Never Will I Ever: Fashion Edition!

I thought I'd skip this week's TBB prompt: Never Will I Ever, but then I realized there was something I could totally write about!!

I've pretty much tried everything.  If I'm comfortable in it, I'd probably wear it.

I've done the boho jeans/flared leg style.

I wear ripped jeans like it's my job! {They're my fave!!}

I've worn shorts and riding boots.

I've done the coated jeans and faux leather leggings.

And unlike Shaunacy, I'd totally embrace the fanny pack comeback! LOL

I done the shoulder baring shirts, the no back tops, the one shoulder tops and everything in between!

And much to my sister's dismay, I even wear pretty teeny bikinis from time to time!!  But I do like the high-waisted ones too!!

Even as a teacher, I've done something I never thought I'd do...I dress for the holidays in fun scarves and crazy socks, and totally sport ALL the ugly Christmas sweaters!  HA

BUT THERE IS ONE THING I'D NEVER DO!!

Wear stilettos!!

Even if I could, which I can't due to my CP and balance issues, I wouldn't want to.  Are they pretty? Sure!  But I'm sure they are not comfortable at all!  And I need comfort!  I mean your foot is totally bent!!  Just crazy!!

I can do a heel...but a modest one!  

And as far as dressy, strappy shoes go, I like a block heel.  I am just more comfortable and sturdy if you will.  I also need a bit of height in the toe bed. 

These shoes are my highest, and I'll admit to hardly wearing them because I feel unsteady.  I wear them to a gathering in which I'm the host and don't have far to go!  HA!!

Can you do stilettos?  What am I missing?  Are they even comfortable? 

Is there something you'd never wear?  Let me know in the comments below!

And it's hard to believe, February is just a few days away!!  I'm wearing fun, festive, pinks, reds, and hearts all month long!!  I'll be documenting my looks on insta!!  I'd love it if you'd join me!  Follow me...I'm @solitarylife101

Self-Care for Teachers!

I'm bringing back my Teacher Tuesdays posts for today!

This week we are celebrating  Catholic Schools Week.  While it's a lot of work and extra days on two weekends in a row for teachers, it's also a lot of fun for us and our students!  I especially enjoy the two dress down days!  HA!

This weekend I joined the Teachers Connect Community online.  It's a site that urging teachers to connect and share.  As I was scoping out  the site, I came across a post where a fellow teacher asked others to share their favorite "Self-Care "activities!  I thought it was a fun idea and thought of a few to make my own list!

I'm sharing my list today on the blog!

Enjoying a cup of coffee in bed before getting ready for the day.

Start the day with a inspirational quote, scripture passage, or devotional.

Work clothes off ... pj's on!

Going to bed early to enjoy a book before lights-out.

OR

Forgetting it's a school night and staying out late...it's totally worth it.

A good long soak in the tub to wash away the stress of the day!

Laughs with a friend after school.

Treat yourself to a new work outfit.

Leave the grading for school!

Enjoy An outing with teacher-friends outside of school.

Forget the laundry...binge-watch your favorite show instead!

Dance parties in your living room!

Spike your coffee on the weekend!

Turning the alarm OFF!!

WINE!

That was really  fun!  And it can pretty much apply to ANYONE!!  What do you do for  YOU!!  Let me know in the  comments below!!

Linking up  for Wine'd Down Wednesday!

Love Me Some Friday!!

Happy Friday Ya'll!!  It's been a good, quick week!!  Thank you to the Good Lord above for that one!!

Here are the hits this week!

{ONE} 

Happy Birthday Mom!

It's my mama's birthday today!! My number one blog reader...and critic!!  HA

  Even though we are not spending the day together because my mom's living it up in Florida, I'm sending her my love and hugs from here! 

Listen Linda...Listen!!  I love you!!

{TWO}

Becoming...FINALLY!!

I was so excited when my hold of Michele Obama's book Becoming finally landed in my Libby this week.  I got the audiobook because I wanted to hear her reading it obviously.  I've heard nothing but great things about it and the audiobook, especially!  Hoping it lives up to the hype.  I'll find out this weekend!

{THREE}

Bingo Night!

Was excited to get to bingo last night with my friends.  We always have a blast.  We hadn't been since my friend won the big grand prize, a snowboard!  Always fun and super competitive!!  LOL  We were't the big winners time (shocking because we had 23 boards between us!) but we had fun and jammed out on great tunes!  

