Can you imagine a world without men? No crime and lots of happy fat women. ~Nicole Hollander

Yep, this is my dog on the couch first thing of the morning. I can guarantee this is where you can find him every morning when I am getting ready for work. Right now he is kinda snoring. Awesome. He's cute at this time of the day!

Does anyone else find themselves addicted to DIY network, TLC, and HGTV? Everytime I watch that show I come up with more and more ideas for the house. I think that Mr. S. hates when I watch these shows because then I pester him with ideas that I want to do around here. The cost money. That's where the tricky part comes in. I have made it my goal to try to do one thing around the house that is a good change each month. I think it is totally doable. I have been on Target's, JCPenney's, and Wal-Mart's websites to get an idea of what I want in the house. We'll see. For now, it is more Moving Up, Property Ladder, and Kitchen Renovations. Yep.

Have a lovely Monday!

"Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing" Lao Tzo

Snow? Not so much. Just a dusting. Enough to assist the backyard in flooding a little more today than it was the day before. I am so over bad weather. We have had so many storms forecasted and nothing has happened. Not that I am complaining because I do hate snow, but it is rather annoying. Especially when you teach kids...they get REALLY excited when they think snow is coming. Then when it doesn't...watch out! Tomorrow will be L-O-N-G because they will be complaining about being there. AH!

This week is the only full week until Easter break. We are off next week after 2.5 days. WOO! Then I am going to be practicing Body Jam like crazy. I have to get it memorized!!! I have to.

Speaking of have to...I need to get my symmetry lesson for next week mapped out! Later!

"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action." Benjamin Disreali

Who goes to Wal-Mart when there is rain pourning down? This girl. I hate going to Wal-Mart when it rains because then you have to get everything in your car from the cart. I also parked in the low spot in the parking lot. I tried to get the bare minimum...just what was on my list. I did pretty good. I didn't want to have to carry it all out...hmmm, maybe shopping in the rain is a GOOD thing?! Haha! Anyway, I parked in the place where all the water went to and my feet were SOAKED when I left. Grrr...

There is a forecast of snow. We'll see. I wouldn't hold my breath.

Trivia night tonight to help raise money for one of my co-workers who is walking in the Susan B. Comen breast cancer walk. I somehow became nominated team captain...and it seemed a little last minute...but it's okay. Gives me something to do tonight, I guess. That is, if this snow they think is coming, doesn't come.

I am off to enjoy America's Next Top Model repeats. Later ladies!

The belly rules the mind. ~Spanish Proverb

Alright, the husband is at a friend's house watching the Mizzou game...so I am here at home getting things done. With the game on so late, it was not an okay time for me to be out until about midnight and then get up and deal with third graders in the morning. Not gonna happen.

Here I am at home...doing laundry, making a menu for the rest of this week and next week, changing the sheets, and grading papers. Productive, yes. Fun, not so much.

Menu for the next week:

Tomorrow: husband and I will have our Friday night date out

Saturday: Creamy Chicken and Pasta Bake

Sunday: Not sure right now because I think it is my night to cook for our friends...

Monday: sub sandwiches, salad (my gym night)

Tuesday: Parsley Pesto-Breadcrumb Pasta

Wednesday: Pizza

Thursday: Grilled chicken, roasted red potatoes with bacon and cheese

That is about as far as I got. My lunch will consist of the leftovers or a sub sandwich. Mmm...sounds yummy! Some of the recipes are linked in, so click away!

Have a happy Friday!

"Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear." Unknown

Last night I didn't do the panini...I had so much stuff to do that I just threw some chicken in the oven and then put it over a yummy salad. This is what is in it...

• spinach salad
• carrots
• grape tomatoes
• taco seasoned shredded cheese
• garlic croutons
• mushrooms
• the grilled chicken strips
• lastly, ranch dressing

This is the deal...I know that ranch dressing is like the greatest evil of dressings, but I LOVE it. I could eat it on everything. Everything. I'm just sayin'. 

I am going to Body Jam tonight to teach three tracks. It's part of the pass withhold business. I can go in and teach up to three tracks at a time. So...tracks one-three it is! I am a little nervous, not gonna lie. But it is a lot of adrenaline too, so that is helpful. 

Okay, back to watching my DVRd Biggest Loser and getting ready for work! Probably paninis tomorrow. Mmmm...

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. ~Doug Larson

Heading back to work today after a wonderful spring break. I hope that my students come back ready to work and are done arguing with each other. I think we were all around each other a little too much recently and we really needed this break. So...I hope today is good. 

I have tons to do at work, but that's okay. I am going into this day knowing that I have A LOT to do to get caught up. I prepared myself for this, especially since the only work I did was last night and that was just grading a few papers. I just didn't feel the need to work during my spring break. I do need to get some grades entered today. Eek!

