Week in Review

Last week was quieter after my busy previous week.

I only worked 3 days last week. On Tuesday, I only knew what school I was supposed to be at. Normally, I also know at least which grade if not also which teacher I'm subbing for. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was subbing for a 4th grade class that I had previously done. The teacher was also happy to see me as she had been hoping I would be her sub. Always nice to be wanted!

Last year, I didn't really like teaching 4th grade, but this year has been much better. I'm not sure if it's just because the class is better or because I've had awesome help from classroom paras or because I spent my summer with kids this age and older. Whatever it is, I'm no longer dreading teaching 4th grade. Still not ready to go back to teaching 5th and 6th grade, though.

On Thursday and Friday, I taught kindergarten. The teacher is a girl I went to high school with and I've subbed for her many times in the past few years. I like subbing for her and kindergarten is usually pretty fun. We had our fair share of problems, but overall, it was good.

I spent the weekend running errands with the husband. Our big score was a window air conditioner for 70% off at Target. Too bad we won't get to use it until next summer.

I also did some more planning for our trip to Minnesota. I've found lots of interesting things to see and do and my list of possible restaurants to try is even longer. We're definitely going to try to pack quite a bit into our days up there.

How was your week?

 

Sunday Social - Work

What is your dream job? 

I have several: 2nd grade teacher, social media manager for a small company, running my own children's bookstore or any number of jobs at Walt Disney World.

I also wouldn't mind just being the Doctor's companion for awhile.

If you had just won the lottery and didn't need to work for money, what would you do with your time?

Travel! I love to travel, but we just don't have the budget for big trips. There are so many places I want to go, I'd have a hard time decided where to go first.

What piece of career advice would you give to someone just starting out in you field?

Um, don't? At least, not in Indiana! Teaching job openings are few and far between. If you really want to be a teacher, be willing to move to where the jobs are. I know that if I moved back to Florida, I could probably get a job again, but we want to stay here to start our family.

What would be your ideal "just for fun" job?

I assume this means a job that I would do just to work/keep busy, not because I needed the money.

For me, that job would be working at Disney World. I'd like to work in a store there or work on a ride. Or a Children's Activities Cast Member which is a lot like my summer day camp job, which I really enjoyed.

What was your first "real" job?

I worked for the family business during my summers in my teens. And while I got a paycheck and paid taxes, I don't really consider that a "real" job.

My first "real" job that I applied for and interviewed for was cashier at a grocery store. I did that during my breaks from college for a couple years.

 

What I Love Wednesday: Sinful Colors Sinfulshine

Disclaimer: I received this product free to try. All opinions are my own.

I'm a member of Influenster and over the summer, I received one of their Vox Boxes, the Sunkissed Vox Box. And like the bad blogger that I am, I never told you about it. The box was filled with some great products and today I wanted to share with you my favorite product from the Sunkissed Vox Box

I received a bottle of Sinfulcolors Sinfulshine with Gel Tech nail polish in the VIP color. I was excited about trying this product because 1. I love nail polish, especially when it's free and 2. it's a bright pink color which is my favorite color to wear on my toes in the summer.

I was in need of a new pedicure, so one Friday night I decided to try out my new polish. Immediately, I was impressed. The polish was thick and went on smoothly with great coverage after only one coat. I did two coats because I always do, but one coat probably would have been fine.

When the polish dried, it was super glossy without even using a topcoat.

 One complaint I always have about my pedicures during the summer is that they chip easily since I wear flip flops and sandals all the time and my toes are exposed. Not with this polish! Not once did the color chip. In fact, the only reason I had to give myself a new pedicure was because the color was growing out. This is seriously good nail polish!

(And normally, I would probably show you a picture of said product in use, but nobody wants to see a picture of my feet, so take my word for it.)

And the best part? The price. It turns out this awesome nail polish that works better than my pricier brands is only $2.99 at Walgreens. The Sinfulshine collection is exclusive to Walgreens, so it does mean making a special trip, but for the quality and price, it's worth it in my opinion.
 

