Happy things with which to end the week

January has been pretty good so far. I am loving wintertime in kindergarten!

The kids love to create snowman after snowman from the glittery playdough I made. Aren't they cute?

Speaking of snowmen, I adore all the wintry artwork we've been making. These snowmen with their colourful, bingo dabbered backgrounds make me especially happy.

My new chalk board mug is pretty awesome.

My favourite page from last year's calendar is now a permanent fixture on my classroom wall. 

Merry Christmas to us! Cassie's parcel from England arrived today! Thank you, sweet friend.

I got a Kobo eReader for Christmas. That thing is awesome! And tonight I got a "75% 

off your first purchase" so I'm definitely making some book choices this weekend.

I went back to yoga last Friday and I'm so excited to be back there tonight...

Happy Weekend, friends!

E xo

Friday favourites

I never seem to have enough time to write these days. But I'm still taking photos. Here are a few favourites from the last week.

So happy that Downton Abbey is back!

Dinner out with my best high school girlfriends {we laughed a lot}

My kindergarten classroom just keeps getting prettier

Alan woke up first the other morning, and brought me a big mug of tea :)

Pretty pink sunset, the night before Run for the Cure

Blue skies, pink balloons, and memories of Em...

Sawyer's self-portrait in Cheerios!

Happy Weekend, lovelies. If you're here in Canada, I hope you have the most wonderful Thanksgiving.

More soon...

love E xo

Poppies, memories, family time

I always say that I need to write down/acknowledge/focus on three beautiful things each and every day. But do I? No. Definitely not every day. Somedays not even every other day. Sometimes I get bogged down in all the not so beautiful stuff, and I forget. And so today, I'm making sure to do it. Life is good in so many ways. I'm a lucky girl for so many reasons. So, here's my 3BT on this bright Tuesday afternoon in June...

California poppies, picked by the roadside as the boys waited for the school bus this morning, in a little blue vase on my desk.

This beautiful spot where Em's memorial bench sits. We sat there together the last time I spent a weekend with her in Vancouver, before she moved to France. This weekend it will be dedicated to her, and we'll gather to have a picnic in her honour. Em loved picnics.

Hanging out in the front yard with the boys and Alan last night before bedtime. It's a beautiful yard, with good trees for climbing. I enjoyed being there, in the company of my little family, very much.

I hope you're enjoying at least three beautiful things today! And if you'd like to tell me what they are, I'd love to hear.

PS: Ooh, I almost forgot to mention... there are just 7 days left of school until summer vacation!

Things I'm loving lately

Walking on the beach

Our gorgeous garden {and our soon-to-be finished sundeck}

The smell of freshly cut grass

Painted toenails

The letters from Em I keep coming across 

Planning for my class next year {I'm going back to kindergarten!}

Skype

Instagram 

Letters in my mailbox

Season finales {The Office was wonderful, wasn't it/}

Summer travel plans

Riding my bike 

Sitting on the front lawn in my new muskoka chair

Imagining how fab our new bathroom's going to look

Listening to my first graders read and seeing how far they've come

Playing board games with my boys

My floppy new sunhat and stripy flip-flops

Six weeks left until summer vacation!

What are you loving lately?

Happy things/Friday flowers

This has been a busy week, both at home and at school. I can feel the end of the school year approaching {7 weeks to go} and the pace of life is picking up. The sun has shone though, I've managed to keep on top of things, and I've been feeling pretty good.  And so, without further ado, I give you some happy things with which to end the week...

Colourful bamboo flower pots that my students made for their moms. They were so excited to paint the pots, pick out just the right plant, and scoop the soil. I think they turned out beautifully, don't you?

I know I keep going on about my lilac trees, but seriously. Look at them. They're gorgeous! And they smell heavenly. 

Lovely lupins, beginning to bloom. This is my favourite season in our garden.

And finally, Frapuccino Happy Hour! Half price fraps every afternoon until May 12? Yes, please.

Happy Friday, friends. I hope your weekend rocks. Don't forget to call your mother on Sunday and tell you how much you love her!

E xo

Happy things with which to end the week

I am so tired. This has been a long and busy week, starting with my weekend in Vancouver for Em's memorial. It was such a lovely couple of days {lovely but heartwrenching and totally exhausting}. I got home around 10 o'clock on Sunday night, and was right back to school the next morning. My first graders have been full of beans, and I've been doing my best to keep up with their abundant energy, but it's practically impossible!

Anyway, here are a few happy things to finish off the week. Hope yours has been a good one...

