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On Disconnecting to Reconnect
On Disconnecting to Reconnect
First and foremost, I must apologize for my lack of presence here. I made a promise to myself and my readers – months ago – about creating regular posts again. I was unable to keep that promise. I am hoping to be better at this now that life seems to have become a bit more steady.
Yesterday evening I finished my graduate school homework early and therefore have more time this weekend to enjoy…
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My Week in Commodities
My Week in Commodities
It’s been a long time, my friends out there in the wild tech world!  I am so sorry for taking such a hiatus.  I am pleased to be back here, sharing the love of simplicity and function with you!  There have been so many changes in my life since I last posted that I thought I’d restart my experience here with something “easy”, photographs of the commodities I love enough to fill my little home with.
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On A Simplified Holiday
On A Simplified Holiday
This is a long overdue post. Â I must thank you all for your patience as I slowly acclimate to having less time at home to enjoy the space I love.
Today is such a special day.  Sadly, I am not home in Vermont to celebrate this holiday with my family, and Sawyer is currently on-campus working on his portfolio for the end of his semester.  At home alone with the kittens, a mug of hot chocolate on a…
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On Sustainable Lunches
Another weekend has come and (almost) gone. Parent reports, snail mail composition, cleaning the apartment, and grocery shopping were on a self-sustaining to-do list. To step away from the hustle and bustle of a busy weekend, however, I decided to take a walk. I have been decidedly more active recently, now that the weather is beginning to warm up (my spirit animal would be a bear, I…
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Oh, man. After a night of hard cider mixed with champagne, a tacos-for-dinner date night with Sawyer, a good nights’ sleep, a few Saturday morning mimosas, and a slow in-service work day today, I am finally ready to face the beast that was my last week at school.
The week started off wonderfully, we decorated our Valentine’s Day bags and discuss who we love (i.e. mommy, daddy, brother, sister, etc.) on Monday. Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, was a success because we had music class and sang songs about love and friendship, and then we had our Valentine’s Day party! The cupcakes, CapriSun juice packs, and the scavenger hunt for love bugs were all big hits and the kids were excited to participate in the activities. But then, Wednesday happened. It must’ve been a combination of the Valentine’s Day sugar rush wearing off and the cold weather keeping us cooped up indoors, but the children were little devils. For the rest of the week, “no running in the classroom!”, “we don’t hit”, and “please say your sorry to your friend” were staples in the audio reverberating around my classroom. My assistant teacher Alyssa and I joked about making tape recordings of our voices for these specific occasions so we could have a break.
Don’t get me wrong, there were moments between all the chaos that were sweet. I appreciated every hug my students gave me when I came in in the morning, the kiss on the cheek I received from one of my students on Friday afternoon, and the happy smiles I could see after finishing a good book during Circle Time. Those moments shine through the darkness of a tough week, but it was a tough week nonetheless.
I’ve heard that October and November, especially on new teachers, are especially difficult. I started teaching in early December, and as such, I haven’t yet experienced the DEVOLSON (“Dark, Evil Vortex of Late September, October, and November”, coined by the anonymous teacher-blogger who authors Love, Teach). But if there was a DEVOLSON-type phase for mid-February, I am stuck in the thick of it. According to the New Teacher Center, I may be entering what is called the Disillusionment Phase of my first year as a teacher. While I don’t have many of the things that elementary and high school teachers have coming up – such as back-to-school-night, parent-teacher conferences, and my first formal evaluation (yet) – there is certainly a certain pressure one feels while taking care of some odd 20+ 2/3 year-olds.
It’s an exciting time, teaching this age group, because everything is new and developmentally stimulating. Going potty by oneself and living to tell the tale is a major accomplishment and deserves a high-five each and every time thereafter. Making paper plate art, tracing the letters of the alphabet (and sometimes our names), and beginning to pencil circles and figures on our own is a prodigious achievement. I enjoy every overly-excited explanation of exactly what happened when they left the room with Alyssa to go potty, as well as every hug, high five, and hard-earned sticker that I give out to my kids.
I have recently begun work on returning to school for a masters in Education, catering toward elementary levels. Finally – I tell my loved ones – I’ve found my passion. While I’m excited to take these next steps, I’ll certainly miss the classroom I have found myself in charge of now once I’ve completed my certification.
Persevering through difficult days/weeks has been made easier (and more simple) knowing that I have found such a passion in the education field. Even on the toughest days, I know that my presence has impacted someone, that I have made a child happy by sitting with them to do a craft or giving them a high-five after a successful potty mission. After a long day, I look forward to coming home, relaxing with my cats on the couch, and setting up a craft for the next day, despite how tired out I am from a day of chasing children around. Instead of feeling like the “Fun Police” when I ask a child to stop running around the classroom four or five times, I look forward to the next activity I get to do with them.
