The Downside of Summer Vacation

Summer vacation is a glorious thing when you're a teacher.  Contrary to popular belief, it isn't just a three-month slack fest though.  Teachers still have to attend conferences, go to PD days, coach (insert summer sport here), work to get their classroom organized for the next year, meet with new students and their families, lesson plan, and learn any new curriculum that might be entering the district. Does that sound like a vacation?  Ok, it IS a vacation, just with a smattering of other obligations pieced together.

Sitting outside just before sunset. 

My point in all of this rambling is…what do you do for two or three months when you don't have any of these obligations? I chose to leave my teaching position on Beaver Island and move 300 miles away, which means I'm not currently attending any of these meetings/trainings/whatever.  I also do not currently have a house (whoop whoop for living with my parents) and I do not currently have any children, other than Specks obviously.

I am BORED. Like watching reruns of The Bachelor bored.  Like staying in my pajamas until noon every day bored.  Like making up excuses to drive to the pet store bored.  To add to it, I do not know a single soul here and am operating on a tight budget while Cody and I save up for our new place (we are on the waiting list to move in soon).

Even the family pets think I am boring...

Now, don't think I haven't tried finding activities.  I joined a Meetup.com yoga group, which I am hoping to attend starting on Monday.  I've been reading, but thanks to my fast-reading nature I just finished a 1,200 page book in five days.  I am working out and doing long dog walks every day.  I am exploring the outdoors by going hiking and kayaking.  Seriously though, I am still bored.  Each of these things only takes a few hours (at most) and then I am left with 10+ hours in the day where I have nothing to do.  Boredom is obviously a problem that many people would like to have…and normally I would too.  I think if I was in my own home or knew a couple of people in the area I wouldn't mind at all.  It's just all of the things combined that kind of suck and make me want to complain.  Ah well, I suppose boredom is better than nothing…or maybe it actually is nothing….

Your turn…What are you doing this summer?
Currently listening to…paint drying…because I am that bored...

How To: Have Fun in Alaska (Despite the Weather)

I think we can all agree that Alaska is an amazing place.  But, one BIG change that Cody and I had to get used to when moving to the Last Frontier was spending time outside, no matter the weather.  During the winter it may snow (every day) for six weeks and then the wind will blow 60mph for another week.  So, do you just stay inside for months at a time??

Not a chance.  The picture above is of Cody hiking out at Eaglecrest Ski Area during the winter.  The snow was deep, the winds were nasty, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to spend all of our time cooped up indoors. Thankfully, it is summer now and we have been blessed with some truly beautiful weather. 

But, it is still Alaska (specifically SE) and the norm that we are experiencing for summer weather is temperatures in the 50's and rainy. This may not be perfect summer weather but I have found that we appreciate it 100x more than we ever appreciated it living in the Lower 48.  So, here are a few of our favorite activities that we've been doing this summer.  Take note, we do these activities rain or shine! 

We go hiking and exploring….

Strolling at the local park….

We collect berries and fireweed to make jam….

. 

Cody catches fish and prepares them for winter storage….

We sing karaoke for the locals….

We watch the rainy weather roll in….

And, we swim in the ocean! 

There are so many activities that we love to do here in Juneau.  Cody and I try to make the most of the experience by exploring our surroundings no matter the weather.  Sometimes you just have to throw on your raincoat and boots and go out exploring anyways. 

Questions:

Do you go outside even in poor weather?

What are some of your favorite rainy day activities? 

Classroom Explosion!

Today's post was supposed to be about Meatless Monday.  I planned on incorporating my meal, recipe, and some awesome websites. I even had it all planned out and partially written...EPIC FAIL.  But, at least I have a good reason for my short post today.

Yes, this is my classroom.  If you have ever wondered what a teacher does the last week of school (post-students) this is what it looks like.  Boxes, trash, projects, more boxes, freebies from the library….so much stuff!! Where am I supposed to store it all???? If someone has some free storage space in Juneau, hit me up!

On the bright side, I did score these awesome free books from a kindergarten teacher.  She let me go through four whole boxes that she was getting rid of (she is transferring to be the new librarian).  Needless to say, I am building a small in-class library :) Can't wait!

