Some Thoughts Concerning Education

No, I'm not talking about John Locke's thoughts on the subject. All you Ed students know what I'm talking about, amiright? Enough of that for the summer.

Wes and I were driving back to the city recently and had an interesting discussion about education. You see, if I remember correctly, I was doing the hypothetical worrying thing that I do way too often. I asked him, "what if we get married and then we have a baby and then I stay home with the baby and because it's so hard to get a teaching job before I had a baby I never actually use this degree that I am working on because I never got a job and then I spent all that money on something (a degree) that didn't give us any money in return and then it's like I just wasted my time?" *insert breath here* At which point he started laughing, and then I did too because I realized how ridiculous that whole thing was.

After we both stopped laughing at me...

Wes made a very good point.

He said that he thought society had all the wrong ideas about education...viewing universities as a job factory. And I realized that in my nonsensical moment of worry, I had really had the wrong perspective all along. Thinking of university as a job factory is what I fall back on far too much.

"What it really is," he said, " is an investment in knowledge, in your own education as a person." Even if you never use your degree in terms of a job in the way society expects, you are still a better person as a result. You have still grown and expanded your knowledge. And it's true! I completely agree.

I can really tell how much I have grown in my time at school...learning to live alone, make a solid and concise argument, speak and act in a professional manner, how to manage my own money, and so many valuable teaching skills that can be used in a variety of contexts. Education is more than just a road to a job. It's about growing as a person and developing yourself in so many ways. I like to think of myself as a lifelong learner...learning this lesson was an important part of that journey. So thankful for my guy who humbles me in the gentlest of ways (and often, I think, quite by accident!).

I mean, let's be real. It's also where you learn how long you can REALLY go without grocery shopping, how to do ANYTHING from Pinterest, how to accomplish anything BUT listening to the lecture (I have seen people order delivery pizza, a group of guys watch a sports game, and of course there is the all-too-typical wedding dress purchases, among others), how to communicate just about anything over texting or Facebook because the long distance phone call is too stinkin' expensive. And don't you forget the acquiring free stuff skills that I have been sharpening. Crucial. A big thank you goes out to my friend, mentor, guru, and general free stuff aficionado Renee.

But seriously, pay attention to the first part of this post. It all goes downhill at the end. There is some genius up there though, promise! You should probably go read it again to remind yourself that I can write something useful. Go, read it! Up there.

And right now, I am thankful for a summer break to reflect on these thoughts about education :)

Pretend this is summer...see the sunshine? It's definitely summer in this picture. You can tell by Wes' facial expression that he agrees. 

Ok. This one is ACTUALLY summer. That better? And yes, I was terrified. I am like 40 feet off the ground, aren't I? You let someone do that to you and let me know if you have a more normal facial expression. Actually, on second thought, don't. Let's just all help me out and smile and move on :P
P.S. side note, he's super cool. 

It usually takes me a full month to convince myself it is truly summer. If you, too, need some help, feel free to listen to this song to get you in the proper groove. That's the official term, right?

A few of my favourite things...

I'm going to try something new in this post and share some of my recent favourite things with you! This month (mid-April to mid-May) has been a busy time filled with new experiences, so I apologize for the radio silence over here. I am aiming to get back into my regular routine very shortly! So without further ado, here are my favourites as of late...

1. Teaching kindergarten. I might sound like a broken record, because I know I mention kindergarten a lot here, but I am so LOVING my time at my placement. It's probably one of the most overwhelming and challenging things I have done, but the most fun and rewarding at the same time. I can tell that I have really grown so much now at the end of the year as well, it's pretty crazy. 

2. Watermelon. Mini watermelons have been on sale for a good price lately, and they are soooo good. Best mid-morning snack! They give me hope that summer might eventually arrive.

3. Caffeine. There is nothing like a good Iced Capp or Starbucks trip, and this month they have been so very appreciated. The few times I have managed to bring an Iced Capp to work have been so much better haha. 

