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Meal Planning Mania

May 12, 2014 by eatteachblog 7 Comments

Hi friends,

Tonight I realized I’m now 19 episodes behind on The Voice. And I have a million and five things to tackle on my To-Do List. And my clean bedsheets are still sitting in the trunk of my car…in a laundry basket…that will most likely not be brought up to my apartment until tomorrow.

But all those things come second/third/fourth/last to what I actually ended up doing tonight.

You see, last night I had to stay in Salinas. And, while I’m SO grateful for the extra night with my Bhabhi and Bhaiya, I did not plan well for this new lifestyle change of mine.

Lifestyle change, you may ask?

Why yes, I did go to work without coffee in my hand this morning.

And, yes, I did come home and pour myself a glass of water, not wine.

And yes, I did eat strawberries, eggs, and avocado for breakfast. (Thank you, Bhabhs!)

For the next 30 days, I will be eating clean. No processed crap. No wine (except for Conor’s wedding!). No sugar. Limited caffeine. No soy. But plenty of other yummy, delicious foods that are wholesome, nutritious, and CLEAN. My hope is to gain more energy and just feel better overall. I will talk more on that later, but let’s just say that it is HARD to do if you don’t PLAN and PREP!

I was good for breakfast, ate some deli meat and fruit for lunch (probably not the BEST source of protein, but I was in a pinch!), but eventually got hungry again around 1PM. I scrounged around for some veggies in the fridge, went to Safeway twice in hopes that I would find something quick, but eventually settled on this as an energy booster.

I ordered these in my Full Circle box last week and, normally, they’d be a pretty fantastic snack. I mean, look at those ingredients:

But, for the first 30 days of this “lifestyle change,” I will be cutting all sugar – honey included. So, this was fine for today. But, moving forward, I need to pick something else. Needless to say, I was a little out of it by the late afternoon. 1) No caffeine all day. 2) Minimal food. 3) I had driven back from Salinas at 5AM.

I may have bumped into a few things at the end of the day. I also brought my walkie talkie home with me. Along with a few Expo markers.

Today, at work, we had Community Meeting with our parents/families. At the end of our information session, everyone went to the cafeteria to grab some food from the potluck. I decided to pack up and head straight to Whole Foods. I was STARVING and I knew that going into the cafeteria would be a dangerous choice, so I quickly left and picked up some pre-cooked chicken to toss into a salad.

Not a pretty picture, but the best salads are the ugliest.

I have so much produce leftover from the box and from the produce stand yesterday. But, I chopped up a bunch for salads and threw some in with eggs to make some breakfast muffins. I am much more prepared for tomorrow. And it only took an hour!

Now I’m just waiting on them to finish before I ~~lay out some temporary sheets because Lord knows I’m not about to walk downstairs and get my clean sheets from the car~~ go to bed!

Have a good one! 🙂

Question of the Day:

What day do you do all your food prep?

Scenes From This Weekend: Mother’s Day in Monterey!

May 11, 2014 by eatteachblog 10 Comments

Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful mothers/mother-figures! Hope your weekend was as wonderful and family-filled as mine! 🙂

Friday:

I stayed at work until 6ish so that I could take care of a couple of things. I did this last week and it was WONDERFUL because it helped ease that Sunday stress I normally feel toward the end of the weekend. Totally worth the extra hours I have to put in on Friday.

After work, I drove over to Jen and Juan’s and we all went to Casa de Cobre for dinner.

The food was alright, but that pomegranate margarita….YUM.

Saturday:

I woke up early, packed up a couple of things, and drove over to see Bhaiya/Bhabhi/Baby.

(First, I had to ‘unpack’ my laundry basket from LAST weekend. Embarrassing).

When I pulled up at their house, Veer was sitting at the door waiting for me. Best welcome ever. I just love this age of his right now – he’s so much fun, so talkative, and brings SO much joy to my life. <3

Bhabhi and I went to a “meeting” (which I will disclose more of in a week or so) and then met up with Bhaiya and Baby for lunch on Cannery Row.

We decided to go to Fish Hopper – kid-friendly AND a gorgeous view.

And, as tempting as it was, I did not order the $225 tequila shot.

