Biome Week: School Stress

To say I have been a bit stressed lately would be an understatement. I can't sleep. All I want to eat is ice cream. Yea, stress. However, it is all for a good cause.

This week is Biome Week in the fifth grade. What is a biome, you ask? A biome is a unit of the environment with similar plants, animals, and climates: oceans, tundra, desert, rainforest, grasslands, wetlands, etc. We have been studying the biomes of the world for the last month, and this week is the culmination. We are BUILDING the biomes! All five fifth grade classes contributed to the ocean in our hallway. The students all brought in a three-dimensional fish of their choice, and they are so impressive! Then we hung them from the ceiling so it feels like you are swimming through the ocean in our hall.

Hallway Ocean

Clownfish

Our classroom will be transformed into the savanna grasslands. As I told my students, "Think Lion King!" We are making a huge mural on one wall, student groups are making lions and cheetahs, there is a paper river through the center of the room, and several other projects. I have been so worried that we will not complete the transformation by our due date/walk through on Friday, but the students are determined. I love watching their faces think through how to build a tree or an exotic bird.

I will post pictures as the week continues. I will also learn to take deep breaths, and let it go! My students will make what they make, and it doesn't have to be perfect. But with the right amount of time, anything is possible.

RAWWW

The start of our savanna river

Whew! I'll sleep next week :-)

Bunny Cake

Each year Emily and I lived together, we made bunny cakes for Easter. Once we moved in with the men in our lives, we decided that carrying on the tradition would be fun. The bunnies have evolved over time; adding coconut "fur", carving them into realistic hares, and changing the colors. This year was no different, and I decided to try something new. The 2014 Easter Bunny Cake would be....a cartoon bunny face with a bow tie!

Bunny Cake 2014

Seeing as I gave up chocolate for Lent, I chose a double fudge box cake. I used two 8 inch pans as the base.  After fully cooling the two layers, I got to work.

First, cut one of the rounds into three sections making two "leaves" on each side. These will become the ears and the bow tie.

Next, build the bunny. One 8 inch round will be the face. The two "leaves" become the ears, and the remainder is the bow tie.

I used chocolate whipped frosting because the whipped is a little lighter and easier to work with. With the exposed cuts in the cake, the whip helps to avoid tears while frosting. Frost the WHOLE bunny.

Now here is my not so secret, secret. Toothpicks are amazing! Toothpicks are the best things ever when it comes to cake decoration! I wouldn't be anywhere without toothpicks! Okay, maybe I'm going a little far, but they are the perfect tool for sketching out the decorations before you begin with the real stuff. If you make a mistake with a toothpick, it is a quick fix (erase), and you are back on track.

Once you are satisfied with your toothpick sketch, start the real deal! Before you know it, you will have a beautiful bunny cake that is not only delicious, but it is also pretty darn adorable to lay your eyes on.

The finished product! 

Bunny Cake 2013

April Date Night: Spa Day

Back in December, when I was planning all 12 dates, I struggled to find a variety of fun activities, yet keep a few dollars in the bank. Hence, idea of "at home" dates was born. There are only a couple throughout the year, and April is one of those months!

APRIL

The Fitzpatrick Home Spa promotes relaxation and well being with a variety of services. Choose from the following:

·     Full body massage with relaxing music

·     Exfoliating facial masks and treatment

·     Bubble bath

·     And a special treat of chocolate covered __________. 

The only treatment we skipped was the bubble bath. Our ugly beautiful pink tub just didn't seem like the best place to relax. We were all set to have an almost free, relaxing evening at home! However, if you have read about any of our other date nights, we always find a way to change things up. I love it!

They didn't turn out quite a pretty as we hoped...but still delicious! 

After looking at our schedule, date night was penciled in for April 20, also known as Easter. After a great day of egg hunts and family visits, we decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather.  Off to Wal-Mart we went to pick up burgers, buns, and tons of fruit for the chocolate covered treat. I love that we now have a grill, because it has given us so many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and our gorgeous lake view. By the time we gorged on burgers and chips, more food (chocolate dipped fruit) didn't seem appealing, thus date night part two emerged! Two dates, back to back? AMAZING!

The spread of fruits and chocolate! 

Day One

• grilling
• massages
• face masks (he was such a good sport!)
• eye brow shaping - Adam is strangely good at plucking eyebrows, and I reap the benefits! 
• Thor

Faces of silk...or milk...

