Back to School Breakfast Prep

The time has come, even earlier than I was expecting... Back to school aka back to werk, werk, werk, werk, werk. 

(The parking at my job is super limited - 

cheers to a new building in 2018!) 

And while I have secretly been missing my kids and normalcy (I know, I'm crazy), I have been loving having my summer off and having spare time to do fun things like this! 

I had this idea come to me earlier this week after getting groceries and I am so excited about the outcome. I bought a dozen and a half eggs and had the thought to hard boil a bunch and then just keep the others for miscellaneous use. I also bought sourdough rounds because who doesn't love sourdough...my mother...but once they were in the fridge I put two and two together and this afternoon prepped 10 days worth of breakfast in under an hour! #winning

 One of my favorite ways to start the day is with something savory and warm and most of the time it is eggs, but only on days where I have an extra 15 minutes or so. I need time to prep the eggs or veggies and then cheese, etc. and I hate leaving dishes on the stove so time to rinse the dishes before rushing out the door. That said, if you'd like to have an extra 15 minutes for sleep, showering, makeup, etc., you're in luck! For this meal prep, I used the ingredients below but feel free to use whatever is in your fridge!

My wonderful, sourdough-hating mom also bought me a set of pots and pans a few years ago that came with the most perfectly tiny egg pan. If you don't have one of these, I'm afraid your prep time may be a bit longer but should still be doable!

Then create your own concoctions of whatever ingredients you would like. I would have one egg cooking and have another one cracked, mixed and dump topping inside a mason jar until the cooked egg was done. Like the nerd that I am, I wrote down what toppings were in each patty so I could label accordingly when it came time for freezing. 

                

                            ( Ham, Asparagus, Asiago)                            

(Peppers, Kale, Onion)

Once cooked, I set aside and stacked them in order. I then referenced the list with the ingredients and labeled each baggie.

Now I have a delicious and healthy breakfast to help get me out of bed for the next two weeks. Simply reheat and enjoy! I recommend topping with fresh avocado, salsa or toasting a slice of bread to eat these with! Quick and easy and next to no clean up!

DIY Farmhouse Sign

Alright y'all, I along with the rest of civilization, like to save a buck or two and am a total sucker for all things DIY. Luckily, I have a handsome contractor/handyman for the big DIY projects, but I'm a loose cannon when it comes to the crafty things.

I got an itch this weekend to find something farmhouse to add to my current transition inside my home. All the beautiful signs I have been seeing on Pinterest sparked a little inspiration, so I set out to a few second-hand stores to see what I could do and for cheap!

 I ended up finding this for $1.00 and I instantly saw "Farm Fresh" something all over it. The burlap was the perfect accent and for that price, I was sold!

I started by removing the black gems and sanding down the surface. After wiping clean, I painted the surface a creamy white by mixing some white gesso and some brown and yellow accrylic paints I had from a college class I took a few years ago. Like I said, the less I have to spend, the happier the outcome!

Out of all the beauties out there, I ended up using this as an example from Pinterest. As much as I would have loved a "Farm Fresh Egg" sign and love the idea of chickens, I am slightly scared of them and didn't want the flack from any chicken owners! But... I do have a garden (pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, peppers) outside during the summer so figured this would suit perfectly. :) I then free-handed the lettering onto the fresh surface. 

I got a little excited with how it looked that I started to paint right away. After I finished, I noticed some spacing and linear imperfections and wished I would have noticed before painting the lettering.

Overall, for a lazy afternoon and $1.00, I am pleased with the outcome! I can't wait until the warm weather comes and I can start prepping my yard for the garden again. Think Spring!

Christmas at Home

I am so excited to share my home with you this Christmas! Although it is late, I wanted to make a post for the holidays.

I hosted my first Christmas with my parents and a sibling and enjoyed every minute of the week we spent together. We shopped our butts off, ate delicious food, watched movies and a new show I got my parents hooked on called Designated Survivor. If you haven't heard of it, clear your evening and tune in... it's addicting!

