Postcards from July + Current Favorites

Happy Monday everyone! It is the very last Monday of the month which is a little bittersweet. In exactly four weeks I head back to work for teacher meetings and preparation days, and five weeks from tomorrow it will be the first day of school.  While I love my job and I am excited to start my second year of teaching, I am equally loving these summer days. This summer has been the most relaxing one for me in several years.  It has certainly provided me with the time to recharge my batteries to start a new year feeling refreshed and ready to go.  I figured there was no better way than to give you some postcards highlighting my adventures from the month. 

The month of July has been jam packed with lots of fun.  I really felt like each week I ended up packing my bag, unpacking my bag, and doing laundry on repeat each week. Of the five weekends of the month, I only spent one of them at home.  I started the month off with an impromptu decision to spend ten full days at a family friend's beach house, which was probably the best thing I could have done for myself. The trip was filled with a little bit of alone time, time with friends and family, fireworks, a shopping spree or two, naps, reading time, good eats, morning runs alongside the beach, bonfires, reading on the porch during rainy days, and some time for reflection. 

Seriously, if you ever have the opportunity to take ten full days to simply treat yourself to complete relaxation..do it. You will not regret it one bit. I came back from the trip feeling so reenergized that it made me realize how run down I actually was.  Sometimes I think we stuff our calendars to the point of overload without even knowing it and eventually we reach a point where it just becomes too much. This is why it is important to take a step back and evaluate where you are in life and what you need to do to take care of yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. 

The month of July also reunited me with friends from college that I haven't seen in awhile.  My one friend came down from New Jersey to visit for a weekend. Our original  plan of a beach weekend turned into a staycation.  We started off the weekend at Taylor Swift's hometown concert in Philadelphia. Saturday we explored a new winery on the water followed by a night out on my back patio. We ended the weekend with a stop at our favorite brunch spot for lattes, eggs, and a little shopping before I took her back to catch her bus home. It was one of those weekends where I remembered the importance of having real friends who just get you. 

The following weekend Todd and I left Thursday night to make the seven hour drive down to North Carolina. Mid way down, around midnight, he looked at me and asked why he never questioned me wanting to leave so late Thursday night.  We laughed a little and continued driving until we reached our destination just before 3am.  There is something about a long drive that can be a great bonding experience: a shared frustration over traffic, the dance parties that break out when you've had too much caffeine, the long life talks you have during the boring stretches of the trip, and the life planning you do while driving on long stretches of the highway. After sleeping in Friday morning and having a full day to explore and spend time with our friends, Todd finally realized why he trusted me enough to drive through the night. Friday was filled with hiking, coffee chats, enjoying the nice weather, homemade pizza, and a late night catching up with our friends. Saturday was a great day complete with a new breakfast recipe, paddle boarding on the lake, a nap, and an afternoon shopping, eating, and drinking in downtown Greensboro.  Sunday morning we went to brunch and made the long drive home.  I'm working on a guide to Greensboro to share with y'all in the near future!

Last minute, I decided to go this past weekend with my parents and brother to visit family friends in Avalon, New Jersey. Growing up spending summers at the Delaware beaches, I definitely have a biased opinion that the Jersey Shore just doesn't quite compare to Delaware. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how cute Avalon was. The quaint town with cute shops and delicious places to eat was actually quite enjoyable.  We rode our bikes everywhere, spent a morning floating in the bay, laid out on the beach, and enjoyed some family time. One of my favorite parts of the trip was trying an acai bowl for the first time. It was seriously amazing. I'm searching for recipes to make one at home. If you make your own, please send me your recipe, tips, and tricks!

Between weekend trips, I spent the month coaching and playing field hockey, running, going to classes at the gym, reading, preparing for the school year, and spending time with friends and family that I don't always get to see during the year because life is too crazy. 

Currently July Edition:

Eating & Drinking: Eggs + Ole Bay & Coffee + Almond Milk 

Reading: Everything for middle schoolers. I have read so many great YA Lit books this summer. My co-workers and I formed this informal book club accidentally in our exploration for new books to share with our students. It has become such a fun way to find new books and talk about them with people who are equally as nerdy as I am when it comes to how passionate we are about our jobs. 

Watching: Southern Cham 

Shopping: Target sale + Amazon Prime Day + a few boutiques

Maybe a shopping haul post to come soon?

