Back from Maine.

I woke up in Maine and now I am in PA. I wanted to miss the storm hitting the east coast tomorrow, even if it meant getting home at 3AM. Must sleep. More updates later!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of you in Blogland!

I am quite cozy here in CT and off to Maine tomorrow morning- yeah! Santa brought the KitchenAid mixer-- any favorite recipes?

School's out for Christmas...

School ended today with a pie throwing contest. The students all bought pies for individual teachers and the proceeds went to charity. The school raised about $500 and I was covered in whipped cream. It was funny and the kids had a ball! We are checking out the last girls tomorrow morning and then I am home free! I just found out I do NOT have to report for jury duty early tomorrow AM after I let those girls out...

Consultant Boy and I chatted online for a long time yesterday. He is off to Europe for an extended vacation until January 2nd... boo! I will miss him.

Our faculty holiday party is tonight and my dancing shoes are READY!

Staying in

Tonight is the long awaited annual Outdoor Club holiday party. I, however, am staying in. The ice is very bad outside and normally I would tough it out, but I need to do my Christmas cards and relax. Our faculty holiday party is tomorrow night and it is dinner/ dancing. I need to be ready... it will be so fun!

Cranky

So, it has been raining for three days straight. I have been preparing kids for a test for a few days-- doing reviews, etc... and the kids are all saying "Do we have a test today, Ms. LPP?" Ah... don't they understand anything? Bring on the whining. I am exhausted and ended up sleeping through BOTH my alarms this morning (I have not done this for 8 years!). Consultant Boy is going away to Europe this weekend until after the New Year and has not called me all week, he did chat with me on Facebook on Monday night (still with his SINGLE status- when will that change?). I have done little to no Christmas shopping... gotta get online this weekend. I am on duty aka. lock down in my apartment all weekend. I am getting out to chaperone kids to Penn's landing ice skating. I traditionally host a New Year's dinner cooking with my boss and this year my mother wants me to spend New Year's with the family. I am not opposed to my family, but I have a tradition that I look forward to every year and spent all of Thanksgiving and am going to spend all of Christmas with them. Can I snap out of this funk? Hopefully, soon...

A lovely weekend

The SATs were profitable and I worked out afterward. Then, I baked some cookies for Consultant Boy and was off to Delaware. He took me out to dinner here. I had an amazing meal with pasta, broccoli rabe, and sausage. We had bananas foster for dessert. On the way home, I stopped by Panera to grab an Asiago Cheese bagel (Thanks Prep-E Girl for reminding me of something I always used to crave) and stopped at the Trader Joe's. It was bigger and nicer than the one in PA. I got to the gym in time before it closed for another weekend workout. I taught today and took a walk with one of my collegues. Pilates and yoga kicked my butt tonight, but I met a girl who is new to gym who is from CT and has a sister who went to my high school. We know several people in common. Yeah for a new friend in the area!

Getting in the Christmas Spirit after a long week...

Getting in the Christmas Spirit after a long week...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper- once I learned how to wrap neatly, it is great.
2. Real or artificial tree? Artificial because I am away for about 10 days around Christmas.
3. When do you put up the Christmas tree? First weekend in December.
4. When do you take the tree down? By January 2nd, after my New Year's party.
5. Like eggnog? Not really...
6. Do you have a nativity scene? Unfortunately not.
7. Favorite gift received as a child? GeoSafari circa 1992- LOVED it!
8. Easiest person to buy for? Neighbor.
9. Hardest person to buy for? My father.
10. Worst Christmas gift? My grandmother gave me a denim shirt one year with a handpainted birdhouse- dreadful.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, of course. I love doing picture cards. Do people actually email cards now?
12. Favorite Christmas movie? I love A Christmas Carol because of the message it sends.
13. When do you start Christmas shopping? I do it throughout the year. Usually, I get a start at a Lilly sale.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I always use a bad gift from a student in our family "White Elephant" swap.
15. Lights on tree? Yes, white lights.
16. Favorite Christmas Song? Traditional- The First Noel, Fun- Christmas Wrapping.
17. Travel during Christmas or stay home? Travel to CT, then Maine.
18. Can you name Santa's reindeer? Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer,Vixen.
19. Star or Angel on top of Tree? Angel.
20. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning.
21. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The blowups on people's lawns... competitions for best lights... whiny, spoiled children... people forgetting the true meaning of Christmas.
22. Favorite ornament? A wooden figure skater that moves when you pull a string.
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? Peace on earth, but I will be happy with a KitchenAid mixer and maybe some ski accessories.

SAT Saturday

I am making the easiest $95 I ever make this morning at the SATs. I get up early and sit and read instructions until about 1PM. I can read during the test and it is a somewhat relaxing experience- as long as I am not taking a test! Tonight, I will drive down to Consultant Boy's for a date which may involve meeting some of his friends- ah!
Last night, I went to the outlets and it was not crowded at all. There were so many good deals! I behaved myself and only got a pair of brown ballet flats at Gap, dress and earrings at Ann Taylor Loft, and my favorite Home Sweet Home Yankee Candle and a Candy Cane one for my classroom during the holiday season. I guess I did get a lot, but not too much.

Worth it

Even though I got in at 2:45 AM on a school night, going into the city for the holiday party was worth it. The people I met in high school were unique, special people and it was so fun to reminisce with people that know me so well. I need to stay in touch with these people beyond these reunions.

I plugged through the day today and am now going to bed.

First cup of coffee this year

I am having my first cup of coffee this year at school. I am exhausted and cold... Tonight I am going to my alumni holiday party at the Yale Club in NYC. It is going to be quite the trip for a Wednesday night, but these people are very important to me. I did not go last year and feel like I missed out... I will also see friends from college afterward for dinner. Yeah! Let the crazy holiday party season commence... My outfit:

Peppermint Joe Joe's....

These things are addicting.... I am officially calling this the Peppermint Joe Joe incident of 2008... They are worse than thin mints, Oreos, etc...

Pants I do not have to hem!