Day Two

• dinner at Iron Horse
• chocolate dipping (YUM!)
• game night
• lots of laughs

GAME NIGHT!

Adam was victorious.

Adam won by 2 points...arg! 

But wait! We were having such a great time on our dates, we added in a day three! Can you imagine my excitement? Three nights in a row with my best guy? Thrilled, amazed, SO MUCH FUN!

Day Three

• 18 holes of disk golf
• grilling
• movie snuggles

I love date night! Bring on May! 

Weekend Delight

What is the difference between a regular weekend and an amazing weekend? Generally, the answer involves great people and spectacular weather! This weekend had both, as well as the bonus of Easter.  As you may have gathered from my last post, there has been an unexpected transformation in the way I've been viewing the world lately. While I'm not sure what caused the shift or how long it will last, I feel like my mantra of "love the little things" has finally taken root in my soul.

Friday night, my expectation was to come home, possibly attend Good Friday service, clean a bit, and head to bed early. Instead, I watched a Good Friday video, made frozen pizza for Adam's break, went out for Mexican with a group of teachers, ended up at a local bar (that was a first!), Adam came out after he got off shift, and we danced. I love dancing. It is normally done in my kitchen, but when there is real music and the hubs joins in...the whole world clicks into place.

The sign of a good man: he holds your purse so you can dance.

Saturday morning, we went to Des Moines for an appointment, got Target shopping in, and had a bonus Jimmy John's meal. I found Catholic TV so I could watch the Easter Vigil mass, and I schemed about where to hide the eggs. 

Yes, we are in our late 20's, with no children, but we still hide eggs on Easter. And why wouldn't we? It is so much fun trying to out-hide one another. We have been doing it since our first year living together, and it has become one of my favorite traditions. This year, however, Adam decided to take it one step further...he must have been confused on the holiday, because I woke up to my house rearranged. April Fool's and Easter apparently go hand in hand in his brain. Which is actually quite okay, because for the first ten minutes of being awake, I couldn't stop giggling.

My husband has confused Easter for April Fool's. #atleasthehidtheeggs

So, what does that leave for Sunday? The egg hunt of course! Before Adam was even awake, I had already found three of my eggs, which really feeds into my competitive side. Though in his defense, I found all three by accident. One was in my Kitchen Aid mixer; I baked a cake in the morning. The next was in my yoga mat; I greeted the sun with an Erin Motz session. The final was in the tissue box; that one is pretty self explanatory. 

Happy Easter everyone! Hopefully it is filled with joy, celebration, family, and chocolate!

ps. Stay tuned for this year's Easter cake post!

Loving the Little Things

This week has been good. Maybe just the last 24 hours, but when you have a good day, it seems to overshadow the rest. As school winds down, my anxious wonderful students have started to become antsy, loud, and restless. Currently there is a student teacher in my classroom. He has been full time teaching for the last 4 weeks, but next week, I get some subjects back. I am thrilled! It is just what I need to finish the year strong.

Which leads me to today's post about loving the little things and being in charge of my own happiness!

source

Little things that add up to great joy! 

• Last weekend was spent with Adam's family in Council Bluffs. There are so many people who do not enjoy their in-laws, but I love mine.  Of course they have quirks, but who doesn't? Plus they welcome me with open arms! 

• Letters from my old students: this week I received three letters from my Sacred Heart students. It was so nice to hear from them and to know that I meant enough to write to, even after I have moved away. 

• PUSH-EMS! Do you remember these? Orange sorbet in a tube with a pushing stick on the end? I loved them as a child. Last night, my husband gave me two! Best. Present. Ever. 

• Grilling out on a cool spring day is the best! Well, maybe it would be better on a warm spring day, but I will take it! Wednesday night, we bought two huge chicken breasts, asparagus, and pasta and went to town with our NEW grill.

• Which brings me to good deals! Last weekend we bought a new grill. Nothing fancy, just something to get the job done. Though it still has 3 burners, and it does look nice. There was a sign that said $88, so we jumped at the chance. When we were at the register, it rang up for $128! Not the plan! I was about to walk away when they said, "The sign was in the wrong place. Our fault. So, we will give it to you for $88." Score! 

• Adam threw me over his shoulder and ran around our driveway. I could not stop laughing. 

• The SUN! Oh the glorious sun! 

