Nesting?

Whenever I have heard the term "nesting", it's always in reference to babies. Future mothers getting the nursery together and arranged in order to create an environment they are happy and comfortable about bringing their new bundle of joy into.

Well, that certainly isn't my situation (don't worry, Mom and Dad, there are no babies anywhere near my future), but for the past few days, I have felt like "nesting" is exactly what I was doing. What was my baby? Me, maybe? Can I be my own baby?

Being the ever-OCD and over-analyzing girl that I am, I looked it up:

nesting  (ˈnɛstɪŋ)

the tendency to arrange one's immediate surroundings, such as a work station, to create a place where one feels secure, comfortable, or in control.

Now that sounds just like me! Getting things how I want them so I feel safe and in control? Yep, that's my personality for ya. And, that's exactly what I have been doing for the past week. So my inkling didn't lead me astray after all. 

I've been moving things around and finally getting some art up on all those blank walls.

 This guy is the star of the wall next to the kitchen. Art quilt thanks to mi madre that depicts so perfectly the part of the town that I lived in when I studied abroad in Toledo, Spain.

 Another goody from that experience in Spain was this post of "The Garden of Earthly Delights". After over and year and a half of being rolled in a poster tube, it has finally found a home on the wall.


I have also hung a bunch of my own work, another quilt of my mom's, and even some cross-stitching that my grandmother did maybe 50 years ago. I love the idea that there are 3 generations of art and furniture filling my apartment and making it feel like home.


Also helpful in making it feel like home? I finally got my cable and internet installed!

Wow, what a difference that makes! All of a sudden, it feels very permanent. It's starting to settle in that this is my place, and not just some vacation home that I am staying in for the summer. I'm sure it will feel even more real when I pay my first electric and water bills.

*********

On a completely unrelated note, a little update on my running experiment. 

Today, I had the best run of my life. I ran(with minor walking breaks) 3.2 miles in just under 35 minutes. For me, that is a record-setting pace, and it really felt awesome. I felt like I could have kep going, but I wanted to make sure I had time to hang out with Jillian Michaels for some Yoga Meltdown before I headed out.

What was the variable that made this run so good?

I ate breakfast and digested before heading out. Usually, I run first thing in the morning, before eating anything, and still pretty groggy. The change meant that I had some food in me and had time to wake up before conquering the demon. And... it was awesome!

Duh, Rach! Obviously it is going to go better and feel better if you put a little gas in the tank first! No shit, Sherlock. I know I'm a really smart person, but sometimes my own stupidity amazes me. I definitely going to repeat it again tomorrow and see if I can keep the positive, running momentum going.

Here's to settling in and figuring things (even if they're pretty obvious) out!

 ~ Rach 

 

Summer's Slipping Away

Holy-freaking-moly. It just occurred to me that the first week of July is almost over! Where did June go!?

I have only 7 and 1/2 weeks until the first day of school, and while that seems like a long time, I know that it is going to slip away from me. And, there is so much I need to do!

It's time to get some goals set. I like to set goals seasonally, and write them down so that I can reflect on them later.

So, without further ado, here's the list for the next 7.5 semanas:

1. CURRICULUM PLAN
       I have been procrastinating on this one. It seems so daunting. To sit down and plan how the entire year will go for my Spanish I and II classes. I know it will seem easier once I start doing it and getting organized. And I know I can do it. It's just the actual act of sitting down and sorting it all out that is looming ahead of me. The best thing to do will be to do a little each day so I don't get overwhelmed. So I'll start on that... tomorrow.

2. Run 2 miles without stopping.
      This goes back to my new, free exercise plan. So far, I'm sticking to it.

3. Be ready for the school year to start.
      Along with curriculum planning, I have to organize my classroom, figure out how I want the daily procedures to go, get my body adjusted to the timing schedule, etc. I can't get into the building until August, but when I can, you better believe I will be a prepping monster.

4. Make 3 new local friends.
     Moving to a new city alone is quite the challenge, and I haven't quite figured out how to meet new people yet. I have met a few of my neighbors, but they all seem to be young couples. It's great and everyone is super friendly, but I'm a single girl on the prowl! I really want to make some friends my age who are in similar "life situations" that I am. It's going to mean stepping outside my comfort zone. Alone. But, I'm up for the challenge, I think.

5. Get Zumba certified.
    I have already signed up for the certification in late July, and I canNOT wait to get there! Hopefully I  can find a little teaching job on the side to help supplement my first-year-teacher's income.

