Puppies - a cure for just about anything.

It's been a rough day week. Work every day and night has resulted in me being quite the grouch. Plus, our Master Coach (who comes to do reviews and observations) came and let's just say it's never a pleasant experience.

When she finally departed, she left me discombobulated, wanting ice cream, and my bed. Oh and did I mention, is it Friday yet?

But then...it hit me. I CAN DAILY PUPPY. I realized it had been weeks since I had gallivanted around the site and I had so much catching up to do! What an exciting realization! Thankfully (this is me showing my crummy tutor side), my last two groups/students were absent so I have been able to spend a solid 40 minutes checking out the pups.

Therefore, I decided to share this little slice of heaven from my day and hope if any of you out there need a little cheering up, that this does the trick. Plus, I really haven't been showing off the animal species as much as I'd like.

Holy buckets...

just getting started.

 

Hope you enjoyed that little montage just as much as I did. If you're ever feeling blue, I am a huge advocate for Daily Puppy. Those of you with smart phones out there should see if they have an app...how cool would that be?? 

Ok I thought I was done. But then I found this vizsla pup. She's clearly been to Madison (and maybe even lives there!), and is wearing pink. How could I not be immediately obsessed?!

More than the achievement gap.

As part of the requirement for what we accomplish throughout the year for the Minnesota Reading Corps, we have to attend what they call, "Professional Learning Group" meetings. In my opinion, they're pretty pointless and I have yet to get much learning or development out of them. But this week, we were reflecting on the year and discussing whether or not we've gotten out of it what we wanted/expected.

Thinking back, the two things I was hoping this year would bring to me, were to figure out whether or not I want to be a teacher (mission notaccomplished - shucks), and to make a difference. Real vague, I know. I do believe that programs like MRC, Teach for America, etc. have good intentions in solving that major educational issue our country faces. Aka the 'achievement gap.' They place individuals in schools who do care and want to make a change. In theory, that's great. In the scheme of things however, I've somewhat decided we're band-aids to the system and lasting change rests on a much greater level.

With that said...my job does allow me to build positive and consistent relationships with the handful of students that I work with; something many of them desperately need. One student I don't think I'll ever forget is Alex. I started working with him back in October. Unlike many of my other students, his progress hasn't been the greatest and he's nowhere near close to exiting the program. He moved to the United States a little over a year ago from Belize. I don't even know how to categorize his accent. One example being his "ths" turn into "ds;" father turns into fader. It really does create a roadblock for his progress in learning English and learning to read, in particular. To put it in perspective, he was reading about 15 words per minute. He's progressed to around 40; where the goal for third graders is 109 by the end of the year. Yikes, right?

Anyway, in the beginning, his attitude was one of the worst I'd seen when it came to school work. There's an intervention we do that's based on "passing" a page in a given amount of time. Long story short, he'd shut down and get so angry with himself if he made mistakes and didn't pass. I've done my best to create more of a positive attitude towards learning; encouraging him to work his hardest, and make sure he knows that mistakes are ok. After months of staying on him about this, focusing on his progress rather than mistakes, and not allowing his negative attitude while working with me, he's transformed into a new kid. Of course, I can still sense his frustration now and then but his determination to do his best is soaring. His teacher has also made clear that she's seeing a new kid, too. This is all really exciting for me!

What's more, the other day he passed a page that he had been working on for over a week. Obviously I was over the moon...yelling in excitement for him and was so proud of his hard work. Then he turned his head and said, "I couldn't have done it without you!" If you know me, you know I'm a sap so this combined with his genuine smile really set me over the edge. Trying to suppress some happy tears, I thanked him and we kept working. Although I didn't set out for these stories, it helps me feel proud about this year and confirm that I have done something worth while. I doubt Alex will ever really understand that he's been just as big of an inspiration to me.

So have I ensured that Alex is reading proficiently at grade level? Nope. Have I helped him recognize how much he can accomplish when he works his butt off? Yep. And while reading at grade level is important of course, giving a student this boost of confidence has been just as crucial in my eyes. In this light, I'll never look back on this year as a waste of time and know that in the moment, I did some good. Which is cool? I guess at this point I can only hope that he remembers how far he's come this year, just as much as I'll remember him.

Asparagus-Leek Soup.

