A Note About the Holidays...

As Thanksgiving approaches next week and Christmas comes quickly after, I just want to write a little note about this time of year. It is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the decorations, the cool weather, hopefully some snow, the music. Most of all, I love being together with family and friends. People forget to be thankful for what we have. To be thankful for health, friends, a roof over your head, an education, safety, or food in your belly. So many people don't have all of these things, but everyone has something to be thankful for. And it shouldn't be something material. As the Grinch famously said:

So, this wonderful time of year, let's remember that Christmas and the Holidays aren't all about things, but also about people, time, and love. 

Find something to be thankful for in the coming week! 

-Sydney Liz 

My First Conference

This past Friday, I got the chance to present at my first Early Childhood Education conference. It was held at a local college for area educators, and it was so. much. fun. It was wonderful to get to share what we've learned in college classes with other educators. Our topic was "iCommunicate with Parents" and we talked all about technology to use when communicating with parents, since PA is huge on parent-teacher communications. We went beyond the classroom newsletter with what we presented. The three apps that we talked about were Twitter,  Showbie, and Kid Reports. (By the way, this is in no way sponsored, I just wanted to share links in case you were interested!) These apps, along with good ol' Facebook are great for keeping in touch with parents.

Showbie:

Showbie is a platform you can use to create an online, paperless classroom. If you work in a classroom that doesn't use a school wide platform such as blackboard, this is a great (free) alternative!

Twitter:

Most people know how to use Twitter, but this is great to use with parents to send out reminders about field trips, important days in the classroom, or link to helpful websites you think parents would like.

Kid Reports:

Kid Reports is a program for mainly child care centers to use. This system will push out information about an individual child or all the children in a family to parents or other pertinent family members. This can give parents a detailed report of their child's days and fill in the blanks they forgot to ask about at pick up. Teachers can also upload pictures and videos of a child throughout the day. These go only to the parent or family member so there's no privacy issues.

Well, that's a quick overview of the presentation I was fortunate enough to be a part of on Friday. I can't thank my professor enough for the opportunity to present for other educators! If you have any questions about technology in the classroom, don't be afraid to ask! Also, these blogs are great for technology use in an effective and appropriate way in the classroom:

2 Techie Teachers
Mrs. Banister's Blog

Before I go, I want to share this picture of my presentation group!

My professor, the head teacher of my college's preschool lab, me, and a fellow student!

Stay warm!

-Sydney Liz

A Pampering Saturday

This Saturday, I spent the day being pampered and shopping with my mom. It was sooo nice to just sit back and relax for a while. I was able to get both a pedicure and manicure which was amazing. While I got my pedicure, I sat back and read the June issue of Vogue, which was a wonderful escape from my busy weeks.

I got the OPI Summer collection on both my toes and fingers. The toes are "Aloha" and the fingernails are "Do you take Lei away?". I love the pop of color on my toes, but I can't do the color on my nails. I think a neutral there is a much better way to go with my "look". 

After my mani/pedi, we headed over to Crocker Park, which is a really nice outdoor shopping area near Cleveland. We had lunch at Brio, a great Italian restaurant. I loved that there was outdoor seating that was under cover, just in case the skies decided to open up and rain. 

 My mom had chicken with Quinoa and roasted red peppers and feta. I tried a bite and it was wonderful!

I went with the soup and salad. I'm a fan of all things lobster so I had to try the lobster bisque and I also love a good Cesar Salad. Both did not disappoint. 

Some retail therapy was also in order. I had to hit up the Victoria's Secret semi-annual sale as well as Barnes and Noble to pick up a new magazine for some light reading by the pool on my Monday off (hopefully the persistent rain holds off for a day). 

I hope you've had a wonderful and relaxing weekend as well! 

-Sydney Liz

Life Lately

So once summer started, life began to get away from me. I have had some relaxing time, as evident below, but most of my time has been spent in a classroom of some sort or in Pittsburgh. Being so far from "home" is tough. I haven't seen any of my friends from high school, and it's a two hour drive (when there's not a wreck on the Turnpike) to my boyfriend. So… a bit of catchup is in order on my morning/ afternoon off of work. 

 My first two weeks of summer were spent in a classroom doing field experience. I was with a wonderful first grade teacher and learned so much from her. I also got to teach two lessons, which were so much fun. This experience made me so much more excited for my future.

