I've never really been big on New Year's resolutions. First of all, the word resolute is too final for my taste. This year though, I've decided to instate some goals for the new year. I've thought about these a lot and I think all of them are attainable. Putting them in writing, for all to see, will make me take them even more seriously! I'll use this blog to keep you updated on the progress of each one as well, so that'll give me more to write about. Without further ado...
SPIRITUAL
1.Finish reading the Bible all the way through- I read about four month's worth last year, and want to read the rest in 2012.
2. Complete "The Utmost for His Highest" devotional (with Jamie)
PROFESSIONAL
3. Obtain a full-time teaching position for the 2012-2013 school year
4. Create a teaching website- I'd like to use it to help other teachers find resources and share things I've created for use in my classroom
5. Read an hour's worth from professional material each week
HEALTH
6. Exercise at least 3 times a week
7. Use USDA's MyPlate feature to make healthier eating choices- I've already started this somewhat on my own, doing little things like switching out white bread and pasta, for wheat and whole grains
BLOG
8. Write at least two entries a week
9. Start regular features- some examples I've seen are "The Friday Five," "Five Song Friday," or "What I'm Loving Wednesday"
OTHER
10. Stick to a $50 weekly grocery budget
11. Rewatch the entire series of "Lost" (with Jamie)
12. Find a way to use my vocal talents- my current sights are set on our church's new choir for the modern worship service
Did you set any goals for 2012?
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Favorites of 2011!
Here it is, the post you've all been waiting for... or not :-) I've compiled a list of my favorite things of 2011. Keep in mind, these are my favorites, not necessarily the best, according to critics and the like. Some were brand new things that were introduced this year, while others I just happened to read, watch, buy or consume this year. Nothing is ranked in order, as that would take entirely too long for me. Enjoy, and share your own favorites for the year in the comments section!
Okay friends! Now it's your turn!
Reading
Books
The Help
The Hunger Games trilogy
The Firm
Magazines
Entertainment Weekly
Good Housekeeping
Television
TV Shows
The Middle
The Sing Off
Downsized
The Voice
The Closer
Parks and Recreation
Modern Family
New (2011) Shows
Revenge
The Glee Project
Up All Night
New Girl
Switched at Birth
Guilty Pleasures
Pretty Little Liars
Sister Wives
The TO Show
Dance Moms
Real Housewives of Atlanta & New York
Music
CDs
Adele "21"
The Cocktails "Another Round"
Bruno Mars "Doowops and Hooligans"
Kelly Clarkson "Stronger"
Florence and the Machine "Ceremonials"
Maroon 5 "Hands All Over"
Songs
"Rolling in the Deep" Adele
"Moves Like Jagger" Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera
"Perfect" Pink
"Not Over You" Gavin Degraw
"Til the World Ends" Britney Spears
"Skyscraper" Demi Lovato
"Poison and Wine" The Civil Wars
"Without You" David Guetta & Usher
"Mr. Know It All" Kelly Clarkson
Movies
2011 Releases
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Super 8
The Muppets
Bridesmaids
Technology
Blogs
Apps
Hanging with Friends
IMDB Trivia
Spotify
Flixster
TripAdvisor
Shopping
New Beauty Products
New Food Finds
Okay friends! Now it's your turn!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Christmas with the Cashatts
This year might have been the most "celebrating" of Christmas I've ever done in my life. The entire month of December was jam packed with holiday cheer!
The season started with The Cocktails' Winter Concert. My friend Elizabeth accompanied me. And while, as you can see from the picture, they didn't actually sing that many Christmas songs, it had that wintry feel.
Our "official" kickoff to the season was going to see Glorious, which is the modern worship style Christmas program at Shandon Baptist, our home church. The songs didn't quite seem as "modern" as they normally are, but it's always a fun experience.
We attended two non-family Christmas parties this year. At Jay and Alison's, we got to see some of our upstate friends, learned how to play Mexican Train Dominoes, and won 90's Trivial Pursuit! (Thanks to help from Michelle and Tara.) At Magan's, we were serenaded by Joel and Reid, and will probably never listen to "Bad Romance" or "Tik Tok" the same way ever again.
One of our favorite things is going to see The Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo. We've done this ever since we started dating, so it's a special tradition for us. I love the musical Christmas tree! We also took an evening to just ride around Columbia and look at some specific neighborhoods and houses that have beautiful lights.
I went down to Myrtle Beach for a couple of days to see my mom and brother (who was visiting from Oregon). I also got to see one of my bridesmaids Holly (first time since the wedding!), where we had a three hour Starbucks date! That same day, Mom and I went to see "The Muppets." Boy, did that make me nostalgic for my childhood. As soon as we got home, I went digging through the record collection and found these gems:
And somehow, this record player, which is over 20 years old, still works... Go Fisher Price!
When you get married, you essentially double the amount of family holiday shindigs you will be invited to. We are very lucky in the fact that the majority of our families live within forty-five minutes of our house (minus Mom and Troy of course). For us, that means six Christmas events just for family! This year, so far we've attended four, with one more to go. My favorite parts are Secret Santa gift exchanges (won some lovely B&BW soap this year!) and playing board games.
Christmas music and Christmas movies are a staple of our celebration each year. I love Hanson and Mariah Carey's holiday songs, while Jamie prefers David Crowder. We have many of the same favorite movies though, as we usually watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon), A Charlie Brown Christmas, Elf, Four Christmases, Love Actually and The Holiday. I also am guilty of vegging out in front of Lifetime or ABC Family during the holiday season.
My favorite gift we gave this year was to Jamie's parents. It was definitely the most creative, which is why I like it so much. Unfortunately, I have to give that credit to Jamie :-) They really love the dipping oil that comes with the bread at Carrabba's, so, we tried to recreate that for them. Here is the recipe we used:
That about sums up our Christmas season this year. Looking forward to 2012!
The season started with The Cocktails' Winter Concert. My friend Elizabeth accompanied me. And while, as you can see from the picture, they didn't actually sing that many Christmas songs, it had that wintry feel.
Our "official" kickoff to the season was going to see Glorious, which is the modern worship style Christmas program at Shandon Baptist, our home church. The songs didn't quite seem as "modern" as they normally are, but it's always a fun experience.
We attended two non-family Christmas parties this year. At Jay and Alison's, we got to see some of our upstate friends, learned how to play Mexican Train Dominoes, and won 90's Trivial Pursuit! (Thanks to help from Michelle and Tara.) At Magan's, we were serenaded by Joel and Reid, and will probably never listen to "Bad Romance" or "Tik Tok" the same way ever again.
One of our favorite things is going to see The Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo. We've done this ever since we started dating, so it's a special tradition for us. I love the musical Christmas tree! We also took an evening to just ride around Columbia and look at some specific neighborhoods and houses that have beautiful lights.
I went down to Myrtle Beach for a couple of days to see my mom and brother (who was visiting from Oregon). I also got to see one of my bridesmaids Holly (first time since the wedding!), where we had a three hour Starbucks date! That same day, Mom and I went to see "The Muppets." Boy, did that make me nostalgic for my childhood. As soon as we got home, I went digging through the record collection and found these gems:
When you get married, you essentially double the amount of family holiday shindigs you will be invited to. We are very lucky in the fact that the majority of our families live within forty-five minutes of our house (minus Mom and Troy of course). For us, that means six Christmas events just for family! This year, so far we've attended four, with one more to go. My favorite parts are Secret Santa gift exchanges (won some lovely B&BW soap this year!) and playing board games.
Christmas music and Christmas movies are a staple of our celebration each year. I love Hanson and Mariah Carey's holiday songs, while Jamie prefers David Crowder. We have many of the same favorite movies though, as we usually watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon), A Charlie Brown Christmas, Elf, Four Christmases, Love Actually and The Holiday. I also am guilty of vegging out in front of Lifetime or ABC Family during the holiday season.
My favorite gift we gave this year was to Jamie's parents. It was definitely the most creative, which is why I like it so much. Unfortunately, I have to give that credit to Jamie :-) They really love the dipping oil that comes with the bread at Carrabba's, so, we tried to recreate that for them. Here is the recipe we used:
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup Spanish extra virgin olive oil (or as needed)
That about sums up our Christmas season this year. Looking forward to 2012!
Friday, December 16, 2011
It's beginning to look a lot like...
Sorry for the cliche title post, but there's no other way to really describe it! I snapped some shots of our Christmas decorations to share. We don't have a ton, (like some people I've seen on Facebook!) but hope to build on it little by little each year! Without further ado:
Stay tuned for a later post about all the celebrating we're doing this season!
 | |
| We decided to do an "old school" Christmas tree this year, full of color! |
 |
| I got these stockings after Christmas (half price!) last year from Land's End. We have no mantle, so we put them on the entertainment center :-) |
 |
| These are all pieces from my childhood. My neighbor used to paint and "antique" wooden Santas. I absolutely love this Nutcracker, which I've had as long as I can remember! |
 |
| Here's our little snowglobe collection. |
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| This is our miniature tree, which we acquired from Cin after our first celebration of "Christmas in July." |
Stay tuned for a later post about all the celebrating we're doing this season!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Must See Movies
I just came across this list of the Top 25 Must See Movies of 2012.
