Settled into my new digs!

So I'm finally settled into my new office. The furniture is arranged, boxes are unpacked, pictures/diplomas are hung, and everything has been dusted and polished. Our technician hooked up my computer and printer today, so I am ready for the school year to begin.

I have one small project to do next week. There is a large bulletin board in the offce and it is covered in the ugliest blue paper right now. I'm going to cover it with material, and glue grosgrain ribbon around it for a border. I saw some of the cutest preppy pink and green polka dotted material the other day. I loved it, but I think I need to do the bulletin board in school colors, which are blue and white. I might get a solid color background and get blue and white polka dotted ribbon for the border. I'll post a picture when I'm finished.

If anyone has any suggestions for the bulletin board, please post them. It's the first thing that people will see when they come through my door, so I want it to look nice.

Abs Diet Update

I have been a model Abs Diet girl this week. I even ventured out to lunch a couple of times and stuck to the program. Eating out at restaurants is usually the downfall of my diet, especially in the little cafes and diners around here. I'm in a pretty rural area, and a lot of the little diners around here feature country cooking, which is delicious, but usually not very healthy.

On Tuesday, the other administrator and I went to a local restaurant that features a buffet of wonderful food. Think fried chicken, fried catfish, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits, corn bread, desserts, etc. Although the buffet does have a salad bar, I just didn't trust myself to make good choices, so I ordered grilled chicken off the menu. On Wednesday, a group of us went to a new cafe in town. The menu had a vast array of sandwiches, soups, and salads. Everyone else ordered a sandwich, but I ordered a salad. It was really good with romaine lettuce, baby spinach, turkey, tomatoes, and more. I was really satisfied with my salad and didn't suffer from "food envy" at all.

I've discovered that the more I stick to the program and the "power foods" (see the Abs Diet for details), the easier it is to make good choices with food.

On Monday, I got on the treadmill for 30 minutes on a walk/run program and I also did circuit training. I haven't made it on the treadmill any other day this week, but I have made up for it in moving furniture, hauling boxes, unpacking, and cleaning my office. I worked 12+ hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, and I was just too tired to exercise when I got home. I didn't get on the treadmill today either, but I had a rehearsal tonight and I think that a couple of hours of dancing should count for something, right?

Now I need to get mentally geared up for the weekend. I tend to let myself fall off the diet wagon on Saturdays and Sundays. Wish me luck!

Weekend Recap

Quick recap of our weekend...

We went golfing on Friday night with my in-laws. Even though I've been playing for a few years now, this was the first time I have ever gone with them. Mr. P goes quite a bit with his dad, but this was the first time the four of us had played together. I didn't play as well as I would have liked to, but overall I did okay. I was breaking in a new pair of golf shoes, so I think I was thinking about my feet more than usual. The shoes were a gift from Mr. P. Aren't they cute?

Sorry if the picture is a little fuzzy, it was the only one that I could find of the shoes. After golf, we went and ate at a little diner overlooking the river. Great view and the food was really good too.

On Saturday, our church held their annual fundraiser picnic. It's a pretty big event with a dinner, games, auction, concessions, etc. Mr. P went over to the church early to help fry the chicken for the dinner. The men always do this because it involves huge fryers and lots of hot grease. I want no part of it! I went over later to help serve at the dinner, and then we both worked a concession booth until almost midnight. We were so tired, but this fundraiser usually brings in between $18,000 and $20,000 for the church, so it is worth the time we put in each year. We always have a good time too, because we are working with our friends.

Back up early this morning for church. We usually go out with the in-laws or with friends after church, but we just got some take-out and brought it home today. I perform each summer in a community theater and I had a rehearsal this afternoon. Mr. P played golf with some friends. Pizza for dinner tonight (my cheat meal of the week) and then we are going to bed early. I have to work the next 3 days-it's kindergarten orientation, so it will be very busy around the school.

5 Things I'm Into Right Now

1. Creating Classrooms Where Teachers Love to Teach

Seriously, this is one of the best professional books that I have read. The author, Bob Sornsen, uses more of a storytelling format to present the philosophy of Love and Logic to the teaching profession. Although it is geared towards teachers, I have gained some valuable perspective and tips towards dealing with students and parents as an adiminstrator. If you are a teacher, or if you know a teacher, I highly recommend this book. This author has also written a similar book about love and logic for parenting.

2. The Abs Diet for Women and Eat This, Not That

I need to lose some weight. Period. I said it out loud (well, wrote it actually, but you know what I mean). I need to face the facts and own up to what I need to do. I won't say that this plan is super easy, because dieting and losing weight is never that easy. However, this particular plan is not hard to follow, not too restrictive, and it just makes sense. Eat This, Not That, written by the same author/creator of The Abs Diet, is a great reference for making healthy choices at restaurants and the grocery store.





3. Grilling, specifically grilling kabobs

Poor Mr. P. In light of my efforts with #2, I have decided that we are grilling every night. No matter that he is working 12+ hour days right now, when he gets home, he has the task of cooking our dinner. I love to cook, but grilling is not my thing-probably because of my fear of fire and all that. And kabobs are the best-you have your meat and veggies marinated, add a little brown rice, a green vegetable and voila-a healthy, balanced, delicious dinner.

In my defense, the meat and vegetables are always marinated and the grill is already heating, so all he has to do is the actual grilling. And we usually grill enough for 2 meals, so he doesn't have to grill every night. Just every other night. Hee.



4. Bonnano Sandals

Okay, I seriously want a pair of the Emma Monogrammed sandals in black with white stitching. I have currently put myself on a shopping freeze due to the large amount of shopping that I have done this summer. I have had so many events this summer-niece's graduation, my class reunion, my in-law's 40th anniversary, and I have bought a new outfit for each one of them, in addition to buying new summer things also. I inventoried my closet the other day and realized that if I lost some weight (once again, see #2) it would be like I had a whole new wardrobe. So I have put myself on a shopping freeze. That being said, I still want a pair of these sandals. I think that I am borderline obsessing over them. Case in point-I'm sitting in church last Sunday, in a really cute black and white outfit, and in the middle of the sermon, I start thinking about how cute a pair of monogrammed Emma sandals would look with my outfit.

5. School Supplies

It's hard to believe, but school starts in less than two weeks. Where did my summer go?? The teachers are working in their classrooms, putting new things up and getting things ready for the kids. Even though I'm not in the classroom anymore, I still have the urge to buy new things for the new school year. I need to start my year off with perfectly sharpened yellow pencils with a red cap eraser on the top. I need new stuff to put in and on my desk. Staples, Office Max, and Office Depot are calling my name. My friend LB bought some adorable Vera Bradley office supplies (pencils, note pad, and clipboard) for her classroom, and I've decided that I may just need some too.

So here I go...

My first post and I have no idea what to say, how's that for a great start to a blog? I've been reading blogs all summer and finally decided to strike out on my own. If I am half as entertaining as the blogs I've been reading this summer, then I will consider this a success.

My main goal is to write about my day and hope that someone out there finds it remotely interesting! I may share this with a few of my close friends, particularly the one that got me turned onto blogs in the first place (Thanks, LB!), but other than that I am going to keep it quiet from friends and family, at least until I get a feel for blogs and how all this works.

A few quick facts about myself-I am in my thirties, happily married to a great guy, and I am a school administrator. We have no kids, but hope to have a few sometime in the future. We enjoy golfing together and I love the color pink, which is how the name Pink Putter was born.

Well, I'm off to the golf course with Mr. Pink, who will probably be known as Mr. P from here on out.