Getting to Know You…rself

by maxouthappy
one of my favorites by j parker photography – she always takes pictures that feel like me

Next week, we start a new semester at school. The first days are always filled with getting to know you activities, team building and relationship building activities, and games or writing prompts to try to form a sense of a nurturing, safe community.

In addition to getting to know my students, I always like to be able to share myself with them so the vulnerability and openness is reciprocal. It always begs the question: What is important or interesting about me? What do I want to share with someone that really gives a glimpse of me, my life, and what is unique to me? Of course I tell them about my recent wedding and my husband who also teaches, and our three crazy dogs, and how I love spending time with family and friends, but those things are all expected. So I like to think about what else I could share.

Recently, Whitney wrote me to ask a favor for a photography business course she’s taking. It asks you to think about things that you’re passionate about or things that set you on fire, and to ask others for their input as well. I made a list for her, which was fun! Then I was intrigued, and asked the same favor of her! Here is the list she sent me:

Things that set Julia on fire:
Nail polish names 
Making checklists
Checking things off of said checklists
A good pen
Compassion
A good dog IG account
Peanut butter
Writing
A crisp glass of sauvignon blanc
Education
A long necklace
A good country song
A well-rounded gift to give
New makeup
A good blog
A good lip color
Snail Mail
Organization
Salty & sweet
Classic with a twist

She knows me so well! Yes to all of those things. I would add to this list reading anything I can get my hands on, cheese, getting a back scratch, corny puns, and my favorite Lululemon leggings. It really is so many little things that make us who we are and make us tick. I think sometimes we just lose a little bit of knowing ourselves because life gets busy, things change, and in just trying to keep up with the ebb and flow of everyday life, we lose track of ourselves and what we need, what we no longer need, and all the little things that bring us joy or give us a sense of purpose.

I will be getting to know these things about my new set of teenagers in just a few days, and I’m excited for them to get to know me, too! We’ll even have a student teacher to get to know and work with until May. I truly believe – and I have said it a hundred million times – that the better you truly know and care for your students, and the more they truly know and care for you, they will do anything for you and the opportunities for learning and personal growth open up ten-fold for them and for the educator in the classroom.

I am so grateful that I have so many special people in my life who are reflective, supportive, thoughtful, and who actively try to better themselves and others around them. Life is a constant reconstruction of ourselves, and I always t think it’s important to check back in and see who you are.

I encourage you to think of your own list; what would be on yours?

Happy Friday!



FriYAY feels!

by maxouthappy

It has been forever since I’ve had time to sit down and write anything. I’m so glad it’s time for the weekend! Tomorrow I have brunch plans with two of my girlfriends and we are going to a place I haven’t been to in forever, so I’m excited! Other than that, our weekend is pretty open so I’m hoping to spend some time with Andrew and the doggies, relax, read, and just see what comes up.

I’m feeling sassy because I got my hair cut this week! It was time for a change so I went for a “lob.” Once we cut it, I noticed how dead and scraggly it had been before! I love the new length and we went a little lighter, too! My hairstylist has been doing my hair FOREVER – since college over 10 years ago! She recommended this Kenra volumizing shampoo + conditioner for my poor thin hair, this curling wand in the 32mm size for bigger, carefree waves, and this Amika mousse for volume and texture (plus heat protection!). I’m going to give them all a try for a while and report back! It looks so much healthier and I am excited to style it!

the new ‘do!

I am also doing great with my Weight Watchers and staying active so far! I know it hasn’t been long, but if I can keep up the routine for long enough, it will just become normal and that’s what I’m aiming for. Andrew is doing it with me, so that makes it so much better!

In other news, I received a pair of Tieks (!!!) for Christmas and I have been wearing them about every other day. They are amazing! I also received an Instant Pot and I am going to plan to try a recipe or two next week in it! My friend Jenny found a recipe for spaghetti squash in the instant pot that takes FIVE MINUTES. That is absolutely a GAME CHANGER. So I think I’ll try that one next week with some sauce and meatballs. Easy, healthy, and delicious!

