Besties on a Beer Run...

School is officially out for summer!  (Even though I'll be going there today!  HA!)  Friday I went to a Teacher's Happy Hour at an outdoor bar in town with some teacher friends.  It was a fun time!  Sippin' summery drinks and talking summer!  We went fairly early, so I was home and made it an early night.  Which is truly, what I like doing better anyway!! #OldLady #TotallyOKwithit!

Saturday I spent the morning catching up on all the blogs I missed during the week with the craziness that is the last couple of days of school.  I LOVED reading all the Style Me Bloggers Summer Reading Recommendations!!  Find them all here!  Then I cleaned up the house up bit because my bestie was coming out to stay for the weekend.  And I'm not gonna lie, when ya live alone, the guest room might get a little bit messy during the week, when you have company you know won't need to go in there.  But anyhoo....

After that, I got ready for the day and headed out to start the weekend of beer with my bestie.  A few months ago I picked up a Living Social certificate for a beer tasting at a local brewery for four people.  We tried to get our other friends to come a few times and it never really worked out with their schedules...and this was the last weekend we could do it, as it was expiring.  But the two of us going actually worked out great because we each went home with a growler and 2 pint glasses....so score!!  :)

The Oyster Bay Brewery is out in Nassau on the North Shore, so I headed in on the train and Mel picked me up and on our way we went!  It was a little bit of a struggle to find, being that it was off the main street and did not have very large signage at all.  But we found it!  (I should have taken a picture of the small ass sign!)

Apparently, this is what you do on a rainy Saturday...go taste some beer!  Because it was pretty crowded.  It was not a big place at all!!!  But there was lots of people there....and lots of people brought their groupons too!  LOL

We squeezed in at the bar and it was explained to us how the tasting worked.  When we were there, they had 5 beers on tap, so we were able to try each.  (Our flight had a 6th but since that keg was kicked, we only had the five.  I really liked how they did it! The flights were in a little box and the numbers underneath, corresponded to each beer on tap.  If I was a better blogger I would have taken a picture of the number board...ooopps!!  But I do remember my faves!  Out of the five I like the Summer Ale, Honey Ale and American Wheat best.  I left with a growler of American Wheat at the end of the night.

Because it was a tasting for four we had the option of getting another set of flights or a pint of our fave, so we did that!

After the brewery we went to dinner at the restaurant within walking distance.  Super yummy food and Oyster Bay on Tap!! Win! Win!

After dinner and a quick trip back to the brewery to get our growlers filled we headed back to my house.

Because Sunday...another Groupon, another brewery!

Actually it's called a brewtique.  It's a beer place that has a ton of craft beers on tap and a store for brewers inside.  It's fun, I've been there a few times but not for a tasting.  We went fairly early....after brunch at our fave....

At Hoptron they had something like 16 different beers from all different brewers on tap.  For the flight we were able to pick four.  So it was kinda tough...if I had all day, I would've gotten another four....and another...because at this one I really only enjoyed 2 that I picked.  But it's so close, I can go whenever and try a few more!  :)

This is really cool!!  All the breweries of the beers they have/had on tap are posted here.

After brunch and beer tasting, we were pretty full...but nothing a little shopping can't cure.  So we headed to Old Navy...Mel had to return something...and there was a big sale!  Oddly enough, I was the only one who left with something!  These pixie pants.  Do I need these pixie pants...probably not (and can I afford these pixie pants at the moment...probably not!)  But I just love pixie pants! These are super cute! And HELLO...it was a SALE!!

These are actually the pixie pants I got...not an hour later I saw them featured on Old Navy's Instagram!!

@oldnavy pants worn by @overmystyledbody

After that, I laid low for the rest of the day!  The sun made a few peeks out from behind the clouds in the late afternoon, so I sat outside and read a little!  Since it's a summer of reruns, I decided to check On Demand for something to watch.  I found the pilot episode of Jane the Virgin on the CW.  I started watching it....super cute and funny! And the star Gina Rodriguez won the Golden Globe for the show.  The first CW show to ever win anything.  Is anyone watching it?  hopefully as the summer goes on the whole first season will come On Demand.

