30 things my 30's taught me

THIS IS 40!

As the sun sets and I blow out the candles to my 30s, I’ve come to the conclusion that something beautiful comes from this decade of life. 

An awakening. 

A birth of your true self seems to come. You come to an age where you realize other people’s opinions don’t matter and you bloom into the person you were meant to be.

So here’s my list of advice that my 30s taught me:

1. It’s okay to stand up for yourself. It doesn’t make you a bitch. It shows you respect yourself
2. 4 quarters > 100 pennies. A small group of friends is wayyyy better
3. Set boundaries. 
4. Love your body
5. Love yourself. Comparison is truly the thief of joy!
6. Laugh. Often. And until it hurts
7. Don’t take everything too seriously 
8. Travel
9. Find perspective 
10. Trust your gut
11. Compliment strangers- put smiles on faces
12. Call that person.
13. Enjoy the moment
14. The things that seem hard now… will be a blip later
15. Enjoy time with yourself. 
16. Shine. 
17. Take care of yourself. Inside and out. You only have this one body and life.
18. Wear sunscreen and moisturizer 
19. Be yourself
20. Put the credit card down.
21. Read
22. Take naps
23. Be a kind human
24. Don’t be selfish 
25. Mental health is important 
26. Take days off and remember it’s just a job
27. Growth comes from failure
28. Say no
29. Ditch the toxic people
30. Be true to your moral and ethical compass

Don’t be mistaken. 

This is a journey. Not a race. 

There is no finish line. 

It will be messy. You will cry. 

But you will also smile. 

You will laugh. 

You will love. 

You will bloom. 

You are embarking on a beautiful new beginning to your true self. 

Enjoy the ride. 

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teacher tip- THE BEST dry erase erasers

I know, I know. You’ve heard that these are the best thing since slice bread for those dry erase boards. 

 

But what if I told you, you were wrong?

What if I told you there is something better out there and will last you YEARS!?

 

These! These are where it’s at, my teacher friends! 

 

 

These microfiber ‘dusters’ are 1000x’s better and will have you tossing those make up pads in the trash like I did. Still a Dollar Tree find so cost effective, but they actually work and will last you years!

 

Simply remove and toss the handle part of the duster and give each of your students (or they can share) a microfiber eraser. 

💙They are bigger so it becomes quicker and easier to erase. 

💙They are soft so they don’t scratch your boards. 

💙And they are washable! I take mine home at the end of every year and toss them in the wash. My class set has been going strong for 3 years now! 

 

So, if you are looking for something to upgrade in your classroom this year…. I dare you to toss those make-up pads and give these a try! You won’t regret it!

 

teach. create. love life.

 

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Paper Flower Classroom Decor How-To

These flowers are a showstopper for very little money! Whether for your classroom decor, nursery, or a party- with a little time and effort, you can create these beauties that will last years!

 

Now, I am not the first to ever write a post on these (in fact I am going to direct you to someone else’s site for the template), but I get tons of questions and requests about them every year I post my classroom décor.

 

The first thing you will want to do is find a template. There are hundreds of them out there if you just Google ‘paper flower template’. I prefer this one. 

 

Once you find your template, you can do one of two things.

If you are talented at using your Cricut you can use the files to cut that way. If you are old school like me- start tracing and cutting!

 

The number of petals you will need will depend on the size of the flower you want. 

After you have all pieces cut out, you will want to roll the edges of the petals to give them personality. I use a marker or pencil to do this. 

 

You will also need a small circle to attach the flower petals to. I usually just trace a cereal bowl. (I’m telling you there is nothing high tech or difficult here!)

 

Next you are going to fold the bottom of the petal where you will be gluing it to the center. After you fold it, you are going to want to put a 1.5 inch slit at the bottom.

Now it’s time to start gluing. 

First you are going to slightly overlap the pieces you created with that cut.

Then you will place glue on the back of the petal (the bottom part you folded) and attach to the circle. You will place them next to one another, you can even slightly overlap them if you’d like. 

 

Once all the largest petals are placed, you will move to the next layer with the next largest size petal. 

 

Continue this process until all petals are glued on. 

 

Now to finish. There are several types of centers you can create (again let Google be your friend). I like to utilize a frilly-type center. 

To create this, you will cut an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper in half vertically. 

 

Take one piece and fold it in half like so. 

Now, cut slits (starting with the open edge) down the whole thing but be careful so you don’t go all the way through. 

 

Keeping it folded, roll it up. You may need a couple of them to make it big enough. 

 And glue them to the center. 

 

Now you’ve got one of the most beautiful flowers to decorate your classroom with.

Mix your sizes, choose your favorite colors, and create a show stopping backdrop!

teach. create. love life.

-Jenny

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emergency bag

Have you ever gotten to work and begin to question whether you applied deodorant that morning? Well, that was definitely me this week! But I didn't have to worry for long...

If you are a teacher, then this is a must have for your classroom!

Inside my desk drawer you will find an emergency bag. This simple little bag has come in handy several times over the years (or just this week) and is always one of the first things I put together at the start of the year.

 

What you fill this magical bag is up to you, but here is a peak into mine…. 

 

Deodorant- for whether you forget to apply in the morning rush, or you need a refresher after recess.

 

Advil- self-explanatory… especially this year!

 

Hairspray and Hairbrush- picture day, meeting, windy day, a case of lice…. 

Hair Ties- bad hair day, bad day, mask making you hot?

 

Safety Pins- I cannot tell you how many times students and coworkers have needed these over the years.

 

Mouth Wash and Dental Floss- freshen up after that lunch break or before a meeting

 

Chapstick/Lotion- Winter weather? Too much hand sanitizer or washing?

Money- snack or soda machine emergency 

Band-Aids- hang nail, papercut, or uncomfortable shoes

 

Not pictured- feminine products 😉

 

The key is to also remember to refill when you have used something, so you don’t find yourself stuck. 

**AND if you are a Teacher Mom with your child with you at school....learn from me this week with Red2 having some dental pain! Add some children's Tylenol and allergy meds to your bag as well.

 

Do you have an emergency kit in your classroom? What is a must have in your bag?

teach. create. love life.

 

 

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