totally random

I am playing mom for the weekend (well LONG weekend) for 3 kids while their parents are away for a funeral. It's exhausting. I seriously don't know how you moms do it. We woke up VERY early this morning and I made waffles and bacon and eggs. I found that cooking takes up a significant amount of time so maybe that's why my parents always cooked growing up :) Then we hung around for the afternoon until the highlight of our day, a DOLLAR MOVIE :) It was a little overcast today, so I felt that was appropriate even though it kind of counts as TV. Tomorrow we will try the park if it's not too hot and hang out around the house. Now, Monday is going to be the challenge. We have to be out of the house all day because the maids are coming to clean at 8AM. We are meeting my mom for lunch and entertaining the kids with a place place, but what to do before that???

A lot on my mind tonight, but I feel like I am not at the level yet where I share all of my insecurities and issues with the internet. I know, I share the boring stuff and no one I know really reads this anyways. I just know that I will soon be faced with a lot of big decisions and I am not sure if I am prepared to make them.

On a happy note, I am so ready for fall clothes. I am tired of all of my boring summer clothes and having no money to buy new ones. I am ready for cooler weather and football games. I have set several goals for the fall: budget my $$$ wayyy better (why did I seem to think going into the summer with no money saved was a good idea?), cook more often and not eat out, work after school at tutoring as much as I can (for extra cash!)

My next fall purchase...


Now, if I can just hold myself to all of those things...

so typical.

This is a typical "girl" post. Beware.

All my life have been 'naturally' thin. I have never had to diet or workout. And then I turned 24.
So I am at the point where everyone around me is losing weight and feeling good about themselves. I want to be FIT. I know I'm not fat or overweight. BUT, losing several pounds is not going to kill me and it will definitely make my clothes fit better.  Okay, so I get it. I need to eat better, I need to exercise. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO DO THAT???

I did okay at the beginning of the summer by going to the gym because let's be honest, I am too picky to go on a diet. It's not that I love eating carbs and sweets, (but I do love eating them) but it's that I hate most vegetables and seafood and other gross things. I just can't seem to find any good things that I love to eat that are actually beneficial. I think I am going to start by googling some recipes because my all goldfish and Red Bull diet during the school year is just not going to cut it anymore. Another obstacle is my blood sugar. Low blood sugar= major panic attacks and muscle cramps. How do I balance that AND eating healthy?

And now for my excuses about being lazy. I happen to LOVE my bed. Seriously. With my new 630 thread count sheets and down comforter, I can't seem to not lay in my bed and watch TV when I have an extra 30 minutes instead of hitting the gym. I know, I know, working out gives you energy. I think that's a myth. The 10 days over the summer I worked out I was TIRED.

I keep saying all I need is a chef and a personal trainer. OK WAKE UP, AUBREE. You are not Paris Hilton and you don't have that option. I need to stop making excuses and do it. There are a few girls after school that work out pretty much everyday. I need to get over the fact that I am going to be the most out of shape one there and let them motivate me. Who knows, maybe I will get really into the whole exercise thing.

As for now, I think I am going to stick with the little food changes. Trying to eat in more and buying whole wheat pasta instead of regular blah blah blah. I'll let you know how this new "lifestyle" works out for me.

No more complaining, poor me, I'm fat posts (until next week). I promise.

life rules....according to a guy :/

So I guess you could call this a "guest post". However, it would be next to impossible to find a guy that will blog. So I am the messenger on this one.

A good "single guy" friend of mine recently told me his life rules. Here they are (very unedited):

1. Family...That explains itself doesn't it?

2. Make money

3. Animals

4. Always wear mismatched bathing suits...coordinating pieces are so out of style

5. Always wear high heels....(Ok, so he said no actually move this to number 1 after he named it. I am leaving it here because I strongly disagree with this statement. When guys start walking around in heels all of the time and standing in the classroom for 8 hours, THEN I will follow this rule)

.......takes a pee break......

6. "Oh wait, look for a girl with pretty eyes should probably be number 2"

               ----> is anyone else seeing a trend of girls here???

7. Wake up everyday and choose your attitude (Ok, getting a little better here :)

8. Only you can choose how hard you try (I think Confucius entered his body at this point??)

9. When you get knocked down, get back up

10. Don't judge a book by it's cover

11. Smile is important. You can't talk to a girl with messed up teeth (Oh and we're backkkk to the girls)

iT's A bEaUtIfUl LiFe.....

Since it is Shark Week and my birthday weekend, I am in a ridiculously good mood. I am thinking this is going to be one of my favorite posts.....


Beautiful Thing #1:

This is the Nautilus Undersea Suite at The Poseidon Resort, Fiji. It’s located 40 ft under the water.....! This looks AMAZING.

Beautiful Thing #2:

Natural swimming pool, Isalo National Park, Madagascar. Seriously, how COOL is that???


Beautiful Thing #3:

I have no words for this. So beautiful.