6. Fill my apartment's blank walls.
     I have some original works from both my mom, myself, and even my grandmother all ready and waiting be hung up, and I would really like to use the free time I have over the summer to create some more! I need to get back to my creativity, and my art is one of my favorite ways to do that.

Seems like a pretty solid list to me. All attainable with some work. And mostly measurable. Just like they teach us in the college of ed.

Here's to reaching high and meeting my "Summer unit objectives"!
~Rach

Finally... Home, Sweet Home

Almost exactly a week ago, My spectacular father and I, packed up the van and schlepped all my stuff to my new apartment- closer to my new job, and conveniently the perfect hour-or-so drive from the 'rents.

It's a move I was looking forward to for the past 2 years, and I have to say, I'm in love. The place is perfect for me. Big, but not too big. Clean. Updated, but not brand new. In a community with nice management and a pool. Literally everything that my college apartment was not.

This past week was spent getting things obsessively organized and arranged how I like them. Literally, that's what I did all week. Well, except for my daily couple of hours spent at Starbucks using the internet (finally getting cable and internet installed on Tuesday!)... I think they have begun to know me there.

So, want a tour? Good because you're getting one. Don't worry, it won't be long. It's a small place.

Dining room/ Office? I needed somewhere to work and keep all my teachery stuff... and eat. Enter bookshelf as storage and dining room table (inherited from my grandparents house) as desk.

Living room. Don't worry that horrendous pink chair is getting a slipcover as soon as Amazon delivers it. That couch is also slip covered... to disguise a eye-tiring floral pattern. Both pieces donated by my parents. Good their tastes have evolved since the 80s.

Where all the magic sleeping happens. Seriously this room is huge. I could do cartwheels. Yes, I am 22 and still sleep with my childhood teddy. His name is Elvis. No Shame. Don't judge.

Um...how did I ever survive without a walk-in closet? And why can I never find anything to wear? 

My. Own. Bathroom. Enough said.

And my baby. The kitchen. See that fridge? It's all mine!

And a couple from out side:

I have a view of the lake from my patio. I call these guys my neighbors... and I had a little fun with instagram.

14? Really?

The life of a teacher is tough during summer break.

I love love love this place. My next mission is to fill all those blank walls with some original art. My mom is working on a quilt to hang over the couch, and I have some pieces already done and left over from my old place, but I can't wait to create some more and fill all the blank-ness! Good thing I have all summer to plan my lessons and get my classroom organized to decorate!

Here's to making a house a home!
~ Rach

BIG changes

Yea some crazy things have been going on around here.

Take a guess:

Yep, that's all my shit (sorry, there really is no other word for all the crap) strewn across my parents' house.

Yep, and that's all my shit (well half of it) piled into a van.

Put two and two together... I moved out!

Into my very first, on-my-own, paying-for-it-with-my-own-paycheck (when I start teaching in the fall. Thanks Mom and Dad!), post-college-grad apartment! I am in love with the place my dad found for me. He really is incredible.

I would love to share photos, but honestly, the place is a mess. I had to escape to Starbucks for a few to get out of the clutter. It makes me crazy! But, give me a few days and I will have it under control for a tour!

This is going to be a super exciting and nerve-racking transition for me, and I am going to be sharing it all. I'm growing up. For real this time. Not like I thought I was when I left Mom and Dad's house to go to college four years ago. This is the real deal. With responsibilities. And expectations. And bills! It's a make it or break it, and I am up for the challenge. Rearing to go!

So, here's to settling in to being out of my comfort zone!
~ Rach

WIAW Summertime

When I was a student, and now teaching, one of my favorite things about school was the routine. I liked going to the classes everyday, and now I like my routine of teaching each class everyday. One of the hardest things about summer break is the three week stop in that schedule. To help keep me sane, I try and keep on somewhat of a daily routine during the summer, too. It makes the back-to-school transition much easier.

What better way to outline that schedule than with the best link-up party of the week! Having the time to creep on everyone's daily eats is definitely one huge plus to Summer vacation!

Thanks again to Jenn for hosting!

Some where between 8:30 & 9, I get my patooty out of bed. I like to let myself enjoy sleeping in during summer, but not too late. 

At 9:30ish, breakfast ensued. That totally awesome OU mug was first filled with hot lemon water that I sipped on while I waited to get hungry. Just haven't been waking up ready for breakfast like I usually do. Late night snacking might be the culprit. The mug's second fill was black coffee alongside some oatbran cooked with 1/2 scp. Vanilla Sun Warrior (seriously, obsessively in love with this stuff. More on that later) and a random assortment of berries. 