Jane the Virgin

And Monday has rolled around again.  But guess what???  It's summer!!  I don't care!  HA!  I'm walking this morning, headed to school for a bit, then off to catch a few rays!
Hope you all had a great weekend and have a happy Monday!

It's summer so I hope to be blogging lots!  Keep up with me!!

Oh and big news!!!  The Winner of the $200 Gab Brand Gift Card is...

Ashley Bree Perez!!!  

Congrats Ashley!!  

And thanks to all who entered!

Linking up today for:
Weekending with B Loved Boston and Champagne & Suburbs
Manic Monday with On the Daily Express and More Pieces of Me
Monday Madness with Ashley at A Cute Angle

My Summer Reading List

WOOOOO HOOOOOOO  SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!!!  Yesterday was my official LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

I am so looking forward to SUMMER!!  I don't have much planned in way of a vacation but do have a few fun things in the works.  Last year's summer concerts totaled 7, This year I'm just going to two.  Tim McGraw who I saw earlier this month, and the main event, Kenny Chesney, (MY FAVE!!) in August!! I also have family coming for a visit and may or may not do a Road Trip or Staycation with my bestie, like I mentioned here!

With the rest of my time, I really hope to read.  Last summer I hardly read at all!!  I was sad about it too, because I remember in years past when I could read two books in a week!  So I WILL READ this summer!

Ever since my blogging buddies and I linked up a few months ago to share our favorite books, I have about two dozen books on my "must read" list, but I've set a goal to read 6 books this summer .  I believe this is pretty realistic. And if I can read more, great!!   Today we're linking up again, this time to share our Summer Reading Lists with you today!!

On the top of my list are books that I already have and have been sitting on my shelf just waiting to be read.  But there are also a few I purchased with Gift Cards!

I bought Big Little Lies by Laine Moriarty when it was on super sale at Amazon,  I had hoped to bring it to Florida with me.  Instead I brought Girl on the Train.  It was lighter!! ;)  So this is the first one I'm going to start.  I really loved the Husband's Secret and have heard great things about this one as well.

A while back I signed up for Blogging for Books, a website that sends bloggers complimentary books to read and review on their blogs.  Read my first review here.  I got my second book, before the end of last year. It's Neil Patrick Harris' book.  It's written like a Choose a Your Own Adventure, so that's what drew me to it!  But it's on my kindle so I have yet to read it.  I want to get through it because I know it'll be funny (I've always liked him!) and I want to start getting more books to review regularly.  So be on the lookout for my review of it at some point this summer!

When we linked up and shared, one of the books I reviewed as my favorite was The Pact by Jodi Picoult, the only one by her I've ever read.  It was one of Sarah's faves too, and many of the comments told me I had to read more from her.  So I just got Nineteen Minutes!  I realize it's a super heavy subject...not my typical summer beachy, chick-lit read...but I thought I'd give it a try!
Another one on Sarah's list that others had read too, was The Wednesday Letters.  Sounds like a great read...and a tearjerker!!  It's on my list!

Wild is another one on my list.  A number of people over the last few months have been telling me I have to read it.   It's not my typical read, but I'm excited about it. I hear it's a slow start but gets really good.  And that the author's writing is wonderful.  If I can get through the slow start that was The Girl on the Train, I can get through anything!  HA!!

Two books I am adding to my list I just received this week.  I guess It's now a tradition that our end of the year gift at work is a book.  We got one last year (which I never read...guess I should add it to this list!) and again this week.  This year's book, I'll read!  It's called Leaping and it's a collection of essays.  So I can read one or a few and walk away from it!  I can also be reading another book while I read this one.

And the last book on my list, a work friend gave me to put in the school library.  She received it free as a Scholastic Red Apple Teacher.  It's an advanced reader's copy of a YA novel called The Blackthorn Key.  It's not available until September. It looks like a really interesting mystery!