{FOUR}

OSCAR Nominations are out!

The OSCAR nominations were announced earlier this week.  I'm really excited that Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga were both nominated for A Star is Born. The fact that the nominations are out also means that all the Best Picture nominations are headed to our local one room theatre in town!!  Can't wait to go see the ones I missed!!  I'ts been forever since I've been there, but now that I'm not working every night until 6, I can catch the early movie after school, either with friends or by myself!!  Something to look forward to during these cold months.

{FIVE}
Catholic Schools Week
Well Catholic Schools Week has arrived!  It kicks off Sunday with my school's Open House.  The week means working extra but it also means a lot of fun next week!  And my favorite...two dress down days, so I'm calling it a WIN!!  Check out my Insta next week as I document it all!  Follow me @solitarylife101.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!  
Thanks for stopping by today!

Linking up with Erika and Tif today, too!!

19 in 2019

After reading about this idea by Anne In Residence, I thought I'd build my own 19 in 2019 List.  The list is basically composed of goals and things I'd like to do.  I've been making my list in my head and been jotting down a few things in my journal, but today I thought I share it with you!



19 things for 2019.

1- I've chosen my word for the year Positivity, so I've really been trying to pull the positive out of each day!  So far...so good...

2- Paint the house! (this is more like a necessity at this point!)

3- Host more Game Nights!

4- Save some money!

5- Get a stamp in my passport!

6- More water...less coffee!

7- Visit a museum

8- Read/Listen to 50 books

9- Get rid of cable

10- Make all the appointments I need to make!

11- Eat at home more

12- Try Meditation (I said all last year that I was going to go to meditation classes at this place up the street and I never made it.  And it's literally up the street!!  I have to go!!)

13- Go on at least one road trip

14- Set aside one hour out of every weekend to sort...

15- No sleep til Brooklyn!

16-  Host my own wine tasting.  Recently went to an in home wine tasting and it was so much fun, so I'd like to do it too!!

17- Get Back to PT...at least three times!  I'm in desperate need of a tune up!!

18- Less DRAMA...more FUN!!!

19- Be unafraid in blogging!  This is a big one for me.  So many times I thought of giving up this blog because a lot of time I don't think I have much to say and I have so many drafts that have gone unpublished because of that!  I'm going to hit publish more this year and blog for me!


What are you goals, dreams and to-do's for 2019?  I'd love to hear!!

Have a fabulous week!!





Linking up with my girls at The Blended Blog today, you should too!

Cheers to a Three Day Weekend!!

Friday!  Was this a long week for anyone else!!  Eeekkkk...happy to have Friday here!!  On to my faves of this week!

{ONE}
An absolute favorite this week was having my sister Tara out!  She came over and made me dinner and it was delicious!! It was a farro vegetable bowl!  I had never had farro before...but it is totally something I would have again. I'm totally wishing now that I got a photo of my meal and with my sister!  But I'm including it anyway because I loved the meal so much and any time I get to spend with my sister is always a treat.

{TWO}
I got my FitFabFun Starter Box!  My sister sent me a code to try it out and I'm so glad I did.  I think I'm already hooked.  Can't wait to get my first FULL box next season!

{THREE}
I've been working on this bulletin board at school pretty much since we've been back!  And Monday it finally came together.   On the snowflakes are book reviews that our fifth grade students wrote to help their friends find something fun to read during these awful, dreary long days of winter!  The sweet saying was made up by one of the girls in the class.  And I just love the bulletin board letters I got from KG Fonts on Teachers Pay Teachers!  When I look at this board it makes me happy...it's so bright and cheery!  We've received tons of compliments on it. And even better...we're all ready for Catholic Schools Week!!

{FOUR}
This book just spoke to me! It's about an elementary school librarian!  I think it'll be a fun quick read!  I'm looking forward to reading it over my long weekend!  Review to come on the blog after...I'm tracking all by books on the blog and insta this year! Follow me @solitarylife101

{FIVE}
SO looking forward to this three day weekend.  Tomorrow I am headed to see Spring Awakening with my sister, Meg and and my bestie, Mel.  Were going to a fairly new theatre close to home.  When we see shows in these local theatres, it is honestly like were seeing them on Broadway! Without the tremendous price tag!  Ha!  All three of us were fans of the TV Rise, which actually didn't last long, but the premise of the show was set in a high school and the main character, a drama teacher was fighting for his students to put on this super controversial show.  The TV show didn't make it, but tomorrow we'll get to see the show for real....ha.  I remember wanting to see it when it was on Broadway and after it won the TONY!  So I'm really excited for our girls' night!!




