things i did this weekend

I feel like I haven't stopped since 2012 began!  It seems like there is always something to do, whether it is work, having fun, meeting up with friends, cleaning the house, knitting, or working on reading my next book club book.

So instead of a "real" post, I think I am just going to make a little list of the things that we did this weekend.

Friday night of course meant work, which was SUPER slow and that is an understatement.  The night felt like it went on forever because of the snowstorm.  No one was out, even though we live in Cleveland and it snows here all winter.

Saturday morning Ben went to the market to get some meats and cheeses and delicious bagels and bacon for breakfast.  After enjoying some bagels and coffee we ran lots of errands and then headed back to work which was much busier, which equals more fun and more money!

Sunday was the perfect day.  We went to church in the morning and then took a quick trip to Earth Fare which we just can't get enough of.  Then we headed to Tap House for brunch with some of my absolute favorites.  The bloody marys were delicious and the breakfast pizza Anthony had was way better than my omelet, so I know what I am getting next time we head up there.

We came home and I really wanted to use the new Kitchen Aid mixer that we got for Christmas and I had this desire to make homemade dog biscuits so I tried out this recipe and they were great.  (at least I think so because I did not try them but Breckyn seems to love them!)  It was a fun recipe and I am glad I got to use the mixer.  Plus I bought two new cookie cutters since I didn't have a dog bone cookie cutter and I had to use them since I went everywhere to find them.

I also made this to take over to my moms for dinner and it was a hit.  I altered it a little because I could not find peanut butter chips or regular rice crispies at Earth Fare, so I used a little extra peanut butter instead and puffed rice cereal.  It makes it a little bit harder to bite into, but it is great with a little bit of milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

I ended the night hanging out on the couch with Ben watching Chef Jonathon Sawyer from The Greenhouse Tavern cook up a few great meals on Iron Chef America.  Even though he did not win the battle, it was a great way to represent Cleveland and lots of fun to watch.

What a great weekend!  Let's hope this week is just as good!

holidays, hocking hills, and a little lack of blogging

So I'm a little late on the 2011 recap and the 2012 new year's resolution posts.  I also haven't posted anything in over two weeks!  Yikes!

With the holidays, then a short vacation, then the new year, I just haven't taken the time to sit down and spend time writing.  I know I need to get better at that.  Hmmmm...maybe a new year's resolution right there!  More for that later though.

Christmas flew by so quickly this year, as it usually does.  It was a wonderful holiday and I enjoyed every second of it.  Ben and I were able to spend all of Christmas Eve and Christmas day together which is exactly what I wanted.  We spent time with both of our families and enjoyed just being with everyone.  I am so thankful for the wonderful holiday we had.

On Tuesday after Christmas we took a little trip down to Hocking Hills with our friends Melissa and Anthony.  We spent 3 nights in a little cabin with Breckyn and had a great time.  We ate, we drank, we slept in, we hiked, we ate and drank more, we played Phase 10 too many times, and even exchanged some Christmas gifts.  It was a great little break from all of the holiday 'hustle and bustle.'

Ben and I spent New Year's Eve at work, which was better than spending money right?  That's what I am telling myself at least!  It was fun to be with our work friends, but after midnight I was able to go home and did so quickly.  Today we spent some time with my dad's family for the annual New Year's Day potluck lunch and now we have the rest of the evening to hang out and relax.  What could be better than that?

Since I did not take one single Christmas or New Year picture, I have lots of Hocking Hills pictures to share.  We didn't do very much, but we did got to Old Man's Cave which was beautiful.  I still have no idea how to put pictures into a collage, so unfortunately I will just be adding them one at a time and this will end up being an extremely long post.  Any help with this problem would be much appreciated!!

pierogies step one

working so hard

ready for cooking

ready for eating!

a cabin is not complete without a massage chair

very serious game of Connect 4

Melis and Anthony on our hike at Old Man's Cave

Breckyn, Ben and mysefl

some serious tree roots

Phase 10

a very serious game that is addicting

holiday mail for heroes

Christmas, to me, is one of the most wonderful times of the year.  I love spending time with family and celebrating all that is good.  We remember our family members that have passed and celebrate them.  We enjoy the time we spend with each other and are happy to be together another year.  We celebrate that Jesus was born and go to Mass together on Christmas Eve.

After thinking about all the wonderful things I get to do with my family, I thought about thousands of individuals who are braver than I will ever be.  They might not get the chance to see their family, hug and kiss their family, or spend the holiday with their family.  Sadly, some of them might never see their family again.

People in the armed forces give of themselves something that I cannot imagine.  Their families make sacrifices as well, sacrifices that I can only imagine and difficult on a daily basis.

