Memorial Day Weekend!!

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!

Hurray for 4 day weekends and no school and SOLS starting next week. Aw man.

Summer is just around the corner!

Have fun, be safe-

Nay

Bathroom Beautiful!

If you're like me, the bathroom isn't just a bathroom. It's an oasis, where I can relax, hide behind some steam and a shower curtain and just BE. And think. I do my best thinking in the shower. Seriously, I can solve the world's problems in the comfort of my shower.

However, the bathroom is often the most neglected room of the house, decorating wise. Why is that? We spend a significant amount of time in there, why shouldn't it look amazing? Aren't we worth it? Aren't our guests worth it too?
Good, I'm glad we're in agreement. Now here are some tips from my most favorite magazine/website, Real Simple, as well as a few of my own.

1. Old wooden crates make great holders for extra toilet paper and rolled bath towels. You can find these crates at antique stores or sometimes yard sales. And no, don't go and get the cheapy plastic milk crates either. This isn't college and no, it won't look pretty. The aim is for ease of access AND elegance. Keep these by the toilet or the tub.

2. Turn an unused nightstand into storage for small towels, makeup, hair tools and accessories, and toiletries. A nightstand with drawers is preferable. And remember... a coat of paint does wonders for that pressboard el-cheapo night stand from walmart. Just a suggestion.

3.  A sink skirt hides a multiude of sins and cleaning supplies. I'm just saying. You can make one out of an old bedsheet. Here are the details.

4. When your tub lacks wide ledges where you can stow your bath products, hang a multilevel, wire fruit basket for additional space. I LOVE THIS IDEA. It is so much more "put together" than leaving your toiletries just sitting out. (see the picture at the bottom of the post)

5. A shelf rack with hooks is a space-saving answer for small bathrooms. Think shelf-coat rack, but with towels and bathrobes.

6. Bathbeads or salts often come in pretty jars, but when you run out of salts, then what? Use the jars for cotton balls or q-tips, and store out on the vanity. The jars are often lovely, so why not show them off, and make them work a double shift?

7. Use mismatched, unused or mate-less serving pieces to store toiletries. A tea cup without a partner is a great place for cotton balls, or a demitasse cup for earrings, rings, whathaveyous. This tip also applies to pieces that might be chipped.  A no-no in the dining room creates character and charm in the bathroom.

8. Put out some fresh cut flowers in the bathroom. It makes the room seem  more inviting, and it is also a great, sneaky way to feign luxury. No one has to know they came from Kroger (or, even better, the back yard)

9. One lower-cost solution to old bathroom tiles: blunt the behind-the-times tile color by painting the walls a complimentary color for a more cheerful (and less cheesy) scheme. But if the tiles are avocado green or pink... for heaven's sake RE-TILE.


And don't forget to set out your best towels, the nice soaps and the fancy French bath salts. This is YOUR space, and life is too short not to use the best stuff. So relax and enjoy.

Bubbily yours,
Nay

Banishing Kitchen Clutter!

For most of us, the kitchen is the heart and soul of our home. This is where people gather, where we fix and take our meals, and where we come for comfort (food is truly the best medicine!).

But because this room of the house is the most traveled and the busiest, it often becomes a catch-all for the trappings of our lives. Like keys, mail, random appliances (do you really need that curly fry maker out on the counter?)

Here are some tips for making the kitchen as functional as it can be.

1. The number one rule of an organized kitchen is to store items where you use them. Put your plates near the table or the stove (depending on if you serve from the stove or the table), glasses near the fridge and cutting knives and board near island or counter where you cut up produce. Keep like items together, and items that you use all the time within reach.
2. If you do any baking, set up a baking section. Store together all items you use when baking.
3. Clean and organize your fridge and freezer. Do a quick upkeep once a week on trash day. If you don't use it, get rid of it. Nothing worse than a stinky fridge.

