I'm so excited for the holidays! I thought I'd resurrect the Throwback Thursday posts to share some of my favorite holiday posts. They might be new to some and a first time read for others. To me, there faves. I hope you enjoy!!
Usually I post something on the blog on the anniversary of moving into my home, but I didn't this year. This past August was actually my 5th year here!! Crazy scary how fast time flies!!
So in the spirit of the Holidays, this Throwback Thursday, I am sharing the first Christmas Home Tour I ever did on the blog. It's the first time readers got a peek inside my home at Christmas.
I am all decorated for Christmas already this year, but plan on posting this years home tour later on in December...stay tuned! For now, let's turn back time!
Showing posts with label Throwback Thursdays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Throwback Thursdays. Show all posts
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Throwback Thursday!
It's been forever since I've shared a Throwback Thursday post on the blog. But yesterday, as I was scoping out old posts for an upcoming post, I found I few fun ones that I had totally forgotten about!! Earlier this week I posted for The Blended Blog asks... and realized that in my first years of blogging I had done much the same thing, after seeing a post on Instagram! I thought it'd be fun to share that again on this Throwback Thursday!
20 Random Facts about Me!
So I saw this floating around Instagram among fellow Insta-teachers! You had to be tagged to do it, but since I'm not really in that network, I thought it would just be a fun thing to do on the blog. It'll maybe help my readers (all 12 of you...who probably already know me!) get to know me better!
So here goes:
20 Random Facts About Me!
1. I snooze no less than 10 times in the mornings...and I have three alarms!
2. Not a day goes by that I don't laugh (mostly at myself!)
3. I talk to myself...like a lot!
4. I don't really like it loud, but I'm a loud person! (If that makes any sense at all!)
5. I'm not a fan of Mondays.
6. I like that I kinda coined the term "friends" at my school and now others call the students "friends" as well!
7. My daily staples are coffee and some sort of alcoholic beverage! And I'm not ashamed to admit that!
8. I'm a total summer girl.
9. I love Country Music! Kenny Chesney is my fave!
10. YES, I'm a Red Sox Fan.
11. If I could, I'd go teach Mexicans in Cozumel.
12. I wish I traveled more.
13. I will admit it...I shop too much!
14. SUSHI is my fave...and I credit one person for that! (Even if they'll never know!)
15. I LOVE kids...I just don't think any of my own are in the cards for me! And I am totally ok with that. And if that keeps me single for the rest of my life, I'm ok with that too! Actually the way things have been going lately, I am completely ok with that! HA!
16. I shower at night. I love getting into bed clean...and I HATE changing the sheets!
17. I don't drive. I know this is awful, but I don't!
18. I think the Oster Automatic Wine Opener and the Kuerig are two of the greatest things ever invented!
19. I should clean the house more!
20. I spend more time with my family then is probably considered normal! But hey... when there's 20 of us, there's always something to celebrate!
Hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about me!
This post was originally published on March 24, 2014...three years!! Wow...and still all true!!
20 Random Facts about Me!
So I saw this floating around Instagram among fellow Insta-teachers! You had to be tagged to do it, but since I'm not really in that network, I thought it would just be a fun thing to do on the blog. It'll maybe help my readers (all 12 of you...who probably already know me!) get to know me better!
So here goes:
20 Random Facts About Me!
1. I snooze no less than 10 times in the mornings...and I have three alarms!
2. Not a day goes by that I don't laugh (mostly at myself!)
3. I talk to myself...like a lot!
4. I don't really like it loud, but I'm a loud person! (If that makes any sense at all!)
5. I'm not a fan of Mondays.
6. I like that I kinda coined the term "friends" at my school and now others call the students "friends" as well!
7. My daily staples are coffee and some sort of alcoholic beverage! And I'm not ashamed to admit that!
8. I'm a total summer girl.
9. I love Country Music! Kenny Chesney is my fave!
10. YES, I'm a Red Sox Fan.
11. If I could, I'd go teach Mexicans in Cozumel.
12. I wish I traveled more.
13. I will admit it...I shop too much!
14. SUSHI is my fave...and I credit one person for that! (Even if they'll never know!)
15. I LOVE kids...I just don't think any of my own are in the cards for me! And I am totally ok with that. And if that keeps me single for the rest of my life, I'm ok with that too! Actually the way things have been going lately, I am completely ok with that! HA!
16. I shower at night. I love getting into bed clean...and I HATE changing the sheets!
17. I don't drive. I know this is awful, but I don't!
18. I think the Oster Automatic Wine Opener and the Kuerig are two of the greatest things ever invented!
19. I should clean the house more!
20. I spend more time with my family then is probably considered normal! But hey... when there's 20 of us, there's always something to celebrate!
Hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about me!
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Thursday, April 13, 2017
A Thrrowbback to Broadway!
I'm still on a high from seeing Sarah Barreilles in Waitress on Broadway yesterday! And while recap is quite not ready for publishing yet, I thought for today's throwback Thursday, I'd throw it ob back to the last time I saw a show on Broadway more then two year's ago...read on to hear all about the fun that is Disney on Broadway's Aladdin!!