Last Thursday, my students made holiday cards to send out to our troops.  Holiday Mail for Heroes is put on by the Red Cross and is a great program that was well worth our class time to participate in.  We made all sorts of cards with messages in them thanking the Service Members for all they do for us and wishing them a happy holiday.  The kids loved the project and felt good about what they were doing.  I felt great mailing a huge envelope to the Red Cross, full of notes and cards that will hopefully brighten someones day.

This is a project I hope to participate in every year, and I hope at some point this season we are all able to do something nice for someone who gives of themselves every day.

busy weekend wrap up

What a wonderful weekend.  I have so much to be thankful for, and this weekend was another reminder of lots of those things.

Friday morning at midnight I went out shopping with my mom and we were able to accomplish lots of Christmas shopping.  I got home about 6 am and was completely exhausted but had a great time.  We've been Black Friday shopping for a few years now and I can't imagine not being a part of that crazy hectic day.

When I got home at 6 am I went to bed (if you can call it that), slept for a few hours and then woke up and went to work Friday night.  By the time I left you could barely make it through the bar without having your feet stepped on 20 times and a million people rubbing up against you.  Why people pay to drink at a place that is wall to wall crowded is just beyond me.  I don't get it!

Since I had slept so late Friday I was not tired enough to go to bed when I got home, so I started decorating for Christmas!  As of right now all of the decorations are up and the tree is in the process.  I ran out of lights so I have to stop tomorrow so that it can be finished (I love Christmas decorating).

Saturday morning we woke up and did lots of house chores.  We had to paint the chipping wood on the garage door and the side of the garage, we cut back the rest of the rose bushes, and we tore out the attic insulation.  Yes, a very busy morning/afternoon, but very productive!

I had the night off work so I went to dinner with my mom and sister, and then ran a few errands to try and finish up my shopping.  I met up with Ben after he was done at work for a quick bite to eat in Tremont, and then we met up with Melis and Anthony for a drink.  It was so nice to be out on a Saturday night like most of the other people our age.  What a change from what we are used to!

Today started with church, then more errands, then brunch, and ended with cleaning up/organizing the house and a quiet little dinner here.  I am so thankful for everything this weekend brought, and even more thankful for all of the other blessings in my life!

a thank you

The month of November is a wonderful time to remember to be thankful.  I've been trying to think of one thing everyday that I am thankful for and tweet it  but there are just those days when not even one tweet makes it's way into the Twitter world.

Today is a day that I am thankful for being thanked.  Sounds weird right?  I feel wrong even being thankful for such a thing, but having someone thank you is such a great thing.

I try not to talk about work too much on here.  I love my job and can't imagine doing anything else, but working in a school is something that I have a hard time mixing with this blog.  I worry so much about being scrutinized for anything and everything that I post (even though there is only one person who know that I am even writing this blog!)

But today, I just feel the need to share something great.

Tonight was the first night of parent teacher conferences.  Everything went well and I have no complaints about this at all, but I do want to brag just a little.

After one of my conferences ended tonight, before the family left, they stopped and said how thankful they were for what I do with their child.  They were so happy with everything and they just wanted to make sure I knew how thankful they were.

It was such a nice thing to say, and I'm not even sure if they realize how much I would appreciate it.  After many crazy things that have been going on these past few weeks, it was exactly what I needed to get me through the night.  Being appreciated for what you do, what you love to do, and what you can't imagine not having in your life, is just an extra bonus.

Today, I am thankful that someone appreciates what I do and is thankful for that.  What a nice little day I ended up having.

Oh Friday

I must begin by saying that I am pretending that this post is occurring on November 4, 2011 because this is the first time that I have had a chance to sit down at the computer and actually post today.  It just so happens that my today is November 4th, even though the time of day is telling me it is November 5th.  Nope. Not me.  Not there yet.  In order to help myself achieve my November goal, right now it is still Friday.

Friday. Friday, Friday, Friday.

Most people look forward to this day of the week because it means the weekend is here! Not to be a downer or anything, but Friday is my absolute longest day of the week.  Here is a little run down of my day.

I woke up at 5:55 am, got ready, ate breakfast and headed out the door.  I was at work by 7:15.

I worked all day with the kids and it was a good day.  Fridays at school are usually a little more laid back.  We get work done, but the atmosphere is just a little more calm in my mind.  I left work at 3:45.

When I got home I changed, got ready, shoved some hummus in my face, and left again at 4:50.

I was on my feet all night at work until about 11:30, when my day finally ended.  Whew!  Thank goodness.  By the end of today I am more exhausted than I ever am any other day of the week.  I can barely keep my eyes open to finish this post!

Working that long barely gives me time to eat, post, read the paper, remember to go to the bathroom (too much?)

