Wednesday Wants: Valentine's Day Edition

Wildfox 'Sleepover' Pajama Set / Tiffany Sterling Silver Infinity Bracelet

 Ro's Argan Body Condtioner / Heart Throb Bubbleroon 

The Lover's Dictionary / Rose Jam Bubbleroon

Beats Studio Headphones in Champagne

Valentine's Day is notorious for being over the top, and really terrible for those who are single. I, however, would disagree. Although I've compiled a few nice things I'd love for my significant other to get me, that won't stop me from purchasing a few things myself. It's all about self-love, people!

Body Love

The Wildfox Pajama set looks so unbelievably comfy, and granted, I usually sleep in an old, oversized t-shirt, but after finding out that we spent about 1/3 of our lives sleeping, I decided to up my sleepwear game and give myself the proper beauty sleep I deserve.

I've definitely talked about how much I love LUSH's line of rose-scented items, like the Rose Jam Bubbleroon and Ro's Argan Body Conditioner, and I've previously posted about the Heart Throb Bubbleroon - all fabulous items that aren't too pricey, and perfect for showing your body some love on the 14th of February and every day after that.

Soul Love

There's nothing I think is more romantic than someone purchasing a book for another person - it's like saying, "I read this book and thought of you, because I know you and your likes that well." I'm corny, whatever. I've had my eye on The Lover's Dictionary and Hold Me Tight for some time, and my Kindle is in need of a few new reads…

Treat Yo'Self
Donna and Tom know what they're talking about. Treat yourself well and others will too! Or that's the idea…anyway, Tiffany's infinity bracelet and the Studio Beats (in champagne, of course) are definitely on my "Treat Yo'Self" list (if someone doesn't buy them for me first, hint hint…) All kidding aside, whether or not you have a significant other this Valentine's Day, make sure to treat yourself with lots of love. You deserve it!

What I'm Reading Wednesday

When I was asked if I wanted to participate in a bookclub to read this book, I thought to myself, "sure, why not...because I'm not busy enough already!" HOWEVER, after reading a few pages tonight (approximately 32 pages), I'm actually really glad I decided to join in on the reading. From the back cover of the book...

Teaching is one of the most important jobs in the world and often one of the hardest. Excellent teachers continually strive to learn and improve their craft, and no matter how good a teacher is, there's always room for improvement. Teach Like a Champion became a global bestseller because it offered concrete, engaging, easy-to-implement techniques teachers could use to keep their students engaged, focused, and learning. Teach Like a Champion 2.0 compiles the feedback gathered from real teachers in real classrooms around the world to deliver an updated set of techniques, made even more effective by the continual fine-tuning of daily classroom use. Effective and informative for both new teachers and classroom veterans, Teach Like a Champion 2.0 describes how to adjust classic teaching techniques to be even more effective, implement entirely new techniques that keep students on track, and translate theory into action with video demonstrations.

If you're looking for some professional development reading that really is meaningful and has some great techniques (as well as a CD with, or internet code to access, short video clips demonstrating these techniques in action), I highly recommend reading Teach Like A Champion 2.0! 

Mentoring Minds Monday

As a new teacher, I'm always looking for more tools to improve my teaching, and improve my kiddo's learning. When I was contacted by Mentoring Minds to review a few of their products, I was thrilled! Here's their company mission statement:

Our mission is to develop affordable, effective learning tools that help children think critically, giving them the skills to succeed not just in the classroom, but in life. Mentoring Minds is a national educational publisher developing proven K-12 instructional materials that encourage critical thinking for life. Our mission and commitment is to motivate children to think critically and to learn effective problem-solving skills in the classroom that will increase their success and prepare them for life in the 21st-century global marketplace.

One major thing I love about Mentoring Minds is their slogan, "Critical Thinking for Life!" Like many other teachers I know, I'm a firm believer that learning never stops, even after classroom learning does. There is always so much more to know and learn! I could go on about their wonderful mission, the fact that their products are designed by "seasoned educators," or that they are involved in the community as donors and volunteers to support national programs such as the BackPack Program, a program stemmed from Feeding America, but here are a few of my favorite resources...


