A few weeks ago, I received an email from my bestie Shannon (check her out at Gypsy Mind!) inviting me to try Rocksbox for free. I'd never heard of Rocksbox, so I started doing a little digging. 

Rocksbox is similar to Stitch Fix (my other favorite subscription service!) in that you sign up for the service by filling out an extensive profile of what sort of accessories you wear, what styles you like, what sorts of events you're attending (weddings, workplace, out on the town, etc.). After you've done that, you wait patiently, and in no time at all, three pieces of jewelry arrive at your doorstep. If you decide you want to keep any of them, there's an invoice with price included. If you don't want to keep them, you borrow them for as long as you'd like before shipping them back in the same prepaid envelope they were mailed to you in. Then, voila, your next box will arrive (Or, you can choose to cancel after your first month if you don't want to keep paying for shipments). The service is $19 a month, and my understanding is that you can return as many shipments as you want within the month and receive as many shipments as you want until your month is up! 

Now, I will be the first to admit I'm not really an accessory person. Any of my friends can tell you that typically when I travel, I have to borrow accessories from others with me, because it's literally the last thing on my mind (read: never on my mind) when I put an outfit together. With the exception of scarves (LOVE a good scarf!) and my wedding and engagement rings, I just don't wear a lot of jewelry. 

But, because Shannon had signed up, I would get the first month for free, so I figured for free... I was willing to give it a whirl! I filled out my profile, gave them my address, and patiently waited for the box to arrive! 

And let me tell you, friends, my first box did NOT disappoint! 

Love the super cute packaging here! 

These are the three pieces I was sent this month, and I was thrilled to have them arrive, because I'm totally planning to use them next weekend to my cousin's wedding with my amazing Loveappella Maxi Dress from Stitch Fix! I don't have anything like these pieces, and I'm so excited that I can use them with my new dress!

In my first shipment, I received the Aztec Bangle from House of Harlow 1960, the Urban Gem Lorena Art Deco necklace, and the violet Sophia Studs earrings from Loren Hope. These are all PERFECT for the maxi! My only complaint is with the bracelet, which, is no surprise. I have super small wrists, so the bangle comes all the way down my hand! While I love the jewelry, the prices are a bit high for my tastes (especially considering how often I wear jewelry (although you do get 20% off if you purchase a piece through them)), but I really enjoyed having this first month for free and am debating trying another month just for fun! I'm hoping this will help encourage me to wear more jewelry too! 

So are you ready to try out a FREE MONTH?! Click my referral link, and you'll get an access code for a free month! Fill out the style profile, wait for your jewelry, and let me know what you think afterward! 

Stuff I'm loving Saturday #3

Hello from a b-e-a-utiful northern Indiana Saturday! The air is crisp, the sun is shining, and the birds are chirping. It's like a little slice of heaven today! I've had such a fun time lately finding new things to share, so I felt it was time for another Stuff I'm loving Saturday! 

Runs with my hubby (and our talks):
As any couple does, we have super busy schedules. Dan spends a lot of time restoring his vintage GTO at his parents' house, and I spend a lot of my evenings Jazzercising, attending meetings, and seeing friends, so there are times we don't really see each other during the week. But we always make sure to get in at least one run together on the weekend. It used to be at least four or five miles, but lately it's been more like running two and walking one. Regardless of how many miles we get in, I just love that we get to spend this quality time together. It's the perfect time for us to talk about our weeks, catch up on important things, and enjoy some fresh air together. There's just something different about our conversations when we're running, and I wouldn't trade them for the world. 

Jif Peanut Butter cereal: 

Have you had a chance to try this stuff yet? Jif cereal contains little, awesome, pillowy, square clouds of yum. This poor cereal hasn't ever met milk in our house, as I eat it dry, typically right out of the box. This is quickly moving up my ladder of cereal greatness. 

Everything Scandal: 
So, Scandal premiered its 4th season on Thursday night, and it did NOT disappoint! I can't wait to see what happens to television's favorite heroine, Olivia Pope, this season. On top of my favorite show being back on the air (is anyone else in love with the new Mellie?!), The Limited has also launched a Scandal clothing line and it is fabulous. Super sheek, super beautiful, super sassy, just like the ladies on the show. Right now, I'm currently fawning over this coat: 

I think I might need it! But at $248, it's going to have to wait until a pretty big sale! 

