The Friday Five!

Linking up with the ladies for another installment of Five on Friday!

1. I couldn't resist the card above.. sometimes it is so true! But today I have the day off which I am so grateful for! I'm sitting here drinking coffee, writing this post with a sleepy love pup at my feet-- this is the life!  I have plans to hit Target, Whole Foods, and Michaels. I am also planning to get some chores done around the house and we have people coming to replace all of the broken closet doors in our house! So excited. 

2. I recently started using activated charcoal to whiten my teeth and it works! I was skeptical at first but it has whitened my teeth and lifted some stains. I use the brand above, found at Whole Foods, and I take one capsule and break it open and sprinkle the charcoal on my toothbrush. I have a separate toothbrush that I use for this. I then brush my teeth in circles, taking care to be gentle so as not to damage my tooth enamel. After that, rinse, rinse, rinse with water. I do this every few days and it has definitely made a difference. However, don't expect a Ross Gellar teeth whitening situation, it's definitely a more subtle whitening. Also of note, this will stain porous surfaces. It didn't stain my bathroom sink at all but I do this with a towel laid down anyway. Oh and don't be alarmed if there is still black residue in your gum line after all the rinsing, that happened to me and I panicked so I brushed with baking soda and all that did was irritate my gums. When I brushed my teeth the next morning, the black residue came right off.  

3. Another year, another Baltimore Running Festival relay that I am ill-prepared for! I think I've run once since my half-marathon in May. Once. Ugh, I am not sure why I do this to myself and I definitely don't advocate for running without training but I can't back out now. To make it worse, I'm running leg three this year, which is shorter than the leg I ran last year but it's apparently mostly uphill. Great. At least this year, my co-worker is also running leg three so I'll have someone to talk to while I'm waiting. Won't have someone to talk to while running though, he's planning on running an 8:30 mile. No thank you. I'll stick with 10:30.

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4. Planning on making this goat cheese lemon pasta with kale  from Two Peas and their Pod on Sunday and I am so excited. It looks so good and I am looking forward to eating kale in another form besides salad. Also planning on going to see Gone Girl on Sunday so it's shaping up to be the best day ever. 

Happy Friday, friends! 

Thoughts for Thursday: Honesty Edition

Linking up with Nat and Annie today for Thoughts on Thursday!

I've been having a lot of thoughts lately about my life, things I would like to accomplish, habits I would like to kick, traits I would like to embody, things I would like to start doing...

You get the idea. I figured I would write them down here since this is Thoughts for Thursday after all!

via originally sourced from The Wellness Warrior

1. I have to accept that with my new job title comes a lot of new responsibilities. I am still learning what is expected of me and figuring out this job as I go. My new job title comes with a lot of administrative responsibilities that I wasn't expecting which means I need to be at work earlier and stay later if I want to accomplish everything. This means less free time, which admittedly, has been an adjustment. I am happy in my new title but trying to accept that there are concessions that need be made and that is simply the way it is right now.  By concessions, I mean less time spent falling into the black hole that is the Interwebs. Sad face.

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2. Relating back to number 1, I need to stop procrastinating. This is one of my least favorite traits about myself. I have more to do now with my job and grad school plus the usual stuff that's my responsibility like the house and for the most part, the dog so I need to stop putting things off and manage my time better. Like A LOT better. I'm not saying I'm super busy because truthfully, I'm not any busier than anyone else (and I'm really starting to hate people who continually state how busy they are) but my time management skills are so lacking that I'm rushing to get things accomplished and I hate that feeling. By the way, I'm The Cleaner, The Panicker, The List Maker, and The Perpetuator all in one. 

3. Relating back to 1 and 2, I need to go to bed later. I know that sounds counter-intuitive because someone trying to better their life usually wants to get to bed earlier but I find that I'm getting in bed early just because I think it is a good idea. However, when I get in bed, I'm not all that tired and I end up playing on my phone or watching T.V. before even attempting to fall asleep. I could be using that hour or so to complete tasks around the house such as laundry or emptying the dishwasher. I need to start getting in bed about 15-20 minutes prior to attempting to fall asleep. 

4. I need to drink more water throughout the day. I love water. I drink a lot of it when I am at home but I definitely do not drink enough during the day at work. It is very challenging to drink water during the day because I am in and out of the building, on the field, in the gym, in my health classroom, or attempting to find someone I need to talk to about something student related and my H2O never seems to make the trip with me. I need a Camelback to wear during the day, ha. Anyone have any tips on drinking more water during the day? I would love to hear from other people whose jobs aren't necessarily stationary.

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5, I need to think more positively. I have an inclination towards pessimism and it is not a good character trait. I am in total juxtaposition of my husband who always thinks positively and has little tolerance for a "woe is me" attitude. I am guilty of thinking and speaking negatively and more so of complaining. I want to stop being a complainer and start living more gratefully, which is definitely going to require a lot of work on my part. 

