This and That..

Craft Crazy

2012-11-07T20:09:00.000-08:00

There's a couple reasons why I've been so unfaithful to the blogger world these past couple months. Clinicals being the main one and checking of that fall bucket list that I made with Miss Casey is another. The third reason is.......crafting! I swear there's something about Pinterest that inspires me to be the most creative woman on this planet and go craft crazy. Let's just say, I've been appreciating those Michaels' coupons in the Sunday paper a WHOLE lot more than I have in the past!

A Halloween wreath to hang on the front door!

A decorated pumpkin for our table centerpiece! So simple! Just painted on the circles then added the C for Conley! The bedazzled jewels gave it the perfect touch!

Here's my favorite! All you need is an empty wine bottle, gems, Christmas lights, and a hot glue gun! Glue gems to the wine bottle, add in the lights, and what do you have? A NIGHT LIGHT!

I was a little nutty over Halloween this year. I could hardly wait for the Hocus Pocus reruns to begin so I figured what's more perfect than a Halloween countdown? I spray painted a cookie sheet, painted on the letters, then decorated it with some cute stickers/ribbon/letters. (And yes, you read it right. I definitely screwed up the numbers. 14,13,14,13,12- That's what writing a lesson plan, listening to music, and crafting at the same time does to me! Woops!)

I'm wrapping up my last couple weeks with my sweet third graders. I don't even want to think about leaving their sweet faces- they bring way too much joy into my life! Whenever clinicals are over and the holiday's arrive, I'm hoping to write less lesson plans and do MORE crafting!

I'm off to bed! Night ya'll!

Recipes :)

2012-11-06T10:13:00.003-08:00

I have a couple of favorite healthy recipes/meals that are super easy to whip up and I wanted to share them with YOU.

1. Homemade Flatbread Pizza

This is one of my absolute favorites. Ever since my cousin's hubby whipped this up for us, I've been hooked. Not only is a a much healthier choice than your local pizza place, it taste JUST as good to me, if not better! (Thanks Drewbie!) What you need:

1. 80 calorie flatbread

2. 1/4 cup of pizza sauce

3. 1/4 cup of white shredded cheese

4. turkey pepperoni (17 slices is only 60 cals- wowie!)

5. Canned pineapple (two slices cut up-60 calories!)

6. Heat oven to 375, bake for 15 minutes, and voila- your very own pizza!

2. Fancy Schmancy Dinner, Right at Home!

It's so expensive to get a REALLY good meal out at restaurants anymore. So, my mom and I decided instead of ordering our favorite meal out (Salmon), we'd start cooking it at home. We found out FAST how much better AND cheaper it is to just whip it up in our own kitchen! What you need:

1. 1 Salmon fillet (you can buy a bag of individually wrapped salmon for the price of ONE fillet you'd order out) About 5 minutes before salmon is done, glaze it with teriyaki sauce- UNBELIEVABLE!)

2. Sweet Potatoe (Takes a whole bit of 8 minutes to heat up!)

3. Broccoli (Takes 4 minutes to heat up. Sprinkle some cheese on there for more taste!)

Anddddddd there you have it! A wonderful dinner at home- and you don't have to tip! (Score!)

3. Taco Soup (Mmmmmm!)

My mouth is watering just thinking about it! It doesn't help that I just made the soup this morning. It's completely eye balling me from the stove at this very minute! Anywho, if you like Mexican, beans or or a little spice then this is for you! What you need:

1 can red kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 can yellow corn

1 chopped onion

3 16oz cans diced tomatoes with Green Chiles

1 package Taco Seasoning Mix

1 Package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

Brown 1lb of ground beef (we use turkey beef) with chopped onions. Drain. Season with 1 package of Taco Seasoning mix and 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing.

Mix together all cans of vegetables. Don't drain any of the vegetables.

Add meat mixture to the canned vegetable mix and heat.

And there you have it! FYI: This soup goes PERFECTLY with tortilla chips! Just add sour cream, shredded cheese, or whatever else makes your little tummy smile!

Enjoy :)

Klove, Casey, and Coffee!

2012-10-09T05:17:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to extend my apologies to the blogger world for being M.I.A. My oh my have my days been crazy busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way- I'm doing what I love!

With that said, I couldn't do it without the inspiration and motivation I receive from my loved ones. For example, I've already received my daily dose of KLove Radio, Casey, and coffee this morning- the three things that get me through each and every day. She got placed at Kellogg Elementary for our level II clinical (lucky girl, absolutely love the school- GO TIGERS!). It just so happens that I live about 3 blocks away, so we have started a morning ritual where she stops by for coffee and of course, teacher talk! I don't believe there's a better way to start off my day.

For my level II clinical I got placed at Ceredo Elementary which is only 5 minutes from my house- WOOO! I will admit, it's so convenient and those extra ten minutes of sleep I receive each night is just oh so wonderful! It's only week two and I feel like I've known these kids (and Mrs. H) for so long. I've never learned students' names so fast. Maybe it's because every single morning since day 1, I walk in the classroom and all I hear is "What's my name, What's my name, What's my name?" I'm thankful they stayed on me as much as they did, because dag on it....I knew all of their names by day 4!

I'm teaching my unit in about three weeks! I'm already doing some small groups with the kids, and I have a couple of cute activities up my sleeve for these kiddos. I'll try to post pictures soon! For now...I"m off to school!

Have a great day friends!

Baby Bailey #3

2012-09-24T09:12:00.001-07:00

What's more exciting that finding out there's going to be a new addition to your family? You're right, not much! However, revealing the sex of the baby is quite the excitement! My cousin, Rachel and her husband, Drew decided they wanted to do something a little different this time around. (This will be baby #3!)

