This is what happens when you start teaching extra classes...

Remember when I promised to post more frequently? Well, the week after I did that I found out one of the other teachers was leaving our program and they couldn't hire a replacement before the end of the semester. So here I am teaching an extra two classes a week! Her students are awesome and it's a lot of fun, but needless to say, it hasn't left me with a lot of free time!  and now I'm trying to remember where we left things here :)



Biggest and most important thing: My half marathon! I finished! I didn't get sick! I was 15 seconds away from beating a secret time goal!  (My real goal was to just finish the race, but who doesn't have some secret amazing thing they want?) All super good things. And if my GPS watch hadn't died at mile 7, I think I could've easily beaten the aforementioned secret time goal. Side note: GPS was fully charged that morning. Lately it's been lasting about 3 miles before the battery dies. A new one is NUMBER ONE on my Christmas List - (Hear that, mom or J? ;))   I've been running less since then, but there are two spring half marathons in my future, so the break from running longer distances can't last too long!

Other happenings:

We went to a young adult church retreat a few weeks ago. The topic was nostalgia/Back to The Future (because it was October 2015 and how could you not have that as your theme??) My biggest takeaway? "Live life like you're creating moments to be nostalgic for in the future." Love it!

Also in October, I went to my first TESOL Conference (our state chapter). It was great. I really enjoyed it, learned a lot, and picked up some great materials for my classes. It was very rejuvenating in the middle of a crazy busy semester. And a good reminder of how much I love what I do. :)

Free books and a tote bag! What more could a teacher ask for??

Last week was Mr. Conway's birthday! Hard to believe our little guy is 5 years old! I'm using this as an excuse to post more pictures of him, but really - who needs an excuse for Conway pictures??



  

I'm really enjoying this time of year. It's football season. J and I went to a great Halloween Party. I did some very fun Halloween activities in my classes (including pumpkin carving with my highest level group).  We also cut out paper snowflakes (because following multi-step written directions is one of our benchmarks to meet! Who said it had to be boring?)   I'm really looking forward to our Thanksgiving parties and to visiting my family for Thanksgiving itself.  I've started making my holiday shopping list (though have only purchased one little tiny stocking stuffer!) And it doesn't hurt that we've had unseasonably beautiful weather (though there is a chance of snow tonight..)  We even did some work clearing out our garden bed and planting garlic this past week. Note: After New Year's Day, my love of this season is officially over! Then it's just cold, dark and snowy ;)

30 pumpkins = a pumpkin patch in the trunk of my car!

The finished products!

Cowboys and Indians! Get it?? 

Snowflakes in the classroom

   Speaking of holiday shopping - I've been quite busy with Thirty-One! I've had two vendor events so far and have one more vendor event and a holiday open house :) Today is also my Thirty-One anniversary! Hard to believe it's been a year since I started this adventure. It's been fun and I'm excited to see what the next year brings.

Hope all my lovely readers are doing well and I hope to update again soon! (But, realistically, we'll see what happens ;) )

And one last picture - the vase and flowers J bought me just because :) He's the best!

Trying to keep warm + Microwavable Paleo "oatmeal"

After a brief thaw on Sunday (26*! I walked around with my jacket unzipped!), it's back to being chilly here. I've been focusing on some projects to help keep me warm, including my go-to winter morning breakfast! Recipe for that is at the bottom of this post :)

But, seriously, first things first - we are so happy about Ohio State winning the first ever college football playoff! J and I have been quite excited about the playoff game and were just hoping the Buckeyes would prove that they deserved to be there (they were the fourth out of four teams included and many didn't think they deserved that spot). But we are thrilled that they won, and quite decisively, too!  J made Ohio State jello shots in preparation for the big game, which we watched with some friends at a local bar.  It's always more fun to watch these big events in large groups and boy was the crowd riled up last night.

Documenting the moments after the big win :)

(Headband made by me before the first round of the playoff - it brought us luck then, so I wore it again last night)

In crafting news, I made these cute microwavable hand warmers this past weekend. They're made of flannel so they're nice and soft to hold and are filled with rice. Just pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds and they're warm for about 15-20 minutes (bigger ones would stay warm a little longer). These aren't going to get you through a long outdoor event, but they're perfect for daily walks with the dog.  (And an important note for anyone wanting to make their own - be sure to use 100% cotton materials! That means both the fabric AND the thread :) )

 I also made a knockoff version of Lululemon's Vinyasa Scarf. The vinyasa scarf is a very wide scarf with snaps that you can use to wear it in all sorts of different ways. Seriously. Google "how to wear a vinyasa scarf" and you'll find all sorts of ideas! There are even several video tutorials. Pictured here are two ways of wearing it that I could photograph easily ;)

 My version is a nice soft knit from my favorite place to buy knits: Girl Charlee! (note: if you sign up and purchase through my link, you get 10% off your first order and I get referral credits to buy more fabric :D )  I'm thinking about making another one, but making it reversible instead of the same fabric on both sides. If I do - I'll post a tutorial for how to make it! :) I may also make one that's uses a nylon/spandex blend, which is closer to the original Lululemon scarf material. But those are projects for another day and I have enough else on my to do list to keep me busy...

Speaking of being busy, here is a quick and easy recipe for you all!

Microwavable Paleo "oatmeal"

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While I don't eat exclusively Paleo by any stretch of the imagination (see exhibit A, jello shots, above) - I do find that incorporating more Paleo-style eating into my diet tends to help with some of my stomach issues, so I often use Paleo recipes. One thing I like to eat, especially on this cold winter mornings, is this protein-rich, savory "oatmeal".  I've seen a lot of Paleo oatmeal recipes that require you to cook it on the stove, but I'll be honest - I don't have time for that in the morning! This version is quick and easy.  Exact measurements are not required and everything can be adjusted to taste.

1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon (adjust to your taste - can always add more after it's cooked)
1 egg or equivalent in egg whites (You can use pasteurized egg whites if you're concerned about salmonella)
1/4 cup of your favorite milk or milk substitute (I use almond milk)
2 TB ground flax seed
1 TB almond butter

Combine all ingredients into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for one minute and stir everything up really well. That's it!

Note: If you like a less runny oatmeal - you can reduce the amount of milk and/or increase the time you microwave it. I recommend removing after 1 minute and stirring, then using 30 second intervals after that.

What's your favorite breakfast on a cold winter morning?