What A Morning!

I am now (unofficially) Mrs. Jenna Winter!  I still need to change my name, but I am really confused of where I should start.  I know I can research online how to do it, and I will, but right now i am exhausted!  Not because of my weekend... I had a good weekend!  But this morning has been tiring.  I woke up around 5:45, got my computer out of the office and brought it to the kitchen table.  I wanted to make sure I had it up and running by 6 am.  That is the time Kidd Kraddick's morning show normally starts.  I had no idea what time it would start today, but I wanted to be ready just in case with Kidd Nation streaming live.  I was heart-broken, like so many people in America were this weekend, when I heard that Kidd had passed away at his charity event.  His show has been a HUGE part of my morning life for the past almost 20 years.  I do not know what the future holds for the show, but I hope his legacy lives on through Kidd's Kids.  Turns out the live show was not starting until 7, but I got to listen to many sweet/sad/funny memories of past shows until then.  

Well... right before Chris and Laura left for work, I fell.  Bad.  I had gotten up to do who knows what, and when I went back to the kitchen table to sit down I somehow didn't lift my foot up high enough to step over the computer cord and totally tripped.  I went down so hard.  I landed on my left hip and elbow mostly, but I am sore ALL OVER right now!  Not to mention, when I tried to turn on the light over the kitchen table today I broke a chair!  I don't have to explain to anyone that knows me how short I am, so it probably wouldn't surprise you that I can't reach most light strings.  I stood on the chair like I normally do, and SNAP!  The chair leg broke!  

My day did get better, though.  It feels good to have a good cry every now and then, and that I did.  It was very sweet listening to all the stories of Kidd, and while he will be missed it sure does seem like he lived a full life!  I pray for his family- especially his daughter, Caroline, who you could tell had an extremely close relationship to her dad.  I also pray for his coworkers who spent a majority of their time with him that they will find peace during this time.  All I have to say is this- if you could lose weight from crying, I probably would have lost a good 5 or 6 pounds this morning!

Anyway... while I was listening I spent quite a while filling out some blitz cards and product catalogues with my information for my itWorks! business.  I plan on putting more effort into this business because I feel like I could be extremely successful with it if I just tried!  I wrote on 42 blitz cards (I wrote on the other 58 this weekend) and filled out 51 catalogues (I did about 30 of those this weekend) and I feel very accomplished!  I am writing my name, phone number, and website (http://jennawinter.myitworks.com) on each of these things.  That may not sound like a lot, but I promise you it is! My niece, Madilyn, is even walking around neighborhoods with me and leaving these cards on doorsteps to help me advertise my business.  I walked with her up and down this street in my neighborhood this past Saturday where she passed out 59 cards (woohoo).  I know many of these cards will just be thrown away, but if I could get any customers out of this it would be totally worth it!  It was so funny too... as we were walking Madi goes, "I just don't get it.  You are paying me $10 an hour to walk around with me and watch me walk up to front doors?!"  Well it sounds like I am being ripped off when she puts it that way, but I explained to her I am more-so paying her for her company because it would be really boring to walk around alone!  

After working on my itWorks! stuff, I downloaded all our honeymoon pictures. A big shout out "TY" to Chris' coworker, Mark, who gave us a sweet wedding gift of purchasing our honeymoon pictures.  We definitely couldn't have gotten so many beautiful pictures without his gift! After reviewing some of my wedding vendors online, I received a free shutterfly photo book!  So, after downloading the pictures, I set to work on the book.  I know I got it for free, but man!  It is a lot of work!  It took me like 2 hours to get everything the way I wanted, but it will be totally worth it.  Check it out here:  Honeymoon

Now that I have been on the computer for the past 5+ hours my eyes hurt!  I am going to take a nap, then set to work on coupons!  BTW... I will def put up some wedding pictures... just not sure when... I feel like my summer is almost over already!

My Best Friends Wedding

Oops... I wrote this FOREVER ago!  Nic and Ashley got married March 2!  I wrote this the next week... I guess it is time to post it!

Ok, so maybe not my best friend... But the title is definitely fitting! Nic and I go WAY back. We went to elementary school together, so I have known him since I was like 6. In seventh grade, he "asked me out". Kinda funny because we were 12! Where were we going to go? I actually told him I would think about it. I told him yes a couple days later. He was my middle school boyfriend, and part of high school. We remained friends even after we broke up. He was always there, always funny, and ALWAYS honest.  We kept in touch when we went away to different colleges, and even ended up working together a few years later! We were both first year teachers at the first school I worked at. My second year there, he actually worked in my classroom for part of the day as my inclusion support. Oh goodness, I couldn't have made it without him some of those days! It wa a tough group of kids! Great guy. We used to watch the movie "My Best Friends Wedding" together almost every weekend... So, therefore, the title is fitting!

He got married on March 2nd in Arkansas, and Chris and I were invited! We decided to go, booked a room at the hotel they had reserved rooms at, and looked up directions on google maps. They got married at Ouachita Baptist University. My sister Kim went there, so I had been there before maybe once but totally did not remember the drive. Chris made the drive out there... I take that back, Chris drove the entire weekend! I was extremely grateful that he drove because I was so tired! I have so much going on at school and I am wearing myself out, so I was in no shape to drive to long distances! I tend to get tired while driving. I know that is not a good thing, but it is what it is. The drive was easy- long but pretty, high speed limits! We left Saturday morning about 7-ish and got there around 12:30. When we checked into the resort (on Degray Lake, I think it is a state park or something... It is RIDICIOUSLY beautiful)  the lady said we could check in early to a regular room or wait until 4:00 to get a lakeside view. We decided to go ahead and check in so we could get ready in time for the wedding that started at 2:00. We got ready quickly and saw Nic's mom, Janet, on the way out. I was surprised she wasn't ready yet, but didn't think too much of it. We headed to Walmart to get a couple things we needed then headed straight to the wedding chapel, which was about 25 miles away from the resort. As we were about to pull up, I couldn't get the thought of the mother of the groom not being ready so close to the start of the wedding, so I pulled out the invitation. It didn't start until 4:00! We had two options, either head back to the resort, hang out 20 minutes, then go back to the wedding OR find somewhere local hang out until it was time. We chose option 2. We found a little sports bar near by to get something to eat and have a couple drinks. On the way back to the wedding, I was so tired I fell asleep in the car. The wedding was beautiful. I was shocked there were so many people there I knew! The drive to the reception was another 20 minutes away, and again I fell asleep in the car! Needless to say, I didn't make it very long at the reception... Which sucks because I would have liked to spend more time catching up with everyone, but I was exhausted. 