On September 10th they had a doctor's appointment to find out the sex of baby Bailey. This is where it gets fun! They had the doctor slip the ultrasound pics into an envelope. They then gave this envelope to a friend who made a cake! Pink on the inside if it's a girl and blue if it's a boy! That evening they had a GENDER REVEAL party for not only family and friends- but for them too! Major kudos to them for waiting hours to find out (and not peaking in the envelope). This was the cutest/sweetest idea I've ever heard of and was such a special time for our family!

Can't wait to welcome "Gracie Lyric Bailey" into our family :)

Twenty Three!

2012-09-19T10:27:00.001-07:00

I turned 23 years YOUNG a couple weeks ago. My oh my, does time fly or what? I get older each year but that doesn't mean I have to grow up just yet, does it? No way. Forever young, my friends. I felt the best way to share my birthday with you was not through words, but pictures!

I started my birthday "week" out by having dinner with some lovely friends :)

They spoiled me too much. Gift cards for Starbucks, Dollar Tree (every teacher will appreciate this)and Forever 21, fancy wine, sweet cards, balloons, and an organizing dresser stand full of TEACHER SUPPLIES!! I about fell over and went to heaven!

I received these from my sweet Casey Danielle :) Flowers and another gift card to Forever 21. She knows the way to my heart! Since we share the same birthday, we decided to have lunch at one of our favorite places- fat pattys! Because it was "our" day we chose to eat anything we wanted. Crispy buffalo chicken wrap with fries won us over!

Remember when I blogged about my Georgia trip? Here's the sweet baby I met :) She and Katey made me a "Happy Birthday" sign along with a video of them singing to me! Talk about making someones day!

Here is proof that Sunday dinners are the best at my home- Thanks Momma! She cooked my favorite meal and invited the fam over for this and red velvet cake (homemade as well).

Getting pampered by Bray after stuffing my face with cake! I could let her play with my hair for hours!

Since these boys were in Morgantown during my birthday dinner, they made it up with a little birthday bowling! They're the best. (So is the photographer: Miss Sar Hayton)

The BEST part of my birthday? The four of us being together! Huge thank you to my sis for driving in from Nashville and never missing my birthday. Family is everything!

ZUMBA!

2012-09-12T08:25:00.004-07:00

Well ladies (and gents), it's that time again! School's back in session which means it's time for us to come together and shake that weight off- Zumba style!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this workout, listen up! Zumba is a Latin inspired dance fitness program that has become so popular not only in the US but around the world. Here's a little fact for you: More than 14 million people of all shapes and ages participate in weekly Zumba classes in over 140,000 locations across more than 150 countries.

Something that tends to rub me the wrong way is when I hear this statement: "Zumba isn't a real workout." Whoever says this either 1. Has never been to a REAL zumba class. 2. Has been to a class but SLACKS. As you dance (salsa, calypso, cumbia, meringue, quebradita, reggaeton and samba) you are exercising and raising your heart rate, which means burning calories and fat. All of the moves require FULL body movement so please tell me how this isn't a workout? Those who actually put forth the effort WILL get results and I encourage whoever thinks that Zumba is not a real work out to come to our class because I guarantee you'll leave thinking differently :) (Shewwwww! I feel better now!)

Personally, I love to dance and I have my mother to thank for that. If music is playing, good luck trying to get me to sit still or focus :) It's just in my genes! However, just because I like to dance doesn't mean I'm necessarily "good" and THAT is the beauty of Zumba. There is absolutely no skill required in order to do Zumba the "right" way. There is no right or wrong because it's all about YOUR way and your level of comfort. As an instructor, we provide guidance but it is up to YOU to make the moves yours: Own it!

Zumba in a nutshell: Dancing, smiling, and laughing your booty off with some cool ladies for an hour while burning major calories in the process.

Our Zumba classes will be starting back up NEXT WEEK (September 18th). Classes will be weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00-7:00pm at the Buffalo Middle School Gym. The price is $4.00 a class or you can buy a punch card: 11 classes for $40.00 which means you get one class free ;)

You are required to bring only 2 things: Your pretty little smile and your favorite dance moves! Let's have fun!

For my viewers outside of this area, head on over to www.zumba.com and find a class near you!

For those wondering just how many calories you can burn during a class go here:http://caloriesburnedhq.com/zumba-calories-burned/

Team Toni!

2012-09-11T06:24:00.002-07:00

Good Morning!

Laying heavy on my mind today is a lovely young woman with the name of Toni Black. Toni was diagnosed with stage four cancer of the lungs and brain back in March of 2011. Not knowing who Toni Black was, I began to follow her story through the news and social media. Realizing that she was 23, the exact age I am today, really opened my eyes and heart. What a strong person to have gone through what she did at such a young age: all with her smile and faith in God. She went to be with the Lord on April 9th, 2012.

For those in the community, I'm sure you've heard of "Team Toni" and/or seen the pink Team Toni shirts that hundreds of us wear. THIS is what it's for! Team Toni is a non profit organization that is allowing Toni's legacy and wishes to carry on. This is where you step in....

I've posted before about volunteering and how much better it feels to GIVE rather than receive and I will stand by this statement again and again. Awhile back my best friend Casey and I felt lead to become involved with Team Toni in some way. After looking through the different options, we felt the "Send A Squeeze" service was best fit for us. Every couple weeks an email is sent to us from Team Toni, informing us of patients/people who need our prayers and their spirits lifted. Their story, along with their name and address is provided to us. Once this info is sent our way, it's then time to get the pens moving and the stamps ready! As Team Toni puts it, "You send a squeeze through a note or card to someone who needs it most, and you’ll be helping the healing from the outside in!"

There are so many different ways you can volunteer through Team Toni. I encourage you to head on over to their website. You'll be able to learn more about Toni and her journey, find ways to volunteer, make donations, see photos/videos, stay up to date with Team Toni events and prayer lists, and much more.

http://www.teamtoni.org/?page_id=89

Moore Tradition & MU Football!

