12 Personal Questions {tag}

Today at school has been an ordinary day. Oh, who am I kidding? NO day is Pre-k is an ordinary day. But it hasn't necessarily been a day of funnies from my kids, nor has it been a day that I have tons of thoughts and ideas swimming around in my noggin'. So I decided to find a little question tag floating around the internet and do that! Here we go! 

1. What do you order at Starbucks?

Recently, I am HOOKED on the Valencia Orange Refresher. Its got a kick of caffeine and they put a fresh orange slice in the cup. Just heaven in a green straw. Not super healthy, but nothing at Starbucks truly is. 

2. What's one thing in your closet you can't live without?

Old Navy V-neck tees. I love the comfort of these tops and they go with just about anything. I wear my black one to job#2 {Victoria's Secret} with a blazer. I wear the colorful ones to work with a skirt or jeans. They're super soft and quite affordable. 

3. What's one thing that most people don't know about you?

I'm pretty much an open book, so if there's something to know about me, most people know it. This is always the hardest question for me to answer. 

4. What's one thing you want to do before you die?

Be a mother. I've felt a calling to motherhood since I was very young. I wouldn't feel complete without children in my life, especially children of my own. Right now, it's nice to have 22 munchkins that I send home at the end of the day but I know in five years or so, I'm going to want my own, 24/7 munchkins :)

5. What's one food you can't live without?

I cannot live without meat. Maybe one day, I'll be able to but I just love meat, y'all. Chicken, steak, BBQ, pork, etc. I've had my bouts with vegetarianism and it just didn't work for me. That's why I'm currently loving this Low-Carb Diet. All the meat I can eat--ZERO CARBS! Wahoo!

6. What's one quote that you live your life by?

"You are fearfully & wonderfully made" - Psalm 139:14

My momma has repeated this verse to my sister and me our whole lives. If there is a big test, or prom, or a job interview, momma would tell us this to get our confidence up. Its a really cool verse-the idea that we weren't an accident. We were made, created by the Creator. And not only that, but our Creator made us wonderful, he made us great. When you're reminded of that, it's hard to feel down on yourself. 

Another one that has been with me lately, something I struggle with daily is "talk to people like you love them". So often, I shoot off at the mouth or have trouble regulating my emotions and it results in snippy comments or overreacting. When I repeat this phrase as a mantra, it reminds me to not just speak to others respectfully, but as if I love them, which very often, I do love them! 

7. What's your number 1 song on your iPod/iTunes?  

I'm strictly listening to NPR and cds these days. I'm really digging Lady Gaga's ARTPOP album, especially since I went to her concert this weekend. 

8. What kind of style would you describe yourself as having?

Casual and reflects how I feel that day. 

9. Favourite number? 

multiples of five

10. Two hobbies?

Mom and I are T.V. junkies. 

I also love yoga. I do a few poses before bed and try to do a few each morning when I wake up.

 

11. Two pet peeves?

I have more than two, that's for sure. But if I have to choose two--

Grammatical Errors {I think I was a newspaper editor in a former life}

and people who drag their feet when they walk. That is the biggest display of laziness to me. 

12. Your guilty pleasure?

Sweets and reality television

Right now, I'm watching 

Dancing With The Stars! 

Yes, I know, your mom and grandmother love that show. 

Free as my Hair

In the past year, I have become rather "beauty product obsessed", especially hair products. I've been building this list for a bit and I thought it would be fun to finally finish the post and share it with you all. I am not under any sort of sponsorship from any of these products. These are hair products I really use and really love...in real life! I do plan to do a makeup and body post, since I have a few of those I really want to brag about!

Here a six of my everyday, must-have hair products.


Hair

Organix Shampoo & Conditioner: You can buy this at your local drug store. It is sulfate free and all of the scents smell completely heavenly. Right now, I'm using The Keratin Oil line {split ends will be the death of me} and I'm also a fan of the Coconut Milk--it's a trip to the tropics with every shampoo. I've also used the Moroccan Argan Oil line before and it's really great if you have dry or damaged hair that you are looking to repair.

Not Your Mother's Miss Freeze Freezing Hair Spray: I love this brand. All of their stuff smells great and they're so reasonably priced. But, they are hard to find. If you have an Ulta near you, they sell it and I think Walgreens but not CVS. It's tricky to track down but it's great. This hair spray is not for someone who likes to run their fingers through their hair.
Also love their Beach Babe texturizing sea salt spray, and their Clean Freak dry shampoo is in my top five favorite list of dry shampoos.

Goody Start, Style, Finish-Tease & Lift Volume Combo Pack: This is the best thing ever. Two combs-one regular one and one teaser comb. I think this was maybe $5..and it was the best $5 I've ever spent. It makes teasing your hair for lift and volume super easy to do...and I LOVE that big southern hair look that is so easy to achieve with this set. I use the teaser comb for lift at the crown of my head, and the regular comb is perfect for parting my hair and combing my bangs.

