Archive for the ‘Guilty Pleasures’ Category

I find it funny that I used to love watching award shows. Used to. Now, I just can’t be bothered for pretty much all of them. I occasionally watch some of the Academy Awards but that’s about it, and even then, my attention is usually pretty short.

I think I watched about 2 minutes of the Emmy’s that’s it. I did however log on to People.com to see the dresses afterwards and I’m watching Entertainment Tonight as I type this. I guess my attention is drawn to snippets at best. I do understand that I should probably hop over to Youtube to see if I can find the opening…I can’t imagine it’s not there.

Anyone watch the Emmy’s…did I miss anything else?

Update: Just watched the opener…oh my goodness, that was bloody AWESOME.  I don’t think I have ever seen such a great opener for an awards show.

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Mother Nature has decided to tell us that she is still very much in charge. Last Friday I froze because I went out in shorts and a t-shirt, determined to wear them a bit longer. Well, that lasted a whole 24 hours before she decided to throw another log on the fire and turn the heat up again. It’s in the low 30Cs and that doesn’t include the humidity…that just makes me melt. I may actually get to bring the dog in for one more swim before school starts next week.

What’s really annoying…by the weekend the temps are supposed to be half of what they are now. I know I live in Canada, but it still amazes me that we can get such temperature swings. And apparently we are going to get warm weather through Halloween. I can’t complain about the temps, but the allergies, that’s another story!

What’s good about the weather…the only day I have to go into the school this week, Thursday, is supposed to be rainy and the start of the temps starting to drop.  That will certainly make it a bit easier to go.

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SIL was in a dragon boat race on Saturday.  To park, we ended up parking on the bike path – I didn’t know it at the time, but we lucked out by not getting a parking ticket.  There just wasn’t enough parking for the number of people who were attending.

This was the first race she had ever been in…as a matter of fact, it was the first for most/all of the team.  And…

They came in first in the gold category.  The only category higher was platinum…and they almost made it into that category on their first race.  After the first race they were 11 out of 59 teams.  Not bad for a bunch of newbies!!

And while we were there, we saw the biggest husky I have ever seen.  I’m 5’5″ and the head of this dog was above me hips.  Apparently he wasn’t done growing either.  I found out from SIL afterward that the dog was just a pup…at six months old!  Holy crap, that’s going to be one BIG dog.

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Shopper’s Drug Mart…what are you doing?

I went into my local Shopper’s the Monday and wandering the aisles I came across quite the “display.”  Not only was there Thanksgiving decorations, with a bit of Halloween thrown in…and Christmas.  There was also Easter and Valentine’s Day.  Really, seriously!!  I think this brings a whole new meaning to the one stop shopping idea.

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Anyone got a pressure canner they want to lend me?  I’m not fully serious about this, but I was hoping to can some of the HUGE bag of green and yellow beans my neighbour sent me home with on Sunday night.  Alas, I think I am going to have to survive with freezing the beans instead, as there doesn’t seem to be a safe was of preserving them without a pressure canner and I’m not spending $150+ just to get one.  Either way, homegrown beans in winter will be awesome!

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If you’re a NASCAR fan, you’ll probably know about this t-shirt.  Kevin and DeLana Harvick made the most out of a stupid comment made by Joey Logano and decided to raise money for their charity.  I just helped the cause.

The look on the one girls face made me laugh…not your typical t-shirt for small town Ontario!

And just incase you were wondering, I’m linking this post up…

So this past weekend was the 40th Biennial Family Reunion of Hubby’s mother’s family, and…it rain! And rained. And rained some more. I gotta tell you though that it didn’t make that big of a difference in the festivities. The food was plenty and then some. I cheated, sort of, and bought these freakin’ awesome ginger snaps, because I wasn’t turning on the oven this week with the heat (okay fine, I was being lazy…it was actually cool for a few days). I did however decorate them!

