Five Friday Favorites: Three day weekend!

Happy Friday! We get a three day weekend for MLK day, woot woot! It will be filled with grad school work but that fact that I can be in sweats on the couch is good enough for me. :)

[Favorite Verse]

This was so fitting for some challenges that arose this week. Trying to remember not to worry and trust in Him and his promises.

[Favorite Pin]

I mentioned last week that I'm working on planning my mom's surprise birthday party and I think I'm going to do something like this. I already started searching for pictures and I'm going to get some super old ones from my Grandad this weekend.

[Favorite Moment]
My students did a make up End of Course exam this week and these are kids who need to pass the test to graduate. I was super nervous for them and they all came back and said it was easy. We were talking about it and one kid goes, 'I have a much better science teacher this year so I felt really confident.' That made my heart melt, what a sweet kid.

[Favorite Song]

Apparently this is an old song but we dance to it in zumba and it's so much fun! I hadn't heart it before but it's catchy! What does Jai Ho even mean?

[Favorite Snapshot] 

I've been kicking butt at eating healthy this week and this salad with leftover chicken from my mom's was delicious! 

Linking up with Friday Favorites & Five on Friday!

Happy Weekend! 

five on friday: christmas decor

Now that December is here I feel like I can share my Christmas decor. Here are my five of my favorite Christmas things in our apartment:

Advent Calendars

I love counting down each day and enjoying a little hershey's kiss! 

The Mantle

I spent a lot of time looking for everything and getting it arranged just how I wanted it. We are still missing stockings because the last set I bought my fiance didn't like but I plan on getting some this weekend to make it look more complete.

Our baby tree

I didn't want a huge tree since we live in an apartment and this little guy was on sale a Michaels and I couldn't pass it up. I even put the presents we are bringing to my parents under it so that it looks better. 

Santa's Sleigh

This was an item in our silent auction fundraiser I hosted for school and my mom bought it for me. I think the reindeer are just too cute and I also like the holiday flowers in the sleight.

Angels

My mom gifted me the Willow Tree angel last year and I bought the other angel this year. I think it might be the start of a Christmas collection. 

Linking up with Friday Favorites & Five on Friday!

Happy Weekend! 

five on friday: black friday edition

In honor of Black Friday I wanted to post about 5 of my favorite deals on my shopping list today. I'm going to be braving the crows (I actually kinda like it) to try and track down these items. Good luck to any other fellow black friday shoppers. :)

Target : DVDs

It's tradition to buy my mom Disney movies for Christmas so that she has a big collection for when I have kids. I think this year I am going to get her Planes and maybe Tangled too.

Crayola Box

I'm hoping to get this for my fiance's niece. I love art supplies and I think it's perfect because it has markers, crayons, colored pencils, and paper all in one! 

Old Navy: Vest

These are only $14! I would love one for myself in white and one for my mom in black. 

Walmart: Tealight Candles

$3 for 100 candles, yes please! I'm not only hunting for deals for Christmas but also the wedding. 

JCPenny: Scarves

I love these floral print scarves and at $5 they are the perfect gift for someone who you want to give something small, practical, and cute!

Linking up! Happy Friday. :) Anyone else go enjoy the sales? 

Friday Favorites: Teacher Memes

I [almost] survived the first week of school && it was actually a lot of fun!

I'm doing a meme powerpoint today to go over procedures and rules and it cracked me up making it. Here are some of my favorites. Thanks E for the idea. :)

Happy weekend! Mine is going to be a busy one so I'll tell you all about it on Monday! 

Linking with Amanda!

Friday Favorites

We have reached another Friday, yay! Sadly this is really the last friday of summer with school beginning on Wednesday, where has the time gone? We've had a long week of teacher meetings and professional development and I'm definitely ready to see all of my kids on the first day. Here are some favorites from this week!

Favorite Verse

At my school we practice agape love and the 8 essentials which are very much derived from this bible verse (even though we are a public school). It's a huge part of our school climate and so while we spend quite a bit of time during professional development this week talking about the 8 essentials I couldn't not reflect on this verse.

Favorite Song 

I am a country music lover and I like this song because I feel like there is always a 'Mama's house' in your mind that you want to return to. It will never be quite as good as it was when you were a kid but it's fun to remember. Plus, Time McGraw is so talented. 

Favorite Picture 

Last night was our first college football game and we happened to be playing my mom's alma mater, Rutgers! I ended up getting free tickets to the game and had enough to take my mom too. It was a really good time, sadly we lost, but my team went through quite the low point when I was in college so I'm used to that. It was so great to be back in the atmosphere and cheering for my Cougs! :)

Favorite Decor 

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it but I already started decorating for fall. I blame peer pressure, my best friend did it first, but I really like it and am enjoying the little fall ensemble on my mantle. 

Enjoy the long weekend! 

What I've Been Reading

One of my favorite things about summer time is being able to catch up on all of the reading that I have been wanting to do all year. As a student it was something I looked forward to and this summer, as a teacher, it was still a highlight. Here's a peek at five of my favorite books I read this summer.

1. Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands 

This book was different from books that I normally read because it was a little dark. It's a young adult book based on a teenager who's life is turned upside down when a nuclear reactor in her town has a meltdown and both of her parents are killed. It follows her struggles in the following weeks including living as a homeless teen and attempting to get back to her abandoned home.
Rating: 4/5 stars

2. The Wedding Girl

I read this book because I had weddings on the brain since I was MOH in my best friend's wedding this summer. This is a fun, easy read about a love story that takes a complicated turn. This book has some humor but also has a decent plot. There are twists that you won't see coming and characters that are funny and relatable.
Rating: 4/5 stars

3. To Live is Christ 

This book follows the story of Paul and it is so inspiring. I have loved learning more about his man and how he lived his life for Christ and the church. I haven't finished the book but each time I read it I learn something, even if I only read a few pages. 

Rating: 5/5

4. The Selection

If you pictured a mix between The Hunger Games and The Bachelor, that is exactly what this book is. It's actually a series of three books and they were all really good. It is a little predictable but for young adult literature, it is an enjoyable read. I have always enjoyed reading anything that involves royalty and since this book provides a glimpse into this fictitious kingdom, it's a lot of fun. 

Rating: 4.5/5

5. Shore Lights

This book is set in a quaint little beach town in New Jersey and since I spent many summers in those towns it had a special meaning to me. There's stories about family, friendship, and loyalty. It's also based around Christmas which is such a magical time. This was a free book on kindle so it's not high quality literature but if you're looking for a light beach read, I would recommend it.

Rating: 4/5

Linking up for friday favorites  && oh, hey friday!