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My weekend was so busy and so fun!!
After a snow-filled Friday night-in cooking up another Hello Fresh meal, I cleaned up the house and headed to be early, because Saturday was gonna be a big day!!
This Hello Fresh meal just might be my favorite so far , so I had to include it! It was called Warm Grain Salad. Barley, butter beans, shallots, avocado, and grape tomatoes in a mustard, vinaigrette topped with basil. So good, so easy..and perfect for a Friday during Lent! I will definitely be getting these ingredients and making this again!
On Saturday I was fortunate enough to be able to go see Aladdin on Broadway! (Score for me that my cousin broke up with his girlfriend...LOL!!) It was an awesome show! Highly recommend the show when it comes to your city.
After a snow-filled Friday night-in cooking up another Hello Fresh meal, I cleaned up the house and headed to be early, because Saturday was gonna be a big day!!
This Hello Fresh meal just might be my favorite so far , so I had to include it! It was called Warm Grain Salad. Barley, butter beans, shallots, avocado, and grape tomatoes in a mustard, vinaigrette topped with basil. So good, so easy..and perfect for a Friday during Lent! I will definitely be getting these ingredients and making this again!
On Saturday I was fortunate enough to be able to go see Aladdin on Broadway! (Score for me that my cousin broke up with his girlfriend...LOL!!) It was an awesome show! Highly recommend the show when it comes to your city.
It was the 8 o'clock show, so we ate
dinner beforehand. The rest of my family, (who I went to the with) were already in the city for the day, so I met them all at the
restaurant after my train got in and I cabbed it! (I actually walked
10 minutes looking around for the place!) It was a really nice, laid
back restaurant and since we had plenty of time before the show, it
was just nice to chat and eat and drink, and chat and eat some more.
My aunt Uncle and two cousins live in Pennsylvania, so we don't see
them nearly as frequently as we like. So that was great!
The drink menu was really cool. Specialty cocktails and Mocktails were named after shows:
Drinks like the OZ-mopolitan was named for Wicked
Stormin' Mormon for the Book of Mormon
And the Rye 'n King for The Lion King
We were thinking that The Best Friggin' Margarita in the City, might've been just that but now I'm thinking it's named for the best Little Whore House in Texas which was on Broadway in the 70's and 80's.
The mocktails were cute too!
Sippin' like Pippin' and Mary Pompins.
After dinner, we headed out toward the
show. Stopping in Times Square to “soak it all in” as my aunt
said!
Little known fact.... the New Year's Eve Ball that they drop
in Times Square is actually up there all year round. When it's time
for the celebration each year, they go up and change the lights for
the year!
 |
| The view of the ball as we were waiting to head into the show |
Aladdin was really phenomenal! The
guy who played the Genie was absolutely hilarious and stole the show.
The magic carpet ride was my favorite part. Very cool. Someone at
work today asked me if they changed it from the movie. The story is
much the same but the show has some elements updated for today and a
new song or two. The Genie had an extra song. It was just really,
really cute! I was so happy to go!
After the show, I stayed in the
city with my sister and her family, who had been in there since
Friday! Then I got up bright and early and headed home to my town's
St. Patrick's Day parade.
Three seconds after I walked in the
door, the rest of my family showed up at my door, ready to go to the
parade. It was chilly out but a bright, beautiful day! It was a lot
of fun. And we had a prime spot in front of my favorite place in
town. It wasn't too crowded, so the kids were able to stand right
out in front and had a great view of the whole parade.
Some fun pics from the day
The bagpipe bands were my fave!
And pretty cool that a beer Company has their on Pipes and Drums Band
There's players on the float and Mom screams for the duck!
The old time cars, trucks,fire trucks and even an old time ambulance were fun too!
My niece actually got in the parade for a hot second with...this guy
My sister and BIL's niece was in the parade with her twirling group!
Photo Shoot at my house after the parade...
Following the parade, everything was so
crowded, so we headed back home. My dad and I stopped in the liquor
store to pick up some Bailey's (being the awful hostess I am, I had
nothing IRISHY to serve). We hung out a little. My
sister and her family had to head home, as they were going to a
birthday party later on in the day. My other sister and I convinced my mom
and I to go back out to the bar and listen to the Irish band that was
playing. Because it was still only 2:30 and we had the whole
afternoon ahead of us.
When we walked in, it was still crowded, way more crowded than the first time (and I thought mom was going to kill us!) but my sister was able to
wind her way to the front of the bar and after about 20 minutes of
standing, by some miracle, 3 people left! So we hopped in their seats
and settled in for an afternoon of fun and music. We love our Irish
music!! Mom only had a diet coke but before we left my sister
thought it would be funny if mom and I did a shot together! I picked
an easy one: Baby Guinness! This is how mom does shots....
Because according to her it's to good not to sip and it's a waste of money!!
