This little light of mine...

"The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize." 

Well, if that's true, I must be further down the evolutionary ladder than most because accessorizing is definitely not my strong suit. I love the look of a well-styled outfit or home, but I never trust myself enough to go for it. But yesterday I went for it.

While on my weekly pilgrimage to TJMaxx, I wandered through the lamp section, as I always do, hoping to find a gem. And, as I've done many times before, I found a lamp I liked. I put it in my cart and walked around the store some more. The more I walked. The more I talked myself out of it. It won't work. The color will clash. Especially now with all the red and green out for Christmas. Maybe it's really ugly after all. Finally, I put the lamp back on the shelf. 

I made a few more laps around the furniture aisles. Spied the lamp from across the floor. Fell in love again. And instead of walking away like I usually do, I went over and put it back in my cart. I can always return it if it doesn't look right. (Famous last words.)

I came home excited. Plunked the lamp down on the end table. Stared at it for a while. And waited for the usual negative thoughts to creep back in. It doesn't look right. It's too big. It's not the right style. Take it back. But low and behold. This time they didn't come. The quirky, turquoise lamp with the woven shade just made me smile. This silly little lamp was home.

Have you ever seen the show Secrets of a Stylist? Where the designer surveys the couple to figure out each one's style, and then blends them together to redo their home in their combined style? That's what this lamp feels like to me. A blending of my styles. I wonder what she would call me. Maybe Beach Modern? Or is it just the opposite...Retro Beach? I guess if I knew my house would be perfectly accessorized already. But then I guess I wouldn't be such a great galloper either.

A few holiday tips and tricks...

I think I've finally recovered from the long weekend flurry of Christmas prep festivities. We were able to cross everything off our to-do list. All that training really paid off.


We even managed to squeeze in a little brow maintenance. Both mine and the Big Ballerina's. Yup. BB got her eyebrows waxed for the first time this weekend. She survived. And I'm happy to report. I did too.

What is not surviving is my waistline. Even without cooking the full-monty turkey dinner this year, I still managed to eat massive amounts of food. And I can't seem to stop.

At one point I asked BB to throw my jeans in the washing machine for me. She picked them up. Stared at them for a minute. And asked incredulously, "Are these Daddy's?!?" Oh dear Lord! I know they're called boyfriend jeans. But this is out of control.

My solution? Get rid of the two Thanksgiving pies. Pronto! Now throwing them away would be a sin. I couldn't do that. No. I had a better idea.

Let the ballerinas eat pie for breakfast. As a mid-day snack. And again for dessert. The pies were gone in two days. And the ballerinas now think I'm the coolest mom on the planet. Win-Win. They even ate pie while decorating their gingerbread houses. Who knew gumdrops went so well with pumpkin?

Last year was the first year I let the ballerinas make gingerbread houses. I learned the hard way that you can't just sit down and build these things in one sitting. That is. Unless you get smart.

And break out the ole glue gun. Works like a charm. Hot glue the structure together instead of using the icing. Save yourself a lot of time. And disappointed kids. Who will cry when they realize they have to wait 2-4 hours before they can get to the fun part.

 

So. How about you? Did you survive? Do any Black Friday shopping? Any Christmas prep? Any overeating? Got any suggestions for how to stop?!?

Flowers on the down low...

Do you know about the clearance racks in the garden section of Lowe's? It's like the TJMaxx of the plant world. Anything that's past season gets sent to the clearance section. Yes. Some of the plants are really better left for the compost heap. But others are simply done blooming for the season, and the store needs the space for the next season's stock.

So...plants that would cost you upwards of $12.99 now cost anywhere from $1.50-$3.00. Some of the smaller plants will only run you 50 cents. I've been slowly filling in my garden beds with perennials this way. But this year, I got smart and filled my planters with them also.

For $11.00 I filled the back of my car with these...

Which in turn filled my deck planters with these...

Is it exactly what I would have chosen? Probably not. But for one tenth of the price I am more than happy.

The perennial in this little pot ran me $3.00 out of the $11.00 I spent. Major splurge. But, it's called "Ballerina African Daisy." And you know if it's got ballerina in the title, I can't pass it up. Hopefully, some of the buds will still bloom this summer.

Of course, I blew the whole bargain-basement budget and brought home this planter too. But, for $12.98, hanging basket and liner included, I don't think I did so bad. 

Sharing the love with a CSN Giveaway

January always makes me feel like redoing everything in my house. After the coziness of the holiday trimmings are put away, I feel the need to change things up. Of course, this burst of decorating energy always occurs when there's not much money to play with.