We got to sleep in Sunday then get ready for the long ride back. Overall, it was a good weekend. Makes me even more excited about my wedding! And to Nic and Ashley, Chris and I wish you nothing but the best!

I Forgot I Had a Blog!

No, really... I forgot.  I haven't made a post in SO long that I just forgot!  I remembered about a week ago, and I've been trying to figure out what to share with everyone ever since.

I have been SO busy.  I know what you are thinking... wedding planning, right?  Not at all!  I have so many other things I need to do that I don't have much time to worry about the wedding!  Hopefully I will get to that soon.  I honestly have so much going on that I have 3 seperate to do lists going on right now.  I will break the rest of my post down according to my to do lists!

Wedding:  I already said I haven't worried much about the wedding.  I feel like I have most of the important stuff picked out.  Except flowers.  I haven't made a decision on flowers.  But, I have the venue... we do need to decide on what kind of food we want though.  I have designed a cake, picked a place to do it, and paid for it.  I picked my dress out a while ago and it already came in!  It fits almost perfectly... as long as I can lose a couple inches on my back (yes... my back) I don't think I will need to get it altered.  I have gotten my gifts for all my bridesmaids, my flower girl and ring bearer.  I have started picking out stuff to use for center pieces.  Chris and I already registered.  That was so much fun!  More for me than Chris, though.  We have dates set for a couple of the showers.  Save the dates have been sent (shout out to Pam Leach who took us out for a cold morning of pics to get the perfect save the date!).  I guess I will start thinking about invitations soon.  We met with our DJ last weekend to start thinking of songs.  Honestly, everything that is left are small details.  It makes me feel overwhelmed when I think about ALL of the small things, but I will take it one day at a time and get it done.  June will be here before I know it!

Home:  I have an actual to do list for things I need to do that don't fit into the wedding category and aren't work related.  I have been in the process of getting more organized upstairs in the living room that I sort of use as a craft room.  Chris calls it a crap room because of all my stuff!  We are still making pickles from time to time, but we don't have to as much because we have a decent stash built up already made.  I really need to do my taxes.  I have put it off because I need to get a copy of my return from last year (its on a computer that doesn't work at the moment), and I need to figure out all of my itworks! stuff.  Speaking of itworks!... I want to put more effort into it because I found out they are offering the G.O.O.D bonus again.  That stands for get out of debt!  If I make it to a certain point (which I am far from) I can get a $10,000 bonus to go towards paying off debt!  What an awesome company!  I went to an old friend's house last night to wrap her.  I had a really good time.  It was actually my second time this week to see her.  My 10 year high school reunion is coming up this year.  So, the class officers got together to start planning, and she was one of them.  It was really good to see everyone... I laughed a lot!  And we went to I Fratelli, which I don't go to often, so I really enjoyed that.  Their chips and dip are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  I didn't think I would be planning my ten year reunion at the same time I was planning my wedding, but I also was voted class officer like 11 years ago!  I had no idea what I would be doing in 2013!  So, I got to see my friend, Lauren, again last night while I wrapped her.  I ended up staying longer than I meant to, which put me right in the middle of traffic (a SHUT DOWN highway) on my way home.  It made my trip home (which should have been 20 minutes) turn into a 2 hour trip!  I was so exhausted, I was almost falling asleep the whole way home!  I cried most of it too.  I just felt so helpless!  There was NOTHING I could do about the fact that I was traveling at 3 miles per hour! 

School:  This time of year is crazy busy!  I am getting ready for cheerleading tryouts right now.  Tryouts are next Wednesday.  We actually take every girl that tries out, but we still hold tryouts.  I am in the process of trying to get more girls to sign up!  We only have 4 that have turned in packets.  I am hoping for at least 12!  Wish me luck.  I also have taken on a HUGE task of filling in for our science department chair while she is out on maternity leave.  I was under the impression that all I was required to do was go to 2 district meetings that she would be unable to attend and bring back the info to the department. Saying I was wrong about that is an understatement!  I have had to miss a day and a half of school to go to trainings.  I have attended 4 meetings.  I had to plan out the planetarium field trip for the 8th graders.  I had to place our supply order for next year.  I am still in the process of getting the 8th grade teachers set on their station reviews for the STAAR test.  I was actually given a whole day off to work on this project.  It was greatly appreciated, but I still have a lot to do.  Next week is the last week of the 6 weeks, and I have a ton of kids failing.  That means I will have a ton of kids coming in to make up their grades.  I am helping out with Saturday School tomorrow for a teacher that is busy.  Oh well, at least I get paid for that!

Anyway, I'm going to do my best to make it through next week.  Hopefully I will get some sleep.  We are going to Arkansas for a good friends wedding next weekend.  Maybe I will get some ideas! 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

It's Gonna Be A Good Year...

Oh wait!  It's gonna be a GREAT year!  So, I turned 28 a couple of weeks ago. It sounds SO OLD!  I know it's not... I know people live to be a lot older than 28, so it's relatively still quite young.  But to me, it sounds weird saying that I am TWENTY-EIGHT!  This year (not 2012, but my 28-year-old-year) I will be getting married.  It's getting so close I can feel it!  I will also be  buying my first house!  That is so exciting in itself.  All the responsibility that comes along with it makes me a little nervous, but I honestly think I am a pretty responsible person and I think I can handle it.  Chris and I still don't know 100% sure where we want to end up, but there are a few places that I know we would both be happy with.  I guess that is where we will start looking.  