#shemayberight
All in all it was a great weekend!!!!
I have so much fun with all my fam. I wish though that Monday didn't
arrive so quickly, so I could've stayed in bed today! But already,
it's here! THANK GOD for COFFEE!!
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Throwin' it back to Year One!
Sharing a fun throwback from year one on the blog. It was new, I didn't blog too frequently (between September 2012 when I began and all of 2013, I blogged just 17 times!), took no pics, and I think my mom was the only one who read my posts! And my teacher bestie, who will never let me forget this one! :) But blogs from my first year are always fun to read back. Sometimes I laugh...sometimes I cringe! I sometimes miss the adventures in my little apartment!!
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Throwing it back to Happy Heart Day!
This February I've been using Throwback Thursday to highlight some posts that I've loved! Today's post, Happy Heart Day definitely fits the bill. During Summer 2015, my family and I celebrated the 10 years since my Dad's heart surgery. It was a fun day celebrating, reminiscing, and thanking God for the all the years we've had together!
Thursday, February 9, 2017
#TBT- Love is....
With Valentine's Day just a few days away, I thought there was no better time than now for this Throwback!!
Last year, I conducted a little experiment with my students and what it became, was one of my favorite blogs! Give Love is... another read...
Love is all around us...we just have to look!
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I've been thinking about, teaching about, and reading lots about love lately. In library classes, I've been reading my favorite picture book ever, Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch and we've been discussing who we love, ways to show and share love and ways to help and include those who don't feel so loved at all, with just a simple Hello!! If you haven't read Mr. Hatch...please do!! It is such a wonderful story!! I LOVE MR. HATCH!!
Young children have great responses to these prompts!! One student (kindergarten) even told the class that giving someone a dog was a great way to show love because then he'd have a forever friend! (Insert: tears!!) Lots of students told me they loved books...and that's when I fell a little bit more in love with them, too!! ;)
I teach all students from grades Pre-K through 8 both library and tech but posed the following prompt, one afternoon to the kids in Homework Club, part of our After Care program. The students I talked to are in grades 3-5. I asked them to help me with a little project (kind of extending our library discussions) and got some really great answers. I thought I'd share them with you!
Love is...
L (3rd grade) said: a happy thing that feels good.
A (3rd grade girl) said: an expression...like I love my mom and I just can't help it! I want to hug her and squeeze her.
P (5th grade) said: to care for one another.
J (3rd grade girl) said: My cats...I love my cats!
J (4th grade boy) said: like...happy stuff...being nice, kind and hugs and kisses.
G (4th grade) said: I guess....thinking...thinking...thinking...happiness!
A (5th grade girl) said: CUPID!
A (5th grade) said: being nice to others!
AD: (5th grade boy) said: I don't know. I don't really think about it much. Basically caring for others in a strong way...I guess...
I thought these were some honest and thoughtful answers!
When we go downstairs to meet up with the rest of the after care kids and I get bombarded with tight hugs from students, I feel loved and know that this is love to them. They make me smile!
The Blended Blog has been running a series all February long called The Look of Love. It has been outstanding. I've been loving the varying perspectives and different takes on the topic. This was one series for our collective that I did not participate in or contribute a post to. Being the total single girl and having no lost loves that deserve any kind of attention, I didn't think I'd have much to offer on the subject. Deena's post all about loving yourself hit home for me... I like me...and if that all I got, that's ok.
But I'm not gonna be sulky or lonely this Valentine's Day!! I'll be spending part of the day with my best friends and the night in my PJs with a glass (or bottle!) of wine!! And maybe, just maybe some flowers will show up at my door!!
I hope you all know the best kind of love in your life and share your love with others! Not just on Valentine's Day but EVERYDAY!
Last year, I conducted a little experiment with my students and what it became, was one of my favorite blogs! Give Love is... another read...
Love is all around us...we just have to look!
_____________________________________
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I've been thinking about, teaching about, and reading lots about love lately. In library classes, I've been reading my favorite picture book ever, Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch and we've been discussing who we love, ways to show and share love and ways to help and include those who don't feel so loved at all, with just a simple Hello!! If you haven't read Mr. Hatch...please do!! It is such a wonderful story!! I LOVE MR. HATCH!!
Young children have great responses to these prompts!! One student (kindergarten) even told the class that giving someone a dog was a great way to show love because then he'd have a forever friend! (Insert: tears!!) Lots of students told me they loved books...and that's when I fell a little bit more in love with them, too!! ;)
I teach all students from grades Pre-K through 8 both library and tech but posed the following prompt, one afternoon to the kids in Homework Club, part of our After Care program. The students I talked to are in grades 3-5. I asked them to help me with a little project (kind of extending our library discussions) and got some really great answers. I thought I'd share them with you!
Love is...
L (3rd grade) said: a happy thing that feels good.
A (3rd grade girl) said: an expression...like I love my mom and I just can't help it! I want to hug her and squeeze her.
P (5th grade) said: to care for one another.
J (3rd grade girl) said: My cats...I love my cats!