Slicer pride:
I blogged about this earlier this week, but this is my most favorite time of year to be a Slicer. In bad times and in good, Slicers support one another. In a school of 2,000 students, you'd think that wouldn't be possible, but it is, and our kids do it well. I'm grateful that I get to go to work every day with them and my fantastic coworkers. 

Why I'm proud to be a Slicer

If you don't mind my asking, how in the WORLD is it already the end of September? I feel like this school year is absolutely flying, and that means all sorts of awesomeness. 

Our first newspaper is due out next Friday, and I'm super proud of my staff this year already. We only have six veterans, but our new members have stepped up and are already making amazing strides. 

Homecoming is also next week, and it's one of my favorite days of the year to be in LaPorte. There is a fairly large float parade that makes its way through downtown LP just prior to the annual tailgate and football game (this year, we face off against Crown Point). I just love seeing the students work so hard to get their floats perfect, and I love that our school has such a large Homecoming Court (all clubs and cocurriculars are allowed to make nominations, which makes for a GIGANTIC court!). It's neat to see so many kids honored for their dedication to the clubs that they're in. 

It's always in season to be a LaPorte Slicer, but I think there's something different about being a Slicer in the Fall. The school year has really started to gel together, and the students feel more comfortable with their classes. The teachers feel back into the groove with discussions, assignments, and grading. It's a good time of year to be in LaPorte, because Slicers just plain rock. 

Most importantly, this is the time of year I see kids come together. They shed their individual personas for awhile and spend time being a part of something larger. No words could really ever fully describe what it means to be a Slicer, to be a part of this family that supports and loves and lifts up others without question. It's the best time of year to be a Slicer. And I'm looking forward to all the other seasons to come as one too. 

Stitch Fix #7: They have MATERNITY clothes now!

After my last Stitch Fix came, I decided I would order just one more shipment before I got super duper pregnant. On Thursday, I came home to my beautiful little box and a MAJORLY awesome surprise on my doorstep: STITCH FIX IS DOING MATERNITY NOW! Bestill my little, pregnant heart! 

My stylist for the past few Fixes has been Tan, but this time, a stylist named Arielle styled me as she works exclusively with expecting mothers. I was expecting a lot of accessories this time around (I do love a good Fall scarf!), but was pleasantly surprised to get five clothing items!

If you haven't heard of Stitch Fix yet, let me tell you a little about it! Basically, Stitch Fix is a subscription service. You fill it out a detailed style profile about  your sizes, style preferences, and budget. After that, they'll send you five clothing or accessory pieces for you to try on in the comfort of your own home. This is awesome, because you can pair it with your own clothing and accessories to see what might work well in your closet! Your Fix also arrives with detailed styling cards to give you ideas of what to wear! Each Fix costs $20, but that fee is credited toward anything you decide to keep. When you've decided what you don't want, you drop it in the prepaid mailing envelope, stick it in any mailbox, and send it back to the company. You only get charged for what you keep, and you can get Fixes as often or as infrequently as you'd like. Shipping is free both ways. 

AND, if someone signs up through your referral link, you get a $25 credit to use toward your next purchase! Not a bad deal, huh?

I love using this service because it gets me outside my comfort zone and allows me to try things I normally wouldn't! You can check out my other Stitch Fix reviews here: 
Stitch Fix #1
Stitch Fix #2
Stitch Fix #3
Stitch Fix #4
Stitch Fix #5

And that brings us to today's awesome maternity Fix! I still have a day or two to decide what I want to keep and what I want to send back and I would LOVE some feedback from you! 

1. LA Made Maternity Trystan Maternity Ruched Front Dress, $108

 







As the most expensive item in this Fix, I was kind of hoping I wasn't going to like this dress very much. It's a beautiful burgundy color, and has plenty of room for a growing bump, but the top is still a little bit large on me. One really cool feature, though, is that the dress doubles as a dress for mom-to-be later, as it's nursing accessible (so cool!). But, overall, it's a cotton dress that seems WAY overpriced. Luckily, I can say no to this one! 

2. Margaret M Emer Maternity Geo Print High Waisted Cropped Trousers, $98

 

This was the only other strictly maternity piece in the box, and I really do like the pants. The waist sits high to cover the belly bump, and the pants are very well made. It's hard to tell from the picture of me wearing them, but there is an adorable geometric print pattern of burgundy and black on them. While I do love them, and think they would be great to wear to work, I can't justify the $98 price tag for pants I'll only wear for a short period of time! So, as much as I really like them, back to Stitch Fix they go! 