My plan before I leave work today is to get a menu set up for this week. I need to run by the store and I would like to know what I am cooking tonight at least. Tonight I would love to make panini sandwiches. YUM! We'll see! I think that once I do that, I will add the recipes on my website...or at least the menus. Maybe I need to do a Menu Monday....on Tuesday! or Wednesday morning. I'll think about it. 

Okay, I need to get dressed for work. I definitely bought some cute new blue pants and striped shirt from Old Navy and I am antsy to wear it today! Couldn't find the pics online :(

"To find out a girl's faults, praise her to her girl friends." -Benjamin Franklin

Mr. S. had his birthday celebration Friday night. We went to a Japanese steakhouse and it was so much fun! The food was delicious and our cook was funny. Then we went out to this country bar that is always a good time. Our friend was driving so both Mr. S. and I could have fun. I had a little too much fun though. Ugh. Yesterday was spent recovering. I forgot my camera, too...sad face.

Recovery day was spent getting pedicures with the girls, which was tons of fun. Minus the woman that was doing mine. She had the NERVE to comment on the calus on my foot! I am so sorry woman who is just scrubbing my feet...I worked out for a total of probably 30 hours last weekend for my training. Grrrr...and my feet hurt! And have a calus from my tennis shoes. Please don't make comments about my feet. I should have been honest when she was talking about wanting to dye her hair metallic silver. She is in her 50s...and her personality did not scream "metallic silver". Just sayin'. 

Then the ladies and I went to Olive Garden for lunch. Really, I just wanted the carbs to settle the drinks from the night before. I came home and did NOTHING yesterday. I laid on the couch in my pjs. Perfect.

Today is Mr. S.'s real birthday. I need to head up to the store and get cake ingredients and breakfast. Our friends are cooking dinner tonight and Mr. S and I have tomorrow off from work. Yay!

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ~Chili Davis

Wow, I haven't updated since Monday. It has been one of those weeks. The basketball team at the school I work at went to state, so it was super crazy at work. They lost yesterday which means they are playing today for 3rd. Good luck!

I have had no time to go over my Body Jam tracks. Well, scratch that. I have done them in my car, I guess. I need to go through them today though. I think that I am meeting up with some of the other girls to practice today. I really need to get on it so that I am not super behind. It has just been a lot to take on right now, but I still really want to be a part of it. Goodness.

Mr. S.'s birthday is this weekend. He wants to be surprised for his birthday, so he has no idea what we are doing. His bday is actually on Sunday, but for everyone to celebrate, we are doing everything tonight. My friend and I made arrangements at a Japanese steakhouse and then we are going to this really fun country bar after that. I think that he will be happy if everyone I invited shows up. I will be! So I am hoping they all come.

I am going to enjoy the rest of my spring break...I do need to get some cleaning done, but I also plan to spend some time here on the couch lounging!

You will never find time for anything. If you want the time, you must make it. - Charlie Buxton

I have time for a quick post this morning...

• I survived Body Jam training...all 3 days. I actually feel much better this morning than I thought I would. I felt way more horrible yesterday morning. I can tell you that as soon as I walked out of training I was ready for a diet soda and a hamburger. I was HUNGRY! I had just been eating health bars and fruit all weekend. Not that it was a bad thing. I had meals, just very small. All I have to do now is do my two tracks for our club person, get a pass from her, send my video in, and weight for word on certification. *sigh* It's a three month process. Hopefully I don't lose my motivation to do this.
• Last night we had hamburgers on the grill at a friend's house. YUM! They were very good as was the pasta salad she made. I love when I don't have to cook.
• I need to come up with my menu for the week. Easy stuff. Hmmm...I need to grab the ol' cookbook.

Ok, I need to get ready for work. *yawn* And try to stop doing that today!

Reality leaves a lot to the imagination. ~John Lennon

Welp, I am posting at 9:13am on a Friday, meaning I am not at work. Nope, I am not sick. This is Body Jam Training weekend! I am getting ready to leave here pretty soon to head up to the gym from 11am to 8pm tonight, then I am back at the gym Sat. and Sun. from 8am to 5pm...goodness! I am getting kinda nervous because I don't know what to expect and I am scared. EEK!

P/T conferences went well last night. I only had one that irritated me, but I knew that it was going to be that way, so it wasn't a surprise. Other than that, they all went really well. I was glad to be done for the day, that's for sure. Talking straight for 4 hours about all your kiddos...minus the 2 or 3 that didn't show up. 

So...reality show time, huh? I would love to be on America's Next Top Model. Seriously...how fun would that be? Getting photos taken of yourself and jet-setting. Now, I would not ever want to BE a model for a profession, but I would want to be on the show. I am 5'2 and not a stick...so that is not something that would ever happen. I guess it wouldn't be "reality" for me then, huh? I also would love to do something like Biggest Loser, and it isn't that I have 100s of pounds to lose, I would just like for some direction from the trainers.