J (4th grade boy) said: like...happy stuff...being nice, kind and hugs and kisses.
G (4th grade) said: I guess....thinking...thinking...thinking...happiness!
A (5th grade girl) said: CUPID!
A (5th grade) said: being nice to others!
AD: (5th grade boy) said: I don't know. I don't really think about it much. Basically caring for others in a strong way...I guess...
I thought these were some honest and thoughtful answers!
When we go downstairs to meet up with the rest of the after care kids and I get bombarded with tight hugs from students, I feel loved and know that this is love to them. They make me smile!
The Blended Blog has been running a series all February long called The Look of Love. It has been outstanding. I've been loving the varying perspectives and different takes on the topic. This was one series for our collective that I did not participate in or contribute a post to. Being the total single girl and having no lost loves that deserve any kind of attention, I didn't think I'd have much to offer on the subject. Deena's post all about loving yourself hit home for me... I like me...and if that all I got, that's ok.
But I'm not gonna be sulky or lonely this Valentine's Day!! I'll be spending part of the day with my best friends and the night in my PJs with a glass (or bottle!) of wine!! And maybe, just maybe some flowers will show up at my door!!
I hope you all know the best kind of love in your life and share your love with others! Not just on Valentine's Day but EVERYDAY!
________________________________________
What does love look like to you? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy Thursday!!
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Throwback Thursday: LOVE Me Some Gray Monroe
January's throwback posts were tops of the last year! I liked having a go-to each week! I thought for February I'd keep the theme thing going and make all my throwback posts about things I love. So today's Throwback is all about Gray Monroe, a clothing brand I was introduced to in 2016 that quickly became one of my favorites! Read on to see why!
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Throwback Thursday: Dinner and Drinks!!
Continuing to showcase my top posts of 2016 today! I laughed when I saw that this was one of my tops! Part of a blog hop focused on Progressive Dinners, over at TBB, it's no surprise that I got the drinks portion of the meal. It's kinda my thing!! Take another peek at Dinner and Drinks!!
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!! I'm so excited The Blended Blog has started Tasty Tuesdays and is doing a progressive dinner blog hop! It's so fun and different! Thanks for stopping by today! How yummy did everyone's courses sound!?!?
Was there any doubt that I would be the one providing the drinks?!? I'm getting a reputation here I think! HA!
If I'm being honest here, I am not one to mix drinks...and by mix I mean going from one to the next to the next, mixing alcohols. Like starting with a prosecco, switching to a red, and ending the night with a martini is no bueno for me. If I have an after dinner drink with everyone, like a Bailey's on the rocks, that's about as much as I can mix. I like to start with a drink and stick to it. And if I was going to pick an drink that goes with Leslie's comfort food, I'd definitely go with wine. A bottle of wine is so fun and easy to share with your special someone or a group of friends.
I thought I'd share wines today that pair well with chicken and would totally compliment Leslie's chicken pot pie. Chardonnay is most often paired with chicken, but a white like pinot grigio, would totally work as well. More often than not, I'm a red girl. So I'd pair a lighter pinot noir with the Pot Pie. I'm not your typical, strict wine drinker...if I like it, I'll drink it! But I would admit that a lighter wine is better with Pot Pie and will help offset the deliciousness of the flavors.
I am no wine expert. I actually most often go on the recommendations of my "wine guy" aka my brother-in-law! I call him my wine guy because he picks up wine for me at this heaven on earth he lives by...a wine warehouse with THE BEST prices, call The Wine Guy. ( We might not be able to buy wine in the grocery store here yet, but we have a Wine Guy and right now that will suffice!)
And just because I wanted to include something fun, I thought I'd share this martini. It's good, either before the meal or after...for a treat! If you follow me on instagram, you may have noticed that my new fave is RumChata. When I told a co-worker this fact, she told me about this drink! It's definitely a treat...
one part rumchata
one part caramel vodka (I used salted caramel!)
a splash of cream/half and half
Shake vigorously over ice, strain into martini glass and enjoy!
CHEERS!
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If anyone remembers this post and tried this drink, let me know in the comments below! Actually, not to long ago, I saw this as a shot somewhere online! Have a great Thursday! How do you throw it back??
This post originally appeared on the blog on Thursday, November 29, 2016
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Some week's all I do is throw it back...
Happy Thursday friends! How is it Thursday already?!? This is both a good and a great thing! HA! But some week's just really get away from me! Life's been busy this week! But I didn't want a Thursday to go by without sharing a Throwback to one of my top posts of 2016. This one made me smile, too. Since I've bought and moved into my own home, thus living even a more Solitary Life, I've been sharing what life's been like in a post the blog every year! This past August was year three, and I shared some of my favorite happenings!
Take another peek....
Take another peek....
Thursday, September 15, 2016
It's a TBB #TBT!
This week The Blended Blog is celebrating our One Year Blogiversary all week long with special posts, a super fun scavenger hunt, and a $150 giveaway!! So I thought to add to the celebration, for today's Throwback post!