6. Lastly, I need to be better about keeping my word. Far too often, I make plans or promises and I don't keep them and then I feel guilty about breaking them. Terrible feeling. I stumbled upon this nonprofit, Because I Said I Would, recently and really resonated with me. It is a social movement about bettering humanity through promises made and promises kept. I want to be better about this in all areas of my life: work, friends, appointments, exercising, etc. My trouble with this definitely goes back to my lack of time management skills and procrastinating. I often have to cancel things because I have other things that must be accomplished but if I had managed my time correctly I probably wouldn't have to break plans or promises. 

Hopefully posting these thoughts will keep me accountable. Maybe I'll give periodical updates to keep myself accountable..?

Weekend in Cape May, NJ

Friday afternoon, some gal pals and I loaded up the car and headed north to Cape May, New Jersey for the weekend. Our husbands and boyfriends all take an annual guys trip to see the Redskins play an out-of-town game (Phoenix, this year) so we decided it was high time we did something, too! I've never been to Cape May before and it was absolutely lovely. It is such an adorable little town and we had a wonderful weekend of eating great food, drinking wine, and shopping. It was so nice to get away with the girls and the weekend was just the relaxing weekend I needed. Girls trips should happen every month!

Everyone got in at different times on Friday so we posted up on the couch with wine and pretty much talked and laughed the entire night. We are all in different stages in our relationships with these boys of ours (newly dating but serious, dating and living together for years, newly married, married for ten years, etc.) so there was much to be discussed and I really got to know some of these ladies better than I did before. Nothing like pizza and red wine to bring chicks together! 

We stayed at a house about mile from the beach. Since it's off-season and we knew we wouldn't be laying out on the beach, it was perfectly priced for the location. It also lent itself to being girls weekend friendly-- huge sectional couch and big plush chair so we all fit comfortably during our gabfests! The house sleeps 10 people and there is a huge backyard with a table and chairs, chaise lounges, and a grill, making it great for families as well. There are also Adirondack chairs on the porch that I would definitely take advantage of in the summer!  Here is the link to the house we rented if you are interested in heading to Cape May!

Saturday morning we were up bright and early for breakfast at The Mad Batter. This place is so cute and the food was amazing. I had a Belgian waffle with a side of hash browns. I am making a bold statement here, but I have to say that these hash browns may have been the best I have ever had. Cooked to perfection and perfectly seasoned!

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't so nice on Saturday but that didn't stop us from hitting the local shops and doing our part to support the Cape May economy. Among a few things I picked up: the softest mittens I've ever had on my hands (perfect for freezing cold Redskins games to come), a Cape May Christmas tree ornament, a beautiful dark green plaid scarf for only $20, and a print of two Schnauzers drinking red wine (I could not resist). After all that shopping, we were hungry and hit up The Ugly Mug for some beers and appetizers to tide us over before dinner. 

After our day out, we headed back to the house to get ready for our dinner reservations at The Pier House that night. 

Self-timer for the win! Wearing J.Crew Swing Sweater  (currently sold out) and 7 For All Mankind The Skinny Jean (a part of the Friends & Family sale using code Family25).  Not pictured but wearing the J.Crew Factory Sylvia Wedges in Bronzed Clay.

Dinner at The Pier House was nothing short of amazing. I had the lamb shank with asparagus and lemon and oregano potatoes. While dinner was very delicious, the desserts were out of this world. We shared 4 desserts: triple chocolate mousse, creme brulee pie, pumpkin cheesecake, and a peanut butter and chocolate ice cream pie. It was like the scene with Meg Ryan out of When Harry Met Sally, there were so many "oh my Gods" uttered at the table, people were beginning to stare but the desserts really were that good! We headed back home and ended the night with a rousing game of Cards Against Humanity. That game is always so hysterical.

Sunday morning we woke up to the sun shining! We decided to take the opportunity to get some exercise and walk to breakfast. A few of us were feeling the effects of the night before so we decided to hit up Uncle Bill's Pancake House, which was fine but I wouldn't recommend it. The food was okay but definitely not what we were going for. A couple of the girls had to leave after breakfast so they headed back to the house and the rest of us went back to the shops to pick up some items we missed the day before. I stopped to snap a few pictures of the beautiful Congress Hall. I am definitely going to try to get my husband to bring me here to stay for a long weekend soon! 





On our way home, we took the scenic route home and it was lovely. Cape May in October really is gorgeous. The temperature was perfect - not too hot, not too cold!