BUT...if you are feeling the same way, I've got a little gift to share to help you freshen up your home. The nice peeps at CSN have offered up a $25 gift card to any of their stores. WHOOHOOO! Have you ever been to their site? They have e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Seriously, if you want something for your home, you will find it at one of their sites. They've got over 200!

Right now I'm on a modern kick. We are slowly (verrrryyy slowly) redoing our house to have more of a hip, modern beach style. I'm not exactly sure what that will transform into, but I know the things that I like. And a lot of those things are available at CSN.

I've been searching forever for a new desk chair. This cool, round chair, on their All Modern site just might fit the bill. That deep seat looks ample enough to fit my ever expanding hiney.

Of course, this Dash and Albert throw is also calling my name. It's no secret I have mad love for all things Dash and Albert. I think this would look great at the end of my bed.

But, this is not about me. It's about you! What would you get if you win?

Here are the details:
* If you want to enter, just leave a comment below. 
* Followers, leave a second comment for another entry.
* Not a follower? That's ok. Become a follower, and leave a second comment to also get a second entry. :) 
* Giveaway closes on Thursday, February 3rd at midnight EST. 
* One lucky winner will be chosen at random on February 4th.
* CSN only ships to the US and Canada. So please be aware if you're living in some wonderful, exotic locale that you will not be able to claim this prize. Sorry! I'll have something else in the future that includes you lovelies also. Pinky promise.

What I Wore Wednesday

I've been looking over some old photos, and I am struck by my mother's sense of style. I knew she loved fashion. As a kid we used to look through all the store catalogs together... Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bonwit Teller. We'd rate the outfits. Just like Joan and Melissa. Shopping was a favorite pastime that we shared. I guess I never paid too much attention to what she actually wore though. Until now.

 Mom at a costume party.

In every photo, she looks so pulled together. And she always has on at least one statement piece of jewelry. I guess that's why she was so adamant about my sister and I going through her jewelry and taking what we wanted. As we looked through the pieces, we were amazed that so many of them triggered specific memories. Luckily, my sister and I have very different tastes so there was no fighting over who got what. My sister just wanted a few pieces as a reminder to keep in a drawer. I, on the other hand, wanted the pieces I remembered her wearing. With the intention of wearing them myself. As a way to keep her close.

I've been considering linking up to the What I Wore Wednesday party at The Pleated Poppy for a while. A week before I left for CT I tried to take pictures of some of my outfits so I could link up. I figured it was only fair since I like taking a peek at what others are wearing. Plus, Kathy over at My Interior Life and Jill from Blessings of a Stay at Home Mom gave me a "Stylish Blogger Award." Not sure they were referring to my clothes, but oh well. Thank you both for the award in whatever context you meant it. :)

So here goes. If I decide to do this again in the future I need to learn how to take a decent picture of myself. One where I don't have three hands. Or hand prints on the mirror in unfortunate locations.

sweater - Banana Republic (gift from my mom)

t-shirt - Target

leggings - Hue

  boots - North Face (never thought I'd wear them in VA but it's been COLD!)

necklace - heart locket (gift from BSD)

 sweater and tank top - JCrew
jeans - Lucky
boots - TJ Maxx
necklace - MY MOM'S! :)

sweater- TJ Maxx

shirt - Forever 21 

pants - Anthro (bought them with my mom)

BSD made fun of me the day I wore this. Said I looked like a "cowgirl."

shirt- Target

jeans - Paige (I think. Can't remember which ones these are.)

boots - Frye

necklace - TJ Maxx (is it dumb to list necklaces when you can't really see them?)

dress - TJ Maxx (bought with my mom)

tights - TJ Maxx

boots - same "cowgirl" Frye boots

necklace - MY MOM'S (big grin)

I really liked this outfit until I saw myself in THIS picture.

 umm...where did the baby come from?!?!? seriously, I need to lay off the chocolate peanut butter ice cream. either that or make sure nobody takes anymore profile pics of me!

It's December 2nd. Have You Done Your Christmas Cards Yet?

Yes, I'm one of those people who sends a photo Christmas card. I love them! Love getting them and displaying them.

I'm not one of those people who sends out a double-sided, single space, 8 font "family newsletter" though. I've got this blog. If you want to know what we're up to, follow me. Simple. I do like getting a family newsletter, though. Just don't tell me every last thing, every single person in your extended family, including your pet ferret, did every single day in 2010.

