Eeeee! I have been SO excited to tell you about my first experience with Sparkle Box! And now it's finally time! 

Sparkle Box is the fabulous brain child of my best friend, Shannon. I blogged about Sparkle Box a few weeks ago, but I'll give you a short recap here too! For only $19, you can order up a piece of jewelry based on your own personal style. You simply log on to the website and choose the style that bests suits you. There's even an option for the young ladies in your life ages 10-16! 

Now, here's the thing. I love the idea of jewelry, but I've never been able to pull off large, dramatic pieces. Because of this, I sometimes even shy away from jewelry because I'm not sure how to best wear it. That's why I absolutely LOVE the Subtle Style option! It's the perfect option for me, but there are plenty of others to pick from if you want something trendier, bolder, glitzier, or more creative. 

And now, on to the goods, because let's be honest, that's what you really came to see! :) 

The ribbon is adorbs!

I absolutely LOVE the packaging, especially the signature logo ribbon and the super cute tissue paper inside the box! It makes the anticipation that much better! 

And... tada... here's what I got! 

Don't mind my bathroom mirror selfie at school. :) Look how cute it is with my outfit, though!

Now, to be fair, Shannon is my best friend, but she absolutely nailed it! This long, gold necklace is exactly what I was hoping for in my box, as I've been on the hunt for something simple and elegant for a long time now! I love the different size circles and the cut outs in it. I put it on in the bottom picture just to see how it looked with what I wore today, and even with a plain t-shirt and cardigan, it's totally adorable (side note: I was too lazy and swollen to take a proper styling photo. Also, I'm wearing sweat pants, and nothing says style like sweatpants! I'll add a proper picture when I wear my real outfit!). I also paired it with my go-to maternity outfit of outrageously colored pants and a black top. I really, really love that I can wear it plain, or, I can layer it with other necklaces for a look that's oh-so-on-trend right now!

And if Subtle Style isn't for you, you can check out some of the other fabulous, sparkly baubles that have been delivered here! Or, just check out the pictures below! 

  

 

   

So, are you convinced yet? Because I'm pretty sure you (or someone you know!) needs a sparkly little gift box delivered for Christmas! Head over to Sparkle Box on Facebook, and like the page. THEN, hit up the website, and see what style best fits you! 

And WAIT! If you use the code RUNBABY, you can get 10% off your first order! That's an awesome piece of hand-picked jewelry for you delivered directly to your doorstep for only $17.10! Seriously awesome treat! 

Monthly goal setting: What I'm up to in December

I would love to tell you that this monthly goal setting idea is of my own creation, but it would be a total lie. I actually got the idea from my friend Ashley over at Savvy Mom Solutions. She and I are incredibly similar in that we both love a good to-do list, and I find them to be especially useful this time of year! 

While the entire year as a whole can often feel busy, it's fair to say that this is one of the busiest times of all! Between trying to gather everything you'll need for the holidays, staying on top of gift buying, going to various holiday events, and the other musts (like working. and laundry.), things can get a little bit busy! 

So, I'm choosing a few major items to focus on this month, and I'm letting the other stuff slide... at least for now. No one will know if I haven't dusted, right? ;) I'm trying to focus on at least one work related goal, one home related goal, one personal goal, and one life-affirming goal each month so that I can do things that will make me feel accomplished in each area of my life. 

1. Send out Christmas cards. 
Truthfully, I think Dan and I might be the reason the postal service is still in business. This year alone, we've sent out save the dates, wedding invitations, and thank yous (bridal showers, bachelorette party, wedding, and now, baby showers!). But I'm still super excited to get our Christmas cards out this year! I love sending and receiving cards. And I LOVE hearing (and seeing!) what our family and friends are up to. By mid-month, I really want them out. 