Any other petite girls out there who are tired of adding $8.50 to the cost of any pair of pants? Why $8.50? Hemming, of course! I was bound and determined to find pants that fit (chinos) without hemming or that were not capri pants to begin with. After J. Crew (too long), LL Bean (too long and boxy), Lilly (much too long and big in the hips), Gap (yes, too long), Ann Taylor (too big in the butt), and some others; I finally found the perfect pair of chinos in an unexpected place-- Ross Dress for Less. They are Docker's and are Petite Short. Yeah! They are not bad looking and for $9.99 I am wondering if Ross will get more colors in soon... Where do other people find petite pants?

Now I am really done...

Everything is DONE... all comment letters, exams, grading! Hooray! I am back at my parents' house in CT.

My dinner date was very nice. He cooked a three course meal with wine pairings (in the proper glasses, too!) from his latest trip to California. The Chilean sea bass was amazing! I made him some chocolate truffle brownies-- he loved them. We played Scrabble and Boggle. I beat him in Scrabble and he blew me away in Boggle. Overall, it was a good night and I can't believe how much he did for me.

I am off to Maine tomorrow morning for a relaxing Thanksgiving! Of course, we will stop at LL Bean and J. Crew in Freeport... I hope I can be good.

First Day of Vacation

I got the last two girls in a car to JFK this morning at 6:30 AM. I was ready for a Power Yoga class. I am going to be SO sore tomorrow from all the one legged squats and headstands! I feel unreasonably great after a long term, usually by Thanksgiving Vacation I am about to collapse and can't get out of bed for a few days. I am muddling through comment letters (one paragraph comments I write about each student I teach) and hope to get half done (26) by the time I go on my fourth date with the guy I have been hanging out with since September. He is cooking me dinner at his house! Enjoy the weekend!

Lilly sale update...

I did not go bananas at the Lilly sale as I did last time.

I did end up with a few cute things...

The choice of the day was skirt! This skirt looked cute and it is definitely an appropriate length for teaching.

These capris looked really fun.

I also got a cute ribbon headband.

After the sale, I ran to Trader Joe's and then got back on the highway to come home to put the girls who have flights tomorrow morning to bed.

Sorry these are not my own pictures. I am tired tonight... All the exams are corrected... Comments are being written and I will be off for 10 days!

Dreams of Lilly are dancing in my head!

I am ALMOST done correcting my exams and then I will be off to the Lilly sale tomorrow... I can't wait until my big decisions will not be how much credit I should give to Student X on his or her essay on the exam, but whether or not I should get the wonderful navy and white horse print in capris or a skirt- or both!

KitchenAid Mixer?

I have so many things and am not desperate for any one thing for Christmas. I was considering asking for this:

Does any one have one? Do you like it? What do you make? I love to bake and think it would be a perfect piece to add to my kitchen gadgets. I also thought about a food processor--any suggestions???

Procrastination or not?

Well, I have been procrastinating by doing things I have been putting off for awhile.

What I was supposed to do today:
1) Write exams
2) Write exams
3) Write exams

What I did
1) Submitted medical receipts for reimbursement
2) Cleaned out my car-- the beach bag, bike helmet, tennis racquet, and swimsuit do not need to be in at the same time as the skis, ski boots, and snow shoes
3) Organized all my receipts from my wallet and cleaned out my purses
4) E-mailed someone I have wanted to e-mail since May
5) Organized my pantry- I found 5 each of the following: onion soup mixes, diet peach iced tea mix, white beans, boxes of spaghetti, and artichoke hearts (note to self: check before I grocery shop and I am not going to need to go shopping for awhile)

Now, I am going to really write my exams, which are due first thing on Monday!!!

Note from a student

Ms. LPP- I'm so sorry for my test, and I know it's really not happy and shiny, I will study much harder, I'll promise.

Ah... this week has been crazy getting my little munchkins ready for their exams. The student who wrote me the e-mail is just learning English and is so funny. I felt so bad that he failed his test, but I need to get them to study hard for the exams. I had such an amazing victory today--the student who barely could pass any of my tests early on got a 90% on a really challenging test! I immediately dialed his mom's cell phone so excited to tell her that I FINALLY had some good news for her! I am off to see a Yale acapella group with my charges... should be fun!

Pulled it off

I ran an election for the entire school yesterday and 83.45% of the students participated. It was a lot of work to put together, but we had so much fun making posters and ballot boxes. I also got a bonus shout out from the headmaster thanking me for all my efforts!

Now, everyone should get out to vote today! I am walking with my 7th graders today (and then stopping by DD to get them hot chocolate to reward them for all their hard work).

I had some favorite election videos, but this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgEGtYWonds) has quickly jumped to the top.

The calm...

Things have been jumbled up lately and I have been stressed out... Finally, things are working themselves out...

• Saturday night, I got in my perfectly maintained car and the "Check Engine" light was on. I asked a male friend about it and he told me to go to an Autozone store and get the code off their reader. I did, of course frantically between class and field hockey, and some EGR valve had a problem. Oh no, I thought, I have to go away this weekend and cannot be driving with this problem and I cannot get to the Honda dealership (it is still under warranty) before the weekend. Thankfully, I brought it in to my local garage and I got a call from them-- a squierl had eaten through part of a valve and it cost a mere $23.85 to replace! I thought this repair was going to blow my Lilly budget--yippee!
• Oh yes, the Lilly sale, I was going to have to be on campus that day, but the other person from my dorm is going to switch with me. I am going on Thursday, but if anyone wants to meet up Friday night in King of Prussia, let me know!
• A kid in my class was being a HUGE pain... he now is going to be switched into another class- yeah!
• The boy that took me on a lovely date two weeks ago had not called or e-mailed... He wrote me on Friday and called on Saturday!

So, for now, all is well en le vie de LPP... I will wait until the next round of stresses comes and hopefully will have faith that everything will work out just like this past week!

Target...

... is opening less than a mile from my gym... this could be dangerous!

