Mini Thanksgiving

Well, hello there! It's been a while! I am finally settled into my new job, new apartment, and new life, which means one thing: time to blog more! I know, I know, I say this all the time. But maybe this time it will actually stick?

We are midway through my absolute favorite time of year. Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays with no strings attached - no gifts, no religion; just family, food, and fun. The stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a time for hall decking, treat baking, and gift giving (my three favorite things). Christmas is, of course, the BEST day of the year, and this year I have the great joy of bringing Hanukkah to my gentile roommates. We close the season with New Year's - a fresh start for the next 12 months of life. Isn't it beautiful?!

This year, my roommates and I decided to host a potluck "Friendsgiving" dinner. Mary pointed out that serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner would take away from the big day, which we were all spending with our families outside of NYC. We decided our Thanksgiving needed a theme - and after we crushed Karin's dream of a Mexican Thanksgiving, Mini Thanksgiving was born. Few people know this about me, but it has always been my dream to host a party where everything was prepared in muffin tins. Mini Thanksgiving was here to make my dreams come true!

Okay, so neither of the things that I made were actually cupcake shaped. BUT it was really amazing how all of our guests interpreted the miniature theme. I hope you're hungry, because you're headed for a food pic spam!

Our table was set.



Sarah made sure we didn't prepare dinner starving - we all arrived to an apartment rich with the smells of Pumpkin Muffins and spicy Sweet Potato Fries!

Karin made Mini Brie Bites filled with delicious blueberry jam.

Mary prepared our main course, Turkey and Cranberry Ravioli. Giada ain't got nothing on this girl!

Mary also made sure we had plenty of crusty bread to soak up the buttery sauce.

I made Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes, but added a little extra garlic and rosemary for good measure.

Attempting to bring a little health to the table, I also made my famous Roasted Green Beans... served in martini glasses, of course.

Laura & Renee made Mini Mac and Cheeses that were to die for.



Kait stopped by and brought Domino's Cheesy Bread - a welcome addition!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of our delicious dessert - I think I was too full to move! Laura & Renee made us Mini Apple Pies a la mode. Here's a picture from Little Bit Funky's original recipe:

And obviously we hated every bite.



It was, by far, one of the BEST dinner parties I've ever been a part of.

Have you ever put a twist on a traditional holiday celebration?

Freeky Friday: Goal-Oriented

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It's the LAST Freeky Friday of 2012! With what topic are we celebrating?

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

When I wrote this topic, I was (of course) thinking in the mindset of the school year beginning and found that a perfect opportunity for goal-setting, especially since we're doing so much of it in our teacher orientation this week! But I've been pleased to see that people are finding this question open for interpretation: setting both long- and short-term goals, looking forward to the school year and beyond, and even jumping ahead to a long-awaited spring vacation! My goals are going to read a little more educational, so bear with me.

Usually when I make new years/school years resolutions, I find them hard to keep because they're so vague and unmeasurable. Was I happy this year? Did I try my best at something? As a teacher, we set goals for ourselves and our students on a fairly regular basis. We have short-term goals and long-term goals, broad reaching goals and narrower goals. There are a few criteria we must always keep in mind, however, and I've tried to be mindful of them when writing this post: goals must be specific, measurable, and timely. I've been thinking about these goals for over a week now (yes, I plan these topics that far in advance), and I'm pretty psyched about them. I've decided to set a personal goal, a professional goal, and an interpersonal goal.