I'm really excited to check out what the other ladies are reading this summer, because I got a few gift cards as end of the year gifts, and want to use their lists to help me pick out a few more good reads!  Head on over to all the blogs and add to your summer reading list as well!

Shoes to Shiraz | Two Teens and their Mama | A Lovely Little Wardrobe | 
R Squared  | Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy 

The Mishaps and Mayhem of Solitary Life |  Quilty Joy Joy

Making The Most of Everyday | Puppies and Pretties | She Thought She Could 

 Foxy's Domestic Side | Once Upon a Time &Happily Ever After 

Sprinkled Just Right | Nick and Nik | The Blondissima | Daily Style Finds | A Little Bit Of Cheer

An InLinkz Link-up


Have a great weekend!!
Katie

Love! Hate! Tag!

Can't wait to write this post!!  On Monday, I was tagged by Deena (one of my bloggy besties!) who blogs at Shoes to Shiraz for a Love//Hate//Tag post.  The rules are super simple!  Post 10 things I love, 10 I hate and then tag 10 more bloggers to do the same!  I hope you'll find a little something in here that helps you get to know me better, and maybe enjoy a laugh or two!  I've chosen to highlight the more obscure, fun things. If you've been reading the blog for any amount of time, you know my love of family, friends, my home, coffee...and drinks are a given!

So in no particular order:

LOVES
1. Books  I love books.  New, real books.  I love the smell the newness and getting lost in a new read. 
Come back tomorrow for my Summer Reads List!!
  
2. Summer I get tan...enough said!

3. Country Music Who knew all those years ago when my dad brought his very first country CD (Reba: Greatest Hits Volume Two) that my entire family and I would be hooked on country music.  I love the stories told and that I can sing along to it.  I do agree that today's country is not the country of  long ago, but i like it all!!

4. Traveling I haven't done much traveling since I bought this house, but I do love it.  That's not to say I'm the best traveler in the world, but I like seeing new places and returning to destinations I've already been.  When I travel I like seeing sites but also enjoy the relaxation of it all too.

5. My bed It's not the biggest, but I love it.  It's super comfy!  And I swear, some nights when I get in it, I can actually hear my body saying Thank you!

6. Doing laundry Some might put this on the hate list, but I love it.  Or maybe it's just my washer and dryer that I love.  No, it's the laundry.  Sorting it, throwing in the pod and setting it!  And I get super excited when I hear the chime that it's done so I can fold it!

7. Sushi Maybe this one is a given too!  But sushi  I could honestly eat everyday!!

8. People Watching  LOVE, LOVE LOVE doing this!  I could do this all day!  I may also have a problem with listening in on people convos!  HA!

9. Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil  This is my 2015 love.  I discovered it on Sunset and Stilettos blog as a saver for winter skin!  This works awesome and now that I'm wearing shorts and dresses for summer, I can't live without it.  It's a bit on the pricey side but a little goes a long way!

10. Laughing I just love laughing...and I do it every single day!  Good day, bad day I can find a laugh or two or ten in there!!

Hate is a very strong word...lol...but here are some things I hate...

HATES

1. Bills Everybody hates bills right!?!?

2. Change...lol  I'm getting over this little by little but I really like things my way.  And I like my schedule and things to stay the same.  If there is an expected change, I feel out of sorts! 

3. Mean People Some people are just mean, and unnecessarily so. Being mean is not cool.  Kindness doesn't cost a thing!!  Spread it around...  

4. Changing the sheets  I loathe doing this!!  LOATHE it!!  I don't know why but it takes me forever.  And it's inevitable that I start putting them on wrong...EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.  Ugh!!

5. Shopping {in the stores}  If you know me, you know I'm a diehard online shopper.  I haven't been in an actual store in so long.  And I think this fact makes me hate it even more.  I always get on the longest line, everyone's pawing the clothes, they never have my size, etc.  I love online shopping...I can always get great sales and find promo codes and I use EBATES...the best thing ever!

