Graduation & Paying Bills

Officially a Teacher and an Adult

I guess if we are being technical, I was officially an adult at the age of 18. But I have to say, getting a piece of paper from a University, a little teaching certificate and trying to figure out Health Care really brings out the adult feels. In exactly 6 days I will be crying while trying to put on eyeliner, walking across a stage, shaking someone's hand and entering a life with no concrete plan. And it terrifies me. I have all the normal adult plans: get a career, buy a house, buy a car, marriage and kids, but those all seem so far down the line for me. So I'd figure I'd make some short-term realistic plans/goals to occupy me & share my to-do list with you. Maybe you could use some or make your own. 

1. Blog More

I don't think many people read this, and it's probably because I never post or it is not interesting. But that's okay. Whether people read this or not, I enjoy typing it.

2. Complete the 30-Day Abs Challenge
If you go on social media, I'm sure you've seen these fitness 30 day challenges. I am currently on day 4 of the abs challenge and I can tell I have not done a proper sit up in a long time. What I love about this is how quick it is to do. NO MORE EXCUSES!

3. Use Up Frozen Bananas
I have 6 lovely black bananas in my freezer. Every time I look at them, I google all the delicious things I could make...then read the instructions and think: Ain't no one got time for that! Except me now, being an adult and all. 

  

You may not be interested in a single item on my list, but it is more of an encouragement to not get wrapped up in the unrealistic goals and to set some simple things you can accomplish.

-Vanessa xo

Jumping into the Real World - Head First

I just finished University. Since 2:30pm on Wednesday I have been trying to come to terms with never having to write a paper, stress out about a test, or try to get together with a group again. It is almost surreal. For the past five years I have worked towards my Bachelor of Education and just have to complete my nine week APT student teaching. Come May, I'll be done everything and be on the other side of the education fence. In May, my life can finally start and sometimes that terrifies me. If you know anything about teaching in Edmonton, it can be difficult to find a job. What if I can't get a job? What if I run out of money? Are we moving somewhere? Do I need to buy a car for substitute teaching? There's all these questions with no answers yet. There's no program sheet to follow for the next 4 years. Sometimes I have to remind myself that everything will be okay. If you're in the same boat as me, here's some thoughts to pick you up. 

1. Your Job is NOT Your Life

I picked teaching so that my career could fit nicely into the life I want, not the other way around. With the pressure of finding a teaching job, sometimes I loose sight of this. My life will continue to be great with or without a teaching job. My career will never define the quality of my life. I can be just as happy working elsewhere until I can get my foot in the teaching door. 

2. There's Jobs Elsewhere

Even though Edmonton can be tough, there are teaching jobs elsewhere. If you are willing to move, there are positions. As a side note, if you are in a serious relationship like myself, have this talk! Who's moving where when you are trying to find jobs? Are you willing to give up a position to stay with your SO? Are they? It doesn't matter what your answer is, because every couple is different, but you NEED to discuss it!

3. Find What Matters in Your Life

Use this as your motivation. You may not get a call back right away. You may find yourself subbing or working another job for quite some time. You may feel disheartened and feel like you can't do this. It's not meant to be and all that jazz. Stay strong. Use your family, your friends, your love, your hobbies, your passion and remember what you stuck through 4 years of University for.... to have your own classroom. Keep going. It will come. 

It takes a certain kind of person to want to be a teacher. It takes someone who understands that times will be tough, but the effort is worth it. It takes someone who understands the balance between discipline and compassion and to know when their students need either, or both. It takes someone who is willing to stay for intramurals, concerts, staff meetings and numerous hours of prepping, and can still come in the next morning with a smile. You chose this degree for a reason. You know you have these qualities and this passion for children. Keep that in mind. Keep that close to your heart. Keep going. 

I can't tell if I'm tearing up from this or from Father of the Bride, which is my Netflix choice of the day. I hope if you are having any of the same feelings, this post helped you see more clearly. 

-Vanessa xo

Boardgames Review

An Easy & Fun Way to Ruin Friendships

It is so cold today! I am still waiting for blood to return to three of my fingertips from my walk home at 11:30... and yes mom, I have put them into hot water. I'm fine. I had one of my finals today and now I'm procrastinating studying for my last final on Wednesday (did I mention my last final EVER!?) This weekend we had some friends over to play boardgames. We own some awesome ones.....and some heartbreaking ones. Boardgames make for a nice evening in... or can lead to one of you sleeping on the couch. Either way, I thought I would review some of the games we have. 

1. Dominion 

I love this game! There are a ton of expansions to get for it too. It's for 2-4 players. The point of the game is to build yourself a deck of action cards that work off each other. Action cards can let you attack the other players, give you more actions per turn, give you more money per turn, or get more action cards for free. You want to use your action cards in a way that lets you buy coins. Once you have enough coins, you can buy victory points. Whoever has the most points at the end wins!