SMILE :-)

I was lucky enough to receive an award this week! The SMILE award comes from one of my favorite bloggers, Eco-Prep. You should check out her blog! It is great to have someone who provides an environmental twist on the preppy lifestyle. I can't believe I inspired her to make her own blog.


The qualifying conditions are as follows:

Recipient MUST
1. Display cheerful attitude (I try really hard to be full of cheer. I have found that wearing bright colors helps).
2. Love one another ('tis love that makes the world go round!)
3. Make mistakes (Ohhh boy, if you only knew. I could be a professional in mistake making).
4. Learn from others (My best learning tool is other folks).
5. Be a positive contributor to the blog world (I would like to think that my blog makes a positive contribution to blogland. If even one person does one thing in a more eco-friendly fashion, then I've done my job).
6. Love life (I love it every single day!)
7. Love kids (Children see the world in a way that we could all stand to see it. Kids are great!)

And now, the official RULES:
1. You must link back to the creator.
2. You must post the rules.
3. You must choose 5 deserving people to receive the award next.
4. Your recipients must fit the characteristics listed above.
5. You must post the character aspects of the recipients.
6. You must create a post to share your win.
7. You must thank the giver.

There are so many blogs that inspire me on a daily basis and I am trying to give the award to ones that have not received it yet. I would like to send the SMILE award on to the following bloggers:

1. E at Prep-E Girl. Her blog always has a great combination of shopping tips and great stories from her life. Congratulations to her on her recent marriage! She is also one of my #1 commenters- thank you!
2. Sue at Preppy Sue. I live for her recipie Wednesdays and her great pictures of getaways.
3. Megan at Megan in Maine. I love Maine and living vicariously through her Maine lifestyle. She always has the latest scoop on LL Bean and I won my first giveaway through her blog
4. Cancer Sucks Even with Lilly Pulitzer on your Side. She is a blogger who remains so positive about some difficult times in her life and wears her Lilly to doctor's appointments. The music on her blog is just AWESOME!
5. Preppy Pink Crocodile. She was one of the first ones to welcome me to the community. I like her crafty ideas and can sympathize with living in an unpreppy town.

SMILE and pass it on :) !!!

Ribbon belt collection

I was organizing my belts this weekend and decided to take pictures. I love all my belts and use them all in different ways. Enjoy viewing them!

By the way, my date went very well! The gardens were lovely at this time of year and we went out for a fantastic dinner here. The countryside in Northern Delaware is so beautiful!

Date #2

I was officially asked out on date #2 and given the options of Longwood Gardens or Philadelphia. I am going to go here because I heard it is very pretty with the fall foliage. Hopefully it will be fun! I promise this is not going to become a dating blog and I will have more cute, preppy things for you next week!

Parents' Day is coming...

We have Parents' Day looming on the horizon. I am frantic trying to get everyone caught up and make sure parents have no surprises! We are also making everything look really nice. It will be fun. On Friday night, the parents are having an Oktoberfest themed basket raffle (great schmoozing opportunity) AND I do not have to chaperone the homecoming dance- yeah!

Pajama Day!

We had pajama day for school today and I wore my light pink LL Bean pajama pants with seashells embroidered on them. The kids were a little sleepy today in their pajamas all day, but it sure was interesting.

On the dating front, I got an e-mail from the boy today that said: "I did purchase a bunch of good wine that I need some help drinking now. Sadly, I don't have friends who enjoy good wine in the area and it's not fun to drink a really nice bottle by yourself (much more fun to share, especially over a good dinner)." So, is a dinner in store for this weekend?

Quick Pumpkin Idea...

I put dried cranberries into the Trader Joe pumpkin bread mix and it was AWESOME! Now, if it would only get cold enough for me to carve my pumpkins...

Mini-meltdown

Last week I had a mini-meltdown. I was just overwhelmed with life and school. However, after a nice long weekend (I had to work only part of it), I am ready to handle everything! We only have a four day week, then Parent's Weekend- hooray!

I resisted the urge for retail therapy this weekend by not going to all the great Columbus Day sales at the outlets and stayed home. So, I have no shopping posts. I will have one after the Lilly Pulitzer sale-- that is one day of shopping I cannot resist!

My "disease"

I made it back to CT after proctoring the SATs and unexpectedly ran into a good friend from graduate school at a football game. The foliage is so beautiful and it was the perfect fall day. It was exciting to find out that my childhood next door neighbor just proposed to his college girlfriend and is getting married in June. Of course, this started the peppering of questions--serious boyfriend? Why are you not married? Oh, a twenty-six year old singleton with a look of sadness on their face as if I was sick... One family friend did mention a guy that was about my age that she wanted to try to set me up with... In case people are wondering about the waiting game, he has e-mailed to say that he does not want to call after 9 because he thinks it is impolite and he wants to see me again...I am not sure what to make of this.

Win some, Lose some

Our school certainly "won" today with almost the entire faculty and student body wearing pink and jeans with a $5 donation to celebrate Lee Breast Cancer Awareness Day.  To continue with the theme, I am going to CT this weekend and walking in a five mile walk for one of my mom's friends who is a 3! time survivor of breast cancer.

We lost our field hockey game because so many girls were out sick or had other commitments.  I was sad about the loss, but there is always next week!  

Late lights!

The girls normally go to bed at 10:30, but one convinced me to let her have "late lights" until 11:30, so I am just putting her to bed. I am tired after doing work and watching the debate for a discussion with my government class tomorrow.

Yeah! I finally figured it out!

I finally figured out how to shrink my header to fit perfectly into my blog. I apologize for all the awkwardness it was before! Now, it might be time for a redesign at some point... but, I have field hockey now.

All I need is a night out!

Ahh... I am going out with some colleagues tonight for a low key night out at a local pub! I have been working so hard and it will be so nice to get out. I have the first two periods of the day free tomorrow, so things are working out nicely.

The guy I went on a date with called me on Sunday when I was unavailable. I called him back on Sunday night and left a message. He has not called me since. Is this bad? I was hoping he would follow through with a date he had suggested for this weekend. So, once again, I play the waiting game!