We are going to Vegas this weekend!  Our good friends, Joel and Marie, are getting married this Saturday.  We knew they were getting married this winter but were somewhat surprised when we opened the invite and saw it was in Vegas!  We didn't even hesitate... went and booked our flight and hotel right then.  We are staying at Bally's.  It is going to be a blast... Expect a post next week.  You heard me, NEXT week.  I plan on trying to blog a little more often.  

Speaking of weddings... did I say how close mine is getting?!  I know I still have a little over 6 months, but I know it will fly by.  I am hoping to be able to get everything done and paid for that needs to be done and paid for in time.  I'm sure I will, I just need to devote some time to it a few times a week to sit down and make some decisions.  We haven't even made a final copy of our guest list yet!  We still have about 40 or so people too many invited!  Maybe I will revisit it tonight.  :)  Who am I kidding?  I won't.  I have too many other things I am trying to do.  One thing I really want to do is make some labels.  Laura and I make delicious pickles and candied jalapenos.  I have a lot of teachers that buy them for themselves, and some of them decided to purchase them and give them as Christmas gifts.  One of the teachers has asked me to create a label to put on them so that she can promote us and our "business".  It's more of a hobby.  It takes a lot of time, but it's fun and we have ended up making a decent amount of money.  I mean, it is going to pay for my wedding favors that I am handing out!  Well, we are kinda having some trouble coming up with a name for the pickles and jalapenos.  I think we have decided to call them "Double Dutch Pickles" because they were made (with love) by two Holland girls!  Isn't that cute?  But, to me that is more of a company name and not really a name for the pickles, you know?  Hopefully I will come up with something... I really need to print those labels!

I also have some crafting that I was hoping to start this week before I left for Vegas.  My sister Kim makes these AWESOME paper wreaths that are super cute for Christmas gifts.  I am planning on making them for my teacher friends!  Speaking of teacher friends, I need to go hang out with them in the hall because the bell is about to ring!  I love the end of the day!

Until next time...

I Did It Again...

... I got caught up in life and didn't take the time to write about it.  I feel like SO MUCH has happened but at the same time, I can't really think of any of it to share!  I can think of everything I plan on doing THIS week!  Why am I blogging at 8 am on a Monday morning? I'm not being bad and doing this during work time... I am off all week!  Oh the perks of being a teacher!  I am about to start cutting coupons, go figure... and then who knows what?  There are so many options.  My "To Do List" is 16 items long and still growing.  It will probably take a while to cut the coupons because I have quite a few to cut, then I will probably get started on a bunting to make for a friend.  I am having lunch this week with a friend from Middle School/Highschool and am so looking forward to it!  She is expecting and is pretty close (due sometime in January?) so I want to give her one of my "famous" buntings :) If I can coupon and do a bunting today before I go to my chiropractic appointment, I will feel accomplished! I decided to go see a chiropractor because I have always had a small continuous pain all through my back.  I pop my back on my own daily, and I thought I had a rib out of place.  (When I lay on my back, my left side looks normal but my right side has an indention)  Laura and I did a craft fair type thing at the Irving YMCA where she took her Mary Kay stuff and I took our homemade pickles and candied jalapenos.  It was SO cold but also a lot of fun.  Anyway... my booth was next to a booth offering free spinal checks.  I ended up talking to the girl, and she told me they were offering a deal to go see the chiropractor for an evaluation, get x-rays and a follow-up consultation for $20!  (Normally like a $400 value!)  I decided to go for it because I have been thinking about going lately anyway.  I'm really glad I did!  I have many subluxations (where the vertebrae are not laying right), my hips are misalligned by 6 mm, the curve in my lower back and neck are off by over an inch, and the bottom of my spine is totally crooked!  I started going for adjustments last week.  I will be going 3 times a week for 12 weeks, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what difference it actually makes!  And this office is totally cool because they do therapy along with the adjustments.  And, it is open concept... so it basically is a large room that everyone is in most of the time.  Everyone is so friendly... everyone talks to everyone, and it makes it fun!  If anyone is interested in getting checked out, you can use my name as a referral and get the whole thing I got for $20 for free! 

Off to start couponing!

Taking a Second To Brag a Little Bit...

This has just been SUCH a busy year!  I really didn't think that going from 6 periods to 8 (which makes them go from 65 minutes to 45) would make such a big difference at school this year, but IT DID!!!!!  At the beginning of the year I was so behind every day!  I had so many things on my to do list that grew daily!  I didn't think I would ever catch up... but I did!  I have actually had a really good year. 

I found out today that I was voted "Teacher of The Six Weeks"!  At my old school, we had teacher of the month, so there were 9 (or 10) teachers that were able to get that title each year.  I even got it once there.  But at my new school, they only do it once a 6 weeks, so only 6 teachers get that title.  It's really cool because it is the staff that votes on it, so I feel like it is an extremely nice award to receive.  I was voted for the 1st 6 Weeks!  It will be announced tomorrow. 

Today, I also got a really nice email.  Our instructional specialist (which is a relatively new position) goes to a lot of district meetings.  She was at one this morning.  When she got back she sent me an email saying that each of the specialists had to pick out some "Rockstar" teachers for specific categories.  She wanted to let me know that she gave my name for the "Rockstar" teacher... I think it was in the higher level questioning category?  I don't remember, but it was nice of her anyway!

Anyway... that put me in a good mood! 

I'm about to go eat dinner... smells yummy!

Holy Moly...

I can't believe I haven't posted since the start of school!  I have been SO BUSY! There is just always so much to do at the beginning of the year.  My "To Do" list is never-ending.  Every time I cross something off I add at least two more things!  And yes, a lot of the things on there aren't that important to get done immediately (like alphabetize the 140 lab safety contracts that were turned in and put them in a binder with the alphabet dividers or print the entire copy of the online textbook to have in a binder with all of the attachments separated by dividers) but my OCD self won't let me not do it.  I can't even let myself take it off the list for now to get the more important things done.  I JUST HAVE TO DO IT ALL!!!!!  I have been getting to the school by 6:30 and I have stayed late the past couple of days, but my list is still fills up the page.  You know how if you make a to do list you only use half of the page because most of the items are shortened?  I made my list and then turned the page upside-down to utilize the other half!  