Conair Instant Heat 1" Curling Iron: Oh heat is so bad for your hair. But I have thick, coarse, wavy hair so I have no choice. I try to balance this abuse out by washing my hair only once or twice a week, using sulfate free shampoo & conditioner. I have also only colored my hair one time in the past two years. In full disclosure, I will probably color it once more before my wedding.
Anyway...a bit of a tangent there...this curling iron is amazing. I think I bought this bad boy about three years ago and it has been holding on and going strong since then. I paid less than $20 for it and have MORE than gotten my money worth. I recently took off the clip, just to give the curls a more natural look but I may buy another just to have one with a clamp.


Not Your Mother's Lock Luster Argan Oil Treatment: When I get out of the shower, before blow drying, I rarely put any product in my hair at that point. Sometimes I'll use this light oil, just when I feel my hair is a little dry, or if I know I will have to wash it sooner than usual. A tip to making your hair last through a few days without washes is minimal product {for me anyway}. I just use dry shampoo. I will use hair spray when curling but only on the day of curling.


And my prize winning hog...

Lush Cosmetics No Drought Dry Shampoo: If you don't trust my judgement {I am new at this beauty review party}, then check out this dry shampoo which made a 9 out of 10 score on the LuLuLemon Blog. I've tried lots of Dry Shampoos because when you have as much hair, in length and thickness, as I do, blow drying your hair is a grossly underestimated form of torture. This is my favorite. I was hesitant to buy it, but I'm glad I did. I purchased the 13 oz bottle Labor Day weekend and it literally looks as if I have never used it...BUT I HAVE! In fact, I use it a few times a week. Because it is a powder, a little bit goes a long way. And it smells like citrus heaven.

Well there you have it, ladies & gents! My six most beloved hair products. Like I said, I will follow this post up with a makeup review list and a body product review list. I will also probably throw in a Favorite Products: Lush edition sometime soon.

And to quote my Momma Monster...

Hello Old Friends

Hello Old Friends! 

After a rather lengthy hiatus, I am ready to get back into the blogosphere. 

I know...I know...I've said this several times before. But I really am. 

Lately, I have felt a deep need within me to write. And to be creative in some way. 

My creativity has really fallen to the wayside lately. Of course, my job as a Pre-K teacher keeps me somewhat creative but I have just felt a need to get out LOTS of my thoughts and creativity in the past few months. It's been bottle up and it's about to come bursting out!

But for this post, I'll need to get you all caught up :)

So first things first, my other blog, Pre-K in the GA, is WAY behind. And by way behind, I mean a year. I didn't keep up with it and I really regret that because this year's class has been a DOOZIE. They're all wild as a March hare. Since I could never catch up and haven't been diligent about writing all the happenings and sayings down, I will just mix them in with this blog, until the end of the month, and for August and September, which will be my last two months of teaching Pre-K in the GA, since I will be moving to Kansas in October. I hope to be able to get a job working with children when I move, but the job market is rough so of course I'll be happy with any job for which I am qualified. 

Oh...why am I moving you ask? Well I would be happy to tell you! I'M GETTING MARRIED! Check out our website :)

Wedding planning with B and my family has been so much fun. No drama, no stress. Just enjoying letting the planner in me take over. 

This weekend, my mother, my sister, and I went to Fort Lauderdale to see the magnificent Lady Gaga open her artRAVE: the ARTPOP ball tour. It was incredible, a huge party and we had such a blast together. We even squeezed in a bit of beach time. 

This week is Teacher's Appreciation Week AND Mother's Day, so my mom will be receiving a double dose of lovin'. And I'm pretty lucky...I've gotten some goodies from my classroom kids too! A cookie for making them a "smart cookie", a pack of notecards as just a "note" to say thank you, a swiss roll, and some beautiful artwork. But probably my most treasured gift is a card, made by one of my children in Speech. It was really simple, just a little bit colored in, and there was a note where she told the Speech teacher what to write. It read: 

Miss Bishop, 

Thank you for letting me go outside. I love to hug you. Thank you for letting my paint flowers. You can come to my house. You are beautiful. I love you.

When I read this on the playground, I began to tear up. Lately, I've felt so self-conscious. The new found confidence of having clear{er} skin has been counteracted by how cruddy the rest of my body has been feeling. I haven't been listening to what my body is telling me, I've been slacking on eating healthy and exercising, so I've gained some weight back. 
But it is so wonderful to know that my little people don't see any of that. Kids have a real knack for seeing beauty on the inside, because you love them, hug them, invest in them. 

Kids are just awesome. 

"While we try to teach children all about life, 

children teach us what life is all about" -Angela Schwindt

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things!

I am not Oprah. I do not have a television show, nor do I have the money to send you all of these awesome things I am writing about. The best I can do is tell you where to obtain them, and promise you that the next time we are face to face, I will say your name in the Oprah voice. 

