Is there anything better than a long weekend Saturday? I love knowing there are still two more days of sleeping in, running errands, and relaxing in my future. And since I'm in such a good mood this Saturday, it got me thinking about all the things I'm loving lately! 

Zulily:
I've been getting emails from this website for a long time, but today I made my first purchase! Zulily usually has at least one maternity store listed each day, and I'm always a fan of buying clothing at a discount. Today was no exception! Check out this cuteness!

Excited for October 31 with our mini monster!

I almost can't take it! I'm super excited to dress up the Halloween bump, and think this is the perfect shirt to hand out candy in. Can't wait to see what all the neighborhood kiddos dress up as this year! 

Fall:
Looking at all the cute Halloween shirts this morning got me super excited for fall! Today is the first home Notre Dame game of the season (Go Irish!), and that just means more great things are on the way! Football, apple picking, salted caramel everything, changing leaves, cooler weather... I pretty much love all of it! Bring it on! 

S'mores Flavored Everything: 
I've been wanting to make The Apron Gal's Baked S'mores recipe for a long time! And with a cookout to attend tomorrow, I think now might be the perfect time. I mean, look at these things? Don't you just want to devour them immediately? Just me? That's fine, I can probably take down the whole pan! 

Come to momma! 

Wedding Day Yankee Candle:
For our wedding, we received a totally delicious Yankee candle. The scent is Wedding Day, and our friend recommended we burn it as we were prepping wedding items. We did, and now every time I burn it, I think back to our wedding day and what an amazing, perfect day it was. I love how scents can transport us back in time, and this scent is one of my favorites! 

Kate Spade Planner: 
Can we talk about how obsessed I am with my new Kate Spade planner from Courtney Bock Designs? It's a 17-month planner, which is perfect for someone like me who often likes to plan ahead, and the monogramming is so, so amazing (it makes it feel a little Gatsby-esque!)! I love how there's a month-by-month calender in addition to pages for each week. And, the cute little sayings are read when I get to a new month! Every time I have to write something down or see what's on my to-do list, I smile a little. That's a win in my book! 

My favorite planner of all time!

Ashley Furniture Couch: 
Dan and I have been working hard to make our house homier, and we knew we wanted to redo our main family room to make it more, well, family friendly. We've been moving and shifting things in the house, but invested in an amazing new couch from Ashley Furniture! The couch has a chaise lounger on one end and a cuddler seat on the other end. It's perfection! I literally never want to get off of it, which could be a serious problem in the future! 

Hello, lover. It looks even better now (we added our new lamps!), but I'm too lazy to get off this couch to get my phone and take a picture!

Those are some of my favorite things right now! What are you loving these days? 

Blogger's block: Photos, life lessons, and FALL!

Well it finally happened today. I was driving home from work, and I started thinking about what I wanted to blog tonight. I have lots of baby P thoughts on my mind, but I'm not ready to write about those quite yet. School has been wonderful, but I haven't landed on any particular topics I want to write about so far. And I haven't done any awesome new workouts lately. 

It finally happened. I have bloggers block. 

I know how my students feel now when I ask them to write a paper or answer a writing prompt and they. just. can't. Some days, it's just tough to come up with ideas! 

This blog originally started to chronicle my path to running my first half marathon. It continued as I tackled my second. But, without a major race in the foreseeable future, I feel like the direction of the blog has changed a bit now. Between living life, our wedding, and the impending arrival of baby P, there's just a lot of different things to write about now! 

So, what's a girl to do when she has blogger's block? Duh, you Google it! 

I came up with lots of great sites that offered some great prompts for blogger's block, but I landed on Mandy Leigh's post which gave a whole host of blog ideas! It's like a blogger's block goldmine! 

I'm combining a few of her post ideas here, giving you a little glimpse of the hodge podge that is my life. 

Favorite Weekend Photo: 

We were so fortunate to be able to fly to Virginia this weekend so that I could stand with my college roommate, Meredith, as she married the love of her life, John. I LOVE this picture of Mere getting in to her wedding dress with help from her mom and sister. It just makes me happy every time I look at it! 

Something I've Learned in the Past Year: 
Life is largely out of my control, and that's okay. I don't mean that pessimistically, truly. I just mean that the best laid plans often don't go perfectly. I think I've learned that the more I trust God, the less stress I feel and the happier I am. When I'm trying to control everything, I typically end up grumpy and stressed. And the BEST things were things I didn't even plan in the first place! 