Personal Goal: Run a 5K

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I've written here a few times about weight loss and being healthy, but I've never quite had measurable goals for my personal fitness. Sure, I'll tell myself that I plan to go to the gym three times a week, but I never hold myself accountable. And to many people, saying "I'm training to run a 5K" is the most ridiculous statement in the world. Training to run three miles? I could run 3 miles in my sleep. To me, though, being able to run just one mile is so much more of an indication of how far I've come health-wise than the number on the scale. In school, I was always the kid who avoided gym class or the fitness test. My "best mile time" was probably 13 minutes, and to be honest, I'm sure I walked most of it. Now that I walk about a 15-minute mile without even trying, I think it's time to kick it up a notch. Towards the end of the summer, I started learning to run: training in short intervals of running and walking, testing indoor/outdoor speeds, buying fancy new shoes that are specifically tailored to my overpronation. It's a process, but I'm confident that I can get my legs, my lungs, and my spirit up to running at least a couple of miles before next summer. The hardest part will be maintaining a running schedule when school gets intense, but I think having a set goal in mind will help push me over laziness and exhaustion and into my running shoes.

Professional Goal: Allow my student population to teach me more than I teach them

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The school where I will be teaching this year caters exclusively to students with learning disabilities. I have some experience working one-on-one with students with LD at my student teaching placement, but this will be my first time being solely responsible for differentiating all of my instruction to a whole class of students with various difficulties. In the last two weeks of orientation, we've talked a lot about "our student population" - the daily tasks our students struggle with, the various means of input we need to provide for them, the incredible moments of insight they can have, their beautiful resilience in the face of their own difficulties, and so much more. At first, it can be overwhelming to think about all of the things you need to teach a high school student in order to prepare them for college and beyond - and that only gets more overwhelming with this population - but then I start to think about just how much I have to learn about our students. I absolutely cannot wait to work with these students. My goal for the year is to keep my mind and heart open so that they can teach me, both individually and as a whole population, as much as I try to teach them.

Interpersonal Goal: Make new friends, but keep the old

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I set this goal for myself every year, and I find I am increasingly bad at it. I am so blessed to be surrounded by people in NYC that I care so deeply about: the amazing teachers I met through grad school, the beautiful women I've lived with over the last two years, my closest friends that I moved here with, and so on. Unfortunately, I don't live with a lot of these people anymore. I don't have class with them on a weekly basis. I don't work in the same building as they do. It's up to me to seek these people out and make sure we stay in touch. I also struggle with calling friends who live outside of NYC - sorority sisters, my high school best friends, and the ever-growing number of people I know in the People's Gaypublic of Drugifornia. How am I ever going to maintain these friendships if I am not the one to call sometimes? Of course, there's another factor to this: I love the people in my life, but I am open to the people that have yet to enter. I have a brand new set of coworkers, and I'm seeking out new recreational/educational activities that will no doubt have people I'd like to get to know. My goal this year is to break out of my comfort zone and not be afraid to make plans and open myself up to new people, but without sacrificing the people that I do have in my life already, near and far. The best way to do this? Invite everyone, of course! I know this seems hard to measure which defies everything I've written about goal-setting and my whole educational philosophy, I think I'll know this one when I see it.

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

• Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
• Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
• "Like" the  Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of August, you'll automatically be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. This is the LAST Freeky Friday of the summer, but you can still win!

It's been a blast getting Freeky with all of you this summer. Be sure to check back next week - I'll be recapping the summer and announcing July's and August's winners!

Freeky Friday: It's A Celebration!

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Welcome back to another Freeky Friday! Today's topic:

How do you celebrate life?

Isn't life grand? Whenever I feel the need to thank the universe for another wonderful event or just remind myself that being alive is freeking awesome, there are a few things I like to do. The first is to surround myself with the people I care about - my friends here in NYC, my family back home, some very important people spread across the country. Whenever I'm with these people, I am constantly celebrating life. Just being around them reminds me that the world is a beautiful place. The best part is that even though I'm thousands of miles away from many of them, the Internet, cell phones, and video chatting have made everyone instantly accessible. Whether I'm happy and want to share or bummed and need a pick-me-up, these people are always there.

The second way I celebrate life is a bit more introverted. I walk.