4. Move the excess clutter. For example, seasonally used items such as platters and holiday dishes are better stored in a basement or attic. Unless you have a very large kitchen, it is best to remove items that are not used on a regular basis. You know that cabinet over the fridge? That's also a great place to store seasonal dishes and serveware since it's out of the way.

5. How many glasses do you really use between dish washings? Store only as many as you regularly use (glasses, dishes, wine glasses), and place the extras in storage, like the bottom of a coat closet or pantry. Have them close by for parties or dinners.

6. Go through your cookbooks and keep in the kitchen only the ones you use regularly. Seasonal cookbooks can be stored with your holiday dinnerware, others can be kept elsewhere, like the living room or office bookshelves. Or even better, photocopy the recipes that you use the most often, laminate or bind them in sheet protectors and keep them in a binder.

7. Here's a tough one. If you don't use it every day, remove it from your counters. So many of us complain about not having enough counter space yet we crowd the counters with things we don't even use. Do you really need that Tater Twister or Smoothie Machine RIGHT there on the counter at all times? No.

8. Check out all the racks and drawer units on the market to more efficiently store all your kitchen items. You will find a large selection at home stores around the country. If you can, hang your pots and pans on the wall. Julia Child was right on the money with this one, especially if your pots are lovely copper or stainless steel. But even if they are not stunners- hanging them up near the stove is functional and makes for interesting living art.

9. Set up a small pantry somewhere in your home for extra cans of soup, coffee and other essentials. You'll save money by buying in bulk or during sales and you'll save space in the kitchen. A small closet can easily be converted to a pantry. Once you have one you'll never want to be "pantry-less" again.

If you have any other kitchen organizer tips, feel free to email me at musingsbynayblog@gmail.com

Organizingly yours,

Nay

(Re)Organizing Your Life, Episode II, or Why Decorative Boxes Are Your Friend

There is something satisfying about placing items in a box. It's true. When we pack, boxes are neatly labeled, packed carefully, sealed and moved. When we package gifts, we chose a tidy box, wrap it lovingly, add a tacky bow (ok maybe that's just my family) and place it next to the other perfectly wrapped gifts with a contented sigh. We love boxes.

And guess what. Boxes are not just for storing things.... some are actually pretty AND multipurpose!! I KNOW!!

I found this great set of colored magazine boxes at Exposures Online, a photography store, which are perfect, not only for photos but for storage of just about anything that will fit. And because they are quite lovely, they would not look out of place in your living room or office.

Last summer I bought 2 sets of three white cardboard magazine boxes from Target. I assembled them myself, no tools required, and have stored all my magazines by subscription on a bookcase. I wish I had bought about 12 more, they are so versatile, but of course, I cannot find them anymore.

However, Target's latest fashionable line, Liberty of London, has several lidded storage boxes in GORGEOUS colors and patterns, like this lovely here.

Stacked on a bookcase, a desk or even on a side table, these handy boxes can be storage for just about anything, such as:

-ugly remote controls stash nicely in a pretty box. Now hubby doesn't have to complain that you lost the remote.

-pictures, postcards, greeting cards, and letters all have a safe place to land

-a smaller size box would hold costume jewelry if you're not into jewelry boxes or hanging pieces on the wall

-recipes or even cookbooks would have a clean, out of the way place to stay without crowding the counter tops

- obviously, magazines. Most boxes feature a metal label square so finding the title you're looking for is easy.

- bills are less ugly in a cute box

- DVDS stack tidily in boxes. You could even get a few and label A-D, E-G etc, etc. Oh wouldn't you be a neat freak then ;)

There are tons more things we can cleverly store in decorative boxes! How will you use yours?

Boxily yours,

Nay

(Re)Organize Your Life, Episode I

Let's face it. Sometimes we are so busy making sure that our professional selves are nice and tidy (files in their space, inbox under control, messages answered) that our home selves suffer! But reorganizing and tackling the clutter is sometimes so daunting that we'd rather just shove the stuff in a closet and forget about it. And for a lot of us, that works. But for my generation, we are apartment dwellers. We can't quite afford the house in the suburbs, 2.5 kids and a golden retriever. So every square inch counts for us!