If this is any indication of what's to come, I can't say that I'm super excited about the state of movies. However, from the list, I would like to see:
The Dark Knight Rises
The Hobbit (maybe)
The Hunger Games
Snow White and the Huntsman
Wanderlust (maybe)
Some of these movies just look unnecessary. Do we really need another American Pie movie? Or Taken 2? Or Expendables 2?
What about you? Do any of these movies seem appealing to you? Are there any others you are looking forward to that did not make the list?
If this is any indication of what's to come, I can't say that I'm super excited about the state of movies. However, from the list, I would like to see:
The Dark Knight Rises
The Hobbit (maybe)
The Hunger Games
Snow White and the Huntsman
Wanderlust (maybe)
Some of these movies just look unnecessary. Do we really need another American Pie movie? Or Taken 2? Or Expendables 2?
What about you? Do any of these movies seem appealing to you? Are there any others you are looking forward to that did not make the list?
Monday, December 5, 2011
Bookworm! Fall Edition
Alas, I have not been reading as much in the past couple of months, but it also took me some time to make it through a couple of these books!
The Chosen One Carol Lynch Williams
I found this book fascinating. According to my mom, it's quite timely, as it's reminiscent of the Warren Jeffs case. It takes place in a Fundamentalist Mormon polygamist compound, but the environment is like a cult, not modern like "Sister Wives." The protagonist of the story is a young girl who has been promised to her uncle as a bride and conveys her struggle to escape. Yes, it's uncomfortable at times, but it's a compelling story, and so hard to put down! I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Gray Baby Scott Loring Sanders
I was excited by this book at first, as I expected lots of dialogue about race relations. I was somewhat disappointed. The beginning chapters moved along quite nicely, as they described the circumstances surrounding the story. However, the next few chapters were quite s-l-o-w, with little action taking place. Finally though, a little beyond halfway through the story, a completely unexpected event takes place and the rest of the book picks up magnificently. My thought is that this book would make a great movie. They could quickly move through those slow chapters as a montage. If that happens, this is one case where I would say skip the book and wait for the movie.
The Firm John Grisham
This is only the second John Grisham book I have read, but I have loved them both. As I began the book, I wondered how it could possibly be worth the hundreds of pages it contained. My wondering soon ceased. This book had me hooked quickly! I've read reviews that thought it dragged a bit near the end, but I didn't think so at all. I was always eager to see what happened next; it was definitely a "page turner." The movie was on TV a couple of weeks after I finished the book, and having remembered nothing about it after watching it years ago, I decided to see it again. It was SO different from the book! I actually thought it was a horrible movie compared to the book. I don't know how a person even follows the action in the movie without having read the book. They also changed quite a few details from the book to the movie, which I always have a problem with. End rant. Definitely read the book, but definitely don't want the movie!
Afterthought: The other book I've read is "The Pelican Brief" and I recommend both the book AND the movie :-)
Enter Three Witches Caroline B. Cooney
This is pegged as 'A Story of Macbeth.' I actually expected it to be more about the witches, but it really wasn't. It was about Lady Mary, who I honestly don't remember if she was in Shakespeare's version or not. Anyway, it told the rise and fall of Macbeth, through the view and life of Lady Mary. It was fairly interesting, slow in parts, but an easy read. I think this would be a really good comparison piece for high school teachers to read after Macbeth to analyze how the events were told in each case. That's really the way I thought throughout this book, as a teacher. It's obviously much easier to understand, as it's written in modern English for the most parts, with Shakespeare scattered throughout. I love Cooney as an author though, so I thought it was a valiant effort. I could take or leave this book.
The Shack William Paul Young
I know I'm pretty late to the party on this one, as it was 'all the rage' a few years ago. I still don't know how I feel about this book. First of all, it took me a looooong time to get through this book, almost a month. I read all the reviews about how people cried the whole time, rededicated their life to Christ, and the whole shebang, so I expected to be a bumbling wreck while reading it. Eh, not so much. There were definitely touching moments, and I can probably see how some that weren't quite 'living right' might be rightly convicted. Now please know, I'm not saying that I, or my relationship with Christ is perfect, but I feel that it's in quite a good place. Maybe that is why I wasn't quite as affected. Or maybe it's because this was really my first venture into Christian fiction, and I was just expecting something different. Whatever the case, I think this is probably one that you will have to decide upon yourself. It seems to be a love- it or hate- it book, so you might love it.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What are you reading these days?
The Chosen One Carol Lynch Williams
I found this book fascinating. According to my mom, it's quite timely, as it's reminiscent of the Warren Jeffs case. It takes place in a Fundamentalist Mormon polygamist compound, but the environment is like a cult, not modern like "Sister Wives." The protagonist of the story is a young girl who has been promised to her uncle as a bride and conveys her struggle to escape. Yes, it's uncomfortable at times, but it's a compelling story, and so hard to put down! I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Gray Baby Scott Loring Sanders
I was excited by this book at first, as I expected lots of dialogue about race relations. I was somewhat disappointed. The beginning chapters moved along quite nicely, as they described the circumstances surrounding the story. However, the next few chapters were quite s-l-o-w, with little action taking place. Finally though, a little beyond halfway through the story, a completely unexpected event takes place and the rest of the book picks up magnificently. My thought is that this book would make a great movie. They could quickly move through those slow chapters as a montage. If that happens, this is one case where I would say skip the book and wait for the movie.
The Firm John Grisham
This is only the second John Grisham book I have read, but I have loved them both. As I began the book, I wondered how it could possibly be worth the hundreds of pages it contained. My wondering soon ceased. This book had me hooked quickly! I've read reviews that thought it dragged a bit near the end, but I didn't think so at all. I was always eager to see what happened next; it was definitely a "page turner." The movie was on TV a couple of weeks after I finished the book, and having remembered nothing about it after watching it years ago, I decided to see it again. It was SO different from the book! I actually thought it was a horrible movie compared to the book. I don't know how a person even follows the action in the movie without having read the book. They also changed quite a few details from the book to the movie, which I always have a problem with. End rant. Definitely read the book, but definitely don't want the movie!
Afterthought: The other book I've read is "The Pelican Brief" and I recommend both the book AND the movie :-)
Enter Three Witches Caroline B. Cooney
This is pegged as 'A Story of Macbeth.' I actually expected it to be more about the witches, but it really wasn't. It was about Lady Mary, who I honestly don't remember if she was in Shakespeare's version or not. Anyway, it told the rise and fall of Macbeth, through the view and life of Lady Mary. It was fairly interesting, slow in parts, but an easy read. I think this would be a really good comparison piece for high school teachers to read after Macbeth to analyze how the events were told in each case. That's really the way I thought throughout this book, as a teacher. It's obviously much easier to understand, as it's written in modern English for the most parts, with Shakespeare scattered throughout. I love Cooney as an author though, so I thought it was a valiant effort. I could take or leave this book.
The Shack William Paul Young
I know I'm pretty late to the party on this one, as it was 'all the rage' a few years ago. I still don't know how I feel about this book. First of all, it took me a looooong time to get through this book, almost a month. I read all the reviews about how people cried the whole time, rededicated their life to Christ, and the whole shebang, so I expected to be a bumbling wreck while reading it. Eh, not so much. There were definitely touching moments, and I can probably see how some that weren't quite 'living right' might be rightly convicted. Now please know, I'm not saying that I, or my relationship with Christ is perfect, but I feel that it's in quite a good place. Maybe that is why I wasn't quite as affected. Or maybe it's because this was really my first venture into Christian fiction, and I was just expecting something different. Whatever the case, I think this is probably one that you will have to decide upon yourself. It seems to be a love- it or hate- it book, so you might love it.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What are you reading these days?
Saturday, November 26, 2011
30 Days of Thankfulness
There was a Facebook trend this month of people posting one thing they're thankful for on each day in November. I decided to wait and compile mine all in one place. In this season of my life, it's very easy to grumble and complain about my situation. So for me, it's even more personal and a way for me to see how truly blessed I am in this life. Some of them might seem trivial, but they enhance my happiness and well being!
I am thankful for...
1. my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who died on the cross to save me from my sins
2. my amazing, sweet, and thoughtful perfect match Jamie
3. my mom and brother: my longest support system
4. my in-laws, who have welcomed me with open arms
5. my extended family: grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles
6. my friends both near and far: always in my heart, and frequently on my mind
7. Jamie having a job that allows me to take the time to find a place where I am happy
8. sales and coupons, so we can live on a smaller budget
9. music (specifically a cappella), Spotify and iTunes
10. television on DVD, so I can buy and rewatch my favorite shows at one time
11. the internet
12. V8 V-Fusion and Naked fruit juice
13. Dial Nutriskin Lotion w/aloe vera
14. wintry candles
15. movies and books to keep me entertained and escape
16. Facebook; I would never be able to keep in touch with people otherwise
17. chicken fingers & french fries (or mashed potatoes)
18. dishwashers and washing machines & dryers
19. Exercise TV
20. Entertainment Weekly
21. online shopping
22. Time Warner On Demand
23. weekends
24. Covergirl Natureluxe gloss balm
25. restaurants
26. subbing allowing me to visit many different schools and find where I might fit
27. Gamecock football (and baseball)
28. Popsecret Homestyle popcorn
29. Target
30. comfy jeans & scarves
And, just to clarify, I am thankful to GOD for all of these things. I find it interesting to see those who are openly agnostic or atheist say that they are thankful. Who are they thanking?