Without further ado, here are 10 things I am obsessed with right now:

Knitting - it's calming and pretty easy to learn and do. I'm no pro, that's for sure. I haven't even finished my first project yet-a scarf for my mum. But I really love it. 

Dry Shampoo - I have a lot of hair. AND I have bangs. Though it may seem like I have purposely made my life more difficult in the hair department, there is a solution. Here the dirty truth...it is not good for your hair to wash it every single day. Sorry clean freaks, but it's true. Your hair has natural oils that it needs to be healthy and happy. When you wash your hair every day, you're stripping your hair of those oils. This is not to say you shouldn't bathe everyday (unless you just don't want to, no judgement!). Dry shampoo acts as something to absorb the excess oil in your hair between washes. My favorite is Not Your Mother brand. But you can also use powder for your face or regular old baby powder. 

My New Ragdoll Kitten, Baby Einstein - he's perfect, and evil, which I kind of love. 

Dove Hair spray - It makes my hair so soft and manageable, but still holds it in place. 

Sulfate-free Hair Products - Seriously, do the research. One week of sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner will make you feel like a natural woman, just like Aretha. 

Scrub - I over exfoliate, almost to a fault. Try St. Ives. Or make your own with stuff from your kitchen. Sugar works, as well as steel cut oats or grits!

Skinny Cow Heavenly Crisps - TRY THEM. You'll never look back. This is a 100 calorie candy bar, of sorts, that is the best diet anything I've ever had. Although, 100 calories a bar isn't as impressive if you eat more than one per sitting, not that I'm speaking from experience...

Scramble With Friends - the most fun game I've played in a while. It makes me giddy and nervous with every game, and I get competitive...which is out of my norm. Play me sometime!

Eco-jot - I just ordered some amazing products for the store that are made of 100% post consumer recycled materials. Super cute and good for Mother Earth! Can't get much better than that!

Becoming A Doula - I've found my calling and I want to shout it from the mountain top! If you don't know what a Doula is, you must not have had a conversation with me in the past two months (But seriously...google it). I've been doing lots of research and getting my hands on all the information I can. It won't be happening soon (probably not within this year) but it will be happening. I'm so excited to be a part of profession that empowers women in their most powerful life moment and supports them in their choices. So if you know anyone who is in the early stages of pregnancy and is considering a doula, you let them know this doula-in-training needs to get some births under her belt and would love to serve as their doula for free or a severely reduced rate! 

Thanks for reading! Tune in next time for a post that will build off of this one, My Favorite Beauty Products!

Saving some GREEN at Goodwill!

So as of late, I have been inspired to share with you, as often as possible, my thrifting finds and projects. Though i may not seem so at first, thrifting is very Earth friendly. Being a thrifty gal revolves around the idea that you are reusing what is still able to serve it's purpose, without contributing to the millions of things WE DON'T NEED that are being made every single day. And usually, you can make it pretty cute while you're at it. So here are some fun recycled things of mine :)

This was a happy Salvation Army find. I had been looking all over the Ikea website, since my nearest location is Atlanta, and Target for a dresser for my new room after graduation. I stumbled upon this beauty for $30 and...after some sanding and painting, this old guy was reborn! ***Ignore the mess! I like to lay out my oufits for work on Sunday nights. 

This little polka dotted number (which you, unfortunately, cannot see very well in this picture) was perfect for a Spring Social during my Junior year of college. It was vintage, with a pin-up girl feel. I want to say it was around 5 dollars at Goodwill.

It will be hard to focus on the shirt in this photo, due to my handsome nephew Wren, but I understand :)

This black, Polo collared shirt was one of the perks of my job-running a consignment store. People bring in their clothes, and I'm the one who gets to go through them and put them out. You might say I get first dibs, which rocks! Love my job! 

And my most recent Goodwill purchase! This past Saturday, after a fabulous church picnic at my new favorite place, St. Francis Episcopal church (a later post will cover this...so exctied to share with you all!), Hannah and I decided to hit up the best Goodwill ever. One of the Goodwills in Macon recieves overstock from Target, which means you get brand new Target clothes, tags on and everything, for Goowdill prices. My most recent haul included two jackets for my trip to Missouri on the 26, a neckace (to replace one I had just like it that broke), Mossimo black wedges, and FOUR dresses for work for about $40. Can't beat that!  One of the dresses and the Mossimo wedges were my outfit for church this morning, with silver hoops, one of my Stella & Dot splurges, the "On The Mark" necklace, silver braid bracelt (a gift from my sister's ex-boyfriend), and a fantastic "T" wax seal ring. 

So there you have it! Glad to be back in the blog-o-sphere. With this new blogger app (Blog Docs), I will be better at this. I promise! I hope to do this every other night before bedtime. Love to all!