I’m not a seafood-y person. At all. But, for being a seafood place, their chicken was pretty fab! Especially because they topped it with some flavorful artichoke hearts.

After lunch, we made a mini detour to get some ice cream for the baby…

….and some Starbucks for the adults.

Since Bhaiya/Bhabhi’s stove and oven are out of commission for a while, our options for dinner were limited. So, we ordered some Thai food and, before we went to go pick it up, we were drawn into the local bookstore next door.

The last thing I need right now is MORE books to put on my shelf that already has several un-read books on it. But, it’s so tempting. I LOVE BOOKS.

I decided to purchase a book that I recently bought, but had given away to a parent that I thought would enjoy it. I have only read 1/3 of it, but I think this is a book that I want to keep with me forever. So well-written. So much more than an ‘advice column.’

The rest of the night was spent watching Dancing with the Stars (but we watched episodes from 2 seasons ago – the ones that Gavin Degraw was on! Definitely made me love him more than I already do!) and Parenthood.

Saturday:

On Saturday morning, Veer made us a green smoothie.

He doesn’t look too thrilled about it.

And Bhabhi served it to me in a wine glass – in hopes that the presentation would sell it for me. (Presentation meaning the WINE GLASS, not the BROWN LIQUID).

We waited until Bhaiya got home from his rounds and then went out to Mother’s Day Brunch at Chipotle. No, we’re not lame planners. It was actually way more preferred than any restaurant/brunch buffets! 🙂

After lunch, we went to Peet’s (Bhabhi’s favorite) and ordered an iced coffee w/almond milk.

And then drove home so that Bhaiya could play with Veer’s toys as Veer watched on from afar. #RoleReversal

I had every intention to go home tonight. But, due to Mother’s Day, there was a RIDICULOUS amount of traffic. I drove for about an hour, which took me about 10 miles, and then decided to turn around and head back. But FIRST, I stopped at the same place I bought those avocados 2 months ago.

SO. MUCH. CHEAP. PRODUCE.

I got back to their house and then proceeded to eat my body weight in salad.

Now, I’m off to go lay on the couch with my favorites while we watch some more Parenthood! Enjoy the last remaining bit of your weekend! 🙂

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Questions of the Day:

Chicken or fish?
What did you do to celebrate Mother’s Day?
Almond milk or soy milk?

Fun Facts Friday [5/9/14]

May 8, 2014 by eatteachblog 12 Comments

It has been one heck of a long week. Since we’ve opted in to taking the CSTs, this week and next week are all out of whack and routines/procedures are all sorts of messy. I am SO unbelievably grateful for this weekend.

T.G.I.F.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming. Below you will find some fun facts from the week:

1) On Sunday, my Bhabhi (sister-in-law) sent me back with some DELICIOUS homemade granola. I’ve been eating it for breakfast every single day.

She threw in some coconut so obviously I’m loving it.

2) Two weekends ago, when Gina was here, she pet one of the ZILLIONS of cats roaming around our apartment complex. Since she left, the cat has been sitting outside our door almost every single day. He’s probably waiting for her.

I will definitely NOT be petting it. And I try to sneak in really quickly so it doesn’t follow me in.

3) It’s Teacher Appreciation Week!!!

Teacher appreciation week + stressful week at work = my pants are tight.

4) I’m 15 episodes behind on The Voice. I’m debating whether I want to go on a Voice-watching binge OR delete them all from my DVR and pretend this season never existed.

5) We had a CMS reunion on Wednesday at Flight Wine and Food in Cupertino. Surprisingly, I had never been there before. But it was fantastic. I think I’m only saying that because I enjoyed the company so much! 🙂

The picture’s dark, but I had to post it. So many people I love. <3

6) Today, we didn’t have PD (professional development) after school, so we were all free to go around 2:30. I decided to drive over to Picchetti to pick up the May shipment. I usually never get the chance to do this during the week since the winery closes at 5. While I was there, I got some reading done; it was so nice to just sit with the sun. And this rooster.

7) I’ve been sleeping without the humidifier this week. This cough is pretty much gone. Except for 1-2 times every couple hours. Which is AMAZING. KNOCK ON ALL THE WOOD.

