Fall Advice and Style: Keep it Simple

Hello Readers!

Happy Sunday to you all! I hope your morning is everything you dreamed it would be! I'm sipping on my Pumpkin Spice coffee and thinking about cool nights! Today I just wanted to pop in and talk about simplicity. Whether it be getting ready for work, working, being at school or anything you have on your plate, start simple.

That seems so easy, right? I think as humans we want to complicate such simple steps, which overwhelms us and makes minute things seem overwhelming. At least that's how I feel sometimes. When you feel overwhelmed, just remember write down the problem and take it in steps. You won't believe how simple your problems will become.

The other day I had a problem trying to dress myself. What was that about? I thought about my problem and came up with an idea to spread some closet essentials out and plan out my wardrobe for the week. As simple as it may seem, things like this can be frustrating, but if it helps you and saves you a few minutes each morning, it's well worth it.

Keep some closet Fall essentials for everyday:

1. Black Turtleneck/Black Sweater
2. Khaki Trench
3. White, Gray, Black Long sleeved tees
4.Skinny Jeans
5. Gray Sweater
6. White Blouse
7.Classic Watch
8. Classic Black business suit
9. Black Heels
10. Nautical black and whited striped tee
11. Ray ban sunglasses
12. Field Jacket
13.LBD
14. Ballet Flats/Loafers/Smoking Slippers
15. Sneakers
16. Pencil Skirt
17. Riding boots
18. Scarf
19. Grey Hoodie
20. Cross-body bag

You can turn these essentials into many different outfits during the season. I hope this article helps for the mornings! I wish I had Cher's closet- minus the 90s clothes. Have fun!

United Nations Green Initiative 2014

Hello Readers!

Today I thought I would let you into my thoughts while living in the city of New York. It has been hampering on my mind and I can't seem to shake it off. This city is dirty! Each day when I come to and from work, I noticed overflowing city garbage cans, restaurants dumping their food on the streets, empty plastic bottles and newspaper pages scattered all along the subway tracks. I can't stand it!

I have become morphed into a recycling queen.  Everything that I throw away gets categorized into three garbage cans. You would think, with 8 million people living here, it should be a law to recycle. I still don't know how today, we as human beings can even fathom of throwing an empty paper coffee cup on the ground. Who does that? Please don't do that. There was a March last Sunday in NYC with thousands supporting the way to go green. De Blasio wants to reduce greenhouse gases by 80%  by the year 2050. It's 2014, we need to start now!

With all the garbage bags being thrown on the pavement for pickup; it's literally disturbing. Bags upon bags as tall as me get placed outside for the trucks to scoop to landfills. I have since come to the conclusion that I have to do something, even if its just little ol' me.

I have made a promise to myself to stick to a glass water bottle when traveling to and from work, a coffee mug, using reusable bags when shopping, recycling at least 85% of the products I use (the rest is disposable food or things that cannot be recycled), I wish I could compost here. If I am in desperate need of a bag, I will reuse it as much as possible.

When you live in such an overpopulated city, it really makes you think about how you can really affect the enviornment. And it's just me. If I was Mayor of this city, one of the first things I would do would be to clean up the garbage problem. Scott toilet paper had a campaign in the city and said that each year we throw away as many toilet paper rolls enough to fill The Empire State Building. 17 billion rolls! Another fact I reads each year we throw enough plastic water bottles away to circle the Earth 3 times. Thats disturbing.

This should be a wake up call to not only New York, but to the planet! This has nothing to do with politics, but keeping the planet a better place for the next generation. Here are some pictures of artists reusing trash around the city. Where is all this garbage going? What can you do differently? How much smaller can you make your carbon footprint?


Glass Water Bottle:

http://www.shopbymonika.com/products/bkr-water-bottle


GreenNYC Initiative:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/greenyc/html/about/about.shtml

United Nations Climate Summit:

http://mashable.com/2014/09/24/united-nations-climate-summit-takeaways/?utm_cid=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-All-Partial

 NYC Climate March:

http://www.amny.com/news/environmental-activists-paint-city-green-with-people-s-climate-march-1.9370557

http://www.nyc.gov/html/greenyc/html/about/about.shtml

Good Apple: Love a Teacher!