BUT, even with all the things I have to do I have to say that I really have enjoyed the school year so far.  Last year was a rough group.  They had AT-TI-TUDES!  They didn't care about school, only their friends.  They were a pretty defiant group.  The other teachers couldn't believe how bad they were... but I had seen much worse behavior at my previous school.  Still, they were a rough group... no denying it!  I am loving my kids this year!  All the sixth grade teachers are loving them.  I have a few talkative classes, but overall, it is really nice!  I guess the trade off of having well-behaved kids is that they are pretty low.  I can tell a huge difference especially in my honors class.  I am surprised at some of the kids that are labeled as honors.  I am hoping they are just rusty from the summer :)  I have one boy... we'll call him "D"... that I'm going to have a rough year with.  He wasn't put in school until the 4th grade.  Then, on top of all of that, he was absent most of his 4th and 5th grade year.  He can't read.  He doesn't know how to socialize with kids his age.  He whines.  He is hard to understand.  It's sad, but more than anything it's annoying.  Why would a parent do that to their child?  They must love him so much they want him to live at home for the rest of his life because as of right now he wouldn't survive on his own.  

What I find kind of funny is what the 7th grade teachers have to say about our previous students.  Ok, not funny... but now they get to see what we dealt with.  The teachers literally had problems day one with kids saying stuff like, "You can't tell me what to do."  Oh boy... what a year they have in store.

I know I probably didn't mention even a tenth of the things I've done since my last blog, but I need to eat dinner so I can go to bed to get ready for tomorrow!  

First Day of School.

I honestly can't believe that summer is officially over!  My first day of school is tomorrow! As a kids I was always really excited for the first day of school... like the I can't sleep night-before-Christmas kind of excited!  Not anymore.  I mean, I love teaching.  Don't get me wrong.  But, I LOVE summer!  I just really think that deep down inside I am meant to be a stay at home mom.  Of course, Chris and I don't have any kids for me to stay at home with, and we don't really live the kind of life style that could afford it.  But that is by choice.  I really think if we decided that was what was best for us as a family (which I'm hoping we will decide that one day) we would make the sacrifices.  As of right now, teaching is my dream job compared to anything else.  

And I am excited for the first day of school.  If you asked me if I was two weeks ago I would have said no.  But as of right now, I am looking forward to this year.  This will be the first year that I am teaching the same content as the year before.  I taught resource math 6th, 7th, and 8th grades my first year as a long-term sub.  My first actual year of teaching was 6th grade math.  Then I was moved to 7th grade math.  Last year was 6th grade science, and I FINALLY got to stay in the same grade and subject!  I feel like I have a good grip on what it is I'm teaching.  Sure, little things here and there change in lessons and all, but for the most part it's the same!  And after getting my classroom ready over the past couple of weeks, I am even more ready.  My walls were blank at the end of the year last year.  I wasn't sure whether or not I was staying in the same place, so I figured I should go ahead and take it all down.  I figured that even if I ended up in the same room there were a lot of logistics that needed changing.  So, when I got to my room recently this is what I saw:

I got A LOT done!  It isn't 100% completely done, but more than ready to go for tomorrow!  Here is what you would see walking into it now:

This last one has a funny story.  I decided I am going to put some personal things behind my desk: cute posters, some family pics, etc.  I'm not done yet, but I did get started.  I used to have a Twilight poster in my math class at my old school that the kids loved.  So, I decided to get a Hunger Games poster for this year.  I went to Walmart, and the poster section was a huge mess!  They only had one poster on display.  I really liked it.  It was of Katniss.  But, it wasn't in it's bin.  I looked around, and found one that was near the correct bin that I could see the Hunger Games sign on.  I was so excited!  Even thought they are rolled up and that was all I could see I wasn't worried because the Katniss poster seemed to be the only one that was for sale.  Here is what I found when I unrolled it!

Peeta Mellark.  It looks like I have a crush on him just like a lot of the 12-year-old girls I will be teaching this year.  Oh well!  Well, it's time for me to go to bed so I can get up super early to get ready for the 1st day of school!  Happy school year to all of my teacher friends out there... or to anyone who has kids in school!

And I have to admit, I lied earlier.  If you asked me if I could be ANYTHING I wanted to be, like if all options were open, I would want to be a dog.  All they do is eat, sleep, poop, and play!  That's the life... lol.

Not Too Shabby...

... If I don't say so myself! So, my plans of going to the school to work in my room today didn't happen.  I went yesterday for a little less than two hours.  I knew I wouldn't be there all day.  I really only had one thing in mind that I absolutely wanted to get done, but I thought it would take thirty minutes at the most!  I was wrong... I kept changing my mind on how I wanted it done.  Here is a pic of the finished product!

There were many times last year that I would run to the restroom and wish I had brought something with me (feminine product, pony tail holder, dental floss etc.), so I decided I would buy something like this to store those things in that we don't always think about.  I bought these drawers for $10, and I have been buying things that are good deals to go inside.  I figure I will stock it at the beginning of the year and then hopefully the other teachers will get the idea and bring stuff for it.  Yesterday, I filled the inside with the stuff I had bought for it so far.  The top drawer contains 3 air fresheners and a lint roller.  The middle drawer has 3 things of bayer aspirin, cough drops, and a few packs of gum.  The bottom drawer has a package of pads and pantiliners. All of the stuff inside was purchased for less than $8... with coupons of course!  

Speaking of my coupons... the reason I didn't go up to the school today is because I got started couponing this morning.  Chris has two nice ladies he works with that bring him their coupon inserts every Monday.  So on weeks like this one, when I didn't buy a Sunday paper, I can still have access to this weeks coupons!  I cut out and organized the 3 inserts that he received, and then I made a list.  Now, I don't like to make a list and just go to one store to make it convenient.  I like to make as many lists as possible to get the best deals as possible!  So, this morning my list consisted of 5 stores.  I only ended up going to 4 though: Dollar General, Walgreens, CVS, and Tom Thumb.  Here is a pic of the goodies I picked up!