I also used some of my Christmas money to purchase these flats in the red and the leopard print! Most of my shoes that I wear constantly are super worn out, and these are cute and affordable enough to try out. I have a similar black pair that I have had for years and years, and one of my students called me out on wearing them all the time – so I figured it was time to upgrade! I can mix them in the rotation with my new Tieks 🙂

I’m loving this Fiore lip color and always love this line of lipsticks from Stila! I stopped buying lipsticks for a while, so now I’m a little low on my stash again and it might be time to restock!

In other news, we start exams next week at school and I’m always sad to say goodbye to my students! Changing semesters is always a great chance to start fresh and try new things, but it is always bittersweet. I had a great group of kids this semester and I’m going to miss them.

That’s it for me; everyone have a great weekend!

2019

by maxouthappy
one of my favorite pictures from 2018

I cannot believe we are in 2019! Another new year, another time for resolutions and a new start. I agree that anytime is as good a time as any to start up something new or work towards a goal, but there’s something about the feeling of doing it with everyone else that makes you feel like you’re supported.

2018 was good to me, so it is going to be a tough year to beat. Andrew and I got married (!!!), went on our honeymoon to Jamaica, started another new school year, and bought a house! Big life changes. I got to celebrate my best friend getting married and host some events for her, and I got to spend lots of time with two of my bridesmaids’ babies! I went on a few amazing bachelorette parties, attended wonderful and happy weddings, and did all the wedding things. I also got to help renovate a playground with my Early Childhood Education students with a grant we received! I went to Chicago with my family, celebrated turning 31, and got to see a lot of baseball and football games that Andrew coached. A great year 🙂

I always make similar resolutions (see here and here for 2018 and 2017’s posts), but this year I’m really trying to be thoughtful about what is realistic and what is practical for my life in this season. Last year I did so-so with my resolutions and failed hard with my weight loss goals, so I’m really trying to stick to a few simple things this year! Here are my 2019 resolutions:

  1. Stick to Weight Watchers! I just re-joined and spent a lot of time meal planning and writing my grocery lists. I know I can do it and I hope to continue seeing progress! I have a considerable amount of weight to lose, and I want to do it the right way.
  2. Be more active.
  3. Andrew and I both want to set an early bedtime for school nights and read for 30 minutes before bed.
  4. Less screen time. This one is hard just due to society in general, but I’d really like to limit my mindless scrolling on social media. I also want to be more intentional about when my phone is out – like during meals or when I am visiting with friends or family.

That’s it! All doable, all realistic, and all important for me at this time in my life. Whatever your new year resolutions are, I am sending good vibes for us all to be successful! Here’s to 2019, and 360-something more days to try to get it right!

A Christmas gift guide you can afford

by maxouthappy

I can’t believe it is already that time again – time to buy gifts for the holidays! I luckily have already gotten basically all of my/our shopping done this year, but usually I am scrambling till the end. Last year I put together this gift guide for you guys, and honestly all of that is still relevant for this year, too! I’ve seen so many gift guides out there this season, and even if some of the items are in my realm of budget, most of the items are outrageously expensive. We all deserve to be spoiled, but I can’t justify or afford spending $150 on a blanket or a cardigan for all my girlfriends. OBVIOUSLY once we win the lottery this won’t be an issue, but until then, we are on a two teacher budget so here are some nice gifts you can afford this holiday season 🙂

1. Barefoot dreams socks – I was able to find some of these for even less than this link shows, but these are hot sellers this season! They are incredibly soft and cozy, perfect for lounging around the house or sticking into some boots when it’s really cold out! The perfect cozy splurge, because I can’t afford the cardigan that is over $100!

2. Wicks for wags candles – I always personally think candles are a nice gift, because they can actually get pretty expensive and you always want to have several around! My friend Meghan got me one of these and I LOVE it. I love a gift that gives back, and this shop gives at least 10% of the money they make on candles to help animals in need. Read more about their cause here. Plus, it’s a gift from a local vendor and supports a small business!

3. Joanna Gaines Homebody design book or Magnolia Table cookbook, Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings or Hungry for More cookbooks. I have two of these, and would love to have the other two. Wonderful gifts that someone might not want to purchase for themselves.

