Field Day!

Im pretty sure that this picture accurately describes my day:

Or maybe this:

• TONS OF KIDS
• TONS OF WATER
• TONS OF FUN!

I am still filling in for the art teacher at the elementary school, because she broke her foot and today was FIELD DAY! Do any of you remember field day from the good ol' elementary school days? I remember it was the best day EVER! Def. one that everyone looked forward too.

Today was sooo much fun even on the other side of the spectrum as a teacher. The event that I had to run was called "Finding Nemo"...the kids had to run down to a huge bucket of water, fish out plastic fish into a small bowl, and then run back while trying to balance the "fish bowl" on top of their heads. The kids were SOAKED!

Of course, in the spirit of fun I let the kids dump the big bucket of water all over eachother after they were done with the game. They all kept saying that my event was the most fun :) And the scary fifth graders may have gotten me a little soaked too! I didn't care though, it felt sooo good because it was HOT out there!

My internet was out all night last night, it was getting late so I just gave up on it and assumed that by this morning it would be all fixed up so I could do my normal routine of oats and blogs in the pjs. Well, no such luck...

Don't you just HATE that when the little "address not found" window comes up?! Ick! But, at least my oats were good :)

• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1/2 a Naner
• 1/2 cup of skim milk
• CINNAMON!
• Maple Syrup
• Kashi Flax Cereal

After I finished that up I hit the road to go to school. Lunch was packed, of course.

• 2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread
• Deli Turkey
• Spinach
• Tomato
• Spicy Honey Mustard

I also MAY have stolen some pretzels from the regular art teacher's stash. Hey, I'm filling in for her for THREE WEEKS, I think I deserve some of her pretzels. haha.

When I finally got home OH MY GOSH I WAS DEAD TIRED!!! I swear, I can usually never ever take a nap. As hard as I try I just can NOT sleep during the day. Well, today I got home, walked straight to my room, threw down my purse, and landed face first on my bed. I woke up about an hour later with my tennis shoes still on and my sunglasses still on top of my head! haha. Good stuff.

After I woke up from my much needed nap I took a shower and ran to the grocery store for just a few essentials. Nothing too exciting because I am leaving for the beach on Saturday, so I'm trying to not buy too much food until then.

I got home and fixed up some dinner.

Veggie Burger on Arnold's Sandwich Thins with Spinach, Mustard, Ketchup, and Tomato. Also, on the side some steamed Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrots.

One thing that totally made my today...when I FINALLY got logged on to the Internet I found this little award that the beautiful Megan had given to me!

I think this award was just great because it is soooo fitting. Everyone in this community is just such a great support! I was so surprised at how sweet everyone was when I first started blogging and there have been some of your girls that I feel like I have really built a great relationship with! I LOVE every single one of you and think that you are all amazing, beautiful girls. I am going to pass this award on to a few girls that I feel I have really gotten close to and who have been a great support to me.

• Jenny
• Mica
• Sam
• Katie
• Baylee
• Anna
• Amy
• Janetha

Love you girls <3

Ok I have two hours to get my stuff ready and packed up for my day of art teaching tomorrow, so gotta jet!

Did everyone have a good memorial day?!

Lots of Love <3 Ems.

You Suck Internet Provider.

I'm not naming any names (for fear of some sort of big corporate reparation), but my Internet provider is slackin' as of late. Can you believe that I have not been able to connect to the Internet in TWO days. AND this is the second time this month this has happened...AND when I called them they said they didn't see that anything was wrong. WHAT THE HELL?! Come on guys, I'm paying you for this. You best be giving me what I'm paying for.

Ok enough ranting, its back now. I feel like walking on egg shells though, like any false move and I will get kicked off again.

Currently I am enjoying a lovely bowl of "banana pancake" oats. And catching up on all the blogs that I have missed the past couple of days.

YUMMMSSS!!

I have been busting my butt with the substituting gigs lately! Monday I was a Kindergarten teacher and yesterday I was a fifth grade teacher...Friday is 1st (my favorite grade). Gotta make that money!!

Also, I have been taking every precaution to treat my knee. After a week off from running I tried it again on Monday. I ran 4 miles...came home iced it for 30, heated it for thirty, rubbed pain reliever creme on it, and wrapped it for the rest of the day. Tuesday there was NO PAIN! But, I still wanted to take it easy so I just worked out on the treadmill for 45 minutes. Today I'm going to see how it goes at the gym before deciding what workout I want to do.