Some of the stuff is hard to see, so I will explain.  I got two boxes of toilet cleaner and two boxes of gain dryer sheets at Dollar General.  Then I got two boxes of tampons and a venus razor at Walgreens.  At CVS, I got a pack of bobby pins, pony tail holders, and hair clips and a jumbo pack of dental flosser picks. My last stop was Tom Thumb.  I got 3 boxes of fruit snacks, three boxes of granola bars, a package of pantiliners, and two packages of pads.  In all, I spent $35.62.  My total should have been $76.21 which gives me a 54% savings.  Some stores were better than others, and I still have $7 in extra bucks to go back and spend at Walgreens.  They don't always like it when you break up your number of transactions, so I plan on going back tomorrow.

The best part was after my shopping I stopped by my gym to get a quick 15 minute massage on the hydro bed.  It was amazing!  I can always use some relaxation after a couple hours of couponing!  I'm about to head to pick up Chris.  Hopefully we can work out tonight, but the main thing I plan on doing is cleaning upstairs... fun, I know!  I'm just so excited about using the new toilet bowl cleaner I got!

We Joined A Gym!

On our way home from the river we decided that we were going to try and be healthier.  I even decided I am going to run a half marathon.  I later decided it would be best to start with a 5k, but I think I will try and work my way up!  Anyway, we pass a gym on our way home daily that I wanted to look into.  It has this HUGE sign on the front window that says it is only $12 a month with no contract commitment.  It looks tiny, but I thought it might be worth a look.  When Chris and I went inside I was somewhat surprised.  It was a little bigger than thought it would be, and we were told it was a full gym. (I guess that means it has all the machines a full gym would have... just not as many.) They also have a tanning bed and a hydro massage bed.  The guy let me try the hydro bed and it was AMAZING!  I recently terminated my monthly massages to try and save $80 a month, and I really thought I was going to miss my massages.  I might not with this machine.  It basically uses water jets to massage you.  He told us that a chiropractor said 15 minutes on the hydro bed is basically the same as a 60 minute swedish massage!  I haven't tried it for a full 15 minutes yet, but I will let you know how it goes!  The "$12 a month" sign is a ploy to get you in there.  You had to put $79 down for that plan and you only get to work out 3 days a week... either Monday, Wednesday Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.  Their next plan was only $15 a month.  You had to put $49 down, but you could work out any day of the week.  The thing with this plan is the tanning and hydro beds are not included.  Their 3rd and final plan is the one we went with.  It also required $49 down.  It costs the most ($25 a month... which really isn't that bad) but has the best perks.  The tanning and hydro bed is included, you can work out any day you want, AND you can bring a guest with you!  So, I joined and Chris is my guest EVERY time I go!  The only bad thing is he isn't allowed to use either bed and he has to be with me to be able to get in.  We might end up getting him his own membership so that Laura can go with us as our guest!  

Starting August 1st (the day we joined the gym) we did a really good job of eating right and working out.  Our first workout was painful.  We only did 20 minutes of cardio and were BEAT, but you have to start slow... right?  We didn't go out to eat at all (okay, just subway once) and we worked out like 4 times!  Chris even downloaded this app that has programmed workouts on it that we can follow so that we aren't just walking around trying random things.  Like, I even lifted some weights.  I am SOOOOO weak!  It was sad that the 5 and 8 pound dumbbells were heavy, but I have nowhere to go but up!  Chris's birthday was last Thursday, August 9, so we cheated over the weekend, but we plan to get right back on track today!  I haven't told him that yet, but I am sure he will agree!  

His birthday was fun.  I got him a Bible with his name engraved on the front, and while I was at it I decided to go ahead and get me one with my future name on it!  I knew it was probably a gift that he wouldn't buy for himself but that he would enjoy having.  I also got him this really cool speaker.  I thought he would LOVE it!  Not so much.  It is really unique.  You plug in your iPhone or whatever and then attach it to pretty much anything.  It turns the item you attach it to into the speaker!  Like, our kleenex box is a speaker!  I was disappointed that he didn't like it as much as I thought he would.  I also made him a shutterfly book of some really cute pics of us.  It is really sweet.  I don't know how to upload the book, but if you ever come to my house you should look at it!  Check out the speaker here: http://www.origaudio.com/shop/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=29778

Ok... I know it is early, but it is time to start being productive!  This is my last full week of summer.  I plan on going up to the school 3 or 4 times this week to start getting my room together and ready for the first week of school.  I also want to be productive at home though, so I'm going to go upstairs and do something... not sure what, but something!

River Trip 2012

So, this past weekend was our third annual river trip.  Chris and I have gone with a group of friends for the past few years, and we were happy to be able to go again this year.  Each year the group changes a little bit, but there are 6-8 core people (Chris and I included) and then usually an additional 4-6 that add on.  It is always a good time to get away and relax... especially since the past few years the river has been low so it doesn't flow very fast!  We got there on Friday afternoon and decided to do the short float.  They told us it would be 2-2.5 hours long.  It took us 3 and a half hours!  On Saturday, we did the medium float.  This one was a little more accurate on time.  We were on the river about 6 hours.  I made one mistake though.  The lady told us we would see signs at one point that told us to get out and walk around the falls.  Now usually when it is a little drop it isn't called falls, so I was all gung ho about getting out and walking, but when we got there I talked the group into going down them.  I'm NO daredevil, but I saw a 6-year-old going down the "falls" without any problems!  The group decided to trust me, and down the falls we went.  I should have learned last year not to go down any sort of rapid attached to another person (last year the girl attached to me flipped, couldn't get out from under her tube, thought she was going to drown, etc.) but I didn't.  I was attached to the SAME girl (shows how much we learned) and Chris at the same time!  Her and I both flipped.  I got carried down the river a few yards and thought I scraped my back pretty bad but turns out it was just my sunburn.  It was still pretty traumatic at the time.  Next time I see a sign that says "Get out and walk" I think I will listen!  I will say though, that of all 3 years, Chris and I had the best time this year.  We made sure to use plenty of sunscreen (even though there was still some burn) and drink plenty of water (even though there was plenty of non water) and we over all had a great time.  We played games both nights which is a favorite for us!  Here is a pic of some of the girls hanging out back at the cabin.