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I’ve also spent a bunch of time getting our trailer ready to go for our yearly trip to Michigan. Yep, if you haven’t picked up on it, we are a NASCAR family. Yep, it’s completely against the environment. Yep, the cars go around in circles (well ovals) for hours. Yep, there are a lot of drunk people (we are actually not among that group…I can’t stand the taste and Hubby just can’t be bothered). But you know what, it’s bloody AWESOME. There’s just something different about being at the track. Not to mention it’s a few days for Hubby to sit and relax…no working on the garage, no working on the truck, no working at all. Although what’s really funny…he does a lot of the cooking. He doesn’t cook all that often at home, but when we’re gone, he cooks. So, it’s a nice break from cooking for yours truly.

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With our trip this weekend comes the end of summer for me. When we get back I’ll likely head into the school for a day or so to get things set up for September. It may seem really early to some but I want to get everything set up before everyone else is coming in and wanting to chat. We also have PD Days before the Labour Day weekend, so there won’t be much time to set up the classroom during that week.

I’m one of these people who would really like year round schooling. I’m ready to go back, sort of. I’m still hoping to win the lottery this Friday – $50 million, not that I need anywhere near that much, but let’s be honest, I’d happily take it!

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This has been one of the hottest summers in years. Since Mother Nature and I don’t have a great relationship most of the year – too cold, too wet, too snowy. I’m not easy to please when it comes to weather apparently. Well, let me be honest here, I really haven’t had much to complain about this summer. Mother Nature has treated us well. Thank You. (Now watch, it will probably snow next week just to make me bite my tongue for even putting this down here).

Heading for NASCAR race next weekend!

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Please head over and see how else is participating this fine Saturday. Well, it’s nice here anyway.

I joke about the fact that when I go to Swiss Chalet I get the baked potato and smother it with butter, sour cream AND chalet sauce.  Yes, I know, that’s just bad!  Would it help if I told you I eat at Swiss Chalet less than once a year (a byproduct of the fact that Hubby doesn’t eat chicken).   I have no idea how many calories are in this, but I’m smart enough to know that it’s a lot and I probably shouldn’t eat it.

Then I saw this (again,  on MSNBC…I need to stop visiting that site).

A simple eat this, not this article.

Olive Garden Fettuccini Alfredo meal

800 calories
48 g fat (30 g saturated)
810 mg sodium

Saturated fat equivalent: 1.5 full jars of Nutella!

I’ll take the Nutella please.  Of course, it should be noted that this is for the kids meal at Olive Garden.  This doesn’t include the bread sticks.  This is not the adult meal…I’d be afraid to ask just how many calories are in the adult equivalent.

Applebee’s Grilled Cheese with French fries

1,020 calories
54 g fat (17 g saturated)
2,170 mg sodium

Calorie equivalent: 400 Cheddar Goldfish Crackers. (That’s 1.3 full bags!)

400 Goldfish Crackers?!  That’s just crazy.  I’d be okay eating some of this one…I don’t tend to eat a lot of fries.  As if I’m justifying my eating a grilled cheese sandwich.  Either way you look at it though, that’s a lot of calories…half of what I should eat in a day. Not I say should eat…

And the one that takes the cake…

Friendly’s Mac & Cheese Quesadilla meal with Friendly Frank, Shirley Temple and Friend-z Peanut Butter Cup

2,270 calories
109 g fat (45 g saturated)
3,320 sodium

Calorie equivalent: 45.5 Glazed Munchkins from Dunkin Donuts!

We don’t have a Friendly’s here in Canada so I don’t really know what this meal is, but I do know that 2200+ calories for a kid is criminal!  That’s more than the recommended daily calories for an adult!!  In this case, I guess any kid would be better off eating 20 glazed munchkins from Dunkin Donut than the meal at Friendly’s.  Granted this meal includes the dessert.  I wonder what the calorie count is on just the meal.

I have/had the Restaurant app on my iPhone (I need to re-download it…apparently there was a glitch causing the phone to crash) and it was handy and helpful.  Did I look at it every time we went out to eat…goodness no, sometimes I just want to eat what I want to eat and not feel bad about it.  But, I have to admit that sometimes the app surprised me with the information it gave.  Sometimes the better looking choice wasn’t the better choice after all.