Now onto the fun stuff! The beginning of June meant I got to see the bf for the first time in over a month. A MONTH! It was a very long month and we both are hoping that never happens again. But when I did finally get to see him, we had a blast. We went mini golfing with some of his high school friends (even though they've all graduated college now, they are still super close), I went out on a duel sport (dirt bike that can go on/ off road) for the first time (on the back of course), took him to his first drive in experience, and spent tons of time together and with his family. It was a much needed break from work and a wonderful time. 

 And because of my graduation present to him, we saw each other two weekends in a row! I got us Pirates tickets so we went to the game this past Saturday where we got to see an awesome win and a bit of the concert after the game. It was super hot and muggy, but well worth it. We also went bowling at the Meadows Casino which was super nice. If anyone in the Pittsburgh area wants a super awesome bowling experience where you are basically waited on hand and foot, head there! It wasn't super expensive either.

Due to crazy storms, I didn't head back to northeast Ohio until Monday morning when I had to work, which was a pretty good idea given how much flooding we saw on the news last Sunday night. While work has been super stressful, I know it will make me a better teacher having this experience, and the weekends help make it bearable.

I hope you all are having a wonderful summer, even with all this rain!

-Sydney Liz

Five On Friday: Beginning of Summer Edition

Hello! It's been a crazy few weeks for me. Between finals, graduation for my boyfriend, and the beginning of field experience and work for me! So… my five for Friday is a catch up on all the happenings for me.

One
 I had tons of time during finals week to relax, which was weird. But my finals were spread out and not that bad, so I went to Dunkin one day for Happy Hour! I'm obsessed with Cookies and Cream iced coffee! And I drank it sitting out by the lake on my college's campus. It was glorious.

 Two
I got to see my friend Elise!! She drove up from home to go to dinner with me. It was so much fun getting to catch up, even with a crazy waitress at our Eat n Park.

 Three
The boyfriend graduated last Saturday! I'm soooo proud of him and his amazing accomplishments! I stayed around campus and extra few days just to be there, and it is definitely a day I wouldn't have missed for the world! I can't wait to see what he does and where life will take him!

Four
I started field experience this week, which means I'm in a first grade classroom all day. It's a ton of fun and a wonderful learning experience. I love the kiddos and I'm at a great school. It's strange to not be at the school I grew up in, but when that school is two and a half hours away, I could not handle that commute! I am so glad I decided to become a teacher and I cannot wait for the future.

Five
I started my summer job! I'm doing day camp with a bunch of school age kids at a local preschool/ child care center and I can't wait! It'll be a lot like last summer, where I worked at the sleep away Christian Camp that I grew up at, except I can go home at the end of the day to my own bed, and I have weekends to see people! I can't wait to plan activities and spend time with the kids!

So… I am now linking up with April, since the other wonderful hostesses are on summer break!

Happy Weekend!

-Sydney Liz

Weekending Vol. 2

The end of the semester is a crazy time! I just have this week of classes then a week of finals before I'm on summer break! But summer won't really be a break for me. I'll be spending my summer working at a preschool, which I'm so excited for, but it will definitely be a challenge. I'll also hopefully be doing some fun things, so that's what will end up here. But to catch up on my weekend:

This past Saturday was VolleyRock, an all day volleyball competition on my campus. I didn't play, but my boyfriend's/friends' team got out waaayyy before they would have liked, so that changed the day. We spend the afternoon exploring our college's woods, playing frisbee, and canoeing! It was actually a lot of fun. We ended the night playing Mario Party. Game nights are a regular occurrence with this group, so it was definitely a fun way to spend the day.

 Sunday, our church had a breakfast to celebrate the seniors. Definitely a bittersweet moment for me. My boyfriend is a senior and graduates in two weeks. I know he'll go on to do wonderful things and we'll be fine, but it's still a scary time. But breakfast was wonderful, but I had to step out of church early for my sorority's annual Trash Dash, where we go all over campus picking up trash, competing to see who brings back the most. It's part of our philanthropy "Inherit the Earth".

Also on Sunday was my choir concert! I'm glad to be done with choir for the year, and I'm not sure I'll be doing it again in the fall. I'm super involved on campus, so that and classes take up a lot of time. I don't know if I have the time to commit to such a wonderful group. But I did get to go to dinner with my mom, which was great! Any time I can eat off campus, I jump at the opportunity.

Sunday evening was my sororities "Senior Sendoff", where we said goodbye to our seniors who are leaving us too soon. It was sad, because it means I'm saying goodbye to my wonderful Big, but she's off to be a volunteer with the Presbyterian Church, so I know she'll be doing BIG things :).