Pros: Easy to learn, endless card combinations to play with making each game different, and you control your own game (mostly).

Cons: Only has up to 4 players which you may not see as a con but for us it is usually not enough.

2. 7 Wonders

This game is the newest addition to our tiny collection. It is another card game. Each player is given a wonder and the goal is to build your wonder with the resources on the cards. You can also set up science cards, military, extra points, and cards that help you trade with other players. All the different cards give you points that are added up at the end. The card play is a little different in this game. Each turn you choose one card to play in your hand. You then pass your hand to the player next to you and it becomes their hand. You have to be able to build your wonder without helping others build their wonder. 

Pros: Up to 7 people can play, and there's multiple ways to rack up points.

Cons: A bit more difficult to learn, your strategy can be messed up by other players.

3. Times Up

This is a "party" board game that really has no strategy. It is a lot of fun and provides a lot of laughs. It's similar to charades but 3 times the fun (I should be a spokesperson for it). You play in teams and everyone uses the same deck of 40 cards. Once you agree on which side you're playing (we usually just do a vote) you can start the game. There are three rounds. The first round you are allowed to say anything except the word and you cannot skip cards, so if you are having difficulties you are just going to have to keep guessing. The second round you are only allowed to say one word and the third round you can not say anything. You can skip cards in both these rounds. The same deck is used for all three rounds so you want to try to remember what the cards say as they will come up again. For example:

If the card said "Captain Hook"

1st round you would say "Villain from Peter Pan"

2nd round you would say "Pirate"

3rd round you would show a hook with your hand.

Each turn your team has 30 seconds to get as many cards as you can. Points are added up after each round.

Pros: Tons of people can play because you can have however many people on a team, gets people to try and be creative (one of our friends said "Dances around like an asshole" for Frosty the Snowman), there's cards everyone will know and cards with people you have never heard of before which keeps an even playing field, and there's enough cards to play multiple times.

Cons: A lot of people won't let Jordon and I be on the same team as we are too good together :(

One con for all these boardgames is the expense. They are pretty pricey but if you are looking for something that will provide many nights of fun, I would highly suggest these three!

-Vanessa xo

Good Eats Part Two

Edmonton Hotspots

Back in 2012 (December 1st to be exact) I wrote a post about some excellent Edmonton restaurants. If you look at it here and scroll down to the bottom, you'll see I wanted to do a part two....so here it is... 1 year, 1 month, and 30 days later :) I'm approaching this one a bit differently. I thought I would sort them by "Best blah blah" categories. Like paper plate awards or the Dundies. 

Located on 99 Street and close to 51 Ave

Best "I Don't Want to do Anything 

but Eat Greasy Chinese Food on the Living Room Floor" Restaurant:

Pearl River Restaurant

I love Chinese food YA! You know that it's true... has anyone else seen that awful video? This place is great for an American Chinese food night. Pineapple chicken balls, shrimp in black bean sauce, fried rice and chow mein (chow me-me-me-me-mein). What more is there to say? It's greasy, it's terrible for you and you'll be hungry 2 hours later, but you'll regret nothing.

Best Sushi:

TWO WINNERS! Sushi Wasabi & Mikados

There's a reason I put both these restaurants as winners. Sushi Wasabi (right on 111St close to Southgate Mall) is your classic fresh (as fresh as inland Alberta could have) sushi. They have delicious traditional sushi with my favorite being the spicy tuna. But sometimes you want to go on a fishy adventure, and that's where Mikados comes in. Three words: Mango Tango Roll. This roll has eel, mango, avocado and red onion. Also, six more words: Deep fried Green Tea Ice cream. It's diabetes in a dish, so it is a once a year kinda thing. 

Best "It's Gotta Be KD, but I'm An Adult Now" Mac and Cheese:

Blue Plate Diner 

This use to be a monthly lunch stop simply for their Mac and Cheese. It has pasta.....and cheese. Okay so nothing fancy, BUT the cheese is super stringy, so there's that. Just eat it. It's good. They also have art on the walls done by local artists. The location is awesome if you're lucky enough to get on the patio in the summer. It's located on 104st in the downtown area

There's four more places for you to try. Come back on March 30, 2015 for part three.

-Vanessa xo

Vegetarians for Health Part 2

You Won't Miss Anything

I am currently watching Mr. D on Netflix. It's a show about an absolutely terrible teacher and makes me feel better about myself, as I know I will always make a better teacher than this fictional character... Anyway, on to the actual post! Jordon and I have been making vegetarian meals during the weekdays for over a year now. I'm actually surprised we have been able to keep it up! I shared some recipes way back when that you can look at here. I have found or created some awesome vegetarian recipes since then and thought I would share some. So without further ado. 