I’ve been enjoying my summer vacation and getting the time to lounge around reading all of the blogs that I enjoy so much.  Actually, there are days I don’t know what to do with myself because I catch up on my reading rather early – as opposed to the days during the school year when I have over 100 posts to read in my reader.

First…a great site with contests going on until the end of the month:

Christmas in July is going over there right now, with prizes and gift ideas.  It’s a bad site for me to go to right now since I’m in the Christmas crafting mood, but I think I will survive it.  Go, click over there now (you can come back here after, just promise me…) and check out all the cool things going on.

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One of the blogs I enjoy reading is:

I am inspired by the stuff that she does.  Then last week she posted the most incredible site on her blog and inspired doesn’t even come close to explaining what I thought.

These are created with driftwood…yes, driftwood!  Take a look for yourself over at Heather Jansch’s site. Wow!

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Over here at:

I spied these yummy looking goodies!

S’more Brownies!  Don’t they look amazing?  Hubby is not a big brownie fan, and I’d probably eat the entire pan myself, but…we do have a have family parties and reunions coming up and I may just have to turn on the oven to make a batch or two of these.

It’s summer, I can’t remember the last time I used the stove…the BBQ has a side burner so all of my cooking has been done out there since the heat finally came.  I even made pancakes on the BBQ the other week…love my griddle topper!

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I LOVE batik fabrics!  Love them!  I have stack of fabric downstairs just waiting to be cut apart and assembled into a quilt/bedcover.

How could I not love this blog?  She makes her own batik fabric…and has a book on how to make your own!  I’m in love and I’m in need of another book order.  Drat, I was doing so well too.  Look at the fabric she’s made…

isn’t it just gorgeous?!

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And on a more serious note…as in it’s not all yummies and craft today…

Holocaust Dance Video

Have you seen the video? Youtube took the original video down, but you can still find it from others who have decided to share their downloaded version.

I have to admit, I don’t have a problem with the video.  I take the Holocaust seriously.  Teach it to my students.  I even brought my students to see Hana’s Suitcase this year and the conversations the unit generated were phenomenal!  I just wish this video had been made public a month and a half ago because  I would have shown it to my class to see what their reaction would have been to it and to open the discussion about appropriateness.

The reason I don’t have a problem with this video is very simple: he survived the Holocaust.  I look at it as a celebration of what he survived, with this grandchildren, before it is too late for him to share this experience with them.  That’s it, that’s all, that’s how simple it is to me.

I truly do hope I haven’t offended anyone by posting this.

And if you’d like to join in hop on over to Unmom for a bit more Random Tuesday.

My summer vacation has officially started, not that it started all that great.  What started as a head cold swiftly made it’s way to my lungs and completely knocked me off my feet.  I don’t remember having a cold this bad in a long, long time.  I spent many hours Saturday sleeping because that was about all I could do – something to do with lack of oxygen from full lungs I’m sure.  If I weren’t on holidays it would definitely have been a sick day, and I don’t do sick days very well, I don’t like the extra planning for a supply teacher.  Apparently I’d rather infect my students.

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So now that vacation has begun, I feel overwhelmed.  It was a crazy busy school year and I’m overwhelmed about not having as much to do?!  There’s something wrong with that.  I’m sure the feeling is only temporary…I hope!

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I’ve started the first book on my summer reading this…so far…it’s okay.  More later, when I’m done. (No L, not your book…that’s next.)

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It’s bloody hot here now!  Last Tuesday it was a whopping 14C out…by the Sunday…30C+.  It’s official Mother Nature doesn’t know what she’s doing. This is the weather forecast for the week…

See that “feels like” temp on Wednesday…shoot me now.  That’s just plain crazy!

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I think we’ve decided to try golf.  By we, I mean Hubby and myself.  We spent whatever time I was awake on the weekend at different golf shops.  You know what I have to show for it…golf balls.  It’s a start.  As always I seem to pick the wrong time of year to start looking into a sport…finding shoes is almost impossible right now.  I’ve almost chosen a set of clubs.  This is exciting news because it will give us something else to do when we go trailering.