Week in Review

What a busy week!

 I managed to work every day last week. Which was tiring due to the every changing schedule, but the classes were all mostly fine and I know my paycheck is going to be nice.

I'm hoping to get lots more days scheduled in the next month so I can save up some money for our trip to Minnesota. I've already got my eye on a few things at Ikea.

Not only did I work every day, I also managed to get to every school I work at in the district and almost had every grade. I only missed out on doing kindergarten last week. Instead, I had second grade twice. And since second grade is my favorite, I'm just fine with that!

My mom's birthday was last week, so on Saturday, I took her out to dinner. We did our traditional Red Lobster dinner so that she could enjoy their Endless Shrimp special. I managed to eat way too many off those Cheddar Bay Biscuits, but I couldn't resist!

On Sunday, I finally remembered that I wanted to wash some of my Vera Bradley bags, so I did a couple loads of purses. I'm not sure they actually look any cleaner though. I'll be able to tell better when they are dry, I think.

I also watched the Emmy's on Sunday night. I really only watched because Neil Patrick Harris was hosting. Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated, but he didn't attend and I knew he wasn't going to win. I thought the show was pretty boring this year. And there weren't very many dresses that I liked.

How was your week?

 

Sunday Social - My purse

I'm linking up for Sunday Social again this week.

Favorite handbag you've ever owned

Prior to my Vera Bradley obsession, I've never really been into purses. I really only started carrying one regularly when I was a senior in high school because my school banned backpacks during class.

So, of course, I'm gong to have to pick a Vera as my favorite. 

This is my first Vera Bradley Hipster in Petal Pink and I also have one in Totally Turq. I love the Hipster for travel. I don't need to carry most of my usual stuff on vacation, so I can go smaller. And I can actually fit quite a bit in my Hipster. I carried it every day of our 10 day Honeymoon and it was perfect. I love that I can wear it crossbody and keep my hands free which is important when you like to take lots of pictures when you travel, like I do.

I also really love the Stephanie style. In fact, I owned 3 different ones over the past few years. Vera Bradley retired the style and at the last Vera Bradley Outlet Sale, I picked up a Glenna to replace my beloved Stephanies. Now, I really love the Glenna and will probably be getting another one at next year's sale. (Only 200 days until then!)

What is your dream handbag you lust over?

Surprise, surprise, it's a Vera Bradley bag!

The Disney Collection by Vera Bradley just launched at the parks and I really want a hipster in Just Mousing Around. It would be perfect for future Disney trips.


What are the daily essentials in your purse or work bag?

What's in your purse(with pictures)?

I'm going to cheat and combine these two questions because I pretty much only carry what I deem essential in my purse anyway. Although my mom would probably say otherwise since she thinks my purse is too heavy.

This is everything I carry on a daily basis:

(This is an old picture I took last time we answered these exact questions for Sunday Social. Just pretend the planner is for 2012-2013. And that the wallet is in Ribbons instead of Paprika.)

I always have my phone as well, but it didn't make it into the picture. I often also have a book stuffed in there just in case I have to wait somewhere.

Randoms

1. My brother is backpacking through Europe and he's in London right now. I'm super jealous. Sadly, I don't think he has much room in his pack for lots of presents for me. I might be lucky to get a postcard.

2. I'm excited that we're finally going to be able to get to Minnesota to visit Trish. I get a 3 day Fall Break in October, so M scheduled a vacation for that week and we're finally going! I'm having a lot of fun planning things to do and places to eat. Of course, the Mall of America and Ikea are at the top of my list.

3. I worked every day this week! I'm tired, but my paycheck is going to be great. On the not-so-great side, I think being around all those kids means I picked up something. My throat really hurts tonight and I can't drink enough water.

4. Have you seen the photos from the filming of Sherlock Season 3? I cannot wait!

Week in Review

I really need to get better about writing these posts throughout the week. Then, I might actually get it posted in a timely manner and I might actually remember what I did during the week!

