I'm back!!

And for some reason, THIS song is ringing in my ears: 

I love this song! It's great to jog to! And it's even better if you love Dirty Dancing (which - by the way -- who doesn't?!)

So after about 5 months of being absent from the blogging world, I thought I'd start by linking up with Kacey from Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for FRIDAY!!!

And... Just FYI: This has been the craziest year ever! Things have been going very well for me lately, which reminds me to count my blessings (which I need to do much more often!!) So, here's a little mix of Chicken Soup for MY Soul, which may come in a little handy later on down the road ;)... So there is really nothing related to teaching (as usual), but I still hope you enjoy!

1. Did I mention that work has been going very well ever since Thanksgiving Break? Well, I've found that I have a LOT more time on my hands. Like time for packing up 60 Christmas cards in one night (complete with labels and stamps! --YEAH!), for example!

2. On Tuesday, I got to drive to work in the LEAF! 

Yup! This is the color we got! Funny-lookin, but SUCH a cool little car!

Yes, my husband and I leased a Nissan Leaf back in September (Long story short), and he uses it as his commuting car (he drives an hour through traffic every morning) and drinking up a tank-and-a-half of premium gasoline was getting to be too much. So we are saving  A LOT of money by having this extra little car, AND we get a nice tax credit in the spring to make it all worth it. Well, since we couldn't resist taking it out over the weekend, and we forgot to charge it over night (and because this car was blocking mine in the driveway, anyways!), I got to drive it to work! 

                                       
The hubby couldn't have possibly made it to work on 12 miles, but I did just fine (my commute is literally 2.2 miles each day). So this was a great start to my day. I guess I was just a little excited, because I don't get to drive it too often. But, I mean, come ON: Heated seats, heated steering wheel, navigation (none of which my 2012 Camry has), AND building Eco-trees at the same time?!?! How could it possibly NOT be a great start to your day? It was a great treat. :D

3. I regret to say that I've been WAY too busy with school work this year, and the holidays have flown by without much warning. And after receiving a couple of amazing Christmas gifts today, I realized I REALLY need to start cracking down on my Christmas shopping! Ahhh! But look what my amazing Co-Teacher made! Aren't they cute?! They were so delicious, I almost ate the entire thing during my planning this morning :)

4. So on Monday, my co-worker recommended a recipe with pork, root beer, and barbecue sauce. I tried it tonight, and I'm telling ya! You NEED to check it out HERE: 

5. I saved the best for last: All I could think when I woke up was: T.G.I.F (I didn't mind that it was Friday the 13th. Life has been going too well to worry about anything lately!). And as if I born again, I danced down stairs this morning and went about my morning routine with this song stuck in my head. So please take 2 minutes to enjoy :) ...And whatever you do- DON'T imagine me dancing around the kitchen preparing my meals for the day while listening...  

~Enjoy! I hope to be back soon with some VERY important updates! 

;) 
~Sarah