Five on Friday

It's Friday! Thank. Goodness.
A. Liz Adventures hosts Five on Friday every week, so head over there to see what she's got in store today.

one | Valentine's Day

This Valentine's Day will be our fifth Valentine's together. I do realize I've not yet written our story, but this will have to do for now. Our very first date was on Valentine's Day 2012 and our first married Valentine's Day was in 2014.

So since our fifth Valentine's Day is coming up this weekend, I'm excited for all of the events of the weekend. As far as I know, we don't have much planned, but I certainly hope we do something.

two | Master Chorale concert

Kyle sings with the local Master Chorale and they have a concert tonight. L'amour: bliss and angst is the name of the series tonight and apparently it's a compilation of love songs. Kyle wasn't too pumped about singing in French. Too bad.

And my parents are coming over for the concert, so that should be a lot of fun.

three | woodworking

Kyle asked for a shelf for Valentine's Day and he doesn't believe that I made some of the furniture pieces I say I did. So I'm making him a shelf. Check it out.

four | book club

We are reading Me Before You this month for book club. If you've not gotten a copy of it yet, make sure that you do. I'm about half ways through and I'm not sold on it, but it keeps getting better!

 

five | The Life of Bon

Disclaimer: I don't watch "The Bachelor". I have a handful of coworkers who do, but I've just never gotten into it. However, I've found myself going back to read Bonnie's recaps each week because her take on the whole thing is just hilarious. If you watch "The Bachelor" or even if you don't, go check her out. She's funny.

And don't forget to check in for the Valentine's post.

Follow me here, here, or here to see what's up first.

Happy Friday!

Five on Friday

It's time for another Five on Friday with A. Liz Adventures! It's been a while since I've participated, so let's see how it goes.


one | school

Block 4 is just about half done and it's crazy to think this is our longest block! At my school we run a 6 block year. Students have 2 classes per block for 3 hours per day and each block is approximately 30 days long. This way they are able to earn their 6 credits per year, but only have 2 classes at a time. When I first started, it was hard to adjust to the new schedule and the routine of having to do grades 6 times per year. But as I've grown accustomed to the routine, I've realized just how much faster the year seems to fly by!


two | conferences

Kyle and I are headed to a conference for the state's teachers' union. Exciting stuff. I know. Even though it's a conference for work, we will get to see Kyle's parents and we don't even have to fork over money for a hotel! Woohoo!


three | books

I just started the book for this month's discussion, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

 

I'm not sure what I think of it yet, but I'll keep you posted as I keep progressing. I think Aubrey has already finished the book. So there's that to keep in mind. 

four | crocheting

My friend, Beth, is pregnant and could give birth any day now and she asked me to crochet her little boy a new beanie hat. So I've been looking for some good patterns. What do you think of this one?

 

I'm hoping to knock it out of the park this weekend in the car on the way to and from the conference...and getting more of my book read. 

five | camp patton

She's back! And I couldn't be more excited! When I saw that Grace was back to blogging, I almost fell out of my chair. I also had to share it on Facebook because I love her blog that much. She's hilarious, real, and she's got 5 of the most adorable kids ever. Head on over to Camp Patton to check her out. And if you like The Bachelor, you'll enjoy her recaps.

Now head on over to A. Liz Adventures to check out the other Five-on-Friday blog posts!

Happy Friday!

24 | Top 5 Blogs

I've been so excited for this post! I've had it written for a few days, because I didn't want to worry about writing on my birthday, so there's that.

I'm not sure if it's Kosher or not...but one of my favorite blogs, which is now private, is going to be included in this list. Maybe I'll add 6 total so that you don't feel gypped.

1 | be.do.say.go.
Aubrey is one of my best friends. I love that she's serving Jesus and she's following His calling on her life. She's teaching English in Bangkok, Thailand right now and I'm living vicariously through her. She's got a heart for people and for serving. Go check her out. And you'll see my post there from yesterday!

2 | Camp Patton
Grace is a momma of 5 children, ages 5 & under. She's snarky, sassy, & absolutely hilarious. I've been reading her blog for the last few years. Unfortunately, her blog has recently become a private blog. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she will be back to the web-o-sphere sometime in the future.

