Twenty years ago on July 1, 2000 my husband, Derek and I said “I do!” My mom said to me the other day, “It feels like yesterday.” I think if feels just right…twenty is a beautiful number. I’ve been an elementary school teacher for twenty-one years. My first year of teaching, I didn’t have very …
Summer 2020
What have been your favorite things to do while you’re at home? These are mine… Paddleboarding. I recently got my very own SUP board and it’s made this time so much better. I toss it in the pool to practice yoga and Pilates and test my balance and then take it to the lake to …
La Pitchoune: Virtual Pasta Cooking Class
If you keep up with me on this little blog, you know that I adore all things French and that I’m a little A LOT obsessed with Julia Child. When I found out that La Pitchoune was offering virtual cooking class and it was on making laminated pasta, I made sure that my family, my …
Strawberry Jelly: the perfect summer gift to say thank you
My mom and I make tabasco jelly for Christmas presents and I thought…why not make strawberry jelly for the end of the school year to say thank you. After teaching first grade virtually for a few months, teachers needed to return supplies back to the kids. I decided to give my first graders some strawberry …
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April is for letters
Did you know that the U.S. Postal Service officially designated April National Card and Letter Writing Month in 2001 “to raise awareness of the importance and historical significance of letter writing?” A whole month dedicated to letters…yes please! Everything about a letter screams “somebody cares”: the name and address in familiar handwriting, the knowledge someone took …
Traveling art: Monet & Cassatt
Good art can pull you in…only if you simply make the effort to extend your hand. My favorite week of being an elementary teacher is the week of open house because it’s when I get to have my second dream job as an art docent as the PTA Arts and Education chair. We started the week with …
Why Everyone should be scared out of their mind about melanoma
This is a guest post by my daughter, Zooey. She was working on her eighth grade English writing project and her legacy project that was inspired by her grandfather (my dad, Bill Wood, who is fighting Melanoma). Imagine spending all day out in the sun without any sunscreen. Sounds pretty innocent doesn’t it? That one …
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Chocolate Pots de Creme
My son has been noticing that I’ve been whipping this chocolate dessert up in the kitchen for his teachers and my co-workers and said, “why not us mom?” He’s right! It’s too good and simple not to share. This is my go-to recipe when I want to make something fabulous. They never suspect how incredibly …
Aristocratic Americans
Jackie & Lee Jacqueline and her little sister Lee (born three years apart), dazzled the world with their vibrant wardrobes. The sisters adored traveling, horseback riding and always made headlines everywhere they went as stylish, aristocractic Americans. While Jackie was known as the First Lady of Style, for years Lee served as her stylist, helping …
Gemutlichkeit
Gemutlichkeit is my absolute favorite word in the world. This feeling captures the holidays beautifully! Ezra Jack Keats wrote the most gemutlich book…Snowy Day about a small boy named Peter who experiences the joy of a snowy day. We just returned from a trip in the mountains. Let me paint a picture…Christmas morning it was …
Best Halloween movies for kids & kids at heart
We love Halloween!! Nothing beats a weekend family movie night…especially if it’s Halloween time. What Halloween movies do you watch with your family? Which ones did you like growing up? On our kitchen counter there’s a list of Halloween movies to check off before the big day. We’ve almost checked them all off…two more to …
Be Mindful
My assistant principal does her very best to inspire our little school. I’ve been an elementary teacher for a loooong time! It’s so nice to come to work and know that we will laugh and smile because of something she’s cooked up! She is always dressing up and celebrating special days like national angel food …