25 Acts of Giving

Throughout the year I am always trying to pay it forward.  As my girls are getting older, they are really beginning to understand why I do what I do.  This year I really wanted to teach them the importance of giving. I want them to know how truly blessed they are and give them the opportunity to pay it forward with me.  

We are participating in the 25 acts of giving before 2015 comes to an end!

In no particular order...our list of 25 Acts of Giving

  1) Collect canned goods and non-perishables for the soup kitchen
  2) Donate to Toys for Tots and the Coyle toy drive
  3) Sponsor a student for Christmas
  4) Stuff That Bus
  5) Make a donation of supplies to the animal shelter
  6) Take 2 tags from the giving tree 
  7) Make a donation to the locally sponsored family of TNL
  8) Gift cards donated
  9) Christmas For Teens donation at Matthew 25:40 Mission
10) Fill a Bag donation at our local grocery store
11) Make bird feeders to hang outside for the winter
12) Ronald McDonald house donation
13) Assemble ornament craft kits for the nursing home
14) Assemble breakfast bags for TacT
15) Send cards to the soldiers
16) Leave $1 in Red Box rental for the next person
17) Give extra tip each Friday night at dinner
18) Light candles for those in need around us at Lasalette
19) Thank our local fire department- special treats
20) Teacher thank you's from both girls
21) Make and give thank you cards to our special friends (waitress, grocery clerk, postal worker, UPS/FedEx, Chinese food take out, librarian, etc)
22) Donate children's like NEW books to TEA drive
23) Giveaway/donate unused toys
24) Giveaway/donate outgrown clothes and winter wear
25) Donate shoes to Soles4Souls
26) Do it all again in 2016

Join us in giving back!  We'd love to see how you are helping others!

*originally posted in my local blog Weekend Happenings in MA & RI

Stitch Review #4

Yes I have found a new hobby, pinning Stitch Fix items! Want to know more about Stitch Fix read my first review here or if you'd like to place an order of your own you can use my referral code and help a dear teacher out (I get $25 credit for every person who signs up and places an order via my link). 

Stitch Fix carries clothes for all ages, shapes, sizes and maternity clothes too!  The prices range.  Keep what you like and send back what you don't.  So convenient and so very easy.  

It has only been a few weeks since my last fix and since I stayed under budget I was able to reschedule it a bit sooner .  I requested Kelly again (last 3 fixes and she has done a fabulous job). As I'm going through my closet I'm ditching/donating and last month I noticed I really need more work day tops.  So I requested some and pinned a bunch of pictures.  My stylist really does take my notes and my Pinterest board into consideration, which makes her AWESOME in my opinion.  

One of the things I love most about getting my fix each month is the styling card.  I love Kelly's personalized message as well as the outfit and coordinating ideas.  To my dismay, this month I didn't get MY styling card.  Instead I got a completely different card that was meant for someone else.  I did email customer service in hopes they could email or resend my card.  
~Quick response and I received a PDF copy~

What's in the box?

Item # 1- Fun2Fun Ellenia Mixed Print Top $48

Cute, flowy, easy to wear top.  I didn't like that the sleeves were so tight around my arms.  I have thin arms so this shouldn't have been a problem, but otherwise it fit well.  Kept it!

Item # 2- Papermoon Kyro Button Up Top $48

 

I kept this!  It was a perfect addition to my closet and fit well.  Super soft and comfortable.  Not a tight jean feel at all.  I love that I can wear it over a dress, as a button up or over a sleeveless top.  No limits on this piece!

Item # 3- Skies are Blue Tuplin Embroidery Detail Top $58

 

Not something I would have picked out for myself.  Another reason I love Stitch Fix!  Once I put it on I was SOLD!  It is a perfect work top that can be wore with cords, jeans, slacks or a skirt.  Keeper!

Item # 4- Papermoon Vale Split Neck Top $58

 

 Very nice top, love the back side of it.  Completely different than anything I own.  I  really liked this top as a Summer top but doesn't work as a layering top.  It's a shame to hide the back of it.  Right now I have no use for this but decided to keep it just because I liked it so much.

Item # 5- Eight Sixty Gabre Eyelet Dress $88

I had pinned this dress and was excited to see how it looked on.  This dress is very versatile because it can be worn with boots and a cardigan in the fall and simple flats or wedges when the weather warms up. Great fit, very comfortable. It has an elastic waistband that was snug and just didn't feel right. Also, no pockets.  Overall a cute dress.  