I'm on the left, then it's Britni (a girl I have known since Middle School), then Cathy (I met her over the weekend... she is a hoot!) and Ashley (a friend of Britni's who has ended up becoming a friend of mine)


We left Sunday morning.  Chris and I decided to go to Buccee's.  He has a friend who always brings him beef jerkey from there but had never been there.  I have recently seen pictures of people at Buccee's but didn't really know what it was.  I just thought it was a gas station.  Chris kept telling me it wasn't a gas station but couldn't really tell me what it was.  We decided to check it out for ourselves.  I have decided it is a combination of a gas station, farmers market, and gift shop.... on steroids!  It was ridiculous!  We probably bought more than we should, but I'm glad we went!

Here is Buccee the Beaver!  I should have stood next to him!


I am finally well rested and ready to enjoy the rest of my summer.  There isn't much left!  I can't believe it is already August!  I have training for school next week... yuck!  And Chris's birthday is next week...yay!  I'll be sure to update you on all of the activities!

I Heart Summer!

So I have decided that unless I become a stay at home mom I will always be a teacher because I LOVE SUMMER!!! I have done absolutely nothing productive today (unless you count catching up on some of my shows that were recorded or watching clips from Kidd Kraddick in the Morning on my newly downloaded app) and I don't even feel bad about it. We got a new puppy yesterday. Well, it is Laura's puppy but since we live together for the time being I can say we. He is so cute. He is a dorkie... Half miniature daschund and half yorkie. Laura decided to name him Ranger. I'll put pics up later because I don't know how to on my iPad yet. I also don't know how to change the dang font. Logan is more than thrilled to have the new addition but we have to be careful since she weighs 70 pounds and he is only 2.5! He is so adorable though! I wonder how many times my oldest sister is going to be asked for a small dog by my niece because of this! Speaking of family, mine is coming over for dinner tonight. My WHOLE family. Mom, Dad, Mel JD Madi & Braylon, Kim & Brett, and of course me Chris & Laura will be here. I'm super excited though, we always have a good time together! Just wanted to give a quick update... Time to watch more of my crime shows!

June Review

I can't believe that June is basically already over!  I love summer, but it goes by WAY too quickly.  I've had a lot of time to relax and spend time with my friends and family.  I know I still have July and part of August, but I know it will be over before I know it.  


I actually had to go to a training this past week in Dallas.  There is a program called AVID (advancement via individual determination).  It is designed to promote college readiness.  It allows students to be put into higher level classes and shows them how to study and gives them tips to succeed in life.  It is a great program that Irving is a part of.  I'm not an AVID teacher or anything, but we do have what is called a site team at each school.  The site team is a group of teachers who promote AVID strategies and help encourage students to go to college.  It is a really inspiring training.  You learn a ton of teaching strategies that you can use in your classroom, and it actually made the idea of going back to school not so terrifying.  I still don't want summer to end :)


I'm really looking forward to this weekend!  I have never been to Canton (a HUGE outside flea market type place), and I am going for the first time ever! I'm hoping to find some things that I can use for my wedding.  I had a color scheme in mind that I really liked, but in the back of my mind I kept thinking that it might clash a little with the decor of the venue I chose. So, I have been browsing wedding pics and decided exactly what I want. I'm still getting to use the main color I wanted, yellow, but I wanted to do something a little different.  Not so different that people will wonder what I was thinking... just different like you don't see the decor at every wedding you go to.  I really need to start doing a bit more planning so I won't be too overwhelmed during the school year.  I've been getting really excited about getting married lately. Not just the wedding, but I want to buy a house (and decorate it), I want to have babies... and I want to do these things with my best friend!  I am also going to a friend's baby shower this weekend.  I went and got a gift today at Buy Buy Baby.  After I bought the gift, the lady told me about their complementary gift wrapping.. that you wrap yourself!  I love wrapping presents, and for someone to give me all the wrapping paper and ribbons I need for free was GREAT!  Chris and I are also planning on seeing a movie this weekend and getting our passport pictures taken!  


I'm also excited about a new venture I'm getting into.  I've always wanted to find something that I can do on the side to make money.  I want to be able to make enough money that I don't have to go back to teaching right away once I have babies.  I tried selling jewelry a while back, but I'm really not a great sales person... and not everyone wants to spend their extra money on jewelry.  But you know what most people are willing to spend money on?  Health products!  Especially if they are weight loss type products!  I have a friend who currently sells these types of products for a company called itWorks!  She talked to me about the opportunity, and I was sold right away.  They have a supplement line and a skin care line, but their best seller is an at-home body wrap.  I have tried it, and it is amazing!  It helps you firm, tighten and tone wherever you put it, and most people see a reduction in inches!  I'm just now getting into this company, but I can't wait to see where it takes me.  I have a website: http://jennawinter.myitworks.com  I chose to use my married name (which won't be legally my name for a year) because my exciting!  I'm hoping this works out because my long-term goal is to be a stay-at-home-mom for a while after my kids are born. I guess that's part of the reason why I LOVE summer so much! I get to pretend to be a SAHM... just without the kids!


Hope everyone has a weekend as great as the one I'm looking forward to!

My First Week of Summer!

I made it through my first year of teaching 6th grade science, and I loved it! I'm so excited to be going back to the same school in the fall in the same position... but at the same time, I NEED A BREAK!