Critical Thinking Strategies Guide
Mentoring Minds sent me their Critical Thinking and Differentiated Instruction Compact Guides. With the Critical Thinking Compact Guide, you get a TON (seriously, I couldn't finish reading them all) of instructional strategies to promote critical thinking and engagement at ANY grade level, as well as social studies, science, math, and reading/writing "stems" or sentence frames to use with a wide variety of lessons. 

Differentiated Instruction Guide
As a SPED teacher, I think my favorite Compact Guide has to be the Differentiate Instruction flip chart - there are so many anchor activities, brain-based strategies, tiered assignments (I swooned a little), grouping strategies, and DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT techniques that I can't wait to use in my classroom. I brought this guide to school to show my SPED department chair, and she immediately ordered one for her classroom! 

Comprehensive Common Core Standards and Strategies Guide
My school had purchased their Math and ELA Common Core Standards flip chart for all teachers, and I definitely have used it while making report cards and progress reports. It's super handy, compact, and user-friendly so I'm not dealing with a lot of papers or trying to find things online while on a time crunch. This flip chart can be customized in 3 different ways: K-5 Math and ELA, K-12 ELA, and K-12 Math. I take this guide with me to my IEP meetings to show parents where their students started, and where they are going to go. It's perfect since all of the standards for K-5 are in one place, and it's super easy to read!

Mentoring Minds has so many other resources for Math, ELA, and vocabulary that are great for personal or whole school use. Check them out! Their website is one of the easier education resource websites to navigate, and their customer service is timely and so helpful. I know you'll find their resources just as helpful as I did!

**Mentoring Minds and consulting service Act Bold has sponsored this post

**However, all opinions are 100% authentically mine. Duh.

The Lust List

If you're like me and went a little overboard during the holiday sales (shoutout to Sephora and Kate Spade for turning me into an out-of-control shopping monster), then I'm sure you're experiencing some sort of No Spend January like I am! To help ease the pain, however, I've got my eye on a few key purchases I want to make soon...

The Watch
I have loved tortoise shell print since I knew there was such a thing (senior year of high school to be exact), and this Michael Kors Parker Gold-Tone Tortoise Acetate watch has been on my radar for far too long. I have the Michael Kors Gold Mini Horn Acrylic watch (thank you summer job) but I've been wanting something a little bigger for my *flashier* days. #firstworldproblems

The Books
I was an incredible reader all through elementary, middle, and high school. And then I graduated and got so busy with being stressed out that I forgot about my main relaxation tool - books! Randy Pausch's book The Last Lecture and Amy Poehler's Yes Please are two books on my Kindle Wish List that I plan to buy/start/devour ASAP.

The Bag
Kate Spade, why do you insist on taking all of my money?! I'm literally drooling over this Holden Street Olivera bag in Pebble right now. What I'm not drooling over is the price tag. Yowza.

The Bod
LUSH just released their Valentine's Day specials online and in-store, and I'm so beyond pumped to get my hands on these goodies. From left to right, top to bottom are the Heart Throb Bubbleroon, Superbalm Scalp Treatment (not a V-Day special), The Kiss Lip Gloss, and Lonely Heart Bubble Bar. I'm a sucker for LUSH's Rose Jam Bubbleroon (as in I pick up at least 3 whenever I'm at the mall...oops), so I can't wait to try this Valentine's Day one - complete with gold glitter. I think I hear angels singing...


Hope everyone's month (or two) of frugality is going well. May the restraint and willpower be ever in your favor.

Fitness Five for Friday

I'm spending the day slaving away in my classroom, trying to clean up the spiderwebs and lizard poop (gross) before my students return on MONDAY! Taking a little lunch break to post this week's Fitness Five for Friday!

Please, for the love of all that is holy and hilarious, check out POPSUGAR's accurate summary of the Emotional Roller-Coaster Ride of a January Detox if it is the only non-work related (but 2015 resolution related…?) thing you do all day.