2012-09-07T13:25:00.001-07:00

Hello All :) I hope you've had a fabulous week! This week has flown by for me and I'm glad for a couple of reasons: 1. Wedding Shower 2. Family festivities. 3. MARSHALL FOOTBALL STARTS! Time to tailgate with great food and friends!

One of my very best friend's is having her wedding shower this evening! She's the most deserving girl in the world and I can't wait to see all the goodies she gets! Her house is going to look marvelous!

What I'm reaaaaaaaaaally excited about is the family festivity that us Moore's like to call a "family tradition." I'm ALL about a tradition, especially with them! Once a year, my Great Uncle Bill from Kentucky drives in for the weekend in his big camper and parks it right at...get ready.. VIRGINIA POINT. Yeah baby! He always brings his golf cart, which my cousin Zane and I usually take full advantage of. If for some reason you're in the Kenova area tonight- hide ya kids! We tend to have a little too much fun with that thing. Once he gets here the cooking out begins and doesn't end until he leaves! Everything from food, campfires, and fishing, to hitting some golf balls into the river. Never a dull moment with the Moore clan!

Also, football season has arrived! Some of my best memories are made on game days with friends. I'm hoping for a WINNING season this year! Go Herd!

Off to the shower I go! Hope everyone has a great, safe weekend!

5 Ways to be Happier :)

2012-09-06T06:07:00.005-07:00

My dear mother forwarded this email to me yesterday after she had received it from a co-worker. I found it so uplifting that I wanted to share it with YOU.

A tip for each day of the week

Monday

Focus on "Get to" instead of "Have to" - While driving to work focus on what you "get to" do instead of what you "have to" do. With gratitude realize that you don't have to do anything. Youget to go to a job while so many are unemployed. Gratitude floods your body and brain with emotions that uplift you and energize you rather than stress hormones that drain you.

Tuesday

Don’t Expect your Boss, Co-workers and Customers to Make you Happy - Realize that happiness is an inside job. Our happiness has less to do with forces outside of us and more to do with what's inside of us. The way we think about work, feel about work and approach our work influences our happiness at work. For instance, just by making yourself smile you produce more serotonin in the brain-which makes you feel happier. You'll also be happier when you focus on what you are giving instead of what you are getting.

Wednesday

Don’t Seek Happiness - Ironically if you want to be happier don't seek happiness. Instead share your strengths and decide to work with passion and purpose and happiness will find you. The research shows that people are most energized when they are using their strengths for a bigger purpose beyond themselves. Whatever your job, decide to bring passion to it and find purpose in it. I've met bus drivers, mortgage brokers, janitors and fast-food employees who are more passionate about their jobs and happier than some professional athletes making millions of dollars. Every job will get mundane and "old" if you let it but purpose and passion keep it fresh and make you happier.

Thursday

Focus on Excellence instead of Success - When you focus on success you can easily fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others, looking over your shoulder, feeling envious, playing office politics, and competing against coworkers instead of collaborating. However, when you focus on excellence you measure yourself against your own growth and potential. You strive to be the best you can be. You simply focus on getting better every day and this makes work more meaningful and rewarding.

Friday

Celebrate Together - While we shouldn't depend on others to make us happy, by building a positive team or support group at work we will be happier. So instead of expecting others to make you happy, you proactively create the positive relationships that enhance your engagement, productivity and happiness. One great way to do this to huddle with your team/group at the end of the week and have each person share their accomplishments, victories, and great moments of the week. This will produce great feelings on Friday that inspire you and your team to come back to work and make a difference on Monday.

I am blessed with a job and co-workers that I love dearly so work stress is pretty much irrelevant to me. However, while reading this I found myself applying it to school. I hope you can take these 5 Monday-Friday tips and apply them in the areas of your life you see fit!

Have a great day!

Quick Healthy Bars on the Go!

2012-09-02T14:09:00.003-07:00

Most every one's schedule is so hectic that it's sometimes easy to forget to eat or pack a snack. Because of this we choose the easiest, quickest route which usually results in fast food or snacks from the gas station. Yes, I can be guilty at times, too! I wanted to share with you all a few of my favorite bars that I grab before heading out of the house!

1. Cliff Bars

These babies are so yummy and are packed with protein. Beacuse of the calories, I tend to use eat this as a meal replacement rather than a snack. The peanut butter crunch is my fave!

2. Fiber One Bars

A bar has 9 grams of fiber and 140 calories. This is one of my favorite snacks. You can even find these in the Great Value brand at walmart and save some mula!

3. Balance Bars

Woooo Baby. These are fantastic. This bar has over 23 vitamins and minerals, 14 grams of protein, and 200 calories. My mom and I will usually split this bar in half for a 100 calorie snack. It taste just as good as a brownie to me. You can find these at Walmart, Walgreens, etc.

All three of these bars are so yummy and a much better choice than a bag of potato chips!

What I love about Sundays..

2012-09-01T20:27:00.001-07:00

"Go home into your blue jeans. Have some chicken and some baked beans. Pick a backyard football team, nothin much of anything. That's what I love about Sunday"-- LOVE IT! Craig Morgan really hit the jackpot with this song. As I'm about to flip the lights out for the night, I can't stop singing this in my head. Maybe because that's the perfect Sunday song? Maybe cause I'm just delirious and need sleep? Orrrrrrrrr maybe because I absolutely can not wait for my Momma's cookin tomorrow? Yes, I think that's it!

Since my birthday falls on a Wednesday, Momma figured it'd work out best to get the family together this Sunday rather than during the week. After church she's cooking my birthday dinner and inviting my lovely Moore fam over to join! Instead of that chicken and baked beans, we'll be having my absolute favorite Sunday dinner: A crock pot full of roast, potatoes, and carrots. And we can't forget the best part...CORNBREAD! The dessert will be my birthday cake-Red Velvet (my fave!) Is it bad that my mouth is watering just thinking about the food? I have problems.