I am thankful for...
1. my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who died on the cross to save me from my sins
2. my amazing, sweet, and thoughtful perfect match Jamie
3. my mom and brother: my longest support system
4. my in-laws, who have welcomed me with open arms
5. my extended family: grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles
6. my friends both near and far: always in my heart, and frequently on my mind
7. Jamie having a job that allows me to take the time to find a place where I am happy
8. sales and coupons, so we can live on a smaller budget
9. music (specifically a cappella), Spotify and iTunes
10. television on DVD, so I can buy and rewatch my favorite shows at one time
11. the internet
12. V8 V-Fusion and Naked fruit juice
13. Dial Nutriskin Lotion w/aloe vera
14. wintry candles
15. movies and books to keep me entertained and escape
16. Facebook; I would never be able to keep in touch with people otherwise
17. chicken fingers & french fries (or mashed potatoes)
18. dishwashers and washing machines & dryers
19. Exercise TV
20. Entertainment Weekly
21. online shopping
22. Time Warner On Demand
23. weekends
24. Covergirl Natureluxe gloss balm
25. restaurants
26. subbing allowing me to visit many different schools and find where I might fit
27. Gamecock football (and baseball)
28. Popsecret Homestyle popcorn
29. Target
30. comfy jeans & scarves
And, just to clarify, I am thankful to GOD for all of these things. I find it interesting to see those who are openly agnostic or atheist say that they are thankful. Who are they thanking?
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Help The Cocktails!
You've read before about my college a cappella group, The Cocktails. Well, they are releasing their second CD next month! They are trying to raise money to pay for the last bit of production so they don't have to pay for it out of pocket.
I know many of us are strapped for cash these days, but any little bit can help, even if just $1 or $5. If they don't raise the full amount of the project by the due date (Dec 3), then they don't get ANY of the money.
Please click on the link below to donate and help keep the Cocktails legacy alive!
Another Round CD- Kickstarter
I know many of us are strapped for cash these days, but any little bit can help, even if just $1 or $5. If they don't raise the full amount of the project by the due date (Dec 3), then they don't get ANY of the money.
Please click on the link below to donate and help keep the Cocktails legacy alive!
Another Round CD- Kickstarter
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Three Musketeers
I finally got a chance to see the movie Bridesmaids this weekend. While I definitely found it funny, I could have done without some of the gross out humor (although Jamie loved it). Anyway, it made me reflect on my own wedding party and how thankful I was that all my girls got along so well! Unfortunately, none of them live in Columbia, and two live out of state.
BUT, I was fortunate enough to get a visit from my Cin and Court recently after not seeing them since the wedding. Oh how I enjoyed it. Whenever we do get to see each other, it's like no time has passed. That's one of the things I love about our friendship. We've been friends since our freshman year of college and watched each other become adults! I am so thankful for these two and wanted to share with you all, since it was a special visit for me.
A little then and now for your viewing pleasure:
I'm pretty sure I had the best looking bridesmaids ever!
BUT, I was fortunate enough to get a visit from my Cin and Court recently after not seeing them since the wedding. Oh how I enjoyed it. Whenever we do get to see each other, it's like no time has passed. That's one of the things I love about our friendship. We've been friends since our freshman year of college and watched each other become adults! I am so thankful for these two and wanted to share with you all, since it was a special visit for me.
A little then and now for your viewing pleasure:
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| 2004 |
 | ||||||||
| 2010 |
I'm pretty sure I had the best looking bridesmaids ever!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Savvy Saving
As you all have learned, I am really enjoying grocery savings these days. I saved 60% at Publix and 53% at Kroger yesterday! However, due to the fact that we technically are a one income household these days, I wanted to share other ways we are trying to save as well... and maybe they will help you too!
FOOD:
Let's start with groceries, just because I have had more questions since my previous savings posts. I want to make one thing clear: you don't have to coupon to save money on groceries! If you don't want to deal with that hassle, because it can be time consuming, just focus on shopping the sale items. You'll automatically save 20-30% just based on that. However, if you do want to find coupons, a great place is the internet. You don't always have to go buy the newspaper every Sunday. Here are some places for you to check out:
Coupon sites: coupons.com
redplum.com
couponnetwork.com
smartsource.com
Grocery sites: Just about every grocery store now has printable coupons or electronic coupons that are specific to them. Target, Kroger, Publix, Food Lion, and even Walmart are some examples.
Product sites: Many products now have somewhere on their site for promotions. You can usually get a handful of coupons, maybe more if you're lucky.
Facebook: It's not a bad idea to "like" your favorite products' pages, so that you will be notified when they put up coupons or free samples for their products.
Samples: Free samples often come with coupons for the full size versions of the product. The best part is that you get to try the product for free first! A good place to find these is http://www.heyitsfree.net They pull them from all over the internet and put them in one place. Even better, you can sign up for their daily digest, where they will send you one email a day that lists all the free samples for the day. (I also happen to know the guy that runs this site, and he doesn't post anything that makes you "do" something for the freebie)
CLOTHES/HOUSEHOLD:
I rarely go clothes shopping these days, but when I do, I make sure that I have some kind of discount in hand. Lots of major stores allow you to sign up for emails from them, and some of those contain coupons for percentages off or dollars off a certain amount. Facebook is also great for getting high value coupons. Old Navy has been great lately, with 30% off a single item, or 20% off an entire purchase.
Online shopping is also great for this. There are coupon codes or promotional codes for tons of websites. A couple of weeks ago, Jamie was shopping for new checks. The ones he wanted were over $20. I suggested we do a Google search for promo code. We found one, plugged it in, and suddenly the checks were only six or seven dollars! It really is worth it to take the short time to search on the internet to see if you can find a discount. It can save you so much money!
UTILITIES:
We have been looking for so many little ways to save that would add up, and one of those places is through utilities. Many of these have been stated over and over, but we can always use a refresher!
Electricity/Water: Handwash dishes as much as possible, and only run the dishwasher if you have a full load. Only run the washing machine with a full load, and wash with cold water instead of warm or hot. Keep the thermostat at 68 (fall/winter) or 78 (spring/summer). Use sunlight as late into the day as possible. Open the blinds!
Cable/Internet/Phone: Take a look at what you're using and what you can cut back on. We watch a lot of television (or I do anyway) in our house, so we are considering switching from Time Warner Cable to AT&T U-Verse. It's cheaper, for more services. We also have our phone plan with AT&T, so bundling is a good option. We saved a good bit of money switching to the same cell phone carrier.
ENTERTAINMENT:
Lots of daily deal sites have popped up in the past couple of years. Living Social and Groupon are two of the biggest. You can save 50% or more on restaurants and other entertainment. Restaurant.com also allows you to buy gift certificates at a fraction of their worth.
If you like movies, obviously actually going to the big screen isn't a great option for the price. Netflix's monthly DVD charge for one at a time, or streaming option is less than the price of one movie ticket. If you don't watch movies often, but still want to see them once in a while, Redbox or Blockbuster kiosks are cheap for a movie night at home. You can even find free rental codes online, making it an even better deal!
Free music streaming can be found courtesy of Spotify, Pandora, IHeartRadio, YouTube, and many other places on the internet.
Don't forget about the public library! Not only do they have tons of books (duh) and magazines, but they have lots of movies and CDs too!
Whew! That was a lot of information to absorb! I hope it was helpful and you found at least one new thing you can try. What do you think? What are some ways that you save?
FOOD:
Let's start with groceries, just because I have had more questions since my previous savings posts. I want to make one thing clear: you don't have to coupon to save money on groceries! If you don't want to deal with that hassle, because it can be time consuming, just focus on shopping the sale items. You'll automatically save 20-30% just based on that. However, if you do want to find coupons, a great place is the internet. You don't always have to go buy the newspaper every Sunday. Here are some places for you to check out:
Coupon sites: coupons.com
redplum.com
couponnetwork.com
smartsource.com
Grocery sites: Just about every grocery store now has printable coupons or electronic coupons that are specific to them. Target, Kroger, Publix, Food Lion, and even Walmart are some examples.
Product sites: Many products now have somewhere on their site for promotions. You can usually get a handful of coupons, maybe more if you're lucky.
Facebook: It's not a bad idea to "like" your favorite products' pages, so that you will be notified when they put up coupons or free samples for their products.
Samples: Free samples often come with coupons for the full size versions of the product. The best part is that you get to try the product for free first! A good place to find these is http://www.heyitsfree.net They pull them from all over the internet and put them in one place. Even better, you can sign up for their daily digest, where they will send you one email a day that lists all the free samples for the day. (I also happen to know the guy that runs this site, and he doesn't post anything that makes you "do" something for the freebie)
CLOTHES/HOUSEHOLD:
I rarely go clothes shopping these days, but when I do, I make sure that I have some kind of discount in hand. Lots of major stores allow you to sign up for emails from them, and some of those contain coupons for percentages off or dollars off a certain amount. Facebook is also great for getting high value coupons. Old Navy has been great lately, with 30% off a single item, or 20% off an entire purchase.