My teaching career is currently a little up in the air.  I know at the very least I am transferring to teach pre-k at another local school (the program at my current building lost funding).  However, there is a possibility that I may move up to teach 1st-4th grade.  I plan on doing a longer post on this in the future.  Any insight on which grades you (teacher friends) prefer to teach, please share!

Questions
How do you organize all of your seasonal junk?? 
Teacher friends: What grade do you prefer to teach?? 

Splurges

Sometimes you just have to splurge…

Cody came home with this tasty treat for me today.

SPLURGE ALERT!! 

I am a firm believer in healthy eating. But, I am also a firm believer in eating what your body craves and allowing a splurge now and again.  Usually my splurges are healthier than this one.  I am honest though, and I will never pretend that I eat healthy, 100% organic, all the time (at least not at this point in my life).  Here are some of my other, slightly more healthy splurges.

Newman's Organic Cookies
Stonyfield Organic Froyo
Nut Butters (all kinds welcome!)

I just can't get enough of the sweets lately so I definitely have to monitor my intake of sugar.  However, I also know that a little splurging makes me a more successful eater overall.  I figure a couple sweet treats a week more than balance out eating healthy, organic, veggie meals all the time.  Just my personal thoughts on the issue :)

What are your opinions about splurging? 
What are your favorite foods to splurge on?  

Alaska Rental Construction

My blog post today is short and not-so-sweet.  This is because I came home to this…..

This WAS (note: past tense) our driveway.  No notice of the construction starting (or even a mention that it might happen).  Just pulled in the driveway and this was blocking my way.  I am literally parked right behind the backhoe.  I just stood there and stared at the hole for awhile to try to figure out how to get to my house.  My house is at the bottom of the hill.  It was a treacherous trip.

Tomorrow will be less random…I hope.  Cross your fingers for me.

Waking Up Is Hard To Do

How I feel about mornings, as told by one of my favorite women in the entertainment industry.  

I always wake up at least 90minutes before going anywhere so I can have some time to myself to drink coffee, think about my day, lounge, and wake up!  This Sunday Cody let me do just this.  I woke up to cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting and steaming hot coffee.  Delicious :)

Yummy. 

Specks feels just like I do in the mornings. 

Sometimes, I just need to wake up super sloooooowly.  I am sure many of you feel the same.  Cody, however, does not.  He wakes up 15-30minutes before he leaves the house.  He rarely eats breakfast but he somehow still has time to shower, drink coffee, and get dressed up all spiffy in that short timespan.  I envy this quality of his.  For now though, I am content being a sleepyhead each morning.

Happy Monday Morning :)

Age of the iPhone & Other Grown Up Things

This weekend I truly learned how old I am….I woke up at 7am two days in a row, without an alarm clock.  Why????  I really thought that I could still do the whole sleeping until 11am thing (college didn't prepare me for waking up before noon).

Saturday and Sunday were relatively uneventful.  We went car shopping, which was a fun and very grown-up activity.  We are debating between these two cars.  We originally wanted a Jeep/SUV but they all ended up being waaaaay out of our price range.

Hyundai Accent
Kia Optima

Saturday we did a little bit of lounging, a lot of cleaning, and a bit of walking on the beach.  We took Specks out and he was in puppy heaven!

Isn't he the cutest?!?

Sunday we both went and got new phones.  And, drumroll please….I HAVE JOINED THE 21ST CENTURY!!! I finally got an iPhone.  I have been putting off upgrading to an iphone for about five years.  I just wasn't sure what all the fuss was about.  But, after spending the last year being the proud owner borrower of a MacBookPro (I steal Cody's because it rules) I knew I needed to upgrade to an Apple product.  We shall see how it goes!

Look at this amazing picture-courtesy of my iphone camera :) 

Saturday and Sunday were awesome eating days. Breakfasts were delicious egg sandwiches, fakin' bacon, and GF waffles both days.  Sadly, I don't have a picture of Saturdays dinner meal.  We had Tofu Steak with Rice and Zucchini casserole.  It was delicious.  Tonight the menu consists of some Potato&Veggie Soup.  Recipe to come soon :)

Vegan Potato Soup-during the cooking phase.

Question: Do you have an iPhone/Apple products?  If so, do you like them? 

Thursday Thoughts: 02/21/2013

Hola Readers!!

