Movement Starting

Yesterday, I wrote a post about my students doing a process of upcycling and me actually being able to teach something in my classroom. I had a realization today in class...

Here we go. So, I was taking the plastic off a tissue box to recycle it. Standing on the side of my classroom, getting ready to put it in the recycling bin, a student comes up to me and asks, "Can I have that?"

Ross, I couldn't agree more.
I'm surprised, too.

"Of course!" I quickly replied. Then I realized...there's a movement that's starting in my classroom. My students have began a process of changing the world. Yes, it's a tissue box. BUT. A tissue box is MORE than a tissue box.

It's a change.

This student saw another student making a change and she decided to do the same. The student yesterday chose to upcycle because she saw another student doing it. The world is changing - because they are influencing each other POSITIVELY.

Be still my heart.

My students are upcycling and changing the world. They are seeing purpose in things that would normally be thrown away. And, I wonder, maybe this'll change into how they see people. Purposeful and valuable.

It excites my heart. My soul is stirred at the thought of making a change in the world. It's amazing! I'm able to influence little lives to bring joy on this earth. Not only that - they are able to influence each other. We can make a change and we will. We are the world. We are the children. We're going to make a change. 

Here, at school, our movement starts.

Peace.

A Tissue Box

Today, during school, one of my quietest students came up to me with a tissue box in hand. A really classy looking tissue box, to be said. It had Nemo and Dory and happiness on it.

In her quietest voice, she said to me, "I saw Ms. G was going to throw this away, so I asked if I could have it. I'm going to upcycle it."

Oh, be still my heart. I did a thing teaching.

This is the second child in two days to take a project to be upcycled. The first kid used a marker box and is slowly making it into something else, and now the tissue box.

I did something.

This world will have a positive change - one lesson at a time.

It's amazing what happens when you get to influence young minds.

Peace.

Banana. Bread.

A good blogger would know that you should probably not write more than one post every couple of days. A blogger with a bit of ADHD who is hyperfocused on something will write anyways.

All the laughs.

Oh my goodness. Y'all. I made the best banana bread tonight.

The best. Ever. 

I'm so excited.

Why?

This bread is the best.

Why?

Here we go.

It's the best.

So, I'm egg free and gluten free. These things do bad things to my body. I don't eat them. Anyways.

Today, I wanted to make banana bread. I don't know if you know this, but typically, regular banana bread has gluten. You know, gluten. The protein in wheat, barley, and rye that helps bind things together. Gluten free cooking doesn't have that protein.

Gluten free baking is hard.

Really hard.

But I wanted to make banana bread. I had like eight overripe bananas in the freezer that had been there for a couple months. I made a dumb decision of keeping the bananas on the stove after I bought them...they went bad three days later. Oops. 

Anyways, I had bananas. I wanted to make bread. Tugce and I walked to the store, got some ingredients that I didn't use in the banana bread, and then we came home. Then I went and drank coffee. And then I came home again.

I started the bread. I used this recipe. Well, I based off of it. The changes I made? Instead of 3/4 cup of milk, I just used 1/2. I used 1/3 cup of honey instead of the sugar/honey it has listed. I added a sprinkles of nutmeg and more cinnamon than listed. About 1/4 cup of hemp seed, 1/4 cup of chia seed, 1/3 cup cacao nibs. I also added a handful of dark chocolate chunks and four drops of stevia. Four bananas instead of three. 

My dear friend, Miranda, lets me joyfully talk
about random, lovely things. She's
a blessing to my soul.

I cooked it for an hour and waited patiently. Well, no. I really wanted to eat it and I didn't know if it was going to be good.
Y'all. It's so good. My heart is so full right now with joy and seeing how the Lord provides food that I can eat in a healthy way.

Seriously. I can't believe how much God provides. I serve the God who made food. He made food. FOOD. Therefore, I can trust Him with it. 

And the bread? It's the best. Ever.

Peace.

OH! My encouragement for you? Try new things and find joy in cooking in a healthy way for your body! The Lord provides.

Food.

I realize I've written multiple posts about food. I also realize I have a lot to say about food. You get to witness that.

So, for a long time, I struggled with food and what to eat/eating things that make me happy. Today, as I was coming back from the grocery store with Tugce (my roommate), I had a revelation. 

Look! Food at genuinely brings joy to my
heart - broccoli, coffee, and cheese.

I only like to buy things at the store that make me genuinely happy.

STOP.

WAIT.

Seems simple, right? Seems like that should be something that we all understand. Yeah, took a bit of time.

I have a diet (note: diet is what you eat, NOT something you get on to lose weight) of lots of fruits and vegetables, some dairy, and healthy fats. All in all, pretty well rounded. I don't eat a lot of meat because it doesn't make my heart happy. This is the diet that works for me. This brings joy to my heart.