4. Dior lip glow – I have seen this product raved about for years by different bloggers and finally bit the bullet on one during Black Friday sales to try it out. It is as good as they say it is!!! A great way to treat someone to a pretty and practical gift that they will get use out of! The perfect hint of color and intense moisture.

5. Slippers – I think a nice cozy pair of slippers is a great gift for the holidays. I like these and these!

6. Flannel pj shorts – if you get hot like I do when you sleep, flannel pants can just be too much. But I love Old Navy’s flannel boxer pajama shorts!

7. Books – Educated is the latest book I read and I am just amazed at this incredible story. I read it in two days over the weekend and could not put it down! I am dying to read Girl, Wash Your Face and Where the Crawdads Sing next. For more ideas, here’s a great list to get you thinking if you know someone who loves to read!

8. The Yellow Bird products – I have written about this company before here. All natural, chemical free products that make for wonderful gifts for anyone!

9. The Little Market is always a great place to shop for items that give back – candles, jewelry, home goods, tote bags, you name it! I love these tassel earrings and this dainty tassel necklace. Whitney got us tassel bracelets for being her bridesmaids in April, and I never take mine off! This tiny pearl necklace is also a perfect dainty piece. I also love The Flourish Market for spending money towards a good cause (local in downtown Raleigh if you’re in the area!).

I also think another great gift idea is to give the gift of a subscription box! One month, three, or whatever you can afford – they all offer different options! Some subscriptions I have used or been gifted in the past and have really enjoyed are FabFitFun, Shaker & Spoon, GlobeIn, Cloth & Paper, and Ipsy. There are also subscription boxes for pets, wine lovers, chocolate lovers, all kinds of things!

I can never find a gift that seems right for the men in my life, no matter how many different types of gift guides for men I peruse. So some ideas I actually DO like for men include flannel pajama pants, slippers, a Yeti mug if they drink coffee, a beard hair catcher for easy clean-up if they have facial hair, or a nice flannel shirt or jacket. There are all kinds of gadgets out there for men but I have seen this digital grill thermometer in a few different places, so if you have a guy that loves to fire up the grill, this is probably a great idea!

Hopefully this list at least sparks some interest or gets you thinking about some things you could get for some people you may be having trouble thinking about! Christmas will be here before you know it – I just got up my Christmas decorations over the weekend, so I’m already feeling behind!

Happy shopping!

FriYAY feels!

by maxouthappy

I’m alive!

What. A. Week. For the first time, I’m actually writing my Friyay post on a Friday, rather than writing it beforehand and setting it up to post on Friday morning. It has just been that kind of week where I haven’t really had a second to sit down and do anything! But I am relaxing with the dogs, our Christmas decorations are finally up, and I’m watching Love Actually while Andrew is at a playoff football game with another coach. 

Did I mention that I am working towards getting my National Board Certification for teaching? I am terrified! But two other teachers at school in my department are going for it too, so we had our first off campus work day this week. We will submit everything in May and then we won’t find out if we got it or not until next DECEMBER OR JANUARY. So nerve-wracking! 

I went to Target today to get a couple of things we needed and some little gifts and stocking stuffer type items, and the traffic everywhere was insane! But Target, of course, has TONS of gift items that will really come in clutch if you need a little something but you just don’t quite know what. I was able to get a couple of gifts for a gift exchange this weekend very easily. 

I am on the hunt for a great artificial tree! I put up all my old decorations from when I was living in an apartment, and my tree looks SO tiny in our new house! I died laughing when I got it up and stood back to look at it. It will have to do for this year, probably…but I’m hoping things will go on sale after Christmas and I can snag a tree for next year. This one is already really affordable compared to all the other ones I’ve looked at, and it looks good to me!

I want to make this Chex Mix Christmas Crack before the holidays – I love a good salty/sweet combo, and this one adds in peppermint!

I got this mascara recently and I LOVE the way it applies and the way it looks. The only downfall is that it doesn’t wash off easily, but if you already use eye makeup remover, that’s no problem. I love it even with its one fault! I got it when Tarte was doing a sale and I’m so glad I did!