• Self motivated workout days! 

• A clean kitchen: Some people think I'm crazy, but when my kitchen is clean, I'm a much happier person.

• P.P. in snuggle mode: I am a cat lady, and I don't care. 

• Recess duty on sunny days

• Taking back control of my classroom and quiet, happy students

• And finally, Adam in his bike uniform. He seemed so happy to be wearing it, and I sure do love how it looks!

There you have it ladies and gentlemen, my list of little things that have added up to my great Friday mood. Today, I choose happiness, how about you?

1000 Rep Workout

Yesterday was one of those days that was either going to drive me to Junction Creamery (yum ice cream!) or to a sweaty, get some stress out, gym session. As I sat on the steps of our living room, giving Adam puppy dog eyes, I was inches away from blowing my healthy day with a big, fat sundae...but then, I chose the workout. Proud moment!

I knew Adam would be going to the gym either way, so yet again, I used the hubs as motivation.  We decided to head to the high school gym instead of Snap because it was a leg day for him, and Snap just doesn't have what he needs. I like working out at the high school, but that also means I need to find a workout to do that doesn't involve a cardio machine and HGTV.

To solve my workout dilemma, I browsed my fitness board on Pinterest and came upon the 1000 Rep Workout from Julie Fagan's blog, Peanut Butter Fingers. Her blog is full of great workouts and recipes.   As the name suggests, the 1000 Rep Workout is just that, one thousand reps! It is mainly focused on legs, but has some good overall toning as well. I made a few tweaks to the reps to accommodate my current fitness level. Thus, I'm calling yesterday's version the 900 Rep Workout.

When I was losing motivation half way through, my friend Teresa jumped in and finished it out with me. It was just what I needed!  Grab a friend, give it a try, and let me know what you think! 

Boom! Fitness! 

Sump Pump Fail: The Joys of Homeownership

After a wonderful weekend away, Adam and I came home to a scene that haunts all homeowners... a basement of water. When we purchased our home back in August, the sewer pipes were to be rerouted to abide by code. All the work was done previous to the change in ownership, and the previous owner even had the foundation fixed. Thus far, we hadn't had any woes or worries, but that was not the case after the mega storm that came on Sunday.

Do you know what runs through your brain when you see water bubbling behind the paint in your basement? How about when the electrical box to the whole house has water trickling down each switch? Or when you look down and get sprayed in the face from the geyser shooting from the sump pump? What do you see in your mind's eye during all of these situations? The answer is dollar signs! Oh the dollar signs! The worry that you haven't saved as much as you should. The worry that going back to school will no longer be an option. The worry that a house you only intend on staying in for a few years will eat away at all your hard earned cash and dreams of exploring the world...ouch.

But then logic kicks in, adrenaline kicks in, and you get down to business. This is happening, there is no changing the puddles behind the basement bar, and you've got to deal. Crying wont help and complaining wont change a thing. What will help is calling your father and diving into the sump pump to fix the problem!

The water had drained, but the pipes separated again. So, I held on while Adam got the screwdriver!

Thankfully, my dad is a Mr. Fix-it and was able to give me a few tips. Once I was shoulder deep in the water, I realized the two pipes had disconnected, so the pump wasn't working at all. Thankfully, I was able to connect them, Adam was able to tighten them, and the basement immediately started draining. So lucky! We decided I would take the next day off of work to do some clean up, and my dad came over to help us figure out a plan of attack. Thank God for my papa! As Adam pointed out, we can do grunt work with the best of them, but we are still learning quite a bit about being a Mr. and Mrs. Fix-it!

Day 2: Dad is assessing the situation

After digging a few pathways to divert the water, and buying, returning and exchanging a couple of sump pumps, we found a water tile system in our backyard that had previously been covered. Dad traced the path of the pipe with a crowbar, and Adam dug down. Thankfully, he was able to puncture a hole in the lower pipe and connect the sump pump line! Hurray! Once the ground dries out a bit, we will be able to make the connection more permanent, but it will work for now. 

Adam installed the sump pump. He is a rock star. 

A potentially disastrous, money heavy situation turned out to so much better than expected! With the help of my dad, we spent less than $200 on the fix, and we found out a few new things about our home. But for me, the real blessing came in the form of a realization.  As I was holding the pipes together and silently worrying about money (and the disappearance of my fantasy vacation), Adam was right there with me. We worked together to accomplish a goal, and I was reminded that when hard times come, there is no one I'd rather have in my corner than my best friend. 