Online shopping is also great for this. There are coupon codes or promotional codes for tons of websites. A couple of weeks ago, Jamie was shopping for new checks. The ones he wanted were over $20. I suggested we do a Google search for promo code. We found one, plugged it in, and suddenly the checks were only six or seven dollars! It really is worth it to take the short time to search on the internet to see if you can find a discount. It can save you so much money!
UTILITIES:
We have been looking for so many little ways to save that would add up, and one of those places is through utilities. Many of these have been stated over and over, but we can always use a refresher!
Electricity/Water: Handwash dishes as much as possible, and only run the dishwasher if you have a full load. Only run the washing machine with a full load, and wash with cold water instead of warm or hot. Keep the thermostat at 68 (fall/winter) or 78 (spring/summer). Use sunlight as late into the day as possible. Open the blinds!
Cable/Internet/Phone: Take a look at what you're using and what you can cut back on. We watch a lot of television (or I do anyway) in our house, so we are considering switching from Time Warner Cable to AT&T U-Verse. It's cheaper, for more services. We also have our phone plan with AT&T, so bundling is a good option. We saved a good bit of money switching to the same cell phone carrier.
ENTERTAINMENT:
Lots of daily deal sites have popped up in the past couple of years. Living Social and Groupon are two of the biggest. You can save 50% or more on restaurants and other entertainment. Restaurant.com also allows you to buy gift certificates at a fraction of their worth.
If you like movies, obviously actually going to the big screen isn't a great option for the price. Netflix's monthly DVD charge for one at a time, or streaming option is less than the price of one movie ticket. If you don't watch movies often, but still want to see them once in a while, Redbox or Blockbuster kiosks are cheap for a movie night at home. You can even find free rental codes online, making it an even better deal!
Free music streaming can be found courtesy of Spotify, Pandora, IHeartRadio, YouTube, and many other places on the internet.
Don't forget about the public library! Not only do they have tons of books (duh) and magazines, but they have lots of movies and CDs too!
Whew! That was a lot of information to absorb! I hope it was helpful and you found at least one new thing you can try. What do you think? What are some ways that you save?
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
October Recap
October has come and gone, and was actually quite eventful, so here's a quick overview of life!
What's Your Happy? October brought the state fair, which didn't really help me as I've been trying to eat healthier. But the fried mushrooms and funnel cake was soooo good! However, the drive from our house to the fairgrounds, that normally takes twenty minutes max, took TWO HOURS. Bumper to bumper traffic, no free parking by the time I got there: so frustrating. I was meeting my mom, my friend Amy, and her mom Genie. They had already been walking around for almost two hours by the time I arrived. Luckily, the fried food and cute furry animals helped me calm down :-)
My Easter Lily Lily was always considered "my" cat, even though she stayed at my mom's house. We got her from the Humane Society when she was just a few weeks old; she was the one reaching out for us through the cage! We should have known then that she would be quite the feisty one. I may be the only one who would ever refer to her as "sweet," as she bit Jamie every time he came to visit! A couple of weeks ago, the vet discovered a cancerous tumor, after my brother noticed her stomach swelling. Lily was almost 14 years old, so rather than an aggressive surgery, which would require a leg amputation, they elected to put her to sleep. I will dearly miss my precious kitty, even when she drove me nuts!
4th Graders Even though I've only been working about once a week, I seem to be subbing for a lot of fourth graders! They've been good classes, thankfully, but it reminds me why I picked Early Childhood over Elementary. The little ones act as if they need you more, and are more demonstrative of their love for you. I was in a kindergarten class the other week, and they kept calling me to help them (Mrs. C!) and would come up and hug me for no reason. They were so precious, I would have taken over their class in an instant!
Journey Westward Troy finally made it to Oregon this month. He and his friends are living in a suburb of Portland, which seems like a cool city. I'm proud of him for picking up and completely changing his world! Can't wait to see the gorgeous landscape pictures, which are sure to come.
The Reading Teacher I mentioned a few weeks ago that I took the Praxis exam for "Teaching Reading." I am proud to announce that I passed with flying colors and am now in the process of adding a literacy certification to my teaching certificate. Yahoo!
Boo! It's Halloween! Jamie and I elected not to dress up for Halloween this year. How could we top the Fraggles anyway? I spent my Halloween Monday at my old stomping grounds. The ghost of Mrs. Cashatt came back! I got to read to Regi's class and then go visit some of my former coworkers. It was so nice to see everyone; I've missed them! Then I came home and watched Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain. I used to watch them all the time as a kid, and thought they would be appropriate for the holiday. It also kept me occupied, as we had NO trick or treaters! Oh well, I didn't buy much candy anyway ;-)
What's Your Happy? October brought the state fair, which didn't really help me as I've been trying to eat healthier. But the fried mushrooms and funnel cake was soooo good! However, the drive from our house to the fairgrounds, that normally takes twenty minutes max, took TWO HOURS. Bumper to bumper traffic, no free parking by the time I got there: so frustrating. I was meeting my mom, my friend Amy, and her mom Genie. They had already been walking around for almost two hours by the time I arrived. Luckily, the fried food and cute furry animals helped me calm down :-)
My Easter Lily Lily was always considered "my" cat, even though she stayed at my mom's house. We got her from the Humane Society when she was just a few weeks old; she was the one reaching out for us through the cage! We should have known then that she would be quite the feisty one. I may be the only one who would ever refer to her as "sweet," as she bit Jamie every time he came to visit! A couple of weeks ago, the vet discovered a cancerous tumor, after my brother noticed her stomach swelling. Lily was almost 14 years old, so rather than an aggressive surgery, which would require a leg amputation, they elected to put her to sleep. I will dearly miss my precious kitty, even when she drove me nuts!
 | |
| Look at those big Siamese ears as a kitten! |
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| I loved my kitty! |
4th Graders Even though I've only been working about once a week, I seem to be subbing for a lot of fourth graders! They've been good classes, thankfully, but it reminds me why I picked Early Childhood over Elementary. The little ones act as if they need you more, and are more demonstrative of their love for you. I was in a kindergarten class the other week, and they kept calling me to help them (Mrs. C!) and would come up and hug me for no reason. They were so precious, I would have taken over their class in an instant!
Journey Westward Troy finally made it to Oregon this month. He and his friends are living in a suburb of Portland, which seems like a cool city. I'm proud of him for picking up and completely changing his world! Can't wait to see the gorgeous landscape pictures, which are sure to come.
The Reading Teacher I mentioned a few weeks ago that I took the Praxis exam for "Teaching Reading." I am proud to announce that I passed with flying colors and am now in the process of adding a literacy certification to my teaching certificate. Yahoo!
Boo! It's Halloween! Jamie and I elected not to dress up for Halloween this year. How could we top the Fraggles anyway? I spent my Halloween Monday at my old stomping grounds. The ghost of Mrs. Cashatt came back! I got to read to Regi's class and then go visit some of my former coworkers. It was so nice to see everyone; I've missed them! Then I came home and watched Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain. I used to watch them all the time as a kid, and thought they would be appropriate for the holiday. It also kept me occupied, as we had NO trick or treaters! Oh well, I didn't buy much candy anyway ;-)
Friday, October 21, 2011
Pop Bytes
I love writing about pop culture, but sometimes I just have random thoughts that I want to put out there about certain things that don't warrant an entire post. That's where "Pop Bytes" comes in. I'll do this from time to time just to get some commentary out there, and I encourage you to chime in!
VH1 This channel has been rocking my socks off lately. It started with the return of Pop Up Video. I absolutely love this show, and have enjoyed reminiscing, as well as seeing current videos since no one seems to show them anymore. They also recently aired 100 Greatest Songs of the 00s which made me want to create a giant playlist and listen to it over and over (hello Spotify!). VH1 also has Tough Love Miami and The TO Show, which are two of my guilty pleasures. And if you get up early enough, they actually show MUSIC VIDEOS in the morning, imagine that!
Oprah's Lifeclass I've never really liked Oprah, but I tuned in to the first episode out of curiosity and boredom. I was hoping that she was using old episodes to reminisce and maybe catch up with old guests, which could be interesting (because of the guests, not her). Instead, it is Oprah using old episodes to "teach life lessons." I found it hilarious that the first episode was about ego! If she was really taking that advice, she wouldn't have this show. Oprah is no more qualified to guide someone through life than any other broadcaster. I found out that she would have been a social worker or teacher if she wasn't doing this. If she had actually studied to be either of those, maybe I would take her a bit more seriously.
Fox on Demand I'm glad that Fox has finally jumped on the bandwagon, so I can watch shows I've missed. However, they seem to be missing the point of "on demand." They have their shows available in their entirety, including commercials, without allowing fast forward. In contrast, other networks feature commercials, but they only have one or two per break, so it doesn't require as much time. Also, I've been using it to watch The X Factor, and they only have the episodes up for a couple of days before they take it off, which is kind of pointless. Hopefully they'll get it together for the second half of the season.
Blue Valentine I finally watched this movie. It had amazing reviews, great acting, and Ryan Gosling. Although I agreed with the acting, this movie was soooo depressing. Don't watch it if you're already in a bad mood! And Ryan looks totally grungy and trashy, yuck.
