Weekending.....

Today, I am linking up with Champagne and Suburbs and B Loved Boston for Weekending...

{FRIDAY}

- Friday was Jim's birthday, and we tried to have a fairly low key day. We went to Redhook Brewery in Portsmouth, NH for a tour (we were the only ones on the tour haha), and then we had lunch at their pub. Friday night, we ended up joining my sister and her husband for dinner and a movie (Insurgent) which was really fun! We rarely hang out just the four of us, and it was nice to spend some quality time with those two. 

{SATURDAY} 

- Saturday was spent cleaning, organizing, and grading (massive amounts of grading). We went to the outlet stores in NH so that Jim could pick up a few business casual pieces for his business trip this week. He is not much of a shopper, so when I say we were efficient-- we were efficient haha. We got what he needed, and then we bolted haha. 

- Saturday night was a "girls" night with one of my cousins, my sister Sarah, my mom, my aunt and her husband (poor Pete haha). We always laugh way too hard when we are all together-- we always have people staring at us. I hope they aren't always staring out of annoyance haha (but probably). 

{SUNDAY}

- After church, I had to bring Jim to the airport for his flight to Denver, CO. This is the first long business trip he has taken since we got married, and I'm not going to lie, I miss him already! (super cheesy I know). He will be back Thursday night so it's definitely not as long as it could be. Thankfully :). 

- The rest of Sunday was filled with normal Sunday stuff- dinner with the family, lesson planning, and watching TV. Overall, not a bad day at all! 

I  hope you all had a great weekend, and you are ready for the end of March! Bring on April :)

Sunday Specials :)

I realize that I am late with my Friday Favorites, but my husband suggested that I do a Sunday Special post instead :) (similar to a Friday Favorite, just a tad late haha).


{SPECIAL #1}
Bath and Body Works lotions :) My love for Bath and Body Works started when I was in high school, and it has not waned! I love smelling like different seasons, and I love how the smell lingers throughout the entire day. My sisters are pretty big fans as well, but we try to find our own scents haha. The flavors I am loving right now:

via //via

{SPECIAL #2}
My husband. No matter what my mood (frustrated, angry, sad, happy, loving, etc), he knows how to make me laugh and brings me back to normalcy. He is always there supporting me and listening to me (even during my rants). I honestly don't know how he does it, but I am glad he is my person.

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{SPECIAL #3} and {SPECIAL #4}

I finished all of my outstanding grading this weekend (although students are passing in two large papers this week-- ugh)! I also finished all of my planning for the beginning of the week. Any and all teachers out there-- you know this deserves a fist pump AND two "specials"!

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{SPECIAL #5}

Jim and I have so many fun events coming up in the next few weekends, that it was nice to relax this weekend. We also signed up for fast passes for each day of our vacation, so we are all set! Four more weeks!


Hope you all had a great Friday/Saturday/Sunday!

Past the First Date

It's been a while since I wrote a post about my journey of finding true love. I was feeling nostalgic, and I decided to continue sharing what happened after that first amazing date.

As you may recall, Jim and I went bowling and then out for drinks for our first date. The date lasted most of the night, and I was surprised that I had such a good time :). I knew after our first date, that I wanted to continue seeing Jim. I decided to stop talking to my other matches immediately. The week in between our first and second date, Jim and I were in constant contact with each other. We sent multiple emails a day, and even started texting each other whenever we could. For our second date, Jim invited me to his apartment warming party. I was hesitant to go at first since it was an hour and a half away, but I decided to go with my sister. In retrospect, I'm glad I did :). It was important to me to spend as much time with him as I could. Our third date, we went to a great Mexican restaurant about half way between us (45 minutes away). I remember being so surprised at how comfortable I was with him. From the very beginning, I was myself. In my past relationships and even on other eHarmony dates, I always felt like I had to act a certain way, be a certain person, and I was never truly myself. When I was with Jim, I didn't have to pretend to be anything other than who I was. I knew that if I felt that way with him right away, that we were starting something pretty special.