When I go to the store, I only need to get the things that I want. Did you know that the average American wastes 25% of the food that they buy? Yeah, that breaks my heart.

What a waste.

What if we took that 25% that is wasted and we spent it on things that we genuinely wanted and could use? This is what I mean: sometimes, we buy things because we think we should. I used to get yogurt because I felt like it was good for me and I should eat it. Did I find joy in eating it? This is a good question to ask after eating something. No, not really, but I felt like I should eat it.

I felt like I should because it was what I was told.

What if we took away the idea that society and culture knows the food that is best for us and we create our own diet? What kind of a change would that make in society? What we bought more veggies and less processed food? I bet that prices would go down...that would be nice.

Anyways, that's what I think. At current, I just finished a cup of coffee and I'm supposed to be lesson planning. I just want to make sure I document this: food is something given from the Lord. If it's a gift, that means it should make our hearts happy (both physically and emotionally). Why waste time or money on food that doesn't benefit anything?

Reinvent your diet to benefit your body (and make your heart happy).

Peace.

P.S. - this isn't me promoting an unhealthy diet. I just genuinely only buy the food that makes me happy and my body healthy. I think you should, too.

P.P.S. - I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense. The music is playing really loud at this coffee shop and I'm distracted.

Mom. Food. Love.

My lovely momma and a baby
bird we found this summer. She saved
him from getting ran over. 

My mom is so cool.

So cool.

She's a lovely soul that should live forever and for all eternity. And she will - with Jesus.

Today, she texted me and asked if I was home to be given food. See, the thing is, we don't like wasting food. Our family does believe in healthy food and being practical with it (a.k.a. giving it when we can't finish it). 

Oh my gosh, I got so much food. Good thing, too, as I was going to go grocery shopping and I always end up buying coffee and maybe two other things. This keeps me accountable to actually get what I need.

So, thanks, mom. You're the best. You sustain my body and my heart. You provide me with love and food, and that's more than enough.

Peace.

Life practical note you can take: if you have extra food that you have that you will not use, give it away. Don't throw it away when someone else could use it!

Spaghetti Squashes...All The Squash.

It's. So. Big. Oh. My. Goodness.

TONIGHT. IS. SO. COOL.

Actually, kind of. I'm making spaghetti squash at current and I'm quite thrilled about what the end result will be. Although it's going to be a lot of squash, I know it will all be used and it will all be worth it! 

So, spaghetti squash. Y'all. This stuff is awesome. God made this so cool. So cool. Literally, a food in its own bowl. This stuff is the best.

I got my squash at the farmers' market. Saturday. 

It was two dollars.

It was the biggest squash I have ever seen.

Gutted and so happy. Note - that's me
listening to poetry in the side. On
the side. English. Yikes.

I didn't realize until today that this giant squash has a gash in it. Oh, help me, I had the sadness in my soul.

Anyways, I ended up cooking an excessive amount of spaghetti squash. NOTE. I started this post last night, but then I Skyped with my dear friends, Jacey and Jorge, for an hour, so I went to sleep after...it was late and I teach the kids. 

But. My squash. 

To make spaghetti squash, you first wash off the outside. Then, cut it in half. On the inside, there's all sorts of 'guts' (seeds and jazzy jazz) on the inside. Take those out, yo. Them be gross. I bet you could do something with these, but I haven't come across an idea yet.

BUT. After cutting it in half and gutting it, you need to put something in the middle. Well, you don't need to. But it helps the seasoning! I used garlic, salt, and butter. 

Yo, this garlic. THIS STUFF IS SO COOL. Elephant garlic. One clove is the size of a whole bulb of regular garlic. I got it because I couldn't find any other garlic at the store. It's pretty nifty, though it makes my love for garlic run deeper than the deepest well I've ever seen.

Before cooking - all the seasoning.

Anyways, then, cook it at 400 for an hour. 

It's the best.

You take it out of the oven, take a couple minutes to make sure you don't burn yourself, and then start to take it apart. I didn't get a picture of this. Why? I was tired and gave up. 

You take the squash apart using spoons and slowly taking the 'meat' of the squash away from the sides. You can't eat the sides. It's gross, dude.

Then, put your organic and all natural (without sugar!) spaghetti sauce on it and eat it. All the happy and healthy! 

Note, you don't need organic food. I just suggesting looking at the label and getting things that don't add additional sugar that's not necessary. This helps sustain your body.

So. Much. Squash. Thank you, Lord.