So I made it a 5/5 for the overall price.

To check out my other reviews visit the links below:

July 2015- Fix #1

August 2015- Fix #2

September 2015- Fix #3

October 2015- Fix #4

January 2016- Fix #5

 

 

Stitch Review #3

Today I received my third box from Stitch Fix.

This is my Fall Fix.  Want to know more about Stitch Fix read my first review here or if you'd like to place an order of your own you can use my referral code and help a dear teacher out (I get $25 credit for every person who signs up via my link). Did you know that they carry maternity clothes too!  Give them a shot you too might become addicted.

Since my other fixes have been to my liking I didn't change much.  I again was pretty specific about what I wanted and didn't want (not Summer or Winter).  I requested Kelly again. I asked for FALL items, with Fall colors.  I asked her to include a good mix.  I also requested a denim jacket.

I'm purging as I go.  One new top means I donate one that's in the closet.  I also made this fix later than the 1 month mark by adjusting my subscription.  OK on with the reveal.  
Let's see how Kelly did this month.

What's in the box?

Item # 1- Just USA Anjuli Dark Wash Denim Jacket $58

This is a cropped jacket.  Lightweight and soft, feels great on. I instantly loved it!  It's a piece I definitely wanted in my Fall wardrobe.  Keeping it.

Item # 2- Market & Spruce Sam Hi-Lo Short Sleeve Tee $44

Soft grey tee, light weight and very versatile.  Paired nicely with the jacket and burgundy pants. It was just too big and didn't look right on me.  Returned.

Item # 3- Kut From the Kloth Siena Cropped Pant (olive) $58

 

Great casual work pants, just right for this time of year.  Thin material, cute on, but just a bit too big at the waist.  

Returned it.

 

Item # 4- Brixon Ivy Bixby Clover Print Blouse $64

 

I just loved this shirt as soon as I saw it!  Adorable pearl-tpye accent around the cuff. A perfect casual workday or weekend top that pairs with anything!  Looks great with jeans, black pants and the burgundy Liverpool Anita Skinny Pant. It has an odd fit to it.  I really tried to convince myself to keep it but there was no getting around it, much too snug around the girls.  Loose at the arms and waist but the chest was just too tight.  A larger size would have been overall too big I'd be swimming in it. I had no choice but to return it.

Item # 5- Liverpool Anita Skinny Pant (burgundy) $78

These are amazingly comfortable and the color is just for Fall!  I would NEVER have bought this color at the store.  They fit like a glove and although the price tag is high, I wasn't making the mistake of sending back a great fitting pair of pants again.  Kept it! 

Overall a great box selection by Kelly, just not quite perfect fitting on my body. 

One piece at a time, Stitch Fix has modernized my closet and definitely updated my style.  I hate shopping.  It's time consuming and I never come home with exactly what I had in mind.  Stitch Fix, although more expensive, though I'm getting past that, delivers!  It gives me an in-home discovery of new pieces and great ideas on how to wear them.  Even if I don't purchase the entire fix, I can keep the styling cards and use them in a later fix or when I do venture out shopping.

Give them a try, you won't be disappointed.  Well you might but you won't know it, unless you try.
   

To check out my other reviews visit the links below:

July 2015- Fix #1

August 2015- Fix #2

September 2015- Fix #3

October 2015- Fix #4

January 2016- Fix #5

How to get a Stitch Fix Preview

Some have been wondering how to take a sneak peek of your Fix when it ships.  If you like the element of surprise, read no further.  Walk away now, otherwise prepare to be tempted.  

Once your Stitch Fix has shipped, you will receive an email telling you it has shipped.  However if you're impatient and as excited as I am, you will be stalking your account until it says shipped.  In which case you will find out before the email arrives.

So here's the trick...keep an eye on your Home page your note to your stylist has now changed to fix is in progress.  You will then see that change to it has shipped along with a tracking number. Look below that it says "Have you already received your package? Checkout."  Click here to take a peek at your current fix.

Now the fun part...hunting the Internet for pictures of these items.  Some popular items will be found easily, otherwise you may need to be patient and embrace the element of surprise.   

Betabrand Review

Betabrand dress yoga pant review

After lounging around in comfy mommy clothes all Summer it was time to get back into teacher mode. As I was "back to school" shopping I came across this amazing concept. What if I could wear yoga pants to work and still look professional?!  

