Blog Archives

5 for Friday: 10.10.14

10/10/2014

Check out My REcent Scholastic Posts!

After having a teacher-gasm over spotting AMAZINGLY adorable and FUNCTIONAL creative student work displays by the fabulous Maribel from Learning in Wonderland and Lauren Dennis on Instagram, I was beyond inspired to shake up my student work displays this year. Read about the process and final product, see the original inspiration from the fab ladies mentioned above (AWESOME examples and tutorials from both!), and get started spicing up your work displays pronto! See a few sneak peeks of my final displays below and check out the blog post for full deets!

Don't Miss my Freezer Meal Prep Mania!

By reader request, Part 1 (8 tips) of my make-ahead freezer meal prep posts is up! Read to get started today!
Sneak peek of the post below.

September S.L.A.N.T.box Arrived!

_
This is my 2nd month participating in the teacher SLANTbox exchange, hosted by Jameson @ Lessons with Coffee. If you're not familiar with SLANTbox exchange, you should read all about it HERE and maybe you'll join up next month! Special thanks to Laura @ Enchanting Elementary for the amazing SLANTbox this month. The theme was "Teacher Voice On," and we filled our boxes with goodies that were essential to teacher survival. She loaded my box up with so much FUN...and even some yumminess that I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the box. Thanks so much, Laura!

// This Week @ S.T.E.M.agination Station //

This week we fully kicked off STEMagination Station with our 2 classes (4th & Kg.). We read the story of Rapunzel, then students were given the STEM challenge of building the tallest, free-standing tower to help the witch ensure no one could ever rescue Rapunzel. Student teams had only dried spaghetti and marshmallows (large and small) to use for materials. It was a BLAST & many engineering process lessons were learned. Stay tuned for more STEMagination Station updates!

// It's Getting SPOOKY @ My House! //

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all things Fall and Halloween....especially decorating the house with ghoulish delights to make our home feel festive! Last weekend my mom was in town, and since she's the QUEEN {watch out, Martha Stewart} of all things home decor, especially seasonal decorating, I asked her to help me crank out some spooky scenes. Below is a sneak peek....with a FULL BLOG POST with details, sources, and tips on BARGAINS coming SOON {hopefully by end of weekend}. Stay tuned for SPOOK-tacular tips & tricks!

1 Comment

What the Teacher Wore: 10.8.14

10/8/2014

0 Comments

Linking up each Wednesday with Chandra @ Teaching With Crayons & Curls is the ultimate hump day cure!

Romantic boho, blue LOVE, military chic, Mom's birthday dinner outfit, & 2 of my fave statement necklaces this week....

To see more details about each outfit featured below, click on the image. You'll be taken to my Instagram photo for that outfit and can click on that pic for source links!!

// Romantic Boho & Neutral Statement Necklace //

// LOVE, Don't H8 //

Supporting National Bullying Prevention Month by wearing blue
& spreading the message of love!

// Military Chic //

// Mom's Birthday Dinner Outfit //

0 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: Much-Needed Mani/Pedi

10/8/2014

2 Comments

It's Wordless Wednesday time again, and I have a fresh mani/pedi that was LOOOONG overdue. I'm excited for rich fall polish colors and my toenails needed some lovin' even though they'll be covered with boots from here on out. Thanks to Cynthia, best nail tech ever, for a great mani/pedi!

This is what my nails were like BEFORE....

Legit, people...my nails looked like something straight out of the Dumb & Dumber salon/spa scene {see below}. Not pretty & in need of help.

These Are My Nails Now: Ready for Fall!

Thank goodness for manis/pedis....AND for fabulously rich fall nail polish colors! SO....here's my Wordless Wednesday question:
What fab fall nail colors are you rockin??? Leave a comment with the color name or even a photo or link to an Instagram pic post of your nails! I don't even know the names of my polish colors, but it's a deep berry/wine color & love it! Please share so we can all try them out the next time we need a mani/pedi!

2 Comments

Make-Ahead Freezer Meal Prep Mania: Part 1 (8 Great Tips)

10/5/2014

2 Comments

I could NOT believe the overwhelming response I got to my Sunday Scoop and Instagram/Facebook posts about make-ahead freezer meals! It seems that all of you are as HUNGRY, BUSY, and desperate for meal plans as I am!!

I love food. I mean, I LOVE food. I'm not a food snob, and don't need anything fancy, but I do need GOOD food...nutritious, flavorful, healthy meals to enjoy with my family each night after an exhausting day at work. The only problem is......mi vida loca.

Make-ahead freezer meals keep this busy mama and her family well fed, without actually GOING loco in the process. It may seem overwhelming, and this is certainly a process that you'll grow and change with, but trust me, you will BE SO HAPPY when you have a freezer full of delicious meals!

So, by popular request, I'm going to share my {very humble} knowledge and experience on prepping freezer meals. For this first post, we'll focus on tips & tricks that I've learned by trial and error, and next time I'll try to share some fave recipes....maybe even a FREEBIE for you to use for planning!