Sometimes I just walk to the park and around in a circle and back home. Sometimes I'll take the extra time to walk two or three miles to a destination instead of taking the subway. Lately I've been enjoying finding new routes through Central Park to get home from the many staples of my life that are still on the west side, even though I now live pretty far east. And some days, like today, a long walk is what I need to clear my head and remind myself that life is brief, and its up to us to make our significant in some way. Today I walked from my school in Brooklyn Heights across the Brooklyn Bridge and into Manhattan. I was pretty grumpy when I left Brooklyn (being a grown-up is hard), but by the time I crossed the bridge, I had a whole new attitude. Something about seeing the entire Manhattan skyline, the flow of the rivers on either side of me, the glimmer of the Statue of Liberty in the distance reminded me how important it is to appreciate every breath we take. So instead of taking the subway home, watching Doctor Who, and passing out early, I chose to keep walking up Lafayette to Union Square for the Gotham Gators kickoff party with some friends. I probably walked about 4 miles today, totally spontaneously, and then met up with some of my favorite people. And life was celebrated.

How do you celebrate life?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

• Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
• Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
• "Like" the  Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of August, you'll automatically be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. You still have this week and next week until Freeky Friday says goodbye until next summer!

Come on back next Friday, August 31st, to help wrap up our summer with this topic:

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

Freeky Friday: Awesomely Bad

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Oh hi, Freeks. I've missed you, you know. Today's topic:

What's your all-time favorite movie quote?

I've been searching my brain for the best quote of all time all damn day. Trying to think of something classic that Katharine Hepburn said that sums up why she's my hero. Itemizing princess quotes to find the one that best sums up the Disney Gospel. I even read some articles about Anchorman to refresh my memory about the movie that inspired me to quote movies for all time. But I kept coming back to this.

Picking this quote is up there with the most ridiculous decisions I've ever made in my life. I'm not going to tell you not to laugh. I am, however, going to warn you not to judge too quickly. Just let me explain.

My favorite movie quote comes from the worst movie of all time. If you have lived in blissful ignorance of The Room, I both envy and pity you. I suggest you head over to YouTube and enlighten yourselves. In the meantime, here's my favorite scene:



I first saw The Room when I was home from college one summer. Being constantly surrounded by movie buffs and connoisseurs of the awesomely bad, it was a sort of rite of passage for me to see the film. For those that don't know, The Room is Tommy Weiseau's disasterpiece about a weird ass man and the love of his life and some dude named Mark and also there's a kid and something about forks. Okay, I really don't know what The Room is about. The important thing is IT DOESN'T MATTER. It's awful. So awful. So deliciously awful it hurts.

After my second time seeing the movie (which, by that point, had been turned into a drinking game), I had all the big lines memorized. I didn't dare to mention them in front of my family, until I noticed my brother-in-law, a full-blown nerd and no stranger to the world of Internet sensations, quoting the movie as well. In front of all of my cousins, we started talking about the horrors and wonders of The Room. He confessed that he had never seen it, but he knew all the big lines from YouTube and message boards. After a few "YOU'RE TEARING ME APART, LISA"s and some "I DID NAAAAHT"s, we decided to enlighten the rest of the cousins.

Keep in mind that at this point it's about 2 a.m., we're all drinking, and we are naturally giggly and goofy when we are together even before alcohol. Put yourself in that state and spend some time YouTubing. By the time we got to the above clip, we were hunched over in laughter. For the rest of the weekend, every other sentence seemed to start with "oh hi" and end with "you know".

The best part of all of this? Since the character's name is Mark, we started associating the line "Oh hi, Mark" with the wonderful moments we constantly experience when our Mark asserts his presence and influence in our lives. Just how this ridiculous quote became something beautiful is beyond me, but I think that's what my family does best - turn something silly into something wonderful. When you're driving down the highway after a rough day at work, and 311 comes on. Oh hi, Mark. When you had a rough flight home, but a soldier returning home reminds you that family is more important than anything. Oh hi, Mark. When you're with your cousins, singing your heart out, celebrating the marriage of your sister, and a gust of wind blows through your hair. Oh hi, Mark.