My first week was great!  I actually had to go to the school on Monday. Since Friday was our last day of school, our teacher work day ended up being on the following Monday. So, I was able to relax over the weekend, and knowing no kids going to be there it was easy getting up for school on Monday.  It started out with a quick end-of-the-year faculty meeting.  After that, I had like 3 more things to get signed off on my end of year check list, then I was planning on heading out the door by 9!  My plans changed.  One of the things I had to do was get my CT (computer tech) to sign my paper saying I would be responsible for my laptop during the summer.  Since I came from a different school, I have a different laptop than the other teachers.  Apparently, my CT didn't know that and needed to reimage mine.  No big deal... he said it would be 45 minutes.  I went and hung out with some of my teacher friends who had to be there for a while and went back 45 minutes later.  I thought it would be ready, but he said it would take another HOUR!  So, I got to hang out a little longer and then it was finally ready.  I ended up leaving around 11 or so.  I was able to go home and take a MUCH needed nap.  Good thing I got that nap... I went to an end of the year party at Patty's house.  Patty is a special ed teacher at my school and one of my favorite people I have met at my new school.  Chris went with me, and we had a blast!  We met and hung out with Patty and another teacher Tiffany's husbands.  It was really fun.


Tuesday and Wednesday consisted of baby sitting.  My oldest sis Melanie has two beautiful kids.  Madilyn is 9.  She is a "tomboy" (she wants to be but really isn't), she is hilarious, and she is very sweet.  Braylon is 7 months.  He is 90% of the time the happiest baby ever!  His smile melts my heart.  I had a good two days with them.  And Melanie is even paying me!  She had asked me a couple months ago if I was interested.  She was taking Braylon to a babysitter anyway and thought she could give that lady a break and pay me the same amount to help me save for my wedding.  Honestly, I probably would have done it for free because I love my niece and nephew... but having money for the wedding will be really nice!


Thursday was technically my first day off to myself, so I decided to do something that I would enjoy.  I couponed!  I woke up and sat on the couch for a little bit playing with my dog Logan, then decided to get started around 9.  It's not like I was straight couponing all day long... I did some laundry and watched tv also... but I wasn't done with my coupons until 6 pm!  I don't care though, it was well worth it.


On Friday I went back to the school to watch cheer camp.  I found out at the end of the school year that I get to be one of the cheerleading sponsors next year!  I AM SO EXCITED!  I think it will be so much fun to live vicariously through these girls! Well, they had camp all week. I didn't go because the girl who I am replacing wanted to be there for one last hoorah.  But, I was able to go up on Friday when they showcase everything they learned that week. It was cute... made me want to cheer again!  After that, I went home and met Laura.  She has summer hours over the summer and is off every other Friday.  So, we decided we would grocery shop!  We went to Tom Thumb and got some good deals.  We were able to save 49%.  I try not to save less than half, but that was so close, I was pleased!  After that, we went and got a much deserved hour-long massage.  I really needed it after sitting at my kitchen table couponing for that long!  Then, we finished our grocery shopping at Kroger and Albertson's.  Kroger's savings (25%) wasn't that great since they don't double coupons anymore.  But we got some things we really needed.  Then, Albertson's was amazing!  I saved 70%... spent about $50, saved about $115!  It feels good to get deals like that... especially since a lot of the shopping we did was for another family in need.  We found out this week that a family friend of one of our friends died.  He was 33 years old, married with two kids and one on the way.  And one thing that was so sad was that his wife actually had the 3rd baby the day after he passed away.  It was a heart attack and it was really unexpected.  One way I felt able to help was to give them some groceries so they would have to worry about it.  I took a quick pic of what we bought.

Mainly we wanted to give them some things that everybody uses. I know this won't make up for losing someone, but hopefully it will show how them that people care and are here if they need help.


Well, I'm off to blowdry my hair and then relax until it's time for church.  I think Chris and I might do dinner and a movie tonight! Looking SO forward to summer!

I Can't Believe It's Almost Over

Tomorrow starts the first day of the last week of this school year.  I say this every year, but this year it seems like more than ever it just FLEW BY!!!  This time last year was very hard for me.  Like so many people have experienced over the last 10 years or so our school district was experiencing some budget cuts and therefore had to lay off a ton of jobs.  Basically any teacher that was in their first year did not get their contract renewed.  Then, there were other teachers who signed a contract, but were not sure where they would end up... like myself.  Our math department (which is what I taught) had to be cut in half.  We were going from math being double blocked to being single blocked, so you only need half the teachers.  I was devastated... The year before I had taught 6th grade math.  Last year I taught 7th grade math.  So, I wasn't going to be able to see my kids in their last year of middle school.  I had made so many teacher friends that I wouldn't see on a daily basis.  And, I worked with my mom... I wouldn't be able to see her every day!  I figured it would all work out for the best, but at the same time... it was just hard.  Well guess what?  It all worked out.  I ended up at a great school.  I have made many new friends.  The kids are awesome (except for a couple toots who haven't matured as much as they should).  And, the best part is that I was able to switch subjects.  I am now teaching the subject I originally wanted to... SCIENCE!  I was always better at math in school, but I wasn't too shabby in science.  And I really just thought that teaching science would be fun.  And it is!  It turns out that the kids enjoy science so much more, and it really helps out with behavior issues.  I mean, I have plenty of discipline issues, but they seem to be not as major or many.  


So, in all honesty, I can't believe this is the last week of school.  Having had such a great year makes me really look forward to next year!

And We've Reached the Single Digits!

We officially have 7 days left of school!  So exciting!!!!  Just wanted to share that :)

My Three Favorite Things About Teaching...

1.  June

2.  July

3.  August

We have 11 more school days until summer... AND I CANNOT WAIT!  I started my countdown over 2 weeks ago!  I think I am more ready for this break than the kids are.  Then again, with the way they are acting... maybe not.

I don't like having to have a substitute, but sometimes you have to.  I am going to be part of our AVID site team next year at my school.  AVID is a program that is supposed to get kids ready for college even at a middle school level.  Well, the site team had to meet yesterday to plan for next year.  (I am in charge of the ice cream social, by the way.)  Our meeting was on campus, but it was an all day thing, so I was required to get a substitute to cover my classes. The last time I had a sub, two of the three classes that she covered were A-W-F-U-L!  Like, she was crying at the end of the day.  Poor lady... Anyway, I had made my kids feel pretty bad the last time they acted up, so I warned them that if they did not behave I would not be happy.  GUESS WHAT?  Not only did my kids not behave, but my sub didn't behave!  I mean, I know that subbing is a hard job.  The kids don't always respect substitutes, and I know that they give them a hard time.  But, the answer is not to try and become their friend. 