Random thoughts on the school day...

The difference a door stop makes...
I thought people were ignoring me this year, but this week I put a door stop in my classroom door and I am getting visitors in droves--kids and teachers--it is really fun!

Am I an adult yet?
I have recieved 5 group e-mails today reminding us to update our homework on the website. I updated my page on Sunday for the week- can we stop with the groups e-mails, please? Does this happen in other lines of work, too?

Back to grades and comments...

Every 10 years this happens...

...according to LPP Dad; however, ten years ago I was not heavily invested in mutual funds and a retirement plan. I can't believe the impact just a couple of weeks has made to my accounts. Maybe I should buy some more shares... can I deal with no new clothes for fall/ winter and buy some stocks?

Wait, I didn't quit...

I have loads of things to update everyone on, but I have been over my head in the "first month of school." My classes are good, the field hockey team is having a decent season, my dorm is finally starting to learn some of the rules, I bought new skis, and I even went on a date last Sunday (AND he called me again on Wednesday and the following Sunday). We will get together next weekend. Stay tuned...

Game Night

I have been like Cinderella all day on my hands and knees scrubbing my apartment. I  just love the feeling of a clean apartment.  This is all in preparation for game night with some people who are around on campus and new faculty.  It is so fun to see all these fresh new faces!  It is going to be a great year.  

Country Club Casual?

I was invited to a "Country Club Casual" party. Does this mean I break out my Lilly in full force even though it is on the Thursday after Labor Day?

No Internet + Olympics= Hiatus

My Internet has been broken for the last 2+ weeks and I have been glued to the Olympics. I am now at the Honda dealership for my 45,000 mile maintenance appointment. I am crossing my fingers nothing is wrong. The last few weeks have been wonderful--2 trips to NYC, an amazing day on the Jersey shore, shopping, hiking, yoga, pilates, cycling, and catching up with friends. I am back to my regularly scheduled programming.

Olympics!

I LOVE the Olympics... I love hearing stories about individuals that worked hard and are able to achieve a level of performance that is world class.  I love how the whole world is on stage.  I love how the host country displays their culture!

I was in the midst of a hectic first year teaching in 2004 and in my first year of college for the 2000 games.  I am psyched to be able to watch more of these Olympics as they happen.  

I just got back to PA and am watching the Opening Ceremonies- amazing!  I will go to NYC this weekend to meet up with college friends for the weekend... the fun never ends!

Maineward bound...

I am DONE!!! My papers and projects are handed in and I am satisfied with what was a very intellectually stimulating set of summer courses. I am off to Boston to have lunch with a friend and then to...

Maine!

You know you are grown up when...

You have lunch with your 4th grade teacher you have not seen for 17(!!!) years! She had such an influence on me, I have always meant to get together with her. I e-mailed her from the school website, and, today was the big lunch date!

You are excited to go home to use the special handwash cycle on Mom's fancy washing machine. Cashmere sweater was just washed and other things are in line.

You are too tired to pull an all nighter to get papers/ projects done... which is what I have to do now to avoid the thought of an all nighter or sleeping through my last day of classes tomorrow!

Still alive...

The taking three graduate classes was a great idea... for the first four weeks. The last week and the upcoming week I am doing more work than I know what to do with! The good news is that Thursday by 8:30PM I am DONE with everything and off to MAINE!

Bra la la?

I drove my mother to Nordstroms to go bra shopping. She told me about this bra that was amazing and wanted to buy more of them today. She walks in to the store and asks the saleswoman: Do you have any Bra la las? The woman politely smiled and knew what she was talking about... the Spanx Bra-llelujah! Very funny, or at least I thought so!

Fall 2008 Lilly

Surprisingly, I do not have an overwhelming wish-list for Fall 2008 Lilly (not yet anyways). I really liked this skirt:
It would look cute with a navy cardigan and some navy ballet flats. The pattern also comes in a pair of capris. There are a couple other pieces I will keep my eye on, but I will begin to anticipate the Spring Collection coming out... However, some of their looks for girls were so cute... can those things come in my size?

Halfway there!

I am halfway done with my graduate school program for the summer- yeah! I am loving every minute of it and cannot decide which class is my favorite because each one is so interesting and makes me think about things in new ways. However, it is a good feeling knowing that I have made it through half of it and there is hope that I will push through to the end!

I went out with one of my classmates from previous summers tonight. She teaches at a small school in Eastern CT. She gave me a tour of the school and we had dinner here. It was such a beautiful night to sit down, catch up on each other's lives, and sip some of this!

Must finish writing a paper...

Preppy Beer Pong Table

Some of my friends threw a "tea partay" over Memorial Day Weekend that I was unable to attend; however, I did manage to get a picture of their beer pong table despite missing out on the pink and green cups.

Happy 4th!

Here's to pink and green fireworks... and, of course, an American Government teacher reminding you that between bites of hamburgers, sips of beer, and lightings of sparklers take a moment to remember your founding fathers AND the women that kept them in line!

Longing to relax on the dock in Maine...

I was looking at my towel from last summer dreaming about relaxing on the dock in Maine...

I also came up with some ideas for new towels... All are LandsEnd.com and can be monogrammed!


Until then, I am writing papers, reading novels, researching, taking exams, and all the other fun things that are involved in earning a Master's Degree...yeah!

Preppy Yoga Bag

I am on a mission to buy a cute yoga bag. Will it be seersucker or toile?


Both bags are by Ame & Lulu.

Random find at Ross Dress for Less...

This dress was only $12-- yeah!

Catching up on Sunday morning...

Yes, I love the first day of school, but it also means WORK and READING. I think I am adjusted now and should be back for daily updates in the coming weeks.

My lovely car turned 4 on Wednesday! I only have about 42,000 miles on it. It is my first car. I bought it right after I graduated from college because I knew I was going to need a car in Indiana. It has worked out really well for me (except for doing a 360 on an icy hill in NH- nothing happened). Here's to many more years with my car!