4. My water bottle. I have been trying to drink more water this week, and having my water bottle with me all the time helps a ton. I am so horrible for drinking enough water. I got this one for Christmas last year and I still love it!

5. Quiet mornings. I usually listen to music on my walk to work to keep myself moving, but lately I have been turning it off to enjoy the lack of noise. It's so still and now I have been hearing birds chirping, streams running, and even some crickets...all in the (finally) bright mornings. It's so wonderful! 

6. Being done classes for another year. 'Nuff said. Can I get an AMEN??!!

7. This song. It just makes me think of driving around in the summer with friends, rockin' out and singing too loud. I can't wait. 

                                   

8 Simple Steps to Healthier Eating

I often hear people comment that they would like to eat healthier foods, but feel they can't because they are too busy, it's too expensive, etc. Today I want to share some simple steps that anyone can take to make healthy eating a bigger part of their lives too. Because food is important! I hope everyone has the experience of eating food that is so wonderful that they declare, "THIS. This right here is proof that God loves us!" Or is it just me that does that? Ah well, no matter how loudly *ahem* your soul sings when you eat good food, it's an important part of each of our lives, and has the ability to influence our individual health and wellness, not to mention our mood and energy. So how can we eat delicious food that is good for us too? Well, read on friends! 

1. Don't buy it! 
If you don't buy something, then you won't eat it. Seems logical, right? This is probably the most important factor for me. By choosing not to buy food you don't want to be eating anyways, you are basically eliminating the need for self-control from the equation. You only need self-control in that moment in the store and then at home it's easy! It's not there to eat so you are not going to have that problem...

2. It's all about the snacks. 
I have written before about the importance of having healthy snacks around if you want to eat healthy. I find that it is usually the in-between times when I am feeling snack-ish that I crave things like chips or chocolate. I want some tasty morsel to munch on, and it turns out that frozen grapes totally hit the spot!

Fresh produce from the garden is the best snack ever! 

3. Read the label! 
Finding a healthy option can be as simple as reading the label on things you are buying. As a general rule, the smaller the number of ingredients, the better it is. Also, avoid unpronounceable ingredients. For example, apples contain....apples. But a box of good ol' KD? Not so much. The same rule applies when you are comparing brands. When you are buying applesauce, for example, look for the brand with the least ingredients. You should be able to find a variety with literally just apples, or maybe with a little citric acid (vitamin C) to preserve it.

4. Make Substitutions One at a Time. 
The easiest way to change your lifestyle is to make one simple switch at a time. So if you really love to eat crackers, look for a better variety of crackers such as brown rice crackers, or maybe try making them yourself. Then, switch something else the next week, like finding a more natural variety of yogurt. If once a week seems like a lot, try once a month or every other week.

5. Plan Ahead. 
When you walk in the door after a busy day, starving and with absolutely no dinner plans, you are more likely to order pizza or make the Mr. Noodles that are sitting in the cupboard (which I wouldn't have in my house anyways right? haha). Menu plans are a lifesaver for eating healthy, and saving the grocery budget. I don't make a daily plan, but I try to jot down a few meals that I will make when I go grocery shopping so I make sure I have the ingredients and so that I can refer to the list when I don't know what to make. If you think about what you are eating beforehand, you are also more likely to take things out of the freezer to thaw or actually have time to pack a lunch.

Valentine's Day soup...from my Instagram feed

6. Cook Extra. 
This is my saving grace for when I forget to plan ahead. Batch cooking is where it's at y'all. Especially as a university student. I can cook a batch of chili and get 8 meals out of it...one the night I make it and 7 for the freezer. I have a whole bunch of the 2-cup Pyrex containers that I can put in the oven/toaster oven (put it in a cold oven so the glass warms up slowly and doesn't crack) or the microwave no problem. When I have to pack a lunch, I just grab one of my little meals out of the freezer and it's even better than a frozen meal from the grocery store. I will also sometimes freeze larger batches for if I have company, or Wes comes over.