The rest of the day was spent hanging out and enjoying each other's company. Those of us that stayed had dinner at Lucky Bones on Sunday night and ended the night with a viewing of The Devil Wears Prada. I forgot how much I like that movie! Lucky Bones was very good, we all ordered pizza and I shamelessly ate my entire pie! It was the perfect atmosphere to end a girls weekend - laid back and we could sport jeans and tee-shirts. 
Monday morning before heading back home, we had breakfast at Bella Vida in West Cape May. Maybe I don't go to breakfast often enough but again this place was so, so good. I had french toast with a side of bacon and the french toast was some of the best I've ever had! It definitely has a laid back vibe and the service is not fast-paced like some other places you might go to for breakfast. Personally, slow service doesn't bother me at all and sometimes, like in this case, I rather enjoy the opportunity to linger over coffee and conversation. 
All in all, it was a great weekend spent with great friends and it was hard to get back to the daily grind yesterday. I would definitely recommend Cape May if you are looking for a girls weekend destination! Thankfully, I have a 3 day week this week so I think I can make it!

Lately...

Lately I've been....

Munching.. not much of anything. The husband was gone all of last week and is gone again this week so I haven't done much cooking. I also contracted a nasty cold so I don't have much of an appetite. I am hoping to get back on the dinner train next week. 

Sipping.. coffee. In a weird turn of events, I've started drinking (and loving) coffee these days. I had tea this morning but I'm thinking I'm going to continue on the coffee train as well. 

Reading... Full Catastrophe Living. It's a super crunchy book about being mindful and I am really enjoying it. I read several books over the summer and one of them was The End of Your Life Book Club and the author referenced this book a lot so I was intrigued and bought it. I had to buy a used copy off of Amazon but it seems there is an updated version being released on September 24th. Pick it up if you're like me and want to be practice being more mindful about life. 

Listening to.. The First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald on Pandora. I am obsessed with Sam Cooke's Nothing Can Ever Change this Love. 

Looking forward to... a few things this week! Going to try out a new fitness class tomorrow night, dinner with a some girlfriends on Wednesday, and heading to the outlets with my mom and sister on Saturday! 

Hoping.. to make some changes in a few areas of my life soon! Feeling a little like I'm in a rut in a few areas of my life and need to make some changes. 

Thinking.. about fall and how fast the time goes! It was cold outside this morning. I don't know if I am ready for all of this. 

Wanting... money to grow on trees. Ha. 

Venice, Italy {3}

     On our third and final day in Venice, we hit up the sightseeing. We started the morning with a bright and early vaporetto ride to Doge's Palace for the Secret Itineraries tour. Generally on our trips, G and I like to have a balance of doing our own thing and guided tours that either provide knowledge or adventure, depending on where we are vacationing. The Secret Itineraries tour of the Doge's Palace provided us with tons of insight into the Venetian judicial system and included tours and information on: Casanova's cell, Bridge of Sighs, the Three Seats of the Magistrate, the Doge's apartment, and the archival room of the Grand Chancellor! That's just a few of the things that were touched on during this tour. If you are interested in learning more about the extensive judicial history of Venice, I would definitely recommend this tour. We both really enjoyed it. 

The Archival Room of the Grand Chancellor

View from the 2nd floor of the Doge's Palace

View from the Bridge of Sighs 

The ceiling of The Golden Staircase which lead to the Doge's Apartment 

      Immediately following the Secret Itineraries, we had a private tour set up of St. Mark's Basilica. First, if you are visiting Venice in the summer, I highly, highly suggest booking a tour for St. Mark's. The line was incredibly long and it was very hot outside. I don't think G would have made it inside if we had to wait in line. I also recommend the private tour because it was super informative and we were taken to areas of the cathedral that were not open to the general public. Since we were there on a weekday, it was nice because our tour was specifically set up during the time the lights are on in St. Mark's (typically from 11;30-12:30).
     This cathedral is so visually stunning, it's unreal. I don't know how else to describe it except to say it is basically covered in gold and is sometimes referred to as the Church of Gold. The area that we got to see on our own depicted (among others) stories of Christ, St. John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist, and obviously, St. Mark. The cathedral itself houses the tombs of both St. Mark and Jacopo Sansovino, the sculptor and architect who built the Golden Staircase and contributed to many of the buildings around the Piazza San Marco. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures inside St. Mark's and there was a lot of construction work on the outside of the church itself so I didn't really get any good shots of the structure.

This is not St. Mark's Basilica but the winged lion pictured is the symbol of St. Mark

     After our busy morning, we were starving and I was so pumped when, after a little while of wandering we stumbled upon Antico Forno! Jillian wrote rave reviews about it so I was happy that we happened upon it, plus I was definitely ready for a pizza lunch! I absolutely loved the slice of pizza I had but G mis-ordered and ended up with tuna fish pizza! I thought it was pretty funny. However he was not amused and went back for a another plain cheese slice (we shared a piece prior). 

     After my requisite afternoon nap back at the hotel, we headed out to a little square to watch the Italy v. Costa Rica World Cup game. To be honest, we were expecting a little more fanfare but it was fun nonetheless!

