{Sunday Social!}

I haven't linked up with Ashley & Neely in weeks because I have been so busy! But I am back at it for the last Sunday Social of 2012! 


1. What is the best New Year's Eve you've ever had?
I usually end up having lame-o plans but I think the best one was about two years ago. My friend Heather came in from Indiana and visited with all our New York friends from school. We all went to college together and it was FANTASTIC being together for a night!

  (Shannon, Me, Heather, Olivia, Jade, and Amanda)

2. Are you doing anything this year for NYE and if so, what?

I'm one of the few people that does not request off for NYE like 6 months in advance. I really don't care. Last year, I closed at work and went over to my friends house. This year, I am working until 830 and then I'll be going over to my friend Shannon's house, probably! Anything low key is okay with me.

3. Name a book we should all read come January.

Hmm. I could be cliche and say something on the best seller's list. I am in the process of getting to read "Safe Haven" by Nicholas Sparks (and I just googled what he looked like...man!) so I'd say that. Or "They Cage the Animals at Night". I read it in 10th grade Honors English and it has always stuck with me. 

4. What are your new year's resolutions?

I feel like they are almost the same every year, don't you find that? I would say:

~to eat healthier

~to go to the gym more (the last few months of work have really impacted going to the gym and by the time I get home, the LAST thing I want to do is work out). I need to carve more time out.

~to find a more permanent teaching job...with BENEFITS. I love the district I work in but I really need a full time job with benefits and a bigger salary to pay off my loans. Wishful thinking.

~to find what I want in a relationship and from myself before diving into another. I would love to meet some new people so let's see where this goes.

5.  

No Insurance Stinks!

Having no medical insurance sure does stink. I was covered under my mom's plan from her job until November 30th of this year. So even though I graduated college 3 and a half years ago, I was still covered thanks to the new law. Pretty sweet. Until you actually turn 26 and then lose it! 

Neither of my jobs offer insurance. Or, the restaurant does but you have to work a minimum amount of hours which I can't. So I was REALLY trying to avoid getting sick or going to a doctor at all possible cost. I knew if I did, I was going to have to pay out of pocket and that can get expensive fast.

I went to work today at CPK with all intentions of remaining there for my four hour shift (I was only to work from 12-4). Apparently my cough/congestion sounded worse to my boss when I hacked on my lungs and she looked up the number of a clinic/doctor nearby. She found one and told me "Go home! Get an antibiotic!" I honestly didn't feel that bad but I'll do what she tells me. I ended up going to a place and it cost me $100 for the visit! UGH! And to think I just had insurance a month ago! I got a prescription for a Z-pack and a cough syrup with codeine to help me sleep through the night (I'd never take that and drive). All together, it cost me $160. That's not as bad as I thought it would be but still NOT CHEAP! 

Don't get me wrong...I'd love to have insurance but unfortunately neither of my jobs offer it to me now. How much does that stink? I am looking for a teaching position that would have better benefits but those are far and few between in NY. My hope is I don't get any sicker and this is the only time I will have to pay out of pocket (isn't this wishful thinking on my part?!)

Kind of mad I had to give up my hours today but oh well! At least I have an antibiotic! 

Blog Design Help!!

Alright y'all. The time has come. I have mentioned it for months and months but I have finally decided that the time has come. I want/need a new blog design. Made by someone who has more graphic talent/capabilities then I do because let's face it, when I have to use images in school, it is either stick figures or clip art! 


If you are a blog designer and would love to help me out, please comment with your info! Or if you worked with someone who is reasonably priced and still accepting blogs to make designs for, please give me the information. I am really in no rush to have it done by a certain date or anything but I would love for my blog to have a fresh new design in 2013. I started my blog way back in the end of 2010/2011 when I was recuperating from surgery so it's time to get myself something fancy. :)


And on that note, I must go back to cleaning the disaster that is known as my bedroom. Could you imagine if I had my own apartment? Haha! 

{It's okay Thursday!}

I have been so busy lately that I finally have time again to link up with my favorite link ups! So, head on over to Neely & Amber's blogs to link up and share what's okay with you on the last Thursday of 2012!


It's okay....

....that I got spoiled this Christmas. A MK wallet, Coach purse and VB bag? Lucky girl!

....that I am a tad jealous of my friend moving in with her boyfriend. I want to move out already! But so happy for her!

....to be 26 and SUPER excited to be going to see Taylor Swift in July in Philly with Shannon & her sister Meghan! We were trying to go to NJ in March and we were not paying $150 for the cheap seats...we paid that for FLOOR in PA!

....to be in pajamas at 6pm on a Thursday night.

....to be happy we don't have any snow. I hope I just didn't jinx myself.

...that I left the gym today once I thought I couldn't do anymore.

...to not plan on taking down the tree until after New Year's. I decorated the entire house myself...I am going to enjoy everything in all it's glory!

....to be using my brother's NetFlix account to watch a movie. :)

....to have laughed when Jessica Simpson announced she was pregnant with her second child. Is she going to be pregnant for another year like she was with her daughter?  

....to still need to finish grading one class' tests from 12/10...yeah I'm slacking but they need to go on the portal this break!!!

...to plan on spending my New Year's Day watching Dance Moms! Can't wait for it to come back.
 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is probably one of my FAVORITE holidays. It's not about finding the perfect gift (although I love when that happens). It's about spending time with family and loved ones. My favorite Christmas memories are the sheer joy on my nieces' and nephew's faces when they open their gifts. Christmas through the eyes of a child is so special.

