weekends that zipppp on by

I always look to the weekends to catch up on work, cleaning, DVR'd episodes, wedding stuff, and...blogging! Yet somehow, Friday night naps on the couch turn in to busy Saturdays streaming into Saturday evening festivities which undoubtedly, in the wee hours, turns into Sunday and with Sunday comes correcting, grading, logging and a well-deserved mid-afternoon lunch date/ grocery trip. And there goes the weekend.

In baking news, for St Patrick's Day I experimented and created a batch of Thin Mint cupcakes. Using a very simble Devil's Food cake mix, I sprinkled in crushed Thin Mints. I tinted the Rich & Creamy cupcakes a light green, topped each cupcake with half a Thin Mint cookie and sprinkled Thin Mint cookie crumbs on top.




For Sarah's 26th birthday, Leah and I teamed up. Leah was behind ALL the inspiration and design. I merely frosted. The final product....




Last weekend, I dined with Katie--one of my best friends/former roommate at BC--in Bellingham. It is always nice to catch up over dinner and drinks. A stop at the outlets on the way home, scored some nice spring clothes.

The next morning the Yoffe girls attended Auburndale's book sale. As in the past, we arrived early, fought the crowds and landed some sweet deals. A few of my favorites were nonfiction titles about Boston's Subway system, animal defenses to go along with our unit on animal adaptations and Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends."



After a most lovely birthday lunch for Sarah at Vinny Ts, I subsequently napped before attending Zachary's middle school rendition of "Beauty and the Beast." The play was in Freetown and, trying to "do it all," we had hoped to make it into the city for Sarah's birthday celebration. Regretfully, we didn't make it but I am excited to make it up to her this weekend. Sunday Justin and I tackled our wedding registry at Crate and Barrel. What am I most excited about you ask...




He got the scanner and I got to browse and point. :)

Last weekend I also invested in a number of Wilton baking supplies such as. . .








and one more I am quite excited about (courtesy of Amazon Prime and sweet speedy service--thank ya babe)....


In third grade news, MCAS: Reading is over which is a sigh of relief. Day 1 went considerably smoother than Day 2. To start out, I had two students out sick the second day of testing. On top of that, one girl wasn't feeling great and visited the nurse's office before testing began. Approximately 20 minutes in, however, she rushed over to me, lips pursed, confessing she felt as though she were to throw up. And that she did. Thinking on my feet, I sent her to the nurse immediately (making the executive decision that a nurse's pass was unnecessary in this situation) and quietly called the nurse asking her to request that Mr. Smith come down to the room and as discreetly as possible clean up the orange juice puddle by the door--all while a class of 8 year olds are busily taking their first ever standardized test. Oy.


Leading up to the test, we had prepared so much and done so many practice passages. It was nice to see questions the students could be comfortable and confident answering.

Third grade has been considerably smoother compared to last year. Not a day goes by when I do not feel incredibly grateful for the well-behaved, engaged, eager, very smart students I have this year. Activities I only dreamed of doing last year run so smoothly this year.

Friday, also Good Friday, becomes Better Friday, because it is a day off , kicking off a long weekend and I will be spending it in the city--visiting Momma in her new office! That evening, Justin and I will excitedly double-date to celebrate Sarah's birthday.

Sunday we will spend Easter in Freetown and I will politely pass the leavened rolls and merely admire the cookies, cupcakes and leavened goodies, as a good Jew should.

February fun

The past few weeks have been jam-packed with meetings, special programs, and workshops. So vacation came at a perfect time!

With school vacation week comes [attempts at] sleeping in, maximum couch time, oodles of baking, little stress, lunch dates with other MA teachers, doctors' appointments, retail therapy and late nights [read: staying up past 9:30.]

In wedding news, the save the dates are stuffed, sealed and in the mail. I absolutely love them! Cute, clever and a little bit different.

Justin and I went to the cake tasting a few weekends ago and all the flavors we tasted were delectable! The question remains round or square....Hmm...

Sarah and I ventured to David's Bridal last week and she played lovely model trying on a bunch of potential bridesmaid dresses. In 35 minutes we narrowed it down to these three.

Dress A

Dress B

Dress C

I asked all of the girls to check out the dresses and choose their two 2 choices. They all chose A! So, my thought is for the bridesmaids to wear Dress A in marine and my two flower girls to wear Dress B in Watermelon.

Next on the wedding checklist is invitations, followed by flowers, tuxes and centerpieces and a honeymoon!

I have collected some images of centerpieces I like...

For Valentine's Day Justin got me a real red rose dipped in gold. So cool. =) My gift to him (us) is a weekend ski getaway next weekend. So excited. =)

my snowboarding hubby-to-be

It's off to relaxing, baking, snuggling with the pup and cheering on USA in curling. =)

How has it been nearly 2 months since I've last written!?

A lot has happened in the months of December and January since the last post.