Have a lovely weekend! I am not sure when I will post again. 

Parent/Teacher Conferences tonight...my grades have come back twice with mistakes on them. This means that I don't yet have them put together. STRESS TIME! I have to get everything done before 3pm today...and get my sub plans together for tomorrow...and clean up my classroom...oh my goodness...I need another set of hands.

Have a lovely day!!

Question for you all: If you could be a part of ANY reality show, what show would you want to be on and why?

My answer tomorrow! SEE YA!!

" Frustration is the compost from which the mushrooms of creativity grow." Tumerica

You should check out this awesome giveaway at According to Ashley's blog! Who doesn't love monogrammed items?! She has a super fun website, too!

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As of right now, I have stuck with the to-do list...after an almost-meltdown last night. While I was putting in grades at work the grading system stopped working. AAH! I got home and after Mr. S. took Truman to dog class I settled in to start working on my grades while I watched Dancing with the Stars. :)  It would not let me login. NOOOOOOO! It took one hour for it to finally log me in. I was so upset that I was not going to get done. But alas, I finished and just have to give 2 makeup tests today, grade and enter the grades, and then finalize the grades. THEN I AM FINISHED! That is my plan for today. Awesome.

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Welp, I am going to finish getting ready for work, go buy some seeds for my classroom so we can learn about plants, and go to work. Fun fun! Everyone, have a lovely Tuesday!

“A bee is never as busy as it seems; it's just that it can't buzz any slower.” Kin Hubbard

My week is going to be B-U-S-Y. Holy cow. 

Monday: Finish 3rd quarter grades

Tuesday: Put together parent/teacher conference folders, make conference list with points I want to cover

Wednesday: Grade papers. finish conference stuff

Thursday: conferences from 3-7pm, SLEEP

Friday: Body Jam training

Saturday: more Body Jam training

Sunday: and even more Body Jam training

Every time that conferences roll around I feel like I forget to cover those important topics I need to with parents. I feel like I might get a little flustered and forget to bring certain things up. Well, we have 10 minutes/conference and I decided to make a cheat sheet for each child so that I talk about everything I need to. We'll see...

I have to be better about my grades this quarter. Sometimes I go for a couple of weeks without posting them and I know that is not the best practice. This time around I have to send a progress report home with one of my students each week due to...stubbornness, really...so I will be better about my grades. 

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Enough about school...

My dog has begun digging. A lot. There is one massive hole in my backyard. So....guess who is not allowed out on his own anymore. Yep, the big, yellow dog. Grrrr...I was SOOO furious. The first time I laughed about it because...whaddya do? The second time, I was angry. Very angry.

I should take a photo of this hole so you can see it. It is not really wide, so much as it is DEEP.

Alrighty...I need to make myself look presentable for work. Later gators!

Happy news:

Melissa Rycroft...from the Bachelor...is going to be taking place of injured, Nancy O'Dell on Dancing with the Stars! Weee! That should be fun. Along with her is Holly Madison (Hef's ex-main squeeze) taking place of very injured, Jewell. I might be a little excited now for DWTS.

Um...really, that's all for now. I need an oil change. Going to take care of that.

"The best thing is to look natural, but it takes makeup to look natural." Calvin Klein

Happy Saturday! So...the makeup consensus is Bare Minerals. I had thought about this before, but I guess that my concern with it has always been the texture of it. You just brush it on, right? It's just powder, so how does it cover all day? From the website, I understand that you brush it on, then put on your foundation. Is the L'Oreal stuff the same stuff, but cheaper?

Sorry about my makeup tangent...it's tricky. Being a woman is tricky stuff. I feel lucky that I am a woman due to the fact that I can cover my face if I need to. Men have the short end of the stick on this deal. They can't really put on makeup. I mean, I guess they could...but I am sure that most of them would not. 

I probably should stop the rambling and go let the dog in. I am sure he is a mudball by now. Awesome.

My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather. ~Loire Hartwould

Truman and I went for a walk at the park today. We did 1.5 miles around. What a sweet guy! There was a little boy that wanted to pet him, and Truman was such a GOOD BOY...he let the little boy come up and pet him while he sat on the ground. Awww...it was so cute. Then the boy ran away and was like, "Thank you!" What a cutie!

I have been doing the best I can about eating healthy this week. Minus the McDonalds I ate Tuesday night -- I had to! It was McTeacher's Night! --I have done okay. I know that I will never be able to be 100% perfect about eating healthy, but I know that I can do better than I have. With that said, I really do love hummus. Yum!

Tomorrow is Friday. I AM SO HAPPY! I can't wait to have a weekend that isn't cold.

I have some lovely papers to grade. *crossing fingers* Hopefully my kids did well on their division tests.