A lot of times, the junk we collect sits around because we can't quite figure out what to do with it. Sometimes it's mismatched or misplaced members of a pair that we hold on to, and so there it is, collecting dust and taking up space. Time to reuse those leftovers!

Real Simple magazine, one of my MOST FAVORITE magazines (Don't worry InStyle and Dogfancy, mama still loves you) has a great newsletter they send via email, and the following tips are from one of their articles.


7 Double Duty Decorating Ideas:

1. Use earrings as pushpins- if you've lost the mate to a lovely set of studs, use the remaining stud as a lovely pushpin. It will brighten up any corkboard to-do list!

2.  Dress up your refrigerator door with rarely worn brooches- remove the pin with wire cutters, glue a magnet to the back and voila! a lovely, sentimental magnet. Way more chic than that god-awful tchotchke magnet Mom and Dad brought from their trip to Dollywood...

3. Coffee cans as a wine rack- use a can opener to cut off the bottoms of multiple aluminum cans, spray paint the outsides so they are all uniform, then glue together in a balanced, artful way with Krazy Glue or another strong adhesive.

4. Cupcake foils as votives- got leftover cupcake foils from that over-zealous cupcake phase? They make great votives for tea lights. Best part? Throw them away when the candle melts! No muss, no fuss. Wish you could say the same for those cupcakes.

5. Cake stand as a candle platform- we all have those gorgeous cake stands, but most of the time they sit their collecting dust. Why not use the plate as a pedestal for pillar candles? Make sure you put a doily or even some parchment paper under the candles to protect the plate from the wax.

6. Salt and pepper shakers as bud vases- unscrew the cap, clean, fill with water, and oh look isn't that precious? A bud vase!

7. Wallpaper as drawer liners- got extra wallpaper? ( I know, who really uses wallpaper anymore, but you never know). Anyway, the scraps, when cut to fit drawers, make lovely drawer liners. It's a nice touch.

You can read more at Real Simple Magazine- new uses for old things if you want more tips.

New and Improved Musings

I've decided to try something different with this blog. I used to blog about random things, things that popped into my head, things that happened on the way to the forum, etc. etc. Then this evening I was musing in the shower (I do a lot of my best thinking in there, how about you?) and I decided that maybe I should start blogging with a basic theme in mind. I thought it might be interesting to pick a different theme each month, and write blogs based (maybe loosely) on that chosen theme. Knowing how I am, I thought it might be best to assign myself two to three blog posts a week on this chosen theme, that way I can explore lots of areas of the theme.

Does this sound like something you might want to read?

Here's the yearly projection, by theme.

May- Health and Wellness (these posts could range anywhere from exercise, vitamins and minerals, The Happiness Project, and any other interesting tidbits I dig up about wellness today)
June- Food and Drink (I was thinking farmers markets, great wines and wine tours, the latest trends in food/drink)
July- Americana (American traditions, some NON-PARTISAN politics, etc)
August- Great Literature (Books, magazines, blogs. I think I'll have some guest writers for this one)
September- Fall Fashions (in honor of The September Issues of Vogue and InStyle... both GIGANTIC issues)
October- History and Folklore (I was thinking Halloween things, maybe some history stuff thrown in because I was a history major as an undergraduate)
November- Great Films (Again, a few guest writers)
December- Holiday Traditions Around the World

Does this sound interesting? If so, please comment, or email musingsbynayblog@gmail.com for theme suggestions or post ideas.

This really depends on things you're interested in, so drop me a line!

Thoughtfully yours,
Nay

Feathering the Nest

I'm in a nesting mood. This always happens to me in springtime (must be instinctual). In the spirit of spring cleaning and the newness of life, here are a few of my favorite house things.