3. 41 Hawthorn Berneen Printed Dolman Sleeve Top, $58

This top is SO stinking cute! It also has a really awesome geometric pattern on it, and I love the blue and teal jewel-toned colors. The bottom of the shirt is stretchy and will accommodate a growing bump, and I like that it's versatile (I can wear it now, and I can wear it in the spring when I'm covering up a post-baby bump). I really, really like it! 

4. Mystree Clove Twist-Back Striped Cardigan, $68

I LOVE the Mystree line, and have a few of their pieces from my favorite in-town boutique, Flourish. I love the look of this cardigan, and really like the back twist detail. I think this would be great to wear to work or around town, and will work with a variety of colors and styles. The versatility alone makes me think I should get it! 

5. Loveappella Carlita Jersey Maxi Dress, $68

I pushed the bump out a little bit here so that we can see what it will look like in a few weeks! 

I'm pretty sure I'm 100% sold on this one! The dress is a gorgeous deep purple jewel-tone, and is so incredibly flattering on! My dear cousin Chris and his beautiful fiancee Mary get married two weeks from today, and I've been mildly stressed about what to wear. This might be the winner (paired with gold wedge heels and a gold necklace). I love that I can wear this pregnant, but I can also wear it when I'm not. Actually, now that I think about it, this might be a perfect dress if we decide to take some maternity photos later on! 

So, I'm stuck here, people. What do you love? What do you not love so much? Thanks to my fabulous friend, Alison, I do have a $25 credit to apply to this order! If I kept all five pieces, it would still cost me $280 total ($56 a piece), so I don't think I want to do that. But what would you keep if you were me? 

Ready to try Stitch Fix for yourself? I would love if you would use my referral link, especially now that I know I can keep getting Fixes throughout my pregnancy! 

Watching what we say (in an online world)

As a teacher, people often ask me what life lessons I wish I could teach students. Other than being kind of compassionate individuals, I really, really, really think the next thing we need to focus on is the online perception students (and, heck, adults too,) present to the world. 

It's so incredibly easy these days to post anything and everything that pops into our brains. With the awesomeoness of websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a whole host of blog sites, it takes literally 1.7 seconds to transition from having a thought to posting it online. And it concerns me how much people put out there. 

Recently, a former student started following our school newspaper's Twitter account (you can follow us too @SlicerNewsroom!). Our policy is that if you follow us, and you're a LaPorte citizen or student, we'll absolutely follow you back. As I clicked the Follow button, one of my newspaper students commented that I probably wouldn't be following her for long. As soon as students start dropping lots of F-bombs or start gossiping about others, we unfollow immediately, as who really needs that popping up on a school Twitter feed? He was correct. We followed her for four days. And two of those days were weekends. And I'm not always the best about updating school Twitter on the weekends. 

Ugh. It just makes me cringe to see the things people say on their PUBLIC Twitter accounts! If I can see it, so can a potential college or military recruiter or employer. I'm truly grateful that these sites didn't exist when I was a teenager, because I'm not sure I'd want a public account of every thought I felt worthy enough to post as a 14-year-old. That probably wouldn't be very pretty. 

I wish I could find a way to really explain the ramifications of what we share in the public with my students. 

Sometimes I even wonder... 
...should I be checking in at various places on Facebook? My account is private, and I don't add anyone I don't know, but do I really want everyone knowing where I am? 
...should I mention things that happen at school on my blog? I try really hard NOT to mention work, just because I don't want to invade the privacy of my students. 
...is what I'm writing going to negatively impact anyone in my life? Because then the answer is, no, I definitely do NOT post it. 
...am I giving away any sort of personal information that I don't want out there? Because, again, who wants to do THAT? 

There are lots of lists of guidelines online about what to post and not post online. I think the best advice boils down to a pretty short list, though. 