Other than that big meal, I plan to be in my hoodie and sweats- relaxing, being lazy, blogging, reading, etc. The forecast for tomorrow is 60% chance of rain which means-perfect lazy weather! Now THATS what I love about Sundays.

Now that I've rambled and bored you about all this food at 11:30pm, I think it's time to calm it down and hit the sack!

What are your favorite Sunday meals? Share with me!

UPDATE!

2012-08-31T13:21:00.000-07:00

For those of you who read my post about donating to the Big Brothers/Big Sister's Organization, I figured I'd give you an update on the turn out. I was AMAZED at the amount of school supplies that were donated!

Here's the trunk of goodies before dropping them off at BBBS!

Thank you again to all my friends and family that took just a LITTLE time out of their day to make a child smile so BIG! You all are FABULOUS!

I figured I'd share that hroughout this process I decided to become a mentor for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization! They are currently in the process of finding me a match and I absolutely can not wait to meet my little sister! I was a part of a mentoring program a couple years ago called Be Hope USA and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Believe me, it would be yours too! These children need a positive influence in their life as well as a lot of LOVE. We all have a little extra love and attention to give, right? All it takes is one hour out of the week! If you think mentoring is something you'd enjoy then please please please do it! BBBS is welcoming people (both men and women) to come forward and mentor! Here is a couple ways to contact BBBS.

Website: http://www.bbbstristate.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigbrothers.bigsisters.37
Phone: 304-522-2191

"One thing I know; the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve. "~ Albert Schweitzer

Avoiding the Freshman 15

2012-08-30T17:01:00.000-07:00

So this was the first week back to school and holy cow is there a LOT of freshman on campus. I couldn't help but reminisce on my freshman year. I remember how excited I was: Freedom. New faces. Food everywhere. Awesome Rec Center. With that said, I think we've all heard about the "Freshman 15". Between the new schedule and late nights in the library, snacking on the wrong things become a habit- a very bad habit. Believe me freshies, it's easy to gain but so much HARDER to get it off. Here's a couple tips so that the "Freshman 15" won't apply to you!

1. WORK IT OUT.

http://www.marshallcampusrec.com/

I know how hard it can be adjusting to a new schedule but it's so important not to forget the most important part of your day. Between eating late and the stress of school, it only makes sense to MAKE this a part of your day. Plus, this Rec center is pretty awesome. They have everything between rock climbing, swimming, yoga, spinning, etc so there's really NO reason why you shouldn't take full advantage!

2. AVOID CAFETERIA FOOD

This use to be a struggle for me but I believe I've finally mastered saying NO to the food on campus. Most of it is expensive, fattening, and.. did I say EXPENSIVE? It's almost $3.00 for a cup of grapes. Holy Cow. This leads to my next tip...

3. PACK YOUR LUNCH

Some of my friends giggle at the fact that not only do I pack my lunch, but I have a lunch box that matches my bag. (Nerd Alert!) But seriously, it's cheaper and healthier. I often hear, "I don't have time". Welllllll guess what!? Yes you do. Wake up just a tad bit earlier each morning or just pack it at night. Takes a whole bit of 5 minutes!

4. COFFEE

Coffee will be your BEST FRIEND. Never in a million years did I think I would drink it, let alone become an ADDICT. Studies have shown that coffee does have its perks when it comes to health factors. Here's where the specialty coffees come in. The sugar. The whip cream. The chocolate. Bad news is.. well these are just BAD news all together. Good news? There are ways around it! You can ask for sugar free and no whip and this cuts the calories in half! Anything from Starbucks with the word "Skinny" in front of it, is always a better choice. One of my favorite drinks they serve is a skinny vanilla latte. They use steamed nonfat milk and sugar free syrup. 0 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, and ONLY 60 calories! Yeeeeeeeehaw to that!

Hope these small tips help you avoid the extra 15! Enjoy your first year of college and remember:

WORK.... IT.... OUT!

Vinson Pride/Audios Summertime!

2012-08-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

Most don't understand why I'm completely content with where I'm from. Traveling and getting to see bigger cities is always a huge wake up call that there's more to life outside of what I know. However, what I know is what I want. In those big cities, you can't find the communities you have here. There's something about a small area that brings everyone closer together. You are forever attached to that one place that completely molded you as an individual. I grew up here in Westmoreland and was once/still am a Vinson Tiger (proud of it ;) ) and I want nothing more than to TEACH in the county that made my childhood/adolescent years a memorable one. Some people can't be content living here. I on the other hand can.

Nothing says it more than when over 300 men and their families come from all over the nation to gather and celebrate THEIR Tiger pride. No matter where life took them, this night brought them all back together again. It was ALL for Gary Norris and Coach Smith, as the gym and floor were named after them! What a legacy for these coaches and the Vinson community!

I think it says something special when this many players show up to honor their coach! What an amazing night!

It's been one heck of a summer and it's always sad to see it go BUT I believe I'm ready for fall! Football games, Holidays, Family Time, and Coffee- I believe it's my favorite season! The only thing I'm not ready for is classes to start. This is the first semester where I am desperately trying to find my mojo (as my mom would say- ha!). This will be my last semester of classes and I'll finish up with student teaching in the spring. Thank you sweet Jesus! I've had fun blogging about my summer but I see a lot of teaching/project posts (the real reason for this blog)in the near future! So long sweet summer!

Summer Bucket List

2012-08-23T07:48:00.001-07:00

Has summer flown by or what? Geez!! I was lucky enough to go to some concerts, go to the beach with the Ham fam, Tennessee with my girlfriends, and travel to Georgia to see one of my best friends. I love traveling anywhere and everywhere as much as I can. However, I think it's so easy to get caught up in the excitement of going somewhere new that I forget about the smallest things here at home that make me so happy. So with that said, I made a summer bucket list of things I wanted to do! I've managed to get most of the items checked off so far!

See an outdoor play (Legally Blonde- It was so good!): Check!

Make a homemade Iced Mocha Frappe: Check!