I just want to jump into this bed and sleep for years :)
(Restoration Hardware)

I love botanical prints, especially old drawings and Latin

(Restoration Hardware)

I love old glass bottles in all shapes and sizes. They are so versatile

(Pottery Barn)

I think this would be lovely over a dark cherry wood dinning table

(Pottery Barn)

Clocks are very chic

(Restoration Hardware)

Key to my heart :)

(Pottery Barn)

You could get an assortment of these: First initials or last name would be very stylish

(Restoration Hardware)

This was the headlining photo on the Restoration Hardware home decor site and I just LOVED it

(Restoration Hardware)

This bedding color is so soothing, like it would feel cool to the touch- perfect for hot summer nights and sunburned skin :)

(Restoration Hardware)

All-Clad Copper Core 15 Piece... I had to throw it in there

(Williams Sonoma)

Bright pillows can really spice up a muted room, and they're so much fun to look at!

(Crate and Barrel)

What to do when the world won't catch up?

I don't usually use this blog as a journal or a place to jot down my frustrations/feelings, whathaveyou. But I am bummed, and I need to vent about it.

My life is at a complete and utter standstill right now. I am in a perpetual waiting game, waiting for outsiders to decide my life (fate) and it is driving me CRAZY. I'm a take-charge kind of girl, and this "wait and see" bullshit is exactly that. Bullshit.

It doesn't help that my life is currently moving at a snails pace in ALL areas- career, school, love. I am SO frustrated I could punch something, but more likely cry, and there is absolutely NOTHING I can do about it except, you guessed it, wait.

I have several unanswered questions, such as: What do I do while I'm waiting for the world to tell me where I'm going? Why do the shitheads get the good things in life like babies and marriages and great careers? Why do good people like me end up with the short end of the stick all the time?

See where this is going? Pity party for Nay, party of one? I don't like pity parties, and I especially don't like being patronized (which for some reason, most people seem to be doing to me lately) so what IS a smart girl to do?

If you figure it out, let me know. I'm just waiting, you know.


Spinning my wheels,
Nay

She's Got that Glow

For those of us not blessed with caramel colored skin year round, and those of us who would rather die than sit under the tanning bed lights, there is hope for some semblance of tan! Minus the UVA/UVB rays of course.

Jergens has a new Natural Glow moisturizer, in a foam instead of a messy, streaky cream! Showing here. It comes in two formulas for Fair to Medium and Medium to Tan skin tones.

I love this stuff because it dries SUPER fast, and doesn't feel tacky afterward. It's a foam so it's easy to spread and smooth. It doesn't make you look orangey if you use a light hand. Plus, the coloring lasts for several days, even after showers and shaving.  If you make a mistake, a little lotion on the spot moves the color around better and evens things out. It's great stuff, inexpensive, and great for those of us who want a Just-Back-From-Cabo tan without the harmful rays!

You can find it at Target, Walmart, or any drugstore.

... And I Slaved All Day.

My dear friend Mrs. M over at Tiers of Joy blogs about her cooking adventures and recipes all the time. I, on the other hand, detest cooking, and usually write about meals I've eaten, not cooked.

However, I was feeling adventurous today, and decided to... wait for it... COOK! I know, I know, she must be ill or something. But I was feeling particularly domestic because I had spent the morning browsing Target for linens, the afternoon planting impatiens in my garden, and doing laundry. I thought, why the hell not, go cook thyself something instead of having leftover pizza for dinner! (That leftover pizza will be breakfast. I'm not Martha Friggin' Stewart, all right?)

I checked my fridge and freezer contents, finding frozen meat (and not quite enough time to defrost them) and settled my eyes on salmon. I used to hate salmon (too much at Roanoke College, where we ate like Kings, my friends!) but I am gradually growing used to it again. Easy to defrost, salmon was my pick.