8) Lately I’ve been feeling REALLY nostalgic for my UCLA days. I don’t know whether it’s because I’m being blasted with e-mails about alumni events OR because we are all going to be reunited at Conor’s wedding at the end of the month, but I’m just missing it a lot. Don’t get me wrong – I love my job. I just miss having my best friends all in one place.

9) Sissy sent me this picture. I think she’s trying to tell me something about my coping abilities (or, rather, disabilities).

Sister tells me that I get too hyper and emotional when I’m talking about something I’m angry and/or passionate about. Sometimes I have to lie down because I exhaust myself. I need to take more belly breaths.

Now, it’s time to get back to some reading. And maybe a little belly breathing.

Have a good night! 🙂

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Past Fun Friday Posts:

Questions of the Day

What is one fun fact about you?
What is one thing you are looking forward to this weekend?

For My Kids

May 6, 2014 by eatteachblog 12 Comments

Around 4:30PM each day, I have a happy hour.

Now, I’m not talking about boozin’ it up or getting some 1/2 off appetizers.

I’m talking about the hour when my work day slowly comes to an end. The kids are dismissed between 4:00-4:15 and things are hectic and crazy but, all of a sudden, at 4:30, things start to calm down.

It is during this time that I am able to recall certain events and conversations that happened during the day, process the next steps that need to be done on my end, reflect on the day’s good/bad/ugly. It is also during this time that I am reminded why I am here.

Today was frustrating.

Testing made the kids loopy and antsy. Testing made ME loopy and antsy. Our schedules were off and we weren’t following normal routines/procedures. There were a few moments throughout the day where I felt agitated and ANGRY.

And then 4:30 hit.

Most of the kids had been dismissed, except for the YMCA kiddos. One of my favorites (~~shhhh, you’re not supposed to have favorites!~~) is in the YMCA, and EVERY day, without fail, he spots me from across the Launch area, runs over while screaming my name, and wraps his teeny arms around me.

And it is that moment – that EXACT MOMENT – every single day that reminds me why I am here.

My days will always be hectic.

And, in this field of constant collaboration and interaction, people will undoubtedly bug the crap out of me.

But at 4:30PM every day, when my little one is hugging me so tight with another successful day under his belt, I am reminded why I am here. I remember, once again, that it is all for my kids.

: Studying a roly poly as it treks from the playground to the bushes

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If income, location, or “status” wasn’t a factor, what would your ideal career be?

Teacher and Tequila Appreciation Week

May 5, 2014 by eatteachblog 5 Comments

Happy teacher appreciation week! And happy Cinco de Mayo!

Believe it or not, I was not looking forward to this week. It’s that daunting time of the year where we force children to take standardized tests for hours each day. And we get to “actively monitor” them to ensure that they are bubbling in everything perfectly. (Because that, in and of itself, is the most accurate way to measure teacher quality, right? <— Please sense the sarcasm. Now I’m changing the subject before I continue to rant about our education system).

On Friday of last week, I sat down with my Flexy Friend to plan out the week ahead. I’m not completing my typical interventions on CST days because I’ll be spending that time ~~staring at one student for 3 hours at a time~~ proctoring.

The week looked boring and I wasn’t excited about much.

Luckily, over the course of the day, I’ve had all sorts of fun surprises and I have exciting things to look forward to all week long!

Tomorrow, Chandana is going to be in town! Chandana and I met back at UCLA – we were both involved in the Student Alumni Association and UniCamp. Now, she’s a fancy attorney living in DC with her husband…and sees my sister more than she sees me! Boo. But, luckily, I get to see her tomorrow after work and I am THRILLED!

(Side note: I just spent way too long trying to find a picture of us together from college and couldn’t find a single one! That’s CRAZY. Facebook is failing hardcore right now).

On Wednesday, I’m going to happy hour with some CMS folks! It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! Naturally, I need to go appreciate the heck out of some teachers I LOVED working with! 🙂

And, over the weekend, I’ll be going back to Monterey to visit the little baby. It’s Mothers Day weekend and I want to celebrate it with my mama away from home! <3

So, this week isn’t SO bad. I just hate how testing gets to steal my kids from me for two weeks. I also don’t know how I’m going to sit still for so long while the kids take it. Luckily, I’m the one providing the “Supervised Breaks” as an accommodation. Maybe it won’t be terrible?