Beautiful Thing #4:

When I am rich I WILL have this in my house. Obsessed.


Beautiful Thing #5:

These are what I will eat next year on my birthday :)


Beautiful Thing #6:

I love the contrast of this picture and I love ballet


Beautiful Thing #7:

Can I pleaseeeee have this in my house??


Beautiful Thing #8:

So lovely.


Beautiful Thing #9:

Of course I need this.


Beautiful Thing #10:

Hi, welcome to my humble treehouse.


Beautiful Thing #11:

My next DIY project!


Beautiful Thing #12:

love love love this dress.


Beautiful Thing #13:

I want to go to a garden tea party so bad!!


Beautiful Thing #14:

Maybe the coolest invention ever??


Beautiful Thing #15:

Maybe I will go back to school and this is what my classroom will look like?





And I will leave you with this :)

final countdown

So I am down to my final days of my road trip to the west. One thing I will for SURE miss about this place is the weather!! I am lovingggg the 65 degree days and 55 degree nights here. The apartment is all cleaned and ready for Cameron's visit. Once she leaves, I will be leaving with her because Wednesday marks the beginning of meetings and back to the real world. I will pick back up tutoring and babysitting the week of the 8th, then its time for teacher workdays! This summer has gone by with lightening speed!!

I have almost completed all of my school summer reading. It was okay. Guiding Readers and Writers by Fountas and Pinnell is an excellent guide to reading and writing in the classroom if you can muddle through all of the words. It reads a lot like my college textbooks which I was disappointed about. However, there are some really great ideas and they give you a step by step guide on how to implement their thought process. I had used it some last year and I was also really pleased to read that I have done a lot of the things they suggest to do! I have kept a journal of ideas and hopefully I will remember them during the school year. It has really clarified things I thought I was so lost on last year. It's too bad in college they don't tell you that you are never done with everything that educating involves!!

On a personal note, I am dangerously addicted to the History International Channel....So nerdy I know. I just can't seem to stop watching! The one about the Presidential Book of Secrets is really good, but I especially love the ones about Atlantis and the Lost Caves in Mexico. Oh well, maybe in my grown up life I will become a historian/teacher/shark scientist. There is always still time for all that right? :)

classroom survival guide

Reflecting upon my second year of teaching these are the things I have learned I can not live without. :) In no particular order...

1. Starbucks black and white nonfat mocha
I don't think I would be sane without it. I should probably go to rehab for it.

2. Comfy shoes. Not only are these moccasins super cute, but they are sooo comfortable!

There are several teachers who wear stripper heels everyday. Seriously?

3. SmartExchange http://exchange.smarttech.com

This website saved me about 100 times. It has the lesson slides already created for you in a super creative way!

4. Husband pillow

Not only do the kids LOVE it during reading time, but I love to use it when I am sitting on the carpet with the kids.

5. Pandora radio classical station

Breaks that 'classroom silence' and makes the kids AND myself feel more relaxed!

6. Jcrew khaki pants

Go with everything, super comfortable

7. Big candy jar

Okay, maybe I raided it more than I let the kids...Easy bribe and snack between lunch and the end of the day.

8. Clorox wipes

Let's be serious, kid's are gross.

9. Discovery channel shows

When it's raining and we can't go out for recess my kid's loved watching the animal shows. Little did they know it was somewhat educational :)

10.  Dry shampoo

For those mornings when it really was just TOO early to get up and fix my hair...

obsessed.

Okay. I admit it. I think that I have become one of those obsessed teacher types that stays awake on a summer Sunday night Googling (yes, I just used Google as a verb) other teacher blogs in order to get new ideas. As of right now, I am excited to go back to school. Now talk to me in a few months and I might not feel that way.

The summer has been great. Obviously so great I haven't blogged (yes, I just used blog as a verb too) all summer. Plans have changed a little. I have spent some time on the west coast, but I will be returning to NC in August to resume my job. Part of me is very excited. I have always known that growing up southern is a privilege and it was hard to see myself living anywhere else.

I have already spent some money that is nonexistent in my bank account on back to school supplies. I secretly can't wait to get back into my classroom and start planning. I think it's the fact that for the first time in my teaching career I am teaching the same grade in the same school and I feel like I am going to have some handle on what the heck I am actually supposed to be teaching the future of America. This year I want to set up a Blog and have the kids blog once a week about a current event. I feel like these kids know nothing about what is going on in the world around them. Case in point: September 11th. When I asked them why the day was special they had NO CLUE or any clue about the war we are currently in. WHERE are their parents??? I understand trying to protect them from the horrors of the world for a certain extent. But let's be serious. Anyways. Maybe I am being ridiculous like when you break up with a boyfriend and you only remember the good times and completely blank out the bad. Actually I am 100% positive that's what I am doing. Just let me be obsessed because in exactly one month from today, all hell breaks loose for 180 days.