#1) A Little Help From Our Friends...

I am not {repeat NOT like 5+ times} an expert on make-ahead freezer meal prep, cooking, or baking by any stretch of the imagination. Now I am able to choose my own menu, make my own grocery list, and throw together a freezer full of meals, but I started by leaning on the EXPERTS. Check out these two AWESOME sources for make-ahead meals!

This lady is THE.REAL.DEAL.
My #1 recommendation for anyone looking to get started with make-ahead freezer meals is to go to the Once a Month Meals web page and pour yourself into her site! She provides meal plans, recipes, AND shopping lists for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Not only that, but she has VARIATIONS on the menus to fit your every dietary and preferred taste need. If you don't like an entire menu for the month, check out her previous months and then mix-and-match menus, shopping lists, etc. This site EVEN provides homemade BABY FOOD menus!! She leaves me speechless {SHOCKER} & I will ALWAYS check out her site for meal ideas!!

Before I started making my own freezer meals, before I discovered OAMM...I enjoyed making meals myself at Dinner By Design and even ordering their pre-made freezer meals. Making the meals in their kitchens was SO MUCH FUN. Seriously, hubby and I would do it as a date and LOVED it! Many of the locations with kitchens closed near us, but delivery of pre-made meals still is available. IF you are just starting and have one of these services, I might suggest trying to go to a kitchen like DBD and prep meals their and/or order pre-prepped meals and have them delivered. This just gives you a taste {pun intended} of what freezer meal prep, cooking, and enjoyment is like before you dive into it on your own.

NOW, I still check out the DBD current and archived menus {see below}. They don't have recipes, but they have great menu selections and if you click on each menu item, you will see the ingredients list and cooking instructions for most items. I'm not much for strict measuring anyway, so I've found just knowing the ingredients is usually enough to go by when using their menus as inspiration!

#2) Bulk Shop & Budget

One of the most awesome aspects of make-ahead freezer meals is the money you save {not to mention TIME}. However, you'll be buying groceries VERY differently than you usually do, so be mindful of that and prepare. First, you SERIOUSLY should join a bulk club like Sam's Club or Costco to make purchasing ingredients simpler and cheaper.

REMEMBER THIS: You're going to be buying and prepping food for 1-2 months...so even though you're getting a GREAT bargain by bulk shopping and prep...budget appropriately. Cost will vary depending on your menu and ingredients, but be prepared that your checkout bill will seem high b/c it's one major trip instead of several little ones.

#3) Baggies are Your Best Friends

Say it over and over again, because it's SOOOOO true. You'll need a nice supply of gallon baggies and possibly quart-sized ones for your meal prep and freezing. Some freezer meals may call for foil pans, but I really rely on baggies primarily.

TIP: Label your bags BEFORE you fill them. Some super organized freezer meal mamas print out labels with cooking instructions and more on them, but I just label with the dish name using an Sharpie.
TIP: Double-up on baggies if needed for meats in marinades and/or messier dishes.
TIP: Some recipes may call for sets of ingredients to be added in later in the cooking process, or basting sauces, etc. This is where smaller baggies come into play. Put your main dish items into the gallon baggie. Place those extra ingredients (for basting, etc.) into the smaller baggie, and place BOTH into a gallon storage baggie.

#4) Don't Be Afraid to Cheat

We may be teachers...but the kitchen is NOT school. Cheating is TOTALLY accepted and encouraged here. The entire purpose of this process is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER and more efficient. So look for easy ways to CHEAT on the meal prep without compromising taste and quality! Below are a few of my fave cheats when prepping freezer meals they make my process tons quicker and easier and taste Y-U-M-M-Y!

McCormick's Grill Makers marinades, chicken/veggie/beef stock, PictSweet Seasoning Blend frozen veggies, and chili starter kits are my all time FAVE cheats for meal prep! They are all well-priced, save tons of time, and sacrifice NONE of the quality in taste. #makeyourlifeasier

#5) Add-in Quality Extras

One thing I've found that take freezer meals from bland to grand is the addition of quality ingredients like FRESH HERBS. You're making these meals ahead of time and freezing them...so be sure to pack some punch with FLAV-A-FLAVE! I add in tons of fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, extra virgin olive oil, and garlic as well as great spices like freshly ground sea salt and coarse black pepper to every dish on the menu. It really makes a TASTY difference!

#6) Kick Your Marinades Up a Notch

This tip ties to both #4 & 5 above. Using quality marinades and extra add-ins are great bases for your menu items. Check the back of the marinade pouches and/or get creative on your own for ways to kick those marinades up a notch! For example, adding peach, mango, raspberry, or other preserves to several different marinades, adds sweet flavor, juiciness, texture, and cuts out oil you'd normally need to add to the marinade. Some marinades are great for adding in tasty olives, roasted tomatoes, artichokes, and more. For others, you can sub beer or cooking wine instead of plain vinegar for added flavor {and no alcohol--it cooks off}. Get crafty and kick up your flavor!

