for free tickets! No zoom on this shot.
The mascot was a little odd. The cheerleaders wore "72" jerseys in honor of the 1972 perfect season team. The players and cheerleaders from 1972 came out during halftime to be recognized for their achievement. It was pretty cool.
I wish I could tell you who caught the ball for this touchdown. I don't remember. I was too busy playing with my new camera. Remember, I'm not that into football...
Proof that the Dolphins won!
Proof that I was there. :)
So there it is: the first check on my 30 by 30 list!
One of my college roommates started a bucket list challenge recently. She has 30 things she wants to accomplish by the time she turns 30. I was completely inspired by Jessica's list, so I decided to do the same.
In the leadership class I took my senior year of high school, I was given an assignment to creat a life list. I still have that list and added some things while in college. There are 56 things on the original list; nineteen of which I have already accomplished. I composed a new list of 30 things to do in the next seventeen months. Only four of the things on my 30 by 30 are on the original list- mostly because there are a lot of travel related things that aren't financially feasible for me to do in less than two years.
So here it is. My 30 by 30:
1.Complete a 5k* 2.Run the 5k Turkey Trot 3.Promote to 31 Senior Consultant 4.Go to California 5.Take a multi-state road trip spanning 1+ week 6.Weigh what I weighed when I graduated high school 7.Get my ESOL endorsement 8.Adopt a Middie Blythe 9.Do the Color Run 10.Knit a pair of socks 11.Pay off CC debt 12.Pay off car 13.Re-root Roslyn (ADG Blythe) 14.Buy a DSLR 15.Learn photoshop and/or illustrator 16.Create my own “printables” 17.Swim in the Pacific* 18.Go vegan for a month 19.Plant a fairy garden 20.Read 18 banned books 21.Tailgate at a football game 22.Watch the top 20 AFI movies 23.Do a 30 day “mile a day” challenge 24.Finally take Matt parasailing* 25.List something on Teachers Pay Teachers or Etsy* 26.Take and pass the GK and Prof. Exams 27.Attend a music festival 28.HP movie marathon weekend (all 8 in 48 hrs) 29.Make a “fun” money
savings plan/bank 30.Update my blog more frequently (30+ times)
I actually started composing this list back in November. I've already accomplished #21 and I will write another post about that. I also have various others in the works. The four with asterisks are the things on my original list.
My 30th birthday is Thursday, May 29, 2014. So in exactly seventeen months, I have high hopes to accomplish all of these things!
So continuing where I left off yesterday, it's been a rough year and not just financially. BUT things are starting to look up. On June 15, I accepted a teaching position for a third grade class at the school I already work at. I start on July 25 for pre-planning and the first day of school is August 8. This is a HUGE financial blessing which may seem crazy given the bad rap teaching salaries get, but it'll be more than double what I currently make. Isn't that awful? Teaching assistants make less than half of what teachers make in my county. :(
Anyway, I am beyond thrilled to have a class of my own and have been going Pinterest crazy with planning. Now that there is only a week and a half until I start, I need to get into real planning mode. I am hoping I can get into my classroom this week or at least pop into school to laminate some things. I have a ton of lamination to do and then it all needs to be cut out.
I think right now I am equally excited and scared out of my mind. I'm trying not to stress out, but I'm sure it'll get worse before it gets better. ;)
This past year has been more difficult than I ever could have imagined. When I quit Starbucks last summer to be a Paraprofessional, I hadn't taken into account the financial struggle I was about to face. You see, I was going to be making the same hourly rate so everything should have been peachy, right? No, not at all. At Starbucks, I put in a lot of overtime and made very good tips (we were a rockin' store). As a Para, I was only working 35 hours a week and my pay was being stretched to keep the checks coming in in the summer when I wouldn't be working at all. I was often full of doubt and insecurities beyond measure regarding my financial situation.
I don't know how I would have survived without my family. My brother let me work part time at his dive shop, so I could make some extra money. He could have hired someone way more qualified than me or even someone who was more interested/passionate in the sport. But he didn't. He was looking out for his little sister.
My sister and her husband often let me stay at their house during the week, so I didn't have to commute as far because I couldn't afford the fuel. They fed me meals and even took me on a weekend vacation. It was like they had inherited a grown up child. They loaned me money so I could pay my bills. It was rough.
I hit a breaking point in March, around the time of my last blog post. The financial struggle and despair had overtaken me. I had been trying to keep it all hidden from my mother, who is also my landlord. My sister couldn't help me anymore and I had to admit how bad the situation was- to my sister, to my mother and to myself. I expected my mother to be disappointed and angry with me and I definitely didn't expect her to bail me out. I was wrong. She was disappointed, but understanding. She also rescued me financially. Now instead of racking up more interest and late fees, I'm working to repay my mother. And let me tell you having your mother as your creditor is much nicer than a big corporation.
