Photo Quilt

My school has a huge fundraiser once a year to raise money for our Montessori program. Each class is asked to donate an item for the silent auction, and each teacher is asked to donate an experience.

My class and I made a quilt using photo transfer paper. Of course the project was more difficult than I imagined (my DIY projects usually are!), but it wasn't too difficult. The photo transfers came out better than I expected (although I have no idea how long they'll last). The kids used fabric paint to create little caterpillars, butterflies, frogs, birds, and flowers using their fingerprints. It was the first time I actually quilted with batting. When Matt and I made our wedding quilt, we turned it into a duvet cover rather than an actual quilt. I tried to look up some internet tutorials for guidance, but they were too stuffy and complicated. I simply winged it, and it came out okay.

As for the teaching experience, I auctioned off a Saturday at my house for a sewing lesson (learn to make your own pillow) and a cooking lesson (learn to make your own pizza, french fries, and ice-cream). I could not be more excited!

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Book Collecting

I used to be a book collector. I started collecting books in high school. In college, when everyone else was selling back their textbooks, I was the girl who would sort through the "free" bin at the university bookstore and collect all the textbooks that couldn't be resold.

When I moved to rural Louisiana to join Teach For America, I almost left my books behind. I was only taking my car and what I could fit inside. At the very last minute, I start shoving individual books into the crevices. I managed to get all of them. I couldn't bear to be without them.

As the years passed, I collected more and more books. I dreamed of having a home library, floor to ceiling. Of course my homes never had room for all those books. Even when we finally bought our own home, we still didn't have enough room for all of them. I eventually realized it was time to stop spending so much money and space on my book collection.

I sorted through my books and separated them into piles. I kept all the books I still want to reference, as well as the books I would want to lend out to friends. I also kept all the books that I just couldn't bear to part with. But other than that, I boxed them all up and took them to a used bookstore. After all those years and all that collecting, I walked out with $80 and an aching heart.

But my heart is mending, and my relationship with books is now friendlier on the environment, my wallet, and my storage space. I realized that I can get almost any book I want from the public library. Of course I miss the comforting and optimistic feelings I get when I walk into a bookstore, so I still go. But instead of pulling out my wallet, I pull out my iPhone. When I see a book I like, I search for it on the Houston Public Library website, put a hold on it, and request that it be sent to my nearest library branch. Voila!

Here's the stack of [library] books currently gathered by my bedside:

• Trouble by Kate Christensen
• From the Hips: A Comprehensive, Open-Minded, Uncensored, Totally Honest Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and Becoming a Parent
• The Think Big Manifesto by Michael Port
• The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
• Montessori from the Start
• Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert
  
• How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldon
• The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

I think I ordered a few too many to finish before they're do. At least I can go online and renew them up to three times. Phew!

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Marriage Counseling

Matt and I have been talking about going to a couples' counselor for a while now. There's nothing hugely wrong with our relationship; we just want to make sure we create a strong foundation for our life together (especially before we have a baby). I read in a recent New York Times article that couples, on average, start going to therapy six years too late.

We've dragged our feet for a long time, and it's time for us to do something about it. The ball was in Matt's court to create a list of options for us (he's the one who has really been pushing for us to go), but he hasn't done it yet. As a side note, I think it would really help for us to create a visible to-do list in our house that contains the next steps we have agreed to do for each other. That way, we would pass by it frequently and remember. We have a set of chalkboards in our kitchen that might be the perfect place for such a think (right now it is used to capture "Hoss's priorities" like "God, Texas, and Daisy," his girlfriend at doggy daycare).

I'm not even sure what our insurance covers with regard to therapy. I just tried searching their site, and it doesn't look like the selection is very extensive.

Matt just e-mailed the HR department at his work to find out more details. Hopefully we can find someone this month!

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Birthday Party Ideas

My birthday is coming up, and I need to decide (rather quickly) what I want to do to celebrate.

Usually, I make a big deal about my birthdays. For several years, I hosted a random acts of kindness scavenger hunt. Two years ago, a bunch of us trekked to a YMCA camp in the Colorado mountains for a snowy slumber party. Last year, I hosted a retro prom party, complete with a photo booth.

This year, I'm feeling rather uninspired. I don't want to do anything flashy or showy, but I also don't want my birthday to slide by stealthily without much notice.

I wonder why I'm feeling different this year. Is it because I'm getting my planning fix in other ways? Matt and I host monthly pot lucks for the Houston Heights Time Bank. We're also planning our spring break and summer vacation. Perhaps I'm planned out.