6. BUGS All of them...everywhere!

7. Getting up early when I don't have to I have this really bad habit of getting up earlier on the weekend than I do all week.  I hit the snooze but 187 times during the week

8. Getting a Peapod order, then realizing I forgot that ONE THING I REALLY NEEDED That is all!

9. Being so dependent on my device I really hate this, but I am.  When I forget my phone, it's like I'm missing something.  And lately I've been more dependent on it then ever since the battery in my watch died.  HA!!  Now that summer has arrived, and I don't need my phone as my alarm anymore, I'll be charging it out on the kitchen counter.  That way it's not the first thing I have to look at when I wake up.  

10. Winter Summer's my fave!  Winter...not so much.  I don't like the cold. And then the snow, the ice..ick!!  The fashion's not terrible though!  I can bundle up in cute sweaters and boots!  But make no mistake, that is the only upside.

Now for the Tag!  Can't wait to learn more about these ladies!

Casey @ A Little Bit of Cheer
Joy @ Quilty Joy Joy
Alison @ Puppies and Pretties

Jamie @ Loving, Crafting, and Cooking in the Country

JulieAnn @ Coach G's Wife
Ashley @ A Cute Angle 
Amanda @ A Brownie World
Amanda @ Sweet Home Alabama
Brenda @ Chatting Over Chocolate
Erin @ Our Little Life 

Tag Ladies...You're it!!

What fun....

As of 10:30 a.m. today, I'll be on Summer Vacation!!  Woo Hoo!!  Come on back tomorrow!  I'm sharing my summer reading list!  And it seems to be growing by the day!!  Oh and have you entered our GIVEAWAY yet??  There's one more day left!  Quick....enter here!

Katie

I'm linking up today with Vanessa and Penny for Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  

What I Wore Wednesday: Challenge Week Two

Well the Summer Challenge is in full swing now! We're well into week two.  Having only highlighted the first two looks in my last post, I should have at least seven more to show you today!! I don't!!  I've skipped a few!   And since I haven't been wearing every outfit, I've mixed it up a bit. Next week when I am home and summer vacation has started, I hope to be more on target.  What I managed to put together, you'll find below!!

When we last met, it was day three!  Wednesday called for a white dress, wedges and the denim vest. You may remember me saying last week that my denim vest had yet to arrive.  It wasn't here for day three either, so I didn't wear it.  But when I returned home from work at 6 o'clock that night.  There were two packages at my door.  One was the denim vest, the other was a lace dress that I  had forgotten about buying (it took a while to get here!!) So this isn't the best pic...end of the day and all, but here's the look!!  I received many compliments on this so decided, I'll keep it!!

This isn't the true challenge outfit...just me really trying it on!  At some point, I'll dress it up and post it again.


Thursday was kimono day!!  I actually ended up wearing this on Monday minus the boyfriend shorts it called for because I was working.  But it was a dress down, so I wore jeans!  I really liked this!

Didn't realize I cut half myself off in this pic...ugh!

#SelfieFail

Friday was a super easy outfit.  Bright shorts, lace top and wedges.  Accessorized with a colorful necklace.  This necklace was all I had.  I haven't bought a bright one or one if those tassel necklaces that are in these  days!

Saturday I actually wore Sunday's look.  I thought I was wearing the right day's look but apparently I was a day ahead! I really liked this though...love me a good maxi!!  And the fact that I'm still rockin' this one from 2008 makes me happy!!  I was with my family...yay for having a photographer!

Saturday actually called for a chambray shirt and white shorts!! You'll see that on me soon!!

Sunday, I'm not gonna lie...I stayed in my pj's!  I'd been sick for a week at that point, I just rested up, not talking and trying to get better!

