10 Reasons Why I LOVE Being a Teacher

I'm linking up again with Karli at September Farm to share a new list of 10!

1. They say the funniest things like, "My mom told me I could be anything... so I decided to be a puppy." haha! They also tell us WAY too much :) Gotta love the family stories.

2. They draw me the cutest pictures of puppies and rainbows. I especially like when they try to draw me. They are usually super cute except for the couple where I look like an oompa-loompa.

3. I get to witness all of the "ah-ha" moments where they finally get something they've been struggling with and now it all makes sense.

4. I get to craft all the time and it's for my job... so fun! I seriously hate glitter but I'll take all the painting and mod-podging I can get!

5. The school day is run by schedules... I LOVE schedules.

6. I work around people who truly want the best for the kids, just like I do. These people are so hard-working and have the biggest hearts.

7. We get summers off! This is such a blessing.

8. The kids always laugh at my jokes... this is a major confidence booster lol!

9. Their phonetic spelling is the cutest thing ever, especially when they spell things VERY wrong and they end up being a bad word. At least they are so innocent that they have no idea! Makes me giggle every time!

10. They give you hugs for no reason at all. You just can't have a bad day when you get a hug by a little one.

Being a teacher is the best! :)

10 Ways to Wear a Striped Shirt

I'm linking up with Karli today to share an item that is in constant rotation in my closet- a basic striped tee. I have so many striped tees, it's a little lot crazy, but they go with everything! I've listed all the different ways that I wear my go-to white and black striped shirt. Hopefully, this will help you change up your basic tee.

1- Black cropped slacks, a chunky sweater, lace- up flats, and a statement necklace

2- Workout attire: bright sports bra and black shorts

3- Leggings, plaid (tied around waist), and converse

4- Black jeans, cargo vest, long gold necklace, and black ankle boots

5- Skinny jeans, sandals, and simple jewelry: necklace (made by my very talented cousin), Michael Kors watch, and Alex and Ani bracelets.

6- Skinny jeans, bright yellow cardigan, chunky necklace, and black lace-up flats

7- Bright colored shorts, gold & tan sandals, and a long necklace

8- Jeans, black blazer, chunky necklace, and black & tan wedges

9- Army green pants, jean jacket, black sandals, and a turquoise necklace

10- Distressed boyfriend jeans, converse, and a hat

10 Easy Date Ideas

Do you ever find yourself falling into the same date night routines?? I know we do! We are dinner and a movie kind of people and we end up doing that for our date nights 9 times out of 10. To change things up I've been thinking of some different things for us to do so I thought I would share them with you all.

1- Game Night: 

This can be with friends or just the two of you. We LOVE Jenga and that's totally doable with two people. We also like card games and things that are more fun with other couples. This is also an inexpensive way to do something out of the norm. Buy some snacks and drinks and invite some couples over... you'll be glad you did!

2- Bowling: 

I know what some of you are thinking... "bowling?? I haven't bowled since elementary school!" Well, we love to go bowling. Once again, inexpensive but super fun. Plus, anything that adds some friendly competition is super fun! You can make this a throwback experience even more getting getting pizza before you bowl too ;)

3- Try a winery or brewery: 

I love trying new places and any place with wine or beer sounds great to me! Since I live in San Diego, there's an abundance of breweries here and wineries just a short distance away. We've gone to a ton of them but it's always fun to try out a new place. If going out just doesn't sound exciting or maybe you have kids at home, you can do your own taste-testing at home. Just head to your local grocery store and pick up a few bottles of wine or beer that you've never tried. It's even more fun if you hide the label and you have to guess the varietal!

4- Pizza night at home: 

Once again, going out isn't always feasible so cooking at home together can be so fun. We make pizza at home every so often and it's an easy way to include both people in the kitchen. Mark can make his own pizza and then I can have one too. I buy the dough from Trader Joe's because it's seriously the best! I've posted about it before here.  Plus, if you have kids at home you can help them make their own version and when they go to bed you can make a more adult version with the Quattro Formaggio cheese, tomatoes, pine nuts, and arugula... mmm!!

5- Hike & a picnic: 

We love to be outdoors, especially since it's so beautiful here year round. Hiking is a great way to get some exercise but to also spend time together. Look up some local trails and pack a little picnic to go along with it. We haven't done this in awhile but the last time we did we packed sandwiches, chips, some cookies, and waters. It wasn't gourmet but it was delicious!

6- Make a living room picnic: 

Mark and I love to make floor forts... I talked about it on my Valentine's day post, click here to read more. It's basically a bunch of pillow and blankets on the carpet in our living room. We make a super comfy spot and then watch movies or binge watch TV shows on stormy days. You could amp this up a bit by getting various cheeses, crackers, fruit, and chocolate. Then find some wine that compliments your cheese and chocolate choices and voila you have a fancy little floor picnic that's also super romantic! P.S. Whole Foods is awesome about helping you pair cheese, wine, and chocolate!

