A new love!

I'm a follower of this cute little blog, Puttin' on the GRITS and she is doing an awesomely amazing giveaway. I've been literally walking by Talbot's almost every mall visit. I've been in a couple times but lately haven't paid too much attention. GRITS posted their new fall looks and let me tell you, this isn't your mama's store anymore.

I love, love this coat. And with the length of our winters- years, people, winter up North feels like years- this coat would help make it more stylish and bearable.Um, yea so there might be two coats. But I promise winter lasts forever!! After browsing their new catalog I also found these- so cute for summer.
*This would be the perfect award ceremony, end of the year dress.

Check out this blog as well http://redchairconfessions.com lots of great styles and real people were outfits you'd actually feel comfortable in. Happy shopping.

Top 10 Tuesday

*Sorry, I guess it would help to actually post this.

Here are my:
Current Top 10 Favorite Things!
10My favorite drama filled, brain cell wasting show is coming back at the end of the month. I miss Lauren but I still enjoy watching these people go through life thinking they have problems. 9 Keebler Elf Cheesecake filled cookies. I actually found a random picture online of them. So good, in moderation of course.
8 In honor of Earth Day Target gave reusable shopping bags with a purchase. We scored one on Sunday during our weekly shopping and amazingly tonight the check out we just happened to pick had two left! I only took one being that I was buying fruit snacks and milk, but I love the idea of these bags. Plus Target and our HyVee's take 5 cents off when you use one.7 I made super cute address announcements and I've had tons of pictures made. It's super cheap and there is always a deal out there. 6 Mr. Coffee is a wonderful man! I love my machine. I love that I can set it at night and wake up with coffee ready to go. 5 We have these bags in our new spring collection at Gap and I love it! It holds so much, which is great being that I feel I'm carry Tucker's room sometimes and my desk at the same time. I do wish there were more pockets though.4 We've had the annual spring road repairs so my route home as altered a bit. I've occasionally stopped to pick up one of the giant goodies- only $1.07. If you've been north you might have noticed sweet tea isn't a staple like down south. I've taken to these for my fix. 3 My hair is kind of yucky come spring time and I've started using this and I've seen major improvements. I found out about this from Just Lovely2 J Crew flip flops! I know Old Navy has a great deal on theirs but J Crews last years longer and they stay in great condition. I have owned two pairs since high school, that's almost 6 years. I bought a new brown and black pair for this summer just because my old ones were starting to look a little worn.
1 Our almost complete, so close to be done house! The inside is complete, except for the basement of course. But I came home to find this today! Our sidewalk and drive way!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!

The ups and downs

So I haven't blogged in a while. Its been a little bit of writers block but more of avoidance. We've been pretty busy with the move and all but I feel like we're settled in. I'm figuring out some decent running routes around the neighborhood which is made of all hills it seems. My shins have really started to bother me this week and I wonder if its lack of water, not stretching, or just going down the hills. Any ideas runners out there?

This weekend I had a nice break through/ break down. I am totally one of those people that just keep it all inside. I bottle emotions up better than anyone I know. Little things kept adding up to bigger feelings. I really was getting down on myself. To the point that Thursday night I really just didn't want to talk to the Man. By Saturday I felt just sick, not flu sick, but heart sick. This huge weight got to be too much. While trying to move in our new washer that we had to buy I took a break and broke down.

It was the stupidest thing really, we're in the middle of trying to lift the HEAVIEST washer built EVER and we just weren't going anywhere. Finally the Man said to put it down and he'd call someone to come over(we later got it in the house). I went inside started picking up some things and the tears just kinda started. Luckily, the Man is really good at picking up of moments like these (they don't happen that often I swear), could also be the sniffling that he heard and came to check. He asked what was up and the dam broke loose.

I've been aggressively looking at teaching positions in other schools. We're state testing so the kids are super off and the scheduling is never organized, learning to run my own house, dealing with a washer that won't wash, trying to settle in, picking up a couple more small shifts at Gap, Tucker's in soccer one day a week, and the regular things that everyone worries about.

To say that I'm still thinking about baby #2 is an understatement. It's spring and I feel that there are new babies or new pregnancies surrounding us. Our friends that we used to be super close with are now expecting. We were pregnant together and our kids are six weeks apart. We just started seeing them more now that the kids are signed up for soccer together. I literally felt like I was punched in the stomach after finding out. I walked around with this feeling that I've been working my tail off for the last five years with school, my Masters, and teaching to be prepared for our next one when Tucker is 5, which is this November. I had honestly convinced myself for about the last four years that come this December we'd be trying for our next. But the Man says we won't be where we need to be by then. He's thinking at least two more years- an eternity to me.

So we talked and I got some stuff out, I felt a lot better yesterday. We went grocery shopping, did some laundry, and it seemed better. I'm hoping now that spring is here we'll get out more, I'll get back into a running routine, we'll start moving around more outside and I'll feel stronger on the inside. Until then, who knows?

Tomorrow, I have my top 10 favorite items as of late.

Love is in the air....