Monday's look I skipped out on in favor of the kimono one I highlighted above! But it was Palazzo Pants!!! YAY!!  With a flowy tank!!  I wanna say this was a repeat of a 2014 outfit.  Because I consulted the archives and this is what I wore last challenge!   {Actually last year it was paired with a white t...I guess I'm just ahead of the trends!! hahahahahahaha}

 original post

Tuesday's look was another easy one.  This was my after school outfit!!  Graphic Tee and boyfriend shorts.. I had a hard time getting the graphic so you don't get to see the Cons I wore!  And I suppose these are not boyfriend shorts...but they're shorts! So it's a win in my book!

Every challenge seems to go faster and faster!  Come back next week for the week 3 looks!  Now go check out how the rest of the Style Me Bloggers did this week!  Link up your fashion post with us, too!!   

AND DON'T FORGET THE GIVEAWAY IS STILL GOING ON!!!  ENTER BELOW!!Shoes to Shiraz | R Squared | Two Teens and Their Mama | 

Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy | A Lovely Little Wardrobe | 

Mishaps and Mayhem of Solitary Life | Puppies and Pretties | Daily Style Finds | 

Making the Most of Everyday | She Thought She Could | Foxy's Domestic Side | 

Quilty Joy Joy |  Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After |

A Little Bit of Cheer | Nick and Nik

An InLinkz Link-up

 Puppies & Pretties // Daily Style Finds

Shoes to Shiraz // A Lovely Little Wardrobe // Making the Most of Every Day

Two Teens and Their Mama // Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After

A Little Bit of Cheer // Nick + Nik // Foxy's Domestic Side // The Mishaps and Mayhem of a Solitary Life // Quilty JoyJoy

Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy // Get Your Pretty On

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a great Wednesday...Have Fun and Look Fabulous!
Katie


Linking up today too with:

Alison at Get Your Pretty On

Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy

 Because Shanna Said So

Sarah at Tucker up

Madeline at Cappuccino and Fashion

Alison at Sydney Fashion Hunter

Pampers and Pearls
Happiness at Mid Life

WTF Tuesday!

Right now I should be working on putting the finishing touches on tomorrow's Challenge Recap post.  But I took a break from it.  I thought I would just try writing/blogging to get my feelings out.  If my blog is nothing else, it's mine, and a place where I can express my thoughts and feelings.  And right now I'm just thinking to myself...WTF.  I am not really sure what's wrong with me these days.  Why have I been a big ol' mess...I've been crying at the drop of a hat lately.

And the thing is, I'm not even sad!! School's out for SUMMER in 2 days!!  2 more wake ups...and about 87 smacks on the snooze button and I'll be a free woman!!  I am HAPPY dammit!!  Just extra emotional these days and I'm not sure why.  Some might say it's that time of the month...it's not yet! (is that TMI...but I guess this post is TMI!  HA)  But really, what the hell!?!

Have you seen this???

The first time I did, I cried!! And the second and third...How cute...but then he gets old....and I break!!


Then when I was searching for the above, I found this!!  Waaaahhhhh

And people...I am not even a dog person, or a cat person, or an animal person really!! But seeing these make me sad!!

Actually, these just reminded me of a Cheerios commercial I bawled at.  They are all really cute...this might be the saddest ever tho!!




Sunday I didn't so much.  After seeing my dad (and family) on Saturday, I laid low, trying not to talk and taking meds every 4 hours in an attempt to get rid of this damn sickness!  So I did some laundry, some after care admin work and watched a movie marathon on Hallmark Channel.  And after every single one I cried.  Now I know these movies are fiction.  You don't meet and get together in two days in reality, but when that happens on Hallmark Channel, I cry!! So crazy...I KNOW!!

OMG...and I also cried watching Lester Holt's goodbye from the Weekend Today show!

Today, I got choked up watching the first grade lead Mass and listening them sing Hear I am Lord.  It really was the cutest thing!  I've been watching first grade lead the June Mass every year for 6 years and have never gotten choked up.  Only today for some reason!   What is going on?!  Not sure but I thought me writing this all out, might help me get rid of this sad slump I'm in.  Am I in a slump?  I guess so...why else would I be so emotional!!??  Maybe it's just a Solitary Life thing!!