This is one little corner of The Regional Assembly of Text, which I discovered on Main Street in Vancouver on Saturday. Oh my god. Best. Store. Ever. They have a monthly letter writing club, where you and your fellow stationery-loving friends get to use their vintage typewriters and fabulous papers to write letters. And while you're at it, they provide tea and cookies! And the best bit? They've just opened a shop in Victoria! Wheee!

All four of our lilac trees are in bloom. This is the view from my office window. Swoon.

Speaking of views, this is the view from my classroom window. Springtime in Victoria is my favourite.

We're doing a Dr Seuss unit in Grade One. The kids love it, and get expecially excited when they get to read with my Thing 1 and Thing 2 finger puppets.

How's this for beautiful first grade artwork?

I've got a big to-do list for this weekend, but that's okay. The feeling of accomplishment we'll experience as items get checked off will make make tackling that list well worth the effort. The forecast is for plenty of sunshine and blue skies, so I plan to ride my bike with the boys {all three of them} and get lots of fresh air, too. Plus there's a new episode of Doctor Who to look forward to Saturday night, and a family game of Carcassonne to enjoy as well. I'm looking forward to all of it.

Happy Friday, friends.

xo

Happy things with which to end the week

Some things that are making me smile on this blustery Friday night:

• Several days of sunshine {leading up to today's rain}
• A garden full to bursting with tulips
• Birthday mail that just keeps coming
• FaceTime with friends {even though it makes my heart ache for Em and our regular FT dates}
• A stack of new, light-hearted library books
• Being told {twice!} that I look like Uma Thurman in the photo above {so not true, but loving it anyway}
• Starting and ending the week with fancy afternoon tea
• I went to my first-ever yoga class this week and I loved it {can't wait to go back}
• Climbing into a bed with clean sheets {dried on the clothesline} and falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow {a girl can dream...}

Good-night, friends. Have a lovely weekend..
E xo

Happy things with which to end the week

I made it! It's Friday night. After a long and busy first week back at school {oh, that 6 o'clock alarm is awful}, the weekend is finally here. I've been on the couch since I got home. We watched Harry Potter and ate cheese on toast and cuddled up in fleecy blankets by the fire. It's freezing cold outside and inside really is the nicest place to be {I went to the gym twice in the past three days, so I've got no guilt about a bit of lounging}. Actually, you know what? I'm thinking maybe my bed is the nicest place to be. I'm totally sleeping in, too. Just before I go, here are a couple of happy things with which to end this chilly week:

There's snow in the forecast! Since it has to be January {blah}, it might as well snow.

The view through my classroom window this morning

Alan's birthday is tomorrow. The boys are pumped! We've got a pile of presents for the birthday boy, and I have made an awesome cake. We're going out for birthday breakfast in the morning and I can't wait! Breakfast is the best meal to eat out, don't you think?

Spoiler alert! Presents all wrapped up and hidden in my office until tomorrow

Night-night, loves. Have a happy weekend.

You can follow me on Instagram if you like.

Happy things with which to end the week

I'm finding it hard to believe that we're two full weeks into December already. Can Christmas truly be just ten days away? Apparently it can. The proof is in my happy list below...

The Christmas lights downtown {never mind the blurry photo... next week I'll have my brand new iPhone 5 and the photos it takes will be fab!}

Festive window displays

Snowman art by my first graders

 My ornament swap parcel arrived today! {stay tuned next week for all the details...}

Our gingerbread house, before the boys began picking it apart and eating it. I couldn't stay annoyed for long... it was making them so happy

Enjoy the weekend, all of you! I'm looking forward to mine. I'll be spending it getting a start on my wrapping, going to a Christmas tea party, hanging out with my brother's family at their holiday open house, and taking the boys to the annual Langford Light-up Firetruck Parade.  You? 

PS: I'm not sure what to say about what happened in Connecticut today, but I feel like I need to say something. As a mother and a teacher, I was heartbroken when I heard the news in the staffroom at school this afternoon. There really are no words to express my shock and sadness at the loss of so many innocent lives. My heart goes out to those families tonight.

Happy things with which to end the week

Just like that, the first week of December is over! I'm really hoping things will slow down now and the next three weeks will meander by, allowing plenty of time to savour all the wonderful things about this time of year...

Here's my happy list, in the wee hours of Friday morning:

 I adore Dylan's letter to Santa. Pretty sure he'll be getting everything on his wish list!

 I love my teeny-tiny vintage elves, found in a fabulous antique shop last weekend {note to self: get outside and wash those windows!}

 Our house is oh-so-twinkly! And we're not done yet...