 Now, my family has headed home so I took the morning to snap a few pics to share. So light a candle, turn on your favorite Christmas playlist and sit back with a warm drink in hand and enjoy!

-:- Living Room -:-

Santa brought me The Magnolia Story in my stocking this year. I am dying to get started on it. 

Perhaps my favorite ornament ever... 

The best dogs have underbites!

Poor Mary, her hand is missing!

-:- Bedroom One -:-

-:- Bedroom Two -:- 

My new planner set from Costco by Me & My Big Ideas. My mom and I both got one and what a deal! Two years of planners, two folder files, decorative tapes, planner stickers and fine-point pens. I think it may be the best $25 I've ever spent.

-:- Kitchen & Dining -:-

I received a lot of copper colored kitchen items as gifts this year, one of them being a set of these most AMAZING hammered Moscow Mule mugs from Nordstrom.

 Seeing the trend of hot chocolate bars made me crave a peppermint twist or marshmallow topping all month long so I set up a super easy jar display near the Keurig to do the trick!

This is set up in the laundry room. Nothing quite like a picturesque town covered in snow.

I got another Harry Potter Christmas card this year...wahoo! Someone knows me well :)

Now for planning those inspiring New Years Resolutions.Wishing you and your families a wonderfully blessed 2017 - until next time!

Harry Potter Classroom/Library Tour

This will probably be one of my favorite posts because I am a total Potter fanatic! At a district meeting today, we were talking about how everyone has something they "nerd out" about....well that's Harry Potter for me! I wanted to do a fun theme this year and what's more fun than magic broomsticks and silly flavored jellybeans? I have been busy working on getting my room decorated before the kids come to school next week and it is starting to come together. Take a look and see details below!



                       


One of my favorite details is for sure the library doors as the Platform 9 3/4. I used four sheets of butcher paper and hand-stamped the bricks from a mixture of red and brown paint with a sponge. The sign 9 3/4 is from a poster that I ordered off Amazon. 

I didn't feature this cutie in the video, but I took this idea from Pinterest and just sort of made it my own since I wanted to keep the time and expenses low. The stickers I used really made it come to life, and while the directions may not completely be true, it is the perfect detail to the entry of my room. 

This is definitely one of the coolest parts of the library! Every year I have a new quote on the counter and rather than a character's quote, this one by J.K. Rowling set the tone. I couldn't imagine a better thought to inspire young minds to want to read and create!

P.S. PROUD MOMENT - YES, I PAINTED THAT! :)

Since I am doing the first book as a read aloud with my upper grades, 4th - 6th, I wanted to involve them in Hogwarts activities to play along with. Each week, they will get a point to add to one of the Hogwarts houses. Red would mean they did excellent, blue well, yellow average, and green needs improvement. At the end of each quarter, I have a reward for each classroom, depending on how they scored in the houses. If Gryffindor wins, they get to have a "potions lesson" after checkout. I have several ideas brewing, but Pinterest also has many examples that I want to try as well. If Ravenclaw wins, they get to play "Potter Games" which consist of my Harry Potter classroom Kahootz game and the Harry Potter Scholastic site. If Hufflepuff wins, they get to have a "Butterbeer Float Party". You can find the recipe here. If Slytherin wins, they get to bring a treat from home to eat during class. I tried to make it the least fun so that they would be motivated to act responsibly and respectfully to earn the best reward!

In the video, you will see that in my "Potter Shoppe" I have Bertie Botts Beans, licorice wands, plastic Harry Potter glasses, Olivander's wands, soon -to-be-made chocolate frogs, Potter Pins (HP collectors pins), bookmarks and other Hogsmeade items. In the video, you will also see that I have a Gringott's container full of gold coins aka galleons. For perfect behavior, I will give out a galleon to the students and they can purchase those goodies from me. 

Example: Licorice Wand: 2 Galleons - Potter Pin: 5 Galleons, etc. making the less desired items less expensive and the higher interest items must be saved up and worked for.

Lastly, these are just a few fun details that help set the stage for a magical adventure as we set out for Hogwarts next week!