Thanks for listening!!  Come back tomorrow!  I'm linking up with my blogging besties and talking Summer Challenge Looks!!  That'll definitely put a smile on my face!

Don't forget the Giveaway for the $200 Gap Brands Gift Card is still going strong!  ENTER HERE!!

It's Reveal Day!!

YAY!!  This post is a long time coming and has been in the works for a while!  Today's the day the Style Me girls and I reveal our blogger exchange gifts.  We are just a such a fun group, aren't we?!? Just like we did around Christmas time, we had another secret gift exchange via elfster this Spring. And a big thanks goes out to Deena for coordinating this for us again too!!

During our last link up we wrote about our homes....so our gifts reflected "home"!

I was super excited when I received my gift in the mail!!  I had kinda forgotten all about expecting it, so it was a delightful surprise when it it saw this on my doorstep.

OK....actually seeing this Pampers box on my doorstep was freaking hilarious!!  They day I got this, a friend dropped me off and we saw this for the first time together.  I was like "What the hell"... and she was like, "Is there something you need to tell us?!?  

Hahahahahaha

Yes, people this Solitary Life I live is just a facade!!  I've got a baby on the way!!!  LOL...NAH!!!  

When I saw who this was from it totally made perfect sense.  My gift giver was Sarah from Foxy's Domestic Side. She a mama of 2 littles...Mini Fox and Baby Fox!!  I just love Sarah and her blog!  And now she even vlogs!!  So awesome!! And knowing it was from her made me smile because I had sent my gift to her at Christmas time.  Funny how that worked out!!

I got in the door and ripped the package right open, I just couldn't wait!!  This is what I found inside!

There was nothing on top so I opened the tissue paper...to reveal this!  

How cute is this pillow!?!?  I put it right on the chair.  Isn't it just perfect there?

Below the pillow, was this...

So I did what I was told and unwrapped the next gift.    Inside I found this...

It's a photo album.  Love, love, love it!!

And a great gift from Sarah, who lives by the beach!!  Girl, I am coming to visit soon!!  

After I opened the gifts, I opened Sarah's sweet card.  She said she, like me loves to be home, either with her with her sweet family or enjoying some time alone.  So she thought this pillow would fit me well. She is so right.  I love it. I have received compliments on it from everyone who's come over since I got it!

The photo album I adore.  And it is similar to many others I have. And by that I mean with the two pics per page that you can easily slide in, so I will look perfect on my shelf with my albums. For now though I have it out and on display amongst my summer decor!

Sarah mentioned that I could fill the album with photos of all the fun I have this summer, and I'm going to do just that.  I can't wait  for summer to officially begin!!  5 more school days...woo hoo!! 

Thank you so much Sarah!  You know me so well (even though we've never met...in person!!) I love both gifts!  Sending you a big hug from the East Coast!!

I was really excited when I got my draw of who I had to buy for. Find out who I sent my gift to here!

How much fun!!  Can't wait to check out everyone's gifts.  I've done a lot of blogging this week but haven't been reading much!!  I have no plans tonight, which I LOVE because I've gone from no voice to a gross-sounding voice and old lady hacking cough this week, there were many early nights thanks to NyQuil!  Tonight I plan on vegging on the couch catching up on all the blogs!! So if you see a comment from me late on a Friday I am THAT girl, but I'm a sick girl!  No rest this weekend though, it's a packed family weekend!!  Maybe I'll blog about it!! 

Go check out all the girls blogs to see the goodies they received!! 

Shoes to Shiraz | Two Teens and their Mama | A Lovely Little Wardrobe | 
R Squared  | Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy 

The Mishaps and Mayhem of Solitary Life |  Quilty Joy Joy

Making The Most of Everyday | Puppies and Pretties | She Thought She Could 

 Foxy's Domestic Side | Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After 

Sprinkled Just Right 

An InLinkz Link-up

And if you haven't entered our giveaway yet....go for it!!!

