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Sunday, June 27, 2010

Winner!

Congrats to Rachel of Observations of a Token Yankee! You are the winner of the CSN giveaway!

Thanks to everyone that participated!

Monday, June 21, 2010

CSN Giveaway!

Happy Monday!

Since I am now up in NY (with my husband!!) for summer break, I thought it would be nice to spread the joy and happiness I am feeling by offering a fun giveaway to all my readers!

CSN Stores contacted me about hosting another giveaway since my last one was so successful. This time I have a $40 gift certificate to give to one of my lucky readers. If you're not already familiar with CSN, you need to check it out! They have over 200 stores and you can literally buy anything on the many CSN websites.

As I mentioned the other day, our landlords are doing a renovation on the kitchen, dining room, and half bathroom while we are in NY. I could furnish the entire renovation just from CSN websites. I am hoping that the new bathroom has a vanity like this:



To enter to win the gift certificate go to any of the CSN websites and let me know what you will get if you win! The giveaway ends Thursday night at 8 pm EST and I'll announce the winner on Friday.

Friday, June 18, 2010

No More LDM

The day that I have been looking forward to for the last 7 weeks is FINALLY here!

I am off to the airport to pick up my husband, which officially ends our long distance marriage. Yay!!!!! Our time apart was difficult and I can't wait to be living together and sharing our lives together once again.

Most of our weekend will be spent moving everything out of our kitchen, half bath, and dining room. While we spend the summer in NY, our landlords are doing a renovation on those rooms. When we return in August the kitchen and dining room will be one big room! I'm very excited for that. Unfortunately the bathroom will be smaller and we are losing a closet, but I still am looking forward to the changes.

On Sunday we will drive to NY and my lazy summer will officially commence (for me at least...AJ will still be working at the law firm). I am looking forward to reading the stack of books I have collected over the past few months, training for a 5k, trips to the lake, golfing, playing with Kona, spending time with my family, attending firm events, etc. I am so excited!!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

G Natural and G2 Natural

A couple weeks ago I was contacted by a PR firm to see if I wanted to try two new Gatorade products, G Natural and G2 Natural. I love G2 and love free stuff, so of course I said yes!

Here is an excerpt from the press release:

For athletes who thirst for natural products, Gatorade® has harnessed its 45+ year competitive edge in sports performance to introduce G Natural™ and G2 Natural™. Made with natural flavors, colors and ingredients, G Natural and G2 Natural have the same performance and hydration benefits as original Gatorade Thirst Quencher and G2, with a great taste that athletes will love. The new, natural offerings are now available exclusively at select Whole Foods stores.

Like I said before, I am a big fan of G2, so obviously I drank the G2 Natural first. In general, I like G2 more than regular Gatorade because it is lighter and not at all syrupy. I have an aversion to drinks that leave my mouth feeling sticky and heavy (umm gross), and G2 does not do that. G2 Natural is also very light and did not taste any different than G2. Given that it is made with natural flavors, colors, and ingredients, I definitely recommend G2 Natural. G Natural also tasted the same as regular Gatorade. If you like Gatorade, you will like G Natural. Given that G2 Natural has 40 calories per bottle while G Natural has 100 calories, I am again more inclined to like G2 Natural more. Either way, the Natural products are a good choice for anyone looking to rehydrate and replenish their body while working out!

G Natural and G2 Natural are available exclusively at select Whole Foods stores. Visit www.gatorade.com to find the store nearest you. Suggested retail price for a 16.9-oz bottle is $1.49. (Via Press Release)

Disclaimer: I was sent free samples of these products. Click here for more information.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Last Day

Today is the last day of school. I can't believe it is FINALLY here. While I am sure the last day of school will always be a significant day, it is especially significant for me because it is the last day of my first year of work. I knew it would be a difficult year solely because I had to prove to my school that I know what I am doing and that I am capable of holding my own in a difficult environment. It has been a long, hard year, but a very rewarding one as well. I have grown as an individual and as a professional and am very happy with the job I did. Sure, there are areas where I need to improve, but isn't there always something we can do better?

In 10 months I have changed a lot. I am more articulate and well-spoken, I can stand up for myself when I am right and I can accept criticism with grace when I am wrong. I learned how to sympathize with parents, how to control my emotions, and how to quiet my critics. I learned to not take things personally, like when I give parents negative reports and make them cry or when I tell a teacher something they don't want to hear and they get mad. I now know that "taking one for the team" is really not that bad and can help open doors, but also that I need to assert myself and not let people walk all over me. There are many more things that I have learned this year, but those are just a few examples. Each experience this year has taught me something, and I really need to reflect on everything during summer break so that I am refreshed and ready in August. Because I am not going to lie.....I am tired and ready for a break.

And speaking of August.... If you follow me on twitter you know that my position was terminated back in April due to budget cuts, but that I was reinstated earlier this month and will continue to work for my district next school year. I am so glad I can relax this summer knowing that I have a job to come back to in August!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

In the Homestretch!

And we're in the homestretch!

A weekend with my husband was exactly what I needed. I am feeling refreshed and am ready for all the challenges I will face over the next few weeks. Only 18 more days of pseudo-singledom!