Seasonal Inspiration: 
Fall is coming! I adore fall and all it offers! The Notre Dame home opener is on Saturday (Go Irish!), Pumpkin Spice lattes are back at Starbucks, and cooler weather is on its way (even though summer didn't get all that hot to begin with!). What's not to love? 

I've been spending a lot of time looking at fall decor lately, as I'm feeling a need to get crafty. These are some of my favorite things that I've found so far! 

These guys make me smile. 

Chevron pumpkins make me smile! 

A little play on FALL!

What are YOU blogging about these days? Any awesome ideas for me? (Thanks to Mandy for helping me bust the blogger's block!)

First trimester recap: Aversions and cravings and sickness, oh my!

We found out on June 9 that Baby Putt would be joining our family! I felt amazing for about two more weeks. 

And then, the crud came. 

I never technically got morning sickness, but I did get noon to 10 p.m. nausea (Luckily, I never actually got sick... but sometimes I thought it might feel better to!). 

I also encountered the all encompassing exhaustion. I truly had no idea how tiring it is to be pregnant. Lots of energy going in to this little one! While the nausea went away in week 13, the exhaustion has remained a little longer, which is annoying now that I'm back to work and can't nap quite as often as I'd like. 

During the first trimester, there were certain foods that didn't sound good to me (umm, like meat. And vegetables.), but the only thing that actually made me physically gag was the idea of coffee. 

SAY WHAT?! 

I adore coffee. I haven't gone to work without coffee in... five years? And all of a sudden, just the thought of coffee made me ill. I no longer feel ill when I think about coffee, but I still don't want to drink it. Sincerely hoping that changes at some point, because I desperately miss the caffeine! 

My cravings have been carby and varied. I can't seem to get enough cereal and milk (which I haven't eaten in this large of a quantity since the college dining hall!). Grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese have also been my BFFs as of late. Pretty much anything with cheese and carbs have been great! 

And now, well in to week 15, I'm feeling mostly back to normal except for the tiredness and the ever expanding waistline (and shrinking wardrobe, I might add!). Blessedly, I think most of the crud happened during the summer when I was off and could just be miserable for a bit. Being back to work has been great, and I'm hoping for sunshine and happiness in trimester two! 

Announcing BABY PUTT!

I have been OVER THE MOON EXCITED to write this blog, and it feels like we've had this secret forever! But now, we're letting the cat out of the bag... 

AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! It feels so good to tell you! 

Dan and I have talked many times about how we want to be parents. It's something that I've always looked forward to, and we knew we didn't want to wait too long to start our family (we're 31, after all). We are thrilled and blessed that it happened so quickly for us. We are lucky, lucky people. 

Our little love bug is due on February 14, 2015 (Hello, Valentine's Day baby!)! It's hard to believe that in roughly six months, our little one will be here! I literally can't wait to see Dan as a daddy! 

What else to tell you? I'm almost 15 weeks. We're not going to find out the sex of the baby. We've decided we want that surprise on the baby's birthday, and therefore, we'll be waiting it out until baby P arrives! The jury is still out for me on the sex -- I have no inkling as to what I think the baby will be! Maybe my instinct will kick in later! 

I wanted to make sure I got to share the news with my students before we made it official on any form of social media, but since I was able to tell them today, we're ready to officially announce to the world. The only sad part about this is knowing I won't finish the year with my senior newspaper staffers (okay, so I CRIED when I told them, because I'm a big sad sack), and it does make me sad. But they're all being wonderfully supportive, and that's why I love them! 

Things I'm looking forward to with a winter baby: 
-Maybe staying warm during the cold months! 
-Lots of dresses and stretchy leggings
-A REALLY good excuse not to shovel the driveway (sorry honey!)
-Another good excuse to hibernate on days I don't feel like leaving the house
-Eating ALL THE FOOD during the holidays with no judgment! 

I'm sure there will be lots more things I look forward to as we expand our little family from two to three! 

An honest review of ThredUP, and why I totally DON'T recommend it!

A few weeks ago, I mentioned the company ThredUP in one of my blogs about clearing the clutter. I'd heard about the company from one of my favorite bloggers, and thought the concept sounded really great. Essentially what happens is you request a bag from the company, fill it with clothing you're looking to sell and mail it back to them. They have a detailed list on their website of companies they accept clothing from and what an estimated payout would be. 