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Our fourth date is probably one of my favorite dates. Jim and I ventured to Salem, MA, a beautiful, scenic, North shore city. Yes, this is the place that is notorious for the Salem Witch Trials and crazy Halloween shenanigans! But trust me-- this is a gorgeous place and well worth the trip. We decided to eat at a local seafood restaurant, and then just walk around the city. It was a beautiful, breezy summer day. The city wasn't crowded, and it wasn't too humid (always a plus for me and my hair haha). I loved this date so much because it was where we became a couple. It wasn't something that was said outl oud, but we both agree, that this day marked a change in our relationship. We had progressed from just talking and communicating, to being a part of each other's lives. Even though it was only our fourth date, I knew that this was the man I was meant to be with. Yes-- on date four I knew. It was that amazing :) After this date, we never looked back-- we only looked forward. Was it always easy? No. Did we always get to see each other when we wanted or needed? No. But we were together, and that's what mattered. 

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Thankful This Tuesday

Lately, I have been thinking about how lucky I am in life. Maybe I have become more aware of this because of the situations and scenarios I hear about at school, out in public, or on TV. It could be that I am hyper-focusing on all of these aspects because I am truly and honestly trying to make this Easter more meaningful than others in the past. Or it could also be due to my cousin's recent post on her blog about the importance of family and the uniqueness of my family (to see that blog post read it here!) Whatever the reason or reasons, I have decided to highlight what I am thankful for this Tuesday. 

Thankful Item #1: My husband's constant love, support and supply of humor :) I honestly don't know what I would do without him. He compliments me SO WELL, and is pretty much the only person who knows how to calm me down. The sacrifices he has made so that we can be together is something that I will always cherish. 

Thankful Item #2: My family and the connections we have. I am so lucky to have such an amazing family (including my in-laws). I know that I am fortunate to have such a big support system, and to know there are multiple people who will always be there for me. I know that so many people are without family, and my heart aches for them. I will forever treasure my family.  

Thankful Item #3: My co-workers. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without my co-workers. There are many days where I need to vent, and I am so thankful I have friends at school that will listen to me complain! My co-workers are always there when I need advice, whether it be school related or not. Since we all spend so much of our time at work, I think it is so important to recognize those who are there for us outside our home/family. 

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Thankful Item #4: Having all the basic necessities of life and my overall health. While I could always work out more (or work out in general haha) and eat more healthily, I am so lucky that I am healthy. I am also lucky that I have a roof over my head, food at my table, and a warm bed to rest in at night. So many people are without these basic necessities, and while we might think we need" more, it's important to remember those without.   

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Thank you for reading today! :) I am glad that I decided to write this post. When I am having a bad day or a difficult time, I can just look at this post and remind myself of the good things in my life. I also think it's important to be thankful not just during holidays, but on "normal" days. Otherwise, you might not be as appreciative of those items if you only remember them once in a while. 

What are you thankful for on this Tuesday? I would love to hear from you! 

Weekending....

And another weekend in the books. Man-- can we slow down time just a bit? I feel as though the weeks are just coming and going, along with the weekends. Could anyone else use another weekend day?! I know I could ;)

Today, I am linking up with Champagne and Suburbs and B Loved Boston for Weekending...

{FRIDAY NIGHT}

• Friday night, my husband and I hung around the house, made panini wraps and watched a super intense (but amazing) documentary called "The Jinx." If you have HBO, you must put this on your watch list. It is about Robert Durst, a millionaire suspected of multiple murders across the United States. The documentary is very well done, and the first episode gets you hooked right away. 

{SATURDAY NIGHT} 

• We woke up to about an inch and a half of snow. Ugh.....again. Good news, the snow melted by the afternoon! 
• Saturday morning/early afternoon was spent grading...so much grading...it never ends!! 
• As a break, my husband and I went out to do some errands at Target and Home Depot 
• Saturday night, my husband worked on house projects (new lights and new key lock pad) while I graded some more 

{SUNDAY}

• After church Sunday, my husband and I headed to our nephew's birthday party. It was so nice to see my husband's side of the family and spend some quality time with them!
• Sunday night included more grading, but also some relaxing in there too :)

I hope you all had a great weekend, and you are all ready for the week :) Here is to the first real week of Spring! 

A Little Late...but Friday Favorites!

I am going to be honest-- this week was long and tough to get through! I was really sick Monday, which I think threw me off the rest of the week haha. My fellow teachers will know what I mean!

Even though I'm a little late, I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals for Friday Favorites and April from A. Liz Adventures for 5 on Friday.

{ONE} 

IT'S FRIDAY!!! Need I say more?! 

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{TWO} 

It's finally Spring :) I love seeing this favorite on everyone else's blog! I love how there are different seasons that we celebrate, and I feel especially lucky that I get to experience the different weather and climate from each one! (Well we are supposed to at least-- as I type this it is snowing outside.....haha...think Spring, think Spring).