A bonus favorite...in celebration and memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  This week of teaching is always my favorite.  Our read aloud in the library is Martin's Big Words.  This is a wonderful book for our youngest students through to our oldest students.  It's filled with Dr. King's words that applied to our history and still apply today.  Our older students who have heard the story before, I asked to read it with a new set of eyes.  And they did.  SO many great discussions about America during Martin's time and the state of our nation today!

Ain't that the truth Friends?!?

If you're lucky enough to get the day off on Monday, enjoy it...and thanks for stopping by the blog today!

Linking up with Erika and Tif today, too!!

Friday...YAY!!

It's Friday, YA'LL!!  Whoop!!  Whoop!!

All in all, not a terribly long week!!  I'm glad I had those three days last week at work to ease into to the New Year with the students.  This week they were back to their old tricks!!  HA!!  I'm trying my best to keep up with my Friday Fives and embracing my word of the year...POSITIVITY by finding the good in each day!!  Here's a bit of what I loved this week!


{ONE}
I was so happy to find the #52TeacherSnaps Challenge with @mrsedgarsclass on Instagram. I was a bit behind, but can easily catch up since it just a pic a week!  Instagram is my favorite social media platform these days.  I'm finding Facebook is getting way to political for me and since I've never really been all that into twitter...I've let it go!!  Insta is a much more positive community (for me!) and I love connecting with teachers on there and getting great ideas!

{TWO}
Another thing I'm loving this week....I'm not longer spending 13 hours a day at school.  I've officially gave up two WHOLE days of After Care!! #happydance!  To celebrate I went for margaritas with a friend!  Because I can do that now!!  Margarita Mondays...I'm gonna make it a thing!! But maybe kidding because I'm not making as much money now!  LOL

{THREE}
I'm going to try my best to document all the books I read this year on the blog!  I am on book two of 2019.  The first, It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover was recommended to be by Christy.  I loved it.  I stared it at the end of December and finished it late last week.  So It counts for this year.  I am currently reading The Address by Fiona Davis and enjyoing it very much!!  I am close to finishing it!  I have so many books on my TBR list, thanks to this weeks TBB Asks.  Check out all the links {here}to add to your list too!  And head {here} to read my post!!

{FOUR}
This past weekend a cool new brewery opened up in my town, so naturally I had to go check it out.  You guys it was so cool.  Everything is exposed see you can see them brewing and the vibe was just really chill.  And best part of all...it only takes three minutes to walk there!  HA!!  To be open one day and already have eleven beers on the board is pretty awesome!  Will be returning for sure!! Future Regular!!!

{FIVE}
Last but not least, I'm over at The Blended Blog today!  I'm so grateful that I can contribute to our community.  I just love those girls so much.  We have fun, we empower one another and we have dance parties and drink wine together?  Is there anything better??  I think not  We have some fun stuff planned for the blog, so head on over there and give us a follow so you don't miss a thing!

Linking up with Erika and Tif today, too!!

TBB ASKS!!: January

I think absolutely perfect that January is TBB Asks: Keep Me Entertained Edition!  Because what better way to survive this long, cold month??

1. Book you've read multiple times?
Is it weird that I haven't read books for myself multiple times??  Only class novels with my classes!

2. Favorite Book of All Time?
Wonder!!  I think EVERY HUMAN should read it.  The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell is a super, super close second!!

3. Favorite TV to Binge?
Sex and the City and The Office...those two never get old!!

4. Favorite New-ish TV Show?
I'm really enjoying A Million Little Things these days...

5. Favorite Movie of All Time?
Oh so hard!!  LOL...Love Actually? I've seen Clueless and Speed the most tho...


6. Movie You are Looking Forward to Watching?
Very rarely do I go to the movies, but I really want to see The Upside with Bryan Cranston, Julia Roberts and Kevin Hart.

7. First Concert?
Debbie Gibson!  I was 7. We sat in the third row of Radio City Music Hall. I met her years and years and years later and totally fan-girled out!!

