Back to school... or not!

To be honest, I've been dreading today. As much as I love my bitty preschoolers, I just wasn't ready to go back to school today... so I'm very happy to announce that it is 9:57AM and I am sitting at home in my pajamas. SNOW DAY! Well, it's actually a "cold day." Temperatures here in central Ohio are supposed to be well below freezing today, so I'm glad that my itty bitties don't have to venture out in the cold!

(And, hey, I'm glad I don't have to, either!)

My plans for today include finalizing some lesson plans, catching up on laundry, and doing a little more work on this blog! I am currently researching how to reach out and get some more followers. As much as I love writing, it would be really nice to know that someone was reading regularly! :)

First, though, I will make myself a large mug of coffee. Just because I won't be chasing kiddos today doesn't mean I won't need my energy! Maybe I'll also get on Craigslist so I can buy some more cats and use these organizing tips for them.

Happy Monday!

Dream Chasers

I have had lots of traffic on this little blog since joining (and introducing myself in) the Facebook group Dream Chasers! If you found me via the group, please leave a comment and let me know! I'd love to check out your blogs. :)

Happy weekend, friends!

High Five for Friday!

What a week it's been!

Since preschool doesn't start back up again until Monday, I have been working in the daycare section of where I am employed. Everything is so different there! Even my craziest preschool class can't compare to how nuts those kids are! I love them all, but I will be happy to return to my (relatively) quiet kiddos next week.

In other news, I'm linking up with Lauren for her weekly High Five for Friday post!

Here is my Top 5 for this week:

1. This guy. My husband. He works midnight shifts most nights of the week, so he sleeps during the day and I'm not able to see him. For the past two weeks, though, he has been off most nights. I have been able to spend more time with him in the past two weeks than I have the past four months! He went back to work last night, which was so bittersweet. (Did I mention that he's also a bed hog? I didn't miss that part last night!)

2. On a similar note, I am so grateful for this wonderful thing that happened last night.

3. I made Thomas watch our Disney Vacation Planning DVD this week! I watch it all the time (and have most of it memorized), but he hasn't seen it since we first received it over a year ago. We were planning to go to WDW last May, but our plans fell through and we weren't able to go. Since then, he hasn't been interested in watching it. But... we are going in 83 days, so I was able to convince him that he needed to watch it again.

4. SNOW. It has been snowing and snowing here in central Ohio, and I'm digging it. (Not literally, though. I hate shoveling snow.)

5. Leia, my sweet kitty, has just been so snuggly this week! She's been all over me and Thomas, which is perfectly fine with us! (That's right, my cat has her own Instagram account!)

In all, I'd say that it has been a pretty good way to bring in a new year (except for the migraine part). Hope your week was as fun as mine! :)

My **Favorite** Banana Bread!

I'm not much of a recipe-poster, but this banana bread makes a great exception to that rule. I've made it several times, and nothing has ever gone wrong with it! It is moist, sweet, and perfectly banana-y.

I found the original recipe here one evening as I was trying to decide what to do with some bananas that were getting too ripe to eat. It took about an hour and a half to bake... but it was so worth it! The next day, I took the rest to a family function and it was gone (literally) 5 minutes after I walked in the door. I got rave reviews! I gave the original website to those who asked for it, but then realized that I had tweaked it just a bit and that the results they got may not be the same.

Here is my (going-to-be-famous-someday) banana bread recipe!

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2.5-3 very ripe mashed bananas
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
• 1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 335 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan. (This recipe can make one tall loaf [about even with the sides of the loaf pan, when baked] or two short loaves. I usually make one tall loaf, but you can choose!)
2. In a large bowl, cream the shortening and sugar and add vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt. Blend in the mashed bananas. Add vegetable oil and mix. Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes (for short loaf; for tall loaf, add approximately 40 extra minutes), or until it tests done with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out gummy, clean it off and check another spot to ensure that you didn't poke through a bit of banana!

I hope you enjoy! :)

Happy New Year! & my 2014 goals

Happy 2014!

I sincerely hope that everyone had a wonderful night last night, full of fun and friends and family!

I've been thinking about my goals for this year for the past few weeks. What are some things that I want to change about myself? my home? my life?

I think that I have come up with a pretty comprehensive list, and I am excited to share it (if only for accountability purposes!). Most of my goals have a specific time frame, but I don't have goals for each month of the year. A girl can only do so much, right? So, without further ado, here are my 2014 Goals!

Overall Goals

Write 4 blog posts per week

Attract new blog followers (like you!)

Continue to pay off our stupid debt

Save (a specific amount of money) from each paycheck for Christmas

January

Purge my house of all clutter. Clean out closets, cabinets, dresser drawers, and under the bed. Wash all bedding, pillows, curtains, furniture covers, etc. Put all excess things (i.e. clutter) in garage for a yard sale at the beginning of summer.

February

Try a new recipe 3 nights out of every week. Make a simple recipe book with the winners!

March

Drop 2 pants sizes (by March, not during!)

Have a wonderful vacation in Disney World!

April

Finish crocheting an entire adult-sized blanket. (I have started doing this many, many times but never finished. Now, it's a goal)!

May

Plan a giant yard sale. (Maybe include other families in our neighborhood!) Use the money from the sale to further pay off debts.

Have credit card fully paid off.

June

Reread the entire Harry Potter series. I've read the series over a dozen times, so it isn't really as crazy as it sounds!

August

Begin teaching in an elementary school (prayerfully back home, where I grew up!). 

November

Have all Christmas shopping done (except big-ticket items) before Thanksgiving.

And there we have it! I am hoping that having these goals written here will keep me accountable! I love the feeling of being able to cross things off of a list, so this should come in really handy. I am very hopeful that the Fletchers will have a happy and successful 2014!

Happy New Year, everyone!