You don't have to ask me twice!  I was sold.  

I ordered a pair of black dress pant/yoga pants with straight leg.  I'm 5'0" so I went with a Medium, Petite length. They go for $78 which is way out of my price range, but I had a referral code (saved $25)and 20% off plus free shipping so I gave it a go.   

They shipped out the next day and arrived within the week (2 day priority). 

The medium fit perfectly up top, very slimming and shaped my backside.  This was a plus!

 However, as you go down the body, you notice that it bunches at the knees.  I thought ordering a petite would avoid this.  Negative.

 Going further down you see that these are really long for a petite length.  Double Negative. For straight leg pants, I have to wear them with heels or as pictured above, boots.

 I am keeping them just because the really fit well aside from the length.  I just won't be able to wear them to work, but I'm OK with that.

I can't wait to order one in navy and maybe the hazel when it comes out this Fall! I'm going to try boot-cut to compare the two.

Check out their website for other items or

to order your own pair of dress yoga pants and save $25 using my referral link here.

Want more info:

Fit

Like most women's yoga pants, they have lots of stretch. It is a mid-rise waist. However, if you're in between sizes, they recommend ordering a size up. The black pair has a straight-leg fit that looks great with boots, flats, or athletic shoes.

Vital Statistics

• Fabric: stretchy rayon blend (65% rayon, 32% nylon, 3% spandex).
• Faux zipper and pockets (two side & two rear) for dress pants styling.
• 1.5-inch elastic waistband.
• Button at waist (non-functional).
• Belt loops. 

 *Thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not asked to do or "sell" anything by Stitch Fix.  

Just providing my views.

Stitch Fix Review #2

Today I received my second box from Stitch Fix.

I call this one my Back to School Fix.  Want to know more about Stitch Fix read my first review here or if you'd like to place an order of your own you can use my referral code and help a dear teacher out (I get $25 credit for every person who signs up via my link). Did you know that they carry maternity clothes too!  Give them a shot you too might become addicted.

So with this fix, I was pretty specific about what I wanted and didn't want (jewelry).  I requested Kelly again. I asked for back to school items, mostly tops, with more color this time around.  I requested another dress and that the clothes be comfy/casual clothes. I also asked that everything be warm weather appropriate. Well?!

What's in the box? 

Item # 1- Donna Morgan- Kian Faux Wrap Dress ($98.00) 

First thoughts- It looks way to complicated to put on.  I would never buy this on my own.

Final decision- I really loved it! It's bright and cheery.  You can dress it up with jewelry and heels or keep it casual with sandals.  It felt great on and once I tucked everything where it belonged, the wrap really works nicely.  This dress is also very slimming.

  This one is a keeper.

Item # 2-Papermoon- Wynn Front Pocket Blouse ($48.00) 

 First thoughts- Those pockets are way too close to the girls.  How dumb is this going to look?

Final decision- I loved everything about this shirt! Not see-thru, the pockets don't look floppy and the colors are perfect together.

 Another keeper!

Item # 3- Papermoon- Zemba Henley Blouse ($44.00)

 

First thoughts- It definitely pops in color and patterns.

Final decision- Great fit.  I like that I can wear this now, in warmer weather and then toss on a cardigan for the Fall.  I'm thinking I'm wearing this to the Kenny Chesney concert this month!

Keeping it

 

Item # 4- 41Hawthorn- Moni Geo Print & Camisole Blouse ($58.00) 

 First thoughts- I pinned an orange one similar to this. 

Final decision- Lightweight and very versatile.   Stud detailing on the neckline and sleeves.  This is a petite and fit my body frame perfectly (sleeves were where they belonged).  A little snug near the girls, but I can easily adjust my bra style to fix that. Pairs great with khakis or jeans and very first grade friendly.

YES a keeper!

 

Item # 5- Mo Vint- Duxbury Dress ($74.00) 

 First thoughts- It looks like a MooMoo dress, or whatever those things are called.  It's a boxy look and made of a very heavy material.

Final decision- I didn't HATE it on but I definitely didn't love it.  It needs more, maybe a scarf, long necklace, belt, cardigan, something.  I thought of exchanging it for a smaller size but was afraid it would be too tight.  I still don't know how all this works.  I sent an email to customer service.  In the end I may end up keeping it ONLY because it's economically beneficial.  It is cheaper to get the 25% off then to send just this piece back.  I'm determined to figure out how to make it work.