That's right. My favorite movie quote of all time comes from the worst movie of all time. And I'm not at all ashamed of that. What's that? You still don't believe me? YOU'RE TEARING ME APART, FREEKS! justkiddingiloveyou.

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

• Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
• Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
• "Like" the  Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of August, you'll automatically be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. Keep those posts coming!

Come on back next Friday, August 17th, and riddle me this:

Have you ever experienced a random act of kindness from a stranger? Or gone out of your way for someone you didn't know? Tell us about it!

Freeky Friday: Well-Rounded

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Sorry about the delay, Freeks! Here's today's Freeky Friday topic:

How do you stay healthy?

In a word? Bananas.

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Long-term readers may recall a series I attempted to write about losing weight, which ended horribly with a heartfelt confession about the dangers of obsessing over the number on the scale. Since then, you may have noticed, I haven't really said anything about health at all on this blog... or anywhere in life, for that matter. In fact, I kind of revolted against eating right and exercising and put on quite of few pounds since my pre-bridesmaid weight loss. I blamed it on the stress of student teaching - which probably is to blame for at least part of it - and avoided scales and tight clothes for about 6 months. And then I graduated... and took a long hard look in the mirror.

After over a year of not looking, I stepped on the scale. I had gained 25 pounds in about a year.

Haphazardly trying to eat less and exercise more resulted in me feeling like crap and not losing an ounce. I need monitoring - I need mindfulness. But to calorie count again after what happened last year? That seemed like a really stupid decision.

And then I found out that my cousins had joined Weight Watchers with amazing results (shout out to Jen, my WW inspiration and freeking birthday princess!). I've always had my eye on WW, never wanting to pay but fully supporting their philosophy. After a week in Orlando with the family, I decided to jump on the WW bandwagon. I had support (two cousins, my sister, and my brother-in-law are all doing it!), they were having a sale, and most of all, I was desperate.

I have been on WW for 2 weeks and am noticing a tremendous difference. First of all, I've lost almost 4 pounds and a few inches off my waist and thighs. But more than that, I feel AMAZING. My skin looks better. My hair feels softer. My nails are growing faster. I have more energy. I am more naturally positive and outgoing. Now how much of that is due to me looking good and therefore feeling less stressed out and how much of it is a direct result of the food? Who cares! The important thing is, it's working.

But to go into more detail (and to explain my earlier answer), there is one sole reason I think WW is working for me: Points make sense. Points are calculated using fat, carbs, fiber, and protein - no calories involved. Apart from the fact that the math is easier (26 points a day is a lot easier to wrap your head around than 1200 calories), I feel like I'm monitoring the right things. Low fat. Lean protein. More fruits and veggies (all fruits and most veggies are 0 points!). Less carbs. The carbs I do eat are high in fiber. This is the way human beings are supposed to eat.

When I was calorie counting, I always struggled with the fact that a banana, a bag of pretzels, and a glass of wine are roughly the same amount of calories. Shouldn't I be rewarded for eating whole, unprocessed, naturally delicious fruit and somewhat penalized for eating the sugary, nutrition-less, un-filling alcohol? It got to the point where I felt guilty about eating higher calorie fruits, like bananas or apples. Strictly calorie-counting diets reward you for eating "diet" food and pretty much nothing else. On Weight Watchers, my pour for a glass of wine would probably average around 6 points. A small bag of pretzels, roughly a serving, would be 3 or 4 points. And a banana? ZERO POINTS. HOORAY FOR FRUIT!

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But beyond the fact that I can have all the gosh darn bananas I want, I chose to talk about WW today because it's keeping me mentally healthy. I can stick to this. It is working for me. I feel good about it. And I don't guilt trip myself every time I eat a banana. And if I start to guilt trip myself about food, I have a huge support system of other point-aware people to turn to. And that's a pretty healthy place to be in.