Now, we just bought a new grill... and I don't know how to light it or make it work. So grilling was out. I'm not a fan of pan-seared salmon so I decided to poach it. I'd read in my various cooking magazines  (and I am a subscriber of quite a few... don't ask me why. It's not like I actually cook the recipes in them!) that poached fish is quite delicious, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I Googled (thank God for Google, right?) how to poach salmon and found a delicious sounding recipe for poached salmon with a Dijon-dill sauce. I liked the sound of it, and began making preparations. I made my poaching liquid and set about preparing my Dijon-dill sauce, when I realize I don't have heavy cream. No problem, I happen to know that if you mix melted butter with milk (and a tablespoon of flour if you're using non-fat milk like I do) and combine, they become the same basic idea as heavy cream. It's just a thickening agent in my sauce anyway. No fear.

Then I realize I don't have dill, either. Well shit, the piece de resistance. Who the hell doesn't keep dill in their kitchen spice pantry? Me apparently. So I scramble through my spices and discover Parisienne, a nice little blend of chives and dill and other things. Ta Da! I make an executive decision that it will have to do (because hell, I've already made the poaching liquid and the fish is poaching along nicely).

Turns out, my executive last minute decisions were spot on, and the dish was a divine success. Served along side some rice pilaf (don't wet yourself, it was from a box, bless it's little Rice-A-Roni heart) it was a tasty treat.

So congratulations to me.


And now I have to clean up. Shit.

Poachedly yours,
Nay

Here is the recipe I used:
Poached Salmon with Dijon-Dill Sauce from cooks.com

A Tome on Why the Virginia SOL's Don't Suck

I tell people that I'm a teacher, and usually the first thing they ask me is "Wow, don't you hate the SOLs?"
Sometimes the first thing they ask me is "Wow, how do you not hate kids after that?", but that is another blog post altogether.

My answer to the first question is usually a resounding "NO!!" And it really irritates me how people who are not in the education field (and some who are) think that the SOLs suck. People, THEY DON'T. And here's why.

1. The SOLs are a standard. They are designed to make life easier by saying "here, this is the skill/idea/concept you should teach at some point in your academic year." That is all they say.
2. NOWHERE in the SOLs is it written "Thou must teacheth this way...." Nowhere. Period. It doesn't say it. So anyone who says they can't be creative because of the SOLs isn't doing it correctly. Either that or they were trying to teach underwater basketweaving and that got nixed by their administration because it's not an SOL. Friends, teaching to the SOL standards is not a bad thing. It means you are aligning your instruction to what the state says the kids must know, understand and be able to do. It doesn't say anywhere in the SOLs that you can't supplement with interesting information or concepts. That's ok too.
3. To reiterate, teaching to the SOL standards is a good thing. Teaching to SOL test is not. But teaching to ANY test is not the way to teach. Good teachers know this. Mediocre teachers think it's the easy way out. DO NOT BE THAT TEACHER.
4. The SOLs leave plenty of room for creativity. If you feel stiffled, it's not the SOLs, it's your districts pacing guide. And the VA Dept of Ed. has NOTHING to do with your county's pacing guide.
5. Using the SOLs as a jumping-off point is a great way to start. Think of them as the backbone of your teaching. Everything else can be muscle and tissue. That's what makes the body have form anyway. And that's what makes your instruction have form- the extras. They are important too. Align them with the standards, and you're golden.
6. Bottom line, the state REQUIRES that you teach them. Why bitch about it? They aren't going to go away. Yes, they change. Change is good. Embrace it. Think of it as an opportunity to start fresh.

Friends, this doesn't mean that I think the SOLs are the be-all-end-all. I don't. They are standards, they are imperfect and flawed. Guess what. So are teachers. You work around the flaws, you teach the big ideas and you align the standards in ways that suit you and your students. That's what good teachers do.
Yes, it's hard work. And yes, it might interrupt your Glee or American Idol time. Guess what. Deal with it. You signed a contract. Now give those kids the best that you can. The standards will be there to back you up.

And no. They don't suck.


Standardly yours,
Nay

The Return of Our 90's Childhood!!