 

I was so excited that Kelly was my stylist again!  Apparently she gets me!  If I wasn't so cheap I would've purchased everything in my last fix. Thank goodness I'm going back to work my bank account needs inflating!

Why am I in love with Stitch Fix?

Every piece is unlike anything you find at the department store.  They are each unique and tailored to my taste. I can easily mix and match tops and bottoms.  I like that I can get rid of my outdated wardrobe one item at a time.  So I'm thinking it's time to request some Fallish items including bottoms.  Time to get Pinning!

My love/hate relationship with Stitch Fix?

My biggest problem with Stitch Fix is buyers regret. Regret that I spent way too much money on something I might not get a lot of wear out of.  Regret that I sent something back that I really should've just kept. Darn those skinny jeans fit perfectly!  Alas, onto the next fix!  I am addicted.

 *Thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not asked to do or "sell" anything by Stitch Fix.  

Just providing my views.

To check out my other reviews visit the links below:

July 2015- Fix #1

August 2015- Fix #2

September 2015- Fix #3

October 2015- Fix #4

January 2016- Fix #5

Great Reads for Elementary Teachers

I love to read!  

The only real time I get to do that is over the Summer.  I spent hours relaxing and catching up on my to-read list. During the school year I'm lucky to finish 2 books.  

This year I threw in a few "teacher reads" too. 

Here are my a few of my favorite books for elementary school teachers (in no particular order).  I'd love to hear what your favorite is.

The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything 

"A New York Times-bestselling breakthrough book about talent, passion, and achievement from the one of the world's leading thinkers on creativity and self-fulfillment. 

The Element is the point at which natural talent meets personal passion. When people arrive at the Element, they feel most themselves and most inspired and achieve at their highest levels. With a wry sense of humor, Ken Robinson looks at the conditions that enable us to find ourselves in the Element and those that stifle that possibility. Drawing on the stories of a wide range of people, including Paul McCartney, Matt Groening, Richard Branson, Arianna Huffington, and Bart Conner, he shows that age and occupation are no barrier and that this is the essential strategy for transform­ing education, business, and communities in the twenty-first century.

Also available from Ken Robinson is Finding Your Element, the practical guide to achieving your highest potential."

Unshakeable: 20 Ways to Enjoy Teaching Every Day...No Matter What

"Don't wait for teaching to become fun again: plan for it! Unshakeable is a collection of inspiring mindset shifts and practical, teacher-tested ideas for getting more satisfaction from your job. It's an approach that guides you to find your inner drive and intrinsic motivation which no one can take away.  Unshakeable will help you incorporate a love of life into your teaching, and a love of teaching into your life. Learn how to tap into what makes your work inherently rewarding and enjoy teaching every day...no matter what."

 

 

Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time

Author Brigid Schulte, an award-winning journalist for the Washington Post -and harried mother of two - began the journey quite by accident, after a time-use researcher insisted that she, like all American women, had 30hours of leisure each week. Stunned, she accepted his challenge to keep time diary and began a journey that would take her from the depths of what she described as the Time Confetti of her days to a conference in Paris with time researchers from around the world, to North Dakota, of all places, where academics are studying the modern love affair with busyness, to Yale, where neuroscientists are finding that feeling overwhelmed is actually shrinking our brains, to exploring new lawsuits uncovering unconscious bias in the workplace, why the US has no real family policy, and where states and cities are filling the federal vacuum.  Read more 

 

 

The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

 Donalyn Miller says she has yet to meet a child she couldn't turn into a reader. No matter how far behind Miller's students might be when they reach her 6th grade classroom, they end up reading an average of 40 to 50 books a year. Miller's unconventional approach dispenses with drills and worksheets that make reading a chore. Instead, she helps students navigate the world of literature and gives them time to read books they pick out themselves. Her love of books and teaching is both infectious and inspiring. The book includes a dynamite list of recommended "kid lit" that helps parents and teachers find the books that students really like to read.

 

 

Teach Like a Champion: 49 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College (K-12)

 Teach Like a Champion offers effective teaching techniques to help teachers, especially those in their first few years, become champions in the classroom. These powerful techniques are concrete, specific, and are easy to put into action the very next day. Training activities at the end of each chapter help the reader further their understanding through reflection and application of the ideas to their own practice. 