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My goal this week…to get the rest of my plants in the ground.  I have a bunch of lavender plants to plant, but need to get the new garden dug and honestly I haven’t been in any shape to do it.  Based on the heat…about 11 pm sounds like a good time to do it.  I will get it done though.

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I’m making my second trip south of the border in less than 2 weeks.  I have a pair of shoes I need to exchange…they fit, mostly, but I forgot to adjust the straps on the ankle to their a little too big. Funny thing…my mom also has a pair of shoes to exchange too.  She looked at the size, but didn’t try them on.  They’re men’s shoes.  Oops!  Oh well, that means more yogurt and K-cups!  I’m weird like that…drive 3 hours to bring back groceries.

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One of my favourite things about summer and the heat…cooking on the BBQ.  I make everything out there.  Last year I made cookies and lasagne on it.  Not sure what crazy things I will try this year, but I have a few months to figure it out.

Care to join in on the fun, or perhaps see the randomness of some other awesome people.  Hop on over then.

I have been collecting material for a few months now knowing that I would eventually have time to do something with it.  Well, that time has finally arrived.  I laundered it (well, half of it!, okay, probably less than half of it!!) this morning and now it’s out drying.

About half of that is for projects I’m making for myself and the other half is for Christmas presents.  I’m looking forward to this.

Yesterday I had the line full of John Deere material for a gift I’m making for FIL.  (He doesn’t read this so I’m not giving away much).

I already made one of the gifts for a sister-in-law (no, not the SIL that occasionally stops by here ).

I’ve been collecting and planning for months now.  I blame the internet, stop by a few cool blogs and look what happens.

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In other news, can someone explain this to me?  My brother is in Vegas right now and I thought I’d check the temps to compare them to here.  It’s a little warm here today!!

I get the temp being less in the winter when there’s a wind chill, but in the summer…in Vegas?!  Maybe it’s the dry desert heat, it plays with the “feels like’ temps.  Unlike here where the “feels like” is already 10C hotter than the actual.   Ick!!

For some of you summer vacation is already here, for some of us, it’s still a few weeks off.  I for one am looking forward to it, not because I get a break from the everyday, but because I will get to read.  During the school year, I just don’t read as much as I would like.   Last week I posted about “joining” a summer reading challenge, if you can call reading a book on the list, joining.  Some of you asked about whether there is a challenge similar to this for children.  Here’s my two-cents on the topic.

Check out your local library – If you have a library close to home, check it out, they are a great source for finding out what is the latest and greatest in the reading department.  If your library is anything like the library in the community I teach in, they may also have a summer reading challenge.  I know here, there is a theme for the summer and as kids finish books they get to play a kind of reading Monopoly, complete with prizes.

Create Your Own Challenge – what better way to get your kids reading than to have them create their own challenge.  Invite friends, family, cousins, whoever you can think of and set up your own type off challenge.  There is nothing like a bit of friendly completitin to  et kids reading.  I have seen this time and again in my won classroom.  And the best part, reading creates readers.  I have students who can’t put books down now, partly because we read so much in class and partly because I have introduced them to books that keep them interested.  I have one student in particular who fights with his partents…to stay up later…reading!  I kid you not…his mom works in my school.

Scholastic - (hopefully the link works)  Scholastic has a summer reading challenge again this year. Although I don’t necessarily like all the books on their suggested reading list, it sure is a place to shart.

Go check out your local big box book store.  If it is anything like my closest one they have summer programs going for free throughout the summer.  Not to mention spending a nice AC visit, enjoying your favourite beverage, while your kids browse the kids section finding their next latest and greatest read.

My Recommendations

Disclaimer: I’m making nothing off of this recommendation list, it is simply my thoughts based on what I have seen my own students reading this year.

I’m going to start with the older ages first, because that is what I am currently teaching.