I pulled together eight pieces of clothing: Two dresses, a jacket, three sweaters, a tank top, and a button down shirt (which, sadly, was never worn and still had the tags!). I didn't want to send too much, but I wanted to send them high quality pieces that they would probably accept just so I could get a good feel for the company. So, imagine my surprise when I opened my email from them on Tuesday to find they were purchasing...

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. 

NOT ONE ITEM. 

Say what?! 

Hello, incredibly generic email!

It's safe to say I am fed up with ThredUP.

The email I received was incredibly generic and said they often catch "minor marks, discolorations, pilling or other signs of wear that are easily missed." Pshaw. I resent that. I take incredibly good care of my clothing, and furthermore, one item was brand new, and there wasn't a mark, discoloration or pill on it anywhere! (To be completely honest, I had fixed a hole in the armpit of one of the sweaters from Banana Republic, but that was the only imperfection!) The items were all high quality and from in-demand stores like Express, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, BCBG Max Azria, and the INC line from Macy's, all of which they say they accept. Argh. 

A couple of things really bother me about this: 

1. You DO have the option to have your clothing returned to you. But you have to pay $12.99. And you have to pay it before they actually look at your clothing. You don't have the option to get your items back after they go through them. So, if you send eight items, and they accept seven of them, you'll be paying $12.99 to get that one item back. I understand this is a bit of a gamble, and it seems like one that isn't worth it. 

2. The company seemed to be incredibly inundated with bags right now. In fact, I got two emails stating that they were getting an overwhelming number of bags in (one of the emails came Monday, which I thought was weird, since I knew the day my bag would be processed was Tuesday). It makes me wonder how long they really spend looking at each item.

3. I'd read in many places that when you check out, there would be a detailed itemization of each piece in your account saying why your items weren't accepted or what the payout would be on clothing that was accepted. That list doesn't appear anywhere in my account. The only reason I got for the non-acceptance was the generic list in my email, which I feel like every person gets. I think I would feel a little better about the experience if they detailed why items were rejected. 

4. You have no way of knowing what happens to the clothing once it's not accepted. Theoretically, they could keep your clothing and put it on the website in a month, assuming you'll never see it and they won't have to pay you anything. (I wish I came up with this theory on my own, but after Googling the company, I've found a LOT of unsavory reviews of this company.) They say they donate the clothing on to good causes, and I want to believe that. Ignorance is bliss, right? 

5. Had I done my homework in advance, I might have seen how many people are disappointed with the company. There are TONS of complaints about them with the BBB, and lots of less-than-enthusiastic reviews on blogs around the web. The general sentiment appears to be that while purchasing from the company is great, selling to the company is not. Disappointment all around. 

I realize there's a lot of negativity going on here, and I have to be honest, I'm usually pretty forgiving with companies. But this one just rubbed me the wrong way. I sent an email to the company asking for clarification and why I didn't get the itemized list they talk about, so we'll see what the response is. They said they're flooded with emails right now, but to expect a response in 1-2 business days. But I sort of have a feeling the response will be... lacking. (Update: It's been almost two full business days now... zero response.)

In all honesty, I'm not heartbroken about this. These are clothes I was planning to donate to Goodwill anyway, so really, no giant loss there. I wasn't looking to make a huge profit, but I was hoping to turn around and use the credit to purchase items off their site. No dice. 

So, I'm not loving this company, and I don't see myself doing business with them. Have you tried it? Did you buy or sell? Did you like it? I'm curious to hear about the experiences of others! 

Soaking up every last millisecond of summer

I cannot believe this is our last week of summer vacation! Where did the last ten-ish weeks go? How did the time pass so quickly? I swear if you blink, you can lose a week or two each time. 

We used the weekend to get a ton of things off our massive to-do list. Saturday started off with a trip to Valpo to meet our new friend baby Jack. He was born three weeks ago to our friends Matt and Kristen, and he's a total doll! We then went up to Michigan to drop off and pick up some items at the in-laws before an awesome dinner with my parents (think Thanksgiving in August -- which was awesome!)! On Sunday, we ran errands in the morning and afternoon, and then went back north to take Dan's parents' boat out on Lake Michigan. The water was a little choppy, but it was a perfect temperature, and it's always fun to see my favorite three-year-old nephew driving the boat! After an awesome dinner with his family, we got home late last night where we watched Food Network Star (Yay Lenny!) before I promptly passed out. 

I'm making an attempt to get back on "school time" this week, which means going to bed earlier and getting up much, much earlier. I've always been a solid eight hours of sleep kind of lady, so it might be a bit of a struggle this week to really get back to a normal schedule! 