• Don't post your personal information. Just don't do that. Ever. 
• Don't share everything. Not every thought, picture, and outing needs to be documented for the world to see or read. There's a lot to be said about keeping private things private! 
• Don't hurt others. Even if you're not naming names, if you're passive-aggressively talking about others, there's a solid chance everyone knows who you're referencing. Don't do anything that might hurt another person. And don't post embarrassing photos either. I don't want someone getting mad at me in five or 18 years because I thought something was funny at the expense of others.
• Don't post anything you wouldn't want out there for the whole world to see. Even if you think your profile is private. Even if you think there's no way an email can be intercepted. If you're not comfortable with everyone knowing, don't let anyone know it. 

Stuff I'm loving Saturday #2

I had a lot of fun writing the Stuff I'm loving Saturday post a few weeks ago, and I realized there's a whole lotta stuff I'm loving lately that I wanted to share with you! Without further adieu, let's get down to it! 

My mother/daughter connection (and also Chicken Pot Pie):
If you know me, you know that my mom and I have always been super close. So close, in fact, that my dad has often accused us of sharing a brain. It's been years since we've lived together, and yet, we would often show up to the same events wearing almost the exact same outfits. We're creepy connected like that. Last week, I'd been watching the Food Network, and one of the cooking shows was making Chicken Pot Pie. I said to Dan that it looked amazing and how I could really go for a Chicken Pot Pie. The next day, my parents came over to see our new couch, and my mom said they had to get going home so she could make dinner... of Chicken Pot Pie, of course! This isn't something either of us make or eat often, so it was awesome that she had the same thought (and even more awesome that she made me and Dan one too!)!

PicStitch: 
This seriously might be my favorite app out there. As a non-Instagrammer, I still wanted a way to make fun collage-type photos to use on my blog and to post to Facebook (when I post... which seems to be not so often anymore!). Enter PicStitch! Totally user friendly, and I LOVE that there's a wide variety of templates to choose from. It's been so much fun to play around with! 

Salted Caramel Mocha at Starbucks: 

Not even my coffee aversion is going to keep me from my FAVORITE seasonal drink of all time at Starbucks. There's something so deliciously amazing about a sweet/salty drink combination. I will be drinking one a weekend until they go away again this winter. And then I'll probably be back on a coffee hiatus (oh man, I wish it sounded good though!)!

Weekly Baby Video Updates: 
Although Dan and I are terribly uncreative when it comes to baby things, we're still super excited about baby things! Every Saturday morning when we wake up, we watch our weekly videos together that I get from two different apps. I love that they tell us what's going on with the baby (this week, s/he is sweet potato sized and has lots of brain and nervous system development going on!), and it's fun that we get to start our weekend celebrating another week of pregnancy milestone! (And, for inquiring minds, NOPE, we haven't taken our 18 week photo yet today. Fail. Again!) 

What are your favorite things right now?

How to take great belly photos (a.k.a. the opposite of what we've been taking!)

A compilation of crazy: Me and Baby P at weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16. Different distances? Different positions? We've done it all!

As soon as Dan and I found out we were expecting, we decided to take the weekly belly photos. We wanted to document this awesome, crazy, growing-like-crazy time. What I should have done was to look for tips online before we started taking the photos. But, now, here we are at almost 18 weeks of pregnancy, and we've pretty much done it all wrong! 

Ugh. We really were trying so hard! In no particular order, here are just a few things we did sort of wrong:

I started the pictures wearing jeans. I should have thought ahead and realized that perhaps something more, umm, forgiving, like, yoga pants would have been a better option. The jeans (especially lately) have been sitting funny, and it's hard to tell in those first picture what's belly and what's fabric. 

We've skipped weeks. And truly, we have no excuse for this, because the day we're supposed to take pictures every week is SATURDAY! What's my excuse for not getting a picture in when we're both home?! I don't know, but we've missed some! 

We didn't label the photos in any way. In hindsight, I wish I was holding a sign or did something with the date of the photo in each one. I've been trying to transfer them to my computer and label them on there right away, but I literally can't see a difference from week 6 to week, say, 13, so it's hard to tell what's what (I did get a haircut in there, so that helped a bit!). 

Our background is ugly. We started the pictures, well, out of the country, but when we returned home, we just started using our bedroom wall. Sometimes you can see into the hallway. Sometimes you can see into the guest room. Sometimes you can see the clothes bag on the floor that I've been meaning to take to Goodwill. It's not pretty, people. 

What we've done right: 

I'm always wearing a black top. So, yay! I mean, it's not always the same black top, but at least that comparison will exist!