I'm also one of those people who LOVES a bargain. I will spend hours trying to find the best deal. I never hit, "Submit Order" until I've checked retailmenot.com first for a code. I will leave my purchase at the register if I've forgotten my coupon, and go back home to get it. Drives BSD nuts. But there's such a thrill when you score a bargain. It gives me the same burst of energy as my Diet Coke.

So, of course, I was all over the current blog offer from Shutterfly. In case you haven't heard, Shutterfly is offering bloggers 50 free holiday cards. Whoohooo! Photo Christmas cards AND a mega coupon code. Sign me up!

Now comes the problem. I take all of these photos, but I haven't taken one for my Christmas card yet. I have this fabulous idea in my head of how I want it to look, but it involves my whole family. And BSD is not going to be available until the 14th to do this.

In any event, I was browsing the Shutterfly site, and I am so excited about all of the new designs they have available. I'm going to assume that I am going to use only one photo on my card. I've narrowed it down to these three choices...

Choice #1: I like the design on this one. I also like that it has more space dedicated to the photo than to the design.

Partridge in a Pear Tree Card

Here's choice #2. I like this one because it really allows for a large picture. I don't really care for ones that print designs ON TOP of the photo, but I think this one is subtle enough not to overpower the picture, yet it makes a nice impact. Especially on a B&W photo.

Gift Tag Card 

Choice #3. I think this one is just sweet. It's a 5x5 square so that alone makes an impact. I also like the colors and that the year is printed on the front like that.

Merry Blossoms Card

OK...help a sister out. Which one do you like best? 

Do you send out photo cards? What about family letters? Bet you're afraid to answer that last question now, huh?

It's Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Christmas....

The Big Ballerina has a very short Christmas list. The main item on her list is an electric scooter. Being a mom. And a woman. Or in other words. A normal-thinking human. It is obvious to me that Santa will leave an electric scooter under the tree this year.

Enter BSD. The dad. A man. Or in other words. A backwards-thinking human.

The setting: Lunch at our favorite sushi restaurant today.

"BB wants an electric scooter for Christmas. It's the only real gift on her list," I report.

"Santa can't just give BB a scooter. He has to bring one for LB also. You know LB will use it without asking if she doesn't have one too," BSD reasons.

"This is true. But, if LB gets her own, she's likely to take off to North Carolina on it. Giving her something with that much potential for freedom is hazardous to her health and mine," I counter back.

"No, LB will have to have one too. Maybe Santa shouldn't get them scooters. Besides I'm going to get them something else anyway."

As soon as the words escape his lips, he knows he's hosed.

"What? What are you talking about?! What?!? What are you planning to get them?!?!" I begin tearing into him like a dog with a new bone.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything. It's not a big deal," he sighs, trying to back himself out of his corner.

"No. What are you getting them? What is it?! It's not another sewing machine is it?!?" I gnaw a little more.

Laughing, BSD replies, "No. It's not a sewing machine."

"What? What is it?! It better not be a dog. Or some other crazy idea that I'm going to have to take care of!" grr. grrr. grrrr.

More laughter, "It's not a dog. It's not a snake. It's nothing motorized," he assures me.

And then he pauses.

"It's a boat! You're getting them a boat?!?" The man forgot that I'm a witch. I know things.

Staring at me in disbelief, he confesses. "OK..it's a kayak. But it's not a big one. It's not expensive. WHY did I even open my mouth?"

Deja-vu to last Christmas again. The same words he spoke about the sorry sewing machine he bought last year.

"Actually, I'm getting two. One for BB and one for LB. We need two," he continues. There's that same logic again.

I shake my head. How can he think this is a good idea?

"But they didn't ASK for kayaks. And they can't use them until the summer. At least they can use the scooter right away. Not to mention that BB ASKED for a scooter! Get them the kayaks for their birthdays in March when they can start using them!" I continue chewing on his ass my bone.

"Let's just tell Santa to bring them both the scooters and the kayaks," he declares.

"What??!! That's too much! They don't need all that. Save the kayaks for their birthdays. It's perfect for their birthdays."

"No. Santa is bringing them kayaks. Christmas is for kids. It's supposed to be magical. And full of presents," he begins to preach.

I sit quietly as he pays the lunch tab, and continues to wax poetic about the wonders of the season.

OK, Father Christmas. Get your kayaks. But Santa will not be bringing any scooters. We'll see how excited the ballerinas are on Christmas morning. When you explain that they can't take them down to the beach until May!