How do you stay healthy?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

• Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
• Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
• "Like" the  Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of July, you'll automatically be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. There's still one more Friday left in July, so you could have plenty of chances to win!

Come on back next Friday, July 27th, and answer this prompt:

Tell us a funny story! It can be about anything - entertain us!

Deck the Walls

I recently gave you all a glimpse into the design of my new bedroom, but I noted that two challenges remained. One of those is the search for the perfect wall decor. I really want one, beautiful, permanent piece that I can proudly hang above my bed that brilliantly accents the room. There are so many incredible designers out there; it's so difficult to choose! The big question is whether I want...

...an inspirational quote...

Let Her Sleep print by yellowbuttonstudio

Ecclesiastes 3:11 by Typographic Verses

...or an ode to NYC...

New York City Map Art Print by jennasuemaps

An A to Z or New York by Laura Seaby

...or something random and whimsical...

Ocean Meets Sky by Terry Fan

Dr. Seuss by Kongoriver

...or something typographic...

The Harmony Manifesto by aardvark

The Alphabet of Typography by Pop Chart Lab

...or something vaguely Disney.

Peter and Wendy print by bbkk

Up by Derek Temple

Decisions, decisions! There are just so many talented artists and so many wonderful online stores selling their stuff! What do you think? Where have you found art in the past?

Freeky Friday: Pick Me Ups

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Happy Friday the 13th, Freeks! We hope you're not too superstitious to answer today's prompt?

What are your little pick-me-ups?

Well this topic just begs for a photo list, dontchathink? Here are a few of my favorite tactics to beating the blues:

Reading Harry Potter on my Kindle (I obviously need this cover!)

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Funky Wayfarers

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Walking in Central Park

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Playing on Pinterest (can you tell from these other pictures?)

Painting my nails (although I could never manage something this crazy!)

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Sitting in a coffee shop

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Stalking brilliant designers on sites like Society6

Stalking puppy pictures, like this one from amazing rescue org Badass Brooklyn

Baking (you saw that one coming)

What are your little pick-me-ups?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

• Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
• Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
• "Like" the  Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of July, you'll automatically be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. There are two more Fridays left in July, so you could have plenty of chances to win!

Come on back next Friday, July 20th, and answer this prompt:

How do you stay healthy?

Freeky Friday: The Freeking June Winner!

Happy Thursday, Freeks! We want to thank you all for your participation in the first month of this summer's Freeky Friday posts! Now before we announce this month's winner, let's recap a little, shall we?

We kicked off the summer by catching up with our participants. We asked you what the best thing that happened to you in the last year was. We heard plenty of awesome responses, from rediscovering your dreams, overcoming adversity, and spending time with loved ones. Next we asked what your favorite local tradition was. While I chose to boast about NYC, plenty of you all tempted me to play in your neck of the woods with stories of ice cream and beaches. We brought back an oldie-but-goodie on June 22nd by asking for your Summer 2012 Positivity Playlists. From Coldplay to LMFAO, Jason Mraz to David Guetta, you guys really made us want to rock out! Finally, we asked for your pop culture alter egos. I got my geek on with my boy Ted Mosby, while my dad chose a different umbrella-weilding star. By far, we got the most Tina Feys/Liz Lemons, which truly speaks to the caliber of people participating in Freeky Friday. Nice work, Freeks!

Now it's time to announce the winner. Our June 2012 Freeky Friday winner is...

Congratultions, Brittany! You'll receive some treats in the mail and a donation the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name! Thanks again to everyone who participated - you've all done your part in spreading the soul and joining in the positivity this month.

But it doesn't stop there! We still have three more weeks in July and a ton of freeking awesome prompts for you all to answer. Don't forget about tomorrow's topic:

What are your little pick-me-ups?

And, by popular demand, we will NOT be using Rafflecopter this month. So now its even easier for anyone to get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

• Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
• Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
• "Like" the  Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

If you do any or all of the above, we will automatically enter you to win some tasty treats and a donation in your name! See you tomorrow, Freeks!