Perseverance after a long day/week at work is similar to perseverance when striving for a more simple and thoughtful lifestyle. Instead of dwelling on what could be and how much there still is to do, I have chosen to focus on the accomplishments that have already come out of my work and look forward to the next venture that will bring me closer to my goals. There are so many unpleasant things already, I choose not to focus on the negatives from a draining day and instead try to refocus my energies on the positives – whether they be the small instances of success as a teacher (i.e. a child remembering their “please” and “thank you” during lunch, the hug I received from a student as soon as I walked in the door that morning) or the fresh start each new morning provides. These are the simple things that allow my days at work to become thoughtful and more simplistic in themselves.  Not to mention it’s always a great feeling to tack up last week’s Activity Boards with student work, photographs, and a nice write-up of our activities and reflect on how much we accomplished together.
I would love to hear your stories on perseverance, especially when it comes to the work environment! Any job, any profession – teachers aren’t the only ones who have bad days! Let me know how you handled the stress and what kept you going when you felt drained at the end of the day.
On Perseverance Oh, man. After a night of hard cider mixed with champagne, a tacos-for-dinner date night with Sawyer, a good nights’ sleep, a few Saturday morning mimosas, and a slow in-service work day today, I am finally ready to face the beast that was my last week at school.
On Becoming a Teacher & A lesson in Minimalism
On Becoming a Teacher & A lesson in Minimalism
I am finding that – with Sawyer’s hectic school schedule this semester – I spend a lot of mornings alone, even on the weekends. Today was such a day. Sitting at the table alone with toast in one hand and a pen and pad of paper at the other, I brainstormed lesson plans for my classroom. While I have been absent from cornsilk doll, I swapped out employment. In the wake of current politics, I…
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On the Enneagram
After a month’s long hiatus, I am finally ready to renew my commitment to this blog. I apologize to all those who have supported me along this journey and have thus been disappointed in my commitment to writing here. I want to thank you for not giving up on me, and assure you that you mean a great deal to me. I hope that my blog will continue to instills inspiration and provides knowledge. …
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A Simpler, More Purposeful Look at New Year's Resolutions
A Simpler, More Purposeful Look at New Year’s Resolutions
Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone! Tonight is the night that we lift our heads and hearts to the heavens and both hope and resolve to do “better” in the coming year. Whatever the “better” might be for each one of us, however, brainstorming new year’s resolutions is the shared tradition of many. For 2017, though, I urge us all to forgo the “sparkly new self in six easy steps” approach to our…
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My mother and I had a telephone conversation this morning that I can only describe as warm. It left me feeling good. It made me miss home and her advice and the ability to meet for lunch in town during a busy workday or stop by after dinner for a movie. My relationship with my mother is not perfect – it never has been or will be – but it is one of love and respect for one another. After I hung up with her, the warmth I felt was wonderful, and I wouldn’t be doing her justice if I didn’t mention my gratitude for her presence in my life.
I’m not too proud to admit that being grateful for the special things in my life – be it little or big – is difficult to do every day. However, with the holidays coming up I’m trying to be extra mindful of all the wonderful gifts in my life. Despite the everyday stresses, I am working toward a better awareness of the gifts I’m given every single day. Enjoying the now, the present moment, is so much easier when you aren’t focused on hindsight or foresight.
The topic of gratitude and mindfulness is near-and-dear to my heart. I truly believe that if we choose to live in a more mindful atmosphere and allow ourselves the reflection on our gifts, a simple and more thoughtful lifestyle can be borne from that choice. It is something that must be worked at – I am always working toward that lifestyle – but the rewards reaped from that effort far outweigh that which might be forfeit.
I’ve gathered together some simple tips and tidbits that have helped me focus on the here-and-now rather than the could’ve-been’s and can-be’s.
Unplug it. Feeling inundated with too much noise? Whether it be real noise such as the television or radio in the car or digital noise on social media and the Internet, we are always actively searching for that next bit of entertainment. With so many options of things to fill your mind up, there is hardly any room for peace. I like to practice at least 30 minutes of quiet in the morning and at night to focus on the positive aspects of the day and remind myself of all that there is to be grateful for.
Slow down. Similar to unplugging ourselves from all the constant dings, pangs, and beeps of the world around us, slowing yourself down leads to gratitude and higher productivity levels. When we’re no longer multitasking during every item on our busy daily agendas, we are given a chance to notice what may have been lost in the more active moments of the day.  Taking a few moments to focus on breathing or one thought you had that you promised yourself you’d come back to allows us to focus our energy into the special things, both big and small, that we might overlook each day when rushing from one thing to the next.