Gr. 7+

Eric Walters – If you don’t know who Eric Walters is I’m guessing you don’t live in Canada.  He was a teacher, who started writing because his students couldn’t find anything they liked to read…so he put them in his stories.  He has since developed a large collection of books, on some pretty great topics! Among my favourite reads of his are:  Alexandria of Africa – My students are silent when I am reading this book to them.  Simply put, Alexandria is a Paris Hilton wanna-be who gets caught shoplifting…again.  It’s either junvenile detention of a diversion program in Africa. (see Gr. 6+ for another suggestion)

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – Oh my goodness this is a great story. This is the story of Bruno, whose father “runs” a concentration camp.  While out exploring one day Bruno befriends a boy “on the inside.”  I will not go any further because I don’t want to spoil this one for you.  It’s a must read.

Street Pharm – I have not read this book myself, but one of my non-readers (as in he didn’t read a lot, not that he couldn’t read) couldn’t put the book down.  He was even late going to his rotary subject because he wouldn’t put it down.  I think all said and done he read the book in about 4 days.

Gr. 6+

Camp X series – This book is based somewhat on an actual “camp” that existed in Ontario, during World War Two.  The boys in my class were fighting over these books. (Eric Walters)

The Lightning Thief series – I haven’t read it yet, but it’s on my pile.  I know my students have gobbled this one up too.

Gr. 4+

39 Clues Series - This is something that Scholastic has put together and I have been loving the series.  When done, this

fall, there will be 10 books in the series, written by several different authors (Gordon Korman – MacDonald Hall series among others; Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson series; Peter Lerangis – Spy X series; Linda Sue Park; and, – Star Warsbooks).  Readers follow Dan and Amy on a round the world adventure, trying to solve the family mystery of the 39 clues.  The books cover a lot of the world and some historical events, so not only are they entertaining, they are also educational (Who knew?!).

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - like or not, these books are popular!

Gr. 3+

Geronino Stilton

The Chronicles of Narnia are a great series to read together.  If you are looking for independent reading, this is probably more suited to grade 5 and higher.

The Magic Treehouse series still seems to be an old favourite…and kids get to learn all sorts of cool things while reading.

Gr. 2

Flat Stanley

Scaredy Squirrel – This has to be one of my favourite series to come out in a long time.  These books are great for young kids or great for older siblings to read to younger siblings.  They are an absolute hoot!

The Pigeon Books – Oh how I love the pigeon books!  They are just so fun to read.  My students think I’m nut because I get right into them when I use them as read aloud books…even in grade 6 and 7, like I am now teaching!

I will continue to add to this list, as I think about other books that I would add to this list.  There are so many great books out there for kids that it can sometimes seem overwhelming.

Happy Easter everyone, enjoy some chocolate!
  I hope you’ll join Cate, myself and many others in celebrating Six Word Saturday.
I had my first Cadbury Cream Egg of the year the other day.  I have to admit, now that you can get them almost year-round they just aren’t the same as they used to be.  I also noticed while unwrapping it that those yummy eggs just aren’t as big as they used to be.  For that I am okay with.  I LOVE chocolate and have a sweet tooth, but I remember throwing part of an egg out (sacrilege I know) because I just couldn’t handle eating that much sweetness anymore.  Apparently, I am getting older.  But this year…I enjoyed every bite of the now smaller egg. I may even buy one more before the Easter celebrations are over.

One of my other Easter faves are Laura Secords Eggs.  The original ones.  We used to get them every year growing up.  I would cut slivers (which was very hard because the shell was a hard chocolate) off the egg and enjoy every morsel of it.  I have not had an egg this year.  I may or may not try and get into the store on Saturday to get one of these eggs or be silly enough and just wait until after Easter in hopes of getting one on sale.

So, what is your favourite Easter treat?

“Stone Into Schools” – One Amazing Book!

Okay so before I start the actual post, I have to share something completely freaky.  It’s been exactly 2 years ago today that I created this post.  You see, “Three Cups of Tea” is the first book written by Greg Mortenson, the book that precedes “Stones Into Schools.”  How crazy is that?!