3 | The Life of Bon
Bonnie is a wife, momma, & English teacher. We share 2 of those 3 characteristics and I hope that we will share all 3 one day. I love reading her stories about what has worked for her in class and what hasn't. I also adore hearing about her sweet family and the projects that are going on around her house. Check her out.

4 | The Fisk Files
Britt has one of the sweetest spirits. Her writing really expresses her heart and love for her family and others. She's a momma to 4 and #5 is on the way! I love seeing photos of her sweeties.

5 | Words that Sing
Kelsey is a momma and a former English teacher. Funny enough, she went to college with my sister-in-law! That connection was fun to make! She's sweet, lovely, and all around a very real person who shares what's on her heart. And if you're in her area and looking to have photos taken, she's your lady!

6 | The Girl in the Red Shoes
Julie has the prettiest red hair and the sweetest children! Hudson & Sadie are such sweet little things! I love reading about her life adventures and she just makes me smile. Say hi!

What blogs do you like reading?

    

Five on Friday--and The Glass Menagerie

 

[ONE] 
Today is a day off from school. Unfortunately--much of it will still be spent grading...but I'm so thankful that I get a day at home with my husband. And it's not the weekend.


[TWO] 
I've been loving these blogs/posts this week:

A. Liz Adventures

I'm linking up with her for today's Five on Five

The Good Life

The Life of Bon

[THREE] 

[FOUR]

My husband brought me coffee this morning--without me asking him to. :)

[FIVE]

The Glass Menagerie questions go live today--and the discussion goes live tomorrow!

Questions:

-Which character did you connect most with?

-What were your expectations for the play? Did the play meet or exceed your expectations? 

     (or something else)

-Overall, what were your opinions of the play? How do you feel about plays in general?

-How many stars would you give The Glass Menagerie (1-5)?

Alright! Get ready and if you've not finished the play--you've still got some time!

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Monday Favs.

Sept 22nd: Introduce us to 5 blogs you read on the regular, and tell us why!

For some reason I had so much difficulty trying to decide how to start this post. It shouldn't have been so difficult, seeing as how it's all about what I've been reading, and all. Yipes!

So, I suppose...without further ado...

1. be.do.say.go. (in Bangkok)
Aubrey and I have been friends since college. She's been one of my closest friends and since she graduated and moved back home, I've been reading her blog consistently. Aubrey is currently in...wait for it...Bangkok. Right?! It's a surprise, seeing as her blog title says (in Bangkok). Go check out her blog and get to know her. She's great.

2. The Life of Bon
Bonnie is an English Teacher, a blogger, and a new momma. I've been reading her blog for about a year. I was drawn to her blog because of how real she is. Bonnie talks about the tough side of teaching and she reflects on the rewards of it as well. Go see her. She's even got a monthly book club!

3. Camp Patton
Grace is a momma of 4 under 4. She's also very real. I've enjoyed getting to know her through her blog and watching her family grow. She frequently puts up photos of her outings with her children. And also puts gems like this up: Simon Says & Julia Styles. Go say hello!

4. Domesticated Combat Boots
The Romer family resides over at Domesticated Combat Boots. What a sweet family! A Marine family with two sweet little kiddos. They love Jesus and they're off on a new adventure. Meet them.

And last, but not least...

5. Monica Swanson (formerly the grommom)
Monica is SO sweet. She's working on her own e-book and her blog series at the moment discusses health and healthy lifestyles. Her blog frequently follows her surfer boys (groms) who love that they live in Hawaii and have the beach accessible. If you're looking for some motivation, head over to see what's up.

I hope you find some new friends too!

#mugswap14 {Link Up}

Greetings! It's been ages since I've written and I'm so sorry to leave you hanging! I'm back now, so don't worry your pretty little heads one more minute.

I'm back to tell you about something pretty awesome! Kim, over at the lovely blog ACuppaKim, hosts an annual mugswap. It's pretty boss. You should totally check it out. Write it down in your planners and count down the days til next August. (Do you sense how exciting this all is?? Because you should.) 