My mother had a hysterectomy last Monday and came home on Thursday. I have been playing "Nurse LPP" and making sure she takes her medication on time and follows her diet. She is still in a lot of pain and I do not look forward to having that procedure someday.

That brings me to another point: I am living with my parents during the six weeks of classes. Yes, I am going away to see friends on weekends, but I am getting used to being asked what I am doing all the time and following their rules. It is nice to see them despite those minor inconveniences.

Pink and green wall of shame:

This water looked like a good option in a vending machine. I needed something with no caffiene, minimal calories, but not water (I get picky). This was the most disgusting tasting beverage I have had in a long time. However, it makes a pretty water bottle at the gym.

First Day of School- the biggest thrill of my life!

Patty:. Oh, I just love the first day of school, don’t you?
Rizzo:. It’s the biggest thrill of my life.

Rizzo is not very enthusiastic or genuine about her assertion, but I am! I love the nervous excitement and anticipation of the first day of school as both a student and a teacher. I am only 1/3 of the way through my day, but it has been great.

I woke up to an e-mail from the guy I dated from Sept-Feb. It was really nice, he never wanted to lose contact with me and sent me a nice little update on his life. The last e-mail I received from him was in February when he wanted to tell me he had started seeing someone else.

My Nobel Writers Literature class had 10 books assigned to read in 6 weeks. I was pleasantly surprised when the professor decided to knock 4 off the list! I was assigned to do a presentation on an interesting book with another woman in the class who seems to know what she is talking about. She is an English teacher. Almost everyone is an English teacher, I am the minority as a history teacher, but I think my knowledge of history will be important for all the books we read.

I have found a great table outside to have my lunch and blog. The only problem is that people have started to smoke around me and I need to move because I do not like secondhand smoke.

I have six more hours of class to go... wish me luck!

New England bound

I am in New England for six weeks seeing my parents and taking some graduate courses. I went to my lovely little town library and thought I saw someone I recognized; however, I checked the monogram on their bag and it was not who I thought it was. Ah... this is what I love about New England... the beautiful town greens, everyone driving Volvos/ Subarus, cute little preppy kids, and everyone with their monogrammed apparel!

Overexercisers Anonymous

Yesterday, I walked for 2 hours, did a 1.5 hour Budakon class, and then went hiking on hilly terrain for 3 hours. This morning I woke up with what I call an "exercise hangover". In other words, I could barely move, but still went to walk with my friend and do Pilates AND yoga today! I think I will take a break for the rest of the day. A friend just called and wanted to go out for Indian food to celebrate her husband's new job. Her husband is going to teach across the hall from me- yeah!

I have no other news to report, except that my Pilates teacher's 41 year old aunt just found out she is 31 weeks pregnant. She thought she was going through the "change of life." Surprise!

Have a good weekend, everyone!

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Boo and Hooties Mom for winning the giveaway. I used a random number generator to generate a number 1-16 and came up with 3!

Please e-mail me at lepetitprep (at) hotmail.com to claim your prize.

The dinner party last night went without a hitch. I have such nice friends here. We dined and then played games--Boggle, If Book, and Balderdash.

I just returned from my walk and am about to go to Advanced Yoga. I am attending a good-bye barbecue for some friends that are leaving this school and going to a school near Boston. E (who is leaving) has been my best friend here since I arrived. We both went to boarding school in New England and similar small liberal arts colleges. It is strange--she wanted to go to my boarding school, but did not get in and I wanted to go to her college, but did not get in. It is funny that we finally crossed paths here. She is an avid Lilly fan, excellent athlete, crafter, listens to the same music that I do, and an excellent teacher. We coached the field hockey team together, but more importantly help each other out a lot. Her husband does not work at the school, but he has also become a close friend. I am thrilled for their opportunity and know that we will always be close.

Last day for Lilly Pay-It-Forward giveaway...

Make sure you enter for a chance to win in the Pay-it-forward giveaway. I will pick the winner late tonight and post it tomorrow morning.

Thank you all for making my birthday special. Keep commenting on my ordinary posts as well... I will try to keep them interesting. Dinner was great. I had a seafood risotto and a fresh salad. I spend a cold, rainy Father's Day on the Cape with my parents. We were at my cousin's graduation party. Driving out there brought back memories of family trips. We would always go to the Cape to Truro with one other family. My mother would bring the three kids in my family and the other mom brought her daughter, the dads stayed home and worked. My sister and I would insist on wearing matching outfits (even a lot of pink and green) each day and dressing my little brother up in whatever we could find. The house we would rent would be "upside down." The bedrooms were downstairs and we walked upstairs to the kitchen and living room. We thought the outdoor shower was quite possibly the coolest thing ever. We went out to the Cape once when we were really little and bought pink dresses at a children's boutique. My sister and I always begged to wear our pretty pink "Gape God" dresses. Wow, what memories...

I returned to PA on Monday. My friend and I had plans to play tennis, but there were thunderstorms and I cooked dinner instead. I cooked parmesan tilapia, asparagus, and basmati rice. He brought over a nice wine, a birthday present, and a movie to watch. This "friend" and I always have very romantic dinners together, but nothing has ever happened. I think he is shy with me, but that is OK. I went "gaga" over Gaga's original lemon. I served it for dessert with berries.

I walked this morning and then went to the gym to do spinning and rowing. Working out with other people makes it go SO fast... Tonight, in honor of my father's cooking, I am making his favorite "Million Dollar Spaghetti" for some of my friends who are still around on campus.

26 Candles and a giveaway

Today, I turn 26! I am going out to breakfast, driving back to Connecticut to have dinner here with my family, and going to Cape Cod on Sunday for a family gathering on Father's day.

I do not (at the present moment) have any deep reflections on turning 26. I had a wonderful time being 25. I lost weight, dated a great guy from September to February, did well in graduate school last summer, improved in skiing/ running, remained close with my family, and developed a niche teaching middle school. I hope 26 can be just as good or better.