P.S. - Thank you for the sweet comments regarding my mom. She is still in the hospital. It's bad. It's not going to get better. But she's hanging in there as best as she can.

I'll Take a Big Gulp and Her Sunglasses

I have really been hating on the white sunglasses revival. When I see them all I can think of is scrunchies, Charlie's Angels and black rubber bracelets a la Madonna. The middle school girls in our area seem to be really embracing this trend. And it makes my eyes bleed.

But, today as I was getting my Big Gulp, I spied a woman rocking a pair. And she looked fab. Because you know 7-Eleven is where all the fashionistas hang out.

This woman wasn't wearing the Risky Business white Wayfarers that Drew and Fergie found at the bottom of their old high school backpacks.

No. She was wearing a large, round, 60's retro pair. Something like these...

And along with these cool vintage sunnies, she had on a French inspired striped tank over a plain white tank...

 with a pair of slim navy capris ...

Her hair was white to match her glasses. Teased and wild. Statement-making.

She left a lasting impression on me.  A 60's Brigitte Bardot impression.

Now that's a look that deserves to be brought back to life. The white Wayfarers? Somebody pleeeease, send them back to the 80's where they belong.

Go Fish

Yesterday I stumbled upon an adorable little shop at the oceanfront. It was such a nice surprise to find it amidst all the junk souvenir and t-shirt shops that line the Virginia Beach boardwalk.

The Lemon Cabana describes itself as fine furnishings and gifts with a twist. I could have spent the day in there taking it all in.

But what really stood out was the Jonathan Adler pottery. It is cheery and quirky. It made me smile. I literally said out loud, "Oh my God! That is adorable!" when I saw this little cutie.

I also fell in love with these fish.

And this platter made me swoon.

Unfortunately, the price tags were a little steep to bring any of these lovelies home on a whim. I'm thinking they'd make great gifts though. Let's see....my birthday is a long way away, and Christmas is even farther. Oh wait...Mother's Day is right around the corner. *hint hint*

But, What Happened to My Yoga Butt?

The temperature was a whopping 34 degrees this morning, but I managed to drag myself out of bed and hit the gym. I can't take the credit, though. My good friend, Nicole decided to start going on Tuesday and Thursday mornings so I now have a gym buddy again. YEAH!

I'm not going to lie, though. It wasn't pretty. I dug my cute yoga pants out from the bottom of my drawer, put them on, and took a look in the mirror. Staring back at me was a plump, fluffy muffin top. Nice. Months of haphazard exercising and dozens of chocolate chip cookies had taken its toll.

No problem. I hiked the pants up to cover the unsightly spillage. And, um, do you know what happens when you give a yoga pant a muffin top?

You get a nice case of camel toe. Sexy.

Now, if I didn't have my gym buddy waiting on me I would have shredded the offensive yoga pants, thrown them in the trash, and crawled back into bed.

But she was waiting.

So instead, I dug deeper into my bottom drawer, found my baggy basketball pants, pulled them on and ran out the door. I didn't dare look in the mirror. If I had, I'm sure I would have discovered a nice case of VPL or some other telltale sign of an extended exercise hiatus.

Luckily, I found my way back to the gym without having to turn on the GPS, and I'm proud to say I made it through the entire hour. I even managed to work up a sweat. And when I left, I felt energized. Definitely a productive morning.

But I just know the whole time I was there, everyone was staring at me wondering who the heck the lesbian was getting fashion tips from Sue Sylvester.

Thank you, Nicole, for not noticing. I'm off to Old Navy to get some of their "instant yoga butt" pants for Thursday.

No, Wait. I Have A Better Idea!

"I just saw the cutest little sewing machine at Joann's. It's was only about $40, and it's made by Singer. I think we should get it for the Big Ballerina for Christmas," I told BSD about two months ago.

"Why? She just uses yours," he replied.

"I know. And, I'm excited that she likes to sew, but she winds up jamming it, and I don't want her to ruin mine. This one is cute. I'm going to check out the reviews."

A quick Google search told me what I know already. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. The reviews all reported, "It's nothing more than a toy. The thread jams and it will frustrate a beginning sewer."

Since the backup plan is to have the Big Ballerina impress Michael Kors on Project Runway if she doesn't get a ticket to Vegas on So You Think You Can Dance, I decided to listen to BSD and gave up the cheap-sewing-machine-for-Christmas idea. 

Fast forward to 10PM ON THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS EVE.

