Search Results for: www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4385451

Exactly What I Needed

November 12, 2013 by eatteachblog 7 Comments

Hello friends,

I just got back from one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time. More on that in just a bit….

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Today was a rough day.

I woke up at 4:30 with hopes to have a relaxing morning. I wanted to have enough time to drink my coffee, catch up on some blog-reading, go for a half-hour run, and make breakfast.

I had plans to leave the house by 6:30AM for work. Plenty of time.

JK.

The sun decided not to show up.

But I went running away.

And then I tripped on a cat.

Because I couldn’t see.

So that was fun.

And then I went to work. Where I got to see my kids. And I was so excited.

Except they haven’t been at school for 5 days.

So then this happened:

And I may have gotten a few bruises on my back because of angry 6-year old kiddos that struggle with expressive language skills. Or a few bruises on my arm from an 8-year old kid that seeks sensory input and thinks punching my arm is the most appropriate way to get that.

So today’s been long.

I got home at 7:30 and was going to pass out and call it a day.

But one of my co-workers texted me to ask me if I’d be joining them for “Women’s Circle.” Women’s Circle is a ‘meeting’ held once a month where a group of lovely ladies get together to talk about certain issues and connect about things going on in their lives. It allows for an informal forum for these women to vent about their daily frustrations or successes. I’ve never been before. But I was intrigued.

When I walked into the house, all the ladies were sitting around the coffee table, wine in hand, holding an oracle card.

As I sat there for a bit, I realized each person was reading the character trait on their oracle card, along with the description, and then sharing with the group a connection they had with the goddess.

It sounds so silly. A bit ridiculous.

But it was so cathartic.

It was just our small group of women. Talking about the big and the little events in our lives. Talking about the things we were grateful for. And the things we needed to work on to help us be more compassionate and loving to our selves.

It was an opportunity to disconnect. To put my phone and e-mail aside and really, truly listen to what people were saying.

Tonight was therapeutic.

It was exactly what I needed.

If you are interested in starting a women’s circle of your own, check out these links.

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Have you ever attended a Women’s Circle? What were some of the discussions centered around?

Weekend Highlights {11/11}

November 11, 2013 by eatteachblog 13 Comments

“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” – Elmer Davis

Thank you to all the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country!

Happy Veteran’s Day!

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Good evening, my friends. Hope you all had a fantastic long weekend (if you got the day off)!

I got to spend part of the weekend with this kiddo.

Are you tired of seeing his face yet?

Well then, here you go:

I love visiting him. And it doesn’t hurt that they live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Or that he has the most beautiful eyes and the cutest face. #obsessedaunt

I also did a little light wine tasting. It’s definitely starting to get a little colder, but the sun is still shining (until 5, ugh) so I tried to spend as much time outdoors as possible!

I went to the farmers market in Downtown Campbell. It’s been a few months since I’ve been there – I missed it!

It’s also been a hot minute since I’ve used my slow cooker. I made some delish crockpot chili (sans beans).

It looks gross, but it tastes bomb dot com. It’ll last me all week so I’ll have no reason to NOT pack lunch in the morning.

Just made a HUGE salad and threw in some turkey. So. Good.

The rest of the weekend was spent tackling some nagging tasks and running through my To-Do list.

I LOVE feeling productive. Can all weekends be three days long? Thanks.

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What’s YOUR favorite crockpot recipe? Add the recipe or link in the comments! I’m bringing the slow cooker back and want yummy things to make! 🙂

My Sister is Amazing

November 4, 2013 by eatteachblog 5 Comments

Hello friends!

I’m back at the airport again – this time, heading back to San Jose. I may or may not have cried all the way through security. I really hope there comes a day when I can say goodbye to my parents and my Nani and not end up in tears.

Aren’t they just the cutest though?

We got home late Friday night, took a few pictures, ate some homecooked food, and I knocked out almost immediately.

I ended up sleeping until 10AM on Saturday (which almost never happens), ran a few errands, and then was in bed again by 7PM. <—- I basically paid for a flight to come home so I could sleep all weekend.

The family wanted to wake up super early to “watch” my sister run the NYC Marathon. She gave us her bib number in order for us to track her the entire way.

Well her “dot” was definitely not crawled up crying somewhere. Sister kicked butt at the marathon.

She beat her previous marathon time by 2 minutes. Which is pretty amazing because that was over 10 years ago when she was a young spring chicken.

Our family was amazing and bundled up to cheer her on around mile 17.

The California family had their computers up and running and were waiting anxiously to see the pink girl run through the finish line.

Sister was amazing. And inspired every single one of us yesterday. It’s not too late to support her fundraising efforts. Please take a few minutes to read her letter. If you can, donate. If you can’t, please pass it along. Anything you can do or contribute will make a difference!

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As some of you know, I went, I ran, I CONQUERED the NEW YORK MARATHON yesterday.