Today I'm throwing it back to the very first post I wrote as a The Blended Blog contributor! I've contributed a number of fun posts over the last year, but this one was my very first one and it hold s a special place in my heart. And being that Fall is right around the corner, I thought this was perfect!!
It's kinda funny, but somehow, I got to be the cocktail girl of the group! I'm not sure when this happened or how, but I can tell you my mom is so proud! #not LOL
Check out all my featured posts on The Blended Blog {here}.
This post originally appeared on The Blended Blog on October 20, 2015
Now head on over for day four of The Blended Blog's blogiversary scavenger hunt and giveaway!!! It's so much FUN!!!!!
Today I'm throwing it back to the very first post I wrote as a The Blended Blog contributor! I've contributed a number of fun posts over the last year, but this one was my very first one and it hold s a special place in my heart. And being that Fall is right around the corner, I thought this was perfect!!
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Fun Fall Cocktails!
Happy Fall Y'all!! So excited to be here today sharing some fun fall cocktails with you all. I enjoy my wine and during the fall, pumpkin ale is my big go-to! At parties though I like to mix it up and indulge in a few cocktails.
This Thanksgiving, I'll once again be hosting what we call Friendsgiving. So I thought it'd be fun to have some signature drinks on the menu to offer my friends! Two that I am going to share with you today are a pumpkin martini and some fall sangria. These were both so simple and easy to put together.
So, confession time.... I got a little drunk this weekend! :) I did lots of taste-testing...
Years ago my family went out for my sister's birthday, and while we waited for our table my mom tried the restaurant's Pumpkin Spice Martini. Over the course of the evening I think she had three or four. And by the end of the night, the bartender had written down the recipe on the back of a receipt. He probably wasn't supposed to do that, but he did! My mom still has it to this day.
So yummy!
Pumpkin Martini- makes one glass
2 oz. vanilla vodka (I used stoli)
1.5 oz Godiva White
.5 oz of Creme de Cocoa- white
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer (Both International Delight and Nestle have one this time of year!) The recipe didn't have any measurement on this, so I'd say to taste. (I went with a shot and a half!) It's a pumpkin martini after all!
Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake vigorously! Strain into martini glass and enjoy! The recipe called for the glass to be rimmed with brown sugar. That was hard....I made a second one and rimmed with cinnamon sugar!
Last week, a coworker friend of mine told me about a fall sangria she had while camping. As she was describing it, I knew it'd be perfect for Friendsgiving. My friends are into Fireball these days. I have to be honest here...this one was totally trial and error using what my friend told me! There are a number of fall sangrias on sites like Pinterest but when I couldn't find one exactly as she mentioned, I tried it anyway! And guess what?!? I think I nailed it! The longer you leave it the better, too!
Most sangrias have a wine base. This one is apple cider, no wine! Which for someone like me who's never been good at mixing wine and liquor, works!
Since I didn't have any measurements I went with this shot glass.(the equivalent of 1.5 shots) because unlike the martini, I made a pitcher rather than a glass!
Fall Sangria
FireBall Cinnamon Whiskey
Caramel Vodka
Apple Cider (not juice)
4 or 5 of your favorite apples sliced (depending on the size of your pitcher)
This Thanksgiving, I'll once again be hosting what we call Friendsgiving. So I thought it'd be fun to have some signature drinks on the menu to offer my friends! Two that I am going to share with you today are a pumpkin martini and some fall sangria. These were both so simple and easy to put together.
So, confession time.... I got a little drunk this weekend! :) I did lots of taste-testing...
Years ago my family went out for my sister's birthday, and while we waited for our table my mom tried the restaurant's Pumpkin Spice Martini. Over the course of the evening I think she had three or four. And by the end of the night, the bartender had written down the recipe on the back of a receipt. He probably wasn't supposed to do that, but he did! My mom still has it to this day.
So yummy!
Pumpkin Martini- makes one glass
2 oz. vanilla vodka (I used stoli)
1.5 oz Godiva White
.5 oz of Creme de Cocoa- white
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer (Both International Delight and Nestle have one this time of year!) The recipe didn't have any measurement on this, so I'd say to taste. (I went with a shot and a half!) It's a pumpkin martini after all!
Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake vigorously! Strain into martini glass and enjoy! The recipe called for the glass to be rimmed with brown sugar. That was hard....I made a second one and rimmed with cinnamon sugar!
Last week, a coworker friend of mine told me about a fall sangria she had while camping. As she was describing it, I knew it'd be perfect for Friendsgiving. My friends are into Fireball these days. I have to be honest here...this one was totally trial and error using what my friend told me! There are a number of fall sangrias on sites like Pinterest but when I couldn't find one exactly as she mentioned, I tried it anyway! And guess what?!? I think I nailed it! The longer you leave it the better, too!
Most sangrias have a wine base. This one is apple cider, no wine! Which for someone like me who's never been good at mixing wine and liquor, works!