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{THREE} 

Today is International Day of Happiness, and I love this idea :) and although everyone should strive to be happy each and everyday, sometimes we don't allow ourselves to appreciate the good in our lives. This year's campaign is to focus on the interactions and connections we have with other people. What a great reminder for us to appreciate and acknowledge the happiness we feel in the presence of others.

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{FOUR}

This weekend, my husband and I are finalizing our Disney vacation. We have mapped out which parks we will visit each day, and we will "attempt" to sign up for fast passes haha. Wish us luck!

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{FIVE}

The last of my Friday Favorites and 5 on Friday is my husband. It's been a very busy week for us, and I am just ready to relax with him tonight and tomorrow :) oh and maybe spend some quality time cleaning......:) 

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Happy Friday everyone! Enjoy your weekend :)

Last Sister Spotlight: Sarah

At last! The end of the sister spotlight series! If you missed the other three, visit here, here, and here! My last sister spotlight is about my sister Sarah. The middle child. And yes, she has middle child syndrome haha. I was about 5 when Sarah was born, and Elizabeth was a little under 2 years old. I don't really remember much from when she was first born, but I do remember thinking how adorable she was. She was, without a doubt, such a cute and fun baby. She was even cute when she cried! She had the curliest hair (which I was so envious of-- it always looked so good!) and she was almost always smiling.

 

 I mean-- look at that face! Side note: She still makes that face when she cries :)

 

Sarah was such an active kid and teenager. She was always on the move, always doing something (or five things), and really enjoyed being a kid. Even if she was playing by herself (which she sometimes preferred), she would explore and have such great adventures in our back yard. Nature and its wonderful creatures kept Sarah busy for hours. There may have been some dirt eating incidents and with my help, some capturing of newts and salamanders. I always thought Sarah was going to become an environmentalist. Not too long ago, land next to my parent's house was for sale. Trees were being cut down, probably to help sell the land, and Sarah took it upon herself to write some posters in protest. That's our Sarah, our spitfire! 

Growing up, Sarah and I did not always get along. We get along better now, but we still have our moments ;).  In some ways we are so similar, but in other ways we are polar opposites. Sarah is loud, opinionated, extremely intelligent (naturally), funny, outgoing, seriously independent, and lives life to the fullest. I, on the other hand, am more reserved and traditional. She likes to get a rise out of people, she is a contrarian, (seriously reverse psychology works great on her :)), and definitely speaks her own mind. When we were younger, I would get so annoyed with her, and I don't even know why! Maybe I just wished I was more like her-- so it was my weird way of showing it. Regardless, she definitely deserves accolades for being her own person.

Sarah found her real passion and heart when she switched from playing sports in high school sophomore year, to joining Drama Club. It was through theatre that she truly found her voice. We all knew Sarah could be overly dramatic (haha), but when she channeled her talents for theatre, we knew she had found her niche. As an actress, Sarah was poised, had great comedic timing, and did an incredible job at making her characters real and relatable. In high school, she was in a play called  "Post-its (Notes on a Marriage)" by Paul Dooley and Winnie Holzman, and I was emotionally moved. Sarah played the role perfectly, and I really got a sense of the character which was really remarkable since all she did in the play was read post-it notes. If you get a chance, either watch this play or read this play-- it is truly touching. 

Sarah continued with theatre for the rest of high school, and I am not sure if I have ever told her, but I think that was one of the bravest things she has ever done. She starred in countless plays and musicals-- oh did I mention she also has a beautiful singing voice?!! It was so great to see her so happy and enjoying what she was doing. She had numerous friends, and always had a great sense of herself. She never really cared about popularity, or "fitting in" or what other people thought of her. The funny thing is, I think that is why people gravitated to her so much. She was really friends with everyone. 

Sarah has this sparkle and zest for life that is unmatched. She can make you laugh so hard it hurts, she finds herself incredibly funny, she likes to take "impromptu" pictures, she is a great supporter, but will be honest with you when you need constructive criticism. She will be there for you no matter what, but she won't sugar coat how she feels about the situation. She holds grudges against those that cross our family, and is not afraid to stand up for not only herself but all of us. She should seriously be a lawyer ;). She will fight for what is right, what is just, even if it is not the most popular idea or belief. She will be such an amazing role model for my future children and hers. 