Anyway, this was her 4th annual #mugswap. It was only my 2nd year participating. BUT! It was so much fun. This year the theme was to "Bless Others". We (#mugswap14 participants) were encouraged to spoil our partners and to donate to the Hopper family for their upcoming adoption. Check out Kim's blog for more details!

I was partnered up with sweet Meg over at rivers & roads. I've gotten to know her through her blog, IG, and Pinterest. I know that if we were to meet in person, we'd be friends. Go check her out. 

Through our mugswap partnership and social media, I found out that Meg loves Disney, Harry Potter, coffee, caramel, and blue. And as hard as I tried to find something special for her that hit all of these loves, it just wasn't happening. Alas, I settled with creating a special gift for her. Check it out!

I had SO much fun shopping, crafting, and wrapping! She wrote to me to let me know she loved it and she squealed when she opened the package. It made my heart happy! My pleasure, Meg!

And I do know that the purpose of the mugswap is to bless others and make their mail happy. While I LOVED every minute of this adventure, I don't have the second half of the mugswap adventure to share with you. And as I sat at my desk today, I thought about how blessed I am. I don't need to receive a mug in return (I would like it very much...BUT), but that's not the purpose. 

I have so much more than some others. I'm blessed with a job, a wonderful husband, a loving Savior, a roof over my head, a car. I could go on, but you get the picture. So, even if my mug doesn't ever make it to me, I've been blessed by #mugswap14 anyway. 

Kim, here's to another year until #mugswap15. And Meg, here's to a new friend gained. 

Cheers!

Ps. I will be posting new job (eek!) updates soon! xo

Ch-Ch-Check 'em Out!

I've been on a reading kick. I mean, I usually am reading blogs/magazines/articles often. But the last week or so has been amped up QUITE a bit! So I wanted to share my top 5 articles I've read this last week. Some are from blogs and others are from magazines (that stemmed from blogs) and I hope you like them as much as I did!

1. Camp Patton
Grace definitely has a way with story telling. I came across her blog one day as I was perusing the blogosphere and fell. in. love. She's the sweet mama to four precious children. Click on the blog title to go right to her blog homepage!
The post she put up this last week is called "too much ado about absolutely nothing". I loved it. In it, she talked a little about their newest baby, Phoebe, who has the SWEETEST, chubbiest cheeks around and proceeded to relate a story from a weekend event while her hubs was working overnight. Go read it. Thank me later.

2. The Life of Bon
Bonnie teaches English too! I started reading her blog about six months ago and was hooked. Her personality shines through her writing and I feel like we're friends! She talks about her progressing pregnancy, her students, her marriage, and her faith. She's a well-rounded blogger and I keep coming back for more.
I recently read her post about how she got scammed in preparing for her trip to Hawaii. It's called "Scams and vacation mishaps". It piqued my interest as they (she and her husband) are currently traveling in Germany. Read it!

3. Bedlam Magazine
I know, I know, I know. This is my blog. I'm supposed to be sharing other blogs for you to read. Sorry. This is a great magazine. It was created by authors Cory Copeland and Cassi Clerget. I've read both of their blogs and have enjoyed their writing immensely. But...I read an article discussing the impending, dreaded (for singles), wedding season! *bum bum bum!*
Molly Chambers wrote a hilarious piece for Bedlam Magazine entitled "I Do (Not Have Enough Booze for This)". She discusses the three "Bs" to keep in mind during wedding season.

4. youaremyfave.com
I've never read this blog before and I loved it. A friend was tagged on Facebook and it dealt with breakfast. So...what's not to love? It's called "a breakfast club is my fave" and unfortunately it left me hungry when I was done reading. Since that was the only "downside" to this post, I decided it must share.

5. be.do.say.go
Aubrey is one of my favorites ever. I'm not even kidding. She's encouraging, real, funny, inspiring, and a great friend. Last night she posted "Bless this new week." and I needed to hear it as a reminder. The song on her blog last night was such a great reminder that God gives so many blessings and I always have a reason to praise Him. Check it out. You'll be glad you did.

I do have to say, this post ended up being longer than anticipated, but that's okay. Check these blogs out. They're just little pieces of my life I'm able to share.

*No, I was not sponsored to post about any of these fine writers. I chose their posts of my own accord. Now go read and be happy.