We’ll see……..

Have a good night! 🙂

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Let’s Chat! 🙂

Who was your favorite teacher and why?
Did you celebrate Cinco de Drink-O?
Favorite flavor margarita?

Fun Facts Friday [5/2/14]

May 2, 2014 by eatteachblog 4 Comments

1) Contrary to what my last post may have illustrated, I did not, in fact, end up at the bottom of a margarita glass. I ended up at the surface of a margarita glass. We went to Rosy’s Fish Tacos and let’s just say I am NOT a fan of those margaritas. If you know me – even in the slightest – you know that I do not like to leave a drink untouched. However, those margaritas were pretty terrible.

2) I made up for it by going to Happy Hour last night with some co-workers. Originally, we had plans to go to Vintage Wine Bar on Santana Row. But, instead, we opted for going to Straits because they had 1/2 off bottles of wine, which seemed like the obvious choice. The last time I was here was over a year ago after the Jason Mraz concert. Crazy.

3) Conor and Melissa’s wedding is in 25 days. I can’t even WAIT to be reunited with my best friends from college.

4) I still don’t know the difference between “bad rap” or “bad rep.” I started to say it yesterday, but then stuttered my way through the rest of the sentence because I didn’t know which way to go.

5) We took a tour of our super fancy, super UNfinished school building yesterday. I am ECSTATIC to be working in a real school with a real office and real classrooms. This year was definitely an adventure. I regret NOTHING about my transition to Rocketship, but I am very ready to have our own building. 🙂

6) I read ‘theSkimm‘ before work every morning and I am obsessed with it. It is the best way to get an overview of what’s happening in the world. In this day and age, there’s so much information being spewed left and right. It’s nice to have a place that sums it all up. And then links you to articles in case you are interested in reading further. It’s also quite enjoyable and witty. I’m a fan.

7) I used Open Table for the first time last weekend when I booked our reservation for Ristorante Allegria. I can’t believe I’ve never used it before. It’s so quick and convenient.

8) I remember nearly everything from this Buzzfeed list. Does that make me ridiculously old?

9) I just bought new wine glasses, but take a look at these things. Don’t you think I need some of these sippy wine glasses? They’re screaming my name.

10) I attempted to cut back on Starbucks this week. I didn’t go Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. But, somehow, I managed to have it three times yesterday. I guess it all balances out. That being said, I’m off to Starbucks.

Have a fantastic Friday! 🙂

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Monday Highlights

April 28, 2014 by eatteachblog 6 Comments

Good evening, friends!

Last night, I wanted nothing more than to crawl into my bed at 9PM and call it a day. Though it was a wonderful weekend, it was pretty eventful and I was exhausted by 6PM yesterday. But I knew that if I didn’t force myself to prepare something for the week ahead, I would end up making poor choices.

I decided to chop up veggies, make some quick Quinoa Fried Rice, and threw some ground turkey/veggies/salsa in the crockpot. It took less than an hour and I was so happy I did it. I just feel so much better during the day when I’m eating my own food, instead of random things I find at work. Shocking.

It’s our last week before CST testing, so I’m trying to take advantage of the time I have with my kids now. Next week, our schedules will be all wacky and their interventions will be inconsistent unfortunately.

Highlight of my work day:

Today, one of my kiddos earned a 15-minute break and came into our room to play with his Legos. I looked at him and said, “You’re awesome.” And he said, “You’re awesome.” And I said, “No, you’re awesome.” His response? “No, I insist. You’re awesome.” He’s 8.

Highlight of my post-work day:

Julia had a housewarming party since her boyfriend, Simon, is in town.

So much food!

I, being the 85 year old lady that I am, took off early because I am about to hit the hay.

I’m going to get into bed and start reading our book club book! I haven’t started it yet. And I imagine I will only get through 2 pages at most. My eyes are already closing. Good night! 🙂

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Let’s Chat! 🙂

What was your work highlight of the day?
What was your post-work highlight of the day?

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