In college, she majored in Theatre as well as, Anthropology. She absolutely loved college. I knew that she would-- she was able to "leave the nest" and be on her own. She studied abroad in England, and traveled all over Europe. She certainly has the itch to keep traveling and experience other cultures. I would love to take a family trip to Europe, especially with her. I know that she would make it fun, historical and enjoyable. 

Up until she went to college, I took having her around for granted. When I returned from college, Sarah went to college, and because she went to school in New Jersey, we didn't see her as much as we were used to. I had a hard time figuring out how to express how I was feeling to her. Instead of trying to explain how much I missed her, I tried to joke and be sarcastic about it. Looking back, I wish I had been honest with her. She probably needed to hear how much she was missed, and I should have told her. 

After graduating college, Sarah came back home and worked at her usual summer job at a daycare. When the summer ended, she decided to search for a temporary job and found a nannying job. Sarah has been the nanny for a family of four since last Fall, and I have never seen her so engaged in a job. She is thinking about pursuing a career in speech pathology, and I think it would be a perfect fit for her. She is intuitive and is fascinated by kids and how their minds work.  

Love is a tricky subject with our beloved Sarah. She loves being independent, and she loves her freedom. (We try to remind her that those are things you don't give up when you get married haha). However, I know that she does want kids in the future and someone to share her life with. We always joke with her and say that when she finds the one, it will be a quick engagement. She will just know and that's it!  Any guy would be extremely lucky to even have the chance with her. I hope that she allows herself to fall in love. 

No matter what the future holds for Sarah, I know she will conquer it all with spunk and gumption. I love you Sarah! Even when I don't hug you all the time ;)

I hope you have enjoyed this series! It has been great to share the most important people in my life :) Thank you for reading! 

A Post Dedicated to My Mom

Last Friday was my mom's birthday, and as promised, this post is dedicated to her. My mom is the best person I know. She is intelligent and determined, as shown by her dedication to her job as a paralegal. She has worked in the same office for about thirty years, and I don't know many people who are that loyal anymore. It is certainly a rarity. This year, my mom and dad will celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary, and they will have been together for more than half of their lives. It is crazy to think that my mom was only 21 when she got married, and 23 when she had me. I think back to when I was 23, and I am not sure I would have been able to do what she did! For most of her adult life, she has been a working mom (27 years!!). She is the best role model for my sisters and I for how to balance work and life-- although it scares me! She not only works, but cooks most nights, does the laundry twice a week, and cleans the entire house every week. On top of that, she always attended our sports games (and still does the same for my sisters today). I don't know how she did it- I still don't know. I have only two dogs and a husband and I can barely do the laundry once a week! She is certainly super mom!

The love my mom has for all of my sisters and I is immeasurable. There has never been a time when she has not been there for me. When my heart has ached, she has ached with me. When I have succeeded in something for sports or school, she was always there celebrating with me. When I have failed miserably, she has always been there holding my hand. When I was sad or lonely, she reminded me someone was out there waiting for me probably saying the same thing to his mom. She has always put her children first, no matter the cost, no matter what, and I can only dream to become half of the mother she is. She really makes us feel special and loved.

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My mother is fiercely protective (seriously don't cross us or you will not survive my mother!!). You definitely do not want to get on her bad side ;). BUT, she is the one to have on your team and your side during tough times. While I was going through a difficult time school, I remember that my mom always had confidence in me, even when I didn't have confidence in myself. I know I am not only lucky to have my mom around, but lucky to have such an amazing and supportive mom.

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The one question I get asked a lot is if my mom and I always got along. And to be honest, most of the time we did. There were times when we wouldn't agree-- and we would argue pretty intensely. We would get frustrated with each other, annoyed with each other, hurt by each other, but at the end of the day, we both knew no matter what that we loved each other. Sure, I would get extremely stressed out about......well everything....and I know it drove her crazy a good portion of the time! But, in the moments where I would calm down, she would reason with me and I would always realize to take everything one step at a time. I always live my life fast-forward-- I don't really know any other speed.  

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This past year has definitely been a transition for my family. Both my sister Elizabeth and I got married, and as a result we both moved out of our parents house the same year, only a few months apart. Now, I know what you are thinking-- you lived at your parents house until you got married at 27?! Yes, yes I did. It was the best decision for me, and honestly I think for my family. After graduate school, I got my first teaching job and I had just purchased a car. I had school loans, a car payment, and was trying to get on my feet emotionally and financially. I had gone through a break up my first year of teaching, and I was lost. I didn't know who I was, where I was going, what my future looked like. Until that point, I had mapped everything out. I decided to continue to live with my parents, and I am so glad I did. My mom was amazing during that time. She forced me to move on. I think if I had lived by myself, I would have stayed lost. I would have given up hope on love. Being at home, my family and their support allowed me to move on. She also was ready for me to get back out there dating-- she didn't waste any time haha. I think back on that time now, and I definitely would not have been able to cope had my mom not been there for me. 