Tomorrow, some of my FCCLA club students and their parents are volunteering at Oak City Outreach Center to serve a meal to those in need. I think it will be good for all of us, and hopefully will help them see how important it is to give to others, even if it’s just giving time. Afterwards, Andrew and I are going to his school department’s annual Christmas party. Sunday, everyone is calling for snow, so we will see! You never know in North Carolina. 

Only 18 days left until Christmas! I can’t believe how fast it has crept up AGAIN. Stay tuned for a holiday gift guide like last year’s coming sometime next week! Happy weekend 🙂

Thanksgiving

by maxouthappy

our first thanksgiving living at the new house!

Today, I am thankful for so many things. I really try to always remind myself that there is much to be thankful for – because we need that mindset every day and not just on holidays – but Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I love Christmas, too, but there’s something about just gathering around for some food with the people you love the most that makes me feel happy and comforted.

My whole life, we spent Thanksgivings at my aunt’s house in South Carolina. She has 4 kids, there are 3 kids in our family, and now one of her kids has 2 kids! It’s a huge family affair and used to include our grandparents before they passed, and my aunt Sherilyn always comes, too. I have become really interested in how other families and cultures spend their holidays and time with family in the last few years, and I always ask my students what their plans and traditions are. To me, the loud laughter, chatter, and teasing that is always bouncing around at my aunt’s house makes me feel at home. Even if your family isn’t close or you can’t get home for the holidays, it’s a time to spend with others who welcome you in and claim you as one of their own. I know the holidays can bring sadness and angst for many, so I hope if that is true for you this holiday season, that you are able to find somewhere to spend happy time with others and to take care of yourself in whatever way that may be.

This year, our school football team is in the playoffs! Andrew is the quarterback coach, so as I type this he’s at Thanksgiving Day practice and tomorrow the boys will play the second round of playoffs! So this year we are not going “home,” we are staying home in our new house with the doggies and spending our Thanksgiving meal with two other teacher couples for a teacher Thanksgiving! I am bringing a family recipe macaroni and cheese, these delicious mashed potatoes, and these delectable apple dumplings (I’ve said it before, but you just can’t go wrong with a Pioneer Woman recipe!). I’m waiting for the laundry to finish so I can wear my favorite leggings and shamelessly enjoy my meal – plus, the best thing about wearing leggings for Thanksgiving is you’re already prepared for the inevitable post-turkey afternoon/evening nap!

It’s always easy to find things to complain about or to get caught up in what’s going wrong in life, but it feels a lot better to celebrate the good. So this year, I’m celebrating a lot of things I’m thankful for:  A family that laughs together, a new family that I’m now part of, a wonderful husband, three sweet doggies that always keep us on our toes, a new cozy home that feels just right, friends who are like family, and starting new traditions as we have our first big holiday together as a married couple!

these 3 turkeys are hoping they’ll get some real turkey today!

Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels to everyone!

FriYAY feels!

by maxouthappy

source

Happy Friyay! I am super excited for this weekend because Andrew and I are going to Charlotte to visit my sister and go to the Panthers game on Sunday! The tickets were our wedding gift from her and it seemed like so far away then, but here we are and it feels like no time at all has passed!

I got these mules a couple weeks ago and have not been able to stop wearing them. They are so great! Comfortable, affordable, and they go well with jeans or dress pants for work! I got the toffee color but also love the taupe.

With the colder weather, my skin has been acting out by becoming dry and having a couple of breakouts. I started researching face cleansing brushes and ended up purchasing this one on amazon – I used it for the first time last night and loved the way my skin felt afterwards. Super clean, smooth, and I love that there are a couple of different brush head options to use! I am really excited to see if it keeps helping my skin’s appearance and texture.

Loving this color for fall nails.

I’ve mentioned her store before, but this top and this top are THE BEST purchases in a while. So good. The roll front top is sold out but I’m linking it in case it comes back, and you can add your email to be notified when it’s back in stock!

