The Power of Five

Today I am linking up with Jessica from Lovely Little Things.



Last week's task was:

List five things that you love about yourself.

I knew this was going to be hard, and it was!! 
But, after lots of contemplation, here's my list:

1.  I love my sense of humor.  Laughter is always the best medicine.
2.  I love how I can strike up a conversation with just about anyone.  My friend Robin always comments about how strangers LOVE to talk to me.
3.  I love that I make a difference in the lives of 60+ high school students every day....even without trying.
4.  I love the way my eyes change color depending on my mood.  It kind of makes me "mysterious."
5.  I love that I have an amazing brother, and even more amazing parents.  They truly are my strength, and I am blessed to have them in my life.

Thanks Jessica for another FABULOUS task!

Check out Lovely Little Things Blog to see what's in store for next week's "Smell The Roses!"

YouTube Tuesday

Is it only Tuesday??  Do I have to go to work today??

If you are a child of the 80's, how can you not be excited by this???

Bueller......Bueller.....

Have a great Tuesday!

Pinterest Inspiration

So, as you all know, Pinterest is highly addictive....and very inspirational.  I am constantly pinning all sorts of cool ideas, crafts, beauty tricks, etc.  Many people think that Pinterest just inspires you to spend money you don't have on stuff you really didn't know you needed.  But I disagree!!  Pinterest gives me great ideas on how to update things I already have, making my home fun and stylish without spending too much money.  For example, check out my new front door decor:

I've had this wrought iron "S" for over 5 years sitting in my closet.  It was originally purchased at Homegoods for $9 and it was RED.  I bought it, painted it black, and then never found a place to hang it, so stuffed into a closet it went!  Then, enter Pinterest.  Inspired by other wreaths I saw, I painted the "S" yellow, added some cute ribbon I already had, and VOILA!  Now I am set for the spring.  And, the best part is, if I ever get tired of it, I can just re-paint and change the ribbon!

So, if you haven't gotten up and looked around your place for a pinterest make-over item, get to it!  You will be so glad you did.

File Cabinet Friday

Kids Say The Darndest Things

Have you ever stopped and listened to kids?  They really are funny - regardless of age.  As you all know, I teach 9th grade High School Students who are in need of Intensive Reading (Well, some are in need of Intensive Everything).  For this File Cabinet Friday, I thought I would share funny things I've heard in my classroom.  Any student names have been changed, and yes, these are real.  I know, I know....I wouldn't have believed it myself if I wasn't there.  Enjoy!!

Funny #1

Student:  Miss, Miss!! 
Me:  Yes?
Student:  Did JFK die???  I mean, I know he was assassinated....but is he dead?!?!?!?
Me:  Uh....Well...


Funny #2

Me:  Recently, there was an incident at Sea World where a trainer was killed by a whale.  Now, many people are saying that the whale should be killed because of the event.
(STUDENT RAISES HAND ENTHUSIASTICALLY)
Me:  Sally Jo....You have something you'd like to add?
Student:  Yeah Miss!!  They can't kill that whale!  That whale was just doin' it's job!!  I mean, it's called a "Killer Whale!!"
Me:  **Sigh**


Funny #3

Me:  Choose a quote from the book that you are reading that is important to you, and tell me why it means something to you.
Student:  I chose "He committed adultery."
Me:  *Pause*  Umm...Ok.  Why did you choose this quote?  Why is that quote important to you?
Student:  'Cause Miss....I think it's good to try to act like an adult.
Me:  *Remind myself silently to close my mouth so I don't catch any flies*  Uh....Ok...Umm....Billy Bob...is that what you think "adultery" means???
Student:  Yeah.
Me:  *Sigh*  Ok.  See me after class please.

Smell The Roses

So, Today I am linking up with Jessica over at Lovely Little Things.  Jessica  has an amazing blog, that is lots of fun!  But, what I TRULY love about her blog, is that every week, she challenges her readers to "Stop and Smell the Roses"....literally!!  This past week, she issued the challenge to "Buy a stranger a cup of coffee (or lunch) without them knowing it."  As soon as I saw this, I knew I was in!!

One day last year, when I was having a bad day, I went through the Starbucks drive-thru, only to discover, the person in front of me had paid for my coffee!!  That one, simple act of kindness has stayed with me, and I have been looking for the right time to "repay the favor."  So, last Monday, I went through the Starbucks drive-thru line, got my "Free Birthday Coffee" (Hooray Starbucks for acknowledging how great my birth was!!), and paid for the person behind me.  I have to tell you, this was so rewarding!  I felt so good about myself all day, that I decided I am going to try to do this more often.

So, thank you Jessica....for reminding me to "Stop and Smell the Roses," and to remember it is better to GIVE than to RECEIVE!

Are you interested in seeing what's this week's challenge??  Check out Jessica's Blog!

File Cabinet Friday

The other day, I was in the Math TPA (The teacher prep area), and came across this little beauty:

GOOF OFF:  THE ULTIMATE REMOVER

So, my question is this:  If my students are "goofing off" and need to be removed, can I spray this on them to make them disappear??  I mean, it does say "Professional Strength."  :-)

Enjoy your Friday!!

Eggplant Stacks

Here's a little recipe that I whipped up last night.  It's super simple and super yummy!!

Eggplant Stacks

1 Medium to Large Eggplant
1 Small Container of Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg
1 Small Jar of Marinara Sauce
1 cup of Shredded Italian Cheeses
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Olive Oil
Bread Crumbs

Preheat oven to 375.  Slice the Eggplant into thick sliced rounds, and saute each round in a tiny bit of olive oil on a medium-high heat (You could oven roast the eggplant slices if you prefer), so that each side is lightly browned.

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese and 1 egg.  Add a little parsley, salt, and pepper (If you have Parmesan cheese, this would be yummy, too!).

On a baking dish lined with parchment or foil, place one cooked eggplant round and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Then, top with a dollop of the ricotta mixture, a little marinara sauce, and some shredded cheese.  Repeat this process until you have 3 layers.  Sprinkle a bit of bread crumbs on top.

Bake all eggplant stacks at 375 for 30-45 minutes (Or less if your oven cooks faster than mine =-).).

Serve with a side salad.

YUM!!

I didn't have any jarred marinara sauce, so I made my own with a can of Italian tomatoes, some fresh basil, a garlic clove, and some red wine.  This dinner was very easy and tasty!  It made 5 eggplant stacks for me, so I've stuck some in the freezer, hoping they will be good options for my lunches during the week.

Let me know if you try it!