It was everything I thought it’d be – the course touched all 5 boroughs, each one unique in its own right; the crowds were inspiring, particularly the little ones who stuck out their tiny palms in search of high fives; the positive energy and good vibes were unreal. Writing this now, I’m trying to conjure up every moment, every memory so that I never forget (and, not surprisingly, I’m tearing up as I do so).

And while race day is over, my work as a fundraiser for Team for Kids isn’t. I ran the marathon on behalf of the organization in an attempt to raise money for programs that combat childhood obesity and empower youth development via running and character-building programs in low-income schools and community centers in New York City and throughout the country.

If any of that strikes your fancy, please support me in reaching my fundraising goal. Pretty please, with a cherry on top? Here’s the link to my personal fundraising page: http://www.runwithtfk.org/Profile/PublicPage/13423

I have 29 more days to raise about $1400 and I’ve love your support. Ready.Set.GO!

Thank you to those of you who have helped support the cause! Your contributions mean the world to her! 🙂

Protein Banana Nut Bread

October 31, 2013 by eatteachblog 9 Comments

Hello friends! Happy Halloween! 🙂

It’s official. I am an old lady. It is the first time ever that I’m not going out on Halloween and I love it.

I am propped up on the couch with some protein banana bread baking in the oven. The lovely people over at Designer Whey sent over some of their products for me to sample and – let me just be honest with you – I. Am. Obsessed.

All of the products are pretty low in calorie compared to most other protein bars/drinks I’ve come across so that was what initially attracted me to the Designer Whey products.

In addition to being low in calorie, the protein powders are actually really good. There’s no chalky, nasty protein powder taste left over in your mouth. And it’s significantly sweeter than most other powders I’ve tried – with only 2 grams of sugar!

Another great thing about Designer Whey is that they’ve created ready-to-drink delicious high protein shakes for only 100 calories. I don’t need a blender. I don’t need a glass or bottle. Everything is so convenient. And so delish.

But the BEST thing about Designer Whey is their Vanilla Almond protein powder. Because it’s allowed me to create this lovely masterpiece:

Protein Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Designer Whey Vanilla Almond Protein Powder
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup egg whites
2 ripe bananas
3 tbsp almond flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract
optional (but really, omitting these would be silly): chopped up walnuts, chocolate chips!

Directions:

Blend all ingredients (minus chocolate chips) together.
Stir the chocolate chips into the batter
Pour batter into a bread pan.
Bake at 335 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Designer Whey has recently partnered with Smari Organic Icelandic Yogurt and they’ve sent me Designer Whey products and coupons to try Smari yogurt through my partnership with FitFluential. However, Smari is kicking butt in all stores that are selling it in the South Bay and I have been unable to find a store that isn’t completely sold out. Regardless, I’m super excited to try it soon. And, as always, all thoughts and opinions on these products are my own.

Let’s chat! 🙂

Have you tried any Designer Whey products? Which are your fav?

Favorite yogurt flavor?

Jammin’ Like Marley

October 27, 2013 by eatteachblog 2 Comments

Hello from Monterey!

Yes, I know I have work bright and early tomorrow at 6:45AM, but it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to leave this child.

I thought having them close by would make it easier for me to say goodbye. But I just can’t do it – at least not while he’s awake. So I’m going to sneak out super early while he’s asleep! 🙂

This week at work has been SO super productive. The kids had the week off while we had data days and professional development days. On 1.5 of the days I worked from home. Which was wonderful. Because I’m the queen of distractions and losing focus at work. Ironic, I know. But it was nice to get things done without walkie talkies going off and people coming into the office to ask questions or just chit-chat.

It also allowed me to sneak out a little earlier to meet my former kiddos at the end of the day on Friday. I can’t believe they’re in HIGH SCHOOL. I miss them so much.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my new job and all the little kiddos I get to work with this year. But my Room 54 kids are so special to me – I couldn’t have asked for a better group of kids to get me through my first year of teaching. 🙂

On Saturday morning, I drove out to Monterey with a big package in tow.

He was super excited about his new present (or super angry at the Bruins for losing).

When baby fell asleep, Dad tried to steal his toy.

After this picture was taken, I proceeded to fall asleep on the couch at 8PM and drool all over my hands. I might have been tired. But with nearly 12 hours of sleep, I was refreshed and ready to go this morning.

We woke up and got some Starbucks.

We went to the farmers market.

We went to Target and Costco.

And we read. Lots.

I just finished reading Wild. The book was absolutely fabulous – I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone and everyone. It reminds me a lot of my UniCamp experience when we went on a 26-mile backpacking trip (except this girl went on an 1100-mile backpacking trip on the Pacific Crest Trail for MONTHS and she’s clearly way more hardcore). But a lot of the lessons and experiences and things she discovered by being “out in the wild” is something that is pretty relatable. Nature has a way of healing us. And Cheryl Strayed is able to get that message across in her writing.