After a second stroke shortly after Christmas, Nana's health began to fail. While she was breathing on her own, she had become unresponsive. Fortunately, we had been able to see her the day after Christmas, show her some of my gifts and chat with her a bit. The second stroke came a few days later. Justin, Sarah and I went the day after New Years Day and joined my mom at Baystate. Nana did not like like herself, yet she was clearly at peace. We talked to her, held her hand, and reminded her how much we loved her.

She passed away on January 5th. I never imagined life without Nana. Life without calls to her in the afternoon, visits to Springfield for the day or weekend, sending my classroom's newsletter each week. I saw her on August 8, 2010 so happy for Justin and I.

While she will not be physically present on that day, her presence will surely be felt. I feel so fortunate and blessed to have shared the wedding dress shopping experience with her. She loved Justin so much.

The service at her Church later that week began on a somber note but quickly became a celebration of her life, achievements and the friendships she acquired and maintained over her 87 full, long years.

The love, support and warm words from friends and colleagues over the past few weeks has been so meaningful and powerful.

Life will not be the same without Nana but she is now with Papa, dancing the night away. =)

Commencement 2007

The following weekend was a do-it-yourself wedding favor workshop I went to at Paper Source with a few of my bridesmaids. That was where the second-guessing of the color scheme first began. I originally thought green and pink would be it. However, It was at Paper Source where I began to see and consider some other options. I think I am beginning to settle on navy and pink--a Vineyard Vine kind of feel. The green and pink became too common and I'm not a common type of gal. the navy will be nice to accent the light blues of Cohasset Harbor and a pink will be a nice accent against the navy. I will be able to tie in the green in the flowers ad bouquets. These images in particular have really been inspiration for this color scheme.






We had our food at Atlantica a few weeks ago and the food was outstanding. We met with a possible wedding officiant last night and he seemed like a perfect fit. Next weekend is our cake tasting--mmm!

December happenings

I need to get better at updating. So much happens in between posts and I don't want to forget a thing!

Shortly after my last post, Nana suffered a stroke. Luckily, she is improving everyday and I pray for her. My mom has been visiting every weekend because, while she is getting better, she is not ready for independent living and must remain at the rehab center.

Sarah surprised me for my birthday and Justin, Sarah and I met my parents in Randolph for a most delicious birthday dinner at Not Your Average Joes. One of my students baked a batch of cupcakes for me and the very sweet aide assigned to my class had the students sign a card for me as well.

The following weekend after a much-productive morning of shopping, Justin's cousins joined us for an afternoon/evening/morning of video game playing only breaking for meals and sleep. =)

We all met in Agawam Saturday for a family Chrismukkah celebration at Nana's rehab center and I am so glad we were able to. There is no match to time together with family. Nana's stroke and news of unfortunate events and losses remind us that all we have is today. It's too bad it takes things like this to remind us of that precious fact. I felt spoiled with the multitude of gifts I received--cute tees, sexy tops, cupcake paraphanelia, cookie cutters, a muffin pan, tank tops, sweatpants, socks, dish towels, ornaments, reflecting dog stickers, wooden plaques and a dvd. Oy.

Saturday night, after a delicious dinner at Chef Changs, I met Becca for Christopher's hockey game at Fenway--very cool! We topped off the evening with a few beers at Game On! and Our House--the sponsor of his team.

Sunday was scheduled to be my birthday brunch at Fireside Grille but with the nearly 2 feet of snow we received, I was forced to postpone it until January. . .

Tonight a very good friend of mine from BC, also my sophomore year roommate, is coming by to visit and meet Ellie since she is home with her fiance for the holidays. I am very much looking forward to seeing her.

Break is two days away and I am looking forward to sleeping in, spending time with family, [visiting a corneal specialist to determine the status of my eye ulcer once again] tackling some long-term third grade projects, and baking--of course.

What a weekend!

Two weeks ago Justin and I hosted our second annual Potluck Thanksgiving. We welcomed 15 friends into our home and served a 19 pound turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cornbread, biscuits and the tasty treats our guests brought.

the beginning of the set-up

our prized bird

And what is a holiday feast without a clever, festive dessert?

Pilgrim hats

The recently-passed and oh-so-missed Thanksgiving break was g-l-o-r-i-o-u-s! Wednesday night I enjoyed a Thanksgiving break kickoff dinner with two of my best friends. I also reunited with an old friend from high school who makes you laugh without her even trying. It was so nice to see her again.

Thursday Justin and I happily Thanksgiving-hopped from Randolph down to Freetown. We brought Ellie with us to my parents' house but their dog Sandy was none too pleased to be sharing her territory (read: garden window) and her snowman squeaky toy with Ellie. Dinner was delicious, but more than that, I love spending time with my family. Its rare when we are all together, Nana included.