Yesterday at work I purchased the cutest little shirt. I have this sort of "theme" with my outfits. If they have some sort of unique back to them I HAVE to buy them. Everyone now associates me with these types of shirts, it kinda like an "Emily staple". I just think that a womans back is one of the most sexy parts of the body. Its seductive, but not skanky. haha. Don't you agree? Here is the latest addition to the collection:

While catching up with the blogs, I was stoked to see that I had received an award from one of my FAVE bloggettes Dulcie. I was super excited about this award, because I just think its great!

The Renee Award is one of the most meaningful awards in blog world because it honors someone who is incredibly inspirational in her intelligent and witty writing. And by doing so, this award celebrates women’s smart, strong and inspirational spirit! It honors women who spread joy and love like an Acorn……a small package growing into a tall and sturdy oak tree which gives more acorns…………..

First of all let me just tell you guys that each and everyone of you inspire me by your witty and funny antics and also with your strong spirits. There is not one blog that I read that doesn't make me laugh or smile every single day. And all of the blogs that I read inspire me and add to my life from day to day. I just love every single one of you guys. So if I comment on your blog at all, just know that you are AMAZING and that I am passing this award onto you as well!

NOW I HAVE SOME SUBJECTS TO ADDRESS FOR SOME OF MY READERS!

First of all Sam had asked what my drink of choice was. And I just have to say that it all depends. I really like to drink red wine at the house while I am getting ready to go out or if I am just chillin with friends in a restaurant or something. If I am out partyin' it up with friends...and trying to keep up with the boys (not that I can or anything, my boys are pretty extreme) I will take shots. My favorite shot is a yagerbomb, with sugar free red bull....because regular red bull with all that sugar mixed with alcohol just isn't a good idea for the ol' tummy. Funny story...one time I got asked by a guy at the bar WHO WAS ORDERING THE SAME DRINK, if I was on a "diet"...I looked at him, then looked at his drink and said "No, are you?!" nice pick up line. Ok back to the drinks...if I want to just not really drink much and just sip on something I will order a vodka cranberry or a light beer. My favorite beer in Yuenling light.

Ok, now I feel like an alcoholic. Don't judge! But, I feel like knowing the appropriate drink for you and where you are and what you are doing is important. I know EXACLTY how much of each of those drinks I can drink without going over bored and keep track meticulously throughout the night. Because I have such a god "game plan" as far as drinks go, I hardly ever get hangovers or regret anything the morning after...except maybe the texts...umm...still working on that one.

Next order of business Miss Emily is running her first 5K and she needs our help! She asked me for some tips about running and I can think of a few AND I know there are others of you out there that have a few tips as well. In the next couple of days I wanna do a post of running tips. SO PLEASE E-MAIL ME SOME OF YOUR BEST TIPS FOR TRAINING OR JUST RUNNING IN GENERAL. I'm going to put them all together, along with some research and tips of my own and make a post for her...and anyone else that can benefit from the tips.

Now I'm off to the gym!

Hope everyone is having a happy HUMP day!

Lots of Love, <3 Ems.

Serving My Favorite Food

Oh my gosh! Last night was totally crazy. Starting out at a popular weekend hangout on a Friday night was def. overwhelming, but I actually liked it. I get bored so easily, so I need a job where I keep moving and always have something to do. It makes the time go by really fast, and I was done with my first night before I even knew it. I'm gonna break down the night just so I dont have a huge block of writing for you all to read through!

• We can wear whatever we want as long as it is a black top, other than that anything goes. Even with the top as long as its black it can be a t-shirt, tank top, whatever. That is AWESOME! You can even chew gum, wear your hair down, and wear whatever kinda jewelry you want.
• I get 1/2 off sushi, 1/2 off meals, 25% off alcohol, and free admission to any of their events. They have some really HUGE events like rail jams, "white" parties, magazine launches, and they have a band every Friday and Saturday.
• I got to sample all of the great food that I have never tried before!

The only bad thing is that the menu is so CONFUSING! They don't just serve sushi (which is hard enough to remember all those different rolls) but they have a full grill too AND a full bar! My trainer gave me a to-go menu and wrote little notes all over it for me to learn, just look!

Im def. going to be studying that all weekend. And probably goggling pictures of the food so I know what they look like :)

Ok anywho, before work I had to do a TON of running around, because my friend Jenni is having a baby shower today and I wanted to get her something great. I ended up going to four different places before I found a gift! After all that I came home for some lunch!