Now I’m off to read the next book on my list!

Have a wonderful night and a happy Monday! 🙂

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Your Turn: Let’s chat! 🙂

What do you prefer: Work from Home or Work from Work?
Any fun Farmers Market finds this weekend?
What are you currently reading?

Work, Starbucks, Sissy, and Marathons

October 22, 2013 by eatteachblog 5 Comments

Hello! I’m alive. I always start my posts with, “I’m alive,” because I disappear for several weeks at a time. The problem is that I value my sleep way too much. So when I come home after a super long day, I could spend a half hour writing or a half hour in my bed. And my bed always wins.

Here’s what I’ve been up to:

Work. For a good 12-15 hours every day.

I absolutely adore the people I work with. I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s something I am so grateful for and something (other than the kids) that keeps me motivated and eager to wake up while it’s still dark outside.

We are also proud owners of a trampoline. The kids LOVE it.

Starbucks. Also, I recommend you follow “eatteachblog” on Snapchat if you want to get a Starbucks picture EVERY.MORNING. They are quite entertaining.

A few weeks ago, I noticed that Hunter Hunted was the Starbucks Pick of the Week! Hunter Hunted (formerly “Lady Danville” and even MORE formerly “Mikey G and Dan from Danville”) were friends of ours from UCLA and also the winners of Spring Sing. They are absolutely incredible and you should download all their music! 🙂

Sister visiting NorCal – Sissy had a conference in Palo Alto which means she got to hang out with me all weekend. It also happened to be my dad’s birthday so we sent him some NorCal love. He shot some fatherly love right back.

We went on hikes!

Sissy – Stanford Dish

And we drove to Monterey to visit the little munchkin.

And I learned how to play Texas Hold ‘Em (well…I learned how to lose all my chips).

Nike Women’s Marathon – I drove up to the city to watch Jen run the marathon. She kicked butt. And I cried 25 times. It’s such an emotional thing to watch. Everyone is so supportive and motivating. I loved it.

Now I’ve got brownies in the oven, The Voice on TV, and my comfy couch. Good night! 🙂

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LET’S CHAT! 🙂

What’s the last race you ran?
The last hike you hiked?
The last Starbucks drink you ordered?

Amazon – I Love You

October 8, 2013 by eatteachblog 5 Comments

Hello, hello! And happy-almost-Hump Day. Nothing’s more exciting than walking into work thinking it’s Wednesday and then finding out that it’s actually TUESDAY (<——-please note the sarcasm).

It’s crazy how quickly the day goes by but the week seems to move a lot slower.

But I’m learning to break up my weeks with more exciting things.

Yesterday, Beth and I went to dinner with Ananth and Kirstin. They drove down from SF to Campbell and I’m so excited they finally got to see our little town! 🙂 We went to Opa! in Campbell and the outdoor seating was perfect because it was still fairly warm out in the evening.

Kirst giving excellent communication advice

And obviously the Snaps that follow our dates:

It’s seriously the warmest, coziest feeling hanging out with those two. Love, love, love it.

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I just got back from my meditation class and am roasting some veggies for a quick, easy (and super late) dinner. Today we covered mindful walking, mindful eating, and mindful speaking. I do plan on writing a few posts about what our instructor has shared with us. It’s just taking me some time to process and implement daily in my life. It’s crazy because it all seems so common sense when he talks about it with us. And there’s so many of those lightbulb moments where I think to myself, “Well duh. There you go. That’s why you’re so flippin’ stressed out.” But it takes such a conscious effort to change the way your mind functions. And initially I would get so frustrated when I COULD NOT do it. It felt (and still feels) almost impossible for me to focus on one thing at one time. And I would get SO ANGRY when I was trying to focus on my breath or focus on a mantra and I could NOT stop my To-Do list from floating around in my head. But each week, our instructor reminds us that meditation is like exercise. It’s not something you can be successful at without practice and routine. So with that, I am off to go mindfully eat dinner. And hopefully get better at this darn thing.

Have a wonderful night! 🙂

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(P.S. remember that time I sent a trampoline to some strangers? Well, thanks to all of you wonderful people who chimed in and suggest I contact customer service, I got a refund of $80 AND those people got their trampoline. Amazon – I love you.

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Search Results for: www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4385451

Have you ever attended a Women’s Circle? What were some of the discussions centered around?

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Thank you to those of you who have helped support the cause! Your contributions mean the world to her! 🙂

Share this:

Protein Banana Nut Bread

Let’s chat! 🙂

Share this:

*************************

Your Turn: Let’s chat! 🙂

What do you prefer: Work from Home or Work from Work?

Any fun Farmers Market finds this weekend?

What are you currently reading?

Share this:

LET’S CHAT! 🙂

What’s the last race you ran?

The last hike you hiked?

The last Starbucks drink you ordered?

Share this:

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