Last week was an interesting one around here. I ended up working 3 days, all of them half days. I had a funny moment while teaching kindergarten on Tuesday. We were playing color/shape bingo and I called blue diamond. One of the little boys started singing Rhianna's Diamonds quietly to himself and I couldn't help but laugh. It was too cute!

I took Wednesday off to celebrate M's birthday. We had plans to go to the zoo, but we both were battling a bit of a stomach bug, so we postponed that trip to Thursday. We did celebrate his birthday with pizza from our favorite local Italian restaurant, cake, and gifts.

Since we were both feeling better on Thursday and neither of us had to work, we headed up to Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was my third zoo of the summer, fourth zoo visit of the summer, and the third time I fed a giraffe this summer. We had fun and I think I got some good photos. I still haven't uploaded them to the computer and I still have pictures from two previous zoo visits to share, but I'll get to them some time soon!

The weekend was spent running some errands and doing some family things. 

How was your week?

Sunday Social - Blogging

What is the name of your blog?

My blog is Argyle Love. It was inspired by my argyle wedding and our mutual love of argyle.

What do you love most about blogging?

I like to share with others and I like the creative outlet it provides. I like to connect with people from around the world.

Why did you start blogging?

I've been reading blogs for years and I even had a Live Journal and Xanga back in the day. Blogging just felt like a natural progression from that.

What is something you'd want to tell someone just starting out in the blog world?

Be yourself.  Blog because you want to and don't feel pressured to be the next big thing. I know I'm never going to a "popular" blogger and I'm OK with that because I like what I'm doing and it makes me happy. In the end, your happiness is really all that matters.

Biggest blogging learning experience you've had?

Nothing really other than there are people out there that feel the same way I do about certain bloggers and it was nice to know I wasn't alone in my feelings.

What are three blogs you love?

Everyday Trish - She's my bestie, so I have to share her blog! Plus, she has cute pictures of babies and dogs.
The Bloggess - Jenny never fails to make me laugh, plus she's a big Doctor Who fan.
The Pioneer Woman - I love her, enough said.
 

 

Week in Review

Even though it was a short work week, it was a busy one for me.

I had Monday off due to the holiday and M had to work, so I stayed home and enjoyed a relaxing day at home.

I worked three days last week, all at the same school. It was nice to be busy and I got to work with several different classes. I ended up being in every grade but Kindergarten.

I didn't work Friday, but I got out of the house to do my usual weekly shopping. I even managed to finish shopping for my husband's birthday this week.

I wasn't feeling great over the weekend, so I stayed home watching Once Upon a Time and got some laundry done. Exciting stuff!

How was your week?

 

Sunday Social - Fall

Once again, I'm linking up with Neely and Ashley and getting social.

What is your favorite Fall activity?

When I was in high school, it was spending my Friday nights at football games and my Saturdays cheering for my friends and brother at marching band competitions.

Now, I like going to some local festivals and enjoying the cooler weather.

Do you follow a football team? if so which one and why?

I've been a pretty big Colts fan ever since college. It's not unusual to find me yelling at my TV on Sundays during the fall. Why the Colts? Well, I live in Indiana, so they're the home team. Plus, we had an amazing team when I started following them and ended up going to two Super Bowls.  I also have to cheer for the Broncos since they've got Peyton now.

I also like to cheer for whichever team is playing Notre Dame. (I know, I'm a terrible Catholic.)

What is something fun about Fall in your area?

You may have heard the saying, "There's more than corn in Indiana." Well, there is, but there's also a lot of corn. And you can do some pretty fun things with a field of corn...like, turn it into a corn maze!

Thanks to the abundance of corn fields in my area, there are several corn mazes. I'd always wanted to try it, so a couple years ago, M & I did one with our friends T & R.

It turns out, I really don't like being lost without a map, so I probably won't be doing a corn maze again for awhile.

