Blogmas Day 11 | FriYAY!

So I tried my hand at blogging for a week and it's A LOT harder than I realized! Being a full-time teacher and graduate school student is more taxing than I anticipated, but nevertheless I'm going to try and keep up with new content for the rest of Blogmas 2015! Here's my 5 for Friday linkup with Doodle Bugs Teaching for the 11th day of Blogmas!

I'm a huge mac&cheese lover, but my body does not appreciate all of the fat and cheesy goodness that goes into a bowl of that magical comfort food. This week I took a healthy spin on the classic with this awesome recipe and made creamy butternut squash mac&cheese! It was really yummy and I think it'll become a staple healthy alternative in my recipe box.

This week, I went to my first ever Paint Nite with one of my best friends from high school. Since we're both avid Star Wars fans, and in light of the new movie coming out, it only seemed fitting for us to choose a painting of the greatest Jedi master of all time. It actually came out a lot better than I thought!

To have a little fun with my favorite nuggets, I made a Winter Reading Packet for them to complete this week in order to earn their Christmas presents and class party reward today! Thanks to my favorite TPT ladies, I printed out some reading comprehension passages and put it together with a few "just print" fluency games to compile this activity set!

I also got started with an Instagram book club of sorts that is reading The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. It's the first book in his Chaos Walking series, and I'm absolutely IN LOVE with it so far! If you want, head over to Instagram and search #tmrdecemberbook15 to see what all the hype is about!

Last but certainly not least, the countdown is on! Less than a week until Christmas Break, and some much-needed relaxation time at my favorite beach. I can't wait!

Happy Friday!

Friday: The Final Countdown!

Yes, I'm actually singing the song aloud, right now, as my adorable first graders look on with extreme confusion. Do I care? Not really becaaaaause....

IT'S THE FIIIIIIIINAAAAAAAL COOOOUUUUNTDOOOOOWWWWNNNN

until #SCBinHI. 10 days, to be exact, until Sienna arrives, at midnight, nonetheless, which means I'm starting to devolve into a crazy person. Extreme apologies to everyone in my near vicinity. 

1) Since we moved into "Magic E" words this week, I started to practice the a__e sound and related words with my reading intervention kiddos. Feel free to download a copy of these worksheets here! 

2) I got to babysit my favorite brother duo this weekend while their human parents were on a trip. Kona is the smiley pup and Brew is a little more rascal, always trying to annoy his brother. They're the sweetest rottweiler/shepherd/collie mixes and I just love them to pieces!

3) DID YOU SEE THAT MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 IS COMING OUT?!?!?! I have no other words. I'm so excited #bundtcake.

4) I recently posted about my favorite things to do and eat on Oahu - a quick list of some of the things I'm going to do with Sienna! For anyone who is planning to travel to Hawaii in the near or far future, check this list out! 

5) This has truly been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. Honestly, my nickname should be Murphy because everything that could've gone wrong, did go wrong. I won't get too into it, but I'm very excited to spend my weekend curled up and hibernating away from the craziness outside. Excuse me while I indulge in some self-care...

Thankful for Friday...

Hawaii Travel: Oahu To-Do's

In 14 days *cue happy dance*, my girlfriend Sienna will be coming to Hawaii for the first time EVER to meet my family and spend Thanksgiving "playing tourist" with me. I wrote down a few things I'm going to take her around to do, so I thought I'd make a post for those of you who are planning or dreaming of visiting this magical place I call home!
This is a text-heavy post, but I promise it's worth it! Here are my FAVORITE places to eat and things to see or do on Oahu, my home island...

• LOCO MOCO PLATE FROM RAINBOW DRIVE INN: Although not the prettiest plate, this local favorite features two hamburger patties underneath overeasy eggs on top of rice, all smothered in amazingly 'ono (Hawaiian for "delicious") brown gravy. Bonus points if you mix the yolk and gravy in with your mac salad! 
• SHAVE ICE FROM ISLAND SNOW: Many visitors to Oahu make the mistake of traveling all the way to the North Shore for Matsumoto's shave ice. Even though their shave ice is very popular, my personal local favorite is from a little shop in Kailua. Local tip: try the lychee, lilikoi (passion fruit), and guava combination with ice cream and condensed milk! You won't be disappointed. 

• HAWAIIAN FOOD FROM HIGHWAY INN: Located downtown close to Ward, or in Waipahu, this local Hawaiian food joint is definitely the spot to go if you want authentic Hawaiian food made by locals for locals. Try the poke (raw fish cubes seasoned with salt and seaweed) bowl or the kalua pig combo plate!
• GARLIC SHRIMP FROM GIOVANNI'S SHRIMP TRUCK: Tie up your day soaking up the sun on the North Shore by heading back through Haleiwa town to Giovanni's Shrimp Truck (located in the little parking area across the street from the Haleiwa McDonald's) to get their AMAZING garlic shrimp plate. Local tip: ask for an extra plate to throw your shrimp tails, and get choke extra napkins (choke is local slang for "a lot" or "excessive")!

• GUAVA CHIFFON PANCAKES FROM CINNAMON'S RESTAURANT: If you're in Waikiki or Kailua, make sure to check out Cinnamon's Restaurant for breakfast! Get their "island's best" guava chiffon pancakes with a side of fresh, local grown papaya to start your day off maika'i (Hawaiian for "good"). 

• PALI LOOKOUT: A beautiful view of Kaneohe and Kailua awaits you at the top of this lookout! You can drive up the winding road off of the Pali Tunnel to reach the parking lot for the lookout. Park and walk down a paved area to see this gem!
• SUNRISE LANIKAI PILLBOX HIKE: I do this hike at least once every few months just to remind myself of the beautiful place I'm so fortunate to call home. It's a short 20 minute stroll up a mountain, but make sure to bring a flashlight if you're doing this to greet the sun! 

• TOUR OF 'IOLANI PALACE: Want to visit the last restored castle in the United States? This historically rich National Landmark was the home of Hawaii's last reigning monarchs, Queen Lili'uokalani and King David Kalakaua. Take a break from the Hawaiian heat and learn a little about the amazing culture and history of old Hawaii!

• SNORKEL AT HANAUMA BAY: Perfect for families, this snorkel spot will give you up-close encounters with some of the most amazing marine life in Hawaii! Make sure to grab a water-proof camera to snap some photos!

• SPEND THE DAY AT SUNSET BEACH: Make a day out of this adventure! Drive to the North Shore to check out Sunset beach and be sure to stay for the main event - the spectacular sunset! Best done during the week when locals are at work, because this spot fills up quickly on the weekends. You won't want to miss it!

Hope that provides a little sneak peek into the magic of my home. Best of luck to those of you who plan to travel to Oahu in the future, near or far, and stay tuned for the #SCBinHI journals around Thanksgiving to check out what shenanigans Sienna and I get into! 2 weeks to go!