I am sharing my Thursday Thoughts, aka whatever I am thinking, with you this week.  It isn't anything too terribly interesting.  But, it is the basics of my little adventure here on the last frontier.

1.)  Weather in Alaska RULES compared to what my friends back home are dealing with.  My parents (Northern IL) are enjoying arctic temperatures while my college friends (Southern IL) are getting pelted with a snowstorm (insert evil laughter here).  I love being able to laugh about our 40F days and occasionally perfect winter weather while everyone down south is buried in snow.

This is from 6am…they are now buried in snow! Muhahaha.

2.)  I am loving Italian food right now.  I made Baked Veggie Ziti for dinner last night and I couldn't get enough of it so I ended up taking it as leftovers for lunch today.  Recipe to come!  In the meantime, enjoy some of these other great Italian food links that contributed to my creation.

Vegan Baked Ziti from Food.com
Awesome Vegan Baked Ziti from YourVeganMom.com
Ooey-Gooey Baked Ziti from The"V"Word.com


3.) Is it Friday yet?? I am so ready for the weekend.  Cody and I are hoping to buy a new car this weekend and get in some good old fashioned hiking as well.  Enjoy this funny hiking picture from last weekend.

Cody "attempting" to climb this random ladder. 

4.) I got to play with Dudley the Dental Dinosaur today!! This beautiful dino-beast came to my school today to talk to my classes about good oral hygiene.  It was sooooo cute! The kids loved the dinosaur and the dental office that sponsored him brought free toothbrushes for all of the kiddos.  Fellow teachers, take advantage of local resources!

Dudley the Dino!

Enjoy the rest of your week friends! I shall return with recipes and weekend shenanigans this weekend!

Alaskan Fashion

Alaska and Fashion are two words that one does not often hear used in the same sentence.  For the most part Alaskans are flannel shirt, jeans, Xtratuff, and funny hat kind of people.  I used to think of myself as much more fashionable before we moved to the wonderful city of Juneau.  Now, most of my outfits have to center around practicality (i.e. will my shoes get soaked? )  So, I have come to adjust my fashion a bit.  Enjoy some of my favorite Alaskan outfits thus far.

Mustard sweater layered over a striped long-sleeve
Practicality level: WARM 

Chambray shirt, leggings, scarf, and Xtratuff's
Practicality level: DRY

Turtleneck/sweater dress
Practicality level: WARM 

Xtratuff Rain Boots & Sorel Winter Boots
Practicality level: DRY 

As you can see I am attempting to develop a balance.  Can you dress cute and practical?  I say yes.  But, it is taking some time for me to figure out and many of my favorite pieces are basically unwearable right now.  Oh well,  this is one big adventure, right??

Recipe for Hiking in Alaska (Winter Edition)

Hiking in Alaska requires a plethora of gear.  You need summer gear, winter gear, rain gear, and snow gear.  Cody and I have actually purchased an extra dresser just for gear.  It is a little ridiculous.  Today, it took me thirty minutes just to put on enough gear to go outside in these single digit temperatures.  For all of my lovely friends and family living the lower 48, here is a guide to what you must wear to venture outdoors (for any length of time) in the winter.

1 pair of long underwear (shirt and pants)
1 regular knit long-sleeve shirt
1 pair of fleece or heavy material workout pants
1 pair of insulated, waterproof pants
1 fleece jacket and/or vest
2 pairs of wool socks
1 pair of leg warmers
2 pairs of knit gloves and/or 1 pair of waterproof gloves
1 pair of waterproof winter boots/hiking boots
 1 pair of removable boot liners (good to -25)
1 scarf (preferably wool)
1 hat and/or earmuffs
1 winter coat (heavy insulation)

Additionally, you may want to take: 

1 backpack 

1 cell phone (for emergencies and picture-taking) 

1 water bottle (purification system optional) 

1 whistle

1 first aide kit

1 knife
1 set of cleats for your boots/shoes 

1 dog :)

Food (packaged-enough to sustain you if you get lost for a little while!) 

And….your set to leave your house for anywhere from 30minutes-3 hours (pending you don't get lost).  If any of you plan on coming to visit you may want to invest in anywhere from one to several of these items.  We like to hike and we want you to all enjoy it with us!

Barely able to use my eyes! 

Trail off of Bonnie Doon Rd.