Since I didn't have any measurements I went with this shot glass.(the equivalent of 1.5 shots) because unlike the martini, I made a pitcher rather than a glass!
Fall Sangria
FireBall Cinnamon Whiskey
Caramel Vodka
Apple Cider (not juice)
4 or 5 of your favorite apples sliced (depending on the size of your pitcher)
- Cut up the apples and place them in the bottom of the pitcher
- Put the shots of vodka and fireball on top of them, letting it all soak in
- Pour in apple cider
- Stir Well
- Place in the refrigerator overnight
Serve in a highball glass with cinnamon rim and garnished with an apple! Enjoy!!
Hope you try these at your next fall gathering! Please let me know how you like them and if you have any fall cocktails you think I need to try, please let me know in the comments below!
Enjoy!
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Check out all my featured posts on The Blended Blog {here}.
This post originally appeared on The Blended Blog on October 20, 2015
Now head on over for day four of The Blended Blog's blogiversary scavenger hunt and giveaway!!! It's so much FUN!!!!!
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Throwback Thursday: Teacher Week 2015 Posts
This week I've been participating in Blog Hoppin's Teacher Week 2016 on Instagram! It's been so much fun sharing little pieces of Me, the teacher, each day! Last year, I also participated in Blog Hoppin's Teacher Week, with blog posts during the week. I thought it'd be fun to share them all with you for this week's Throwback Thursday! Teacher Week is always during the crazy, busy first week of school, so I was only able to post three of the five days! This year, with posting to Instagram, it's quicker and I've posted every day! I'm wrapping Teacher Week 2016 on the blog tomorrow, so come on back and check it out!!
But for now, let's rewind back to Teacher Week 2015! (Links to each post are below the graphic)
Hope you found something you enjoyed in today's post. It's so hard to believe that a year has already gone by. Is it terrible, that after only a few days, I'm thinking to myself, "what summer vacation!?!" LOL
Have a great Thursday! Thanks for stopping by the blog today!!
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Throwback Thursday's Making a Comeback!
This time next week, I'll be enduring a back-to-school professional development day!! The summer days of sleeping in, laying out and enjoying the occasional day drinking, will be a distant memory in no time. Right now, that I'm dreading going back and wishing for summer forever, I thought I'd bring back a little #TBT post, to remind myself why I do all this in the first place!
Originally posted in June of 2015, my I am a Teacher post is one of my all time favorites!
****************
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.
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 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 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?
I hope everyone has a fantastic school year and a relaxing and fun Fall ahead!!
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?
****************
Have a great day!
Katie
Katie
Thursday, May 26, 2016
A Holiday Weekend Throwback
When I look back at posts to include in my throwbacks, I often find it hard to believe that time passes so quickly...because in all honesty, the days go by slow! Is that weird? Or do you know what I mean?
Memorial Day weekend is here! It's the unofficial kick-off to summer and for me it means that the end of the school year is near! Woo hoo! So for today's #TBT, I thought I'd share last year's Memorial Day weekend Recap! Enjoy! And enjoy the upcoming three-day weekend!
Who doesn't love a three day weekend!!
I kicked mine off with a wedding on Friday night! A woman I used to work with at my old school's daughter got married. She and I have kept in touch over the years, since I moved to a new school and she retired. We always try to get together during each day off and once during vacations for lunch. Her husband joins us often too! I always have fun chatting and catching up with them. It was a beautiful wedding. The peeps at my table ALL left after dinner to get home to their kids, so I was pretty much alone. I went and got a drink at the bar and ended up watching the end of the Rangers game on the bartender's cell phone! #SolitaryLifeProbs (They won that game, but lost last night!...get it together boys!)
Saturday didn't really have any plans, so I laid out on the postage stamp patio and then sat out in the front with my book until the sun went down. Oh and I also spent an hour and a half live chatting with mynew boyfriend cable tech guy, when my internet went down! The horror! (Which is actually also why I'm posting later today!!). After such a long chat, I still had to make an appointment to have a guy come out to replace my wireless router!
So with no internet I read a bunch then later on that night decided to order American Sniper On Demand. I don't know if any of you have seen it, but for me, it was difficult to watch. It shows the difficulty and sacrifice that the toll of war takes on our military servicemen and woman and their families. Bradley Cooper totally embodied the role and did an awesome job. It was certainly not the Bradley Cooper I know and love!! But it was very well done and I'm glad I finally got the chance to see it.
Sunday my sister had everyone over to her house for a Memorial Day BBQ. It was a lot of fun. The weather was NOT that great! My family likes sun...and although it made a few weak appearances throughout the day, for the most part, it was cloudy, windy and cold. Booooo!!!! (Get me back to Florida...STAT!) But the company was great, the food was yummy and the drinks were flowing...so all in all a successful party...even though no one left with a tan! :)
It's so YUM!! Sam Summer has long been MY BEER during the summers but I think I just might have to switch it up this year!! It's a Limited Edition called Porch Rocker and it's like beer and lemonade! So refreshing!! Definitely give it a try this summer!!