I would venture to guess that I have been saving recipes that I want to try for years. I have so many random post-its, note cards, and magazine clippings that I could probably make something new every day for a year. It's getting a little out of hand. So I've made the decision to try [key word being try] to make some new recipe each week. Aside from the occasional box of couscous and frozen broccoli, I really want to attempt actual meals. Ideally, it will be a meal I can make on Sunday and eat all week. Who's with me on never wanting to make dinner after a long day of work? At times, this grown-up thing can be annoying. Merp. On the other hand, I suppose it's kind of exciting! New food!

So obviously, I would love to share my new meals on here. I frequently find that I make minor changes to recipes as I go so if you happen to try one, let me know how it goes! I'd love to hear about any tweaks or additions that make them better.

Anyway, the first attempt in this quest of mine was asparagus-leek soup. If you like these two ingredients, I would definitely recommend it! Although soup is kind of on the way out with summer coming, it is still cold and rainy some days so it's a good fit.

- Slice up 2 leeks (discard rough bottoms and stems on top). Saute them with a little olive oil for about 5 minutes. I never measure my oil, just drizzle it on top as needed. I had to do one leek at a time because the pan wasn't big enough.

-When the leeks are done, put them in a large pot. Add in a cubed potato (I left the skin on in hopes of some nutritional benefits), and one bunch of chopped asparagus.

-The recipe called for two cups of vegetable broth. However, it also said 1-2 leeks. Because I used two, I had to add an extra cup.  I thought maybe I might even need more but once it simmered, I realized that would have been too much.

-Let this simmer for about 25-30 minutes. I put a lid on it and stirred on occasion.

-After it simmers, add to a blender and puree. Again, I had to do this in two or three phases because there was just so much. VOILA!

 

Looks like green mush, but it really is pretty good! This made about 6 servings for me. I have tried adding a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper for a little flavor. Enjoy!

The Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle!

I think OC (Organized Chaos) has been in need of a little animal action. I can't say I really think about sea turtles all that often, but I just came across this article about the Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle. They may not be cute and fluffy like bunnies and pups, but they're a really cool animal! Obviously, most of my knowledge of sea turtles comes from Finding Nemo. Next to Dory, Squirt is one of my favorite characters.

Anyway, this sea turtle is known for it's yearly 6,000 mile swim from Indonesia to California. Not to mention, they grow to be the size of a small Volkswagen! Duuuude, that's massive! Unfortunately though, since becoming endangered in 1970, this species has seen a 90 percent decline. As an important part to the marine's ecosystem, these animals need saving. They are pretty adorable little babies.

The article says that although the animal faces a lot of obstacles (i.e. pollution, fishing practices, etc.), there have been recent efforts over on the West Coast to conserve and protect them. Hopefully these positive legislative actions will go through and they will continue to make their trek through the Pacific!

Will I ever have a booty like Beyonce?

When I think back to the first images of women in the media that impacted my own body image, I'm brought back to a time of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. More specifically, fourth or fifth grade. That's a really young age to be thinking your thighs are too thick, your stomach is too chunky, and to be comparing yourself to your friends. When you're ten years old and believe that only a perfectly flat stomach and toned thighs are the key to happiness, you have a problem. This type of thinking only grows during teenage years and beyond. I believe that the way mass media and popular culture display both women and men makes it very difficult to be comfortable in your own skin and accept your body.

I believe for women in particular, society goes through phases of what type of beauty is widely accepted. The sought after body type has varied through time; women wanting to look like Marilyn Monroe (said to be a size 8-10), or aspiring to be a stick. Nowadays it seems that the ideal body that women wish for, is that perfectly thin one; somehow equipped with big boobs, an ass, and curves. And no fat or cellulite, of course. Also known as, the Victoria Secret model. Although blessed, I think it's safe to say these women are an anomaly; they are not the norm.

In magazines and on TV, there are plenty of men and women who we see with seemingly flawless bodies. We have programs like Photoshop to thank for having us believe they come natural. Take a look at Kim K, for example. On the left, pretty much everything is a little bigger and it's clear she has some cellulite, along with a darker skin tone. After some retouching however, we see perfect curves, dimple free legs, and a lighter skin complexion (a whole other issue). Obviously, magazines don't show us the before; just the close-to-perfect after. So we're made to believe this is the real deal; that we should be able to obtain this kind of body, too.

If you've never seen it before, I encourage you to check out this Evolution of Beauty video. In just a few minutes, it goes through the process of retouching and how drastic changes can be made.

Most upsetting about this video, and the image of KK, is simply that both of these women are beautiful to begin with. Neither of them, nor society, needs to see the "perfected" version. The real thing works just fine.