Blog Posts To Read:

Wedding Wednesday

Summer Uniform

Adulting Update: Perspective

Finding Balance

Summer Playlist

XOXO

Wedding Wednesday: Popping the Bridal Party Question

Happy Wednesday y'all! Today I'm back with another Wedding Wednesday post. This is the third post in the series. Last time I shared a wedding update with you (check it out here), I talked about the next two items on our to do list: finding a DJ and figuring out how to ask our bridal party to be part of our big day.  Well, we've crossed one of these items off the list, and the other one we have an appointment that will potentially end in us crossing it off the list. 

One of the exciting parts of planning our wedding has been deciding who we want to play a significant role in our big day.  We are lucky to have lots of great friends and family members, so it took us a little bit to narrow down who we wanted to be in our wedding party.  The deciding factors became who has been a part of our relationship, how long we've known them, and if we felt like they were people who would be our lifelong friends. So many people (my parents included) look back at their wedding day and have people that were in their wedding party that they no longer speak to.  I mean you can never predict the future, but what you can do is evaluate how strong your friendship is and the trends you've noticed in people. 

Once we selected who we wanted to ask, it was time for the fun part-deciding how and when to ask them. The when was the most difficult part. Ideally, we would have loved to get everyone together and ask them all at once. Our friends and family leave all across the country, so this option was quickly eliminated. We then hoped to each ask our respective sides at one time, but everyone's schedules and geographic locations prohibited this from occurring. What we ended up doing was trying to ask everyone within the same time frame. I asked all of my bridesmaids, maid of honor, and bridesman within a week of each other.  I was able to ask everyone in person, except one friend. I thought that was pretty good considering I live in Pennsylvania and my people live as far away as the West coast now. 

The how was the creative part. I started brainstorming awhile ago thanks to bridal magazines and Pinterest.  I knew I wanted to keep it simple. A growing trend that I don't love is for brides to ask their bridal party with these elaborate gifts. I wanted to keep the cost low while providing a tasteful gift that would reflect what our day will be like. I considered crafting, but after doing some budgeting I realized it would be a bit costly + timely.  Thanks to Etsy and a little creativity I curated the perfect proposal gifts for my girls and guy.  For the ladies I purchased Etsy boxes that included a personal box, a stemless champagne glass, and a paper straw. I was excited to find out that the glasses were real and not plastic. For the price, I definitely thought they were going to be plastic. I then added a set of hair ties that included our wedding colors (blush + burgundy + navy) and a mini bottle of bubbly to celebrate with. The crafting came into play with the homemade cards. I use craft paper and scrap book paper to print on.

I also asked my best friend from growing up, Kyle, to be my bridesman/man of honor. We have been close since we were three, so I could not imagine getting married without him by my side.  He and Todd are super close, but ultimately they are close because of me. This is why we chose to go the less traditional route. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of his gift and card. I got him a customized pint glass and the most adorable card.

Little details:
Boxes
Glasses
Hair ties
Washi tape
Pint glass
Bridesman card

Planning Updates and Goals:

So where am I in the planning process? I honestly haven't made much progress since the last update, but next month's calendar is filled with appointments. In August we are hopefully going to have our seating arrangement and DJ finalized. I did make a dress appointment at the boutique my mom and I always joked about me getting my wedding dress fun- it was kind of surreal when I finally called to book the appointment.

 I'm in the middle of searching for our videographer (any recommendations are welcome). We originally were not going to get one, but after talking to friends and attending weddings we've changed our minds and decided to splurge on it. After all, when it is all said and done the only thing you have left are your memories, pictures, and the video. 

Wedding Wednesday posts:

The First Six Months

The Story Behind Our Engagement

XOXO

Summer Uniform

The summer is the best because I can choose to dress up or down depending on what I feel like doing. I love having options and choice. During the school year I pretty much live in business casual, so having some wardrobe freedom is quite enjoyable. A few years ago, I shared a post on the importance of creating your own personal uniform. You can check it out here. Basically there are a few things you want to know when creating your uniform.

Create guidelines

Use the theme you're looking to achieve to set guidelines for the pieces you'll add to your wardrobe. 

Summer Guidelines: I ten to stick to navy and pink, stripes, and lightweight pieces of clothing. 

Find your signature accessories and stick to them

Choose a few go to accessories and wear them continuously. 

Summer Accessories: I keep my accessories very simple.  I rotate a few pairs of stud earrings, I wear my fitbit, and a monogram necklace. 

Find items that look good and make you feel good

Don't buy something just because it's trendy. Purchase items that actually look good on you. You are more likely to wear an article of clothing that fits you well. When it fits well, it will make you feel good. 

Summer Favorites: During the summer I tend to gravitate towards items that are not form fitting. It gets to be too hot out to have your clothes sticking to you. I like to choose pieces that are comfortable but cute. 