2. Start organizing Baby Putt's nursery. 
It's taken everything in me not to blow off all of my responsibilities in order to start putting all of my time and effort in to Baby Putt's nursery. Now that we've had a baby shower, I just want to wash all the adorable onesies, blankets, and towels, and organize them all in drawers! But, I've refrained for now. This month, I'd really like to come up with a plan to organize the room and then actually start doing it. Not knowing the sex of the baby has made it slightly harder to decorate, but I'm hoping to get some crafting done this month too. (Blog post just as soon as I have something up on the walls!)

3. Spend time making memories (and really enjoying them).
Whether it's putting up the Christmas tree or getting hot cocoa and driving through Winding Brook, I'm super excited to make some holiday memories and really enjoy them. I tend to let me mind wander to the next thing I need to do, but I'm trying to spend more time being present and focused on living in the moment. This is the perfect time of year to do that! 

4. De-clutter my classroom. 
I have a minor hoarding problem. I keep lots of project and paper examples. I have enough photos on my cabinet to decorate the entire thing (and many are from my first year at LPHS -- nine years ago!). My cabinet is filled with many useful things and some totally useless stuff (like my lesson plan books from classes I haven't taught in ages!). And I just need to purge it. My goal by winter break is to really go through my items with a fine tooth comb and let go of those things that no longer help me in the classroom.

5. Read something that allows me to grow. 
Currently taking suggestions! Any and all suggestions! 

So, those are my five goals for December! I'm eager to tackle the last and really enjoy the last month of 2014! 

What are you trying to accomplish before year's end? 

Gift ideas for moms-to-be

We were so excited to host Thanksgiving, and it went off without a hitch! Our first family holiday as a married couple in our home was a major success and only mildly exhausting. Everything tasted amazing, and the wonderful company was even better! I have no pictures of our family, but clearly I took a food picture, so that's what you're getting today! 

I've been suffering from a little bit of insomnia at night, but what I've found is that's the perfect time to do some online shopping. The Black Friday deals online this year were wonderful, and they all started early, which I was even more excited about! I'm loving the holidays this year, and can't wait to continue our traditions as an (almost) family of three! 

About the only thing I'm struggling this year is what to put on my Christmas list. Almost everything I come up with is something for the baby or the baby's room. Our house is firmly stocked in every household product I could ever have asked for because of our wedding this year. So now I'm left trying to figure out what to say when people ask "What do you want for Christmas?"

The following is a short list of items I've come up with to share with you so that when you have a clueless momma-to-be in your life, and she doesn't know what to ask for at Christmas, you'll know what might be a good option! 

Any gift certificate that offers pampering: 

Massages. Manicures. Pedicures. The answer is a resounding YES. Moms-to-be are tired and hurting and swollen and could probably use some pampering. Today, my mom caught a Black Friday special and bought me a massage gift certificate for two massages. Bless her heart, it was a happy Christmas moment for me (even if I don't get them for a month!). I don't know a single mom-to-be that would turn down a little pampering. 

A commemorative ornament: 

I actually saw a fellow mom-to-be get this ornament from her mom, and I immediately sent the link to my mom! I LOVE having ornaments on the tree with stories behind them, and I can't wait to tell our little one that this ornament is from the Christmas I was pregnant with him/her! 

Snacks:

I mean, it's a giant stereotype that all pregnant love to eat. And it's a giant stereotype because it's mostly true. A small collection of mom's favorite snacks would be an amazing, thoughtful gift to give. You could even include a gift card to mom's favorite restaurant or coffee shop so she can stop by when she doesn't feel like making her own food. 

Awesome accessories: 

Clothing can be difficult to buy for others, mostly because who knows what fits during this time of life. But accessories are a totally different story! Scarves, amazing jewelry (enter Sparkle Box!), or a beautiful bag will go far in momma's eyes. My favorite place to shop for scarves is Flourish Boutique because they have something for every style! 

A Netflix subscription:

Our baby isn't even here yet, but I have a strong feeling that I'm going to need some entertainment during sleepless nights or mid-day naps. And thankfully, Netflix just released all the seasons of Gilmore Girls plus a whole host of new, awesome movies. We already have Netflix, and I know my love for the service will only grow! 