My first instruction that I left said to make sure the kids were sitting in their correct assignments.  He told the kids to sit anywhere they wanted.  My second instruction was for them to watch a Bill Nye video and answer questions.  Someone in my 6th period broke my VCR.  (Yes, I said VCR.)  They ran behind my desk, where they are not allowed, and got caught on the cords.  Two of the three prongs are stuck in the back of it now.  My 3rd instruction was to complete a worksheet that had two sides.  The front was a word search.  The back was a drawing.  I said they could talk quietly, but if it got too loud they would lose their talking privileges.  I had 2 teachers complain about the noise level coming from my room through their closed doors.  He told them they could get out their iPods and listen to music.  He cussed at 2 of my classes.  AND HERE'S THE KICKER..... Someone in my 6th period dialed 911 and left the phone off the hook!  The most insulting part is that he left me a note and told me all of my classes were good!  He even said he would be happy to come back and cover my classes again!  He said, and I quote, "They were good.  Most of the kids didn't try the work.  They be talking, but it was under control."  WHAT?!?!

Needless to say, I asked that he not sub for me again.  I even gave all the info to our administration and ask that he not be allowed to come back to our school.  Keep your fingers crossed.  

The rest of the year should be easy-breezy as long as the behavior issues stay at a minimum.  I mean, out of the 11 days I have left, 2 are used for semester exams, 1 is the awards assembly, 1 is the 6th grade field trip, and 4 are going to be movie days.  Educational of course!  Finding Nemo is ALL about ecosystems!

I hope everyone has a great week!  

Looking forward to the weekend!

T.G.I.F.

It was such a long week at school!  After testing Tuesday and Wednesday, I really felt like yesterday should have been Friday, but it wasn't!  I'm just so tired... So I'm glad it's the weekend.

And I feel good about this weekend... even with my dentist appointment tomorrow :)  I am going to see the Rangers this Saturday kick some booty!  They are giving away bobble heads!  I don't remember who it is of (maybe Beltre?), but it will look good in my Rangers memorabilia collection (which has a Nelson Cruz? bobblehead, a Elvis Andrus? figurine, a good-looking Texas Rangers hat that I will never wear, the replica ring from when they went to the World Series the first time, the replica trophy from when they went to the World Series the second time, an autographed miniature bat signed by Derek Holland, and a couple of t-shirts... not to mention my Derek Holland jersey!)!  

Laura is out of town, which makes Chris nervous about where we will get our food... but I reminded him that we used to take care of ourselves when we didn't live with her, so I think we should be able to get along fine for 3 days!  I even cooked dinner last night!  Well, kind of.  I made some taco soup that we ate with the leftovers from the night before.

But, I plan on surprising her  by doing a couple of things around the house!  I would spell out my plan, but I think it would be better to blog about what I actually end up doing, not EVERYTHING I would like to do!  I'll get back on Sunday to mention everything I did!  Hope she doesn't read my blog before then. :)  

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

Promised Pictures

Not sure why it took me so long to upload these... but here are a couple pics from my Spring Break of Sewing week.

This is the robe I made.  I wish I had a picture of the one I made for my grandma so you could see how much progress I made from my first to my 3rd!  

I had started this over Spring Break, but didn't finish it for another week or so.  It is called a baby bunting.  I have probably made about 8 of them by now.  I get better each time!  I made this one for a teacher at school for her first grandbaby.  I made one just like a week later that was SO MUCH cuter (just because of the material I chose), but for some reason I didn't take a picture!


Anyway, I hope to start sewing something new soon, just have A LOT going on!  Have a great day... I have to finish getting ready!

Back to School :(

It is sometimes hard for me to be excited about going back to school after a long weekend... and this is one of those times!  I had a FOUR DAY WEEKEND! Because of last year's awful winter where we missed over a week of school because of ice and cold temperatures, they decided to build in some extra weather days.  That way, if we ended up getting an extra long Christmas break again, we would have some extra days built into the Spring to make up for it.  Well, mother nature was much kinder this winter... actually we didn't have much of one, and I got both of my weather days to do as I wished this weekend!  

I created a to do list and wanted to get as much of it done over the weekend as possible... but that was wishful thinking :)  Chris and I had tickets to the Ranger games on Saturday and Sunday.  They were fun... good times, good people!  And, I actually did more of my to do list than I thought I would.  Laura and I did yard work on Saturday during the day (not done but the front yard looks good!), I did some cleaning upstairs (I hope to do more this week), and I got caught up on my coupons again.  It seems like every time I turn around, there are stacks and stacks!  Coupons didn't come in the paper this week, so I get a week off!  Or at least, a week to stay caught up!

But... yesterday, I had a surprise.  And not a good one.  Chris and I decided to go eat lunch, and GUESS WHAT?!?!  The dang check engine light came back on in my car!  I had picked it up from the shop (for the 2nd time in the 3 weeks I had it) last Thursday and they seemed to be sure the problem was fixed.  Well... the "Engine Power is Reduced", "Check Engine" light, "Service Stabilitrak", and "Service Traction Control" lights all came back on, so I went straight back to the dealership.  They couldn't believe it happened again.  But, the good news is I dropped it off around 1 and they called me around 4 saying it was already ready!  Apparently, a wire in the new part they had ordered was bent and not getting a signal to where it needed to go.  Speaking of my car.. here is a pic.  It's not a great one... I can't seem to stand back far enough in my garage to do it justice... but I love her.  

Well, I guess it's time to finish getting ready for the day.  I didn't sleep well AT ALL and I have been up since 3:15.  But the good news is I was able to get some stuff done!  My goal for the week is to cross off 3-4 items on my to do list every night.  I'll let you know how it goes... keep your fingers crossed for me!