1. Vegetarian Pizza

You can either use pre-made dough or make your own. There are some pretty quick no rise recipes out there for dough. I LOVE the veggie pizza we make. It is definitely not classic but is definitely delicious. I use BBQ sauce, pineapple jam, Thai sweet chilli sauce and some red chilli flakes for the sauce (try it before you knock it). You can change up your toppings but I use a bell pepper, mushrooms, olives, banana peppers and pineapple chunks. I guess the only traditional ingredient is the 23481239048 tons of mozzarella on top. 

2. Double Spinach Pasta Casserole with Pesto and Asiago Cheese

Click here to grab the recipe. This dish is super filling and cheesy. I leave out the chicken....obviously. It goes pretty quickly in the kitchen as well. If you want to spend even MORE time in the kitchen, you can make your own pesto, but I like the lazy way of pre-made pesto from a jar. 

3. Thai Noodle Salad

This is the most addictive dish I have ever had...EVER. It is more of a side dish but it is very possible to fill up on it for supper. Everyone that has had it can not seem to get enough. AND it is super easy! You want to make it the night before as it is better once it has sat in the fridge and can soak up all the yummy flavours. 

What you'll need:

-1 lb Spaghetinni

-1/3 cup canola oil (or olive oil)

-1 tbsp sesame oil

-1 tsp dried red pepper flakes

-1/3 cup honey

-4 tbsp soy sauce

-1/4 cup chicken stock

-3/4 cup chopped peanuts

-1/2 cup chopped green onion

-1 tbsp sesame seeds

What to Do: 

1. Cook noodles according to package with some chicken stock. Drain and set aside in a big bowl

2. Combine the two oils in a pan and add red pepper flakes. Stir constantly so they do not burn. Cook until you can smell the peppers

3. Add honey, soy sauce and chicken stock to pan. Cook until honey is dissolved.

4. Pour liquid into bowl with noodles. Cover and place in fridge overnight.

5. Add peanuts, green onions and sesame seeds just before serving

And there you have it! Three more meat free dishes for you to try out!

-Vanessa xo

Why Falling in Love With a Guy is Better Than Falling in Love With a Book

Reading vs Living

I read a blog post last night that talked about how falling in love with a book is better than falling in love with a guy. It seemed silly and ridiculous. Here is a link to the original blog post if you would like to read it:

Why Falling in Love With a Book is Better Than Falling in Love With a Guy

If you know me at all, you know I have felt heartbreak. I often hear "How are you so normal and kind after everything you have been through?" Well I made the right choices for myself. I was the one who decided that I was not going to give in, lay down, and complain how every man is not like Christian Grey. I chose to give up my heart again to an incredible love, maybe even true (but let's not get too cheesy). 

I love books. I love reading. I really love escaping the hustle and bustle of life and reading about new adventures.... But the love I get from my man is not even comparable. So here are some reasons I think falling in a love with a guy is better than falling in love with a book:

-Books can leave you hanging; men help finish your story

-Books make a fictional life seem perfect; men make a realistic life more perfect
-The ink in books can run when you are crying; mens shoulders are more durable. 

-The only acceptable public places to be alone with a book are coffee shops and libraries. Everyone loves date night with a man
-A book won't keep you company while you are driving across the country. Men will sing "Call Me Maybe" and "Take On Me" at the top of their lungs (well mine did anyway). 
- Books break your shelf; men can fix your shelf
-Books can have predictable endings; men keep you on your feet
-Books are the same when you go back to read them; men are ever changing and can grow WITH you ( you will change, accept that)
-Books will let you be your all kinds of crazy; men will reel you back in and help keep you grounded.
-You can fall in love with books, but they will not love you back

-Vanessa xo

Kick Up Your Grilled Cheese

Best Comfort Food

 

Sometimes I am in no mood to cook a big meal. All I want to do is eat and sleep after a night class. What better food to make than an easy-pezy grilled cheese sandwich? But I am also a classy lady, and like to add a little adventure to the classic cheesy goodness. So here's 3 Kicked-up grilled cheese sandwiches that I enjoy!

1. Mushroom & Swiss

It is exactly what it sounds like. Cut up some mushrooms, and use swiss cheese, or any cheese you'd like really. Grill like normal, though be careful when you're flipping. The mushrooms can fall out!

2. Granny-Smith Apple & Swiss

I love this! So much! It's the perfect combination of sweet and savory (I don't really know what this means, but it sounds like I know what I'm talking about, so I'm sticking with it). I haven't tried any other type of apple with it, so I'm not sure how it would taste. Apple and brie is another combination that is delish.

3. Pesto, Roasted Red-Peppers, & Provolone

This was my newest find, and I am actually eating one right now for lunch! If you want to be really fancy you can make home-made pesto and roast your red peppers, but grilled cheese sandwiches are supposed to be fast, so I just bought my ingredients pre-made. 

Well I hope you try one of these and find other ways to make your easy meal amazing!

-Vanessa xo