To celebrate my birthday on the blog, I would like to do a giveaway. I purchased some unique things at the Lilly sale yesterday and will give them away to a lucky commenter on this post. There is a Frisbee and three adorable mini Lilly dresses on hangers to use as Christmas ornaments or whatever you please. Meg was so nice in her pay it forward giveaway, I thought I would give a preppy blog reader to have some different Lilly things to supplement (or start) their collection.

Start commenting and the winner will be chosen on Tuesday night!

Back from the Lilly jungle...

To begin, I am usually very conservative with my money and I do not want to seem as if I went overboard on my latest shopping spree. I lost about 25 pounds this school year and none of my old stuff fits me anymore; therefore, I needed to buy some new clothes. Of course, I also stocked up on gifts as well!

First, a pair of really cute capris. I LOVE the pink and green!
Very cute bermuda shorts...
Cute giraffe skirt... at least there are tall creatures on my under five foot body.
I hate to get khakis from Lilly, but these fit just right.
The yellow pair would have been lonely if I had just bought the pants in khaki...

These wall hangings were very nice. The one on the left is for my good friend whose prep school mascot is the zebra.Belated Mother's Day present:
Cute coasters for the sister's birthday:
My brother and dad are going to be so cool in their Lilly boxers...
So, that was my day in the pink and green jungle of the Lilly sale. It was fun to see what everyone was wearing and the other shoppers were very nice. Next sale is in November!

Tagged by Kappa Prep!

1. What were you doing ten years ago?
I had just finished my sophomore year at boarding school, about to turn 16, completely uninterested in getting my license, completely interested in a boy I had met that year, ready to go to camp in Maine, ice hockey, and lacrosse camps for the summer, starting to look at colleges, and missing all of my school friends.

2. What 5 things are on your to-do list for today?
1) 6 AM walk with E and A
2) 9:30 AM Advanced Yoga
3) Pay renter's insurance
4) Order books for graduate school this summer
5) Write thank you notes for teacher gifts

3. Snacks you enjoy?
dried apricots, string cheese, Baked Cheetos, Trader Joe's fruit and nut bars, Fudgeicles

4. Places you've lived?
Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania

5. What are 5 things you would do if you were a billionaire?
1) Obtain another advanced degree
2) Buy a house on the waterfront
3) Donate money to schools that are important to me
4) Ensure that my family was comfortable
5) Take a trip for an extended period of time to New Zealand? Asia? South America?

New favorite summer salad dressing

Summer makes me crave fruits, veggies, and salads like nothing else! I just found the perfect salad dressing at Fresh Market. I added it to fresh baby lettuces, low-fat crumbled bleu cheese, and strawberries for an amazing salad for lunch.

Maine Goodness

I was the lucky recipient of Maine goodness from Megan in Maine's pay it forward giveway. Let me briefly touch upon my history with LL Bean... Most of my mom and dad's wardrobes are full of LL Bean items. I remember them in their puffy Bean's vests and sweaters for many winters and in the mesh polos during the summers. Of course, they had matching winter boots as well. My fascination with the place began while going to camp in Maine. We would always stop in Freeport to see the trout pond, shop for camp necessities, and bask in the glory of a company with remarkable products and excellent customer service. Now, as an adult, LL Bean is my go to place for my collection of cable knit sweaters, preppy belts, polos, hiking boots, cool shoes, flip flops, workout clothes, non-iron oxfords, and much more!
I opened it up to see a beautifully monogrammed pink Boat and Tote bag. I love the green Meg chose to accent the pink.


I was in awe of the goodies that were inside. The boat and tote notepad was so cute and will look perfect on my desk at school. Blueberry lip balm will keep my lips yummy all summer. The pine scented candle reminds me of summers at camp in Maine. The ribbon belt was something I had picked out for myself and will look really nice with khakis this summer. I needed another magnet. This one will help me get through the winters while dreaming of summers in Maine. The maple lobster candy is so cute and will be a welcome treat. I am also dying to try the chocolate covered cranberries and the mints. Yum! Last but not least, the lobster mug is so cute and will be ideal for ice cream a cup of tea. Meg also wrote me a cute note on some preppy stationary.

Thank you, Megan in Maine for making my week!

Readers- Look forward to my pay it forward giveaway coming soon!

Why I have not been blogging for a week...

Thursday
- I gave the history exam and proceeded to sit down with 53 writing intensive exams without correcting a single one... I did, however, look over the extra credit Haikus I had the students write on each exam. I told them the Haiku had to be about how much they enjoyed my class... they were very cute to read!

Friday
- I laid outside with the said exams and corrected! I also was slightly sunburned by this experience. I always think lacrosse game=sunblock, beach= sunblock, I need to start thinking correcting exams outside= sunblock! The other dorm parent and I took the seniors that help us run the dorm out to dinner. We went to a great pizza place in town and truly pigged out! I had a salad and a slice of pizza, but also picked at the buffalo chicken strips and jalepeno poppers (something new I tried). I rushed off to the Middle School Graduation. The girls looked beautiful in their white dresses. I was the only teacher to have taught every 8th grader. I went back to change quickly for the party and a 7th grader came to my apartment with a little blue box in hand with...

this was such a pleasant surprise and is quite the reward for working very hard with this student. I continued to dance the night away with the 8th graders!

Saturday
- I slept in for the first time in forever and then went running. I helped the girls clean out the dorm and we had our parent-senior award dinner. I think the school gives too many awards and that the awards would be more meaningful if there were fewer of them. Oh well!

Sunday
- It was HOT! I was not so thrilled to be dressed in black academic regalia under the blazing, hot sun; however, the ceremony was short and we had an interesting speaker (a Congressman). After the ceremony, I said good-bye to all the girls I helped raise over the year (another post about this). There were a lot of tears because many of them have become very attached to the dorm and to our lives together. It is always strange not to hear the little pitter patter of feet upstairs or the knocks on the door to bake banana bread. I made an artichoke dip:

1 can of artichokes
1 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup freshly grated parmasean cheese
2/3 cup powdered parmasean cheese
2 cloves of garlic
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes (or until brown and bubbly)

Whenever I bring this dip to a party it is gone within 15 minutes. I was off to an end of the year party at the librarian's house. People were enjoying "letting off steam" and it was very fun.