This week, I started honestly trying to be more active and more thoughtful in the choices I made for groceries and meals. I pack our lunches and make dinner every night, so this week at the grocery store I got healthy items so we didn’t have any other choice! I am trying to get into the habit of exercising after school and then making a healthy dinner for us with good portion sizes.

I can’t wait to read this book and have heard such good things about it!

That’s it for me! Everyone enjoy the weekend!

Going easy

by maxouthappy

Every now and then I get into a weird mood that is hard to get out of until I sit with it for a while. It’s not bad, there’s nothing wrong, I just need to sort out my thoughts and have some time to myself. And I think part of it is not taking enough time for myself, and going and going and going until I finally realize (admit to myself?) all of a sudden that I have taken on too much and I just need a MINUTE. Is anyone else with me?! This is ironically not the first time I’m writing about this. (Here, here, here AND here I also discuss slowing down, saying no, taking care of yourself, giving yourself grace, etc. so CLEARLY I am mastering this topic still struggling with this concept).

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about society, and our constant need for instant gratification and for everything to be picture perfect. Only showing the parts of ourselves that are fun, happy, poised, and put together. I haven’t posted much anywhere lately because I just haven’t really felt like it – I’ve been busy and tired with regular old life. School is great, but always exhausting and comes with several extra commitments. And with moving into the new house, I have put a lot of pressure on myself to “finish” everything and keep everything just so. I had to really convince myself this week that the dishes can sit for a day, the laundry can sit in the dryer for a minute, and the dog hair can accumulate a little bit in the corners — and that the world will keep on spinning. I don’t have to grade that last assignment right this second or reply to xyz email the second I get it. So, the last couple of days, I have just kind of kept to myself and taken things easy.

I teach Early Childhood Education classes – so I don’t teach young children, but I do teach teenagers about young children – and my students keep telling me about the themes they’re seeing in their internships of children giving up quickly when they don’t get the outcome they want the first time around. We went on a site visit as a class where the preschool director told us there’s a big problem with fine motor skills in young children in today’s world, because they grow up using their fingers to tap buttons on a screen and they aren’t getting the practice they need to coordinate their fine motor skills like kids have in the past, due to the easy, don’t-have-to-think-about-it technology we are so attached to. This is worth a whole separate discussion in itself, but the fact that even our CHILDREN are overloaded and overstimulated made me stop today and THINK. Sometimes it is vital for us to slow down, appreciate the little things, and take care of ourselves – and while doing so, we have to embrace the fact that things aren’t perfect, we’re going to have to work hard for things, and we can’t all be 1.6 billion dollar lottery winners (although that would have been prettttty sweet). We set this impossible standard for ourselves sometimes and then compare ourselves to the best of the photo reels we see on social media – and we think we aren’t good enough. But how about just admitting to ourselves that we are all in this together, and that even people who look really put together probably have similar issues and struggles? How about giving ourselves a little bit of grace and letting ourselves take a break every now and then? I think we have to, in order to keep doing all the other things we have to do on a daily basis.

I got to a point where I just had too much going on, so tonight I am doing my nails, having a few snacks on the couch with the doggies, and writing this blog post. Candle burning, tucked in to a cozy blanket, re-watching Gilmore Girls again, and trying to stay away from my phone because sometimes it’s nice to just settle in and hang out. So feel free to use this as a reminder to do the same (or your version of it) so you don’t have to get this slap in the face of “here we go again.” The weekend is nearly upon us 🙂 and it will be okay. The world keeps on turning, and it’s better if we can relax and be okay with ourselves while it does.

FriYAY feels!

by maxouthappy

one semi-finished corner of the new house!

I wish I could start this post by writing about fall, and how I love fall, and fall fashion, and scarves and booties and thick chunky sweaters, but y’all. It’s still ALMOST NINETY DEGREES here today. So I just really can’t.

