30 before 30 – Kindness

Number 19 on my 30 before 30 list is

“Spend a month committing random acts of kindness.”

Well, tonight I decided that this December

will be the month I cross this one off the list.

I figured with the holiday season approaching,

this idea would go hand in hand with spreading holiday cheer.

I thought by making a list of the 30 things I’d like to do

during this month of kindness would help me stay more accountable.

Who would have thought that making a list of

30 do-able things would be this hard?

I was only able to come up with 15 ideas so far.

Granted, I am trying to make most of the items cost free

so that I don’t miss my goal because it got too expensive.

I’m glad I started this list early…

that gives me about half a month to add the rest on.

Here’s a peek at the first five on my list,

but the rest are left to be a surprise until December.

1. Leave change in the vending machine at work,

enough for the most expensive item available.

2. Surprise my students with one night of no homework.

3. Be an extra, extra kind driver.

4. Leave a one dollar bill inside of a library book,

and then return it.

5. Send a friend a note in the mail, just because.

—

Can’t wait to share the rest of this adventure with you.

Stay tuned!

And let me know if you have any great ideas

of ways I can pay it forward during my month of kindness.

Despite technical difficulties…

So my commitment to writing for a month

came to a screeching halt due to a little technical difficulties.

My internet connection was down all day Friday and Saturday.

Does it count that I thought about what I was going to write about?

I guess I could have written some posts on Word

and then posted them all at once right now,

but I guess I’m not that dedicated.

Anyway, a nine day streak is kind of a big deal for me and my blog!

—

Friday night I experimented with another Pinterest recipe

that definitely belongs in my library of party desserts!

It was DE-Lish!

Carmel Apple Dip

Courtesy from Tasty Kitchen

What you’ll need:

-16 oz package of cream cheese softened,

definitely let it get pretty soft, it helps with the mixing later.

-1/2 cup powdered sugar

-16 oz tub of carmel apple dip,

I used Marzetti’s like the recipe suggested.

-1 cup Heath Bits-O-Brickle,

I couldn’t find these at SaveMart, so I bought a pack

of bite sized Heath bars and finely chopped them.

-4 Granny Smith Apples, thickly sliced,

I have to say that I bought 4 and it was NOT ENOUGH!!!

We were left with sad faces when the apples disappeared.

I definitely recommend about 6 or more apples.

3, 2, 1…

Step 1: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese

and the powdered sugar until fluffy.

Step 2:  Spread the cheese mixture on a platter.

Step 3: Spread the carmel sauce on top of the cheese.

(Sounds like I was having too much fun during step 2 and 3

because I totally forgot to take pictures.)

Step 4: Finally, top it all off with the toffee bits.

You’re done!

Enjoy this dip of goodness!

It’s fun for Fall, and your friends will love you!

Thankfulness Thursdays – On the Radio

Back again for Thankfulness Thursdays,

inspired by the Domestic Fashionista.

I’ve enjoyed the time each week reflecting on at least one thing

that I am thankful for or that brings me happiness.

And today I am thankful for music.

—

I am an undercover country music lover.

Two of my go-to radio presets are country music stations.

Which is strange to me,

because I’ve been more of an alternative music listener for most of my life.

But I have to admit, all these political radio ads

forced me to turn the dial more frequently in the last few weeks.

And surprisingly, I think I’ve found a new favorite.

It’s a newer station in Sacramento, 94.7

but it reminds me of a station I used to love years ago.

—

About three years ago, there was a radio station in Sacramento

known as KWOD 106.5.

In my opinion, this was one of the greatest stations in the city.

Listening to this station created a happy place for me.

I honestly don’t think I appreciated music the way I do today

before I found KWOD.

In fact, I have fond memories of nodding my head to the music on KWOD,

half asleep on a yellow bus to and from my high school.

Not to mention those of my best friend, Jana, and I claiming

that if we heard a Beastie Boys song on the way to school,

it was sure to be a good day.

But if we heard Sublime’s “Bad Fish”

the day was not looking up.

(Why we decided on these rules, I’ll never know.)

KWOD’s DJ’s were always the coolest.

And I’m not lying when I say there was one in particular

that whenever he spoke, I felt like he was speaking to me personally,

like he could read my mind and understood me.

They’d play the best stretches of music,

where after each one ended and another began,

I’d find myself saying to myself “Ahhhh! I love this one too!”

KWOD also held a special place in my heart

because when I was a senior in high school

I got to host my own radio show as a guest DJ one evening.

I remember feeling so cool bringing my CD wallet,

covered in post-its of the order I wanted to play certain songs.

Ahhhh, those were the days of good radio.

—

It’s funny.  As I was driving to work this morning,

I heard “Sabotage” on 94.7,

and out of habit, I thought to myself

Beastie Boys! Today’s going to be a good day.

Perhaps the “good radio” is back in Sac.

For now, anyway.

Bonding over Books

It’s funny how certain books bring back school memories for me.

—

We finished our third after-lunch read aloud today –

Mr. Popper’s Penguins.

This was only my second time reading this book.

When I was in 3rd grade, my teacher always read to us after lunch.

The two books I most remember her reading were

Mr. Popper’s Penguins and Stuart Little.

The weird thing is, I don’t really love either of these books,

but I do love the memories of this after-lunch tradition.

Sweaty and pooped from running around on the playground,

I always felt thankful for Mrs. Marchi allowing us

to lay our heads down on our desks or draw while she read.