Fast forward a few years later, and I got married. So did my sister. I think the transition of having two daughters move out at the same time was a lot for my mom to handle (understandably so!). It is the ending of one chapter, and the start of another chapter. Even though Elizabeth and I were just moving 20 minutes away, it won't ever be the same at home. Christmas morning will always be different, and that isn't a bad thing, it is just something we all have to get used to. My sister Jocelyn is a senior, and will be attending college in the fall, and again I think it will be hard for my mom. It is all part of life and all of these new beginnings are definitely exciting, I know that. But when you're family is so close, these transitions can be really difficult. I just hope my mom realizes that no matter the miles, no matter how far we are, we will always be there for HER! She has spent so much of her life taking care of us, that now, she can start enjoying life WITH us! Just this weekend, my mom, my husband, my sister Sarah and I went to happy hour and had a blast! It was so nice spending quality time together. 

The one aspect of my mom that I wish I could change/influence is her self-confidence. She is always self-critical of herself! I wish she could see herself as we see her: beautiful, strong, smart, funny, and caring. I can only hope to look like she does when I am her age-- which I won't mention of course :). She really needs to understand how amazing she is inside and out. I am so grateful for you mom! Words can't describe how much you mean to me, and how much I appreciate you always being on my side :). I love you! 

I hope everyone (especially my mom!) has a great Wednesday :)

Show and Tell Tuesdays.... Most Embarrassing Moments

Today, I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals for Show and Tell Tuesdays for our Most Embarrassing Moments. I, unfortunately, have quite a long list of embarrassing moments, but I will share with you three of those today (good thing I can laugh at myself?!).

{Moment #1}
I went to a Catholic High School, and when I was a Freshman I had no fashion sense. Some would argue that I still lack that sense today, but I digress :). One day, I decided to head down the Junior/Senior staircase to try to find a shortcut to my next class. I was wearing pants that are too long, with clunky shoes (probably clogs). The staircase was extremely narrow and dark, and before I could catch myself, I slowly started to fall down the stairs. You know that moment when the front of your body moves faster than your lower half? Yup, that's what happened. And it was in slow motion. I mean come on! Could it have gotten any worse? Well, to me yes. When I FINALLY reached the bottom of the stairs, not only were all of the Juniors and Seniors in the locker room area staring at me, but my aunt (who was a teacher there at the time) saw me and started laughing. I think I waited a whole year to use that staircase again. I was mortified!

{Moment #2}
I was a Freshman (see a theme?) in high school, and I was really excited to go a school dance. My friends were going, and my crush at the time was going. I was really shy in high school, and I didn't talk to many boys my Freshman year, but I decided to put myself out there at the dance. I danced with my crush (I had asked-- gasp!) and when we finished I looked at him and said "Thank you" and put out my hand for a hand shake. Oy. I mean even as I am typing this, I can't believe I did that. I was so nervous and I honestly didn't know what to do, so I thought why not shake his hand? Who does that?! It's a miracle I survived past that moment. I just shake my head in disapproval at my younger self haha-- I had so much to learn about boys and dating!

{Moment #3}
This embarrassing moment happen only a few weeks ago. I was trying to plan a get together with my cousins and their spouses, and I wanted to go to this really nice restaurant a few towns over from my house. I called the restaurant and requested a table for 6 at 6 pm. First off, I could hear the woman take a deep breath and sigh. She told me that in order to get a table at that time, I would have had to make a reservation about a month prior. I actually laughed into the phone. I asked her if they had any times available and she said they had one opening at 9 pm. I was still racking my brain, thinking about how ridiculous it was to have to book a month in advance, when I realized I was still on the phone. The woman asked if I wanted to take the 9 pm reservation, and all I could muster was "uhhhhhhhh" and then I got so nervous I hung up the phone. The best/worst part was that my husband was right next to me during that phone conservation and said "Did you really just hang up the phone on her without answering?" I guess it's moot to explain I get nervous talking to people on the phone (oddly enough, I don't get nervous talking to people in person). To that hostess, I am sorry! I won't do that again! :)

I can't wait to read what everyone else had to say!