 

 

Daily 5, The (Second Edition): Fostering Literacy in the Elementary Grades

 The Daily 5, Second Edition retains the core literacy components that made the first edition one of the most widely read books in education and enhances these practices based on years of further experience in classrooms and compelling new brain research. The Daily 5 provides a way for any teacher to structure literacy (and now math) time to increase student independence and allow for individualized attention in small groups and one-on-one.

A week of the fix and a peek at a day of food

So after a week on "the fix" all I can say is I HATE EXERCISING!  When I met my husband 10 years ago we were gym rats.  I started my day with 45 minutes of cardio and ended each day with an hour aerobics/strengthening class.  There's something to be said about working out in public verses at home, but it is what it is and I'm making the most of it. Yes now I feel better, let's move along.  

It's been 7 days of healthier eating and daily exercise.  The easiest part has been the eating.  There is just so much more food than I'm used to consuming on a regular basis.  The problem isn't that I was eating a lot but rather WHAT I was eating.  My calories were empty and convenient.  Now my calories are less but the food is more and much better for me.  I struggled to meet all my containers but I did.  The water intake is a work in progress.  I was literally drinking and going to the bathroom all week.  Not sure how this is going to fly during the school year, but I plan to get it all in.

 Here's a list of approved foods:

Vegetables	Proteins	Carbs	Fruit	Seeds/fat	Nuts/Dairy	Oils
Mushrooms Sprouts Onions Radishes Carrots Cauliflower String Beans Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Collards Kale Eggplant Lettuce Jicama Cabbage	Ham slices Ground chicken Wild Fish Eggs Yogurt Ground Lean Beef Ricotta Cheese Cottage Cheese Protein Powder Veggie Burger Chicken breast Turkey breast Turkey slices Tuna Pork loin Tofu	Quinoa Corn Potato Wild rice Brown rice Yams Sweet Potato Pasta Pancakes Bagel Tortilla Corn Tortilla Cereal Couscous crackers Steel cut oats Pita bread English muffins Rolled oats	Mango Peach Nectarine Figs Papaya Blueberries Orange Banana Watermelon Apricots Kiwi fruit Cherries Pineapple	Olives Peanuts Coconut Sesame Seeds Sunflower Seed	Coconut milk Avocado Hummus Parmesan Cheddar Pistachios Mozzarela Goat Cheese Almonds Provolone Feta cheese Wallnuts	Seed butters Nut butters Extra Virgin Olive Oil Coconut oil Walnut Oil Flaxseed oil Pumpkin seed oil

Sample Day

Day #- Morning workout- Full Body Cardio
Breakfast- shake with 8oz almond milk
Snack- Fruit

Lunch- Romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes and green peppers, can of tuna, hard boiled egg, fix approved  balsamic dressing

Snack- fruit and cheese stick

Dinner- mashed potatoes, grilled chicken, summer squash chips

Snack- almond butter and celery sticks

 

Workouts

There are 7 workouts plus a 10 minute ab workout included with the 21 day fix. 
Each workout is 30 minutes long with warmup/cool down/stretching included (with the exception of the 10 minute abs).  The workouts are a mix of strength, cardio, and flexibility with modification available for those that need it.

After my first 30 minutes I was huffing and puffing and ready for a shower.  None of the exercises in The Total Body Cardio Fix were hard to figure out and look easy enough UNTIL I realized...I'm so out of shape.  I am working muscles that have been asleep for 6 years.  Holy Moly wobbly legs.  I was sore for 3 days.

Upper Fix targeted arms, torso, back and shoulders. Loved this one, expect the plank to be tough.  Lower fix sculpts the legs and booty.

The second, more intense Cardio workout was done later in the week.  Holy Moly isn't even the phrase for this.  Can I say it again...I HATE EXERCISING!  Those darn bur-pees should come with a license.  I don't think I'll ever do them right.  Dirty 30 was an energizer and I felt great by the end of the week.  Feeling the burn!

The Yoga and Pilates Fix workouts are great for flexibility, which I learned I do NOT have.   Getting my stretch on this week has been a challenge but I do enjoy it. 

Equipment

Simple: 2 size dumbbells,  mat, videos and a workout space.  Keep the water and towel handy.

Final Thoughts

Next week has to be easier.  That is all.