But what I DO want to share is this shop from Kendi at Kendi Everyday. I’ve been following her blog forever and I know I already mentioned her new store in another post, but now I have received some items from Everyday & Co and I am LOVINGGGGGG them. Particularly this everyday blouse (which, come on, I knew I would). I have it in ash grey and it is so pretty and flattering. The material is great and it’s long enough to wear with leggings or do a front tuck (I’m a big fan of a front tuck). This super soft crew neck tee is perfect, too. I love that it has longer sleeves for the arms and a high neck. It looks polished but it still a closet staple. I know 100% without a doubt that I will be continuing to come to this site for clothes. She gets me.

This week, I made scallop linguini, spice rubbed parmesan chicken, and spicy garlicky spinach from the new Chrissy Teigen cookbook, and I just want to say YESSS.  If you don’t have her cookbook yet, run to get it. Such delicious looking and sounding dishes, and all seem fairly easy to make! That’s the best part. I don’t have the first Cravings cookbook, but that’s next on my list!

I’ve been back on this train for my everyday makeup and am just loving it still. I am finding it hard in my thirties (because I’m actually IN my thirties now) to find good face makeup that doesn’t get greasy throughout the day or cake up in lines around my nose. This is illuminating and just leaves such a soft finish but a pretty full coverage. And I never feel like I have to reapply during a day of teaching teens – and that is saying something.

This is the best blanket!!! Whitney told me about it, so I went to Amazon to check the literally thousands of amazing reviews. I got it in ivory and it is so. soft. It’s the blanket in the picture at the top of this post! Machine washable, soft on both sides, warm, and looks good in a room. Affordable, too – most throw blankets are way too pricey!

I’m loving this and this for jewelry storage at the new house. Simple, pretty, functional, and doesn’t take up too much space. And I just so happen to have gotten a 20% off coupon for The Container Store from moving!

We have a busy couple of weekends ahead, but all good stuff! I hope everyone enjoys this weekend and maybe soon we will be dipping into fall weather and I can write about booties and scarves and thick chunky sweaters 🙂 Happy Friyay!

Thirty-one

by maxouthappy

I have been writing birthday posts since I started this blog THREE YEARS AGO (hard to believe!), but this year life was hitting me hard and I am just now getting a chance to sit down and think about this post. I’m writing this in our new living room as I look all around our new home, while a fence is being built for the back yard – and that is such a good feeling! We have a lot to do still, but now is the fun part…decorating and organizing!

So this is how 31 began for me! My birthday was last Tuesday, and we closed on our house on Thursday and spent the weekend moving and unpacking. If this is any indication of the upcoming year, I think it’s going be pretty amazing – but it’s hard to beat the year I got married to the love of my life!

This is my fourth birthday at maxouthappy.com, and it’s always fun to go back and read my previous birthday posts, starting with my 28th birthday. So much has changed since then, but the things that have stayed constant are my family and closest friends, and my values and feelings about life. It’s hard to believe I didn’t even know Andrew then…my life was about to open up right in front of my eyes and I didn’t even see it coming. Becoming a real adult has been a slap in the face at times, and has not been without its struggles, but there is so much happiness and contentment in knowing that I am where I have chosen to be and that I wouldn’t change any of it! (I mean, I would love to win the lottery, but who wouldn’t!)

The goals I have set for myself in this new year of life are about taking care of myself better. I want to stop to relax more often, which I think will be a little easier now that we are settling down and have moved out a little farther. More quiet nights and weekends at home with my husband and our three furry kids sounds good to me 🙂 I also want to commit to cooking more meals at home because I love to cook, it’s relaxing for me, and it also saves money and is healthier than always eating out. I have so many beautiful cookbooks with amazing dishes on the pages, so I want to start trying them all out! If you mess it up, there’s always pizza, right? I also want to follow a strict schedule of exercising at least 3 days a week. Three days is totally doable, and I don’t care what I do as long as I do SOMETHING – walk, yoga, at home HIIT workout or weights, YouTube workouts, whatever! Finally, I want to remember to be thankful and appreciate the moments I am in, and do a better job of that rather than worrying about things that have already come or things that may or may never happen. I do a good job of being thankful, but the other part is hard for me.

Thirty was fabulous – thirty and flirty and thriving – but I think it should always just keep getting better. Bring it on, thirty-one!