Hungry all the time? No? Just me? Well, in case you are, here's 8 lower calorie snack ideas to help with weight loss and those hungry (or hangry) moments!

Craving pizza but want something a little lower-calorie (but still just as yummy)? Try out this low-carb and low-calorie cauliflower crust pizza recipe!

Does working out turn you into a ravenous monster? No? Well if you're like me, then this article is written for people like us.

Miss any of my other fitness or goal related posts? Don't worry! Here's my tips on making a plan and sticking to it, complete with an awesome freebie! Stay tuned for more goal motivation, fitness inspiration, quirky life posts and updates from the classroom of Ms. Burkett!

Making a Plan and Sticking With It! (FREEBIE)

There's nothing that makes me happier than having hard evidence that I'm achieving my goals. That may be a bit unhealthy, especially when it comes to my hate-hate relationship with the scale, which is why one of my 2015 Commitments  is to love more - love others more, love myself more, and more importantly love my body more. 

I picked up this Sugar Paper planner from target to log down my health/personal/fitness commitments for the year, including this water intake sticker I made! It's yours for free - I printed them on Avery's 5260 address labels and then cut them in half horizontally to create two stickers from one. I'm aiming to be very diligent about keeping this running record for the whole year!

Click for Water Intake Stickers

Check back in for more on keeping and crushing your 2015 goals! Good luck!

No Spend Jan...February?

So I started out going to the gym 3 days a week, now I'm up to 4 days a week before I go back to school on Monday. That's when I realized that I didn't have enough work out clothes to keep up this routine (I have 1 pair of leggings and 2 sports bras that are acceptable to work out in...).
That's also when Old Navy emailed me to tell me that all Active wear was up to 40% off in stores AND online.
Furthermore, that's when I broke my No Spend January goal. But one day doesn't have to ruin the other 30! So I'm considering this a little obstacle that won't throw me off my track entirely.

Here's some of my Old Navy Active finds! Links are below the picture for all Old Navy purchases except for the black sports bra and black patterned leggings (couldn't find the links online) and the Nike shoes.

(From top to bottom, left to right)

Compression Capris in Black

Patterned Compression Capris (20") in Into The Fuchsia 

Sports Bra in Fuchsia Benefits

Patterned Compression Capris (20") in Peacock Jewel

Rib-Knit Compression Capris in Fuchsia Leaders

Makeup Monday

Inspired by A Little Opulent's wonderful post on the *much needed* beauty cleanse that we all should be taking part in, I decided to clean out my own makeup stash this past rainy weekend!

What started out as this madness...

Turned into two very clean and organized containers...

I also picked up an over-the-toilet organizer from City Mill to store these babies on so that I could save on my very limited counter space (as you could probably tell from the pictures above), but similar storage units can be found at Home Depot here and here for under $40!

The cabinet at the top is my favorite. Perfect for concealing things that I need quick access to, but don't really want others to see. The makeup organizers I store my products in are from Target as part of SOHO's line of acrylic cosmetic organizers. I can't find the exact ones online, but they were in my local Target store.

That's it for my first Makeup Monday! Getting organized and consolidating was half of the battle...next up: the 10 minute face (perfect for those of us who like to look alive and awake without spending hours getting ready!) Stay tuned!

Motivation for Those 2015 Goals...

I've done my research. I've read every article on why setting resolutions are bad, how we never really stick to them. Well here's my big shut the hell up to those articles. I'm setting goals if I want to, and I really am going to try my hardest to stick to them, especially as I go back to work, grad school, Teach for America business...oh boy. So my "Five for Friday" is focusing on 5 very important/inspirational/motivational/necessary/lovely things I've found (among the many) that I will be frequently coming back to in my toughest moments, like when those dang Girl Scouts start knocking at my door...

I feel you on a personal level, Rashida. Are you ready for the setbacks that will come with making those resolutions? PopSugar/FitSugar has you covered! Check out this funny, and true, article on the ups and downs of your fitness resolutions, complete with matching gifs for some inspiration on your darkest days.

