5 years ago today I started this blog of mine. I really had no specific intentions when I started, just thought it looked like fun and wanted to join in.

It is neat to see how much has changed in the past five years - new jobs, new house, weddings, babies, vacations, and fun with family and friends.



And I can't forget the blog friends I've made - the community of blogging is definitely something I enjoy a lot more than I thought I would. The realization that a few people stop by here and read what's going on is still an odd thought to me but I'm glad for nonetheless.


There were also a few blog bonuses this year too - still can't believe I have a Sleep Number bed, fo' free!


Here's to another year of good times on the blog, cheers!

Christmas has come and gone and in it's wake a trail of ugly sweaters and fabulous presents to play with on winter break.

Chris and I spent Christmas eve at my parent's house donning our finest Christmas apparel sourced from Goodwill only hours before. Chris won the title of "Most Authentic". What can I say? The man loves a good theme party. Just wait for new year's eve....it's 90s themed.


We look good.

Santa was very good to me this year.  Either my family knows me incredibly well  or I'm really good at dropping hints. I'm thinking it's the latter.
It was the year of scarves for me - even though only one is pictured I received 5 - I will be quite stylish when I return to school this week. I was most surprised by the Silhouette Cameo. I usually have a pretty good idea of what to expect for Christmas and it wasn't even on my radar. It is amazing!

So far I have used my Clarisonic Mia everyday since Christmas and I'm in love! My skin feels so smooth and I swear it looks better. It probably helps that I haven't worn makeup in a few days too.

Chris outfitted me with a beautiful new purse and an Under Armour hoodie. It is unbelievably warm.

I have firm no makeup policy on Christmas day.

Christmas day was spent eating our way from house to house - breakfast and mimosas at my parents and lasagna for dinner at Chris's parents. We were exhausted and stuffed by the time we got home.

Unfortunately, Chris came down with an awful flu that kept him on the couch from Thursday to Sunday. Such a rotten way to spend a vacation...sick on the couch. Hopefully we will be able to get out of the house and have some fun before I head back to work on Thursday.

Eww...work.

I hope your weekend/Christmas was swell! I'm off to get my house back to normal. There's just something about the week after Christmas that makes me want to hyper organize everything. You can find me shopping for some storage bins and rocking out with my label maker the rest of the week!

I have a confession.

I've lived in my house for two and half years and up until Friday my beautiful basement built-ins (one of the reasons why I loved this house) looked like this:


Empty! For over two years. Unbelievable.

When it came time to picking items to put there or even thinking about what they should like, I was just overwhelmed. It was too blank of a canvas.

But as Chris and I prepare to host a couple of holiday gatherings we decided that built-ins could be bare no more. So over Thanksgiving break, I did my best to fill those shelves with Christmas cheer.


Taking a tip from Young House Love, I lined the back of the shelves with some burlap looking wrapping paper for a temporary change. And then just started putting things up there and tinkering with them until I liked their placement.

How I wish I already owned most of the items but there was a little cost associated with this decorating adventure. Thankfully Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Pier 1 all had great sales and coupons. I also shopped Goodwill and tried to get creative with things I already had - like the green "present" on the top left shelf are just my high school yearbooks wrapped in pretty paper.

Now that the basement is decorated we are officially ready for the holidays - at least decorations wise. Shopping is another story!

The first day of fall already? I've had some fall decor up since the beginning of September but finally the temperatures have cooled off and it really has gotten me in the mood for a bonfires and comfy hoodies. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm kind of excited for 6th grade camp - we are going at the end of October, I'm hoping for perfect, crisp autumn weather.

It's been awhile since I've had a chance to write - it has been pretty busy around here, weekends packed with activities like celebrating birthdays, Cardinal's games, and concerts.

My dad turned 50 two weeks ago. There's nothing my dad loves more than a good fish fry so we cooked up fish and home made potato chips (also, on of my favorite meals).


It has become tradition to post old pictures on FB on a family member's birthday. Doesn't my dad look kinda like Hyde from That 70s Show?