But, really, there's my squash. I wasn't planning on explaining how to make it, BUT there you go. I'm a big fan. And I will literally be eating this for the next week. I mean, really, look how much I had. Three halves. Also known as one and a half squashes. Also known as dinner. 

Praise God for food to eat for dinner.

Praise the Lord for providing.

He provides everything we need, even when we don't know we need it. I think that's what the Bible means when it says that God is a good Father.

Peace.

Clothes Moving

The current pile of clothes to peace out.

So, at constant (always), I'm trying to get rid of many a thing. I look through the closet weekly (well, a couple times a week) and get rid of things. 

I'm a big fan of having reasoning behind doing things. I think reasoning is good because then there's purpose. So, why be in a constant state of getting rid of things?

Moving. Before I settled to teach, I moved every school year and then for the summers. Five years. I think I moved...10 times. Sometimes to the same location, but I still moved. A lot.

A lot.

I strongly dislike moving.

A lot.

Anyways, I went into teaching to love kids and be able to move around the world doing something practical. I would love to teach overseas. But we shall see where the Lord takes me. I just want to be ready if ever that time comes.

At current, I know I'm supposed to be where I'm at. But when it comes that I need to move somewhere, I'll be able to up and do that. I think that's why I clean out all the time. 

Anyways, there's not that much of a point to this besides explaining reasoning. And I'm really tired, so I'm not sure if it made sense. 

OH. I'm also constantly working at cleaning out the random things in my pantry that I have. You know, so I don't buy something I don't need. NOTE. This means I have to know everything that I have in the kitchen. That's been a journey in itself.

So, here we continue getting rid of things and using only what is necessary. It's humbling and happy. And I like not using all the money getting things that I don't need.

Peace.

PS - I made a bomb cup of tea today. It has warmed my soul.

Sometimes, I Break Things

Straight up busted.

So, this summer my wallet broke. Like, full out got demolished. I admit, it was my fault. I stuck my phone in it because I thought that maybe it would be okay...

It wasn't.

It died.

I cried.

You see, my uncle and aunt got this for me when I graduated university. It may not seem like a big deal, but this was such a meaningful gift. First of all, it was from a company called JOYN. This company empowers people, specifically in impoverished areas, to gain a career. This company provides education, medical help, steady jobs, and more. 

This meant a lot to me. It was more than a wallet.

I did a thing.

And I broke it.

Full out busted.

I had failed myself and the wallet.

Granted, I usually break things quicker than this wallet, so I could be proud of myself.

Anyways.

I've been keeping it on the kitchen table for the last four months trying to figure out what to do. I've started cleaning off the table. I had to find out what to do.

The zipper was broken.

The inside was decently put together.

I noticed that it seems like the coin holder inside could be cut out and used simply by itself. As a coin purse. So, that's what I did! 

I have the proudness at my skills.

I cut out the middle and made myself a coin purse. Look at me UPCYCLING.

Upcycling - reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality or value than the original. 

That's what I did! I now have something that can be used. And the other part? I'm taking it to school. Maybe my students can come up with some ideas. They're super smart.

Peace.

Ode to Coffee

Coffee, coffee

My new happy - three shots of espresso with whip.
Scrabble. Friendship.

I love you so
You make my heart
Want to grow (not literally...that's a big issue)

Coffee, coffee
My heart is content
I seem to think
You're my natural bent

Coffee, coffee
Coffee, coffee
Coffee, coffee
Coffee, coffee

I think I had too much coffee.

In all seriousness, coffee makes my heart happy and a way I can be sustainable in this is using the coffee I'm given and NOT buying any more. I literally bought another yesterday...at least I used a coupon.

Maybe I'll write a post about the benefits of coffee. Here's one: it calms down my brain and lets me focus. Chew on that for a bit.

Peace.

Festivals and Friendship?

I went to a concert in town. Yesterday. It was called Praise Fest. I'm really tired right now, so this probably won't make sense.

Here's John Lennon getting a guitar pick out.

Anyways. Went to that. It was like a really big Christian concert with all sorts of different musical artists. That was neat. It was from 8:30 in the morning to 9:30 at night. I'm not really sure if the same people played throughout the day or exactly how that worked, but I went at 7:00 with my friend Lindsay. Then Jena joined us. We sat on a blanket in the back of the field, listening to the music (it was SUPER loud). 

But, we sat there, sang along, and prayed. I think music really can draw your soul into a place that it doesn't always go. I'm a big fan of peaceful music (like acoustic, lovely, calm music). It makes my soul feel at peace and something else that literally isn't coming to mind so whatever.