#7) K.I.S.S. -- Keep It Simple, Sista!

My #1 piece of advice for any meal, especially freezer meals is to KEEP it SIMPLE! I like my meals to be as clean and simple as possible, and there's no reason to abandon that when prepping freezer meals. Most of the time, my frozen items are a fresh meat, topped with a nice, natural marinade with some added punches of flavor {as described above}. You might like casseroles with lots of ingredients, and if that floats your boat, then go for it! If not, don't go overboard. The less prep, the better. The fewer the ingredients and the more natural they are, they better they'll taste AND will be healthier for you! Enjoy!

#8) Organize Your Freezer

If you have a 2nd freezer, you are SUPER lucky and make-ahead meal prep will be a BIG breeze for you! If you DON'T have a 2nd freezer {like me} then you'd better do some massive cleaning and purging in your existing one. Throw away anything old, freezer burnt, or mystery items {what the HECK is THAT?!?!?}. I organize my freezer by entree type {chicken, pork, beef, fish, fruits/veggies, etc.}. It makes putting away all of your prepped meals a snap and makes choosing and thawing menu items for each week a breeze. Plus, you'll feel super great in a really nerdy way that your freezer is spic-n-span! I wish I had cute labels and awesome freezer bins for each shelf/sliding drawer.....but I'm no where NEAR that cute & organized. #agirlcandreamthough

More Meal Prep Mania Coming Soon!

Are you craving more details on make-ahead freezer meals? Want to know some of my fave dishes? Stay tuned b/c I have future blog posts on freezer meal recipes, make-ahead lunches, and more planned for you! GUESS WHAT?!?!
Some meal prep planning FREEBIES are in the works, too!

2 Comments

Sunday Scoop, SPOOKY Decor Sneak Peek, & a FREEBIE!

10/5/2014

2 Comments

We had a FABULOUS weekend with my parents in town visiting for my mom's 60th birthday! They arrived Thursday evening, spent all day taking care of Gray, and then we enjoyed a weekend of lounging, decorating the house for Halloween, a scrumptious birthday dinner, and lots of LAUGHS! Now...
it's back to the grind. No better way to kick off a new week than with the Sunday Scoop!

Don't miss my Halloween decor preview & FAB FOLLOWER FREEBIE for October at the bottom of this post!

I ADORE Halloween Decor!
Pic preview below & post to follow ASAP!

FAB FOLLOWER FREEBIE for October

If you already follow me on TPT, THANK YOU...& you're about to receive a special treat! If you don't yet follow me on TPT, please do & then YOU can receive a special treat, too....and that's no trick! We can only send out 1 email per month, so follow me on TPT by Sunday @ midnight {technically Monday a.m.}. On Monday I'll blast out an email to all of my TPT followers with this custom designed owl silhouette Halloween notecard/art print. Just download, cut, and use as a card or frame and use for ghoulish decor!
THANKS & ENJOY!

GET THE COMPLETE SET FOR $3.00 ON TPT!

Click on the image below to see the product preview and details in my TPT store.

2 Comments

<<Previous

5 for Friday: 10.10.14

Check out My REcent Scholastic Posts!

Other Recent Posts:

Don't Miss my Freezer Meal Prep Mania!

September S.L.A.N.T.box Arrived!

// This Week @ S.T.E.M.agination Station //

// It's Getting SPOOKY @ My House! //

What the Teacher Wore: 10.8.14

// Romantic Boho & Neutral Statement Necklace //

// LOVE, Don't H8 //

// Military Chic //

// Mom's Birthday Dinner Outfit //

Wordless Wednesday: Much-Needed Mani/Pedi

This is what my nails were like BEFORE....

These Are My Nails Now: Ready for Fall!

Make-Ahead Freezer Meal Prep Mania: Part 1 (8 Great Tips)

#1) A Little Help From Our Friends...

#2) Bulk Shop & Budget

#3) Baggies are Your Best Friends

#4) Don't Be Afraid to Cheat

#5) Add-in Quality Extras

#6) Kick Your Marinades Up a Notch

#7) K.I.S.S. -- Keep It Simple, Sista!

#8) Organize Your Freezer

More Meal Prep Mania Coming Soon!

Sunday Scoop, SPOOKY Decor Sneak Peek, & a FREEBIE!

Don't miss my Halloween decor preview & FAB FOLLOWER FREEBIE for October at the bottom of this post!

I ADORE Halloween Decor! Pic preview below & post to follow ASAP!

FAB FOLLOWER FREEBIE for October

GET THE COMPLETE SET FOR $3.00 ON TPT!

// CONNECT //

Be an INSIDER!

MEET LINDSEY

Find Me On // TPT //

FAVORITE THINGS

ERIN CONDREN

SITE DESIGN

SHOP NOW

PHOTO LOVE

PIN-TASTIC

CATEGORIES

ARCHIVES

LINKED UP

// Home // Blog // About // Shop // Connect //

I ADORE Halloween Decor!
Pic preview below & post to follow ASAP!

Find Me On
// TPT //