Interesting developments on the book front: They are re-releasing one of my favorite book series: The Babysitters Club!!

Gosh, when I was growing up, I read every single one of those books, some of them over and over. My faves were the books about Claudia and Dawn. I didn't care for Mary Anne much (too goody-goody) and Kristy was pretty bossy and too into sports (which I'm most definitely NOT). But I loved the books anyway, and was always trying to start new "clubs" of my own, though not babysitting clubs.

The Washington Post put out an interesting article about the re-release, showing here. Apparently, the new books are updated to include more modern societal references and technological advances- read: no more Walkmans or VCRs. While I understand that the publishers felt it was necessary to modernize the BSC to suit their more modern audience, the question remains: will these still be the same BSC girls we know and love?

The answer, in my opinion, will be a resounding "yes"! Here's why:

• we are living in a material world and I am a material girl. No joke, it might be awkward to read about Stacy and Claudia listening to a "boom box" or riding to school with their "Walkman". References to iPods or Claudia's new Uggs/Sketchers/insert-popular-shoe-brand-here will make us more comfortable, and won't be a jog back into reality- our current reality will be in-text.
• Updating some content will be refreshing because girls today are MUCH different than girls were in the late 80's and 90's when these books had their (first) heyday.
• In order for a story to be believeable, you have to believe that the story could actually happen- thus the genre "realistic fiction". Keep the books the same as before and you have "historical fiction". Publishers are looking to SELL books, not have old readers experience nostalgia. That's not why they are re-releasing the books.
• The girls are the same girls we love: Kristy, Claudia, Dawn, Stacy, and Mary Anne. They're still the Baby-Sitters Club, and they are still the same. Just had some work done, that's all.

Bottom line?

I'll buy the whole set when it comes out, prequel and all. I loved the books then, and I know I'll love them now. And as a teacher, I know that my students will enjoy the stories because they are easy to read and easy to relate to. And as my students head into middle school, reading something that touts middle school as a fun experience, not a traumatic one that society seems to paint, will ease their minds and give them something to look forward to.

Granted, middle school in America these days is a nightmare. But why scare the kids so early?

Nostalgically yours,

Nay

Getting More Ink Done

In keeping with the family (ok namely my sister's) tradition, I have decided to get another tattoo, and one to match the Shel Silverstein "Giving Tree" one she got. Here's what I am thinking:

On my right shoulder blade, minus the title and author information, just the image with the giraffe facing to the right the way it is in the picture.

Here's why:

Shelley and I grew up reading Shel Silverstein stuff. "The Giving Tree" and "A Giraffe and a Half" were two of our favorites. I've always loved the story and I thought it would be a poignant tribute to our childhood.

Thoughts?


Inkedly yours,
Nay

Movin' Out. Sadly.

Friday will be a sad day for me. It's the last day of my student teaching, and I'm leaving my kids. I'm sort of torn between emotions: sadness and happiness.

You know what, I'm not going to lie to myself. I'm not happy to return to Flat Rock. I really can't stand my job and I've really enjoyed being with my third graders from student teaching. I've actually used some of the techniques I've learned at Mary Baldwin, and I've been able to try out my teaching wings. Going back to Flat Rock means that I have to relinquish all authority and be an assistant again. Instead of making decisions and planning, I go back to being a coat rack and a babysitter. It sucks and I am NOT happy about it.

Sure, I'm happy to be giving my cooperating teacher her class back. I can't say I've been thrilled with her class 100% of the time, but for the most part, I've really enjoyed myself and I will miss the kids and her. I just hate going back to Flat Rock. I'll be the most educated assistant there and that just grates my nerves. Here I am with a Masters degree, doing lunch duty and parent pick-up. Grr.

Next year. Next year I'll have my own classroom. And no, don't give me any of that bullshit "You should be thankful you have a job." How can I be thankful for a job I hate. Oh go ahead and say it- you're an ungrateful bitch, Nay. Yep. Sure am. I just can't justify settling for something less than I deserve or have earned.