 Puppies & Pretties // Daily Style Finds

Shoes to Shiraz // A Lovely Little Wardrobe // Making the Most of Every Day

Two Teens and Their Mama // Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After

A Little Bit of Cheer // Nick + Nik // Foxy's Domestic Side // The Mishaps and Mayhem of a Solitary Life // Quilty JoyJoy

Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy // Get Your Pretty On

a Rafflecopter giveaway




CHEERS TO THE WEEKEND!!!
Katie

And since the Style Me Girls are some of my favorite people  and these are some of my favorite new things, I'm linking up for Friday Favorites, too!!  

 with Erika, Andrea, and Narci

I am a teacher

The school year is coming to an end. I'm not going to lie...I'm excited about this!! This year was was really rough for a variety of reasons, none of which I will go into! 

But that's teaching...some great years, some good years, and some not so good years! I won't say bad...because no year is ever truly bad. There are always those silver linings in a bad day! At least for me! I might be having THE WORST DAY EVER (usually those days are middle school related! HA!) and then all of a sudden, one student can turn it all around! Be it with a click of a mouse, getting on Google Chrome on their own! Or with a silly comment, kind word or just a compliment that that was the best story they've ever heard! Even those littles who show up at my door with a birthday cupcake will do the trick!! So everyday might not be a great one but at least I can smile about it.

And with the end of the school year, comes a whole new set of issues! End of year “business” needs to be attended to, and for me, report cards for the whole school have to be printed. And there is inevitably always something that goes wrong!

Last year around this time, I stumbled upon an awesome blog post at Scholastic.com by one of their top teacher bloggers, Brian Smith. He wrote a post, entitled I am a Teacher. It was so true and funny and talked about how sometimes teaching gets so crazy at this time of year, that it's really important to take the time to reflect on all the reasons we do this job! I commented on Brian's post (and have been following him ever since) and said I wanted to write a similar list on my own blog. Well a year later, Brian, here's my list!

Found this on Insta a few weeks ago!  

#truth

Before I was the Librarian and Tech teacher I was a classroom teacher for 10 years, so I'm combining the list to include all my 13 years in teaching!

I am a teacher...

I am a teacher because I love learning...and in teaching you learn something new everyday!

I love sharing my love of reading with the children...and according to one of my littles I "read books really good!"

Laminating things is my favorite.

New books in my library make me smile.

There is nothing like hearing a student say “Technology is my favorite class!”

And I love when they tell me that they went on my Library/Tech website AT HOME...ON THE WEEKEND!!

Three Words: School Supply Shopping!

I am a technology teacher...on any given Wednesday you might hear me say the words "mouse control" 87 times!

I am a teacher...

I've been called mom, dad, grandma and every other teacher's name...and am totally ok with it!

That Teacher Appreciation luncheon every year.

I enjoy days off as much as the kids do.

Completing a bulletin board is a huge accomplishment.

I am a teacher thanks to Mrs. Grosskurth, Miss Puileo, Miss McCartin...and the few who got it wrong, because thanks to them, I knew what NOT to do!!

I love dress down days (and PJ Day!), too!

I proudly rock my spirit wear beyond the four walls of the school building.  :)

I am a teacher because seeing a child's “A HA! Moment" is just awesome...and the fact that I might have had a little something to do with it, that's just icing on the cake!

Where else do you get to feel like a rockstar everyday?!?

I know Summer's Off are not totally Summer's Off...

I am a Catholic School teacher, I make very little money but I'm rich in other ways!

I am a teacher because I've never wanted to do anything else with my life!! 