 On the dresser in our bedroom, this Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, painted for me by my beloved Gramma over thirty years ago

 Cranberry shimmer lotion from The Body Shop. Mmmmm.

 I'm very happy with my Christmas cards this year. They've got just the right amount of sparkle.

 A stack of good books on my bedside table

Happy Weekend, friends! What have you got planned for the next few days? We have two staff parties to attend, a family search for the perfect Christmas tree, a sleepover at Gramma and Grampa's house for the boys {while we're at party #2}, Christmas shopping, and hopefully putting up and decorating our Christmas tree. It's starting to feel pretty festive over here! Just the way I like it... 

Happy things with which to end the week

Oh boy, am I ever glad it's Friday. It's been a crazy week. Lots of late nights spent writing report cards, plus three days in a row of parent-teacher interviews add up to one tired girl nursing a seriously sore throat and constant headache. Thank goodness today was a Pro-D day. I got to sleep in a wee bit {after an early Thursday night in bed with Downton Abbey}, drive through Starbucks for my chai tea latte, and then sit back and enjoy an amazing guest speaker at a really interesting workshop. Lovely way to end a hectic week. I'm feeling better already! Now, a few more happy things with which to end this week...

My Christmas mini-swap package arrived this afternoon. It's full of fabulous vintage stickers and tags, and my favourite teas, all the way from the lovely Jasmine in Brisbane, Australia. Thank you so much, Jasmine! {and Gracie, for organizing the swap!}

 I am wild about those snowmen.

My fridge is covered with artwork that looks like this these days... Love it.

Dylan's latest Christmas picture. Totally the sort of thing I used to draw...

My friend Shannon and I are going to see the new Twilight movie tonight. We've been to all the others together, so it's a must. Looking forward to such a silly indulgence {terrible acting, good looking vampires and werewolves, and a great, big bucket of popcorn!} to kick off the last weekend of November. I can't wait!

Team Edward? Or Team Jacob? Or both? ;~)

Happy Friday, friends! Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy things with which to end the week

It's Friday. Sweet, sweet Friday. I have a fun day planned with my first graders and then the entire weekend is stretched out ahead of me {full of report card writing, but still...}

Here are some other things that are making me smile at November's mid-point:

I got the email yesterday to tell me who my partner is this year in Micaela's ornament swap! I'm so excited to be paired up with a girl who loves all things vintage and lives in an old farmhouse in Connecticut! How fabulous is that? I can't wait to go shopping/thrifting for the perfect ornament for her.

After running errands yesterday, I arrived home to discover Kate Morton's brand new hardcover, The Secret Keeper, on my front steps {thank you, Charlotte!} How totally perfect, as I'd only just finished The Distant Hours the night before. Really must finish those report cards, so I can dive headlong into a good book.

Singing and dancing along to the oh-so-wonderful  She & Him Christmas album makes vacuuming so much more fun.

I made my dad a delicious {and dare I say, beautiful?} black forest cake for his birthday. It was a new recipe for me, but it turned out so well, didn't it? And the birthday boy liked it, too.

And a few more things, because I'm feeling rather cheerful at 7 o'clock on a school morning:
* I'm baking with my class this afternoon. We're going to read If You Give a Moose a Muffin and then we're making {you guessed it} muffins. Fun!
* I'm going to a Christmas craft fair after work today {my first this year}. I love a Christmas craft fair, don't you? Can't wait to stock up on pretty paper products.
* Yesterday was payday, which means some sort of takeout for dinner tonight! I'm thinking Noodle Box...
* There's a house down the street that has Christmas lights up! I love the bit of colour and twinkle on a dark, wintry morning.

Happy Friday, friends! Have a good one.
E xo

Happy things with which to end the week

* The red cups are back! It's practically Christmas time! This calls for a gingerbread latté, non?

* Micaela's just announced her 4th annual Christmas ornament swap! I've signed up already, of course. I've played along every year, and have had so much fun. I still remember my first Christmas parcel from Micaela herself {lucky me to get paired up with the girl who organized the swap in the first place!} and how excited I was to open it. Can't wait to see who I get paired up with this year! You should join in and sign up, too {you have until Nov. 12th} ... maybe we'll be partners. I'll send something lovely, I promise :)

Aaand... it's the weekend. That's good enough for me! I plan to sleep in, make a nice breakfast for my three boys, catch up on some Downton Abbey,  skype with my best friend who's back in France {pfft, France... why does it have to be so freaking far away?} and maybe draw up my Christmas card list. Keeping things simple and relaxing after a long and crazy week. How about you? What are you up to, this first weekend in November?