Last night we went to my aunt & uncle's house (which is like in the BOONIES) because theres all trees around it. It was nice and relaxed. I came home and must have spent 5 hours wrapping gifts. Wait til you see the picture of me with ALL the gifts wrapped under the tree. Let it be known I didn't wrap my own but did wrap my sibling's gifts to each other and our nieces & nephew.


I slept in this morning til probably about 10:15 and about a half hour later, started opening gifts. We're all at the age in my house where we don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to open gifts. I definitely got spoiled though! One brother, Brian, gave me the matching MK wallet to my purse from last Christmas!!! And my brother Eric gave me a Coach bag...TOTALLY didn't expect it. They both said "This is for being a good sister." It's nice to know they appreciate you.

Later, we are going over to my brother's house to celebrate with them & the kids. I wonder how many cars it will take to get all the gifts over. One year, it took THREE cars. Apparently my niece took her own money and bought me a gift at the craft fair at school...god do I love that kid! It may be a little knick-knack but still she's so sweet.

I need to enjoy today despite the fact that my throat hurts and my nose is plugged....I get to work a double tomorrow! Wahoo!

So Merry Christmas everyone!! While I hope you are all spoiled, remember this day and why we celebrate it. Cherish the time with family and friends. They are what the season is all about! 

Life's a pretty fast ride...

I feel like I have not had any time lately. My car looks like a disaster erupted in it. There's empty bottles, my school bag is still in there, plastic bags, etc. It desperately needs to be cleaned out before I take my car in on Thursday to be serviced. These past three weeks have been somewhat a blur.

I am FINALLY on break from school!! Praise the Lord! It has been a long, tiring three weeks for teachers and students. I can't remember the last time we had three full weeks of school in a row (so many days off due to holidays/the hurricane/Thanksgiving/etc) and by Friday morning, EVERYONE was just itching to go home. One of the teachers I normally work with for two periods (I work with four in total, 2 of them for 2 periods each) was on grand jury this month so I was her sub. One of her classes was probably the most difficult class I have ever dealt with. Their behavior was atrocious. When you're in 8th grade, I shouldn't have to shut off the lights and wait for you to stop talking before continuing the lesson. And they wonder why they complained they didn't know anything when they took a test two weeks ago. The assistant principal (also the department chair) came in the first week because I told her how they were and then last week one of the deans came in. The teacher is fully aware of how horribly they were for me and is reading them the riot act after vacation. It was not that I couldn't deal with them...they just were so rude & disrespectful.

I ended up giving them their Christmas vocab quiz (which how hard is it to fail when you have pictures AND a word box on it?!) and watched Elf. Easy day for me. A few kids brought me in chocolate and I got a few giftcards to Starbucks & Dunkin Donuts which was a nice surprise! I wasn't expecting anything.

My big plans for this Christmas break (aside from working a few days at CPK) is to sleep, get my car serviced and CLEAN MY ROOM!! Oh my word you have no idea how excited I am! Plus maybe pick up some movies and everything to add to my collection. I really want to buy Elf & A Christmas Story. 

Yesterday, I went out to brunch with four friends, Amanda, Jeannette (who was home from Nicaragua), April and Lauren. We've been friends since high school but I can't remember the last time I saw Lauren. Lauren was actually working on Mitt Romney's campaign and would've been working in/at the White House if he had won (pretty cool!). She just told us yesterday that she got a job working for the Governor of NJ's wife and starts in the middle of January. It's exciting. She was always a politician in school so she has had such great success in working in this field since we graduated college in 2009. It was nice to sit, catch up at brunch with unlimited mimosas! My kind of day!


I helped my mom finish Christmas shopping last night and now I get to wrap EVERYTHING! I love wrapping. Today we're going to my uncle's house in the woods (I'm not kidding...it is like in the boonies of Long Island but it's HUGE) and we'll be home early so I can finish wrapping. Tomorrow, my brother is having us over for dinner and we can just relax. It'll be nice! My mom was stuck as to what to get my brothers Eric & Brian....Eric wants everything thats expensive and Brian wants NOTHING. What do you give someone that wants nothing?! We ended up buying them a flat screen tv for their room since it was redone this summer and it's all Eric has talked about. Brian probably doesn't care (he'd return it if it was just for him) but I think Eric will be pleasantly surprised. My mom said I was one of the easiest people to shop for. I already got one of my gifts last night - sneakers because my mom can't pick them out without me. Can't wait to celebrate tomorrow.

And I am so excited to be going to see Taylor Swift on her new tour in Philadelphia! I am going with Shannon & her sister Meghan in July. We tried to get tickets for the March show in NJ but they sold out so quickly or on stubhub, the cheap seats were $150. We got FLOOR seats in Philadelphia so plan on making a trip out of it. Yay! 

I should probably get to showering/going to the grocery store quick for my mom and wrapping more gifts (my poor SIL isn't getting her gift - a scrapbook yet because I failed on having enough time for it). I just wanted to share the most precious people in my life. These three darlings are my pride & joy and I couldn't be prouder to be their aunt. Merry Christmas eve, everyone! Enjoy the time with your families & friends.

 

A moment of silence for Sandy Hook

Rest in peace sweet angels. <3