Remember this is an investment 

It's important to keep in mind that you are working to build a long lasting wardrobe. You are not searching for the cheapest trendiest items. You want to be particular with what you buy. This might be splurging on some items here and there, which is totally okay. Quality of quantity is key here.  

Summer Tip: Quality of quantity is definitely key. For me this is especially true when it comes to summer shoes. I am particular about what sandals I purchase. 

So what does my summer uniform consist of?

Now that you have gone through my guidelines for creating a personal uniform, I'm sure you are curious as to what my summer uniform actually looks like.  Well, like I mentioned it has a lot of flexibility. Lately I have been all about the summer athleisure look- running shorts, a tank, and flip flops. This is partially due to my renewed love with my fitness journey and the fact that I spend several days a week nannying two boys. When I get a little more dressed up (think summer casual), you can find me in one of two types of outfits.  The first would be a pair of printed shorts from Lilly Pulitzer or Jcrew and a loose fitting tank top. The second option would be a cute t-shirt dress and a pair of Jack Rogers sandals.  Between these three types of outfits, I am pretty set for the summer. 

Shirt- Jcrew Factory (similar one) 
Skirt- Jcrew Factory


Dress- Gap (similar one) 
Shoes- Jack Rogers

Shirt- Lilly Pulitzer (Similar shirt) 
Shorts- Lilly Pulitzer (same shorts- different print) 
Shorts-Nike, Gap, and Under Armour

What is your personal uniform this summer?

XOXO

Adulting Update: Perspective

It's about to get real today! Last year I created an adulting series that narrated the chronicles of my entrance into adulting. I haven't shared anything like that recently, and I thought that today's post couldn't be more fitting to add to the series. So here it goes! I feel like I can say pretty confidently that life is filled with many ups and downs: good times and those you wish you didn't have to experience. Let's be honest, not everyday is a good day but you have to find the good in every day. Sometimes it takes a little perspective to do just that. Perspective is something that can be hard to find, and sometimes we don't find it until much later. This is a concept that I have truly just began to understand.  It's something that can be hard to grasp as it requires us to change how we think about life's events. 

A year ago life was pretty uncertain for me.  I had just completed a year filled with transitions: student teaching, graduating college, dealing with family issues, and completing my first teaching experiences. The transition from college to job hunting definitely was not as bad as others have it, but it wasn't necessarily a flawless transition either. I graduate college, took a month off, did some day to day substitute teaching, became a building substitute, and landed an eight week long term substitute position. However, once the school year ended I had no idea what was next for me. Last summer, I was jobless watching, what felt like, everyone move on with their life while I was stuck in a place that I had little to no control over.  If you know me, then you know that I'm a little bit Type A (control freak-esque). I had applied to 50+ teaching and coaching positions in the area, and I did not hear anything from any of the postings until late July. Many friends had been getting interviews, but it felt like radio silence for me. 

Towards the end of July, the interviews started rushing in. At one point in the matter of ten work days I had over fifteen interviews. It was a pretty intense time for me.  Stress levels were at an all time high, and the level of uncertainty increased. Some interviews lead to a dead end after round one while others continued for what felt like endless rounds. Each interview I left with a different vibe. Some places I knew I was not interested in and others I thought would be a great fit for me. For one position I had six rounds of interviews, and after all that I was offered a position that was less than appealing. At the time, I was pretty disappointed but continued to keep pursing other opportunities. The week before I left for my family's vacation, I had my final round of interviews at two schools. I left them feeling pretty confident, but the doubt was still there in the back of my head. 

On the first day of my family's vacation, I woke to a phone call with a job offer. It was the highlight of my summer and such a great way to kick off our trip.  I was able to finally relax for the first time in awhile.  

The day I found out I was hired!

Upon coming back from vacation, I signed my contract and was in total prep for school mode. I was hired as a year long substitute position with the possibility of a contract at the end. Essentially, this past school year I  had a year long interview. The pressure was a lot at first, but eventually I forgot about it.  It was a great motivator to push me to constantly become a better teacher, co-worker, and role model for my students. 

So here I am a year later... I have a full contract at a wonderful school, I am a field hockey coach, and I'm in the midst of obtaining my masters degree. f you would have told me I would be where I am now this time last year, then I probably would have laughed at you.  I feel so lucky to have a job working with people who are inspiring, wonderful collaborators, and who help me be the best version of myself on a daily basis. 

(Here's a little shout out because I know some of you are kind enough to read my blog posts- Thanks for being so great!)