Turkey sammie, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Close-Up/Break-Down:

• Wheat Bread
• Garlic and Artichoke Hummus
• Turkey
• Spicy Mustard
• Spinach
• Cucumber

When I got home from work last night I was starving, so I fixed up something quick and easy:

• Kashi Pilaf
• Bit o Hummus
• Sauteed Spinach
• Salad (not pictured)

Now on to the fun part...the fearless and fabulous Miss Jaime tagged me! Here are the rules:

The rules are as follows: List 7 things that you love, and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you love! Be sure to tag them and let them know that they have won. You can copy the picture of the award and paste it on your sidebar letting the whole world know…you are Kreativ! Soooo here goes:

1. My Family:

I truely am so blessed to have the BEST sisters in the world! We are all so close and whenever we get together you can bet we are laughing and having the best time. My sister Allie (middle) is 19 and we have a great friendship. We hang out together and she was one of my biggest support systems when I was going through my hardest times. She went to group therapy with me, talked to me, and was there when I needed her, more than anyone else.

And of course my parents, who are THE BEST. I am also so lucky to have two loving parents that do everything that they can to provide and take care of us all. My mom is my best friend and my dad is my hero :)

ALSO HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

2. My Second Family (AKA Rave Co-Workers)

This was when my manager Stephanie got married and that is all the girls. I know that I have talked about them before, but I can not say enough about how much I love them. I feel like I really found my place when I got a job there almost two years ago. I really clicked with every single one of the girls there and now they are my best friends. They also were HUGE supports when I was at my worst time with my ED. They helped me through it and they still are the first people I talk to when I have a problem or need good advice. I make sure that I tell them all how much I love them every time I see them.

And when we all get together and go out on the town?! You can BET we have fun and are the life of the party! We know how to do it right!

3. My Best Friends

First of all let me just say, I'm picky about my friends. I have had alot of friends come and go because they just are not good people for me. The friends that I surround myself with now are only the BEST. They are all the greatest people you will ever meet. They are kind, fun, and would be there for me in a flash if I needed them...and they know that I would do the same.

Thats one of my best friends, Jenie and her boy Chris. They are having a baby in less than a month! I am going to her baby shower today! She is from Korea and one of the sweetest, most interesting people that I have ever met.

Did I mention that we also have a freakin' blast together?!

4. Running

Running has also been something that I have been so lucky to discover. It really is therapeutic! It helps me think through my day, blow off steam, and energize me for all those fun times with the friends. Oh yeah, and its also freakin awesome bragging rights that I recently ran a 10k. Next up?! Half marathon!!

5. The Beach

I have been to both coasts! Above: Venice Beach, CA. (West Coast). Below: Panama City, FL (East Coast) During MTV's Spring Break last year!

No where else on earth could make me feel more relaxed and wonderful then the beach. Charleston, specifically has been like a second home to me and I hope to one day live there. Its my life goal. :)

6. Teaching

I have always had a special connection with children (maybe its because I am just a huge kid myself) And I love the rewards of teaching children something that they did not know before. Seeing their faces light up because of something that you taught them is one of the most wonderful experiences that I have ever had.

haha. Cracks me up everytime!

7. Shopping

Clothes shopping, grocery shopping, housewares shopping, shopping, shopping, shopping, I LOVE SHOPPING. Ever heard of shopping therapy?! Um yeah...its what I do.

AND OF COURSE I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ON OF YOU! I FEEL SO BLESSED TO BE A PART OF SUCH A LOVING AND SUPPORTING COMMUNITY. I HAVE MET SOME GREAT FRIENDS THROUGH BLOGGING AND HOPE THE FRIENDSHIPS CONTINUE TO GROW. :)

Wow! This took me a good hour to complete, hope you enjoyed it! Now I gotta get ready for the baby shower!

Lots of Love, <3 Ems.

Interviews, Florals, and Awards

Happy Monday everyone! I know this is everyones least favorite day of the week, but I hope that it has gone well so far for all of you! I cant believe that I totally missed yesterday! I had spent some time over at my parents house and then my friend Lucas came to visit because he was in town for the race, so I didnt get much time to post anything.

Today has been soooo hectic too. It started early this morning when I got a phone call from a number that I did not know. When I answered it was an elementary school that I had applied for asking if I wanted to come in for an interview tomorrow morning! AHHH, I had to rush to get ready and head out to accomplish the #1 most important thing for an interview.....what to wear! Of course I got a little sidetracked and might have bought a couple of other things. But you girls know how it is when you step into a target ;).