7- Check out a local museum: 

We are super fortunate to have all kinds of museums and fun places to check out in San Diego. They also have a different free museum each Tuesday for locals, just FYI for any San Diego peeps. This is a great way to do something out of the norm and to learn something new. We've gone to different museums at Balboa Park and the Midway which is a huge aircraft carrier that has a ton of history about the Navy. We also went to an exhibit on the history or torture... I wouldn't recommend that one. It was super creepy lol!

8- Sunset walk: 

Sometimes life is just extremely busy and you don't have time to dedicate an entire night to a date. I understand that, so just make a point to take a sunset walk together. This is one of my favorite things to do and we try to go watch the sunset as often as we can. We are also super fortunate to live near the ocean, so the sunset is just that much better. :) It's a peaceful time to reconnect.

9- Go dancing: 

I love to go out and go dancing. It's so much fun to go dancing with the girls but I don't find myself going out dancing with my husband as much. We recently went to a wedding and danced a ton together. Normally, he pretty much knocks me over so this was a treat for me. Now, I want to make a point to go out and dance together more often. Hopefully, he's excited about this idea!

10- Take a cooking class together: 

Cooking is one of my favorite things to do and cooking with my hubby is even better! We took an appetizer & cocktails class at Hipcooks last year and we had a blast! I would love to do it again but the Paris themed night or another kind of class. It's a great way to learn something new and also enjoy the fruits of your labor! I've head the classes at Sur La Table are great too!

What are your favorite kind of date nights?

10 Things To Do When You're Feeling Stressed

This past week was super overwhelming for me. I stretched myself too thin and just had a lot going on.  I hate feeling like that! I'm feeling MUCH better now though! I thought I would share some things I do when I'm stressed and some that I should do more often haha.

1. Pray. This should be my first step when I get that overwhelming feeling but sadly it's not always my go-to. I know it makes a difference when I do though.

2. Get some fresh air. Sometimes just getting away from your desk or your house can really help to clear your mind and give you a fresh perspective.

3. Go on a walk... preferably a scenic one. This goes hand and hand with #2. Do ever just have to get out to think? I feel like that all the time. When I have too many distractions around me it's like I can't even process what's happening.  Exercise in general is great when you are feeling stressed. I ALWAYS feel better after a good sweat sesh, even if it's just a quick Tone It Up workout.

4. Make a list. I am the queen of lists. I have lists upon lists but they don't help unless you organize and prioritize them. I write down everything I need to get done. The things that HAVE to be done are put at the top and then I try to see if I can fit something into another day. Usually, I put the must-do items on a check-list in my planner at the start of the week. This helps me to remember to actually do them.

5. 4x4 breathing. Sometimes I just need to stop and breath before I have a melt-down... anyone else feel like that? 4x4 breathing helps to calm your breathing and helps me to think rationally. You just take a deep breath in for 4 counts and let it out for 4 counts. Keep doing this until you feel human again :)

6. Make a cup of tea. I think the actual act of making tea is so calming and relaxing. Holding the warm mug, inhaling the herbal scent, and drinking the hot liquid is such a quick way to take a moment to breathe.  I also like to make a cup of decaf peppermint green tea before I go to bed to help me fall asleep. I don't know if the tea actually makes me sleepy but it makes me think it does. :)

7. Meet up with a friend. You know those people in your life who always make you smile and you just feel super relaxed around them? Call that person and meet up for a coffee, glass of wine, or dinner. You'll be in a better mental place afterwards!

8. Stay away from social media.  How many times do you find yourself scrolling through Facebook or Instagram and then you realize that 20 minutes has gone by and you didn't get anything done. Plus now you are green with envy because five people just had a baby and all the rest seem to be on tropical vacation. I'm guilty of that! It can be a life-sucker and time-sucker.

9. Take a bubble bath. I love using this lavender vanilla bath soak, lighting a yummy candle preferably my new fave- Endless Weekend, and grabbing a good book. Our current bath tub is super tiny so I'm really hoping our next one has a big soaking tub. That would be amazing!

10. Listen to a comedian. There's actual research that says laughing  helps soothe your tension and relieves stress! Crazy, right? Read more about it here. I do this on my long commute so I don't freak out about all the traffic.

**This is supposed to be a top 10 list but I just had to throw this one in as well :)

11. Clean your work space. When my desk at work or even my desk at home is disorganized I can't focus. I feel so much better once everything is in it's place. I file any papers that can be put away i.e. office forms, handouts from meetings, and papers that can go back in binders. Then I throw anything away that I don't need. I tend to keep things just in case I need them and they pile up. About once a week I do a major purge and chuck it all because let's be real... I'll probably forget it's there anyways. I will also consolidate lists or post-its on my desk because that can get out of hand as well.

 I hope you can benefit from this list! These are super simple ideas but they really help to alleviate some stress.

Link up with Karli here.