Get organized

Now that summer has officially began, I can get started on some of the projects I have had in my mind. I cannot stand clutter and it amazes me how quickly things can get disorganized so I had a few areas in the home that needed some rescue. The two big areas were the kitchen pantry and a drawer in my master bathroom. You know, that one drawer that everything ends up in and before you know it opening and closing the drawer becomes a carefully orchestrated event. 

For the pantry,I started by pulling everything out. Since we started eating Paleo a few months ago we have really cut out a lot of processed foods. So the next step was to separate all the pastas and breads we don't really eat anymore. I never realized how much pasta I was hoarding in the pantry. It was almost like I was mentally preparing for some kind of apocalypse or natural disaster. If the package was unopened it was put in pile to take to the local food bank. If it was already opened it went in the trash (side note...I really hate throwing things away... I feel like it is such a waste especially when it comes to food).  Then everything was put back in neatly where thing could easily be seen. Since the shelves in the pantry are really high I decided to get some stackable baskets that could be loaded from the front at the dollar store for all the little things, like my almond packs and teas. 

The next project was the bathroom drawer. Again, I pulled everything out, threw away the items that were trash, cleaned out the drawer (I couldn't believe how much hair was in there...I don't even know how it got in there), and then skillfully placed everything back in. At the dollar store I found some shallow wire baskets that were perfect for storing all the little things and keeping them from slipping all over the place each time the drawer opened and closed. Just opening the drawer after to show Daniel when he got home gave me such a sense of pride. 

Going back to my whole "I hate to throw things away" obsession, I have always used these mints tins to store things like bobby pins and hair ties. I even keep some at school to hold paper clips and thumb tacks. Maybe this summer I will get around to decorating them so they look cute when sitting around.  

Clean eating - green smoothies

Now that school is over for the summer I can get back on track with my clean eating. The last few weeks were brutal! With teacher appreciation week, birthdays, and end of the year parties I felt like I was lost inside Willy Wonka's factory and couldn't get out. 

Sunday mornings are typically my morning to shop for the week. I feel like I'm starting the week off right. After my trip to Trader Joe's, I come home and stand in awe at the healthy food that sits before me. It is then, and really only then, that I tell myself I don't need any chocolate. 

I have always loved green smoothies. Ever since I received a Ninja blender for Christmas one year I have enjoyed making them. The one problem I would run into is the "I just don't have time."  Well, one day I decided I had to find a way around that. If I could prepare and freeze the items beforehand then all I would have to do is pour the contents into the blender, add some juice or almond milk, and I would be set. 

So I gathered my ingredients. I had a huge bag of kale that I picked up at Costco. At Trader Joe's, I bought a bag of frozen strawberries, a bag of frozen blueberries, and a bag of frozen pineapple. I mixed all the frozen fruit together in a bowl. 

I evenly divided the fruit and kale into 8 freezer bags. I added 1/2 a banana to each bag, zipped them up, and placed them in the freezer. Now, when I'm ready for a green drink I just add 1-2 cups of orange juice or almond milk. 

Memorial Day Weekend

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone!

I have been looking forward to this weekend for a while. Memorial Day Weekend for us teachers is typically the first weekend of the summer. No papers to grade, no lessons to plan, no emails to send or receive. It is the beginning of the summer vacation that goes way to fast. However, this year we get the special treat of going to a wedding in Prescott, Arizona (where the weather is a much more bearable temperature). 

I started my morning off with a trip to Target. For the end of the year my students got me a gift card to Target and I did not have any trouble using it. Target had some really cute dresses in for summer so I got the one I'm wearing in the picture below. 

After Target, I had an appointment at Dry Bar.  A very nice guy named Brandon gave me the best scalp massage and then styled my locks while I got caught up on the lives of my favorite celebrities through some of my favorite magazines. 

Daniel was playing golf with some friends so when he was done I just picked him up and we hit the road. Now, I know holiday weekend traffic can be crazy but this was insane. There we several accidents and parts of the highway were shut down. 

Fortunately, if I was going to be stuck on the highway with anyone, I couldn't think of a better person. 

We finally made it to Prescott with about 15 minutes to get ready. Daniel amazed me at his swift shaving skills. Fortunately we made it to the bus where the guests were all driven out to Las Vegas ranch. The wedding was beautiful. It was such a great night. 

Being a teacher is not easy on your waistline!

Last week was teacher appreciation week and I was so fortunate to be showered with love from my students and their parents. Each morning I had a soy latte delivered to me and every afternoon I got a yummy lunch. I also received tons of flowers and notes of appreciation. On top of all of that I got so many yummy treats. It was so hard to resist!

So this week I told myself I'm starting fresh. All clean eating and no junk food. I didn't stand a chance. Monday morning a little girl walks in with cupcakes to celebrate her summer birthday.

Look at how delicious this looks!

Okay...so today I'm going to be much better! I have to! I must say no!

I'll let you know how it goes...

Happy Saturday

I love Saturdays and today was a very productive one. It started with a morning workout on the treadmill. It's getting so hot outside that I have to stay in and do the treadmill. However, it was not bad. I had my favorite country songs to pump me up and help me get through the forty minutes.

After my workout, I went for a pedicure. The guy I've been going to gives the best foot massages.

When I was leaving the nail salon, I decided to stop next door at my favorite consignment boutique. It was my lucky day. Not only did they have my favorite jeans on the 50% off rack, but when I tried them on they were perfectly tailored for my 5'2" frame.

Later in the evening, Daniel and I joined my sister and we took our mom out to a comedy show and dinner. It was a great day!

Clean Eating and Healthy Living

I have always tried to live a healthy lifestyle. I don't eat fast food often, I get my veggies in each day, and I always try to go organic when possible. I always find the healthier I eat, the better I feel. The one thing I have a hard time getting around is my sweet tooth. If there is something within reach, I have a hard time saying "no!"

The past year of my life has been bliss. I have met the man of my dreams and he makes me feel like a queen every day. He also takes me out on romantic dates several times a week. Therefore, in the last year my 110 lbs frame has turned into a slightly larger frame that no longer fits several of my favorite clothes. I have decided that I need to knock out that extra weight (although Daniel tells me I'm beautiful no matter what).

So today is a new day and a chance to start fresh. The biggest change I'm going to try is to I corporate more activity in my life.  I truly feel amazing after a good run. It's just convincing myself to put on my running shoes after a day of being with third graders.

Unfortunately (for me), the best way to document this journey is to start with a before picture.  This was way more difficult than I thought it would be, but I figured if my story can inspire others it would be worth the pride I'm giving up. After several (hundred) retakes I settled on the one below.



Since this whole blogging thing is rather new to me, I will try my best to keep this project updated as much as possible.

Kelly

I love manicures!

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my first date with Daniel. I knew he was taking me out to a restaurant for a romantic dinner so I decided to stop and get a manicure after work. I normally have my "go to" colors but yesterday I found a new color which I am in love with!

Of course, when you have a good manicure you cannot be walking around with crusty hands so I pulled out my Satin Hands kit. This was a Christmas gift from the parent of a student. I love it! It makes my hands so soft.