Monday
- Our headmaster started off our end of the year meeting asking "Did you all get baked on Sunday?". He meant by the sun...ha! He is retiring and basically used the meeting to tell all his favorite stories from 23 years at the school. We ended early and I was off to the gym. I went to a double baby shower for two teachers' wives who no one really knows. It was a bit awkward because of that, but it was fun watching them open up the gifts. Of course, I am excited for more babies on campus. On Monday night, some young faculty members have started a tradition of a "College Party" complete with a keg, pizza, and drinking games. An older faculty member came, but his girlfriend was actually in college (40 year old dating a 19 year old- different!). We had a great time!

Tuesday
- I had to finish correcting exams, doing grades, and writing comments for all my dear students. I went to the gym and then to the headmaster's end of the year party. I wore my reversible Lilly skirt on the side with margaritas! The meal was great- garlic mashed potatoes, steak, salad, cheesecake...

Wednesday
- I had a Middle School Meeting and then submitted my grades. After a workout, I passed out of exhaustion. I had a girls night to watch Sex and the City. We had dinner and cosmos here. As for the movie, I LOVED it! I will write a full review later once all of America has seen it.

Thursday
- I woke up to a lovely package from Megan in Maine. She did an impeccable job shopping at LL Bean. I will share pictures on Saturday. I drove to CT to see my sister who is going to be home for a wedding this weekend. It will be a short trip because I have to drive back to PA for the headmaster's retirement party on Saturday night. I am realizing the $4 gas in PA is a bargain compared to CT!

So, there are some snippets of my life... back to daily blogging... promise!

6 AM walk!

I just got back from a nice walk with one of my colleagues and another colleague's wife. I am young, hip, and single. A is newly married and J is married with two kids. It is fun to spend time with women at different stages of their lives!

SATC Premiere- Is anyone else excited? I am planning a little cosmo night with the girls at a nice restaurant and then watching the movie! I never go to the movies, but I think this one will be a fun event.

I finished teaching on Tuesday and am now free for a moment before I give my exam this afternoon. The end is in sight...

One Day Sale- Madras Quilt

LL Bean has this on a super sale today... Only $59 for a full/ queen... perfect for a summer home.


Also, the LL Bean credit card is not discontinuing, they are just switching from the Bank of America. Thank goodness... I am not sure what I would do without the free shipping!

It's a Small World

I love meeting other people through blogging, but I do not give out my blog to my friends/ family. However, I have always wondered if any of them would ever stumble upon it accidentally. I received a comment from Kappa Prep the other day and went to her blog and saw her post about her 5- year reunion for her CT boarding school. It turns out that Kappa Prep and I were in school together at the same time. She was just a lower middler (freshman) when I was a senior. What a small world!

Days of teaching left: 4

Friday Fill-in

1. There is absolutely NO way you can get me to drive a school bus or a big truck!
2. Putting away my sweaters reminds me that summer is almost here!
3. I cannot live without my daily workout.
4. Running in a race and formal cooking classes are two things I'd like to try.
5. When life hands you lemons squeeze them into vodka to make a lemon drop.
6. Going to the beach in Cape Cod/ The Hamptons are some of my favorite childhood memories.
7. And as for the weekend, I am on dorm duty. Tonight I'm playing Taboo with the girls in the dorm, tomorrow my plans include a morning run, baking, cleaning, and playing Scrabble!

Around the water cooler...

Well, we don't have a water cooler in our faculty room, but we sure have the good conversation. Here are a couple of vignettes just from today...

T: The shopping trip will be really fun if I get stimulated this weekend.
Me: (jaw drops- TMI) Oh, you mean the tax refund stimulus? (ok- let's get our mind out of the gutter LPP)

S: Wow, my wife, A, had such trouble getting a dress to wear to the prom (A is 6 months pregnant).
Me: So, you are bringing a knocked up girl to the prom... wow! (I was just giving him a laugh... it is funny because they actually went to the prom together in high school and now are married and expecting their first child)

M: My husband says I am a gay man trapped in a woman's body!

Best Cookies Ever

The BBQ tonight was lovely.  Only my "friend" showed up, not the ex, yippee!  I made the cookies and they were absolutely delicious.  

9 teaching days left?  How did the year go by so fast?  

Undefeated!

The lacrosse team won today to become undefeated for our regular season in our conference! Yeah! My field hockey team won the conference championships this year, and we are hoping the same for lacrosse.

In other news, I get off campus tomorrow night to a BBQ with friends from my outdoors club. This group includes a guy that I was dating for awhile this year who told me he was dating someone else over an e-mail last February AND a guy that I have been hanging out with since then (the "friend" who cooked me dinner the other night). Needless to say, it should be an interesting dynamic. I will make my salsa and maybe these as well.

How much does everyone love all the fresh fruit? I just ate a quarter of a watermelon and some fresh strawberries- yum!

The things kids say, part one of many

As you may know, teaching at a boarding school involves teaching kids from around the world. When I found out that an earthquake had hit China, I spoke to my Chinese student in my class about the earthquake expecting her to be concerned or want to know more information. Instead, she began laughing and threw her hands in the air and said, "They had too many people anyways!" Wow!

In other news, another husband English candidate came through today. He was a nice, Southern gentleman who seemed very enthusiastic about teaching English. He had a wonderful smile and thought all the people who work at our school are laid back (ha!).

A lovely summer dinner

I went to a friend's house last night for dinner and had my first official summer dinner. I brought over mixed margaritas:

1.5 ounces tequila
1 ounce lime juice
.5 ounces triple sec

Of course, I multiplied that by, well, 4!

salsa:
1 bunch cilantro
1 can rotelle
1 large can diced tomatoes
juice of 1/2 lime
5 black olives (pitted)
threw everything in the blender --> yum!