Books, books, and more books:

Topping my list this year is this memoir by Anne Lamott. I've always loved her writing, and I can't wait to read her stories from her son's first year. Completely unrelated to becoming a mom, I also want to read The Paris Wife and anything by Jojo Moyes (because I loved Me Before You so much!). 

Something personalized:

Since we know that life will be all about baby once baby arrives, spoiling her with a little something personalized now can't hurt! Enter the perfect monogrammed present from Courtney Bock Designs! I did a blog post a few weeks ago on all of her amazing products, and if you haven't had a chance to check her out yet, do it now! I'm loving the monogrammed scarf (or scarves in general, apparently), the awesome mason jar tumblers, and the unique stationary gift sets. 

Alcohol-free alcohol: 

Yes, you read that right. I've sorely missed my favorite wine during pregnancy (a small price to pay for our beautiful baby), and I recently discovered Fre Wines. They're definitely not the same as the real thing, BUT, it tastes sort of similar to my beloved Moscato, and I'll take that! 

Time: 

Not sure what to give a new mom? Offer up some time! Maybe she'll want to spend an afternoon prepping freezer meals and could use some help. Or maybe she really needs someone to help her paint a bedroom or scrub bathtubs. Sometimes an hour or two means more than anything else! 

What else have you given mommas-to-be? I would love to hear some of your ideas to add to my own list! 

P.S. Go Slicers! I believe! #PlayForJake

Things people may have told me before pregnancy that I probably didn't listen to

Now that we're officially in to our third trimester of pregnancy (how'd we get here, by the way?!), it's becoming much more real that in a few short months, we'll be bringing our baby home from the hospital with us. I literally cannot wait to see what this baby looks like, feels like, and acts like. But in the mean time, there's plenty to do to keep us busy (like hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow!)! 

I've been spending some time reflecting the past few weeks about what people told me about pregnancy before it personally applied to me. I've gotten all sorts of advice, but not all of it has come true (for example, no stranger has tried to touched my stomach in public, nor has anyone who doesn't know me asked about the baby or when we're due). The following list are things people probably told me before I got pregnant, but I didn't really take them to heart. So, I'm passing them along to you just in case you want to listen now! 

1. Your back will hurt. All day. Every day. From about 24 weeks on. I had no idea how much carrying an extra 20ish pounds right on the front of my stomach would impact my back. Holy cow, does it ever. My back throbs most of the time whether I'm standing up or sitting down. Laying is good, but laying down to teach high school English just isn't really conducive. So, alas, I attempt to hold my body up and let it throb! 

2. Feeling your baby kick will be the most amazing, incredible, life-affirming thing you've ever felt. And although you want to meet your baby so badly, you will never want to NOT feel that feeling. I love feeling the little flips and kicks that I have zero control over. Our baby has super active periods during the day, and it's so fun to feel him/her in there! I can't imagine not feeling this once s/he is here! 

3. People will have all sorts of opinions and advice for you, and not all of it will be positive. God love people, I know they're just trying to helpful, but sometimes I don't want to hear the horror stories or see the gawking at the amount of weight I may have gained that week! I'm choosing to wear the rose colored glasses just a wee bit longer!

4. Everything will shift. All the time. One morning, you will have a belly button. Then, the baby will shift a little, and suddenly, my belly button is flush with my stomach. Twenty minutes later, the belly button is back! And it's not just the stomach! Weight shifts up and down on the hips and back and bum! There's just a lot of shifting that happens! 

5. Every moment, even the uncomfortable ones, will be a major blessing. I can't tell you how thankful I am to be pregnant. I know I am so incredibly lucky to be carrying this baby and that there are so many women out there who want so badly to be in this situation. So even on the tough days when my back aches and I'm exhausted and I wonder if I can really do this for another 11 weeks, the answer is a resounding YES, because I am so blessed to be this child's momma. 

