Bridesmaid Boxes

After my recent engagement (which I never got around to blogging about- I should do that soon!) I was overly-excited to get the planning process started as soon as possible. I created an account on theknot.com to research vendors and started pinning to my 8+ Pinterest wedding boards like a mad woman. But considering that it was only December and I still had one last semester of my junior year to focus on, the planning had to be done solely online until my summer break. I spent those six months taking virtual tours of my favorite venues and browsing Maggie Sottero's website for my dream dress. My enthusiasm to plan had to be capped until May.

That brings us to today! Once I returned home for my summer break I immediately began checking off boxes on my wedding checklist. First up: ask my bridesmaids. I knew that I could make the vision that I had in my mind come to fruition once I had all the materials, which meant taking a trip to my two favorite stores: Target and Michael's. At these stores I was able to find all of the materials that I needed to create and fill the boxes, except for the personalized necklaces and cards. I've linked all of the items seen in the boxes below!

Michael's

• Wooden Boxes
• White Spray Paint
• Gold Alphabet Stickers (I couldn't find the gold ones online, but these are the same font)
• Pink Tulle
• Rosey Glitter Paper
• Mini Clothespins
• Ranunculus Fake Flowers
• Gold Letter Paperweights

Target

• Ferrero Rocher Chocolates
• EOS Coconut Lip Balm
• Easy Going Sinful Colors Nail Polish
• Navy Streamers
• Gold Cord- dollar section

Extras

• Cards- printed at Walgreens
• Personalized Initial Necklaces- Made by Mary (her products are gorgeous and dainty, but long-lasting; would absolutely recommend!)

My girls loved their boxes and all said yes! June 3, 2017 cannot come soon enough. 

Thank You.

"Your students will be luckier than they realize to have you as their teacher. And this time I'm not teasing or giving you a hard time - I mean every word of it."

I have learned a lot in my first full year as an education major. I've learned techniques for teaching elementary math, how to properly select and expose children to literature, and methods for incorporating multiculturalism into the classroom. But none of that compares to what I have learned from the man who is quoted above, Professor Kevin Spink. Going into my children's literature class, I expected to read some picture books, learn about important genres, and get an easy A. I didn't expect to learn so much about how to be a quality educator in a content-based course. Professor Spink taught me about authenticity and the importance of being your true self in the classroom. He provided me with a peek inside of the minds of children based on his own experiences. He encouraged me to constantly evolve and better my abilities as a teacher. He became an example to me, one that I will remember for the rest of my career. He is a kind, passionate, and inspiring man. I could never thank him enough for all that he has taught me and for how much him believing in me has encouraged me to become the best teacher I can be for my future students.

B.S.

I just wanted to share a sweet moment that happened the other night while I was out to dinner with my sweetheart. 

Ben had a gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket so we decided to treat ou'selves (Parks & Rec. fans fo' life) and head to Olive Garden for a rare off-campus meal. I was most looking forward to the breadsticks; I actually eat them for my meal! As soon as the basket arrived, I dove right in and began cutting my breadstick into 4 thin pieces, just like my mom always used to do for me when we would eat at Olive Garden. Now, Ben had been teasing me about my little quirks all day and this particular one put him over the edge. He just sat there eating his soup and cracking up at me meticulously slicing up my breadsticks. I typically don't get offended when he makes fun of me, but since he had been doing it all throughout the day, I felt a little silly about my (apparently) odd habit. I tried not to let it dampen my mood, because I knew he wasn't doing it spitefully. But then he went and took the last breadstick without even offering to share! I became even more upset (obviously!), but I just kept eating and tried to not let it get to me. The next thing I knew, a plate of 4 perfectly cut breadstick slivers was on the table in front of me! Ben smiled at me and said "I accept you for who you are."

I am so lucky to have a man who treats me the way Ben does. That simple act reminded me of several Decembers ago when I was first falling in love with him. Even after 2 years together, he still makes me blush. He is the most wonderful part of my day.

Now I'm going to go eat my leftovers!

Window Stickers

I'm currently on the couch in someone else's house, eating someone else's food, using someone else's WiFi. No, I'm not breaking and entering; I'm babysitting. It's a tough job keeping a 6 and an 8-year-old busy, especially when their parents don't want them watching too much TV. My friend Mara, the kids' usual sitter, got accepted into a program at the Mayo Clinic (!!!) so I'm only filling in for a few days. But I've got big shoes to fill since Camp Mara usually consists of tons of crafts and activities.