So spring has set in within the sixth grade. Today after recess I get a lovely e-mail about one of my students supposedly kissing a girl from another class. Now I've suspected a relationship being that while grading my kids reading packet there were hearts with initials in the middle. NO JOKE!! I seriously had flashbacks of doing the same thing, anyone else have those memories?

So I call him over and ask him about it. Seriously he could not have turned more red. I almost felt bad until he said'"I thought I was just going to get another hug, but then she tried to kiss me". Huge smile on his face. SO, so, so cute. Of course I had to remind him that we have a strong no PDA rule at our school and sent him on his way.

Days like these remind me why I love my job so much!!

MIA

I'm not taking a break, I love my blog, even if I only get to it once a week but we've been super busy. I'm getting used to actually "running" a household. It's nice to figure out what our meals will be and cleaning up. I'm positive that feeling will wear off very soon though. Not going to lie that I do get anxious when it comes time to figure out dinner. The Man is a meat guy, we have to have meat and Tucker is slowly becoming like his father. The Man works super hard during the day so I kind of feel that its my job to provide. Yes that sounds a like old school but I get home earlier and I know what's in the fridge. I like taking care of him and I know he likes taking care of me. I didn't grow up learning to cook and my skills are super low so I've been on the look out for filling meals that are somewhat easy to make and not screw up. Any ideas let me know!!!

We've slowly started to settle into a routine and we're getting used to the house. Last week I think we were still in shock with all the room we have now. We had our first real guests over on Sunday and it was WONDERFUL!!

School is staying very busy now that our state tests start this week- YUCK YUCK. I'm also keeping an eye out for postings around the area, but I do know that my position is safe meaning I don't have to worry about getting cut. I enjoy my team mates and the teachers at my school really care and value what they do everyday. Sometimes the drive gets a little hold though.

Tomorrow after Tuckers soccer, a post in itself, I hope to start posting pics of the house. Time to show off our newest addition.

Love these days!

Today was quite the progress filled day. With today being my last day off of break, truth be told our school only had Friday and Monday off so it was nice not to stay some what in routine- I guess.

I took Tucker to school only to find that he didn't have school. That's right an organized person who loves to note every change to a schedule missed this day off. Keep in mind that I do teach in another district, I'm not that asinine to think he has school when I don't. Someone asked me that today. So he got to spend the day running errands with me- meaning I had to get it all done in the morning before he got bored.

First stop was Target- we LOVE this store.

Ours has a Starbucks, 1st coffee of the day. We picked up a broom, dustpan, coffee beans, cookies, fire extinguisher and a curtain sheer. Of course we visited the bakery for our free cookie. You betcha- 8a.m. and we're already eating a cookie hence the happy face as we're leaving. See the mirror in the cart? A wedding gift that we realized doesn't really have a place in the new house, too bad though being that I'd only be able to return it for $3.97. Obviously I decided to keep it.

Next stop Hobby Lobby. First bathroom break! There was a painting catastrophe with my frames so the Man told me to start from scratch and buy new already painted black ones. I also found this gem, my new crock! Yep it's a vase but I couldn't find a single crock in town that matched our kitchen or that I liked.

By this time Tucker was hungry and started to dig in his lunchbox for a snack and drink.

Which he enjoyed on our way to the mall.

We picked up a replacement drape from JC Penny- this would be our third try. I checked it out thoroughly before checking out! We also popped into a home store and bought a rug for the front entry way.

Matches out colors perfectly.

Also hit up bathroom break #2 and Starbucks Tea- if the Man knew how much we spent on coffee/ tea today total between drinks and groceries I don't think he'd be pleased- oh well.

While going through my spring clothes in prep for trading them out for my winter clothes I noticed my white pants needed replacement. So of course we stopped at the Gap and picked out a pair. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the hip slung fit- LOVE, LOVE! Notice someone behind me enjoying his own sugar-free, caffeine free bliss. Or as I'd like to say bribery!

We headed to Michael's, then ShopKo. Picking up magnet strips and a curtain rod. Then to this place of doom. I loathe going here during busy time. I don't mind when they are in their quiet hours but when its busy everything about our stores seem to yell- germ infestation.

But we found our mailbox sticker and were out of there quick- no bathroom break.

We got home to find something very exciting!!

Our first piece of MAIL! Naturally it was a bill, but I do enjoy having my trash collected so I can handle it.

I prepped a salad for dinner while Tucker relaxed- poor guy was exhausted. As he says errands are harder than school, no play time! This salad is one of our favorites and super easy to put together. Take the ingredients put them in a bowl and stir. So easy and yummy, we hold off on the dressing until serving that way if you have leftovers your lettuce isn't slimy.

I headed down to the dungeon/ laundry room ( I can't wait to start finishing the basement and we're barely in the house yet).

Washed a couple loads, actually made dinner- first time since we've been in the house which is only four days. Wrote some thank you's, put together our moving announcements from Shutterfly, cleaned up the kitchen, had a cup of coffee (homemade), switched my spring and winter clothes. Now I'm going to pack lunches and get ready for bed.

Hope you all had a great day!