Picnic in the park: Check!

Sarah was my sidekick and a wonderful one at that. We ended up laying on the blankets/chit chatting for 3 hours. Time well wasted!

Shooting and fishing: Check!

(Sarah was also my sidekick for this!)

Talk about a stress reliever. Boooom!

Tie Dye: Check!

Go Braves!

Blast in a glass right there! Enjoying the simple things and staying a kid at heart is so important and most importantly, makes everything FUN! :) Did any of you viewers out there make a summer bucket list? If so, I want to hear!

Perfect Getaway

2012-08-21T11:44:00.002-07:00

This post is WAY overdue but as summer is wrapping up I've been one busy bee doing this and that trying to complete my endless to do lists. This week I've managed to catch an AWESOME summer cold. Go me!

Anywho, as you all know I flew to Georgia to visit one of my very best friends, miss Katey! I had never been to Augusta before so I was excited to see what all was in store for me! I shopped till I dropped, ate till I couldn't eat anymore, met some wonderful people, and the highlight of my trip was.....meeting BEAUTIFUL baby Savannah!

I was a newbie to A LOT of things this trip! Of course we went to the mall and shopped at the stores we usually always do, for instance: FOREVER 21 (I'm obsessed). What I became even more obsessed with is a store in Augusta called Uptown Cheapstake. You can buy, sell, or trade clothes, shoes, purses, jewelry you name it! The prices made my jaw drop to the floor. I found my mom a White House Black Market winter sweater, brand new for $3.00. For those of you who aren't familiar with black house black market, you can't find anything under $50 in that store. I was escatiic. Let's just say I ended up going back later in the week for round two!

I also tried out a fast food restaurant called, Zaxbys. Talk about the BEST chicken, sauces, and SWEET TEA (I couldn't get enough). I also couldn't get enough of a local restaurant called Yosko (it's almost exactly like our local Hibachi/Taste of Asia) but MUCH much cheaper! Thank God Augusta is 8 hours away. If I lived there it wouldn't be pretty. Amazing food.

Katey is a nanny for a wonderful family and I'm so jealous of her job. She gets to spend her days with a beautiful young baby that I absolutely fell in love with.

Meet Baby Savannah. Is she not perfect?

And here is my sweet Kate before our dinner at Yosko!

It was a wonderful, much needed week spent with great people. I have a feeling I'll be visiting Augusta much more often! Nothing sweeter than the south!

Georgia Bound

2012-07-31T04:12:00.002-07:00

As I'm sitting in the tri-state airport with a plane delay, what better thing to do than blog, right? I never usually mind flying alone but now is a time I wish I had a sidekick! I can hardly focus on anything knowing I'll be in the sweeeet state of Georgia to visit one of my very best friends! Georgia is just one of those states you visit and can't help but smile. Why I love GA:

1. First and foremost, to see my sweet Kate!

2. Southern fried food (yes, totally bad for you but its vacay, right?)

3. Sweet Tea- (It's ALWAYS better in the south!)

4. Being around 1039448 Braves fans.

Other than this trip, there is some news I'd LOVE to share! One of my very best friends and fellow teacher, Miss Nikki Frye will not be Ms. Frye for long!! As of last Friday, she is now ENGAGED! I couldn't be more happy for her or mister Corey Steffy. Their relationship is a model of true, HAPPY love. Corey, you definitely scored big! ;)

Thursday after I got home from a super long day, I opened the door and found a rose and a sweet card. Wondering what sweet person would do this for me, I open it up to find "Will You Be My..." on the front. I open it up... "BRIDESMAID". Then at the bottom was the sweetest note anyone has ever written to me. I couldn't feel more honored to stand by such a wonderful lady! June 15th is the set date. We are definitely counting down the days!

For those of you who know Nik or Corey- congratulate them next time you see them! They sure deserve it!

My plane has arrived- I'll blog about my trip when I return home.

Morg :)

Donate?!

2012-07-19T07:17:00.002-07:00

Good Morning! The weekend is almost here and I must say, I am SUPER excited! My entire family is going to be in town at the same time (even my Georgia peaches will be here). My uncle has taken his precious time and searched through all of our family pictures through the years and converted them into a movie DVD! In celebration, we will be poolside on Saturday catching some rays, grubbin on some fantastic food, and of course- watching this fantastic DVD! Shout to to you Uncle Kev- you never cease to amaze us!

On to the donation...BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS! I recently came across a post by Kati Bailey (you rock, Kati!) about a current event being hosted by this organization. As everyone knows, there are so many children out there that don't have that support and guidance they need at home or through their family, but that's where BBBS steps in! The mission of BBBS is to provide guidance and companionship to youth through a one on one relationship with a caring volunteer to help them in reaching their highest potential.

Doing clinicals and working with teachers in the school system has truly opened my eyes to how many of these student's in the tri-state NEED our support. As you've probably learned in my previous post, school supplies aren't cheap when you have so much to buy BUT there's a kicker! BBBS is hosting a School Supplies Drive! They want to make sure that every child in their program has the basics to start back to school. How cool is this!? There's different ways you can help: Donate financially, sponser a child, or purchase a few items and take it to their drop off areas (listed below). Even if it's a pack of pencils I promise you it will be appreciated.

Below is the needs list that has been provided by Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Elementary School:
Crayons
Wide rule paper
Fat markers
Glue sticks
Pencils
Notebooks

Middle School:
Loose leaf paper
Colored pencils
Pencils
Binders and folders
Notebooks

The drive started July 16th and ends July 31st (We have 12 days to get things rollin!) I'm asking YOU to please consider helping in any way you think you can. I understand that you all live very busy lives but don't worry, I can help! If you'd like to donate, let me know, and I'll be more than happy to collect your goodies and take it to their Huntington collection site when I take mine.

Collection areas are: Hungtinton (501 5th Ave Suite 3 Huntington, WV 25701) and Ashland (1505 Carter Ave Ste 100 Ashland, K...Y 41101) offices.