The Sing Off I said I wouldn't pick a favorite until the top ten, so I'm a little late, as they're now down to the top eight. Consistently, I have liked AfroBlue's performances. They have great song choices, and they always put their own spin to it to make it slightly different. I've also enjoyed all three male college groups, and can't really pick a favorite among them right now. I'm ready for The Collective to go, and anxious for Pentatonix going forward, as they finally impressed me this week!
Entertainment Weekly's Reunions Issue I mentioned this a few weeks ago talking about Home Improvement. That article was great, and I also enjoyed the reunion of Growing Pains. I wish they could have done a few more!
Alright, that's my two cents for now. What tv, music or movies has you going right now?
VH1 This channel has been rocking my socks off lately. It started with the return of Pop Up Video. I absolutely love this show, and have enjoyed reminiscing, as well as seeing current videos since no one seems to show them anymore. They also recently aired 100 Greatest Songs of the 00s which made me want to create a giant playlist and listen to it over and over (hello Spotify!). VH1 also has Tough Love Miami and The TO Show, which are two of my guilty pleasures. And if you get up early enough, they actually show MUSIC VIDEOS in the morning, imagine that!
Oprah's Lifeclass I've never really liked Oprah, but I tuned in to the first episode out of curiosity and boredom. I was hoping that she was using old episodes to reminisce and maybe catch up with old guests, which could be interesting (because of the guests, not her). Instead, it is Oprah using old episodes to "teach life lessons." I found it hilarious that the first episode was about ego! If she was really taking that advice, she wouldn't have this show. Oprah is no more qualified to guide someone through life than any other broadcaster. I found out that she would have been a social worker or teacher if she wasn't doing this. If she had actually studied to be either of those, maybe I would take her a bit more seriously.
Fox on Demand I'm glad that Fox has finally jumped on the bandwagon, so I can watch shows I've missed. However, they seem to be missing the point of "on demand." They have their shows available in their entirety, including commercials, without allowing fast forward. In contrast, other networks feature commercials, but they only have one or two per break, so it doesn't require as much time. Also, I've been using it to watch The X Factor, and they only have the episodes up for a couple of days before they take it off, which is kind of pointless. Hopefully they'll get it together for the second half of the season.
Blue Valentine I finally watched this movie. It had amazing reviews, great acting, and Ryan Gosling. Although I agreed with the acting, this movie was soooo depressing. Don't watch it if you're already in a bad mood! And Ryan looks totally grungy and trashy, yuck.
The Sing Off I said I wouldn't pick a favorite until the top ten, so I'm a little late, as they're now down to the top eight. Consistently, I have liked AfroBlue's performances. They have great song choices, and they always put their own spin to it to make it slightly different. I've also enjoyed all three male college groups, and can't really pick a favorite among them right now. I'm ready for The Collective to go, and anxious for Pentatonix going forward, as they finally impressed me this week!
Entertainment Weekly's Reunions Issue I mentioned this a few weeks ago talking about Home Improvement. That article was great, and I also enjoyed the reunion of Growing Pains. I wish they could have done a few more!
Alright, that's my two cents for now. What tv, music or movies has you going right now?
Monday, October 3, 2011
Get Spotifyed!
I know that some of you have already discovered the joys of Spotify, but for those who haven't yet, I just wanted to fill you in. For a simple description, I guess it's kind of a mixture of iTunes and Pandora. You download the program from the internet at Spotify.com. There is a free version and a paid version. I'm not sure of all the differences between the two, except that there are no advertisements on the paid version. (If anyone else can enlighten, feel free!)
Anyway, it's basically like having the biggest iTunes account in the world! You can listen to whatever you want, whenever you want, and make playlists or star songs so that you don't have to constantly search for the same song to listen to. For me, it's been awesome because I can listen to entire albums. Since we are on such a budget, Jamie and I have not been able to buy music like we've done in the past. Spotify allows me to listen to the CDs that I would normally have wanted to buy. It also helps you weed out CDs you DON'T want to buy, which is another good way to save money! Unlike iTunes, the songs aren't loaded onto your computer, so it doesn't take up a lot of memory.
So far I'm really impressed with the variety of music they have. They even have a sizeable amount of Christian music, which I was surprised by. The only artist I haven't been able to find so far is Pink, which I thought was random, but I'm sure there's a reason for it. Here are some of the songs I'm currently playing on repeat:
"Not Over You" Gavin Degraw
"Innocent" Taylor Swift
"Cosmic Love" Florence and the Machine
"Til the World Ends" Britney Spears
"Monster" Paramore
"Skyscraper" Demi Lovato
"Moves Like Jagger" Maroon 5/Christina Aguilera
"Loud Music" Michelle Branch
"Something to Believe In" Parachute
"What You Want" Evanescence
"I am Woman" Jordin Sparks
"Pumped Up Kicks" Foster the People
"Cooler Than Me" Mike Posner
"OMG" Usher
"Mr. Know It All" Kelly Clarkson
How about you? Have you discovered Spotify yet? What are you listening to?
Anyway, it's basically like having the biggest iTunes account in the world! You can listen to whatever you want, whenever you want, and make playlists or star songs so that you don't have to constantly search for the same song to listen to. For me, it's been awesome because I can listen to entire albums. Since we are on such a budget, Jamie and I have not been able to buy music like we've done in the past. Spotify allows me to listen to the CDs that I would normally have wanted to buy. It also helps you weed out CDs you DON'T want to buy, which is another good way to save money! Unlike iTunes, the songs aren't loaded onto your computer, so it doesn't take up a lot of memory.
So far I'm really impressed with the variety of music they have. They even have a sizeable amount of Christian music, which I was surprised by. The only artist I haven't been able to find so far is Pink, which I thought was random, but I'm sure there's a reason for it. Here are some of the songs I'm currently playing on repeat:
"Not Over You" Gavin Degraw
"Innocent" Taylor Swift
"Cosmic Love" Florence and the Machine
"Til the World Ends" Britney Spears
"Monster" Paramore
"Skyscraper" Demi Lovato
"Moves Like Jagger" Maroon 5/Christina Aguilera
"Loud Music" Michelle Branch
"Something to Believe In" Parachute
"What You Want" Evanescence
"I am Woman" Jordin Sparks
"Pumped Up Kicks" Foster the People
"Cooler Than Me" Mike Posner
"OMG" Usher
"Mr. Know It All" Kelly Clarkson
How about you? Have you discovered Spotify yet? What are you listening to?
Friday, September 30, 2011
The Guest Teacher
Well, I am officially a substitute. I must say, it feels very strange to be on the other side of things. I've thought about how this job is actually quite counter to my personality. I am a total plan ahead, overachiever. With subbing though, I have no idea when I will teach. I don't know anything about the schools; I don't know where anything is and how to get there; I don't even know what grade I'll be teaching! When I signed up, I had no idea how competitive it would be. According to the district coordinator, there are NINE HUNDRED substitutes in their system.This has led to me only seeing two jobs even listed in the past nine days.
I had my first and only assignment thus far on Wednesday. It was a second grade class and the whole team had subs because the grade was having a "data day." Lucky for me, that meant I was able to talk to the teacher at the beginning of the day because they were on campus. It was also picture day, but she was there for that too. The day wasn't what I would call "fun," as Jamie asked me, but it was manageable. The sub plans said the class was supposed to go to the library for half an hour, but there was a mixup, so I had to fill in that time myself. Good thing I've actually taught before and brought along an emergency sub kit (containing books, games & post-its!) so I was able to fill that time. I was wondering, as the day went on, how non-certified subs make it through. Granted, I didn't do any actual "teaching"-- except one on one assistance-- but just knowing the little things that make a day run smoothly from my own experience was extremely helpful. The kids were sweet, but they were so noisy. I definitely had some deja vu, at times, from my own teaching days! Any class is manageable for a day though, at least after everything I've handled in my short four years.
I hope that my job volume picks up, or it's going to be a lonnnnng school year. If you know anyone that teaches in Lexington One, please let them know about me, so they can request me! That seems like it may be my only chance of really getting in there. I'm also looking maybe for tutoring/ babysitting/daycare opportunities, or anything else educational, so if you have any suggestions, let me know. I don't like being unemployed, mostly from the money standpoint, but also from the being bored standpoint. Although, it is way too easy to get used to not working!
Continuing on the career subject, I took the Praxis a couple of weeks ago to get certified as a reading teacher. Those scored come back mid-month, so I really hope to add that certification to my certificate! I'm betting on that either allowing me another job path, or just putting my resume at the top of others who are just certified in EC. I also babysat a couple of times for the first time in years, which was fun.
There are just so many possibilities out there, I hope God leads me where he wants me to go soon!
I had my first and only assignment thus far on Wednesday. It was a second grade class and the whole team had subs because the grade was having a "data day." Lucky for me, that meant I was able to talk to the teacher at the beginning of the day because they were on campus. It was also picture day, but she was there for that too. The day wasn't what I would call "fun," as Jamie asked me, but it was manageable. The sub plans said the class was supposed to go to the library for half an hour, but there was a mixup, so I had to fill in that time myself. Good thing I've actually taught before and brought along an emergency sub kit (containing books, games & post-its!) so I was able to fill that time. I was wondering, as the day went on, how non-certified subs make it through. Granted, I didn't do any actual "teaching"-- except one on one assistance-- but just knowing the little things that make a day run smoothly from my own experience was extremely helpful. The kids were sweet, but they were so noisy. I definitely had some deja vu, at times, from my own teaching days! Any class is manageable for a day though, at least after everything I've handled in my short four years.