Whew. It feels good to get that out of my system. Thanks for letting me vent.

Frustratedly yours,
Nay

Dogs Rule.

I have always loved dogs, sometimes more than people. Dogs are more forgiving. They are unconditional. They are everything we wish we were. Going overboard, maybe a little. Who cares.

Anyway, I found the FUNNIEST web series ever for dog lovers like me, and you. It's called Puppy Love and it's really really funny- http://www.lstudio.com/puppy-love/puppy-love.html

The first webisode is called Puppy Love, and it stars Famke Janssen. She is going out with a new guy, and they come back to her place. He cuts the date short when her dog Owen farts and grosses him out- she doesn't notice or react the way he does, and he leaves. Her gay friend says that her dog is her boyfriend. Anyway, watch the webisode and fall in love like I did!!!

Doggily yours,
Nay

A Wicked Case of Writers Block

I am suffering from serious writers block on my seminar paper. It's about assessment alignment and why teachers should focus on aligning their assessments to their students and their learning goals, rather than just using the canned tests from the textbook or from some exam writing software. It's better for the kids if you do it yourself, and ultimately, it's better for you the teacher.

But I just can't get it out on paper!!! I have research, and I have an outline and a semi-decent thesis, but I just can't figure out where to start, and what to say! I'm sitting here crying because I'm so frustrated!

This is a monster paper for me because it is what is going to decide if I am a good candidate for a Masters. It's sort of like writing a Masters thesis, but it's not as long. But it's just as serious, and I think that is starting to wig me out. I know I'll write a good paper, but will it be good ENOUGH for the panel to think I deserve a Masters?

I'm freaking out and I need love and support. And maybe some writing advice.

HELP!

Nay

I'm a Sucker for a good ad

TV marketing has changed the way Americans live, it is so true. And we often buy products just because we like commercials. Guilty as charged.

Case in point, Progresso soups. I love their ads these days- with the cans on the string "Ring Ring!" - so cute!

Check out their website for all their soup ads Progresso Soup ads. My favorite is called "Going Out" and the one about the wife and the husband losing weight.

Not only do I like their ads, but I also like their soups. A can of their soup is enough for lunch and they are quick and easy. AND TASTY!! My favorites are the Traditional Chicken Noodle and the Clam Chowder. YUM-O!

So yes, the commerical makes me remember to buy their soups. And the taste of the soup reminds me why I buy them in the first place- pure comfort food goodness.

Score one for the marketers at Progresso. Another consumer bites the dust :)

Soupily yours,

Nay

Mommy Says Share... Just Not Germs

An interesting thing happens the longer you are a teacher. When you first start teaching or are around elementary age kids a lot, you get sick ALL THE TIME. I mean, you pretty much have a cold the first 6 months of your job. But as you work there, your body builds up an immunity to their germs. And believe me- these kiddos are GERMY.
Perfect example? Swine flu season last year. We had 600 kids out over a 2 month period. And here I am right in the thick of it with their snotty noses, their phlemy coughs, fevers, you name it. I saw it. And I didn't even get the sniffles. Didn't get the H1N1 shot either. (thats a whole other story)
My point is, you build up a tolerance to the germy wormys. Which is good, until you change schools and encounter a whole other set of germs.

Ergo, the bronchial infection I now have, thanks to my 3rd graders. We've had students out most of last week with these god-awful coughs, and now look who has a cough- Miss N. Way to go 3rd graders.
And you know, when I go back to FRES after student teaching is over, I'll probably get sick from their germs too.

Le sigh.

Coughingly yours,
Nay

Not so big Apple.

So I did it. I went to New York. I saw the sights. I heard the sounds. I smelled the... smells? Yes, I did that too. Those street vendors smell like Heaven. And the subway manholes smell like Hell.