If you have not read “Three Cups of Tea” get yourself to a bookstore or library now and start reading it.  You won’t regret it.  In the past two years since writing about it, I have recommended the book to everyone I can think of and given away 5 or 6 copies as gifts.  And you know what, no one has told me they didn’t like the book, quite the opposite, they too have raved on about and bought copies to give away!  But I’m not here to talk about “Three Cups of Tea” today.

Allow me to introduce you to “Stones Into Schools - Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

Ever since finishing the first book, I longed for a second book to continue the story.  I had to wait a while, but as soon as I realized “Stones Into Schools” was being released last December it went to the top of my Christmas list.  It took all my efforts to not buy it before Christmas, knowing my parents had already bought it.  What’s better, my dad wanted to read it before giving it to me (with my blessing)!  I finally dropped off the book with him this week because he did not get it read before Christmas (more like my mother wouldn’t let him).
I may have had to wait until Christmas, but I was not disappointed, it was VERY much worth the wait.

The book begins in 1999, Afghanistan, long before 9/11 of ever a thought in anyone’s mind.  Life in this area of the world has never been easy, and under Taliban rule, it certainly wasn’t an area anyone would really want to be.  “Stones Into Schools” takes you on a ten-year journey and the work that Mortenson and the many people who have helped continue to make his dream a reality.

The book takes you through the devastating earthquake that hit the Azad Kashmir region of Pakistan, in 2005.  I sadly admit that when I got to that part of the book I had completely forgotten the earthquake even happened.  It really did make me sad at how easily we forget these tragedies and move on with life.  I cannot imagine what it would have been like to have witnessed this devastation, losing so many people, destroying homes and lives.  (Think Haiti, only in a much harsher and poorer area of the world!).

We travel with Greg and Sarfraz Khan (his manager) as they travel back and forth across Pakistan and Afghanistan.  They travel into some of the most dangerous areas of Afghanistan, through some of the most unforgiving terrain.  The work they do is amazing (although I am not sure that Greg would think so, he seems to be very humble about the work he does – but it is AMAZING!).  I really do not want to give away too much of the book, you really do have to read it.  I would recommend watching this video though – Bill Moyers.  There are other videos, I just happened to catch this one.  What you thought about Afghanistan (and Pakistan) will be changed, I guarantee it!

One thing happened to me during the reading of the book.  I never really had any opinion on whether or not troops (be they Canadian, American or any other nationality) should stay and help the people of Afghanistan.  It wasn’t something I really thought about and truly made very little difference to me.  My whole way of thinking shifted while reading this book.  How can we not stay in Afghanistan?  How can we abandon a country that has seen nothing but war for several decades now.  The Taliban has not disappeared, they have just simply hidden (although if you watch the news lately you will see that they are certainly not out of sight).  The people of Afghanistan have been abandoned so many times that perhaps this should be the time we continue to support them so that one day they may understand peace and longevity.  It just made perfect sense to me.  I realize not everyone will share this thought, but I implore you to consider the alternative – a country plunged into a war ravaged existence, being overtaken by an oppressive regime.  I’d like to think it if were my country, people would help.
Another thing that has happened is that I cannot watch the news and hear of bombings in Afghanistan without realizing how much I hope this is not in the area of any of the schools that have been built.  Many of the schools seem to be in remote areas and therefore shouldn’t likely be affected, but it still doesn’t affect me any differently.

I share this story whenever I get the chance.  Last spring the YA version of “Three Cups of Tea” was published and I immediately went to my principal in get permission to purchase several copies (6 to be exact) so that my students could read it as part of their third term book study.  They loved it.  This year’s group, I have another six reading it, and several more wanting to read it before the end of the school year.  It is my hope that my students will not only understand the importance of their education, but will also develop compassion and empathy for others.  In essense, becoming responsible people who think about others before themselves.  This is a lofty goal as a sixth grade teacher, but if you are willing to set the challenge, I have found the students often rise to the occassion.

Greg,

If you do happen to stumble over to my little place on the internet, please, please, please let us know what has happened in Bozai Gumbad since your book went to publication.

Thank you for all you do and the inspiration you are!