I've decided that I need some kind of regular blog feature in order to keep me posting; the thing that made the most sense to me is to write about the things that I love. I won't be compensated for anything that I mention; these are just truly the things that are making my life easier/more fun at the moment, hence inspiring my love!
Here are the 5 top things I am loving this week, in no particular order.
1. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
I received this book as a gift for Christmas 2008 and I waited to read it until last week. BIG mistake! I was engrossed in the story for a couple of days; I had to stretch out my usual reading time because of a teaching run to Atlanta/Athens, so I didn't have a whole lot of time. That being said, it was totally worth every minute I spent reading. The only quibble I have with the book is that the ending is a little rushed, but Gaskell originally published the story serially, so apparently her publishers hurried her along and she wasn't entirely thrilled with the way the ending turned out. It takes a little getting used to, just because it is Victorian and the style of writing is a little different. My plan for the next week is to watch the BBC version on my instant Netflix, so I'll report back on how it compares to the book. However, if it's good, and the BBC usually does a good job, it might be worth it to start there.
Picture creditMy aunt and uncle gave me this basket for a graduation gift and as I've begun my summer of teaching, it has been invaluable. First of all, it's sturdy, so it can handle being filled and carted from my car to my classroom, back to my car, into my house, back to the car... you get the picture. Secondly, it's roomy; right now, it's holding a ream of paper, a photo box full of my teaching supplies (crayons, pencils, markers, eraser, scissors, pencil sharpener, Post-it notes and tape), bandages, handsanitizer, Luna bars (but I'll get to those in a minute!), and my waterbottle and there's still some room to spare! I think that next year when I'm in Charleston this will make a wonderful basket for visiting the Farmer's Market!
I chose this book as my visual for Pilates because, well, you don't want to see me on the floor in my sweatpants attempting that move. Also, my Pilates instructor last semester in my elective PE used this book and I've been referring back to it lately. I'm finding with spending a lot of time on the road and on my feet teaching, it's nice to have something to stretch me out and relax me at the end of the day. The beautiful thing about this book is that you don't need anything but a mat; I usually don't carry mine with me because my suitcase is a little too small, but I improvise with the extra blankets that hotel rooms usually have. After driving for a couple of hours, nothing feels better than stretching out all my limbs; plus, I'm sleeping better. I think I would have been intimidated if I had just gone out and bought this book and tried to teach myself, but it's a really good resource as a refresher from the class I took.
This book journal was also a graduation gift, given to me by my sweet cousin in California; we trade book suggestions via text message, which I happen to think is fantastic! It's got some space in the front for book reviews, then quite a few pages for "Books to Read," followed by a ledger for for "Books Borrowed/Lent." It's simple and streamlined and very comfortable to use. I've got the first page of the "Books to Read" section filled up about halfway with things that I want to read; I've actually gotten to two of them. I've started carrying this journal around with me, though, which is a bit unusual for me. It is, though, very practical and it's not too big, so I can leave it in my car if I don't have room in my purse (my family's teasing me about "cluttering up" my new car with books. Books? Clutter? Not possible!).
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Picture creditThis protein bar is the best of its kind that I have ever tasted. The caramel is slightly salty, the brownie part is fudgy, the nut bits are teeny-tiny and don't get stuck in your teeth-it's perfection! And only 180 calories! Excuse me while I faint. Not to harp on about being a teacher (have you noticed? I'm teaching this summer! And I love it!), but this is a perfect pick-me-up between classes or while driving long distances. I usually get a box of 15 at Trader Joe's, but you can get them individually at Trader Joe's and places like Target, Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods (at least in my area).
So there you have it! My 5 favorite things for this week!
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