But, it is all for a good cause right?  Someday I will have my savings built back up and feel good about all the work I've done. 

Plus Ben is at the bar working so there isn't really much else for me to do.  On Fridays I look forward to my bed and pillow more than anything else, so I think that is where I will go right now!

borderline and fall cleaning

What a lovely little weekend I had.

Friday was back to work since the power was back on and back to working doubles since I had a shift at MGB after a long day at school.

Saturday Ben and I went to our absolute most favorite breakfast place, Borderline Cafe in Lakewood.  They serve breakfast and lunch from 7am til 2pm Wednesday through Sunday.  Most of their meals have a southwestern flair and I almost always get the Southwestern Omelet but decided to branch out and finally got something different.

I ordered the breakfast wrap with bacon and it was delicious.  It came with chips and salsa and chipotle mayo.  I was definitely glad I branched out and got something new.  Ben got the special which was a breakfast style taco and it was equally delicious.

I spent the afternoon working in the yard and trying to get it ready for fall.  Most of what I wanted to get done I did but I am still trying to figure out how to get rid of all the crab grass and weeds that just do not seem to stop growing!  Big pain in the butt.

I spent the evening working again, came home and crashed.

Today Breckyn did a great job of waking me up super early even though we could have slept in.  So I spent some time couponing and then got to the long list of cleaning.  Yep, cleaning.  Not very exciting but the house is spotless and all decorated for fall.

helping out

Breckyn was trying to be nice and help out.  Really she has just been a pain today but how can you not help but love her?

Ben got home after a night away with friends, we grocery shopped and had a nice dinner.  I'm going to spend the rest of the night getting ready for school tomorrow and hopefully reading a good book.  I just finished this and am still deciding where to go next.  Off to the bookshelf to decide!

ok cleveland, enough with the weather

Well school is back in full swing which means it is much harder for me to sit down and crank out a little blog.  Especially because not only do I have school but I also have work on the weekends because I am crazy.  Yep, I said it and admit to it.

Since it has been a few days, I have to recap what has been going on with the weather!

Tuesday afternoon I was almost ready to leave school for the day.  Almost everything was ready for the kids first day, just a few finishing touches on my room and lesson plans and then my last night of freedom! (which unfortunately began with a dentist appointment, but that's a whole other post)

All of a sudden I thought I was going to fall out of my chair do to a fainting spell or something.  I was so dizzy and the room was spinning and I was like what is going on?!?  One of my fellows teachers said, "I think the room is moving.  What could that be?"

Of course everyone in the room is like, no, no, the room can't be moving can it? Maybe it is! Oh my gosh it is moving!  We don't have earthquakes in CLE, someone must be on the roof. 

Then it was over and we went back to our work.  Until someone can on the PA and said we had to leave so the fire department could come check the pipes.  Yep, it was an earthquake.

Ugh!  Way to put a wrench in my day.  After sitting outside in the hot hot sun for 25 minutes we were let back in the building and all was well.  Everything was finished and the first day of school went as smooth as it could have.  Yay, success!

The second day of school began with getting called off because we had no power!  Awesome right?  Not really.  It was only the second day of school.  I much prefer these days in January, February, or March when no one really wants to go to work anyway.  Then I sat in bed and thought of all the stuff I could get done on my to do list if I was going to be home.  Ok, I said to myself.  I can deal with a day off.

Except I didn't have any power either.  for. the. whole. day.  Now, this should not have ruined my whole day because there are plenty of things you can do without power.  But, I surrendered to the power and decided the only thing I could do was enjoy the sunshine and read a book.  So that's what I did.

Now I'm trying to play catch up this weekend because I didn't get my chores done all week!  Procrastinating is never the answer!

a wonderful little Sunday

The end of summer (at least the summer break that I am lucky to have) is never a very good day for me.  It is usually one of the worst cases of Sunday stomach that I get the whole year.

Today was much different though and I could not be happier.

We started the day with a delicious brunch at Luxe with two of my favorite people, Melis and Anthony.  Since Melis is still living in Cbus (but will be here soon!) we always try to see each other when she is in town.  Of course working the weekends at MGB makes that a little hard and that is why brunch is perfect.

We sat on the patio, even though it drizzled a little and had some delicious food.  They even have a 2 for 1 drink special from 11 until 1 on Sundays, which is awesome!  We had lots to talk about and catch up on and made sure to do so over a few breakfast cocktails.

The afternoon was spent lounging around in the yard with Breckyn enjoying the sunshine and relaxing.