Here is the shirt that I picked out for the interview:

Im gonna wear it with some black pants and heels. I think that its fun, but still grown-up looking. I want my fun, bright personality to show though! And I'm not going to give up my fashion for some boring plain interview suit!

Of course I just could not resist some summer time dresses. It is spring now you know! Keeping with the floral theme I scored this cute dress:

its long and strapless, and I can NOT wait to wear it!

I also picked up this little dress for summer:

Now I better hope I get this job, because I spent all my money I made working at the race. :)

All that shopping made me mighty hungry, so I came home and fixed up some lunch.

• Italian Herb Flat Out Wrap
• Artichoke and Garlic Hummus
• Turkey
• Salsa
• Spinach
• Cucumber
• Spicy Mustard

With a juicy pear on the side:

The artichoke and garlic hummus was a new find for me. Upon opening the container, I thought "The name sounds like it would make my breath scare away vampires, and the smell smells like it would make my breath scare away boys." But hey, I'm not too worried about either one today, so I gave it a try. And it was pretty good. Not my favorite flavor, but still pretty good. You could definitely taste the artichoke in it.

Also, I was so excited today because I received an award from the wonderful Jenny. She always knows how to brighten up my day :)

It makes me so happy to think that I am helping anyone with anything! I love to make people happy and help out in whatever small ways that I can.

Now, its back to shopping and getting my portfolio ready for tomorrow. Oh man, I am so nervous! But I can do it!!! Keep your fingers crossed guys, you always send me good luck :)

Awards, Assignments, and Another Word That Starts with An "A"...

Good Morning Friends!

For some reason I was reminded of how we would start the day each morning when I was student teaching in a 1st grade classroom. We would always say good morning to our friends by standing in a circle and tossing a ball to each other. The person throwing the ball would say "good morning" to the person that they were throwing it to and the person catching the ball would say "good morning" back and then choose another friend to throw the ball to. This would continue until every one of the students had been greeted in the morning. I always thought that this was so cool, because my mentor teacher told me that she believed that it was so important for every child to know that they are welcome in the class and that they have friends there with them. All of the kids LOVED it. I think that this can be carried over into the adult world too, dont you think?! I mean who doesnt love it when a friend looks them in the eye with a big smile and says "good morning!" I know it always puts a smile on my face. So, Im bringing out the teacher in me and giving all of you an assignment. Brighten someones day RIGHT NOW and look over, send a text, give a call to a friend and "good morning"! I promise you will make a difference in their day.

My day was brightened this morning because Miss Mica gave me MY FIRST BLOG AWARD! Here is a visual representation of what I looked like when I saw that she had presented me with this lovely award.

Ok, but in all seriousness, thank you Mica, I think that you have one of the most creative and awesome blogs out there too. And I wanna just give it right back to ya. But someone beat me to the punch. So I'll pick five others...if I can!

There are so many creative blogs out there, I tag these lovely blogger girlies:

• Jenn: because she always has the most creative titles for her posts. :)
• Katie: because she is just so witty and funny.
• Leslie: because she never fails to entertain with her pictures and posts.
• Erica: because she always comes up with the most creative recipes for din din.
• Megan: because she is a fellow teach, with style and good food...and you cant go wrong with that!

Now for food! Lunch yesterday:

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sammie with a Granny Smith

Time for a close-up/break-down:

• Wheat Bread
• Mighty Maple Peanut Butter
• 1/2 Nanner
• Blackberry Preserves
• a few randomly placed raisins

Breakfast this morning:

Weird. I NEVER eat cereal for breakfast, but I had the BIGGEST craving for it this morning.

Close-up/Break-down:

• 1 cup All-Bran Flakes
• Other half of the Nanner from my sammie yesterday
• Handful of Blueberries
• 1/2 cup Vanilla Soy Milk

Ok, I thought I would share this with you guys as well to see what your opinions are. As i was uploading my pictures I remembered this picture that my manager at work had me take last night of the cake that she ordered from a place we will not mention, to protect the innocent.

Horrible, right?! Keep in mind that this was a TINY cake and she paid about $30 for it. Its supposed to say "Happy Late 25th Birthday, Love Ya Daddy" IN ALL CAPS. hmmm...looks like it says "Happy Tote 25th, Lare Ya Daddy". haha. We got a pretty big kick out of it.

Anyways, time to get my butt of the computer and start my day. Its a pretty one! Dont forget your assignment and dont forget to have a WONDERFUL DAY! Lots of Love, Ems <33