SkyRobics: An Absolute Repeat

Last night, I went out of my fitness comfort zone and tried something different. Something that had me reaching for the stars. Something I will absolutely be doing again. Last night I tried SkyRobics!

SkyRobics is a new new to me trend of working out on a trampoline. According to Sky Zone, SkyRobics is a low impact, high energy way to burn up to "1,000 calories in an hour".  The first two statements are completely accurate. I don't know about you, but there is something about jumping on a trampoline that brings a childlike smile to my face. I am fairly positive the smile never left my face!

 However, the class I attended was an intro class, so we didn't quite reach that 1,000 calorie mark. One of the other women in the class had an active tracker on, and by the end it read between 450-500 calories burned; still, not to shabby for sixty minutes of pure FUN!

Sky Zone socks to prevent slipping

On Tuesday night,  I received a text from one of the other teachers at school asking if I would be interested in a jump workout in Des Moines with a few other ladies. Of course I was! But, the 45 minute drive both ways didn't seem as fun. Luckily, we carpooled, and Adam told me suck it up...and I am so glad I did!

I'm sore today, so my fitness goal was achieved. Score!  The only suggestion I would give to people that are considering trampoline fitness would be to call ahead, and find out their busy times... then avoid those times at all costs! The experience was a blast because it was such a small group, four of us total!  If there had been 125 other jumpers...I may have had a different opinion :-)

SkyRobics

• We started with a quick warm up which consisted of jumping side to side, back to front, etc. The instructor was amazing! Our class was supposed to be canceled due to low attendance, but she kept it going just for us; four teachers from 45 minutes away, bouncing, bouncing, bouncing. 

• Then it was circuit time. There were six stations set up which ranged from TRX bands and battle ropes to bounding across the floor and spiderman jumps. The spiderman jumps were pretty fun once you got the hang of it, though they also caused my only crash of the night. 

• Next was the cardio section. For this, we bounded up and back for two minutes and then played catch with a partner. During catch, we did high knees, butt kicks, butt drops and free jump. We were having so much fun, the time just flew by! 

*BONUS* When the workout was complete, our instructor took us to the foam pit! I was a little nervous at first, but the actual jump was pretty exhilarating! The worst part was the climb out of the pit. Try to imagine what it would feel like to climb out of quicksand made of kitchen sponges...

If you have anything like SkyZone in your area, I highly recommend it! It was a great switch up from my usual workouts. Plus for a cheap $7, it gave me just the boost I've been craving. 

Oh So Cosmo's take on SkyRobics

New Fitness Page

I've decided to start documenting my workouts on a regular basis. Over the last ten years, I have swung the scale back and forth anywhere from 132 pounds to my heaviest 174 pounds (that was hard to type!). I have tried calorie counting, a few fad diets, and different types of workouts, but it really comes down to a lifestyle change. I have to limit my cheat days, and fuel my body with real foods.

Enter my husband. Though schedules do not allow it anymore, when we met, Adam could easily be at the gym for several hours a day. He is a fitness fanatic. He rarely takes a day off, and he shows me just how great you can feel when you put the time into it. I have a hard time with the motivation to get started, but I always feel better after a good sweat. He is my inspiration on those days, and I'm not even sure he knows it. Maybe I should tell him.

I'm not where I want to be, but I'm working on it. This is my journey.

Green Thumbs, Organization, and Selfies

Have you heard the new song #Selfie? It is awful. It is what is wrong with the world. I really, really, really want to hate it...but it is so catchy! Adam and I were driving up to Des Moines on Friday when BAM, #Selfie came on the radio.  At the time, we both laughed at the lyrics and honestly, made fun of it a bit. Little did we know, the song would still be circling in our heads on Sunday! Washing the dishes? Selfie! Cleaning the counters? Selfie! Watching a movie? Selfie! Oh my gracious, I thought my head was going to explode, but I also started secretly loving it. In honor of the song (and our guilt over liking it), we decided to take a few selfies. Feast your eyes on the awesome! 