"So, BSD, what did you get today on your big shopping excursion?" I inquired.

"Just some stuff for the family. And, something for the Big Ballerina that you'll probably be mad at me about."

"Why? What did you get her?" I racked my brain trying to figure out what novel idea he could have come up with that we hadn't already thought of.

"I got her a sewing machine," he replied, his voice filled with paternal pride.

"WHAT? After that big discussion we had about two months ago? The one in which you told me to just let her use mine?"

"What are you talking about? We never talked about getting her a sewing machine."

"Yes, we did!" I exploded, smoke pouring out my ears. "OMG, don't you remember me telling you about the cute sewing machine I saw at Joann's? That it was cheap, but made by Singer, so it might be decent. Then, I told you the reviews all sucked so I decided to listen to you and not get it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Don't worry. It wasn't expensive," he tried.

"Oh God, where did you get it?"

"Joann's. It was only about $40."

"Nooooo!" I moaned, as he pulled it out of the bag. "You bought the same machine we decided was a piece of crap two months ago!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but if you want to get her a different one, you better go out and get it for her or I'm giving her this one," he declared.

And with that, he walked out the door to go to work, cradling his Father-of-the-Year winning gift tenderly in his arms. Leaving me with the pleasure of wondering where the hell I'm going to find an inexpensive, DECENT sewing machine on Christmas Eve!

Only Four Shopping Days Left

It's really just laziness on my part. If I was an organized person, I would have written a list and stuck to it weeks ago. Everything would be done by now and I would be relaxing at home with the ballerinas baking Gingerbread men, watching the Christmas specials, and sipping hot cocoa. That's not how I roll, though. Nope, just can't do it. So, here I sit with only four days left until Christmas and I have no idea what I still need.

I'm not sure why, but I can't be that organized. When I do make a list and follow it, I usually feel pretty damn proud of myself. Most of the time, if I take the time to write out a list, I wind up leaving it at home and flying by the seat of my pants anyway so that feeling of accomplishment is rare.

I guess I'm just wired differently. By the time Christmas rolls around, I will have made 23 trips to Target (22 of them in search of the same item that I kept forgetting), 9 trips to Borders, 12 trips to Michael's, and wandered aimlessly through the mall for a good 10-12 hours without a clue what I needed.

I've tried to be more efficient with my time. Instead of hitting the gym, I've been counting these excessive outings as my cardio these past few weeks. I see those people walking the malls. That's what they call it. I figured I'd give it a whirl. Guess what? It's not working. Maybe I wasn't dressed properly? In all fairness, I wasn't wearing my Easy Striders, stretchy pants and my I Love My Beagle t-shirt so I wasn't giving it a real college try. Again, just pure laziness.

So, for the next few days, I will continue running walking around the stores guessing at what I still need, freaking out on the ballerinas when they tell me for the 24th time that they can't brush their teeth because they have no toothpaste (back to Target), and praying that come Christmas morning all the presents will have been remembered, wrapped and made their way under the tree.

And, then hopefully I'll be able to get back to this blogging gig more regularly again.

What Am I Going to Be When I Grow Up?

• professional organizer
• fitness expert
  
• thin
  

You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover (or What I Learned From an Apple)

Yesterday I noticed apples lying on the ground under one of my neighbor's trees. The apples were larger than crab apples, but they were a funky shade of yellow and mottled with black spots. They were not the shiny, pretty apples you find at the grocery store. In fact, they were down right scary looking. Imagine Snow White's apple before the evil stepmother casts her magic spell on it; something ugly and gnarled.

"Are they edible?" I asked my neighbor.

"Yes, as long as you peel them. This is the best year we've ever had. I have tons. Would you like some?"
 

"Su..uu..re," I answered hesitantly.

I picked about a dozen off the tree waiting for the tree to smack my hand like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. I'm telling you these apples were creepy. When my girls caught their first glimpse of the apples, they both cringed, turned up their noses and shouted, "EEEWWW!" 

I decided to make a pie out of them. Isn't that what you do with ugly apples? I turned to my good friend, Google, typed in BSD's answer to cooking..."Best (insert name of food) recipe", and discovered Grandma Ople's Apple Pie. I had all the ingredients so it was an easy choice.

Here are all the ingredients needed except for the apples. 


Oh, but I did add cinnamon which was not part of the original recipe.

Do you notice anything wrong with any of the ingredients in this picture? Look closely. Very closely. I'm guessing only another woman will figure it out. Are there even any men reading this besides BSD?