I hope that my job volume picks up, or it's going to be a lonnnnng school year. If you know anyone that teaches in Lexington One, please let them know about me, so they can request me! That seems like it may be my only chance of really getting in there. I'm also looking maybe for tutoring/ babysitting/daycare opportunities, or anything else educational, so if you have any suggestions, let me know. I don't like being unemployed, mostly from the money standpoint, but also from the being bored standpoint. Although, it is way too easy to get used to not working!
Continuing on the career subject, I took the Praxis a couple of weeks ago to get certified as a reading teacher. Those scored come back mid-month, so I really hope to add that certification to my certificate! I'm betting on that either allowing me another job path, or just putting my resume at the top of others who are just certified in EC. I also babysat a couple of times for the first time in years, which was fun.
There are just so many possibilities out there, I hope God leads me where he wants me to go soon!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Adventures in Couponing: CVS
Today was my first try at couponing for CVS. Honestly, it was a bit confusing. Not everything that was in the ad was clearly marked in the store and some products were beside sale labels that weren't actually on sale. Because of that, I ended up having to do some refunds/exchanges, so it took a bit longer than I anticipated. However, I ended up with some pretty good deals:
(2) U by Kotex Liners 60 ct
(2) Softsoap hand pumps 8-8.5 oz
(3) Stride Shaun White Whitemint 14 ct
Spent: $11.13
Saved: $11.12
The savings includes $6 in Extracare bucks, which I can use on my next CVS purchase.
I also had coupons for every item except for the gum, which really helped.
I did pretty well at Target and Publix too, with not a lot of items bought, but a good percentage of savings:
TARGET
(1) Olay Classic Foaming Facial Cleanser
(1) Nivea Touch of Sparkle Women's Body Wash
(1) Crest ProHealth Sensitive + Enamel 6 oz w/Bonus sample & savings booklet
Spent: $6.48
Saved: $6.24
I had coupons for each of these items.
PUBLIX
(1) PF Changs for Two
(1) head of Iceberg Lettuce
(2) Cucumbers
(3) Tomatoes on the Vine
(1) Wishbone Dressing
(1) Vlasic Stackers
(1) Emerald Nuts
(3) Uncle Ben's Ready Rice
(1) Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice
(1) Coke 1.25 liters
Spent: $19.83
Saved: $16.61
Good savings today! Yahoo!
(2) U by Kotex Liners 60 ct
(2) Softsoap hand pumps 8-8.5 oz
(3) Stride Shaun White Whitemint 14 ct
Spent: $11.13
Saved: $11.12
The savings includes $6 in Extracare bucks, which I can use on my next CVS purchase.
I also had coupons for every item except for the gum, which really helped.
I did pretty well at Target and Publix too, with not a lot of items bought, but a good percentage of savings:
TARGET
(1) Olay Classic Foaming Facial Cleanser
(1) Nivea Touch of Sparkle Women's Body Wash
(1) Crest ProHealth Sensitive + Enamel 6 oz w/Bonus sample & savings booklet
Spent: $6.48
Saved: $6.24
I had coupons for each of these items.
PUBLIX
(1) PF Changs for Two
(1) head of Iceberg Lettuce
(2) Cucumbers
(3) Tomatoes on the Vine
(1) Wishbone Dressing
(1) Vlasic Stackers
(1) Emerald Nuts
(3) Uncle Ben's Ready Rice
(1) Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice
(1) Coke 1.25 liters
Spent: $19.83
Saved: $16.61
Good savings today! Yahoo!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
New TV Review: New Girl, Revenge, Whitney
Have I mentioned how much I LOVE tv premiere month?!
New Girl, Fox Tuesday @ 9 ; Whitney, NBC Thursday @ 9:30
I put these two together because they are both single female lead comedies. New Girl basically hinges on whether or not you like Zooey Deschanel. If you like her, you'll like the show, and vice versa. I happen to be a big fan, so I really enjoyed the show. She's such a dorky, relatable character (at least for me) and the laughs were effortless. I think it's a really good followup to Glee.
Whitney, on the other hand took a little more warming up for me. It's shot in front of a live audience, which most sitcoms don't do anymore, so it gives it a completely different feel. The lead, Whitney Cummings, is coming from the world of Chelsea Handler and stand up comedy. Sometimes I felt like I was watching stand up, with one liners being flown from every direction, instead of a seamless story. It was sometimes funny, but I think they were trying much too hard.
Unfortunately, comedies focused on a single woman don't seem to last very long (Jenny; Kristin; Samantha Who?), so I hope at least one of these makes it to next season! If I had to pick only one, it would be New Girl, but I'm going to give Whitney another chance too.
Revenge, ABC Wednesday @ 10
I originally wanted to watch this just out of pure curiosity, but now I am SO excited about this show. It reminded me somewhat of The OC, in the fact that it was taking quite a storied place (The Hamptons) and imagining the lives of those there. It's scandalous and slightly trashy, but also very suspenseful. I'm already invested in the storyline and wondering what happened to Emily Thorn's father. As opposed to new show Ringer that I reviewed last week, these writers did a much better job introducing and establishing characters and plot that are somewhat complicated. I will definitely be tuning in next week!
Did anybody watch any of these shows this week? What did you think?
New Girl, Fox Tuesday @ 9 ; Whitney, NBC Thursday @ 9:30
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Whitney, on the other hand took a little more warming up for me. It's shot in front of a live audience, which most sitcoms don't do anymore, so it gives it a completely different feel. The lead, Whitney Cummings, is coming from the world of Chelsea Handler and stand up comedy. Sometimes I felt like I was watching stand up, with one liners being flown from every direction, instead of a seamless story. It was sometimes funny, but I think they were trying much too hard.Unfortunately, comedies focused on a single woman don't seem to last very long (Jenny; Kristin; Samantha Who?), so I hope at least one of these makes it to next season! If I had to pick only one, it would be New Girl, but I'm going to give Whitney another chance too.
Revenge, ABC Wednesday @ 10
I originally wanted to watch this just out of pure curiosity, but now I am SO excited about this show. It reminded me somewhat of The OC, in the fact that it was taking quite a storied place (The Hamptons) and imagining the lives of those there. It's scandalous and slightly trashy, but also very suspenseful. I'm already invested in the storyline and wondering what happened to Emily Thorn's father. As opposed to new show Ringer that I reviewed last week, these writers did a much better job introducing and establishing characters and plot that are somewhat complicated. I will definitely be tuning in next week!
Did anybody watch any of these shows this week? What did you think?
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A cappella madness!
In honor of the advent of the third season of The Sing Off, I think it's time for some a cappella blogging!
For those that met me post-college, you may or may not know I was a founding member of USC's female a cappella group Cocktails. It was the most awesome experience and sometimes I want to go back to college just so I can be in the group again! I even pulled out some of our old DVDs to watch this summer, and channeled my inner diva during karaoke this summer ("Rolling in the Deep" anyone?). I wish there were enough alum around Columbia to start another group. If you'd like to check out the current incarnation of the group, they have tons of videos on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Cocktailsacappella
Here is one of my favorites:
On to The Sing Off -- this is THE coolest thing to happen to a cappella. I am so excited that they expanded it into a full season this year instead of just a holiday miniseries. This competition has done so much to further the awareness of a cappella. The only thing that bothers me is that they keep referring to it as "voices only," which is technically correct, but I think people can learn a new vocabulary word.
As I was watching last night, I was trying to pinpoint why this show (other than the obvious reasons) seems so different from other singing reality competitions. I decided that this show is completely positive. They don't show the groups during auditions, and thus ridicule them (which is key since many college groups have frequently rotating members). They allow all the groups to sit by the stage and watch each other. The groups are all incredibly supportive of each other, standing ovations and all. I think this gives it a different feel from all of the others.
I really enjoyed most of the first eight groups. Yellowjackets, AfroBlue and Vocal Point more than represented for the college scene. As for Delilah, I was kind of annoyed at first that previous contestants were back, but then I found out they were all in college when they performed before, and have now formed an alumni group, so it's okay :-) I was pleased to finally see a group (Urban Method) do a rap song, which was decent. I only disagreed with one of the choices they sent home: Kinfolk 9 should have been eliminated instead of Cat's Pajamas. I'm going to wait to pick a favorite until the second bracket performs next week.
Oh, and the addition of Sara Barielles is STELLAR. I called that from the first season. She was in a group at UCLA and I actually have a recording of her singing "Gravity" with her group Awaken. I'm pretty sure that was the first recorded incarnation of the song. Anyway, I'm glad they put someone with true a cappella ties on the panel.
Well, that's my schpiel for the moment. Did you watch? Who was your favorite? What did you think of Sara? Comments please!
