Me Time Monday Linky Par-tay!

Hi, there!  It's officially week TWO of my summer "vacation".  Of course, I am using quotation marks here because "vacation" is a term I am using liberally.  :)  This summer is jam-packed, and as excited as I am for the opportunities I have, I just know I am going to blink, and it's going to be the middle of August.  Time is just flying!  I already feel like the first week of my break just surged past me.

Next week, I am teaching my very first college course.  Technically it's a 2 credit hour workshop, but I am officially an "adjunct", and I kind of love that.  It has a nice ring to it, and it makes me feel like I am one step closer to being a professor which is my ultimate professional goal.  I will teach about five hours a day for five days, and I am SO excited to try it before I buy it, meaning I am excited to see how I like teaching at the college level before investing in a PhD.  :)  The following week, I am going to be presenting at a county literacy in-service the day before packing up for the New Orleans Reading, Writing, Math, & More Conference! It will be a whirlwind trip, but I am looking forward to checking out the city after my presentations before flying back early the next morning! After that, I get to breathe for a little while and round out June (aside from the two classes I am taking for my gifted endorsement).

In July, I am headed to Las Vegas for I Teach First and the TpT Seller's Conference! I am looking forward to a week full of teaching fun, presenting, and hanging out with my blogging BFFS. Of course, I am super excited about meeting new friends too! Later that month, my handsome hubby and I will be going on a much-needed vacation--one where I can just relax and won't have to work. At all. :)  I cannot wait!

It's looking like it's going to be a very eventful and at times a very frenzied summer, so I decided I needed something to hold me accountable for ME TIME in the midst of everything.  Enter "Me Time Monday".  It's an opportunity to share what we're doing outside of teaching prep.  Yes, I know, if you're like me, you're already thinking about next year.  You're probably thinking about projects that need to be done.  You may even be working on them now.  Just remember, summer is fleeting.  Yes, we all like to be prepared and organized, but are we ever really caught up? Is there every a time when the to-do list is non-existent?  Not in my world.  I could literally work and work and work, and there would still be something left to do.  I am finally beginning to realize that I can't constantly chase that elusive illusion of being "caught up". So, I need to do my best with the time that I have, and I need to make time for ME to have balance and do things outside of the profession I love so much.  I really NEED this summer to recharge my batteries to be ready to plow ahead with my kiddos in August.  Sometimes a break is healthy, and Me Time Monday will hopefully keep me on track!

So, what have I been up to lately aside from my grad school assignments.  preparing for presentations,  and planning my course?  Well, for one thing, I have been working on my fitness.  For a while, I was eating like complete garbage, and I wasn't working out as often as I should.  As in, maybe I would work out twice a week.  I finally got on the scale one day and realized that several pounds had crept up on me like stealthy little ninjas.  It was a wake up call.  I decided to get off of my rump and do something about it, so I started Body Beast.  It's a BeachBody program that my husband had been doing with great results.  I am about a month and a half into it, and I am LOVING it.  Well, if I'm being honest, I love it after I am done for the day, not always in the middle of weightlifting.  Nonetheless, I am working out six days a week, feeling more energetic, and frankly feeling a lot less stressed out.  It's amazing what endorphins do for you!

This photo shows a comparison of what my biceps looked like during week 2 compared to week 3.

This is a photo I took a few days ago showing my progress in week 6.  (It's the same arm in the other shots, I just turned the camera around to make it easier to take the picture.  It only took six weeks for me to figure that out.  Common sense is not always my strong suit!  Ha!)   Truthfully, it hasn't always been easy to carve out the time OR to work out on days when I have a headache OR when I am exhausted, but I never regret sucking it up and working out. The payoff has been worth it so far, even though the scale isn't budging.  At all.  I can see changes, and I know I am doing it the healthy way without crash dieting.  Hopefully it will all fall into place.

Lately Mr. Wonderful and I have been going out to dinner with friends a lot more often, scoping out food fests, and enjoying our new deck. We've hosted few BBQs, and we went to a Lady Antebellum concert last weekend.  It was amazing!  Billy Currington and Joe Nichols opened for them, and it was simply a wonderful show.  An end of the year concert has become a yearly tradition with a few of my teaching friends.  It's a great way to celebrate the beginning of summer!

I think I've mentioned my love of thrifting before, but if I haven't, now you know.  :)  I am obsessed with vintage pieces, and I love decorating our home in a Pottery Barn meets farmhouse glam style. I love finding inexpensive pieces with lots of character that help create the cozy atmosphere I crave at home.  I also love meaningful pieces.  The waterfall portrait below was purchased after my husband proposed to me next to Blackwater Falls in West Virginia.  We bought it from a local photographer, and it has become a very special part of our home.  If I'm not thrifting, I tend to pick things up from Target, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Kirklands because I love to mix old and new pieces.  I LOVE decorating almost as much as I love teaching...and
that's saying a lot...because I LOVE teaching! :)  Lately, I have found a few fun  & inexpensive pieces to add to our happy abode, and I've enjoyed the process of shopping my house, rearranging things, and editing to make everything even better!

What else have I been up to?  Well, I've gotten to hang out with my furry knuckleheads a whole lot lately.  They are the best morning time cuddle buddies, and sometimes I just want to freeze time.

Aside from that, I've just gotten started working as a consultant with the Mary & Martha product line.  I seriously LOVE the look and quality of all of their products.  Everything is beautiful!  The message behind the line is even more beautiful.  It's all about fellowship and loving on others. Those are two things that I am trying to make an even bigger priority in the months and years ahead.  The faith-focused pieces are so simple and so lovely.

So, what have you been up to?  How have you been spending your ME TIME?!  Snag the pink button below, link up, and share what you do to recharge and relax! (If you don't have a blog but still want to join in on the fun, feel free to leave a comment about what you love to do in your free time!)

Also, don't forget to check out the following blogs for even more summer linky party fun!  You'll definitely want to check in with Deanna tomorrow for a Tuesday Book Chat!  Have a good one!