Keys Hodpodge

1. What would you say is the key to success?

Organization and commitment. You can't do anything well if you don't really commit to doing it with your whole effort. The organization is mostly me, I can't be successful if I don't have a clear picture of where I am and where I am going and the best way to get there. 

2. Have you ever been to the Florida Keys? Any desire to visit that part of the US of A? 

Nope, Florida is actually one of the states that I have not been to. I would visit there if given the opportunity, but it isn't somewhere that I want to visit enough that it is on my wish list. 

3. When and where did you last see a real live donkey? Monkey? Turkey? 

Donkey, when we last visited Texas, my extended family has a neighbor who owns donkeys, so I see and HEAR them pretty frequently when we visit. Monkey, the last time I visited the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. A year or so ago I think. And Turkeys, probably in the last week, we have a flock of wild turkeys that live in the woods that my house backs up to. 

4. An old Portuguese proverb says, 'Beware of the door with too many keys.'What do you think this means? Share an example of how this has proven true or false in your own life. 

I think that this has to do with being wary of something that seems too easy to be true. If there are a million ways to get something then it probably isn't worth getting. Unless it's love and friendship, that is worth it. 

5. Besides your home, vehicle, and special jewelry, what is something you keep under lock and key? 

My classroom supplies at school. I work at a preschool in a church and share my room with the nursery. I have a different set of supplies and snacks than the main children's program so in order to keep my stuff from accidentally being used I lock it up. Actually this problem is not as big a problem this year as when I started a few years ago, I think that is because both the nursery and I are very careful to be respectful of each others individual spaces in the shared classroom.  

6. When did you last get keyed up about something? 

I am a really low key person as a rule, I very rarely get worked up over anything. My last episode probably had to do with my taking my Praxis II exam this summer. Due to some randomness I am needing to re-take certification tests to get  a new teaching license for Secondary History and Social Studies. It was and is very nerve wracking to have to retest on something I learned more than a decade ago. But the good news is that I got my results on the first of many tests and I did amazingly. So I was all worked up over nothing. 

7. Who thinks we need an easy one right about now?  Key lime pie...yes please or no thank you?

YES! Absolutely. They are on my top 5 desserts of all time. 

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

I am so busy, but loving it right now. It is time to start a new school year, and I can never just leave things alone and use what worked from the year before. I always find new things to add, and new ways to do things. As much work as it is to re-start each year I think that it really helps me to keep myself and my classroom from getting too stagnant. 

Just Do It June Workout schedule.

Here we go! It's June again. Yikes. Here is a good total body workout that can either be a supplement or your whole shebang each day. Enjoy!

As always you can join the Diva Facebook group to get more information and some group support.

Super Summer Summit - the start of a plan

When I start blogging again after a long time off I always feel the need to explain why and offer excuses, so this time I won't. Life happened, I got busy and had nothing to talk about, so there it is.

Anyway, to get to the real purpose of this post. I am really excited about getting ready for this summer. Summer Vacation ahhhhh it has such an amazing sound to it, especially now that I am teaching again. I think that having some time off to recharge and prepare is good for everyone, students and teachers. However, I also know that kids forget, a lot, I mean massive amounts of things over the summer, so being the over achieving mother that I am I will be making lesson plans for my children over the summer. I know, I know, that's not the point, but I promise I'm not going overboard, it will be fun! And not too much of that boring learning type stuff.

To start this project off I am making an outline, I love outlines, they are almost as awesome as checklists, and I really love checklists. But, I digress, back on subject, outlines. Did I want to just have a lot of ideas and go where the summer sends me or do I want to keep a little structure in the day. To answer this question the girlies and I had a summer summit. Well actually we sat down on the couch and after a lot of tickling and giggling I asked them some really deep questions.

Me - "So Girls, do you want to do learning stuff this summer?"
AJ - "Yeah!"
P-nut - "Yeah!, jinx, you owe me a soda sister!"
Me - "Ok, sounds good, what kinds of things do you want to do?"
P-nut - "Art"
AJ - "Cooking"
P-nut - "Science"
Me - "Sounds good." (about to start walking away, thnking the summit was over)
AJ - "Mama, wait, we need a schedule!"
Me - "A schedule?!?"
P-nut - "Yeah like Art on Mondays and always do art on the Mondays, but we can sometimes do art on other days but we would know on Mondays was super fun art days."

And so the outline was born. Here is as far as I am now, but never fear, summer is still weeks away, I've got plenty of time to get this all together, plenty!

Ho-Ho-Hodgepodge

1. Share your traditions surrounding the Christmas stocking. Traditions? Well let's see, they get filled and then we see what's inside? I'm guessing that's not really what you are asking for right. Our stockings are hung all season, and then filled on Christmas Eve. When I was growing up the toe was always filled with fruit and nuts then there were smaller fun gifts such as books, chap stick, pens, etc. Now I do about the same thing with my kiddos.

2. How many hours of sleep do you average at night? Is it enough? Average during insomnia bouts, or regular average? I'll just to do both. I get about 1.5 hours of sleep a night average when I am stressed out, so no, not enough sleep at all. On a regular week, I average about 5 hours a night, still not enough. In fact because of these numbers I am headed in to a sleep study sometime next month. I'm a little worried about what it will show.

3. If you had to give up one thing for the remainder of this year what would it be? Soda, fast food, excuses for not exercising, stressing about gifts. Those actually all sound good, so I think I'll have a mini lent, and give those up in preparation for Christmas.

4. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (or Wills and Kate as I like to call them) have announced they're expecting a baby. Do you follow news of the Royals? Yes! I am in love with the Royals, I was interested in them growing up, but after living in England I'm a total fan. Not just of Wils and Kate (who I think is my style icon for all time) but all of them, even Camilla, they just seem like such a family even with all of the constant media and drama of that.