Stuff I'm Loving Saturday #7

What a week it's been! I love this time of year leading up to the holidays so much, and it feels like there's even more to cherish in the next few months! We're hosting our first ever family Thanksgiving, and I'm very excited to see how everything turns out (okay, excited, and mildly scared!). But first, here's another edition of Stuff I'm Loving Saturday! 

Sparkle Box:
I blogged about Shannon's new business earlier this week, but I can't get enough of it! Sparkle Box is a totally unique way to get a fun piece of surprise jewelry sent to you (or someone else!). Choose a style, put in your info, and for only $19, you get an awesome piece of jewelry hand picked and sent directly to you! This is SO fun for the holidays! I placed my first order last week, and I can't wait to see what Shannon chooses for me! AND, there's still time to enter the Grand Opening giveaway! Head over to Sparkle Box's Facebook page, like the company, and enter to win free jewelry for you AND a friend! 

Elfster: 
I'm in a group for moms due in February on Facebook, and one of the ladies asked if anyone would be interested in doing a Secret Mommy exchange. One of the other moms-to-be asked how we would possibly organize something like this. Enter Elfster. Elfster is an online Secret Santa organizer. You can set up groups, make a wish list (with items you find on the internet), and message your match up in secret if you have questions. This is such an awesome way to do a Secret Santa, I almost wish I had to organize one this year! Oh, and did I mention that it's free? Even better! 

Courtney Bock Designs (all of it!):
Earlier this week, I attended an open house for Courtney Bock Designs, and I have to tell you, seeing all of her merchandise right in front of me makes me want to buy it even more! I snagged a few Christmas gifts for others, and also got some really awesome placemats to set out for my Thanksgiving tablescape. I'm still sort of kicking myself for not getting a sparkly red chevron water cup for myself! I recently ordered an adorable monogrammed infinity scarf for my friend Tabitha's daughter, and it came out so stinking cute! That's a definite item I'll by buying again! 

My Humidifier:
I realize how odd that sounds, but winter came early to northern Indiana, and my already sensitive skin was NOT happy that it didn't have time to adjust to this weather. Thankfully, my fabulous humidifier has come in handy to keep a little extra moisture in the house. Hooray! 

LaPorte High School's 2014 Football Team: 

I had to save the best for last, of course! I am SO incredibly proud of our school's football team this year! For the first time in school history, our team will head to State next weekend to play at Lucas Oil Stadium! This is such an amazing accomplishment, but it's made more amazing by the fact that our kids are truly "Playing for Jake," their teammate who died completely unexpectedly last year at practice (and who is missed every single day). This is Jake's senior year, and his teammates are making sure he's with them every day on the field. I'm so proud of what our kids are doing to honor his legacy. I just can't get over how incredible all of this is. #ProudTeacherMoment #Play for Jake #StateBound

Fitness myths: A little bit of debunking

I'll never forget the feeling of crossing the finish line of my first half marathon. I was exhausted. Every muscle in my lower body was screaming. My joints were crying out in pain. But I felt so incredibly accomplished. In a little over two hours, I had run 13.1 amazing miles, and I was thrilled. I couldn't wait to see my parents. I couldn't wait to call Dan (who, at the time, I hadn't even met yet!). And I really couldn't wait to EAT. Everything. All the food I could get my hands on. 

And I will never forget the moment I looked down at my Body Bug (something I used religiously at the time) and saw that I had burned less than 1,000 calories. Say WHAT?! I had run for HOURS! I was planning to eat my body weight in a calorific ice cream sundae. All of that pushing myself had burned me 988 calories. This was still an amazing feat, but it felt like I should have burned 10,000 calories for what I'd just put my body through! 

So occasionally when I see a "Burn 1,000 calories workout" pop up on Pinterest. I cringe a little bit. Because my fear is that someone will look at it, think it actually burns 1,000 calories, complete it, and then eat a giant amount of calories since they think they've burned that much. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I assure you, these workouts aren't burning you anywhere NEAR that much. 