I'm hoping I can get everything done this week and maybe find some time to relax too! Send prayers for a not too crazy few weeks!!

-Sydney Liz

Greek Week

Hello! I hope you've all had a wonderful week. Mine has been crazy, but I happen to have a short break in my day with enough time to stop in and post about my week. I don't have a five for Friday, but I have some pictures to share from Greek Week! I can't wait for Sing n Swing tomorrow to show off our awesome dance!

 All our wonderful Little Doves (New Members) painted the rock we have on campus Sunday night. This meant that everyone got to see it on Monday when Greek Week started and we had events down by the lake. They did such a wonderful job!

 My little and I at the rock… I'm such a proud Big!

 One of the new events this year was flag football. Here's our awesome teach before the game! We also had THREE wonderful coaches. We didn't win, but tied for first, since it got dark before a championship game could be played.

And just because I had to get a picture with her, here is one of my lovely sisters all decked out for football in her sparring gear (She's a 2nd degree black belt in Karate). 

Tonight, I'm off to Pittsburgh to celebrate my birthday with my boyfriend at the Yellowcard concert! I was invited by him last year before we were dating to the concert then, and couldn't go because of dance, but I'm so glad I get to go this time around!

Happy Weekending!

-Sydney Liz

Weekending Vol. 1

This weekend was a wonderful one. It started off with a homemade (by me) dinner and ended with the vesper service put together by my Spring Break With a Purpose work team. In between was lots of relaxing and lots of fun.

Friday night I made dinner for my boyfriend and me, then we went for a walk to soak up the beautiful weather (finally done raining!!), and ended the night watching Austin Powers, which I had never seen. It was actually pretty funny.

Saturday, I woke up thinking I had a very lazy day ahead of me, with no plans. This lasted until about 1:30 when I got called about going bowling for "Bowling for the Kids", an event sponsored by Big Brothers Big Sisters. Apparently the people who were suppose to go cancelled at the last minute, so one of my friends called me to see if I could go. I said "of course" because who doesn't want to go bowling, especially for a good cause! It was such a fun afternoon.

 It helped that my "team" was the people I spend so much time with, such as my boyfriend and best friend!

After that, the boyfriend and I decided to lay down by the lake (yes, my campus has a lake), because it was such a beautiful day. It was a wonderful, if a bit windy, decision. I loved spending the afternoon like that.

After enjoying such a beautiful Saturday and trying to soak up as much of the beautiful weather as possible, it was only right that I continue with this on Sunday. After a wonderful morning at church (I love my church that I go to while I'm at school), my sorority had pictures for recruitment next year. I'm so glad that the weather continued to be beautiful and we ended up with some wonderful pictures!

 Sunday afternoon was filled with our Senior (citizens) Prom for Sigma Kappa and a relaxing walk with my roommate. The weather this weekend was truly a gift from God! On my walk back to my room Sunday afternoon, I saw this one beautiful daffodil blossom. It was definitely a sign that spring is here and that God is so good!

Happy Monday!!

-Sydney Liz

Five on Friday

I'm linking up for my first ever Five on Friday! I have been reading the blogs of the ladies who host this lovely link up for about a year now, so now that I have my own blog, I might as well link up! So without further ado…

1. Rain.
I came back from a lovely Easter break at home to a week of rain at school. I'm glad that the temperatures have improved, but I could definitely do without the rain.

2. Easter.
Speaking of Easter break, I meant to do a recap of the weekend, then this week just got away from me. I spent most of it in Ohio with my mom, but we did go to my Grandma's on Sunday morning to go to church with her, then I drove to PA to spend the afternoon with my dad and his side of the family. Every year, my family does an egg hunt, and each person gets two eggs to hunt. My aunt hides them all outside in her huge yard, so we all run around looking for the eggs with our names on them. Even as an adult, I still love this every year.

3. Portfolio.
At my college, as and education major, I had to create a portfolio my sophomore year to be admitted to the education department as an actual candidate for the certification and degree. This portfolio basically has everything I have ever done that relates to education and proves that I should be able to continue in my program. Well, I finally turned it in yesterday and I feel relieved. I'm sure there are some things I will need to fix with it, but I feel a huge weight off my shoulders since it is now in my advisors hand.

4. Cooking.
I'm making dinner tonight for my boyfriend and myself and I'm so excited. Living in a dorm, its hard to cook. My sorority's chapter room has a kitchen in it, but I still don't cook that often. My boyfriend has a townhouse (one of my school's housing options as a senior), so I'm making dinner in his kitchen tonight. I'm making one of my favorite Pinterest recipes. If you're interested, click the link below!