Those ten minutes of relaxation always felt like heaven,

or at least that’s how my eight year old self remembers it.

—

My hope is that my 4th graders only feel the same about this

sacred read aloud time we share together after lunch.

Even if they don’t like the books,

I sure hope they like being read to, just as I once did.

What books bring back school memories for you?

Grammar + Art = Fun!

Grammar can be boring.

For me, I always loved it!

Diagramming sentences, explaining parts of speech,

I loved it all!

However, sometimes you need to bring in the Joy Factor

when it comes to dry grammar lessons.

For example, this week I taught my kiddos how to

correctly punctuate a line of dialouge.

Discussing where quotation marks and commas belong

in dialogue can be pre-tty boring!

Here’s how I made it come to life:

I read Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus,

which is basically dialogue throughout.

Students love it!  And not to mention, it’s a great series!

We then examined a quotation from the book,

written correctly with quotation marks and a comma.

Students were then each given their own quote from the book

but written without any punctuation.

They rewrote it, demonstrating appropriate punctuation.

We also had a great discussion about words that can replace said,

like yelled, replied, answered, and more.

I encouraged the students to find a new word for said to add to their quotation.

Finally, I surprised them with a guided drawing of Mr. Pigeon himself!

Art brings wonders to the classroom!  I’m telling you!

Who knew quotation marks could be so much fun?

—

Here makes a great plug for a project I’ve posted on Donor’s Choose.

I’m hoping to add more art activities like this one to my classroom,

especially when I teach science.

If you’re feeling a little generous, check out my project.

Save the Arts in our classroom!

Go Kings!

This feels like cheating,

but I really should be getting to bed soon.

But I made a goal to do some writing each day of this month of November

for NaBloPoMo.

It’s definitely a challenge!

From deciding what to write, to making time,

whatever the issue, I’m going to try my best to follow through.

So tonight I share with you

one of my favorite places to be.

When I was young, my feet hardly could touch the floor,

and I probably didn’t know half of the players names,

but it’s come to be a place of home.

A place I love.

Tonight I spent the night screaming my head off

cheering, jumping, and fist pumping

for my favorite basketball team.

Go Kings!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

5 favorites

5 Sunday favorites…

1. Playing soccer bright and early

2. Watching the Pittsburgh Steelers

3. Napping

4. Laundry

5. Watching Once Upon a Time

—

Today may not have been the most exciting day,

but it included five of my favorite Sunday activities.

(Not to mention, a Steeler victory!)

DIY Throw Pillows

This happy little Saturday called for some sewing.

Today’s project – Throw Pillows.

—

Supplies:

2 18×18 pillows

thread

sewing machine

1 1/2  yd of adorable fabric

sewing needle

and a smidge of patience 🙂

Ready, Set, Go!

1.  I started by measuring out a “pattern” for the pillow

by simply plopping the pillow on the fabric.

2.  Then I turned the right sides of the fabric together and pinned the edges.

3.  Next I made a straight stitch down one side of the fabric.

4. I double checked where I wanted the second straight stitch

by measuring with the pillow inside the fabric.

After pinning it how it fit best, I added another straight stitch.

5. I pinned for the next stitch leaving 4-5 inches of space

 for me to stuff the pillow into the case, then made my final machine stitch.

6. Last step!  (Here’s where the patience comes in…)

I hand sewed the last few inches together.

And wha-lah!

Adorably cute throw pillows!

Just for Mom

Today was one of those school days I look forward to.

My mom’s birthday is Sunday

and every year I have my class surprise her

by calling her to sing a rendition of “Happy Birthday,”

cha-cha-cha’s and all.

And I love it because every year, without a doubt,

she is just as surprised as the first year of this tradition.

I think one of my favorite parts is

watching the kids sit squirmy and giddy,

smiling ear to ear as they wait silently for me to give them the cue.

Just another way I bring the “Joy Factor” into my classroom

and a way to tell my mom I love her.

—

Happy birthday, Mom!

Thankfulness Thursdays

Back for week 3 of Thankfulness Thursdays

thanks to the Domestic Fashionista.

—

This week was the start to one of my favorite parts of Fall:

NBA Basketball.

Though I have been posting an awful lot

about my love for the San Francisco Giants

my heart will always belong to the Sacramento Kings first.

Basketball season means time spent beside my family

cheering, laughing, and stat trading

in front of a game I love to watch.

It means a little less sleep a few nights a week

because you better believe I don’t miss a game without an incredible excuse.

There’s nothing I love more than blaming my exhaustion

on staying up past my bedtime just so I could see the end of the game.

I won’t lie… Basketball season is the reason

I recently upgraded my cable service just so I wouldn’t miss a game.

Last year I even kept the Kings schedule in my car,

so that if I was in the car during game time,

at least I could listen to the play call on the radio.

A little extreme…I know.

But this is coming from the girl

who called her Daddy at 7am the day of the “last” Kings game

crying because I had tickets to the game and he didn’t.

I was feeling guilty.  How could I not watch this last game with him?

(Luckily, that wasn’t the last game.)

Sounds a little silly, but really, it’s the reason I’m thankful today.

Because to me, this game stands for family time.

—

Whether it be on the couch in front of the television for TNT Thursdays,

or sitting in our season ticket seats at Sleep Train Arena,

I am so very thankful for basketball season!