Maybe it's the teacher in me, but I love a good flowchart! This one, courtesy of Bit Rebels nicely sums up how to achieve your goals in any capacity, not just our new year's resolutions!

Yes! Many times, we give up on our goals or lose sight of the end goal because we don't set a concrete plan. I've found a few cute printables on Pinterest to help track my 2015 goals that I'll be posting soon, so stay tuned! 

Another cute anchor chart (teacher problems) I found on Pinterest was this guy, talking about 5 motivational ways to follow through on our goals. Number 3 is my favorite, and one that I especially need to remember...

I love POPSUGAR so much - they just put out a 31-day fitness and health program to follow along or modify to make it your own. There's a workout calendar, recipes, nutrition coaching, and even a spectacular giveaway at the end of the program with more information coming soon! I might combine some of the workouts with my gym process already, but we'll see. Go check it out!

Happy goal setting (and conquering)!

Setting The Goals (and the plans)

Mrs. D at The Third Wheel is hosting a cute linkup to kick off 2015 and our fabulous goals, and she's also planning on creating monthly check-in links to keep each other accountable!  How awesome is that. Stay tuned for more goal setting/demolishing posts!

HOME* I know it sounds so easy, but at the end of the day, I'm exhausted and literally the last thing I care about is where my clothes end up. I need to be way better about putting dirty clothes in my laundry basket, and cleaning my room weekly!

WORK* As a SPEd teacher, I make schedules for my support staff in regards to what room they need to be in when, and their general hours for the quarter. I also hold weekly meetings to discuss student progress, concerns, etc. I'm aiming to be 100% more diligent about this practice this year!

HEALTH* Kdog and I have been using MyFitnessPal to keep track of our weight loss journey, some with more success than others (hmf). I'm aiming to lose 30 pounds, and continue to workout to be stronger, happier, and healthier in 2015!

BLOG* I'm really trying to blog more! For real, guys! I promise...stay tuned for more!

Oh Hey, 2015!

I cannot believe that 2015 is already here! This past year was filled with many challenges, but also many blessings and adventures. I'm so thankful for everything that 2014 brought me, and I can't wait to see what is in store for 2015!

Although I didn't go to UO, I went to college in Portland (and we didn't have a football team at all), so UO football was the closest that I got! GO DUCKS!

I'm so happy that we have a nice 3 week vacation for Christmas. I go back to school on the 9th, so I'm definitely going to enjoy this last week of relaxation!

I've been doing a lot of thinking about my 5 year plan lately, what's going to happen with me and Kdog, which ties in with my maybe at the end of the post...

Over everything else in my life, I'm desperately wanting to see my best friends from college. We haven't been together since we graduated in May, and probably won't be for a while. I'm hoping this summer will bring a change to that!

After setting goals for my life in 2015, I've come to the conclusion that I need to write them all down and get organized in regards to how I'm going to track those goals. I've already found some great printables on Pinterest, so stay tuned!

YES to getting in shape, losing weight, and being a healthier version of my 2014 self. This past year saw a lot of stress eating (thank you ridiculous senior year frenemies, graduation, and TFA...), so Kdog and I have been hitting the gym pretty routinely since Christmas Eve (go us!). 2015 will definitely be the year of health, wellness, and happiness.
Maybe to looking into moving back to Portland or Seattle to search for a teaching job. It'll have to wait until my commitment with Teach for America is over, but who knows! Hawaii's cost of living is so unbelievably high, and although it would break my heart to move away from my home, my family, and my culture, I wouldn't be able to afford living in Hawaii on my own. We'll see what happens...
I wish I could go up to my college in Portland for Spring Break! I miss my dance team sisters so much, and I miss the place I called home for the past 4 years! I'll have to be reunited with Portland soon, but probably not as soon as I would like.

Upcoming posts: My Teacher Makeup Routine (for those of us who like to look nice alive, but not spend more than 10 minutes getting ready in the morning), and Tracking Those 2015 Goals! Oh yeah, another goal is to blog more, can you tell?


Happy New Year, everyone! Here's to page 1 out of 365!