Again, please let me know if you'd like to help! I will be taking donations to the Huntington site on July 30th and wouldn't mind one bit taking yours as well! I'll leave you with one of my favorite qoutes...

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give- Winston Churchill

Deals & Steals

2012-07-16T17:26:00.001-07:00

For those who don't know, us teacher's have a TIGHT budget when preparing for the school year. The $100 to $200 that is given to teacher's for their classrooms never covers for all of the supplies and materials needed. In result, we dig into our own pockets which let me just tell you does NOT end up pretty. Well actually everything ends up pretty except the balance in our checking account ;) The reality is: Teachers can NEVER have enough supplies and materials. Ever since I switched my major two years ago, I have been stocking up.

To the teacher's who don't know: There ARE ways to SAVE! My absolute favorites places to pick up deals are the Dollar Tree (EVERYTHING is $1.00- Yeehaw!), Dollar General, and Goodwill (great selection of children's books). Recently, I learned that WalMart has an .88 cent aisle full of supplies for your classroom. I literally squealed at the sight of these deals. I believe teachers TRULY know how to appreciate a great deal so I felt it was appropriate to spread the word to my pals! Pictures and texts were sent to my fellow pre-service teacher, Ms. Casey Shreve! I then proceeded to call one of my best friends who just finished her first year of teaching. (Congrats again Ms. Frye!)

Here are the deals and steals I found today. Keep in mind, each item is only .88 cents!

(Might be the cutest file folders I've ever seen)

The grand total for all of these WalMart items? Only $15.86!! I guarantee if I were to head into a Parent/Teacher store and purchase all of these items I would at least be spending $80-$90. There's nothing that makes me smile more than getting great bargains for my future classroom! Feel free to share with me some of your deals and steals!

Adios! :)

Up For a Challenge?

2012-07-09T10:30:00.002-07:00

My family and I are trying out a new church in our community. So far, we are so impressed by the pastor and his ability to deliver the Lord's word. Yesterday, he talked briefly about fasting.

When I was about twelve years old, I remember doing the 30 Hour Famine with my youth group. For those of you who aren't familiar with the famine, it's where students all around the world come together and fight against starvation and hunger. One the same day and at the same time, students unite together for 30 hours to participate in the famine. During those 30 hour hours you fellowship, learn about hunger, and raise funds for the thousands of children around the world who are starving. I remember it being very difficult to go without food, but it was so worth it!

Other than participating in the 30 hour famine, I haven't looked further into what fasting is truly all about. Yesterday, our pastor brought to my attention how fasting is about drawing yourself closer to God. It's about sacrifice, self- control, and building your relationship with him. It states in the bible how there was a time when Jesus fasted from all food and drink, except water. Luke 4:2 states "Where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during the days, and at the end of them he was hungry." Wow, what a sacrifice he made.

With fasting, all of the time that would normally be spent consuming food will be instead spent in the presence of God through prayer or worship. The goal is to replace the feeding of the needs of physical hunger with the feeding of one's spiritual hunger. The congregation has been challenged to take part in this one day out of each week.

My pastor's quick words about fasting resulted in me taking on this challenge for God. This is my first day of fasting and I won't lie- it's not easy!

So, I want to challenge YOU to join me in this journey! Let's learn what sacrifice and self control is all about, all while building our relationship with the Lord. Remember: 24 hours ONE day a week!

Are you with me? :)

Busy Bee!

2012-07-02T11:32:00.004-07:00

Hi strangers! I can't remember the last time I've had a free moment to blog, but it feels good to be back! Summer is here and school is out (although I'm still taking an online course) but I'm not letting it stop me from all of the fun summer festivities! I've had such a wonderful summer thus far- and I'm ready to share it with you!

I finished my first two summer courses in three and half weeks. (Shewwww! It felt good to get that out of the way!). From there, I immediately started an online course that last throughout the summer. If all goes as planned, I will finish by July 9th-- about a month early. (Crossing my fingers). One step closer to graduation. Can I get an Amen!?

Those of you that know me well know I love to travel as much as a I possibly can. I've been keeping the roads hot so here's a recap of the past couple weeks:

No better way to start the summer off than a wedding! "Mrs. House" makes one beautiful bride!

My sweet little Georgia Peach came for a visit! My oldest friend right here, folks! Boy has time flown since the 2nd grade!

Sarah and I headed to Portsmouth,OH to see a good friend and listen to some Easton Corbin!

I then had a much needed beach trip with my other Sarah (yes, it can get quite confusing with two sarahs) & her fam! A wonderful time with wonderful people!

The day after I got back, I made my way to Point Pleasant with these pretty ladies for some great music by Kip Moore! If you're a country fan, listen to his new album "Up All Night"- It's absolutely fantastic! If you're not a country music fan, still listen- this album will convert you into one ;)

My best friend and I then took off to Bluefield, WV for the Eric Church, Lee Brice, and Jake Owen concert! It ended up getting cancelled due to weather- but we still managed to have a great night!

The next day, Lee Brice played a free concert at the Riverfront so my good friend Scott & I took advantage of it! (Just a little FYI ladies and gentlemen- if you're wanting to learn how to Wobble- this is the man for the job). Anyways...great music on the river and great company? Don't have to ask me twice!

Overall, it's been a fun past couple weeks to say the least! After returning from Bluefield, all I could think about was my comfy bed. Unfortunately, we were one of the lucky ones WITHOUT power due to that nasty storm. So, my family packed up and headed to my mamaws house. By family I mean my parents and all my sweet cousins who live directly behind me. It's unbelievable the amount of things in life we take for granted such as air conditioning, power, etc. Definitely made me realize how blessed I really am! The precious time I got to spend with my family beats any concert/roadtrip in my book! It was two nights full of snacking on some great food at mamaws house all cuddled up with my cousins watching the Disney channel. Precious moments! I believe it took me right back to my childhood!