Breakfast was the perfect thing to power me through and exceptionally sweaty workout at my new gym. I don't know what it is about this place, but I feel like I sweat more than I did at the gym at school. Whatever, it feels amazing!

Came home, showered, and lunch was on! This is my go-to summer salad that never fails. Base of chopped greens, add in last night's dinner leftover veggies (this time it was grilled zucchini, yellow squash, and asparagus), chop some cukes and tomatoes for a little fresh crunch, and finish it off with some raw tofu for that protein. Soooo good! Dressed with italian seasoning and balsamic.

 My lunch "desert" was a serving of yellow corn tortilla chips and an almost-too-juicy-but-that's-impossible orange.

After lunch, I got set to my project for the day. Mom and Dad like to leave me these when I'm home. Like they did when I was in high school. Six years ago. Ugh. Not too much complaining this time since those two awesomely-retro chairs on the right and two others are becoming mind (for free!) and finding a home in my new apartment!  I scrubbed that whole pile you see there, and in this freaking heat, worked up quite a sweat.

When I was done, I had worked up an appetite for a snack, but couldn't decide on one thing (I really wanted cereal but there was no non-dairy milk in the house). So, I snacked through the kitchen: carrots and pickles, apple with cinnamon and PB2, raisins strait up. Random smattering, but I would say all on the healthy side.

Dinner was a bit of an experiment (that I didn't take the time to photograph very well. Not one of my strengths). I concocted am italian-style lentil loaf that was a surprise hit! I'll post a recipe tomorrow. It was accompanied by a simple salad and steamed greenbeans. And, although lentil loaf doesn't scream "summer!", it hit the spot!

My sweet tooth was satisfied with one of my mom's sinfully delicious "Everything Cookies" straight from the freezer. I wish I could say this snack was healthy, but not a chance. They aren't vegan either, but they are just too damn good to pass up. My plan is to enjoy these little pleasures while I'm home, and then do better when I move. 

This is pretty much what my summer days have looked like around here. But not for long...4 days till I move to my own place!!!

Here's to making time move magically faster!

~Rach

One down, One to go

Well, folks, I have been home at my parents' house for one week. And thank goodness, I only have 1 more to go before I move back out to my own place (!!!) near my new job.

Graduation and leaving school was a terribly hard transition for me, and being back in my parents' house has made it even worse. Don't get me wrong, I have a great relationship with my parents, but this just isn't my home anymore. I physically don't fit here. My stuff is in the dining room and living room temporarily, and I can barely move in my bedroom. Going from living on your own for 4 years to being back under your parents' roof is just an awkward and weird time.

This week hasn't been all bad though. It's been nice to have some time to relax and hang with the fam. Cue the highlight reel.

I joined a gym!
Yes, me, the self-proclaimed hater of working out, paid heard-earned money to be able to get my sweat on. But, throughout the last year or so, I have discovered how important and fun working out is. The gym isn't great, but it is so nice to have a place to have a good sweat sesh everyday. I know it has made me a little more ...pleasant to have at home. Of course, when I move, I'll be canceling my membership here and looking for somewhere new around my new place.

Sweaty self-pic in the car after a particularly good workout. Completely necessary, and you're welcome.

Hanging with the broski.
My brother and his girlfriend are pretty amazing people. The first night I was home she invited me over to make dinner and hang out since she knew I was feeling pretty down because of graduation. On Thursday, we all went bowling and out after.

I have a weird love for bowling shoes.
The guy behind the counter found this weird.
Sorry, I'm not sorry.

 This night was super fun, but resulted in drinking too much, eating too much, and not getting enough sleep. I felt terrible the whole next day, but I guess that's the price to pay for too much fun. I say family bonding, and a great night out is worth the uncomfortable next day.

Other highlights of the week:

 Mani-pedi's with Mom. This was my first pedicure, and I can't believe it took me 22 years to do it. I think I''m hooked. I have also decided that I will continue painting my nails crazy colors when I'm teaching. Screw professionality. I like it, and it will help me relate to my students.

And, a movie date with Dad on Friday night. I finally got to see Avengers, and it was awesome! As always Dad was the best date ever, and bonus cool points that he got the seniors ticket!

I guess all there's left to do while I'm home is to take advantage of the good parts and countdown the days till I'm back out on my own.

Here's to only 7 days!
~Rach