     We ended the evening with a gondola ride and it was truly one of the highlights of our entire trip, at least it was for me, ha! I knew it was something that I really wanted to do and would regret not doing, but if you wanted to save some scratch, a ride in the front seat of a vaporetto is also pretty amazing! Gondola rides are very expensive but totally worth it, in my opinion! I would definitely recommend doing the gondola ride in the evening, it was so beautiful and serene and also, not as hot! 

     Our last dinner in Venice that night was actually kind of horrendous, but it overlooked the canal and I was already feeling sentimental about leaving Venice behind so I didn't mind the terrible food too much. The wine made up for it anyhow! We also had our first gelato of the trip on our last night in Venice and it was so good. I had pistachio and G had tiramisu. I truly loved Venice and hope I get to return one day. If you are planning a trip to Italy, do not miss Venice! 

 

Thoughts on Thursday

Linking up with Natalie and Annie today!

My sister (Nat, from the link-up) did an introduction post last week and thought I would jump on the bandwagon! Obviously, I already know everything she wrote about in the blog post but I love reading these types of posts about bloggers I don't know. 

Name/Age/Location 

My name is Priscilla but almost everyone in my life calls me Prissy, a nickname I avoided having for years until my husband came along! A few people still call me Pris, though. I am 29 and hanging on as hard as possible to that last bit of my twenties! I've lived in Baltimore City for 5 years and absolutely love it here! 

Me, taking a selfie because sometimes they are fun.

Charm City

Work

Lion tamer, magician, soother of souls, otherwise known as a middle school teacher. I am currently working towards my Master's degree in School Library Media and Educational Leadership. I also own an Esty shop Prissy's Ponytails, where I sell handmade fold-over elastic hairties. Shop is currently empty but working on that update soon!

Family 

Husband- G as he is referred to on this blog

Children- Macy (four legged) Mini Schnauzer

G and I have been married for a little over 3 years and we welcomed Macy into our family on July 23, 2011. She was born on April 29, 2011 and I sometimes wish we'd named her Duchess. We are a very happy little unit and you can often find us snuggled up on the couch or at the dog park! 

Hobbies

Reading, cooking, yoga, traveling, running, blogging, trying new restaurants and foods, shopping, decorating, occasional DIY projects, entertaining.

What You'll Find on this Blog

-recipes

-travel posts

-posts about books

-musings on life and being a teacher

-weekend recaps sometimes

-shopping

-lots of Macy love

Favorite Movie

I don't even know if I can answer this. I rarely hate a movie I see. the last movie I thoroughly enjoyed was The Grand Budapest Hotel. I love the movie poster as well... considering getting a copy to frame and put above our bed. 

Favorite Book

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I know it is a lot of people's favorite book and with good reason, it was the first book that really taught me life lessons such as compassion and believing and acting upon what is right. Atticus Finch is, in my opinion, one the greatest literary characters of all time. My late grandmother and I both loved to read and shared a great passion for this novel. It is one of my most treasured memories of her. 

“Atticus said to Jem one day, "I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird." That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. "Your father’s right," she said. "Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” 

~Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Favorite Cake

White cake or Funfetti cake with Fluffy White icing. 

Standard Coffee Order

Hot Green tea or unsweetened iced tea.

Standard Bar Order

I mainly drink Pinot Noir, Syrah, or any DOCG Italian wine.

Favorite Food

I love sushi and we eat it almost every week. Truthfully, I love trying new restaurants and new foods and have too many favorites to list!

Typical Friday night dinner for us

Beauty Product You Can't Live Without

I don't typically wear makeup Monday through Friday. I wear makeup on the weekends if we go out somewhere but not always. My can't live without product is Dr. Hauschka's Normalizing Day Oil. This stuff is magic. It moisturizes my face perfectly and does not cause me to breakout like most lotions do. I have pretty oily skin so this may seem counter-intuitive but this stuff is perfect for my skin!

Bedtime and Wake Up Time

Anywhere between 9pm and 11pm and 5:3am and 6am during the school year.

Biggest Pet Peeve

People who get worked up over Starbucks spelling their name wrong on their beverages. Why do people care? It's a cup. A cup only you are likely to see and then you will throw it away. What is the big deal? There are far greater things to get worked up over in this world. 

Celebrity Crush

I have several: Justin Timberlake, Bradley Cooper, Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Robert Downey, Jr., and Mark Ruffalo. I'm kind of all over the map with these celebrity crushes and some of them have to do with characters they've played, for example: I loved Alley McBeal and adored RDJ's character on that show. Don't get me wrong, I also think he's super handsome :) I also probably wouldn't go for a guy who is super jacked like Channing Tatum but oh I love how that guy can dance! 

                              

                                            

Don't think there is much else about me to know, but feel free to ask if there is!