Guess who back, back, back again?

It's meeeee!

Y'all, I have missed this little piece of blogland.
So so so much has been going on since I last popped in (30488098 years ago).

First and foremost, it's officially summer time and the livin is easy.
If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times. Having the summers off is so nice.

We wrapped up the school year with awards, end of year parties, our favorite school memories, silly string, happy dances, talent shows, and lots of other end of first grade shenanigans. This past school year has honestly been my favorite to date. Don't get me wrong...I have loved every single student I've ever taught. And the end of year always brings time for reflection and gratitude for everything I've learned from each set of crazy kiddos I've had. However, this group of kids touched my heart in such a different way than my other groups. I was reminded this year why I became a teacher. And as excited as I am for a break, I was a little sad to see the year come to an end.

Anyway...with that being said. It did come to an end and after a week of workdays cleaning and packing my room plus two days of reading trainings, we packed our bags and took our crazy, dysfunctional blended family to Mexico.

Yep, you read that right!
Mexico!!

I'll be posting several detailed recaps throughout the week (more than one post in a week say wha?) so be on the lookout for those.

Until then all you need to know is it was wonderful and I've been in withdrawals ever since we got back. Una cerveza por favor? The views were breathtaking, the weather was perfect, and the people were muy amable.

I want to go back...like yesterday.

The More Gangsta, the better.

So...it's June. Which means my over-zealous workout Barbie goals of May are complete. Well kind of.

Let's review shall we.
I started the #1800minuteschallenge to complete 1800 minutes of physical activity in 60 days (which I know is technically much longer than just the month of May but it ended May 31 so I'm recapping it now.)
I also started #4weeksfit (I was all about a good hashtag challenge apparently) where I set specific fitness goals for the month of May.

And here we are, my hashtag challenge timeline expired and it's time to fess up.

I failed. I mean, I didn't complete them the way I had planned. I mean, I blew them out of the water.

I'm a very goal-oriented person. But I'm also a very indecisive person. I tend to make my goals as they're happening instead of before getting started.

For example...the challenge of timing my workouts and wanting to reach 1800 minutes kept me motivated to stick to a regular workout routine. But my goal shifted from focusing on the duration of the workout to the intensity of it. All of a sudden, I became more motivated and interested in increasing my running speed and distance. Which, coincidentally was one of my 4 Weeks Fit goals. I didn't reach 1800 minutes. I didn't really get back on track with my gluten-free diet. I did better and I'd say I'm sitting at a solid 70/30 60/40. #whompwhomp I didn't join a gym.

But even though I didn't reach those specific goals, I met others that I didn't even realize I had.
And I realized things about myself that I hadn't before. And isn't that really the point?

For example, I ran 47.75 total miles in the month of May.

My typical "run" is a 3 mile route.

And I can do it in about 26 minutes on average. Which is 3 minutes faster than my last 5K time.

That's huge stuff y'all.

Saturday I ran 5.5 miles in about 50 minutes. And yesterday I did 4.5 (with Willow) in about 40 min.

And it's kind of easy. I mean I still spend a good portion of the whole thing convinced I'm dying, but I haven't keeled over yet. I remember when running non-stop to my mom's house (exactly 1 mile away) felt like a hug accomplishment. Because it was. Now I just have bigger accomplishments.

Also, my sense of direction has gotten a lot better since I've started running. I've lived in New Bern my whole life but I'll admit, I still get turned around in certain areas and street names? Fuggeduhboutit. But now that I'm running, I'm a lot more aware of where I am and where I'm going. (Literally and figuratively I guess.)

I've also learned that I get really pumped up if I can listen to vulgar rap music while I run. #turndownforwhat

Sex, drugs, and alchy-hawl? Check. The more f-bombs the better. Sorry mom. It just is what it is.

~

Anyway...a little bit of bloggy chat for you. I realize that my posts lately have been a little sparse and probably a tad redundant. Right now I'm blaming in on the craziness that is the end of the school year.

But I have a confession to make....I don't need blogging like I used to and it shows.

When I started my blog I was in desperate need of an outlet. It was the end of my first year teaching, I was consumed by the stress and disappointment and reality of the career I had chosen for the rest of my life. Robbie and I had just moved back to our hometown and we're struggling with finding our "new grown-up" place in it. I was figuring out how to be a wife and share a home and pay real bills and take care of two very cute, but very needy dogs. I felt like I didn't know what I was doing and I needed something, un-school related to throw myself into for at least 30 minutes a day. And I did. And it worked. And I loved it.

Flash forward to now, the end of my third year teaching, my almost fourth year of marriage, and I'm in a completely different place in my life than I was two and half years ago. A better place. A more secure place. And in this place, I still love and enjoy blogging, but I don't need it and the "therapy" it provided for me like I used to. Which in a way is a bit of a celebration because I'm now more emotionally stable ha. But it is a change and I'm trying to carry the blog with me through that.

Like I said, I set and create goals as they're happening. So bear with me.

It's Here! It's Here! It's Here!

The last week of school with kids is finally here! And I could not be more....conflicted.
Don't get me wrong - I am definitely ready for a break. Summer vacation is calling my name and it sounds so sweet.
But there's a lot of changes coming up in the school year ahead and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about them.
This year has been one of the best so far and I'd be perfectly happy jumping right back into it come August....after a nice, relaxing summer break of course.

Nevertheless, summer is coming and for me that means no more alarm clocks, packed lunches, and stuffy dress codes.
I'll admit, having summers off gives me the tendency to become quite the bum.
I have no problem spending my days in a bathing suit and cover up or shorts and a t-shirt.
I occasionally also have no problem spending my days in my pjs but that's neither here nor there.

For me, summer has such a laid back feel.
And my clothing style tends to match that mood.
Getting "dressed up" is a big deal, and even then it's nothing extravagant.
Having a fresh tan means less make-up and windblown "beachy" hair means less blowdrying.

In the past, sun dresses have been my weakness.
But lately I have been swooning over cute shorts.
There are so many cute colors and patterns that I can still feel lazy laid-back while looking pretty darn cute. I consider that a win-win.

Meet a few of my fav styles.

{1.} Denim shorts are a staple, but I had a really hard time finding a pair I love. I recently found a pair very similar to these from Target and they're almost perfection. 

{2.} Chino shorts are another staple. (Who am I kidding...all these shorts are staples apparently.) JCrew has the best, in my opinion, but I'm loving these from Target a whole lot too. And my wallet definitely loves them. Plus there are sooooo many different colors! I'll take one of each please and thank you.

{3.} Then there's all the fun styles and patterns. 

{4.} I had to explain to someone what seersucker was the other day. Regardless, these seersucker shorts from Lily are to die for. And the scallop edges...be still my beating heart.

~

Now, it only seems right to not just tell you about my favorite summer fashions but to also tell you about my favorite summer spending habits. Robbie and I work really hard throughout the school year all year to pinch every penny we can. Being a teacher's rough, y'all. But during the summer when I have a few extra minutes to breathe think make a few extra doll-hairs, life tends to be a little easier. 

Something else that makes life a little easier. Gift cards. Robbie and I are both gift card hoarders. They are like gold at our house. (My birthday's in April, for future reference.) Something else we love at our house - online shopping. Which is why Raise is my new favorite obsession. It's a new marketplace where you can buy discounted gift cards to your favorite brands and sell your unused gift cards for cash. You know what that sounds like to me? Cha-ching - hello new clothes. And for me...hello new summer shorts in every color/pattern/print imaginable. Hell to the yes.

Happy shopping y'all.