I've always loved that I've got young parents, they were married at 21 and had their 3 girls before 30 - which I can't even begin to fathom these days!  I can remember in elementary school some of my friend's parents turning 50 and I was just dumbfounded because that's was how old my grandma was!

My adorable 2nd cousin, Callie, turned 2 this past week and her mom and dad threw her the most adorable little ice cream party.


What a cutie! I just love being able to hang out and play with her, she is just so sweet and adorable.

This last Friday was the Jason Aldean concert. I was pretty excited to go after hearing how awesome his show was last summer with Luke Bryan. We originally bought lawn tickets but thanks to my awesome mother, we were actually able to seat the 3RD EFFING ROW! It was unbelievable.

It was a hell of a show, one that left my ears ringing and ridiculously amped up after it was over. I really can't believe how close we were...I mean I was so close, Jason Aldean made direct eye contact with me, waved hello in quite possibly the cutest manner ever, and compared our denim shirts! And before you think, "Yeah right, Sara, he wasn't waving at just you." my sister, who was in the pit next to the stage, saw it all happen!

I've been pretty lowkey after such an exciting Friday night. My arthritis has flared up pretty severely so I've just been trying to keep comfortable and rest quite a bit.

How was your weekend? Have you gotten to enjoy any fall-like weather? I see everyone with these pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks and makes me wish I liked coffee but it's just not going to happen.

Tired doesn't even begin to describe how I feel.

I contemplated going to bed while it was still light out.

After not standing for longer than 10 minutes all summer, I had to ice my back and feet when I got home


Despite feeling like I've been run over, these kids seem pretty awesome. This is the first where I had students introduce themselves on their own and say thank you while leaving class. Manners tell me quite a bit how a year is going to go and something tells me this crop of kids is going to be great!

My funny student first day story - I was standing in the hall, herding kids into class when one obviously lost child walks past me.

Me: Can I help you find where you're going?
Student: I'm going to Science on the Red Team.
Me: Well that is in the other hallway. Can I check your schedule to help you out?

After examining the student's schedule it appears he is actually an 8th grader - he had all 8th grade teachers listed on his schedule.

Me: Well you're supposed to be in 8th grade, do you know how to get there?
Student: But I'm a 6th grader!

He had picked up his older brother's schedule by accident this morning! The look on that kid's face was sheer terror when I told him he should be over in 8th grade!

To all my teacher friend's going back this week, remember to have fun and wear comfortable shoes!

The last Friday of summer vacation.

I'm not so sure that it really something to celebrate. Another summer in the books. Life just keeps moving faster and faster.

The good thing is, I'm enjoying it. :)

Linking up with Lauren for High Five for Friday

Great things about my week:

1.Got all of my paperwork submitted just in time for my pay raise to go in effect for our first paycheck of the school year. Thank goodness for an understanding HR department!

2. I really do enjoy the weeks before school because I am so productive. There is so much to do that I have no choice but to be a machine and just knock stuff out.

Case in point: my lamination is finished, cut out, and on the walls. My classroom is just about ready to go which isn't usually the case at this point of the summer.

3.The boyfriend and I enjoyed a 70 degree Saturday evening with dinner and drinks on the patio at one of our fave neighborhood restaurants.

4. And then met up with one of my favorite gals from work and her boyfriend at one of STL's many breweries. It was a great night!

Yep, wearing a jacket in July. Unheard of in STL!

5. Spent my Thursday with some gorgeous Springfield ladies in town for the Maroon 5/Kelly Clarkson concert. We went to Cheesecake Factory, shopped, and got to check out the new West Elm - which is full of photo ops, like this one at the front of the store....

So glad Danavee, Andrea, and the bunch didn't mind me tagging along.

All in all not too shabby of a last week before heading back to work. I'm spending the day locked in my classroom...I'm not leaving until it is ready for the kids to walk into. 

Have a great weekend!