It would be INCREDIBLE if this workout actually burned 1,000 calories, but it's just not reality. It might be a good workout, and it certainly would burn calories, but probably not 1,000. This myth gets perpetuated repeatedly. And that got me thinking about all the other fitness myths out there. 

Targeting fat burn is easy.

Negative. While you can certainly attempt to train certain areas, it's not going to work unless you're burning calories overall and eating right. So, while people may wish for thinner thighs or tighter abs, trying to spot treat just those areas isn't going to cut it. 

Lifting heavy weights will bulk you up.

I've had a couple of people tell me in the past that they're hesitant to go up in the size of free weights they use because they don't want to bulk up. I assure you, raising your free weights a pound or three is NOT going to turn you in to a competition body builder! Push yourself to become stronger and lift a little more! 

Eating vegetarian or vegan is healthiest. 

This is only true if you eat a healthy diet. Do you KNOW what kinds of foods are vegan? Oreos. Sour Patch Kids. Red Bull. Fritos. Pringles. Famous Amos cookies. Town House Crackers. They're vegan! That could be a vegan diet! It's not healthy in the slightest. You have to make good choices to have a healthy diet no matter what type of diet you eat. 

What it boils down to is that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If it seems like a ridiculous reality, it probably is. Do your research. Debunk the myths. And do what's best for you! 

All things Sparkly: Let me tell you about Sparkle Box!

I have been on pins and needles just waiting to tell you all about the new, awesome jewelry service, Sparkle Box! Literally, the fact that I get to blog about this today makes me so happy, because this business is the fabulous brain child of my best friend, Shannon! 

Unlike a subscription box service, this one is totally unique! For only $19, you get a sparkly, shiny, awesome piece of jewelry hand-picked and mailed to you! You can get them as often or as infrequently as you like, and there's no subscription (yet!), so you don't have to worry about forgetting to log in and skip a month or cancel like some subscription services make you do. 

The concept is simple: Log on to Sparkle Box and select your personal style. You can choose from a variety of styles like Boho Beauty, Cute and Quirky, On Trend, Subtle Style, or Holiday Glam! Or, you can choose to make it a surprise and let Shannon decide for you! There's even a Sparkle Girl option you can choose for girls ages 10-16 who might want a little more sparkle in their lives. Once you've chosen your signature style, your box will be mailed within seven business days, and, poof, your awesome new piece of jewelry will arrive! 

Obviously I'm biased, but I think this is so awesome on so many levels. 

1. Your $19 actually purchases something! I tried using RocksBox recently (a similar jewelry styling company), but I didn't love that my monthly payment of $19 only rented me the jewelry. If I actually wanted to buy any jewelry (which ranged from $30 to $150 a piece), I had to pay out of pocket, and the $19 wasn't applied to my purchase (unlike Stitch Fix where the "styling fee" also goes toward the cost to purchase). Here, for $19, this piece of jewelry is all yours! 

2. The jewelry is gorgeous! Being a best friend has its perks, and I got to see some of the jewelry Shannon was contemplating using for Sparkle Box. Let me tell you, the inventory is GORGEOUS! And I can only imagine what awesome pieces Shannon is going to come up with in the future!

3. There's literally something for everyone here! Ask anyone I know, I'm not a big jewelry person. That's not to say I don't like jewelry (I DO!), but I've never been one to wear a lot of large pieces of jewelry. When I saw there was a Subtle Style option, I knew it was for me! Delicate, dainty, and understated... which is exactly what I want in my jewelry! For those who are super trendy, love large pieces, or want something fabulously blingy, there's options for you too! 

Jewelry just right for me!

Because the Grand Opening is today (!!!), Shannon is running a great contest right now! You can win a Sparkle Box for you AND one for a friend! Click here to head on over to the Sparkle Box Facebook page! Like the page, find this image, and comment on it with which Sparkle Box style you love the most, and tag your friend in it too! 

Head on over there now to enter the giveaway and see what's new at Sparkle Box! The site is live, and orders are ready to ship... just in time for the holidays! :)