We then met up with my dad and sister for an early (of course) dinner at the one and only Gene's Place which is so authentic it doesn't even have a website.  I can't even begin to count the number of times I have eaten at this restaurant and it never gets old.  I will take my children (which currently are not even in existence) there someday and absolutely look forward to doing so.  Nothing says family time like a family owned diner with delicious food and awesome staff.

Ben and I came home and have been relaxing ever since.  It was a wonderful little Sunday, and even though I'm never ready to go back, I feel pretty prepared to start work tomorrow.

Here's to another great, and hopefully quick, school year!

pool days

Since I am lucky enough to have a wonderful job that gives me about 9 weeks off every summer, I busy myself with lots of other jobs so I stay out of trouble.

One of those jobs isn't really much of a 'job' other than the fact that I have to get up early and be there until four the two days a week that I babysit.  It all started way back in the summer of 2003 after I graduated high school. 

At that time there were 3 boys and another on the way.  We spent the summer going to the zoo, playing t-ball, taking bike rides, and going to the park.  I went off to college in the fall and returned the next summer.  That year there were 4 boys and we spent most of the summer at the pool.  The next summer came and another little boy came along.  One more summer after that with 5 boys and plenty to keep us busy. 

By that time they were no longer just a family that I worked for.  They had absolutely become friends, like a second family that we celebrated birthdays with and had cookouts with when it had just been to long since we got together.

Last summer I was living on the westside again and asked if I could help out with babysitting.  I thought it would just be fun and something for me to do a few days a week.  We had a good time and surprise...their mom was going to be having another baby!  Summer went by fast and I knew I would be back next year.

Fast forward to this summer.  Six boys...three of which are old enough to take care of themselves and don't require me to do much of anything for them and three of which I actually watch.

It was a great summer that unfortunately has come to an end.   They are an awesome bunch of boys to hang with, and I'm sure part of that has to do with the fact that I'm only there for 2 days a week.  Long enough to have fun, not long enough for all the arguing to get annoying.

We spent the mornings lounging around the house and the afternoon at the neighbors pool.  I already miss summer...why do you always have to go so fast?  At least I have these adorable pics to remind me of the fun we had.

having fun in the sun

jumping in the pool

thanks for a fun summer boys :)

a jam packed weekend of fun

It's already Wednesday and I have had no time to even recap my weekend.  I thought summer was about relaxing, catching up on all the stuff around the house that I didn't do during the school year but have time for now, for reading all the books on my list, and spending time with my puppy who is not a huge fan of this heat.

I wish that was what summer was about.  But instead I got a job, taught Safety Town, decided to teach summer school and am babysitting two days a week.  Yep, that doesn't leave much time for all of that other good stuff.

This past weekend was the 4th of July holiday weekend and it was a great time.  Here is a little recap:

Friday: work at Market Garden Brewery where we were completely packed which is awesome since we've only been open a week!

Saturday: Jillian and Tim's wedding!  Ben and I drove down to Akron to share in this special day and it was so much fun.  The wedding was beautiful and the reception was a blast!

Sunday:  Family party all the way out in Aurora with lots of good food and good drinks, then back to the westside for fireworks with my mom at Crocker Park

Monday (the 4th!): a little shopping with my mom in the morning, then out to Ben's moms with the dog for the day to cookout and swim

Wonderful weekend, wonderful family, and wonderful friends.  I am one lucky girl!

because one job just isn't enough

This past weekend Ben and I went to Washington DC which I will be blogging about in the future.  Hopefully the near future. 

I did stick to my goal of taking more pictures and I will definitely include some of those too.

The reason for tonight's post is to discuss why I find the need to work two jobs. 

During my senior year of college I had to student teach.  This meant I would spend an entire semester with a full time job that I was not getting paid for.  So I turned to serving.  I started waiting tables with one of my closest friends who was also student teaching at the time.  I continued to work at that restaurant for 3 years (while also teaching full time) until I thought I needed a change and went with Ben to open a restaurant in Chagrin Falls.

I worked there for about 6 months before I decided the drive sucked and I wanted to have a normal life and only work one job.

Here is the problem with that.  I missed the money, and without the extra money I couldn't go out and do much, and Ben was still working so he wasn't around.  Well it took me a year and a half to decide to go back to the restaurants. 

Ben is helping to open up a new restaurant called Market Garden Brewery and I have spent a lot of my time sitting at Bar Cento and have gotten to know a lot of the people that will also be working there.  So, I figured why not.

It all begins tomorrow and I'm excited and a little nervous about getting back into it.  This will be my first job as a host which is different, but I'm looking forward to it.

The only bad thing is that I have to cancel on my monthly dinner to work.  This totally sucks!!!  But how can you tell your new boss who hired you because someone else said give this girl a job, that you can't work because you have to go out to eat.  I will make it up to them and we might even try a lunch!

More posts to come!