Hello Readers!

I hope you are all doing well. I have recently been off on my teaching career lately. I feel a tug to keep writing my posts that I used to write so frequently! I miss this!  I feel like my writing has really become a part of me. Its also really special that I get to share it with people all over the world. I love expressing my voice through writing. its also a fun creative outlet!

As you know, Fall is here!  There's nothing better than slipping into a brand new cozy sweater, or sipping a hot cup of coffee while taking a stroll in the park. Boot weather is so my thing. If I could pick weather to stay in all year long, it would most defineatly would be Fall.  After the sweltering summer in the city, I can't wait. There is nothing worse than briskly walking down to the subway and feeling like your in a sweaty sauna room.

My first unit for my Pre-K students is Apples. It's so fun to teach them about healthy eating habits and how apples are harvested in the Fall. We talked about everything from Apple Pie to applesauce. I've never eaten so many juicy and crunchy apples!  I think they are appled out.

It's fun to see the meaning behind the true Teachers Apple. I always wondered why students gave teachers an apple. I also didn't realize how much work a teacher really has to do! Teachers have a lot on their plate. So reflecting from when I was a student, to now teacher, its really an eye opener to see the roles reversed! If your a student, teacher or parent, just know if we all work together, and want to work toward the same goals, things are bound to work out for the best.  Happy school year!  Don't forget to eat your apples!

Since I'm talking about apples, I wanted to share a great recipe for a fall apple salad. It's so good!

http://jessicainthekitchen.com/apple-pecan-feta-salad-honey-apple-dressing/#_a5y_p=2391716

 APPLE PECAN AND FETA SALAD WITH HONEY APPLE DRESSING

 

PREP TIME

15 mins

TOTAL TIME

15 mins

Apple Pecan and Feta Salad with Honey Apple Dressing is loaded with fall flavours and is sweet, crunchy and good for you! You can customise the portions in this salad to your liking.

Serves: 1 big salad

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 3 cups kale, de-stemmed, washed and torn
• 1 apple, sliced thinly
• 2 tablespoons cranberries
• 2 tablespoons pecans
• 
  
• 
  
• 3 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled

Honey-Apple Vinaigrette Dressing

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Salad

1. In a bowl, place the kale. Add the apples, cranberries, pecans and feta cheese on top - if you'd like, toss them in a bowl first them sprinkle on top.

Honey-Apple Vinaigrette Dressing

1. Whisk the ingredients together and pour over the salad.
2. Enjoy!

Turning a New Leaf: September

Hello Everyone!


I just wanted to pop in and say Happy Sunday! I can't believe my birthday is just days away!  I feel like I just turned 30! I also can't wait for the cool, crisp Fall weather. I will say that this year was pretty incredible! I graduated with my Masters, moved to New York and got married to the love of my life!

Things usually don't happen like that for such huge milestones. I guess that's just the way it happens! When your least expecting it, things just " happen". I know people write goals or things they need to achieve before a certain age. I had goals for my life, but didn't put too much pressure on myself for things to pan out. They just did!

I think that's important, to have goals and a predetermined idea of how you see yourself, but things can always change, and you must be flexible with those changes in life. Wether you like it or not! I don't try to measure my worth by what others are doing, that just leads to unhappiness. You have to love yourself and be confident that there is a plan for your own life!

I try to find something funny in my workday and make each day count. As I look back on my life, I remember being so small and it literally seemed like yesterday. I thought about Joan Rivers this week and how young she looked in the early 90s. I was in 5th grade watching E! Seems like yesterday!  Time goes by so fast, just being positive and making someone else feel good recycles the positive energy!

This birthday, I'm grateful for my loving husband, my parents that will still be by my side, my family and extended family, and the simple things in life. My life lessons for 31: Keep it simple. Less is more, Smile and Laugh, and make a (little) difference in the world.

Thank you Joan, for making the world a more funny, stylish place.

Nothing is yours permanently, you better enjoy it while it's happening. - Joan Rivers