Online Shopping

I hate to shop.

Point blank... I hate it, unless I am shopping for school supplies, which is the one addendum to my distaste. I despise every aspect of the shopping experience from finding a parking spot, to the broken-record music, to cheery sales people asking me if I want to save 10%, to being stalked as I return to my glory-holding parking spot. I don't think its fun, a way to spend time with others, pleasant or relaxing. I will admit that at times, I will have a moment of insanity in which I think I feel the urge to shop. I have come to realize that this feeling lasts about an hour and if I choose to partake in the activity, I will need a two hour nap to recover.  Over the years, I have learned to compensate for my disdain by befriending (and marrying) people who love to shop and then forcing them to come with me. Many have fallen victim to my persuasion and have later learned to not shop with me unless I am well fed, well rested and have some sort of "reward" to look forward to at the end of the excursion. 

I would like to announce, however, that I have found a way to overcome my hatred, move beyond that which has forced me to impulse buy for the sake to getting out of a store and now enjoy purchasing... ONLINE SHOPPING!

While many have been using their mouse to browse for years, it is only since I have come to terms with my long standing hatred, that I have enjoyed the speed, annoyance free process of online shopping! The process makes sense: select store or distributer, select large category in which desired item may be found, narrow search down by choosing between various detailed items, peruse items, select one, check out, insert credit card number WITHOUT HAVING TO DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO SAVE 10% and expect your purchase within a week! Incredible the amount of steps one can go through while experiencing of the comfort of their couch, the refreshing taste of a diet coke and whatever music he/she wants to listen to.

As an expression of my new found freedom and love for online shopping, I have listed my most favorite, frequently visited places to shop:  

• Overstock.com-- LOTS to look at, some good, some bad. You can't beat their $2.95 for shipping!
• Target.com--Classic, easy and I spend less online than I do standing in line deciding if I need a bottle of Purel for my keychain. Watch the shipping costs, though, as they can be a bit much. I have found stuff I like and then just gone to a store to pick it up (this saved me $60 on our new TV stand)!
• Ikea.com-- Interesting choice, I know, but this helps me decide if Craigslist purchases are worth it. Only problem, not all items are available online. It also saves us city people at trek out to the middle of no where!
• Crate and Barrel Outlet-- Some really good finds. Easy to look at. 
• Amazon.com--I think their prices for used books are great, especially for their used children's books. They often have books that are out of print as well!
• Etsy.com ---For those that claim online shopping misses out on good finds and individualized purchases!

And that is just the beginning of the list! 

Happy Shopping!

A little poem

I came into school on Thursday morning and found this poem on my desk...

"Mrs. Cunningham is sweet as honey

she likes to be funny.

Everyone knows she has a heart full of gold."

You have got to love the cheesiness that comes with being an elementary school teacher!

The Birthday Boy

We had a birthday in our class today! The little guy was very excited about turning 7 (which is considered a VERY big feat among first graders). He is one of my "high needs" students, someone who requires constant monitoring and supervision. I was warned about this one at the beginning of the year. Tales from his previous teachers poured into my room like warning sirens. He entered my room with a file folder FULL of accommodations, modifications, interventions and specialists notes. I was terrified to meet this kid...

And now, with the first of March coming, I can say that every one of those traumatized teachers was correct! He is a handful and requires the amount of supervision that a three year old needs. I have to remind him of VERY basic socially appropriate behaviors nearly 10 times a day. He is nuts. He sees more specialists than I can count. He does nothing independently and is always within an arms reach of my frantic grip. 

But... today was his birthday. And if you have a birthday in Room 26, regardless of your learning ability, behavior patterns, special needs, or "nuttiness", you will be celebrated. 

And just as we were about to sing "Happy Birthday", I saw the birthday boy suck his thumb and pick his nose at the same time, with the same hand... and I let him be. 

Uncommon Ground, Rogers Park

I had the pleasure of enjoying a tasty lunch with my future sister-in-law and friend at Uncommon Ground in Rogers Park today!

Food: very tasty, huge portions

Service: pleasant, waitress actually helped me redesign the turkey sandwich the way she preferred it!