At the event, I made a new friend! I like making new friends. His name is Vik. He came and stood by our blanket, asked about the music, I asked him to sit down, then we offered him a chair, and then he sat. We talked for a bit, then he asked us gals to come to a BBQ tonight (you know, because this all happened yesterday). The other girls couldn't come, so I invited a different friend to come with me.

So my friend Jamison and I went to the BBQ tonight. I made a salad for it (that's what I was told to bring). Do you know how stressful it is to be told to bring a salad? There are like 3589279857289375689273 different types of salad. Real salad, fruit salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, broccoli salad. ALL THE SALAD.

I made a caesar salad. I actually called a friend to ask what kind of salad to make because I was concerned that I didn't know what to do. While I was at the store. Anyways...

Anyways, I went to the BBQ tonight with Jamison. I was a bit really nervous because social things always make me nervous and I was going to hang out with a bunch of people that I'd just met. But we did it! I texted Vik and we did the socialize thing well. All the proudness!

It was SO much fun. I'm so glad I got out of my comfort zone and talked to a random stranger. Love people, make new experiences happen.

Anyways, all that to say, sometimes it takes stepping out of your comfort zone to make new friends and try new experiences. Sometimes you have to leap in order to fly. Wow, that's poetic. 

Take new chances. Make new memories. Believe Jesus will take care of you.

Poshmark Life

Here's my new navy dress. Featured:
Febreeze on a bike. Because why not?

World.

I have news to tell you. I have an app that changed my shopping life (and that I can sell things on). It's a hot time. But really...

Poshmark. It's like an online thrift store! I'm so thankful. I get to sell my clothes and maybe buy something new. I'm a big fan of getting rid of things. 

Like a big fan.

Like one of the ones in an industrial building. I'm literally a fan.

Psych.

But I'm so excited about this! I've gotten two dresses that I absolutely really really like from this site and I can wear them often. How thankful I am! 

Anyways, in total I spent approximately 20 dollars for two dresses of VERY nice quality. It literally seems like they haven't been worn at all. So, I get to wear them and feel like I got away with something. I got away with looking like a fox and having classy shopping skills.

Here's my new green dress.

Go on Poshmark. Check it out. You should invest in the adventures of people trying to sell clothes. 

And then! When I can't sell the clothes I want on Poshmark, I'm going to send them off to thredUP. Basically, I don't believe in throwing clothes away and I believe everyone can use them. Maybe I'll write more about that later.

 Also, my kids and I went on a walk today with the school called the Freedom Walk. We walked to the fire station, thanked them for their service, and then headed back. We do this in order to remember 9/11 and what happened on that. We talked about 9/11 and that's always really healing and kind of weird...

Here's my kids. We cute.

...it's weird to think I was around when a major life event like that happened.

God works all things for good. Praise His name.

Peace.

Oh, also, if you'd like to come look throw my pile of clothes I'm trying to get rid of, contact me. I'd be more than happy to give you a discount (that's called free...). 

Coupon Lady

I used to watch (a couple episodes of) the Extreme Couponing show and be terribly sickened by the amount of things people bought for no reason. I didn't understand the purposes of buying so much...stuff. Random stuff. What a mess and what a useless pile of...stuff.

That is mahogany!

Anyways, today I used a couple coupons. I went to Target. At Target, I use Cartwheel. Cartwheel is the best. I can get the items I want, scan them with the Cartwheel application (on my cellular device), and see if I can get an extra coupon on that item. Basically, I'm saving money on items that I was going to buy anyways. I'm thankful for Cartwheel. Today, with that help, I saved 10 dollars on things I was already going to buy.

Cartwheel seems to get dangerous when you look beforehand because then you buy things that you don't need. Don't do that!

I also had TWO other coupons today. One for a new kind of coffee. I got it. It's Mahogany coffee. I saved three dollars off a seven dollar coffee. That's four dollars. I don't believe in bad coffee. That was a good deal.

I also had a coupon for five dollars off a 75 dollar purchase. I didn't think I made that mark...so I gave it to the lady in front of me in line. Turns out, I did make that mark. And that lady at the checkout used the coupon again for me. I'm thankful for her - you go, Rebecca, the cool cashier at Target. You make my heart happy.

ALSO. At Traget, if you use your own bags, you get five cents off a bag. I used five of my own bags...that's 25 cents! 

Lastly, Target REDcard. This is the bomb. You can have a debit option, so it's not necessarily another credit card. It saves you 5% each time you use it, therefore saving money there, too! 

So, world, I saved 30 dollars at Target today. I'm thankful. And I couponed. And I didn't get anything I wouldn't use. 

Life is good when you think practically and only get what you need. Also, only getting things I know all the ingredients to lets me buy less and less and be practical in that way.

Also, why do tortillas have so many preservatives?!

Peace.