When I was a little girl I used to play "school" for HOURS on the weekends and during the summer with my sisters and friends.  Thankfully these days though, I don't yell at my students and throw them across the room for their bad behavior like I allegedly did to my Cabbage Patch dolls!! Poor Humphrey Peter!! LOL

I realize that right now in our country, it's very difficult to be a teacher but every job has it's ups and downs!   I really can't see myself doing anything else.  Even though I joke about retiring, I'll be doing this and only this (if I'm lucky), for the next 30 years and beyond!!

But first....bring on SUMMER!!!!

Check out some of my plans for summer here and here!  What are yours?

And don't forget there's still time to Enter to Win a $200 Gap Brands Gift Card!!  Check out yesterday's post for all the details!

And come on back tomorrow, when I link up with the girls again and share all the details of our Spring Gift Exchange!!  YAY!!!

I'm linking up today with Vanessa and Penny for Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  

Have a great day!
Katie

Back at again.... {and a GIVEAWAY!}

This year's Summer Challenge with Alison at Get Your Pretty On began Monday! And once again, I'll be linking up with my fashionista friends to share our different interpretations of each day's outfits! I must say I am so glad the challenges brought us together...but I'm even more grateful that our friendship has blossomed far beyond them.  These girls are no longer just my Challenge buddies, but some of my bloggy besties!!

It's so hard to believe it's already been a year since last Summer's Challenge!  Time flies, huh?!? Especially when you're having fun!

Since the challenge only just began, today's post will be short and sweet...so you'll have plenty of time to check out the other girls' looks!! :) And will get to the GIVEAWAY that much quicker!!

Monday's look called for patterned shorts, a flowy tank (or tee) and the denim vest, (or chambray shirt), with wedges. I didn't purchase much for this challenge at all, except for the denim vest, which I really thought long and hard about. But I found this one online at Old Navy this weekend, with an additional 30% off and free returns, so I figured, with it being under $20 bucks, I'd give it a shot. And of course the denim vest showed up on day one!! Ha! So I just switched up my look a little...with a buttoned up chambray and the patterned shorts. Ordinarily, I wouldn't wear wedges and shorts but ended up liking this look.

Please excuse the broken toes!

Chambray button down- LOFT

shorts-JCrew Factory

wedges-Nordy's

Day two was a super easy, fun look! It called for a graphic tee, bright shorts and metallic sandals.

I have tons of bright shorts and graphic tees, so I could have probably put this together in lots of combos (gotta love the JCrew Factory chnos!), but ultimately chose this. I don't get enough use out of this tee and thought it paired well with the pink shorts!

Jesus Loves This Hot Mess Tee-Be Still Clothing Co.

JCrew shorts Lots of great colors!

Last summer's metallic sandals from Target

Well there you have!!  The first 2 outfits of our 21 days!! I can't wait to see how everyone styled their looks!  Check them out and don't forget to link up with us too!!

Shoes to Shiraz | R Squared | Two Teens and Their Mama 

Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy | A Lovely Little Wardrobe

Mishaps and Mayhem of Solitary Life | Puppies and Pretties | Daily Style Finds 

Making the Most of Everyday | She Thought She Could | Foxy's Domestic Side 

Quilty Joy Joy | Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After |A Little Bit of Cheer

Nick and Nik

An InLinkz Link-up

IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME!!  

My style gal pals and I have teamed up for a giveaway during the Summer Challenge.
And our fearless leader of all things style challenges, Alison, is joining us!!

Enter below to win a $200 Gap Brands Gift Card...Gap, Banana, Old Navy, Athleta, OH MY!!

 Puppies & Pretties // Daily Style Finds

Shoes to Shiraz // A Lovely Little Wardrobe // Making the Most of Every Day

Two Teens and Their Mama // Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After

A Little Bit of Cheer // Nick + Nik // Foxy's Domestic Side // The Mishaps and Mayhem of a Solitary Life // Quilty JoyJoy

Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy // Get Your Pretty On

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Have a great Wednesday!!
Katie

Linking up today with:

Alison at Get Your Pretty On

Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy

 Because Shanna Said So

Sarah at Tucker up

Madeline at Cappuccino and Fashion