Still nothing? Ok...maybe this will help...

Yes, I know. I cheated. I used refrigerator pie crust. Martha Stewart will definitely not be knocking on my door offering me a job in her test kitchen. I'll cross that career off my list. 

That, however, is not what I wanted you to notice. Look at that bright pink label over the picture of the pie. The one that reads, SAVE $1.00 in big bold letters. That's a coupon! What is it still doing on the box, you ask? That is what happens when BSD goes to the store for me. He doesn't use coupons even when I tape them to his forehead before he leaves the house. If he had his way, he'd buy everything we need at 7-11 paying 3000% more than it's worth. 

Maybe there is a career for me in teaching people about shopping after all. I just have to change my target audience to men rather than women. 

Ok, back to the pie. My youngest ballerina was very excited to help me bake. She wanted a job so I taught her how to peel the apples. Yes, she is 5 and is just now learning to use a vegetable peeler. I know you Super Moms out there already have your toddlers yielding the blow torch to caramelize sugar on a creme brulee, but in our house if it involves a sharp edge or fire you need to pass the American Red Cross First Aid exam before you're allowed to touch them.

She peeled and peeled until she had every last apple as naked as she was. I wanted so badly to jump in and peel a few of them to get moving, but I restrained myself. Instead I hung out with her, talked to her, studied her and took pictures of her. I stayed in the moment. Something that is very hard for me to do. 

You see, I'm originally from New York City. We don't stop to smell the roses. We push and shove to get where we're going faster. So, the oven preheated for over an hour. Her sense of pride and accomplishment as she handed over the last apple far outweighed the extra pennies it cost to keep the oven on.

In the end, the pie baked up beautifully. Thank you, Grandma Ople. The apples turned out to be perfect for baking. They were firm and crisp like a Granny Smith, but with a milder flavor. After the initial hesitation to try a bite, we almost didn't have enough apples for the pie. We were eating them faster than we were peeling them. I don't know what kind they are, but they may just be apple nirvana. Move over HoneyCrisps with your $3/lb pricetag and 'special limited edition' availability.

From the simple task of baking a pie, I learned more than how to weave a lattice crust. Just as you can't judge a book by its cover, you can't pick a tasty apple by its skin. Slowing down can get you farther than racing, and the things you discover along the way make the journey worthwhile. Making memories is just as important as making money. 

I still want to do something more, but internalizing these simple life lessons should help me figure out just what the right fit looks like.

Here are the updates I've made to my career possibilities list recently:

• Personal Injury Lawyer
• Debate coach
• Martha Stewart Test Kitchen Baker 
• Teaching people men how to shop smart

There's still plenty of pie leftover. If you leave a comment, I'll warm up a big ole piece and scoop a honkin' pile of vanilla ice cream on top for you. Enjoy...

In search of the perfect fit....

I caved. I've started a blog. Still refuse to join Facebook though. I must draw the cyber line somewhere. Besides, I'm trying to move forward, not back. Isn't Facebook all about reconnecting with old friends? I do enough online socializing. I need to use the computer for something else for a change.

I started this blog because I need to figure out what I'm going to do with my life. I used to teach. Way back when. I had a title back then. I had a purpose. I was good. I was tough. I worked my ass off 24/7, 365 days a year in overcrowded classrooms. My students' SAT scores improved each year. I was innovative. My colleagues and principal loved me. I had no kids at the time so I had no idea what it was like to raise a child; to love a child unconditionally. I was lacking a key ingredient. I don't think you can be exceptional if you don't have kids of your own. You can't relate to parents as a parent when you don't have children. A big piece of the pie is missing if you can't relate to your students' parents. Being a parent should be a requirement before you get your teaching certificate. I know many teachers will disagree with me, but that's because you're not a parent.

People ask me all the time if I will go back into the classroom. No, I won't. I have kids now so, according to myself, the potential for greatness is there. It seems like the easy answer. Go back to what you know. But, I just don't have it in me anymore. That dress doesn't fit anymore. I need a new one. If you looked in my closet, you'd probably disagree, but you'd also see a lot of dresses with the tags still attached. Those are the dresses I've been afraid to wear out in public. I love them, but I don't have the guts to walk out the door in them. This blog is going to be my virtual dressing room. I'm going to try on these different dresses to figure out which one fits. I wonder if the right dress is already in my closet or if I'll have to go shopping. Shopping....now that is something I know a lot about. Can I teach people about shopping?!??