Welllllllllll, I am offically worn out after writing and I'm sure you are too if you've made it to the end of this blog! ;) Ya'll have a great Monday and stay cool out there- it's a hot one!

Race Into Success

2012-05-17T21:04:00.002-07:00

Hello All :) Hope you've had a great week! It's been crazy busy so I'm very excited the weekend is finally here! I wanted to share with you all an assignment I had to do for my management class. We had to conduct a mock first day of school presentation. We had to have five classmates act as our "students". I chose to do first grade and I had so much fun with it! We had to have an overall theme, so I chose to do cars/racing (hence the title, "Race Into Success". Children are fascinated with just about anything at this age but cars/trucks are usually a hot topic, so I figured I'd go with that! So here it is...

We had to decorate outside of the classroom door to make the students feel welcome. I actually forgot to take a picture of the end result of my decorated door, but here's part of it. This poster hung on the middle of the door. There were cut out letters taped to the door that read, "Race Into Success". I asked my five students (my classmates) to give me their first grade picture (if they could find it) so I could hang it on the poster. Two of them found theirs, and boy were they cute!

Here is the students Hot/Cold Attendance Chart. This allowed me to see if students were eating in the cafeteria (Hot) or if they brought their lunch (Cold). At the same time, it also let me know if any students were absent. At the bottom of the poster is a car, with each students name on it. Each morning, they are to make a "Pit Stop" at this chart to move the car on the correct road which specifies which lunch they are having that day. The cars (students) that didn't get moved up onto a road, are absent. This is killing two birds with one stone! TIME is something teachers don't have enough of, so this is a great way to knock these two morning procedures out together!

"Peacemakers or Peacebreakers?" Here was something I introduced to the students that really targeted behavior and how I expected them to act in order to "Stay On Track." I didn't want to come straight in and tell them "Don't do this, don't do that." So, I figured this was a great way to get the main rules introduced to them in a positive way. Some of the pieces to this were glued, but others were velcroed. I left the velcroed pieces off and stuck them in each child's grab bag (you'll see below). I told them that Ms. Morgan had a little trouble putting them on the correct side, so I needed their help! Each student grabbed the pieces out of their bag and stuck them on the correct side! Peacemakers (good behavior) and Peacebreakers (Bad behavior). Thanks to www.teacherspayteachers.com for this awesome idea!

Here is the grab bags (before they were filled.) Each students name is across the front of the bag. Inside is the peacemaker/peacebreaker pieces, pencils, erasers, bracelets in the shape of a car, and a personalized note from Ms.Morgan welcoming them into the first grade, I had so much fun making these!

AND here is.... a big jumbo mess! Haha! We had to do an "About me", so the students could learn about their brand new teacher! I asked the students to tell me what makes a car go around. They told me "tires". I then pulled out my tire and told them, "Now, I'm going to tell you what makes Ms.Morgan's world go around!" So cheesy, but so fun! I push pinned each little item to the tire. The sunglassses represented warm weather and the beach, concert ticket stub representing my love for country music and concerts (my best friend, Casey and I are complete concert junkies), zumba key chain for my love for staying fit, MLB Club Card and baseball bracelet (Go Braves!), and my coffee card (my lifeline). There were a few more things pinned on the tire as well, but I won't bore you!

The tire is actually a dog toy! Not only did it represent what makes my world go around, but also my love for my two chiwuawas (Roxy and Chance) :)

And that was my project! Even though I had a ton of fun putting all of this together, I'm glad to have the assignment behind me! Four more days of classes and I'm counting down the hours! Thanks for reading and have a great weekend everyone!

Morgan Blair :)

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

2012-05-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. Do you agree?

Hello bloggers, viewers, and friends! Hope you've had a great Sunday/Mother's Day. I sure have, and I believe I owe it all to this morning's sermon. It was so wonderful, I have to share! Our message today was about "Finding Time". Not finding time to be with your mother, your friends, to go shopping, etc., but finding time for Jesus. In today's society, everything moves so fast. We get up, rush to work, and then do whatever we can to get at least half of our To-Do list finished. For me, I wake up and head to school for 8 hours, go to work, then come home just to do more school work. Stressed doesn't even begin to explain how I feel each day. Yes, I talk to the Father. But, enough? Absolutely not.

Our preacher wasn't in town today, so someone filled in. She has a heart for Jesus and is a great spiritual role model for anyone who knows her. With having that said, she completely wowed me today with her words. She stressed that speaking to God every morning can indeed set the mood to your day. As soon as your feet hit the floor in the mornings, your knees should too. Make your bed the altar, and yourself the sacrifice. Ask God to use you to the best of your ability, to be a light, and to be a blessing to someone you cross paths with that day.

It really is so important to take time to be holy. One cannot over estimate the importance of finding time in our "busy schedules"to be with the Lord alone- through prayer and the reading of his word. After all, we are his children and we should put ALL of our trust in him. That leads into another suggestion Syd had for us...Making friends of God's children. Spend time with like-minding people to fellowship with one another. She spoke about her grandfather who worked on the farm. He barely made it in to town but once a week. When he passed another person he never needed to use his rein on his horses because they just knew to stop. He would stop and talk to every single person who passed him. Whether it was checking to see how their day was, talking about their family, how the sky was blue or how the grass was green, etc. Catch my drift? No matter what, he made time. He made time to fellowship with friends, and even strangers. Today, we are making sure we make time to update our Facebook, twitter, blogs, iPhones, etc. So many "tools" and so little Jesus.

We must not be so busy that we forget to talk to the man upstairs. We must not be so busy that we forget to fellowship and help others when there is an opportunity. There are so many benefits of being holy. We will be blessed with inner happiness and peace. Most of all, we will have renewed strength with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

On top of the great sermon, we sang one of my favorite choruses today, "Breathe"

"This is the air I breathe. This is the air I breathe.
Your Holy presence, living in me. This is my daily bread.
This is my daily bread. Your very word, spoken to me. And I,
I'm, I'm desprate for you. And I, I'm lost without you. And I, I'm
I'm lost without you. This is the air I breathe. This is the air I breathe."