I came prepared with an awesome, inexpensive craft that I knew the kids would love! They're called window stickers and all it takes to make them is some colorful glue and some creativity. Turns out, the kids had a blast so I thought I'd share the how-to!

Here's what you'll need:

- Elmer's School Glue (one bottle for each color you want)

- Food coloring

- Elmer's Glitter Glue tubes

- Gallon size plastic bags (page protectors work too!)

- Sharpie (optional)

How-To:

First, you'll need to make the colored glue. Drop about 30-50 drops of food coloring into each glue bottle. The more you add, the darker and truer to color your glue will be. Shake vigorously! You may want to allow the color to work its way into the glue by letting it sit for a couple hours. You can also use a stir stick to mix the color in yourself if you're short on time.

And that's pretty much all the set-up that's required! Now is the time to use the glue to create shapes on your plastic bag and let your imagination run wild. 6-year-old Avery decided she wanted to make one sticker for each season/holiday which I thought was such a clever idea! I helped her by drawing the shapes for her with Sharpie. Just be careful when doing this: if the layer of glue you cover the Sharpie with is too thin, the Sharpie marks will show through on your sticker.

I recommend making sure each sticker is made with a thick layer of glue. Use it all up, there's plenty more than you'd think in the bottle! It may be helpful to create an outline with the glitter glue tubes, then fill it with the Elmer's glue. The sparkly glitter glue does not stick to the window as well as the Elmer's glue, so try to use it just for decorative purposes. Whatever you do, just make sure your entire shape is filled with some kind of glue! Anything that isn't covered in glue won't be a part of your sticker. 

Check to make sure all holes are filled and voila, you're done! Now comes the tricky part: leave the bags in a dry place and wait at least 24 hours. Once that's over, the stickers should start to peel off the bag on their own. Carefully remove them the rest of the way and you have made yourself personalized window stickers!

Enjoy!

I'm going home!

Being an out-of-state college kid has taught me 3 things.

1) Never sign up for a class that starts before 10 AM.

2) Having a car and a home-cooked meal is a privilege, not a right.

3) I have the best parents in the entire world.

Most teenagers are excited to move out and finally get away from their parents after high school, and I was one of them! Why else would I have chosen San Diego (not too far from home, but far enough that they couldn't come visit every weekend)?! After a couple of months on my own though, I realized that this whole distance-from-everyone-I-love thing was not for me. My relationship with my parents isn't like most 19-year-old girls'. They have this awesome parenting style where they're my friend and invite me to talk openly with them about literally anything, but at the same time they maintain a level of parental authority over me. I never understood why my friends always had to lie to their parents about what we were doing or where we were. I realize now that it's because they didn't have the same trusting relationship that I do with my parents.

My dad is my ultimate hero. He has worked insanely hard his entire life to give me this fortunate life I have. He's also a budding little chef. It's so cute how excited he gets about new recipes he learns from The Food Network. He'll make a thorough list of everything he needs (another cute tendency of his) and the meal will be on our table the next night. I never used to care for his experimental cooking, but having to live off of Panda Express and dining hall food for 5 months really changes your idea of real food. What I admire most about my dad is his opinionated, argumentative, and strong personality. He will argue his point whether he is wrong or right, but isn't too proud to admit when he is wrong. He encourages me to think bigger and to never limit myself. I take after him a lot in the personality department and I am so proud of that.

My mom is my best friend. We disagree on almost everything and always bicker, but we are basically the same person. She knows absolutely everything about my life. I'm not exaggerating either; if I've done it, thought it, or said it, she knows about it. She's great at comforting. Something about that motherly instinct maybe, but she just seems to know how to do or say exactly what I need when I need it. She's loud and obnoxious and all of my friends love her. She is generous and thoughtful and genuinely cares about everyone she has ever known. I never used to appreciate all she does for me, but being without her for so long has really opened my eyes to how important she is to my everyday life.

The point of all this sentimental-ness is to give a prelude as to why I'm uncontrollably excited for tomorrow afternoon. Instead of spending this weekend alone in my dorm I get to spend it with my parents, my grandparents who are in town visiting, and some of my other extended family. They booked me a last minute flight home (not cheap, by the way) and I have been counting down the hours ever since. 

To summarize: I'm just really excited to get home and see my favorite people!

We love Disneyland.