After a late night last night, I slept in this morning...til 8:15! Hahahaha. Cleaned up the house and waited for the Cable Guy. I was luckily enough to get an appointment for today, even though I felt bad that they worked!! I originally wanted to get to the Memorial Day Parade on Main Street, but my service call window was in the middle on it. Which also meant I missed a lot of the good sun today! And today ended up being the best of all three days this weekend! But I was able to enjoy some of it. Then I came in a did my usual Sunday things...laundry and school work. Ugh....
Oh and with my internet back up and running, I may have indulged in some of the Memorial Day Sales online. I did really great with my "no shopping" goal in January, February and March...I bought absolutely no clothes then. But April and the Spring Challenge came along, and the wheels began to fall off my wagon. It's safe to say that after today, the wheels have completely come off!! Compared to last year at this time, I'm doing well, but I do wish I had made it a little further in the year before I tanked it!! But I can still say, I never buy anything unless it's on sale, and this weekend, the sales were just too good to pass up!!
Did you go to any barbeques. parades or shop any sales this weekend? let me know in the comments below!!
I hope everyone had a great weekend!
Remember and pray today for those who sacrificed so much!
Katie
This post originally appeared on the blog on Monday, May 25, 2015
Memorial Day weekend is here! It's the unofficial kick-off to summer and for me it means that the end of the school year is near! Woo hoo! So for today's #TBT, I thought I'd share last year's Memorial Day weekend Recap! Enjoy! And enjoy the upcoming three-day weekend!
__________________________________________________________________
I kicked mine off with a wedding on Friday night! A woman I used to work with at my old school's daughter got married. She and I have kept in touch over the years, since I moved to a new school and she retired. We always try to get together during each day off and once during vacations for lunch. Her husband joins us often too! I always have fun chatting and catching up with them. It was a beautiful wedding. The peeps at my table ALL left after dinner to get home to their kids, so I was pretty much alone. I went and got a drink at the bar and ended up watching the end of the Rangers game on the bartender's cell phone! #SolitaryLifeProbs (They won that game, but lost last night!...get it together boys!)
Saturday didn't really have any plans, so I laid out on the postage stamp patio and then sat out in the front with my book until the sun went down. Oh and I also spent an hour and a half live chatting with my
So with no internet I read a bunch then later on that night decided to order American Sniper On Demand. I don't know if any of you have seen it, but for me, it was difficult to watch. It shows the difficulty and sacrifice that the toll of war takes on our military servicemen and woman and their families. Bradley Cooper totally embodied the role and did an awesome job. It was certainly not the Bradley Cooper I know and love!! But it was very well done and I'm glad I finally got the chance to see it.
Sunday my sister had everyone over to her house for a Memorial Day BBQ. It was a lot of fun. The weather was NOT that great! My family likes sun...and although it made a few weak appearances throughout the day, for the most part, it was cloudy, windy and cold. Booooo!!!! (Get me back to Florida...STAT!) But the company was great, the food was yummy and the drinks were flowing...so all in all a successful party...even though no one left with a tan! :)
All the adults (or most anyway!) relaxing by the fire before the chaos that was SMORES began!
Oh and have you tried THIS???
After a late night last night, I slept in this morning...til 8:15! Hahahaha. Cleaned up the house and waited for the Cable Guy. I was luckily enough to get an appointment for today, even though I felt bad that they worked!! I originally wanted to get to the Memorial Day Parade on Main Street, but my service call window was in the middle on it. Which also meant I missed a lot of the good sun today! And today ended up being the best of all three days this weekend! But I was able to enjoy some of it. Then I came in a did my usual Sunday things...laundry and school work. Ugh....
Oh and with my internet back up and running, I may have indulged in some of the Memorial Day Sales online. I did really great with my "no shopping" goal in January, February and March...I bought absolutely no clothes then. But April and the Spring Challenge came along, and the wheels began to fall off my wagon. It's safe to say that after today, the wheels have completely come off!! Compared to last year at this time, I'm doing well, but I do wish I had made it a little further in the year before I tanked it!! But I can still say, I never buy anything unless it's on sale, and this weekend, the sales were just too good to pass up!!
Did you go to any barbeques. parades or shop any sales this weekend? let me know in the comments below!!
I hope everyone had a great weekend!
Remember and pray today for those who sacrificed so much!
Katie
________________________________________________________________
This post originally appeared on the blog on Monday, May 25, 2015
Thursday, May 19, 2016
A Teacher's #TBT
For many reasons this week has been a tough one as a teacher. After traveling and being off a few days these last two weeks and having to make sub plans (*seriously...it's harder to be out then it is to just be here!), being thrown into being a sub my first day back, and numerous schedule changes this week, it's sometimes easy to lose sight of the reasons why I'm still doing this all...and it's easier still to drown my sorrows in a glass of wine at night! So after all this, I thought I's throw it back to one of my favorite posts! I wrote it last year in June as the end of the school year was nearing, but it was over a year in the making! It reminds me of why I became a teacher and why I still am! Even when everything but teaching gets in the way of that!!