Our trip started on a sour note- the city was pelted by 9 inches of snow Thursday night into Friday morning. The plane was supposed to leave at 10:45, was delayed until 12:45, then didn't take off from Richmond until around 3:30. We barely got there, rode the AirTrain and the subway to Manhattan, checked into our hotel, dressed, and scooted out the door at 7:30 to make our 8:00 Broadway showtime.

The Broadway was the best part of the trip, hands down.

And that's about it.

It didn't thrill me. I wasn't in awe, I wasn't blown away, I wasn't swept off my feet by the grandeur that is Manhattan that is New York City. In fact, I was rather disappointed. I don't know if it was because I was bummed about missing half of a day in the city because of our delayed flights, but I just wasn't feeling it.

It didn't really help that my travelmates and I argued pretty much the whole time. Snap here, snipe there, sarcastic comment everywhere. That really put a downer on my trip. I know I was just as bad as they were, but in my defense (and I can say that because this is MY blog), I'd never seen New York before, and so my questions were genuine, and I didn't appreciate hearing a snide or sarcastic retort to my statements or questions. Moral of this story? Travel alone.

Secondly, it really wasn't all it's cracked up to be. There was no glamour- about the only thing glamorous were the pictures I took of Prada, Gucci, and Ferragamo storefronts on 5th Avenue. Truth be told, it looked a lot like a taller version of DC. Well, been there, done that. DC is prettier- more monuments, more history. There, I said it. The city I couldn't wait to move away from is now the city I prefer.

Would I visit New York again? Of my own accord, no. If I was cajoled and begged, told I'm a bad friend, or that this was someone's dying wish, yes, I would go.

But let me forewarn you- if I go again, I will do what I want to do, when I want to do it, and if you don't want to come, fine. Let me find my way around this place. If I can figure out DC, I can figure out NYC.

That being said, I want to thank my best friend and travelmate for the birthday gift of a lifetime- Lion King tickets. Truly, that was the highlight of my trip and it could not be topped, not in a million years.

Ok maybe Europe. But that's another milestone birthday.

Honestly yours,
Nay

New York, New York?

I'm following a tip from my sister, and writing about my upcoming trip to New York City. I've never been to NYC before, and I'm leaving Friday with my best friend and my sister. It's also my birthday weekend, and this trip is my present to myself. Lisa also bought tickets to see The Lion King on Broadway, which I am so excited about.

Shelley, my sister, suggested that I write about my preconceptions of New York. We are conditioned to believe that a place truly is what it's like on TV or in books or magazines. I am a huge fan of Sex and the City, and so I believe that NYC will look and feel like it does on my favorite show- fashionable, sexy, glamourous and effortless.

I have a feeling I'm in for a rude awakening.

Monday night I started looking for restaurants to make reservations at for this weekend so that we would at least have a place for dinner. Just doing this stressed me out. Which restaurant? What neighborhood? Is this a good place? Is it too expensive? Will we look out of place? Am I too Virginia for New York? I'm not cool enough, am I? Suddenly all these thoughts were swirling around in my head and I began to doubt if I was ready for New York. I definitely was not in an Empire state of mind, Jay-Z.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I have put NYC up on a pedestal- this idea of urban perfection, and that I've set myself up for a fall. Because I'm so excited about this trip, because I have this picture in my mind of what New York is going to look and feel like (look, there goes Carrie Bradshaw and Samantha Jones, off to their lunch date!), I'm afraid that I won't be able to see New York for what it really is- just another city. Yes, it's quintessentially American, and fashionable, and nearly every movie or book is set there or has a character who longs to return to the Big Apple, but we have to remember that it's also a place of business, and that it is someone's home.

I'm trying to be pragmatic and realistic so that I'm not intensely disappointed by the city that never sleeps.

However, I'm also a big tourist and I can't wait to squeal like a little girl at the sight of the Statue of Liberty and Bergdorf Goodman. And Fifth Avenue. And Broadway. And Manolo Blahnik. And Wall Street. And... sigh. Oh New York. I can't wait to meet you.

Urbanly yours,

Nay