For those that met me post-college, you may or may not know I was a founding member of USC's female a cappella group Cocktails. It was the most awesome experience and sometimes I want to go back to college just so I can be in the group again! I even pulled out some of our old DVDs to watch this summer, and channeled my inner diva during karaoke this summer ("Rolling in the Deep" anyone?). I wish there were enough alum around Columbia to start another group. If you'd like to check out the current incarnation of the group, they have tons of videos on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Cocktailsacappella
Here is one of my favorites:
On to The Sing Off -- this is THE coolest thing to happen to a cappella. I am so excited that they expanded it into a full season this year instead of just a holiday miniseries. This competition has done so much to further the awareness of a cappella. The only thing that bothers me is that they keep referring to it as "voices only," which is technically correct, but I think people can learn a new vocabulary word.
As I was watching last night, I was trying to pinpoint why this show (other than the obvious reasons) seems so different from other singing reality competitions. I decided that this show is completely positive. They don't show the groups during auditions, and thus ridicule them (which is key since many college groups have frequently rotating members). They allow all the groups to sit by the stage and watch each other. The groups are all incredibly supportive of each other, standing ovations and all. I think this gives it a different feel from all of the others.
I really enjoyed most of the first eight groups. Yellowjackets, AfroBlue and Vocal Point more than represented for the college scene. As for Delilah, I was kind of annoyed at first that previous contestants were back, but then I found out they were all in college when they performed before, and have now formed an alumni group, so it's okay :-) I was pleased to finally see a group (Urban Method) do a rap song, which was decent. I only disagreed with one of the choices they sent home: Kinfolk 9 should have been eliminated instead of Cat's Pajamas. I'm going to wait to pick a favorite until the second bracket performs next week.
Oh, and the addition of Sara Barielles is STELLAR. I called that from the first season. She was in a group at UCLA and I actually have a recording of her singing "Gravity" with her group Awaken. I'm pretty sure that was the first recorded incarnation of the song. Anyway, I'm glad they put someone with true a cappella ties on the panel.
Well, that's my schpiel for the moment. Did you watch? Who was your favorite? What did you think of Sara? Comments please!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
New TV Review: Ringer, Up All Night
Two new television shows premiered this week to big hype, so I thought I'd write some musings on both.
Ringer The CW, Tuesday @ 9 pm
I mainly decided to watch this show because everyone was so excited about it, and the concept seemed fairly intriguing, if somewhat confusing. Well, I ended with mixed emotions. At first, I was actually kind of bored. There was so much going on and I couldn't figure out who was who. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays twins on the show, and when both sisters were on screen at the same time, the photoshopping/green screening was so obvious that it became distracting. The backgrounds during some scenes were also clearly created from a computer, especially when they were on a boat. I'm hoping they fired the technical director from the pilot and maybe it will get better. I just wasn't that invested in the what was going on... then the last five minutes happened. I'm not going to spoil it for anyone who still wants to check it out, but those last few minutes will make me at least give the next couple of episodes a shot. ** Sidenote: ABC Family is doing the twins switching places concept much better right now with The Lying Game. I recommend checking that one out (Mon @ 8).
Up All Night NBC, Wednesday @ 8 pm
Let me just start by saying that this will be coming on opposite one of my favorite shows, The Middle. However, the pilot premiered after America's Got Talent last night, so I was able to watch it. I was very excited for this premiere, based on actors alone: Christina Applegate (loved Samantha Who) and Will Arnett. How can you go wrong? Jamie watched this one along with me, and I think it's safe to say we both enjoyed it. It had laugh out loud moments, which I think will increase and I think lots of people will be able to relate. Obviously I'm not a parent yet, but I know enough of them to know how true to life these situations are. Maya Rudolph as the over the top talk show host (Applegate's boss) is just an added bonus. I am hoping this show will be On Demand because I will definitely watch it again. You should too!
Did anybody else watch? What did you think?
Ringer The CW, Tuesday @ 9 pm
I mainly decided to watch this show because everyone was so excited about it, and the concept seemed fairly intriguing, if somewhat confusing. Well, I ended with mixed emotions. At first, I was actually kind of bored. There was so much going on and I couldn't figure out who was who. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays twins on the show, and when both sisters were on screen at the same time, the photoshopping/green screening was so obvious that it became distracting. The backgrounds during some scenes were also clearly created from a computer, especially when they were on a boat. I'm hoping they fired the technical director from the pilot and maybe it will get better. I just wasn't that invested in the what was going on... then the last five minutes happened. I'm not going to spoil it for anyone who still wants to check it out, but those last few minutes will make me at least give the next couple of episodes a shot. ** Sidenote: ABC Family is doing the twins switching places concept much better right now with The Lying Game. I recommend checking that one out (Mon @ 8).
Let me just start by saying that this will be coming on opposite one of my favorite shows, The Middle. However, the pilot premiered after America's Got Talent last night, so I was able to watch it. I was very excited for this premiere, based on actors alone: Christina Applegate (loved Samantha Who) and Will Arnett. How can you go wrong? Jamie watched this one along with me, and I think it's safe to say we both enjoyed it. It had laugh out loud moments, which I think will increase and I think lots of people will be able to relate. Obviously I'm not a parent yet, but I know enough of them to know how true to life these situations are. Maya Rudolph as the over the top talk show host (Applegate's boss) is just an added bonus. I am hoping this show will be On Demand because I will definitely watch it again. You should too!
Did anybody else watch? What did you think?
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Chart Flashback
I was reading Entertainment Weekly this morning and came across their Billboard chart flashback from this week in 1999. I'd like to share that I proudly own nine of these ten songs!
1. Enrique Iglesias "Bailamos"
2. TLC "Unpretty"
3. LFO "Summer Girls"
4. Christina Aguilera "Genie in a Bottle"
5. Garth Brooks as Chris Gaines "Lost in You"
6. Santana f/Rob Thomas "Smooth"
7. Smash Mouth "All Star"
8. 702 "Where my Girls At?"
9. Destiny's Child "Bills Bills Bills"
10. Sugar Ray "Someday"
My faves: "Bills Bills Bills"- I bought the single of this and WORE IT OUT
"Smooth"- Still makes me wanna dance (and we all know I don't like to)
"Genie in a Bottle- Hello? It's Christina!
Any guesses as to the song I don't own?
1. Enrique Iglesias "Bailamos"
2. TLC "Unpretty"
3. LFO "Summer Girls"
4. Christina Aguilera "Genie in a Bottle"
5. Garth Brooks as Chris Gaines "Lost in You"
6. Santana f/Rob Thomas "Smooth"
7. Smash Mouth "All Star"
8. 702 "Where my Girls At?"
9. Destiny's Child "Bills Bills Bills"
10. Sugar Ray "Someday"
My faves: "Bills Bills Bills"- I bought the single of this and WORE IT OUT
"Smooth"- Still makes me wanna dance (and we all know I don't like to)
"Genie in a Bottle- Hello? It's Christina!
Any guesses as to the song I don't own?
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Reasons Why...
This weekend rocked!
- Out of town excursion: Lake Keowee in Seneca
- Old friend sightings: We stayed in a friend's parents' lake house. Many of these friends I hadn't seen since our wedding!
- Gamecocks win: Wasn't the prettiest win, but we pulled it out
- Birthday cake: Ivy's birthday provided an excuse for homemade vanilla cake with chocolate icing. Yum!
- Bonfire: Fun times sitting out at night around the fire swapping stories
- Grilling: Hot dogs and zucchini are more fun when they're grilled!
- Sitting on the dock of the... lake: fun in the sun
Family Ties Part II
This summer I spent a ridiculous amount of time with my Netflix Instant Viewing account. One of the things I watched was the entire series of Family Ties. That's right, all seven seasons. After Jamie came in several nights in a row to me watching, he inquired as to why I was watching this particular show. Then I reminded him that Family Ties debuted in 1983... I wasn't born until the next year. Therefore, I had never actually seen an episode of the show. My mom had happened to mention that she thought I would enjoy the show, so when I saw it was on Instant Viewing, I decided to give it a try.
The first couple of episodes were a little slow going, but I quickly got wrapped up in the characters and stories. I like that so much of the day to day of it involves the politics of the parents vs. the children. I can't really think of any shows that handle that so much today. It's also a clever, funny show. So many times, I go back and watch old 'family' shows and they're just so much cheesier than I remember (I'm looking at you Full House!). Thankfully, this show does not fall into that category. I also enjoyed the fact that it had so many actors "before they were famous." Geena Davis, Courtney Cox, Tom Hanks, and even a five-year-old Joseph Gordon Levitt graced the screen during the years. There was also a really quirky casting choice that I don't think could ever happen now: the same actor played FIVE different characters through different seasons. It was always a background role, but viewers would call out producers in two seconds if they ever tried to do that now. And obviously it was more apparent to me since I was watching the seasons within days, and not years. Still interesting though.
As I watched, I tried to think what show in the 90's or 2000's would compare to Family Ties. What I came up with was Home Improvement, which made sense to me, since that used to be my favorite! There were no political undercurrents, but the feel of the show and the family situations and issues were very similar. Which brings me to this picture....
"Entertainment Weekly" is doing a reunions issue and Home Improvement happens to be one of the shows featured. I am SUPER excited about it, because I used to be obsessed with Jonathan Taylor Thomas. This photo shoot was apparently the first time the rest of the cast had seen him since he left the show in 1998.
In honor of his reappearance and 30th birthday, the website TooFab! did a photo gallery of 90's heartthrobs then and now, so I would like to share:
Teen Idols- Then and Now
Enjoy! Who were your faves?