Maybe it's because Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas were particularly hectic this year, and it didn't leave much time for birthday plans.

Maybe it's because I'm growing up, and I don't need as much affirmation from other people that I am cared for and loved.

If I did want to do something for my birthday, what would it be? With whom would I want to celebrate and what would I want to be doing? Maybe a camping trip with friends? Maybe a slumber party at a cabin in rural Texas? Maybe a bicycle ride/parade through the city? Maybe a friends reunion on a house boat in Louisiana? Maybe an '80s inspired roller-skating party? Maybe a dinner party under the stars? Maybe a potluck picnic with bocce ball?

Hmm...

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Grow Your Own Straweberries

I'm a sucker for kits. There's just something so appealing about having everything you need in one place with step-by-step directions about how to do it.

I got lured by a grow-your-own-strawberries kit when I went to Lowe's to get the magnetic primer and chalkboard paint for the window project I'm working on. I just have such an urge to plant, plant, plant, but I don't really know what I'm doing.

I followed the directions as closely as possible, but it looks like crud. Oh well. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

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February: Reflection & Rejuvenation

Photo courtesy of Nikki McClure's 2010 Calendar

It's February. Hooray! I always like the start of new months. It represents a mini-moment of reflection and rejuvenation. It's like a little version of New Year's all over again.

What should I celebrate about January?

1. I rekindled my creativity by making a bag (during a craft date with a new friend, which was a lot of fun).
   
2. I made an effort to collaborate with colleagues to improve my teaching.
   
3. We hosted dinner three different dinners for friends, attended two different dinner parties, and planned a funky night out at the Museum of Fine Arts.
4. I published our neighborhood newsletter.
5. I met all of my consulting deadlines.
   
6. I weathered the stress of buying a new car and administering five days of standardized testing to first graders.
7. I finished the final revisions on my book proposal.
8. I ran approximately three times a week.
   

What should I aspire to in February?

1. I want to do a better job of tracking our spending, using our index-card method. This approach works really well for me, but it's hard for me to keep track of Matt's spending when he goes on an errand. We have a new system for putting receipts in a particular place, so it should get easier.
   
2. I want to completely organize my classroom (i.e., library, curriculum shelves, and closet) and get my word wall up.
3. Invite someone over for dinner that we want to get to know better.
4. Maintain a happy and content life, despite lots of upcoming potential stressors.
   
5. Schedule appointments with the doctor and dentist for regular check-ups.
   
6. Undertake at least one home-improvement project (probably getting a consistent fence all the way around our house).
7. Run consistently (four times a week) and do 15 minutes of yoga the other three days of the week.
   
8. Maintain regular posting on three of my blogs.
9. Try to consistently eat balanced meals.
   
10. Make another craft.
11. Find a marriage counselor so we can make sure our relationship is as strong as possible before we have a baby.

Argh! So many of these things have been on past to-do lists. I just want to get them done so I can cross them off once and for all. That's okay. I need to focus on the positive.

I'm excited about the month!

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Healthy Eating (cont'd)

Image courtesy of smitten kitchen

It's cold here. I'm not saying that to complain; I'm saying it to provide context about why I stayed inside and read all day yesterday. (I'll detail more of my reading insights in later posts!)

I mainly read pregnancy books. We still have a while before we want to start trying to conceive, but I love planning. I want to best prepare my body for conception, and I want to deal with the stressful stuff (like deciding between home birth or a birthing center) as much as possible now.

I picked up Healthy Eating During Pregnancy at the library yesterday (yes, I braved the cold in order to get free books). There wasn't a whole lot of new advice (since I've been reading a lot of books about pre-conception nutrition), but it was good to get re-inspired about conscious eating.

I need to keep up the following habits:

• Taking a daily pre-natal vitamin and Omega-3 supplement
• Avoiding caffeine
• Abstaining from things like smoking, drinking, and doing drugs
• Exercising consistently
• Balancing my diet with grains, protein, calcium, fruits, and vegetables

Specifically, it got me thinking more about protein. As a vegetarian, I struggle to get the recommended amount. I think I should incorporate more legumes and grains into my diet. Right now, I eat a lot of pasta and cheese. With that in mind, here are our meals for the week:

1. Quinoa and Apple Salad with Curry Dressing
2. Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes
3. Vegetarian Sushi
4. Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Apple with Tofu
   

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