Something about this song calms my heart. One last thing about today's sermon melted my heart and it was the "Children's Time". Before the children go to children's church, they go forward and have children time with the preacher. Today's lesson was on giving and receiving. She asked the kids how much they liked m&m's. Of course they all replied with, "Yeahhhhhhh!" "This much!" "I loveeeeeeee them!". So, she gave them each a mini bag of m&ms, but told them not to open them. Once each child had a bag, she said "Okay, now I want you to go find someone in this room that you love and give them your bag of candy." Of course, they all shouted out "Awwwwwwwww man". But, each child ran off giggling and smiling, giving their candy to their loved ones. Then, right back up there they went. She said to them, it is more of a blessing to give than to receive. This is hard for a child to understand. Being a child, and having to give your candy away? Shoot, that's tough! She said to them "you receive an inner blessing by giving, and since you all were so nice to give yours away, I'm giving you all each a BIG bag of m&ms!" How cool is that? I guarantee each child walked away with a new outlook on giving.

Be a blessing to someone this week & find time to talk to our Father, for he is the soul reason we are here. Have a great week!

P.s......A special shout out to my beautiful mother, Sidney! What in the world I would do without her- I have no clue! Happy Mother's Day, you gorgeous thang! ;)

Morgan Blair

Summer Classes Begin!

2012-05-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

As many college students are going home for summer/vacationing/not doing anything school related- I will be in a classroom for not one class, but two! Today was the start of intersession classes, and as nerdy as this sounds- I was actually quite anxious to start. My first class is my early childhood class, which I already love. Along with this course is a 15 hour clinical! Clinicals are my thing. I would much rather be out in the field with the students than sitting in a classroom full of lectures. I mean, don't we learn so much more from observing and actually working WITH the kids, rather than learning about kids in a textbook? Anywho, I'm excited to see where this course leads!

My second class is classroom management. We got out early on the first day, so that put a pretty big smile on my face! There is a couple assignments that I'm eager to do. We have a "First Day of School" presentation, that I think is going to be just fabulous! I already have my idea and am still doing some brainstorming so I will post more on that (with pictures) once it gets closer! The main thing I want to share is something that happened at the beginning of this class. Of course, our professor wants to get to know us so when she called our name, we were to share something special and unique about ourselves. It came to this one girl who decided to share with us how she was in a gospel band with her family. Our professor said, "Would you sing for us? How about Amazing Grace?" This girl belches out one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. First of all, the lyrics and melody to Amazing Grace ALWAYS shoots right to my heart. But this girl, WOW! I immediately got chills and couldn't help but tear up. How brave was she? A college class full of twenty students you don't personally know, a professor you don't know, and a room of silence? What a blessing she was to our class. This was a complete pick-me-up. I mean, how could I not go about my day feeling blessed?

I now need to get back to these assignments that are already beginning to make my brain go a million miles a minute! Happy Monday!

Morgan Blair

Hola!

2012-05-02T11:17:00.001-07:00

Since this is my first blog, I think it's appropriate to introduce myself! My name is Morgan and I'm a 22 year old college student at Marshall University. Exactly one year from now I will be a.....TEACHER! It seems so far away but I know time will fly (or hoping it does, at least). Children are just my thing. There's a kind of happiness they bring me that nothing else can. Maybe it's their ability to not have a care in the world? Maybe it's their overflowing love for life that shines right through them? Or, it could just be their absolutely adorable little faces that I can't help but smile at? Yeah, that's what it is. It would be ideal for me to teach 1st or 2nd grade, but of course I will take anything that comes my way! Little kids are so eager to learn so I know I will be blessed wherever I end up.

Of course, there is more to me than my passion to teach. I'm probably the most family oriented girl (or person, for that matter) that you will ever meet. I have a 25 year old sister who just recently moved to Nashville, TN. I miss her every single day but this has always been a childhood dream of hers. So, yeeehaw to that! And here she is...the beautiful April Richelle!

My mother and father are nothing short of amazing. They've always given me an overflowing amount of love and support ever since I was a little girl. I'm honored to be their daughter. The family doesn't stop there though. I have huge families on both my mother and fathers side. I have 5 aunts and uncles and 7 cousins on my mother's side. On my father's side I have my mamaw, 2 aunts and 8 cousins. Never a dull moment!

My wonderful parents. How cute are they?

The Moore Family Vacay to Key West!

And here is all of the ladies on my Dad's side. Girl Power! ;)

Me, my sis, mom and dad in Nashville after running the trails. Beautiful!

Alright I'm done with the pics...for now!

This next person deserves far more recognition that I could ever give, Mamaw Bertie. Mamaw Bertie was my mothers mom and the person who made our family complete. Anyone who crossed paths with her can vouch for me that she is God's sweetest angel. Growing up, I don't think there was ever a Sunday that she didn't cook! Our Sunday consisted of: Waking up, heading to church, then off to Mamaw Berties we went. All of us grand kids, uncles, and aunts piled into one kitchen. What I would do to have just one more Sunday dinner at mamaws house. Nine years ago, cancer took her away from us and nine years ago, heaven gained the most perfect angel.

On top of that big ole fam of mine, I have some absolutely beautiful friends that I couldn't imagine living a day without. I thank the Lord for blessing me with friends that make me want to be a better person every day of my life. Our goals, expectations and morals all match up with each other- which is truly hard to come by these days!

School, my family, and my friends keep me a very busy gal! I love to work out, go to concerts, shop, and bake some balllllllin cupcakes whenever there's a break in my schedule.

As you can tell, the good man upstairs has truly treated me right. I thank God every day for providing me with more than I deserve. Blessed is the word.

-Morgan Blair