The first couple of episodes were a little slow going, but I quickly got wrapped up in the characters and stories. I like that so much of the day to day of it involves the politics of the parents vs. the children. I can't really think of any shows that handle that so much today. It's also a clever, funny show. So many times, I go back and watch old 'family' shows and they're just so much cheesier than I remember (I'm looking at you Full House!). Thankfully, this show does not fall into that category. I also enjoyed the fact that it had so many actors "before they were famous." Geena Davis, Courtney Cox, Tom Hanks, and even a five-year-old Joseph Gordon Levitt graced the screen during the years. There was also a really quirky casting choice that I don't think could ever happen now: the same actor played FIVE different characters through different seasons. It was always a background role, but viewers would call out producers in two seconds if they ever tried to do that now. And obviously it was more apparent to me since I was watching the seasons within days, and not years. Still interesting though.
As I watched, I tried to think what show in the 90's or 2000's would compare to Family Ties. What I came up with was Home Improvement, which made sense to me, since that used to be my favorite! There were no political undercurrents, but the feel of the show and the family situations and issues were very similar. Which brings me to this picture....
"Entertainment Weekly" is doing a reunions issue and Home Improvement happens to be one of the shows featured. I am SUPER excited about it, because I used to be obsessed with Jonathan Taylor Thomas. This photo shoot was apparently the first time the rest of the cast had seen him since he left the show in 1998.
In honor of his reappearance and 30th birthday, the website TooFab! did a photo gallery of 90's heartthrobs then and now, so I would like to share:
Teen Idols- Then and Now
Enjoy! Who were your faves?
Monday, September 12, 2011
I'm Audi 5000...
Here is the newest member of the Cashatt household. Jamie traded in the Audi for a BMW. The only stipulation from me is that the car payment be less than his previous one. Mission accomplished!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Bookworm!
One perk of not having a job to prepare for this summer has been that I've actually gotten to read! I seriously haven't read this much (for fun) since I was in college. I averaged about a book a week. Here is a list, along with a few thoughts of what I've read in the past three months.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Best book of the summer! To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books, and once I heard people comparing the two, I knew I must read it. The themes of this story are so universal and the 1960's are one of the most interesting time periods in history to me. I can't really say enough to do this story justice, so if you haven't read it yet, go do yourself a favor!
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
These books were by far the most exciting. There was hardly ever a dull moment (except maybe in the third one). Perfect summer reads in my opinion. I flew through these books, hardly able to put each down once I started it. Definitely recommended!
Girls in Pants and Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares
These are the third and fourth books in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I read the previous two a few years ago and had never finished the series, until now. As I was reading them, especially the fourth one, I felt a profound sense of deja vu and couldn't figure out why, but later found out the second movie was based on these two books. (Whew!) These are also fun summer reads, and make me feel like a teenager again :-)
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Okay, I think this may be one of those love it or hate it books, and I can't say that I loved it. I found the main character to be very unlikable (and don't you want to like the protagonist?) and annoying. I also disagreed many of her views on religion and spirituality. She seemed to come from the point of there being a universal God and one can get there however they please. Can't say that I was pleased about that. That said, I enjoyed maybe the last fifty or so pages of the book, when she actually did something for somebody else. Still, I wouldn't really recommend this book. I actually liked the movie better (weird!).
Others I read:
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Alborn- Reminded me of my dad. Read it in a day.
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock- Young adult novel with some Romeo and Juliet-ish subtext. Would like to read the sequel.
Monkey Town by Ronald Kidd- Historical fiction about the Scopes Monkey Trial from a teenage point of view. First book I read this summer, which set a nice tone.
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd- Only one word for this book: strange. Go read The Secret Life of Bees instead!
That's it for now. Leave your own recommendations or tell us what you read this summer in the comments below!
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Best book of the summer! To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books, and once I heard people comparing the two, I knew I must read it. The themes of this story are so universal and the 1960's are one of the most interesting time periods in history to me. I can't really say enough to do this story justice, so if you haven't read it yet, go do yourself a favor!
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
These books were by far the most exciting. There was hardly ever a dull moment (except maybe in the third one). Perfect summer reads in my opinion. I flew through these books, hardly able to put each down once I started it. Definitely recommended!
Girls in Pants and Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares
These are the third and fourth books in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I read the previous two a few years ago and had never finished the series, until now. As I was reading them, especially the fourth one, I felt a profound sense of deja vu and couldn't figure out why, but later found out the second movie was based on these two books. (Whew!) These are also fun summer reads, and make me feel like a teenager again :-)
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Okay, I think this may be one of those love it or hate it books, and I can't say that I loved it. I found the main character to be very unlikable (and don't you want to like the protagonist?) and annoying. I also disagreed many of her views on religion and spirituality. She seemed to come from the point of there being a universal God and one can get there however they please. Can't say that I was pleased about that. That said, I enjoyed maybe the last fifty or so pages of the book, when she actually did something for somebody else. Still, I wouldn't really recommend this book. I actually liked the movie better (weird!).
Others I read:
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Alborn- Reminded me of my dad. Read it in a day.
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock- Young adult novel with some Romeo and Juliet-ish subtext. Would like to read the sequel.
Monkey Town by Ronald Kidd- Historical fiction about the Scopes Monkey Trial from a teenage point of view. First book I read this summer, which set a nice tone.
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd- Only one word for this book: strange. Go read The Secret Life of Bees instead!
That's it for now. Leave your own recommendations or tell us what you read this summer in the comments below!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Parents and Teachers, Teachers and Parents
My news feed was blowing up last night with people posting this CNN article, so before you read my musings, check it out if you haven't already:
What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents
I don't know that I have a ton to add, but I really agree with a lot of what he's saying. And unfortunately, I've had to deal with most of the situations he writes about. I resigned from my school of four years for a myriad of reasons (which I won't air here), but parental issues were definitely a contributing factor.
EXCUSES: Parents are full of them. I understand the need to protect a child, I really do. However, not allowing students to take responsibility for their own actions is NOT helping them. They will grow up thinking someone is always going to bail them out for mistakes and wrong choices. I can't even begin to count how many parental excuses I've heard. My favorite is when a child would get in trouble for not being able to keep his hands to himself and it was always another child's fault. Then I get to explain ever so nicely, how the first child is actually the instigator the majority of the time. UGH.
PROSECUTOR: These were my least favorite parent interactions. The parent whose child accused me of telling her to "get your a** in line." The parent whose child accused me of "bullying" her, then told the mom not to say anything. The parent, seriously misinformed, who emailed the district office and told them I "lost" her child and didn't know where he was. The parent who claimed his child was being bullied by other students, even though it was the other way around. I could go on and on and on.
EGGSHELLS: Honestly, I wasn't too happy when parents came to visit during the school day. Most of them didn't want to help, they just wanted to sit and stare and point out things that the other students were doing wrong. Talk about walking on eggshells! I'm a nervous person anyway, so that didn't really help much.
The bottom line is, teachers teach because we WANT to. We are not out to "get" your student. We want to teach them as much as we can, without being torn apart for every decision we make. It makes me cringe when I see acquaintances on Facebook complaining about their child's teacher. If they even had an inkling of what that teacher goes through in a normal day, they would think twice about airing their grievances-- at least I hope they would.
I didn't really mean to unload like this, but I applaud Ron Clark for having the courage to speak out about this. And for giving me the courage too!
Teachers? Thoughts?
What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents
I don't know that I have a ton to add, but I really agree with a lot of what he's saying. And unfortunately, I've had to deal with most of the situations he writes about. I resigned from my school of four years for a myriad of reasons (which I won't air here), but parental issues were definitely a contributing factor.
EXCUSES: Parents are full of them. I understand the need to protect a child, I really do. However, not allowing students to take responsibility for their own actions is NOT helping them. They will grow up thinking someone is always going to bail them out for mistakes and wrong choices. I can't even begin to count how many parental excuses I've heard. My favorite is when a child would get in trouble for not being able to keep his hands to himself and it was always another child's fault. Then I get to explain ever so nicely, how the first child is actually the instigator the majority of the time. UGH.
PROSECUTOR: These were my least favorite parent interactions. The parent whose child accused me of telling her to "get your a** in line." The parent whose child accused me of "bullying" her, then told the mom not to say anything. The parent, seriously misinformed, who emailed the district office and told them I "lost" her child and didn't know where he was. The parent who claimed his child was being bullied by other students, even though it was the other way around. I could go on and on and on.
EGGSHELLS: Honestly, I wasn't too happy when parents came to visit during the school day. Most of them didn't want to help, they just wanted to sit and stare and point out things that the other students were doing wrong. Talk about walking on eggshells! I'm a nervous person anyway, so that didn't really help much.
The bottom line is, teachers teach because we WANT to. We are not out to "get" your student. We want to teach them as much as we can, without being torn apart for every decision we make. It makes me cringe when I see acquaintances on Facebook complaining about their child's teacher. If they even had an inkling of what that teacher goes through in a normal day, they would think twice about airing their grievances-- at least I hope they would.
I didn't really mean to unload like this, but I applaud Ron Clark for having the courage to speak out about this. And for giving me the courage too!
Teachers? Thoughts?
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