Not to worry, the weekend wasn't entirely filled with selfies. The weather was amazing, so we were inspired to get a few things started in our yard. "Inspired to get a few things started in our yard" is also known as Adam picked up some sticks, while I soaked up the sun and brainstormed. This is our first Spring as homeowners, and there is a ton of work to do to get the lawn, trees, and flowers ready. Neither of us have a very green thumb, so there will be a lot to learn! What plants do we cut back? Which trees need to be trimmed? Do roses grow well in the sun, or would they be better in the back yard? I have been doing some research on Pinterest, of course, but I'm hoping my parents or Ashlynn will come over sometime soon to give me some pointers.

Stay tuned for some great before and afters!

Adam picking up a crazy amount of sticks that dropped in recent storms

When he helps around the house, my heart fills up. #goodhusband

Spring has sprung! The first of our MANY plants! 

Finally, I did a massive reorganization on Sunday afternoon. Sadly, I have not figured out a good filing system since we moved to our house in August (way to long!). This is probably largely due to the fact that I haven't purchased a filing cabinet yet, but it is on the list. I promise! Until then, my poor kitchen counters have the burden of paying the price. In fact, I don't think I had seen that countertop in months. Other than bills, all of our mail gets tossed over there. 

Before the organization, the counter looked like the aftermath of an earthquake; paper, coupons, and cardboard everywhere. Beyond the mail, Adam's protein and pre workout also lived on the same counter. It was an embarrassing eyesore, but no more! It took me well over an hour, but I am happy to report that it has been cleaned. I cleared a place in the cabinet for Adam's workout powders, and I placed every last paper into a "file, "toss, or "ask Adam" pile. There was quite a bit in the toss pile, and it felt good to purge. 

I always feel happier when the house is organized, but even Adam admitted that it made him feel less stressed to see that counter cleared. I call that a win! 

After the big clean; I can finally see our wedding photo! 

Tests, Test, and More Tests

Assessment week: the one week of the year every teacher has a love hate relationship with. All week long, my students will be under pressure to do their best, and I'm under pressure to make benchmark. Below, is a list of some things I do to make this week a little easier on my students.

1. Brain food  Each morning this week, the students will get a fruit, veggie, or cheese stick to get their bodies and brains ready for a couple hours of quiet sitting. 
2. Peppermints during the test   I'm not sure if there is actual research backing this, but there has been a movement to allow students to suck on a peppermint while testing. It is supposed to help with their concentration, and I'm happy to have the fresh smell in my room! 
3. Extra recess   One day this week, I am planning to have an extra recess for my students. The weather is finally nice, and after working so hard on their tests, they could use the time to get the wiggles out. 
4. Breaks between tests   I often have a short physical routine that I do with them between tests. The routine generally involves 10 jumping jacks, 10 toe touches, stretch to the wall, wiggle, sit back down. Plus, it is a good stress reliever! My kids can't help but giggle when I'm up there making a fool of myself. 
5. Good old fashioned encouragement    It is amazing how far a smile and a, "You got this!" can go in a student's world. 

Wish me luck, and let the testing begin! 

Trouble: Game Night!

I have spend a lot of time reading about healthy marriages in the last few months, and a repeating factor in every book and article is this: if you want to keep your marriage happy, you have to keep dating your spouse! When Adam and I were dating, we used to spend a crazy amount of time together. We quickly became best friends, and any activity was better if the other was involved... Enter adulthood life. While we still love spending time together, real life gets in the way of that more often that we would like.

So, when schedules are crazy, how do you keep your marriage alive and kicking?

Well...you make time. Last night, Adam had another evening off (score!), so we decided to make the best of it. After a Hy-Vee dinner and a formidable workout at the local high school, Adam had a lightbulb moment. Why not take a trip to Wal-Mart (the only store in town), pick up a new board game, and make an evening of it? We ended up buying Trouble for $11 and jumping back into childhood! 

source

Adam was pretty confident about his skills before the game began. 

I swear he is usually quite sweet, but competition brings out the best in all of us. He won the first game, and I was thinking I had a long night ahead of me...

But after game three, he wasn't quite as confident. My Trouble skills were coming back from age 10!

After a few more games, P.P. didn't think we were paying enough attention to her, and she let us know!

Finally, six games had passed and the winner was.....ME! We played winner takes all on game six, and I came out victorious! P.P. was happy to have us calmed down (we are pretty passionate about our gaming skills), and we all cuddled up to watch some Saturday Night Live before bed. 

Overall, it was a fantastic date! I completely agree with all those marriage books. Dating your spouse is the best idea in the world. 

Love my life.