Favorite Fall outfit staples?

Hoodies! Notice, I am wearing one in the corn maze. You could probably say that I collect hoodies, my collection is so big. They are my favorite thing to throw on in the fall because then I don't have to wear a coat.

This would be a perfect fall outfit for me...


And since hoodies aren't exactly work appropriate, I also love to wear cardigans in the fall, especially argyle ones.

See? I even wore one in our fall engagement pictures.

Thing you are looking forward to most about this coming Fall season?

School being back in session so I can work and actually get paid!

The (hopefully) cooler weather, for one. I'm really tired of temperatures over 90 degrees in September.

And hopefully, being able to take a long weekend in Minnesota in October. Crossing my fingers that all works out for us!

Favorite Fall holiday? Traditions?

I like both Halloween and Thanksgiving.

First of all, Halloween is all about candy, what's not to love? And I love to decorate for Halloween. We don't do trick or treating, but I can't wait to have kids and take them.

I like Thanksgiving because I like all the food. My brother deep fries the turkey and it is so delicious! I think that needs to be a tradition, right there.

Week in Review

Happy Labor Day! Are you lucky like me and not working today or unlucky like my husband and working? He's not too unlucky though since working today means holiday pay.

Last week was pretty quiet around here and then ended with a busy, but pretty great, weekend.

I worked 2 days again last week. Both of them were 4th grade - same school, but different classes. I normally dread teaching 4th grade, but this year's class seems to be pretty good. I didn't have any problems and had good days. Of course, it did help that both classes had paras that dealt with behavior problems. 

On Saturday, I started my day with a haircut. I'm keeping the bangs although I think they got cut a little short this time around. Hopefully they'll grow quickly.

M and I then headed to the outlet mall with my mom to take advantage of the Labor Day sales. I was really excited that Vera Bradley was having a 50% off sale, but sadly, I couldn't find anything to buy. The outlet didn't have several items I was interested in and while I did look at a Lunch Tote, I didn't like any of the available patterns. Guess I'll just wait until April and Outlet Sale.

I did manage to score a good deal on some sweaters at the Gap outlet store. The whole store was 50% off.  I never buy anything at a regular Gap store, but I always buy something at the outlet. I got 2 sweaters for less than the regular price of one of them.

On Sunday, we had our family gathering at my sister-in-law's house up in Michigan. My nephew wanted to go to the used bookstore in town, so M and I went with him and my niece. I've never been there before, but the rest of the family always raves about it, so I had to check it out. It was awesome! It was a maze of books and the organization was amazing. I managed to find 2 books that I've been wanting. I have a feeling going to the bookstore will be a more regular thing whenever we go up there now.

We had a lot of fun the rest of the day eating good food and playing Phase 10. We even did some Wii bowling and archery later in the evening. It was a lot of fun. Too bad the next family gathering won't be until Thanksgiving!

How was your weekend?

 

Sunday Social - Summer 2013

What was your favorite trip/vacation/activity this summer?

I worked all summer, so no vacation for me. My favorite activity this summer was going to the zoo with all my nieces.  It was really fun to spend the day with them.

 What was your favorite outfit look/clothing item of the summer? 

I pretty much lived in my yoga capris and college t-shirts all summer. Lightweight clothes that were comfortable for playing with the kids in the heat and I didn't care if they got sweaty or dirty. Plus, I was super comfortable all summer long.

What is one thing you wish you'd gotten to do this summer?

Take a vacation. Even just a weekend trip. But, I'm crossing my fingers that we might get to take one in October.

What was your favorite song of the summer? 

Not my favorite song, but the song that will always make me think of this summer is The Wobble. My day camp kids practiced that dance every day for the talent show and it was constantly in my head. I'm also now an expert at doing The Wobble.

Songs I do like - Icona Pop's "I Love It,"  Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," and Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors." 

What was your favorite movie/TV show of the summer?

Star Trek: Into Darkness, of course! I love anything involving Benedict Cumberbatch.