10 things I learned and a Currently

Every Saturday I post about the top 10 things I've learned in the past week.  I decided that since it's August and school officially starts for me on the 16th, (unless, fingers crossed, our building renovation is done sooner and we can get in and start working on our rooms) I would change it up a bit and do a top 10 things I will miss about summer.  We have had an amazing summer and I want to soak up every last second of it that I can.  I also want to appreciate all the lazy and relaxing days I've had. They will make me a better teacher, mother, friend, sister, daughter, and colleague during the upcoming school year.  I'm also linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for a fun August Currently!!

10. Crafting!
I love crafting and love having the time to do it.  I've been able to redo the master bedroom, mulch the massive flowerbeds in the backyard, create some spring/summer things for the front porch, rework a step stool, make a funky little wall hanging for the deck, and touch up all the paint in the house.  I've also squeezed in a little time each week to create a bunch of new things for my classroom!!

9. Cooking! 
Summer allows me the time to scan recipes on Pinterest, following cooking blogs, and browse through cookbooks.  I have done a serious amount of cooking this summer and have loved every second of it.  We are eating so much better than we do during the school year.  I really don't want to let this one go, so to help with the big job of planning and prepping healthy meals after a full day of work, I created a menu for the month of August, and made 5 slow cooker freezer meals to keep on hand for really busy nights.  I'm planning to make a September menu next week before school starts and then over winter break I will make another 5 freezer meals.....fingers crossed this works!

8. Organizing! 
Yep, I'm an organizational freak!  Nothing makes me happier than a neatly labeled pantry or a stack of bins and drawer organizers.  I just love everything in it's place and neatly organized.  I had time this summer to organize every closet in the house, the craft room and craft cabinet, the shed, and the garage.  I even made homemade laundry soap (love it and saves a ton of money), and hand cream ( I made some back in December and it just ran out in July....this stuff is amazing!).

7. Sunning and swimming. 
My daughter and I are sun and water worshipers.  We both love summer and all the sunshine it brings.  A day at the pool is just about our favorite thing to do.....I'm fairly certain I get this from my mom....she is another sun and water worshiper!  We spent many days at the pool, and 5 whole days boating and sunning at the lake with family.....I will definitely miss the sun and water!!

6. Lunch with my friends.
My fellow teachers you can completely understand this one.  The 30 minutes we get for lunch just isn't enough to really enjoy.  Most of the time we are making phone calls, setting up for an activity, and finishing a little photocopying all while snarfing down a cold sandwich....not really a break :(   This summer I have had time to meet friends for coffee about once a week, and enjoy lunch with my colleagues every Tuesday.  That's one of my favorite things about my school....we are so much like a family that we get together for lunch once a week all summer long....I'll sure miss that!

5. Grocery shopping on a weekday morning. 
I've mentioned this one like 100 times, but I adore doing my grocery shopping on weekday mornings when no one else is at the store.....sure beats the 5 p.m. craziness on a weeknight (sometimes complete with a snow storm).

4. Reading.
Oh how I love to read!  I will definitely not abandon this one during the school year, but it will have to be scaled back, and much of it will revolve around books my students will be reading for novel studies.....of course I do love that kind of reading too!

3. Athletic shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops.....also known as my summer uniform. 
I love clothes and I do love dressing up, but there is something to be said about knowing that a pair of athletic shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops are all you need for the day!

2. My slow and easy mornings! 
Charlie always wakes me at 6:30 a.m., but that's okay....it just means I get more morning to enjoy.  We go for a walk, then I have coffee at the computer and check up on blogs, emails, and Pinterest.  I then make some breakfast and eat it in the sunshine on the deck.  I follow up with some Words with Friends with my mom and Sister and then finally shower and get ready for the day.  Yesterday we had to be at the Dr. for Jake's sports physical by 9:30 a.m......we barely made it......yes, re entry into the crazy school mornings is going to be hard for all of us!


1. Game Night....every night with my little peeps! 
I will miss this the very most.  We end each night with a card game of Murder, Farkle, Sorry, Monopoly, whatever.....it is just the best!!  We laugh, talk and just act silly. All that family time is so wonderful!!!!  I will miss it so much when we go back to our crazy, insane, busy school schedule!

Wow, sorry that was so long!!  If you managed to make it through that without falling asleep here is my Currently!

If you haven't already done so, link up.....it's just too fun!