___________________________________________________________
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.
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 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 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?
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?
Have a great day!
Katie
This post was originally published on Thursday June 18th, 2015
Katie
********************
This post was originally published on Thursday June 18th, 2015
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Throwin' it back....
On a Thursday that kinda feels like my Tuesday, I'm throwin' it back to December 2015, when I went to North Carolina for the weekend! Because tomorrow I'm off to North Carolina for the weekend...again! My cousin Kevin is getting married on Saturday. And, (if you're a regular reader of me blog and an insta friend) you might be thinking to yourself, "She's going away again?" Why yes...yes, I am! I kinda can't believe it myself! When I went to North Carolina in December, it was for my cousin, Kathleen's gender reveal party. I recapped the weekend in a Friday Five.
Friday's here!! Only a few more school days til a much-needed Christmas Break!! This week was a quick one for me!
Here's a few faves from the week...
___________________________________________________________
Here's a few faves from the week...
{ONE}
My trip to NC last weekend was definitely a fave! I didn't get to post a recap! Since this five is filled with snip-its of my trip, it's kinda like a recap though!! It was a great time! Lots of laughs and memories made with family I don't get to see as often as I like!! I mentioned in last week's 5 that I was going there for my cousin's gender reveal party! It was so cute! She had the house decorated with sweet touches (who knew they made this stuff?) and guests wore stickers with what they thought the baby was. It's a BOY!! Can't wait for him to arrive in April 2016!! I was totally Team Blue!
{TWO}
One of the things we did while I was in NC was travel to Asheville for the day! My cousin Kevin lives right outside Asheville, so we spent the day hanging at his house, then headed to dinner in Asheville, for a little Irish Session and some good food. While we were there, I got in the holiday spirit, drinking some Sierra Nevada Celebration (An NC brew!!). When it arrived I noticed on the back of my coaster, it said if you hastagged a photo cheers-ing your Celebration, Sierra Nevada would send you two free pint glasses! So of course, me being me, I did it!! And guess what...2 free pint glasses are on there way to me!! Woo Hoo!! It will probably take forever to get them, but that's ok!! I LOVE free stuff!! And that's two more pint glasses for my collection and two less that I have to steal !
#shamelessselfieforfreeshit
{THREE}
I had a later flight out of NC on Monday, so my Aunt and I spent part of the day shopping! One of our stops was World Market! I saw the store on the way back from the airport Friday night and mentioned that I had just been on their website. My cousin said that it was THE BEST store, so I was on a mission to get there at some point during the weekend!! (And pretty much talked about it all weekend...after my cousins' houses were filled with goodies from World Market!!) And seriously, can I just say....where has this store been all my life?"?? They have everything!! And I mean EVERYTHING!! Even WINE!! Basically my dream store! :) I came away with as much as I could fit in my carry-on, joined their rewards program, and have plans to shop on their website more soon!! C'mon NY...get with the program and bring World Market here to my town!!
{FOUR}
No judgement for this next one! But while I was away, my cousin shared with me her love of Justin Bieber (and Jordan Smith!)!! LOL. The drive home between Kevin's house in Asheville and Kathleen's house is about an hour and a half. On the way back we listened to Justin's new album, Purpose. I am not ashamed to admit I really liked it. Not every song was great, but I will say for the last four days I've had about a half a dozen of them in my head. I am not totally on board with purchasing the album just yet, but I have been casting it on YouTube every night! HA! Definitely worth a listen!!
Purpose Deluxe
{FIVE}
After the weekend and having Monday off, I feel like these last few days before Christmas Break have been worse than usual. We go through to the 23rd but this week and next, there are days with Christmas fun scattered throughout so the kids are a lil bit crazy...which is kinda making me cranky. I feel like such a Scrooge this week!! I have been trying to stay in the holiday spirit this week though...especially with my blog posts! And today I am looking forward to a dress down! Any Friday in my jeans is a good day!! But I am certainly counting down the days til the 23rd!! EVERYONE needs a break!!
Hope you all get to enjoy some time off and time with your family this Christmas!!
Merry Merry!!
Katie
_______________________________________________________
{FIVE}
After the weekend and having Monday off, I feel like these last few days before Christmas Break have been worse than usual. We go through to the 23rd but this week and next, there are days with Christmas fun scattered throughout so the kids are a lil bit crazy...which is kinda making me cranky. I feel like such a Scrooge this week!! I have been trying to stay in the holiday spirit this week though...especially with my blog posts! And today I am looking forward to a dress down! Any Friday in my jeans is a good day!! But I am certainly counting down the days til the 23rd!! EVERYONE needs a break!!
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Hope you all get to enjoy some time off and time with your family this Christmas!!
Merry Merry!!
Katie
_______________________________________________________
*Kathleen's baby boy Connor has arrived! He was born on April 21st. Can't wait to meet him this weekend!
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