As nervous and anxious as I get when Black Friday comes around, I do feel as though I should take advantage of the sweet deals and that I did. By 6:30 am, I had purchased 800 thread count sheets, winter accessories, 2 winter coats, 2 cardigans and a pair of jeans from Old Navy at a steal. (It's a shame I stayed up and drove there for a 3 o'clock opening when in fact this particular store chose not to open until 5--unlike the rest of the national chain. :/ ) Alas, not only did I get the apparel I went for, I also landed a free Xbox video game for Justin's cousins' Christmas gift.

coat #1-- 50% off


coat #2-- 50% off

After 2 naps, I ventured to my parents' house and saw the sweet deals the two other Yoffe girls secured in their early morning spree. Their purchases led me to visit Target, after the mad dash and into the early evening, where I bought just a few more items. :)

Friday night was a much-needed girls night in with a homemade dinner, a delicious carrot cake, Glee, and The Proposal.

Saturday I had a wedding dress appointment. My mom, sisters, Nana and 2 bridesmaids came along and it was so much fun! I had a pretty good idea about the styles I liked and styles I did not prefer. One of the dresses that became one of the top two contenders had been one I had been looking at online for a few months and just happened to set aside to try on. (We shall refer to this gown as Charlotte.) =) Mom and I went back again Sunday to try Charlotte and her competition Betsy, on again. While Betsy was fancier and very ball gown-y, it was not me and while it was actually pricier than Charlotte, its fabric wasn't nearly as smooth and comfortable. Charlotte was the winner, and I love it. =)

Saturday night we ventured to the quiet mall for a stroll and to purchase a few more holiday gifts--on sale too!

In third grade news, my new student arrived on Monday and she's a doll. (She brings my class total to 20--a nice even number.) Today I stopped at Ocean State Job Lot to pick up a few items for a holiday drive at school for soldiers and veterans. While I found winter gloves and puzzle books to donate to the drive, I also excitedly came upon full-color, elementary-level biographies of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Tom Brady for my classroom library--for $1! I plan on going back later this week to buy a few for the school's library.

December is starting off on a high note! =)

Its been awhile. . .

Its funny how life gets in the way and how you just don't seem to know where the time goes.

Last week we had some friends over for the Patriots game which was very nice--and yummy. The weekend before, we took Ellie to meet Auntie Leah at UMASS. =)

Third grade is going well. We are moving along faster in Math than we did last year which is nice. I've gotten a few very nice, sincere compliments from two now-retired teachers who have come in to assist me during my Writing block. Those were very nice to hear.

This week they finished their molecule meal menus which the principal adored. =)

We are beginning chapter 3 in Math tomorrow, appropriately learning about the Wampanoags as Thanksgiving quickly approaches, and learning author's purpose, main idea and all that good stuff.

However, today is Veterans Day and Justin and I both have it off so after a delicious breakfast date at a small cafe around the corner, we are taking Ellie to the dog park!


Ooo and in wedding news, we have our photographer and dj booked! I also have a dress appointment in two weeks! =) Yaah!

a rainy, snowy Sunday

Third grade has been busy, and stressful. Thankfully, my principal's door is ALWAYS open and I have been able to chat with her about approaches to balancing all subjects effectively.


I can't do it ALL. What's important is quality over quantity--words I repeat to myself often.

Last week was a short review week before unit tests and formal writing of personal narratives. I compared their baseline fluency checks to their Unit 1 checks and 18 of 19 students have improved. I love to see that. =) (And, oh yeah, the heat was finally turned on in the school--and what a difference it makes!)

This week is a 5 day week but Thursday and Friday are half days for parent-teacher conferences--always a lot of work and a bit intimidating. Oh, and Picture Day and the Bake Sale is also Thursday. Oy.

I definitely feel more well-prepared for conferences as I have been good about logging grades as they have come in. . .

Next weekend, post conferences, cannot come soon enough.

In other news,

We got a puppy yesterday! We had been searching for a rescue dog online for a few weeks. Justin found Ellie online Wednesday night and by Thursday morning, we had completed the application, had a phone interview, spoken to the foster mom in Tennessee and were scheduled to pick her up in New Hampshire Saturday morning!

Friday afternoon we picked up a crate, comfy bed, leash, collar, and Patriots dog tag. After a country concert with the MOH/sister, I enjoyed a gossip-filled sleepover on Beacon Street and Justin picked me up in the morning to get the pup.



After a quiet, calm ride down to Brookline, Ellie was introduced to her aunt back on Beacon Street. Next, she met her grandparents and cousin in Randolph. She even got a turkey treat! We brought her home and she enjoyed lounging on the couch until her other grandmother and great aunt and great uncle came by with more toys and treats! She got a bit sick from all the changes and nerves but she had a pretty good evening. She whimpered a bit when we set her to bed in the crate but after a few minutes of loving, she settled down to sleep. She has also been great about going to the bathroom outside and only barked at the cats outside. She follows us around the house and is making herself very comfortable around 16 Meadow Lane.



Cupcakes have just come out of the oven for "Soup Day" tomorrow...