Although I might be slightly bummed about only having one more week of vacation, I've hit that point in the summer where I'm ready to get back to work. I'm ready to have a routine and teach my students. I'm ready to take on the challenges of the school year and get back in to a normal daily pattern. 

So this week is dedicated to soaking up every last millisecond of summer! I'm trying to polish off a massive to-do list (I'm feeling like it's not going to happen... but a girl can dream!), get outside more, read for fun, and see friends and family. Since today started off super rainy and has turned to mostly overcast, it's been a good day to get some inside work done (even, GASP, school work!). 

I'm super excited for what the rest of this week brings, and can't wait to have a little more fun before the school year begins! 

My favorite day of the summer (or one of them)

Today was one of my favorite days of the summer! Today, I drove down to Camp Alexander Mack in Milford, Indiana, to teach Jazzercise at Camp Del Ja Ri. I've been doing this now for about four years, and it's always such a fun time with the kids! 

Let me tell you a little about why Camp Del Ja Ri rocks. The camp is especially for kids with rheumatic diseases... kids who maybe wouldn't get to attend a summer sleepaway camp because of necessary medications or lack of understanding from others at camp about their diseases. The camp has a doctor and nurse onsite in case any medical problems arise, so parents can feel content about having kids attend, and I LOVE that the kids get the chance to go to a fun camp! Camp also allows kids from all over to interact with one another. Kids come from northern Indiana, southern Indiana, Illinois, and even further, and they get the chance to meet other kids who suffer from arthritis and other diseases. 

The camp runs just like many other camps do. The kids spend their days doing arts and crafts, fishing and swimming on the lake, spending time in nature, and learning leadership skills as they grow, share, and bond with one another. It's a camp totally unique from all others, and I'm glad that kids who are diagnosed young have the opportunity to attend (campers must be between the ages of 7-16, but older kids often attend later in high school and serve as counselors). 

For the past few years, it's been a pretty stead group of the same kiddos. I LOVE going year after year and seeing how much they've grown up and changed! One will be a sophomore in high school this year, and gets her driver's license in November. Another will be starting sixth grade. And my little buddy Peyton chatted me up about her summer and her mom's wedding (we both got married in May!)! 

Before I teach, we have a good talk about how important it is to keep our joints moving and our muscles strong. I'm incredibly lucky that my Rheumatoid Arthritis has been under control for seven years now, but I know that not everyone who suffers from RA can say that, especially kiddos who have growing bodies that change often. We talk about good modifications the kids can do if they're feeling a little yucky that day, and then we get down to dancing! 

The first two years, I'm not sure the kids bought in, but this year, they were all over it! Everyone participated and did an AWESOME job! We did a good number of cardio routines and then switched over to some strength training. I'm so proud of them for embracing it and going with the flow! 

I love this day of summer so much because I get to see what true strength looks like. There are so many struggles these kids get put through, but at camp, they just get to be kids. They get to enjoy their time and eat s'mores and make friends with other kids. It doesn't get much better than that! 

I'll try to get some pictures to post soon - I can't wait to see the action shots of everyone Jazzercising! 

OMG it's AUGUST: A pro-con list

August is always so bittersweet for me. While most people probably think of years in calendar years, I tend to think more in school years, and so it's always an interesting transition between the end of summer and the beginning of the next school year. This will be my tenth year of teaching (eek!), and I know it's going to be wonderful, but it's always a little sad to see summer go. 

And thus, today, a pro-con list. I figured what better way to express my internal battle than to share it with all of you? 

Cons of August: 
-It's back to school :(
-Sleeping in and midday naps are about to be distant memories
-Running the A/C more often

Pros of August: 
-It's back to school!!! :)
-Meeting my awesome new students
-Fall is just around the corner 
-The Salted Caramel Mocha is so close to coming back at Starbucks
-All things apple and pumpkin related are on the way
-It's still awesome summer weather for flip flops, sundresses, and tank tops
-College football is oh-so-close!

Way more pros than cons, which I'm happy to see! Now that we're down to two more weeks of summer, I've started thinking about all the things I want to do before we're officially back to school. And I've come up with a list that I think will make these last two weeks super enjoyable! 

-Have a pool/beach day
-Go mini golfing
-Eat Ritters frozen custard
-Spend an entire day with my husband without us having any set plans
-Set up my classroom (!)
-Have an awesome BBQ at home
-Find the perfect First Day of School outfit! 

What's left on your summer to-do list?