He made this. The chicken was great and the vegetables tasted very fresh. Of course, nothing is better than sitting out on the deck drinking margs and having a great dinner on a late spring night!

Hire me a husband!

As a teacher at a boarding school it is very challenging for someone else to understand my lifestyle, especially when it comes to dating. Guys do not understand why I have to be in the dorm on certain nights or what my responsibilities entail. Therefore, the people that can completely understand this are my colleagues... not always the widest dating pool. Our school would like to hire teaching couples, but more single people or people who have spouses who are not teachers have been hired in the last couple of years. The natural solution, as my single colleagues and I joke, is to hire us spouses! A man came to interview today who is my age, went to boarding school himself, went to camp in Maine, and knows many of my boarding school friends. AND, he was handsome AND preppy! Ahh... this was such an exciting moment to break up the otherwise monotonous week.

In other news, my Pilates class had a 'Tini Tuesday party. My classmates made mango and pomegranate martinis, cheeseballs, white bean dip, and I made brownies... yum!

Another addition to the family...

of flip flops I seem to collect. I went to LL Bean this weekend to "look at bikes" and resist the urge to buy more things, like flip flops. However, I found these and could not leave them at the store... even though I have 4 pairs of pink/ green ones already!

Rabbit, Rabbit

I remembered to say "Rabbit, Rabbit" this morning for good luck this month. I think I am going to need it!

We had a faculty meeting tonight which meant I could not go to Valley Forge Park with my friends. We voted on awards for seniors and it did not end up with who I thought deserved to win winning. I still think of the students I voted for in high regard.

Life Update

Saturday- I met some friends to go hiking in a beautiful area called the Pennypack Trust. The company was great and the scenery was lovely. I then locked myself into a seat in the cafe at Wegmans and finished a 10 page paper for my graduate school course I took over Spring Break. Of course, I rewarded myself periodically with sushi and even a fruit smoothie.

Sunday- I went to a place called Grounds for Sculpture in NJ and HIGHLY recommend it. It was on old NJ State Fairgrounds land and had several types of sculpture on the premises. Many of the sculptures were modeled after famous Monet and Picasso paintings.

School week- Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday have been a bit of a blur. I had a student claim I called him stupid to "create conversation at the dinner table" and now I have a parent mad at me. But, everything else is great. My international students are giving really interesting presentations on their home countries. It makes me want to travel to all of them over summer vacations. I am making Rice Krispy Treats for the lacrosse team's big game tomorrow. Speaking of, I must get off the computer and start making them!

Goodnight!

Meme Monday

Where is your cell phone? Charging on my counter.
Your significant other? Don't officially have one right now.
Your hair? Two words: ponytail.
Your mother? Watching House at her home in CT.
Your father? same as Mom.
Your favorite thing? Spring weather.
Your dream last night? I was doing a triathlon in ME.
Your favorite drink? mandrian orange seltzer, white wine spritzers, margaritas, plain water.
Your dream/goal? running a marathon and having a happy family.
The room you're in? office.
Your ex? nursing his knee from a skiing accident.
Your fear? Something bad happening to my family.
Where do you want to be in 6 years? more settled, but still having random adventures.
Where were you last night? sitting at Wegmans, finishing a paper.
What you're not? ready for the last month of school.
Muffins? Blueberry.
One of your wish list items? New skis and bike.
Where you grew up? Connecticut suburb.
The last thing you did? Put the girls in the dorm to bed.
What are you wearing? work clothes (still) pink cable knit sweater, light blue oxford shirt, black pants.
Your TV? does not have cable.
Your pets? None.
Your computer? MacBook.
Your life? busy bee.
Your mood? relieved.
Missing someone? yes.
Your car? Silver Honda Civic.
Something you're not wearing? Shoes.
Favorite store? LL Bean.
Your summer? Is arriving in a month.
Like someone? Yep.
Your favorite color? Pink.
When is the last time you laughed? Earlier tonight.
Last time you cried? three weeks ago when I got in trouble for something I did not do.
Who will repost this? People who love memes!

My Day by the Numbers

6= classes taught
2= lacrosse games coached
too many= number of times students asked me if I was going to their music recital
30= minutes I could squeeze in on the treadmill
5=minutes I had to take a shower before the concert
2=hours sat at the concert
2=scoops of ice cream I had with the kids after the concert
42= tests I have to grade over the weekend
0=pages I typed for my graduate school paper due on Monday

Overall, TGIF! I actually have the weekend off (the only weekend I have completely off until June). I am going hiking with friends tomorrow and to a sculpture garden on Sunday. Have a great weekend!

Earth Day

I was definitely a child of the 90s and Earth Day was always important to us in school. As a child, I nagged my parents to recycle and turn off their lights. Now as an adult, here is my report card on what I do to save the earth:

The good:

• I use reusable bags for groceries (some people think I am crazy when they ask: paper or plastic? and I start packing my LL Bean Tote or Trader Joe's bag)
• I turn off the lights in rooms at home I am not using and make sure the girls do the same.
• Honda Civic- excellent gas mileage and I do not have a commute to work.
• I take public transportation when I go to NYC.
• I drink water in Nalgene bottles.
• I recycle my cans, bottles, paper, and plastic containers.
• I always make double sided copies.
• My laptop uses less energy than a desktop.
• I am going to lead the Green Cup Challenge at my school next year.

The bad:

• I print out way too much paper for my students.
• I take hot showers with a non low flow shower head.
• I need to change my light bulbs to compact fluorescent ones.
• I drive 15 minutes to the best gym around my home.
• I do not shop for local produce (farmer's markets are too far away).

So, I still have some things to work on. Happy Earth Day!

Beautiful spring morning!

After 5:45 AM spinning class, rushing to VOTE in PA's primary, and quickly showering before class began; I took a moment to pause and enjoy the view of the lacrosse field on the way to school.

Have a great day!