8. Ultimate Concert?
Brue Springsteen, Adele and Michael Buble are all on my concert Bucket List!!  And I've seen *NSYNC twice in concert but never JT solo so here's definitely up there too!!

9. Favorite Artist?
Kenny Chesney!  This summer I saw my TENTH Kenny Show!!  For me...KENNY IS SUMMER!!

10.  How do you listen?
 All of the above!!  But recently got Amazon Music so more often that than anything else these days.

TBB Asks is always a good way to kick off a dreaded Monday!!  Make it a great one!! 

Linking up over at The Blended Blog today!

Friday Five

It's the first Friday of a brand new year!  Sometimes it's so hard to believe that it's 2019!  Where do the years go??  Geeeezzzz....

I thought I'd pick back up with the Friday Fives/Favorites/Loves this year.  I'm hoping that I am able to blog more consistently this year.  Here's where I'm starting...

Some favorites from the week that was....of maybe the last few weeks, since it's been forever and a day since I posted!

{ONE}

Dad's 70 Today!!

Please send some love, good thoughts and prayers to my dad as he turns 70 years young today!!  We'll all be celebrating him as a family tomorrow and I can't wait!

{TWO}

The Holidays and Christmas Break

I've been back to work for three days now, but I'm still dreaming about the holidays and the Christmas Break.  I really had a great time! Thanks to some cancelled got some relaxing in (thanks to a pesky cold that had me on the couch a few days!), spent time with family and friends, and had a ton of fun!
Oh and I'm still relishing in the fact that all my nieces and nephews loved my gift and are still talking about it! I gave hem all cash...but I "made it rain" singles all over the living room and they had to find the ones with their initials on them!  It was entertaining!
I'm just always a little sad when it all comes to a close!  But bring on my winter hibernation!



{THREE}
NO Clothes Challenge
Have you heard what Abbie's doing this year? She has a Sister Clothing Challenge for 2019 that pledges to buy ANY CLOTHES ALL YEAR!!  Read all about it{here}
EKKKKKKKK....I probably could do it, seeing as my closets are busting at the seams and I *may* have taken full advantage of the after Chrsitmas sales, but man that's hard! LOL  I am sure that I NEED to SAVE money this year, so I'm going to not buy any thing for three months, and if I make it three, extend it to 6 and so on!  That actually brings me to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!  HA!!

{FOUR}
My Happy Planner

I've made the switch...to The Happy Planner!!  I decided to save some money and after realizing I didn't really even look at my planner as much I had in the past, I thought a Happy Planner was the right fit for me. I am loving planning with it.  I love all the stickers available and have really customized it for me.  The pages can come out which is a really fun feature for a lefty like me!  There are less "notes" pages in the back than my EC planner had, but I can purchase add-on pages and I really like that at the beginning of each month is a "CURRENTLY" page.  I may take that outta the planner and transfer it to the blog!


{FIVE}
My one word for the Year: Positivity

Read about why I chose this word here!

What are you loving as we begin the new year?  I love to hear all about them in the comments below!  Have a great weekend friends...and thanks for stopping by!!

Linking up with the girls of The Blended Blog today!  And don't forget to join us for TBB Asks on Monday!  Grab the graphic and play along!!

Linking up with Andrea and Tif too!

Leaving Negativity Behind....

Happy New Year Friends!  I hope everyone has had the best holidays filled with family, friends and fun!!

Giving the #oneword thing a try again this year! 

The One Word movement is essential choosing one word to guide you through the year rather than a whole list of resolutions that never really get tackled!   It's a way to live with more intention rather then with a timeline.  (this is my own takeaway and interpretation!)

I chose positivity as my word for the year.

A lot of people would already say I'm a pretty positive, upbeat person...which as a whole is probably true.

But a lot of times I verbalize negativity, let negative thoughts creep in, or allow negative people get the best of me!!

I'm not doing that anymore!

2019 is going to be the year I think positive and give negativity the boot!

I'm going to have FUN!

Is every day going to be perfect? Absolutely not! But they'll be a positive in everyday...and I'll find it!!! And if I find myself face to face with a person being negative...I hope I can be a positive influence for them!!

What's your word for 2019? Let me know in the comments below!

Here's to fresh starts and positive vibes!!