7. Pack Food and NOT Money. 
I learned this trick in high school. If you don't have money to spend on eating out, you are not going to eat out. The way to combat not having food is to just pack a snack! I try to keep some easily pack-able items in my cupboard like crackers, dried fruit, trail mix, a piece of fruit, etc. (grab and go items). I also like to keep an extra granola bar or something in my bag just in case (Clif bars and Lara Bars are my favourite for a treat). This way, I can just bring a couple dollars in case I am stuck and need the subway or an emergency tea (it happens folks!) and maybe my debit card (which I can't use at most places on campus). I have saved myself a lot of money and donuts doing this. I know, because I don't always heed my own advice and pay for it (literally) later.

8. Have a Water Bottle You Like. 
Most of the time when you are just feeling peckish and want a snack, it's actually because you are thirsty or even dehydrated. I find that having a water bottle that I like helps me to keep hydrated and reminds me to bring water with me when I am out. If you are feeling like you want chips but aren't sure you are really hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. Especially if it seems like nothing you eat is really satisfying. Your body may actually be craving water and not salt or sugar.

Greener Beans

I am here today to let you all know that University has not allowed me to escape unscathed (Escape? Who am I kidding...definitely still stuck there lol). No, I have fallen into the world of coffee. But see, I have a dilemma, which is that I don't completely like coffee. Oh, I like its effects, don't get me wrong. That stuff is liquid gold for an early morning class or wrangling kindergarteners. But the coffee flavour? Not so much. I can handle it if it's mild, but not just straight up coffee.

Enter, the latte. And Starbucks. You see, a latte still has the effects of coffee, without tasting like I'm drinking tar. 

Problem is.....that's a $5 commitment. One would think that my reasonable (ahem) self would consider this ludicrous, but no...sometimes survival comes at a price (as anyone who has had to PAY for school knows). 

Now, don't go freaking out and think I have abandoned my beloved tea, because that could never happen. My tea count per day has not changed (a LOT), this is simply an addition. Plus, Starbucks has tea too ;) But the point is that sometimes girlfriend's gotta have some serious caffeine and Starbucks kindly assists with that.

So what do you do about such a situation when you want to be kind to the planet and your bank account? Well, allow me.

You buy one of these!! Starbucks has started making these reusable cups and they sell them for...wait for it...$1. That's ONE DOLLAR. Yep. Annnnnnnnnd... when you use a reusable cup at Starbucks, you save 10 cents, which means the cup pays for itself in 10 visits (or 10 classes, depending on how you prefer to count). Actually, if we are really getting precise, they take the discount before tax so you really save more like 15 cents when they round it to the 5 (because they finally got rid of the penny), which would be 6 or 7 visits. But we aren't going to get that precise, because school just ended and there are just some things you need to recover from in life. So really, the money savings alone is a bonus if you ask me. 

On top of saving some cash...can we just all take a minute to think about how many cups AREN'T going in the garbage when you reuse your cup? I don't know how many other people have a Starbucks on their campus, but we have one glorious Starbucks and about 8 Timmies, among other coffee shops, and that is a LOT of disposable cups. In fact, at this time of the year (exam time) I would bet that the garbage cans are 90% full of just coffee cups. So I think a serious argument could be made for the benefits of reusing a cup. I mean, Americans alone throw away 25 billion styrofoam cups each year (source).

In case you need some other reasons, here you go: 

1. This cup is way more sturdy than the regular paper/plastic cups.

2. It looks just the same so you can still feel classy with your Sbux like all the cool kids. 

3. It's super light so it's no trouble to throw it in my bag in the morning on the way to class. 

4. This one is my favourite discovery. The cup is only in one size, and when you order a tall, the baristas tend to fill it up anyways giving you more bang (code for caffeine) for your buck. It's pretty much the most awesome thing ever. 

Now, I am sure you might be wondering why I didn't have a reusable travel mug before now. I did. But I broke it. So I was in line one day and and saw this and thought, what the heck, why not? And I realized this is something anyone, and I mean anyone, could do. Talk about a simple switch.