not your typical powerpoint.

have you heard of prezi before?  our supervisor for our internship suggested that brad use it instead of a powerpoint.  its way too cool.  am i out of the loop or is this tool not widely used yet?

thanks to this innovative gadget, i can now waste more time making incredibly neat things.

i love free stuff.

in lieu of working on my internship projects (of which i have hours ahead of me tonight), i made this adorable little banner for my classroom website:

banner template is free from http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/ (could spend hours here downloading free things!)

font is called 'crayons' and is free from http://web.archive.org/web/20060614075406/www.momscorner4kids.com/fonts/afonts.htm

(again, could spend the rest of my night downloading unique fonts -- must see for teachers, crafters, and moms who like adorable letters)

banner edited with photoscape...a wonderful little photo editing program that is free.

get it here:

http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/index.php

(looks sketchy but my school district checked it out and has actually downloaded it onto all school computers because it has some very neat features)

now...keep playing or take inventory of emergency bags...?

delicious!

tonight we made 'veggie' tacos.  so easy, SO good.  it tasted like the somewhat healthier version of taco bell (if there is such a thing!).

for those of you who don't know yet, i have been a 'veggie' since february-ish of this year.  i can't remember the exact date because it was a slightly impulsive decision.  i say slightly because i ordered a few books, researched a little, and decided to take the plunge for my own curiousity.  i also wanted to experiment with this way of living because -- well, if you know me -- i have issues of the stomach-type.

i was pretty nervous initially because first of all, until i retrained myself through this new lifestyle, i never really looked at labels.  i now had to actually spend time in the grocery store comparing, google-ing ingredients, and buying things i have never bought before.  at first, it was a whole-hearted (even husband-hearted) endeavor that involved new recipes, weird textures, and completely meatless and barely processed foods.  some meals were excellent.  others were thrown entirely away after one bite (which was especially discouraging after i spent an hour chopping delicious veggies, roasting them, and then mixing them with couscous.  BIG mistake.  turns out i have a texture issue, at least with that).

i'm not sure if it was the lack of meat in my diet, or the transition to whole and unprocessed foods, but i did see a difference.  my stomach no longer cramped and i...well, i'll spare you the details!  i also lost a few pounds the first couple months which stayed off, but the weight loss lessened, especially after my 12 credit hour summer took a toll on my gym time.

i'm not sure what the next step is.  i don't see myself diving back into meat, because honestly, it kind of grosses me out now.  i'd like to try cutting out all animal products for a while, also for my own curiousity, but that takes substantially more effort.  for now, i'm focusing on cutting the sugar out and continuing to build meals around plants and whole grains.  i feel better and ultimately, that's what this change has been about.

for those of you interested, i recommend a 30 day trial.  what can it hurt?  if you hate it, eat meat again.  nothing lost, but perspective gained.  i also would suggest these resources:

a quick, easy read with some simple rules to live by when wanting to eat from a more holistic perspective.  michael pollen is not a vegetarian, so its an interesting read for even those want to switch to a plant-based diet.

another great book by pollan that explores the idea of plant-based eating more in-depth.

don't write it off.  it's a good read for those wanting to experiment with removing meat from their diet to those 'superheroes' who can eat a completely vegan diet.

she also has a neat website: http://www.thekindlife.com/ with interesting updates on a regular basis.

i'd like to continue learning, so if you have any recommendations, please let me know!

when hunger calls

when our lab, Mo, is hungry, there is no rationalizing with him.  matter of fact, this morning he decided he'd had enough of us sleeping in (therefore delaying the satisfaction of his hunger pangs) so jumped on our bed and started pouncing on us.  i came across this video of our daily routine around dinner time.  we typically get about twenty minutes of this...or however long it lasts until we give in and pour a cup of those savory dog morsels in his bowl.

oh my word, can you say darling.

i am in LOVE with these cutsie little reversible shoes.  check more out here!  and no, i am not looking for any specific reason other than the sheer cute-sy factor.

we made the paper!

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smile, you're on candid camera.

This weekend has been gorgeous beyond belief. 

Three days off school + beautiful weather + less pressure for my inernship and classes = a smile on my face and joy in my heart.

This is so good for my soul as the last three weeks have been hard.  God has been revealing Himself to me in new ways and I am so humbled by His love.  I'm praying my heart continues to fall more in love with Him and let Christ be my all.

Now the question remains...will I be able to keep this thing updated?

I'll leave you with someone we saw at the Toby Keith concert last weekend.  If you know who is in the background on the right, you're probably a teacher from Indiana.  I'll spare you if you don't! : )

Note Jenna posing so that I was not to look too suspicious snapping this candid shot...