Dancing is like dreaming with your feet! ~Constanze

I want Carmandy from What Not to Wear to come and do my make-up. She seems to know what she is doing...and I would like some assistance from her. Just sayin'. I want a foundation that really covers my face. Seriously. Anyone use something they think covers to where you hardly see any imperfections? Let me know.

I really would just like to be on What Not to Wear. In college I had one of my roommates try to submit me. I was never on the show. I must not be HORRIBLE. Which looking at who makes it on there, I'm not. I just want someone to make me over. 

In about a week I start my pursuit of becoming a Les Mills Body Jam instructor! I am getting super pumped and kinda nervous. It is Friday-Sunday. Friday is 11am-8pm, Saturday and Sunday are 8am-5pm. Wow! That is 24 hours. 24 hours of working out. I hope I can keep up. I have been trying to hit all the classes over the past couple of months so I can kinda condition. Bah!

The dog has to go outside. *grumble* Catch ya in the a.m.!

This must be quick, as I should be drying my hair right now. Shhh. I am not that motivated to get dressed today. I would prefer to remain sitting here, wrapped in my blanket and hoodie, sitting with my blogs, and reading. Yep. Too bad there are 21 kids at school that won't allow that to happen.

I thought that I was getting sick in the middle of the night (I'm not though. Whew.). I was afraid to maybe need to call a sub. My classroom is a wreck. To do today: clean my classroom. WOW!

Do you know what I love? Still getting that rush of happiness when I catch my engagement ring in just the right light. It's a good feeling to know that it's there. Mr. S. and I are getting ready to come up on our 9 year anniversary of being a couple. Since we got married we decided we didn't really need to celebrate those big like we used to. I think we will celebrate the milestones, 10, 20, and such...but not every year. It's thankfully easy to remember because we became a couple in 2000.

Alright, I don't have time to type much. I will try to add more tonight and clean this up. I must get ready and go to the store on the way to carpooling. Principal's Day at school requires treats. Have a lovely day!

"A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book." ~Irish Proverb

Dear Bachelor Jason,

   I thought that you were going to make this season of The Bachelor different. Now I am back at square one...the one that makes me not want to watch this show again. You got my hopes up by picking the girl that was AWESOME....then at the final rose show, you really screwed some stuff up. I mean, really. Wow...talk about crappy. I didn't see that happening at all. The show should make you people stop proposing. That would really eliminate some of the pain and embarassment on the show. I thought you, Bachelor Jason, were different. But, alas, you aren't.

Sincerely,

Girl who is angry at the Bachelor

Yep, I am. How can you not be after watching that show. I mean, I hope that he has found all the happiness in the world...grrrr...poor Melissa.

Remember how my dog hates to let me sleep? At dog school my husband asked what we should do. I figured they would go with the whole "ignore his barking" thing...but they instead said to move his crate into our room because of proximity. We did. We moved it in our room AND he slept ALL night. I woke up to my alarm. I don't know how to describe the excitement I am feeling this morning that I got a full night's sleep last night. Without sleeping on the couch. AMAZING!

As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it. ~Buddy Hackett

I am not sure if I have explained what we do on Sunday nights...so, here it goes. On Sundays there are 3 (sometimes 4) of us that get together for dinner. We call them "Sunday Family Dinners". We alternate houses and each person cooks something for all the others. I LOVE these days. I look forward to them throughout the week because we all get together and relax. It all started last summer when we were BBQing outside. When it started to get cold we decided to just take it inside. I know we are all ready for BBQ season again though! This is what I made last night... (this pic is off the website! Although, mine was quite similar to this!)

Rosemary-Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

2 tsp.  dried rosemary leaves, divided

1 tsp. pepper, divided

1 whole  roasting chicken (3-1/2 lb.)

6 Tbsp. KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing, divided

2 lb.  red potatoes (about 5), cut into 1-inch chunks

6 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled

2   green onions, sliced

HEAT oven to 375°F. Mix cream cheese, 1 tsp. rosemary and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Starting at neck of chicken, use handle of wooden spoon or fingers to carefully separate skin from meat of the breast, thighs and legs of chicken, being careful to not tear the skin. Spoon cream cheese mixture under skin; use fingers to push and spread some of the mixture out to thighs and legs. Place chicken in shallow baking pan. Brush with 2 Tbsp. dressing.

TOSS potatoes with remaining dressing, rosemary and pepper in separate pan. Bake chicken and potatoes 1-1/4 hours or until chicken is done (165ºF), stirring potatoes every 30 min.

TRANSFER chicken to large serving dish, reserving juices in pan. Let chicken stand 10 min. Meanwhile, add bacon and onions to potatoes; mix lightly. Spoon around chicken in dish. Skim fat from reserved chicken juices in pan; discard. Spoon juices over chicken and potatoes.