Heading into the upcoming school year I am fortunate enough to hold a leadership position that will allow me to continue to grow in my school community. Not  only do I have a full time teaching position, but I have also found a paid field hockey coaching position as well. This Fall I will certainly be juggling quite the schedule: teaching, coaching, being a grad student, and maintaining some sort of sanity. 

Long story short, the purpose of this post is to shed light on the fact that things truly do happen for a reason.  Sometimes when life gives you lemons, you have to make lemonade and that's much easier said than done. However, after awhile you come across of a sign for why things played out the way that they did. It is so important to always maintain a positive attitude and have a little faith in life.  The past year has been such a whirlwind for me, but there is not one single thing I would have changed because each little thing has helped shape me into the person I am today. A little time and space can help  you learn a few things about yourself and life. 

Check out some posts from my Adulting Series:

Adulting Month 1

Adulting Month 4

Adulting Month 5

Adulting Months 6-8

XOXO

Staying Productive During the Summer Months

The summer is a time of year that most people love. While everyone's reasons are a little different, we all share this common enjoyment. The season is usually filled with a little fun in the sun, but there has to be some productivity in the midst of all the memories being made. As a teacher, I had the privilege of having the majority of the summer months off from school. Although, if you took a peep at my calendar I'm not too sure you would call all my time off a summer vacation. On my days off it can be easy to let the day slip away.  However, I try to balance these days with equal parts relaxation and productivity.  The other day somebody asked me how I am so productive in the summer, which is what gave me the inspiration to share my tips with each of you! 

The summer can be filled with vacation, a little bit of work, making time for friends and family, and lots of spontaneity.  Despite all the fun, there are things that must get done. So how can you possibly balance the things you want to do with those that you have to do?

Wake up at a decent hour

Do not let the day get away from you by spending all morning sleeping. It is important to get out of bed and start functioning at a reasonable hour.  Waking up at the same time every day provides you with a normal sleep schedule, which can increase your productivity. 

Establish Routines

Routines are crucial to success. This summer I have been working on waking up earlier to get more done. I wake up, take care of my puppy, and then workout before heading off to work.  Running in the mornings gives me a great jumpstart to the day.  I also create a mental to do list during my workout. It's the time I take to organize what my day will look like.  Another routine I have is eating breakfast each morning. I am most productive during the morning hours, so I try to get most of my tasks done then. Find the time that your work best and schedule your tasks to be completed during this timeframe. 

Don't procrastinate

This is kind of obvious, but I think it is an important reminder.  Get your least favorite tasks done first. This will keep you from spending too much time thinking about how much you don't want to do them. When you get the harder stuff over with earlier on, then it makes it easier to complete the less daunting tasks. Plus it is important to get things done when you have free time, so that if something better pops up you do not have anything holding you back. 

Timed Tasks

Don't let these boring tasks take you all day. Giving yourself a time allotment to get something done ensures that you are using your time efficiently and not wasting the day on something you don't actually want to be doing. 

What gets measured gets managed

Start each day by making yourself a to do list. I'm not talking about one of those to do lists that are impossible to complete. I am talking about a to do list filled with tasks that you can realistically complete in one day's time. When you can cross something off a list, you are more likely to do it. 

Do something meaningful

If your summer months are filled with free time, then look for something to add to your calendar that gives you a purpose. Look into getting an internship, learning a new skill, take a class, get a part time job, etc. Giving yourself a purpose can also lead to productivity. 

Take a vacation

It is so important to recharge your batteries. It is okay to treat yourself to a little rest and relaxation to jump start a new period of productivity. Seriously, everyone needs a little time off each year. 

What are your productivity tips for the summer?

XOXO

Finding Balance

Sometimes I feel like I am great at juggling the million things I have going on in life, and other times I feel like I am the worst at it. Balance is such a big concept.  Have you ever sat down to think about what it truly is. We hear about it often- there are tons of articles, videos, news talks, etc. about balance. We frequently hear about work-life balance, significant other-friend balance, emotional balance, the balance of living a healthy lifestyle, and the list goes on... But what truly is balance? Is it living life by spending equal amounts of time on each of the facets? Thinking about it seems nearly impossible to spend equal amounts of time with friends and family, work life and personal life, rest time and forward momentum. Essentially, I think it is fair to conclude that balance does not equate to equal parts time.  This is something pretty big to recognize because I think it is one of the reasons why we are sometimes so hard on ourselves for not maintaining that balance. 