Whenever I was feeling low, worthless and losing hope, I would force myself to remember that I have a Savior who died for me and provides for me. I needed to keep my hope and faith. Things would turn out alright. I don't know why I struggle so much with this. Why do I need to force myself to remember? Why do I have to force myself to turn to God for help? Why don't I just ask for help from the beginning? Why do I think I can do things on my own? I am nothing without Jesus. I need to remember that. I am thankful for a loving and merciful God who has put people in my life to care for me and look out for me when I can't seem to handle life by myself.
I hadn't intended this post to turn out this way. At all. It was going to be a "hey, it's been a rough year, but things are looking up" kind of post. But somewhere along the way that changed. I'll post the "looking up" part tomorrow. I think both parts need to have their own space, so one doesn't overshadow the other.
While I've been writing I came across a post on Facebook where an old friend posted this video. I had never heard this song before, but it greatly impacted me this afternoon. My hope for you is that this song comforts you, if you need it. It came into my life when I needed it.
Recipe from Coco Lopez:
½ cup Coco Lopez® Cream of Coconut
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 (0.7-ounce) package Italian salad dressing mix
In small jar with tight-fitting lid or bowl, combine
ingredients; mix well. Chill to blend flavors. Stir before serving.
I've been wanting to make granola bars for awhile. When I came across this recipe on Pinterest, I decided to try it out.
I substituted agave nectar for the honey and used only 3 tbs of margarine instead of butter. They are still very crumbly, but otherwise delicious! Next time, I think I will use peanut butter or almond butter instead of the butter/margarine and see if that helps hold them together any better.
My sister came over this afternoon and brought her Cricut. We had a heart cutting party and I cut out approx. 60 red hearts! Thirty-six of them were used for this project...one for each of my students. I can't wait to give them to the kiddos on Tuesday!
This was a super fun and quick pattern! I used to have a little plastic monkey on my house key, but it was pretty gross so I trashed it. I was excited when I came across this pattern last night on Ravelry.
I went out of town this weekend, so I haven’t been able to post. But I did make things 3, 4, and 5. :)
Day 3 was Energy Bites. I love these things. I make them a little different each time. They were the perfect road trip snack!
Day 4, I finished the hexi I started knitting on day 1. I decided to leave it unstuffed and will continue to make hexiflats from here on out. This is the start of my Beekeeper’s Quilt.
Day 5, I knit another hexiflat. I love how this yarn is sparkly.
I think a lot of my “things” will end up being hexiflats!
I decided to join Thing A Day late in the evening on Jan. 31. So I hadn’t thought out a plan on what to do exactly. This resulted in Day 1 being pretty pathetic. I knit all of four rows of a hexi for my Beekeeper’s Quilt…but at least I did something!
Day 2, I was a little more productive! I made one of my favorite recipesfor Banana Bread. I modified it by adding coconut and chocolate chips. I’ll be bringing this with me to Rachel’s house on Saturday.
Day 3 will most likely be more baking or knitting!
I did it! These weren't always the best pictures, but I did follow the theme each day and never missed a day. Also, something that was kind of fun was that each picture was taken with my cell phone with the exception of Day 1.
Now that Photo-A-Day is over, I have decided to challenge myself to Thing-A-Day. For every day in February, Thing-A-Day participants create something new and share it. I have plans to knit some hexipuffs, a lemon and lime, and work on some embroidery and sewing projects!
Yeah, that's what I called it to my sister on the phone tonight! But really it's a Nutella Mug Cake. I took this recipe and made it my own. I don't eat eggs or cow's milk*. I also don't have self rising flour and thought it called for way too much oil.
Nutella Mug Cake aka Microwaveable Heaven in a Mug
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
3 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons flour
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Baking Powder
4 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons Nutella
3 tablespoons soy
milk (I used plain)
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
Combine flax seeds and water in a large mug (a soup mug works great), then add remaining ingredients. Mix well with a fork. Microwave for 2-3 minutes. Enjoy!
Seriously, it's that easy! I topped mine with a scoop of Hazelnut Cappuccino Gelato from Poco Loco. This is quite a large serving. There's plenty to share or save some for later. I'm thinking it may be breakfast tomorrow!
*I'm not vegan and this is not a vegan recipe, but it easily could be. Just leave the Nutella out and you'll have a chocolate mug cake. I don't eat eggs, because I don't like them and I avoid cow's milk, because I'm lactose intolerant. So, yes, I should be vegan, but I'm not. I like cheese too much.