Let go. Life is hectic, especially during the holiday season. Instead of asking yourself one hundred questions about the presentation you gave at work or the list of groceries you gave your significant other that might be missing one or two items, allow yourself to stop. When the action is over, let it be over. Fretting over what cannot be changed only creates unneeded stress and shortens the mental view of the “big picture”.
Enjoy life. Hand-in-hand with letting it go, a lot of us – myself included – allow our fretting to get in the way of our enjoyment of activities and things that usually bring us happiness. Instead of enjoying a movie with your significant other, you’re anxiously going over the notes on your company’s latest acquisition that may have had an error in them. Instead of going out to dinner, you stay home because you don’t want to see the dip in your finances. This one is difficult, folks, and I am still struggling with it, but it allows for so much clarity once it’s achieved even just once that you’ll want to continue achieving it over and over.
These four guidelines have allowed me to feel more gratitude and enable more mindfulness throughout my day than I had before. They enable me to focus on the already-great aspects of my life rather than the could-be-better’s.
The holidays are a time to reflect on the gifts you have been given as well as the gifts you continue to receive. Permitting yourself to see how fortunate you are enables you not only to decompress before, during, and after your day but also reveals those things that should be celebrated. For me, I feel the most gratitude for my parents at home in Vermont, my sister away at school in New York, my little family here in Philadelphia, my brilliant friends both near and far, the roof above my head and the space beneath.
During the season of giving, I’d love to hear some of what you are most thankful for receiving. Large or small, no story is insignificant, and I can’t wait to hear them!
On Building a Simple and Thoughtful Lifestyle, Beginning with Gratitude and Mindfulness My mother and I had a telephone conversation this morning that I can only describe as warm.Â
Deliberate Dishes : Holiday Cranberry Mimosas
Deliberate Dishes : Holiday Cranberry Mimosas
Sawyer and I celebrated our Thanksgiving 2016 without family this year. Both of us had a slew of emotions about this, but we made the day incredibly special from dawn ’til dusk (and beyond, as dusk is around 4PM nowadays). As I proclaimed in my last post, I am not a professional chef – or anywhere close. But I did want to do something special in the morning as my family usually had a nice…
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On Ringing in the Holidays
On Ringing in the Holidays
Tomorrow will mark the first holiday that Sawyer and I will not be at home with our families for. While we are both a little sad to be away from our families, we’re excited to be spending this time together. Our first holiday meal together seems (at least to me) to mark a special milestone. That being said, I wanted to make this occasion memorable.
I’ll be honest here, I am not much of a…
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On Admiring Craftsmanship
There are many things I miss dearly about Vermont. One of those things would be working in the local-artisans-only art gallery and craft center, Frog Hollow. Recently, I’ve been receiving text messages from my old coworkers at the gallery with photos of themselves with some artwork and well-wishes. I miss the camaraderie and atmosphere of the gallery significantly more than the beautiful work…
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On October & Halloween Celebrations
On October & Halloween Celebrations
October is one of my favorite months for many different reasons. The weather is starting to really cool down and the leaves are beginning to change to those vibrant oranges, yellows and reds that everyone loves to admire while both on the trees and on the sidewalks. Fire pits seem to give off an extra special something when people are burning them and the smokey wafts on the air is a trademark…
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A Confession
It has been 22 days since I last posted here. It’s not easy for me to fess up to things, especially digitally. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been the older sibling when things that needed confessions came up. It could be because I’ve been told that the only forgiveness I truly need would be from God, and I can achieve that in the confessional. Alas, putting aside those ideas, here I am with…
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On Friends, as Allies
On Friends, as Allies
Moving to Philadelphia seems like a tired excuse, but I know it’s part of the reason behind my less-than-motivated blogging this past week. Now that I’m back at the keyboard again, it’s important to relay how I was able to refocus my energies into my writing. I want to thank my close friends back in Vermont for allowing me to vent my frustrations, commiserate with me over the less-than’s in my…
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My Week in Commodities
My Week in Commodities
Some of my favorites from this week!
 Some VT lovin’
 Sawyer’s beautiful handmade birthday gift from Vermont’s own DSKI Designs
 My own little craft nook, topped with a Zoe Tilley Poster favorite
 It’s September, which means, handmade Halloween decorations like this one by Amy Felske (yet another amazing Vermont artisan) are acceptable to put out!
 Some easy-to-wear gold accents
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On Subscription Box Services
On Subscription Box Services
Two months ago, Sawyer signed up to receive Bespoke Post. Bespoke is a subscription service specifically geared toward men, and Sawyer decided to sign up to branch out and try things he wouldn’t ordinarily do. This month – our first month in Philly – he received a Bespoke Post box called “Over Easy”, packed full with a skillet, organic whole wheat pancake mix, Bushwick Kitchen (Brooklyn NY)…
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