It's check in time with Stephanie at Bourbon and Glitter! July is just about over and I will say I did a pretty good job at completing some but not all of my goals.

The biggest task completed: 12 hours of grad school credit!


HOLLA! I may have only just finished my classes on Wednesday but they are done and I'm ready for a nice little pay raise when I return to work in August.

I also found some time to get crafty in July, prettifying my teacher toolbox steal.
Washi tape is my new jam, it's going to be all over my classroom this year.

The pool and I got acquainted in July but unfortunately we didn't become BFFs. Three trips total including one at a million dollhair mansion. Gotta love when the boyfriend's mom housesits for Richie Rich!


My birthday is only 20 days away and so I did update my wishlist on Pinterest. Can't wait to ease the pain of turning 28 with some retail therapy.

Things that didn't get accomplished: going to the gym 3x a week and updating the bloggy blog. But there's always next month!

All online classwork and no play, make Sara a dull girl.

I've been "reading and reflecting" since Friday, churning out almost 35 pages of written material so I can finish my +15 by July 31st.

Only one more class.

I took the day off today and visited my classroom. I put the finishing touches on my teacher toolbox for this year.



You may remember back in May when I instagrammed my steal from another teacher's giveaway pile. I knew I could gussy it up a little bit.

All it needed was a good wipe down and I was ready to decorate.

I decided on Washi Tape.

I know I am super late on the Washi Tape fad but I might be slightly obsessed. It was so easy to use - I just tore off pieces and slapped them the clear plastic drawers.

And with the addition of my sweet new label maker (which there may have been a little too much playing with over the weekend. I know...such a nerd!) I just typed out my labels and stuck 'em on.

Amazing what some spray paint and tape can do.

We had a blast this weekend!

Chris had the weekend off so we made the most of it. Friday night we took a walk around the neighborhood and ended up at Target.

Of all the things to buy at Target, we came home with a fruit basket. Seriously.

But it is one of those purchases you make not knowing how much you needed it until you have it. Our fruit just sat on the counter, all willy nilly, taking up too much space. Now, it's contained. And it rocks my world.

Saturday - we got up bright and early to snag a spot at the largest pool I've ever seen.

And it was just a pool, not an aquatic center, with slides and kiddie pools. It was literally a one acre plain ol' swimming pool with a diving board.

It didn't even have lounge chairs. It reminded me of the pool in Sandlot, very 1960s....I was just waiting for a chubby kid to do a cannon ball and splash everyone!





After the pool, we came home and barbequed.


Pork steaks, brats, and burgers were on the menu. The good thing about cooking almost 10 lbs of meat at once...dinner is made for the rest of week!

We finished off the weekend with an awesome neighborhood fireworks show.


Sunday was spent on the couch watching silly countdown shows on the History channel and True Blood - I still love that show after all its craziness!

This upcoming week is filled with workshops and grad school classwork, easing myself back into school mode one day at a time.

How was your weekend? Were you go, go, go or did you have a lazy weekend?

Stephanie over at Bourbon and Glitter has gotten all inspirational with her 101 in 1001. While I don't quite think I'm ready to make my own list of 101 goals, I can take some baby steps and create some goals for my last month of vacation.

I've really got to get focused so I don't feel like my vacation was wasted watching reruns of Law & Order: SVU while simultaneously browsing Pinterest for hours on end. Even though well all know how fufilling those activities can be...
1. Finish my online classwork and remember to never take 12 hours of grad school credit in one summer ever again.

2. Make over this tool box for my classroom.

 I'm thinking of spray painting it white and using washi tape to add some cuteness.

3. Attend at least three gym classes each week.

4. Create my birthday wish list.Only a month and half 'til 28!

5. Update the blog with something new - header, background, signature, something. I recently added some social media icons over there on the right so it easier to follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Bloglovin'.

6. Go to the pool and enjoy summer!

I don't know about you but reading other people's goals makes me more motivated to get my own stuff accomplished, what about you? Motivating or deflating?