Ambiance: fireplace, exposed brick, artwork by local, yet pricey artists, wood tables

Bathrooms: very nice! (Why the need for a bathroom score, you may ask. Bathrooms are a very important part of the eating out experience. Bad bathrooms are not appreciated!)

Price: a bit pricey... roughly $15 a person minus alcohol

Overall: Great place!

Recipes, starting with Chicken Pot Pie

In the year that I have been married and have had rule over my own kitchen, I have come to really enjoy cooking. I don't cook a fabulous, note-worthy meal every night, but I do make effort to make a variety of interesting/tasty/healthy meals. I am ALWAYS looking for new recipes but I tend to be a harsh critic when it comes to food. I would say that I cook roughly one dish for every fifteen recipes that I look at! 

So, to make up for my ____ (some would say "picky", others would say "refined") taste buds, I will contribute to the search of "good recipe finding" by working to post a recipe a week! I must also insert a personal disclaimer here... I am a seasonal eater. This means that compared to the rest of you normal people, I can and will only eat certain meals in certain seasons. So all of my recipes will include not only my source, but also the season which I find best compliments this meal. 

This week's I will highlight a very tasty comfort food... Chicken Pot Pie. My mom gave me this and most of my other decent recipes. And while you may be thinking that your mom is the best cook around, you are mistaken. My mom could kick your mom's butt when it comes to cookin'! 

On to the recipe...

Chicken Pot Pie

Source: my mother

Season: late October to late February 

You will need: 

4-6 cups of cubed chicken breasts

5 cups of chicken broth

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 1/2 sticks of butter

2 cups of chopped yellow onions

3/4 cup of flour

1/2 tsp. of pepper

1/4 cup of heavy cream

1- 16 oz. pkg of frozen peas and carrots

2 pre-made pie crusts

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken broth and bouillon cubes. In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the yellow onions over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minutes, stirring until thick. Add pepper and heavy cream. Add the chicken and package of peas and carrots. 

Meanwhile, roll out one pie dough to fit into the bottom of a 9x11 pan and pour the filling over the crust. Roll out the other pie crust over the top. Brush the dough with egg wash (1 beaten egg and a tablespoon of water), make a few slits in the crust and bake on a baking sheet (to catch the spills) for 1 hour at 375.

Enjoy!

If I were president...

Today's writing prompt was "If I were president..." and I thought you might be interested to read what our future may hold...

"If I were president, I would make more things for boys and more Legos. I would make toys because they make kids happy."

"If I were president, I will stay up late because I love to stay up late so you can sit at the computer. And watch TV and video games."

(From my student who is ALWAYS needing to be reminded that we "walk" in the halls) 

"If I were president, I will not let anyone walk. Only running and jumping. They will  go to jail if they walk, even if it is a accident."

And finally...

"If I were president, I can help poor people get stuff  by buying them stuff and make bad guys be good. That I will do if I were president. I will make the bad guys be good by teaching them to be good."

Where most of my entertainment comes from

This is my second year as a first grade teacher and I can confidently claim that I have one of the most entertaining jobs on the planet. Regardless of how seamlessly I think I have planned and prepared for the day, there is no telling what is going to happen! Six-year-olds have a remarkable way of adding "spice" to my life. 

For example, I was in the middle of a math lesson yesterday when I heard a scream coming from the front of the room. When I asked the "screamer" what the problem was, he pointed to the door and said "LOOK!" There in the middle of my inviting, friendly, colorful doorway to endless learning experiences was... a pair of children's underwear. 

What happened at work yesterday for you?!

Good guests

We enjoyed our company this weekend! I had a great time listening to the adventures they had as kids. It was quite entertaining. :)

 Seba and Isaac---you are welcome any time!

A nice date...

Mon Ami Gabi

To "celebrate" feeling healthy after two weeks, Bruce and I visited Mon Ami Gabi on Friday night. We really liked it! We visited the Lincoln Park location and found it to be an excellent combination of nice/casual/fancy/unpretentious. 

Just because I think it is funny...

Charlie bit me!

The beginning...

I have wanted to do this for about a year now. I have tossed titles and tag lines back and forth, working to find the one that best describes who I am and what I want to write about. I have thought about waiting for a more "interesting" time in my life, something I could blog specifically about. And...I have thrown catchy phrases and "perfect" subjects to the wind and have decided I am just going to start...