5. For me, the sound of childhood is__________________. Kids Praise songs on a tape deck. Or really any praise song. I come from a family of music, and I can always remember some kind of music playing in the house. My Mom saved some of the tapes and now my kids listen to them when they visit Grandma, that also makes me happy.

6. Fruit cake-yay or boo? What's your favorite dessert made with fruit? Yay, but with a lot of conditions. It needs to be homemade, and have real fruit and nuts, none of the candied red and green mystery fruit. So I don't eat it often. My favorite dessert made with fruit would have to be apple anything, apple pie, apple crumble, apple coffee cake. The apple coffee cake makes me think the most about Christmas. And actually I haven't made it in a while, maybe this will be the year.

7. What is one thing you want to accomplish before 2012 comes to an end? I would like to have finalized my decision about what I will get my Masters in and have started the application process for that. My husband is within 6 months of graduation with his Bachelors and when he is done I will start school again. So it's decision time.

8. Insert your own random thought here. I think I like this new life we have going in Missouri, a lot. I am busy, happy, and fulfilled. So Thank you God for this move.

Alarm Clocks...Pinterest... and other Random thoughts.

Well, it's Sunday night, the last night of the weekend, usually the day when I am sitting here thinking that I have enjoyed my few days off and really don't want to hear my alarm go off at 5 tomorrow morning.

 I mean seriously sleeping in is awesome. 

 

This weekend, not so much. My alarm didn't change I got up at 5 each morning anyway. It was busy, good but busy. The preschool that I work at had our first (hopefully the first of many) holiday bazaar this weekend. It was a lot of work, and I was not even the one in charge of it. But, it was a success, which is awesome. We met our fundraising goal, had happy vendors, and got the name of the preschool and the church out there around town.

 

What does this have to do with pinterest? Well a room full of home crafters tends to put me in a crafty mood. I don't know about you, but I like to look at the things that they do and try to figure out if I could do them. So I came home and in my exhaustion took to pinterest for some ideas on what to make.

 

Then I look at my boards, really looked, and realized that I have pinned a zillion things, ok the actual count is 4,357, but seriously, that's a lot. Maybe it's time for me to start looking through the projects I already have pinned and actually DO them. I know it's a novel concept, getting off pinterest long enough to make something, but I think it might be time to give it a go.

 

I have made a lot of the recipes and have found some new family favorites that way. But it's time to branch out and open up my "Stuff to make" board and make it. (I feel like I need dramatic music playing during that last statement) So stay tuned for my creations.... LOL and you might want to be just a little scared.... just a little.

Unwrapping Hodgepodge... and I'm back again!

Four hodgepodges til Christmas in case you were wondering.

1. With that being said I think I need to dive right in to some Christmas related questions, don't you? Which do you prefer-pretty gift wrap with a bow or a pretty gift bag with/without a bow? What percentage of your holiday gifts are currently (as in right this very minute) wrapped in some form or fashion? I much prefer a pretty gift with a pretty bow. Right this second I would have to say that 98% of my gifts are wrapped, and ready to go, I'm only missing one thing for one nephew, and once I buy it, it will be wrapped too. Most of the extended family gifts are already gone, through the mail, all in all it's been a good holiday season so far.

2. What is one item on your Christmas list this year? A new screen for my phone. Monday was a bad, bad day. I also have some little stuff but the husband and I decided that this year we would use our gift budget for each other to give the kids more Christmas experiences rather than but things neither of us really need.

3. What makes a home? Family. Without question. We have moved a lot, and I would say that no matter where we are living, it always feels like home because of the people who are inside. The same goes for when we go "home" to visit. As long as I see the people it doesn't matter to me where that home is.

4. Motown founder Berry Gordy celebrates his birthday on Hodgepodge Day-November 28th. Are you a fan of the Motown sound? If so, who's your favorite Motown artist and/or song? Here's a list in case you're stuck.  Oh I do love Motown. It's so smooth and rich sounding. As for my favorite I'll just go with an appropriate seasonal one.

5. Red or green-which one is more prevalent in your closet? So I actually ran upstairs to count because it is really close to equal. But the winner is....... Green. By a hair. However if I included all shades of aqua and turquoise (which I don't) then Green is a huge winner by far. I do love the way I look in both though.

6. True or false-bacon makes it better? If you answered true, what's your favorite dish made with bacon? True! My current favorite bacon dish was a Pinterest find, surprise I know. Bacon, Cheddar, Ranch, Chicken pasta! Amazing.

Source: cassiecraves.blogspot.ca via Desdra on Pinterest

7. Share a favorite holiday memory. I have so many wonderful holiday memories, it is hard to pick out just one. As a child it was getting my first bicycle and then my first American Girl Doll. Then as a teen/young adult it was performing in the Holiday Dinner at my University, such a magical experience. As an adult, it is continuing family traditions with my children.

8. Insert your own random thought here. So much fun to be back blogging. I've missed it. I can't wait to read the other Hodgepodges and see what everyone has been up to. Also I'll add more pictures as the day goes on, I've just got to go to work now.

December Exercise Challenge

Yes, I know. It's been like 6 months.... so what?!?! Moving made blogging not a priority at all. I figured I would start back up with a December Workout Challenge Calendar and go from there. Maybe by next month I'll have a what's been going on with me post up, but don't hold your breath, really I wouldn't want to be responsible for you passing out or anything. Anyway, here it is. I hope you enjoy!

P.S. There is a facebook group for support and clarification on how to do the moves, you can find it by clicking this link, or by searching for the calendar title after Dec. 1.

P.P.S. Please remember to listen to your own body as you work out. Don't do anything that might cause you more harm than good. Do the moves correctly, and do them at your own risk. I just put these together for me and share them.

~DD