Recently I spent ten whole days relaxing on the beach with friends and family. This break from reality gave me some time to do a little self reflection. It was the first time in awhile that I had a completely blank calendar for a lengthly amount of time. After a few days, I felt rejuvenated and ready to go. The sense of calm that I had was a feeling that I had not experienced in over a year. It got me thinking how I need to start providing myself with more balance in life.  The older I get, the busier and more exciting life gets. This is not a bad thing, but I think sometimes I forget to take care of myself in the midst of my busy lifestyle. While reflecting, I came up with three important things to remember when striving for a balanced life. 

One: Acknowledge Where You Are

It's important to stop and do a little self check in. Acknowledge where you are are mentally, physically, and emotionally. Simply checking it helps you take note of the distance between where your current state is and where you want to be.  Notice the areas you are excelling as well as the areas of life that need a little improvement.  You'd be surprised to find out that some things might be going better than you realized. 

Two: Provide Yourself With What you Need 

After doing a check in, figure out what you need to do for yourself to get to that better place you want to be. If you need rest, then allow yourself to take a cat nap. In order to find balance, sometimes you have to stop and provide yourself with whatever your have been deprived of. Do not feel guilty about this. 

Three: Stop the Struggle

Seriously stop! Don't spend any more time throwing a pity party for yourself about how unbalanced your life is. Gradually allow yourself to take time to find that balance and go with it. It's important to recognize that life ebbs and flows, and it is your job to do what you need to do for yourself in order to live a healthy lifestyle. 

What are your tips to living a balanced life?

XOXO

July Playlist

I absolutely love music. It might be because I have zero musical talent or I hate silence. Either way, I find music therapeutic. Anyone else find it neat that you can find music to fit just about whatever mood you are in? Spotify is one of my favorite places to access music because you can make your own playlist, access playlists based on what you are doing, and share music with your friends. In the summer, I pretty much always have music playing (while I'm driving, at the gym, cooking, cleaning, blogging, etc.). The only time I am not listening to music is when I am reading.  It's been awhile since I have share a playlist with y'all, so I felt like this week was the perfect time.  In a couple of weeks Todd and I will be road tripping down South, so I'm gearing up by starting a long playlist. Below are some of the songs on my summer playlist. 

You can find my playlist here. 

What are some of your favorite songs right now?

XOXO

June Favorites

It is truly crazy to me that the month of June has come to an end. The month flew by. It was a fun filled month with many many milestones: the first country music concert of the summer, the conclusion of my first year of teaching, my best friend got married, Todd and I hit the year and a half mark until our big day, and I was hired to join the coaching staff at a high school near where I teach.

La Croix

I think this one is pretty self explanatory. I drink a ton of water during the day, but I do get tired of it. Lately, I have been drinking one seltzer a day.  La Croix is hands down my favorite brand. I find their flavors to be so tasty without tasting artificial.  This month my go to flavors have been mango and grapefruit. 

Supergoop Sunscreen

Back in May, I got really burnt. Despite reapplying sunscreen while coaching, I got fried. It was so bad that I had to get a spray tan for the wedding I was in because no amount of sunless tanner could do enough damage control. Awhile back I had tried a type of mineral sunscreen that I got in a sample form a few years back. After getting burnt, I decided it was time to switch to a different type of sunscreen. Let me tell you, this brand is absolutely amazing! Check it out here

Blue Printed Jumpsuit

I have been dying to find a jumpsuit that did not look frumpy on me.  While shopping for an outfit for my friend's rehearsal dinner I finally found one that I loved. It is incredibly comfortable, has pockets, and its light weight.  I love it because you can dress it up or down depending on how you accessorize. 

Pink Jacks

Y'all know I love my Jack Rodgers sandals. I seriously cannot get enough of them. Spoiler- I'm considering getting a pair to wear in my wedding.  Anyways, my mom found these for me on clearance this past spring. I almost did not get them, but I'm definitely glad I chose to splurge at the time. They have been the easiest pair of jacks to break in. 

Running Shorts

I used to be a die hard nike tempo short fan, but a few months back I tried on a pair of under armour's version of running shorts and was instantly persuaded to make the switch. They are much comfier for working out plus they have pockets! They are called Fly-By shorts.

Rodan + Fields Sunless Tanner

Prior to this spring, I had never used sunless tanner. I always a little apprehensive about it, but I have been pleasantly surprised with how well this one worked.  It provides a nice natural glow, doesn't smell awful, and is easy to apply.  You can check it out here. 

So now you have some product recommendations to help you kick off the next month. You may even be able to find some of them on sale thanks to the Independence Day sales out there right now! I'd love to hear what your favorites from June were. 

XOXO