5. Saturday… a day of rest.
This Saturday is the first one pretty much all semester that I have nothing planned during. I cannot wait to be able to have a lazy morning, catch up on work due next week, and hopefully spend some time outside if this rain ever wants to stop.

Happy Friday!

-Sydney Liz

Formal 2015

This weekend was a busy one, with my college's Dance Theater production, which I was in, as well as my sorority's formal. Needless to say, Sunday was one lazy day filled with Church, a walk, and quality time with my boyfriend. The only pictures I have from the weekend are from formal, so without further ado: Formal 2015 in pictures.

 My Big made my paddle! It is absolutely perfect and beautiful, even complete with a monogram (my favorite). 

 It was my beautiful Little's first formal. Super proud Big!

 My wonderful roommate! This was her first formal as well, since she's a music major and was at the state band festival last year. She is absolutely wonderful and I can't imagine living with someone else. And the night was so much fun getting to hang out with her. 

And last but not least, a picture with the best date around! This is the second formal we've gone to together, and I wouldn't have wanted to spend them with anyone else. And he reminds me we need to take pictures, which I very much appreciate ;) Don't we clean up nice? 

Hopefully the temperatures begin to warm up, with Easter being Sunday! In the mean time, its a busy week of class until Wednesday when I get to head home for Easter break to spend time with my family (one of the wonderful things about going to a Church-affiliated college). 

Happy Monday!

-Sydney Liz

Spring Break 2015

Hi there!

So since this blog is a place for me to write about my life, I'm finally getting around to writing about my spring break. This year, I did something a little unconventional and went on a Habitat for Humanity trip to Georgetown, SC for a week. A whole group from my college went, and we had a blast. We worked on a ReStore there, and had some fun at the beach and Charleston on the Wednesday of our trip. It was wonderful to be out of the cold and into some sun (it was 82 when we were in Charleston!). I loved every moment of the trip and definitely think it will be something I do again. It was also a faith-based trip, and it was wonderful to get to know people from my school who I didn't know before and see a side of them not usually displayed on campus. So, without further ado, here are some pictures from my wonderful week!

 My sorority sister, Katie and I in front of the Plantation we visited outside of Charleston. Look below and I basically have the same outfit on that she does in this picture :) 

 This is the group I worked with all week. It was so much fun learning to build with these wonderful people!

 Two of my sorority sisters also went on the trip with me! It was so much fun getting to spend time together and do service as well as sight-see. 

 My boyfriend went on the trip last year, and couldn't stop talking about it. That is pretty much the reason I had to go, and now I understand why!

Pineapple Fountain in Charleston! It was such a beautiful day!

 Most of our group! Such a wonderful week with them. 

I cannot say enough wonderful things about going on a Spring Break with a Purpose trip. It was definitely one of the best weeks of my life and I wouldn't have wanted to spend it any other way. 

-Sydney Liz

January 2015

Wow… I can't believe it is already January 2015. But since this is my first blog post, I might as well put out some things about me.

I'm Sydney (On left)!

I was on my college's danceline for the band this past fall. It was so much fun, and the other girls are such awesome people.

I worked at a Christian summer camp this past summer with these awesome people. This picture is from the Fourth of July when we all went to a Pittsburgh Pirates game and watched fireworks on the river. That summer was an amazing experience that I will never forget. 

At school, I'm part of an amazing sorority, Sigma Kappa. I love my sisters and it was really the best thing to happen to me. This picture above is of my pick-up class and I'm so glad I've gotten to know these wonderful ladies this past year. 

Within my sorority, we have families. The picture above is mine! I love these girls so much and am so blessed to be a part of this family. My big, Mara, is just the sweetest, as is my G-Big, Alex. 

This picture is of my roommate, Linsey, and I at our fall sisterhood retreat. We went to a pumpkin patch/ corn maze, because nothing says fall like that, am I right? Also, what else do you do when you go to school in the middle of Amish country? She's a great girl, and I'm so glad we decided to room together this year!

This is my boyfriend, Rob, and I in Pittsburgh over Christmas break. He's great, and I'm in denial that graduation is in five months. 

Last, but certainly not least, are my parents. I love them both so much. As an only child, you get pretty close to your parents, and I'm lucky enough to call these two mine! School means I don't see them as often as I use to, but that just makes it better when I do. 

So, I'm hoping to make this blog my own little piece of the internet where I can chronicle my year and my adventures through life! 

- Sydney Liz