Up to this point, there hasn't been a huge change. I hit the 18 week mark on Saturday, and just this week do I really notice a big difference in the way I look. So, I suppose it's not too late to find a better backdrop and switch to the comfier pants! 

PicStitch can be used to salvage the photos. PicStitch is my favorite phone app right now, mostly because it allows me to edit out all the junk in the photos and just focus on the profile in each picture. (Thank goodness!) The above photo was compiled through PicStitch, and it sorta makes the pictures look okay! 

It's never too late to make a change. We're hoping to get the baby's bedroom painted in the next few weeks, and at that point, I think we'll switch gears and take the remainder of the pictures in there. I can't wait to make some progress on baby P's nursery! 

On why I become friends with former students

Every once in a while, I will get the strangest looks when I tell someone, "I'm meeting up with a former student tonight for coffee!" They look at me like I've lost my mind. Why would I stay in that close of contact with former students? And why would I ever call these students friends? 

Because, my former students ROCK! 

Over the years, I've watched my former students successfully navigate the rigors of college, the workforce, and some of life's biggest obstacles. They've started (hopefully) long careers as teachers, PR reps, journalists, and more. They've sent me emails when they were having good days and bad. Some of them even attended my wedding and babysat all the kiddos we had there. 

I feel lucky to work with such fantastic, positive, smart, wonderful, kind, beautiful people. And while those adjectives are also fitting for my coworkers, I see all of these things in my students too. I feel blessed to have a job where people go from students to former students to friends. And I feel even more lucky that former students want to count me as one of theirs. 

I've been blessed to be invited to college graduations, weddings, and 21st birthday parties (to be fair, those I passed on). To me, there's nothing better than seeing someone I knew as an 18-year-old grow into an amazing adult. Knowing I had even an iota to do with that is an overwhelming honor. 

Whether my friends are 51 or 21 or any other age, I'm thrilled to watch their lives progress. I love that I get to know what happens to these kids after they walk out of my classroom. 

Now, if I could just get them to call me Angela. :) 

Running for two (or, lack thereof)

Summer has always been my favorite season to run, mostly because I actually had quality time to do it. From 2011-2013, I ran over 1,400 miles, which feels like such a major accomplishment! 

This year, though, has been a different story, unfortunately. Wedding planning consumed the early part of the year, and then right about the time summer rolled around, my all day nausea kicked in, making it difficult to find the motivation to run. I kept up my normal Jazzercise classes over the summer, but I wimped out on the running, only getting in 3-8 miles a week (much less than I would like). 

It's different when you're running for more than one person. I feel the need to be more cautious... to really watch my steps and pay attention to what's happening around me. I feel the need to slow it down when I used to push it and take more water breaks than I normally would have. My five mile summer runs turned in to two milers, or a walk, or no miles at all, depending on the day. Even though I did get my 5K PR while I was pregnant, it was before I knew I was pregnant, and I guarantee I wouldn't have pushed quite so hard had I already known (there were moments I felt like I was going to puke during Sunburst, but Dan was so encouraging, and I wanted to keep up with him!). 

Now that I'm feeling better and the fall weather is inching ever closer, my goal is to get back into running. I've been looking around the internet for lots of great tips, and have taken my own experience thus far to compile the following advice for myself and fellow mommas-to-be. Enjoy! 

1. Don't be afraid to slow it down. A mile is still a mile. It doesn't matter how fast you're going. I'm running about a full minute slower now than before I got pregnant, and I fully intend to slow down even more as Baby P grows. I'm still going to count each mile as a success! 

2. Hydrate. And carry hydration with you. I find that I'm getting warm every run, even if it's not too warm outside. The best way to combat that is hydration. I drink as much as I can before I head out and set a 24 ounce water bottle outside when I run. I pass it twice each mile, and I stop every time I need to. 

3. Umm, use the bathroom right before you go. And directly after. Your bladder will thank you. 

4. It's okay to maintain. I used to run to get faster, better, stronger. That's not the focus anymore. I'm just trying to maintain my fitness level and feel strong and healthy. It's not about speed or mileage anymore. Maintaining is still great! 

5. Stretching is more important now than ever. I used to skimp on my after run stretches if I was in a hurry. Not anymore. Things tend to be sore (read: my back) more often now anyway, and I'd rather spend an extra five minutes working out some of the kinks. Make sure to take adequate time to stretch. 

Any other running related tips I should know? I'm all ears!