On top of all that, when magazines aren't capturing (and retouching) the wonders of some famous men and women out there, they're constantly scrutinizing those who fall a few steps off the path. Jessica Simpson, for example, has put on too much baby weight. Women like Julia Roberts and Mischa Barton need to work on that cellulite. And Jennifer Love Hewitt better not be caught dead in another bikini before she loses some lbs.

It seems this conversation is a hot one right now and that more companies are joining in the effort to stress a wider and deeper definition of beauty. Dove has their Campaign for Real Beauty, and Bare Minerals has a campaign for women to be a "Force of Beauty." It's definitely a start! I think what is really important is reaching girls (and boys!) at a younger age. It probably shouldn't have taken 23 years to come to terms with the fact that I just may never acquire a body that society deems "perfect;" and that in reality, happy should equate to healthy. It is so important that we get to that point where we're comfortable in our own skin; where we can say, eff perfection. So instead of longing for Jennifer Aniston's legs..or Beyonce's booty...use them as inspiration! Because really, we're blessed with just one body. You might as well love it, keep it healthy, and own it. Work for your best body, not someone else's.

Freerunning - SO cool!

I was introduced to this video a long time ago, but have been finding it a fun, 3-minute way to kick of my day lately. Not only do these people show off some pretty sick moves (is it too late to learn?!), but it's to a cool version of 'Lights,' by Ellie Goulding. Check it out, and have a happy Tuesday!!

A $700 hair dryer...Ex-squeeze me?

I'm always excited when there's an US Weekly, Glamour, Health, or even Cosmo for goodness sake, waiting for me at the gym's magazine stack that I have yet to lay my hands on. Even though every new issue is essentially the same as the last (how many times can we read about how to meet cute guys at coffee shops or how celebs manage to lose those pesky pounds), these magazines are my saving grace. The last 20 minutes on the bike go by so much faster when I can flip a few silly pages.

Today was a sad day; no new mags. Except...for Marie Claire. I tend to shy away from this one, along with Elle, Vogue, Vanity Fair, etc. The print is small and everything they advertise is many moons away from being in my budget. But on certain occasions, like today, when there is nothing else to read, I indulge and add various items to my never-ending mental wish list (ahh...Tory Burch flats and a classic Louis Vuitton...someday?).

And so today I came upon, and present to you, a little food for thought. As I was flipping, I saw an article on hair dryers. There were three recommendations; one for $20 (a.k.a. my kinda hair dryer), one for $99 (a stretch but not entirely unthinkable), and one for $700 (WHAT?!?!). I swear, I stared at this number for many minutes; unable to comprehend what kind of fool is going to drop $700 on something that can be accomplished by air. Unless what's blowing out of this thing has been previously breathed by Jake Gyllenhaal, I think I'll pass. Ok that was a gross and absurd connection, but seriously.

The amount of money some people spend on things floors me. I remember watching an episode of "Cribs" with Kimora Lee Simmons (that took a lot for me to admit), in which she highlighted a gold toilet that she spent $10,000 on. Say what? You shit in this and there are people in the world that cannot afford food for themselves or their starving children. Now, if Kimora had bought a regular toilet and donated the difference, would the world's hunger issues be solved? No. I'm not insinuating this. But sometimes I just don't get how you can sleep at night after spending $10,000 on a toilet...or $30,000 a night at a hotel...or $100,000 on a car...etc. Is it really necessary that there are salaries out there that account for this type of spending? While I maintain the thought that these [extreme] examples are absolutely idiotic and gag-worthy, I do understand that people make money and should be able to spend it however they please.

We all have our limits on what is average, or what is an "ok" amount to spend on certain things; how much we're willing to pay for a pair of jeans, a bottle of shampoo, a purse, a car, a pair of running shoes, etc. I am certain there are things I buy that would cause some to drop their jaw a little. A lot of factors go into how we all spend money; our income level (obviously), what types of brands we're drawn to, what we grew up with our parents buying, and on and on. It's understandable that people have such varying spending habits. So who am I to judge Kimora for wanting to do her daily business in gold? Where do we draw the line? Is there a line?

I find myself thinking about money and how it's spent, and have never really come to a hard and fast conclusion. It's seems silly, and rude, that I can harshly judge people for spending so lavishly, while others could just as easily turn the tables on me. But really...$700 for a hair dryer? Seems crazy, right?

P.S. Sorry for talking about toilets so much.