Weekending...

Happy Monday morning everyone :) While I would love one more weekend day, I know that with each passing week, I am closer and closer to my April vacation. Can we also just realize that it is already mid-March? I honestly feel as though this month just started! We did have snow last night, thankfully only a dusting, and I see mid 40s in the forecast, which I will definitely take.

I am linking up with Champagne and Suburbs and B Loved Boston for Weekending......

{FRIDAY NIGHT}

• Jim and I met up with a co-worker of mine and her husband for dinner at a new restaurant. It was so nice to not only try a new restaurant in a cute little town, but also spend quality time with my friend. We have wanted to get together for a few months now, but no matter the weekend, one of us was always busy! I'm not always the best at making time for friends, but I am so glad I did this weekend! 

{SATURDAY}

• The early part of Saturday was spent doing laundry and grading. I tried to be very efficient, so that I could enjoy the rest of my day--- and I was! I got everything done just in time to relax a little in the afternoon. 
• My mom's birthday was Friday, but because we had gone out with my friends, we weren't able to go out for my mom's birthday dinner. I decided that it might be nice for her to have an afternoon celebration, so my mom, my husband, my sister Sarah (who worked Friday night and also missed the dinner) and I went to the Bedford Village Inn (where my wedding was held) to have drinks and an early dinner. We had so much fun! We love the BVI tavern. It has the perfect atmosphere, and delicious food and drinks. We laughed so much during the meal, I am afraid some people may have been annoyed with us (honestly I didn't care haha)! But if you can't laugh, what kind of life is that?!
• Saturday night, Jim and I relaxed with a movie at home. It was just what I needed. Jim and I are very simple-- we don't need anything extravagant, and I think that's part of why we compliment each other so well. Our needs are simple. 

{SUNDAY} 

• Sunday was spent with my extended family celebrating my mom and Jim's birthday (both in March). 
• Sunday night, I graded and finished planning for the school week. 

All in all, not a bad weekend at all! The next few weeks, Jim and I are really busy, so I am glad we had a fairly relaxing weekend . And, I don't know about the rest of you, but I am definitely ready for spring........

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Hope you all had a great weekend as well! 

Friday Favorites and 5 on Friday

We made it through the week! Yay!!! Although we had a Teacher Workshop Day Tuesday, it still felt like a long week. I am ready for some relaxation and reading time.

 I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals and her friends for Friday Favorites, as well as, Darci from The Good Life and her friends for 5 on Friday.




{1} The Sunrise
Trust me-- I am not a fan of Daylight Savings time, but I will say that waking up before the sun comes out allows me to catch the sunrise when I arrive at school. This picture is from Tuesday, and I just couldn't resist capturing the beauty. 

{2} My mom!! 

It is my mom's birthday today, and I would not be the woman I am today without my mom. She is the rock of our family, she is my biggest cheerleader and supporter, and she is so self-less. She has sacrificed so much for all my sisters and I, and no gift could ever express how grateful we all are to have her as our mother. Next week I will have a special post dedicated to my mom :) She deserves to have a post all on her own. In the meantime, happy birthday mom! I can only hope and dream to become half of the mother you are. 

{3}The weather on Tuesday and Wednesday:

Finally we had warm weather around here-- it was about 50 degrees! This also mean there was some serious melting going on. While I hope that there are no major flooding issues in the near future, I can't say I am disappointed to see the white stuff go :)

{4} Birchbox:

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I was recently introduced to this company called Birchbox where you can purchase a monthly subscription and receive 5 beauty samples in the mail every month. You can also purchase a subscription for a friend-- I think it is the perfect gift idea! I recently purchased this for a family member, and I am tempted to buy one for myself! If I am late to the party and many of you have already used this company, I am sorry! I am typically/usually the last to know about cool stuff like this. If you have used it, did you like it? What was your favorite part? I would love to hear from you! 

{5} Being able to help my sister Jocelyn get ready for her Semi Formal dance. 

I love doing make-up for people for various events. My sister Jocelyn asked if I would do her make-up for her semi-formal dance last night, and of course I was all over that! I am so glad that I live so close to my family-- I love being able to just stop by and see them (and help them get ready for a dance haha). 

I know my favorites were random this week, but I kind of felt like it was a random week :) I can't wait to see what everyone else has for favorites! Enjoy your day everyone.