natural beauty routine

Alternatively called My Life as a Hippie.
Someone asked recently about some of my homemade beauty recipes, so I thought I'd share. 

hair

Shampoo + conditioner: I have been using baking soda and acv since April, but after reading more and more evidence against this method I've just started a switch to a more pH balanced method that I'm loving! With the baking soda my hair was very dry and staticky even with extra diluting - living in a very humid climate that was a concern - and I felt guilty washing more than once in a week, so the rye flour makes my hair much happier (although it takes forever to rinse out).

Aloe leave-in conditioner: equal parts 100% aloe and filtered water mixed with lavender essential oil (for scent) only after cleaning my hair (all other days I use a shower cap).

Dry shampoo: equal parts corn starch, baking soda, and cocoa powder applied with an old make up brush and brushed out with a boar bristle brush.

Hairspray: sugar + water (I don't use it often though).

body + face

Body wash: moisturizing honey body wash

Body moisturizer: I use a whipped coconut butter from a local company, Satinka Naturals, that only has four or five ingredients and is awesome (stall at Legazpi Sunday Market).

Face wash: raw local honey + bentonite clay mask every week or so at night. In the mornings I just use this sponge with water. (Though I have less than perfect skin, I'd say it's about the same or even a little better than when I was using commercial products.)

Day-time moisturizer: Desert Essence SPF 15 (a level 1 on EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database – a fantastic resource for learning about products you use or want to buy).

Eye make-up remover: coconut oil

Facial oil (serum/moisturizer at night): 2/3 jojoba oil, 1/3 rosehip seed oil, tea tree oil (there are a ton of different options for this!)

+ I use a drop of rosehip seed oil on fine lines at nighttime

Deodorant: I have been using this recipe since last September and having to rebalance every now and again; I don't love it, but hey.

Mascara: Physician's Formula 100% Natural Origin Fakeout Mascara - also a level 1 on EWG. (Thanks to my mom for bringing me a tube from Canada - it's great!)

Perfume: Finn & Co Black Sand roll-on (because it's an all natural formula that is sulfate-, paraben-, formaldehyde-, phthalate-, phosphate-, and cruelty-free and smells amazing!). I love it but really want to try making my own with bergamot and jasmine; I can't seem to find jasmine here in the Philippines, though, which seems crazy since it's the national flower...

Now that it's all out there, that seems like a lot of stuff for a more simplistic routine. I'm a bit of a hippie - or crunchy, as they say now - and loving it! Transitioning can be not fun but it's totally worth it. We even just use castille soap on Mara so far - no creams or powders or anything junky. 

in a nutshell + welcome baby!

My pregnancy in a nutshell...

First trimester Nausea: It was not great.
Second trimester: Exercise + so much dairy.
Third trimester: Dropping everything + "Give me all the chocolate and ice cream" + shorter than scheduled.

And now, I'm thrilled to introduce this little lady, Mara (like Sarah):

It's amazing how quickly one can fall in love.

And even though we were not prepared - she was six weeks early and I had an emergency c-section (not the plan!) - baby Mara is strong and healthy and doing juuuuust fine! 
Even if her mommy forgets to wipe her face before taking cute-baby pictures.

one whole year

Dear Jeff,
Today is our first wedding anniversary...
That's one whole year of total and complete happiness :)
I feel lucky and loved everyday.
Thanks for being awesome!

Kitchen Kerplunk

My husband makes delicious food.
Everything that comes out of his kitchen is delicious.
He makes perfect brownies from scratch.
He makes the moistest breaded chicken.
He makes apple-marinated steak that is full of flavour.
He makes the best garlicy mashed potatoes.

I, on the other hand, do not make great food every time I cook.
Sometimes I get lucky...
Like when I make pumpkin ice box pie or lemon cookies.
But sometimes, it turns out like this:

This was supposed to be quesadillas.

Instead, it was a heap of cheese, tomatoes, sumac-spiced chicken, and tortilla.

It tasted fine; in my opinion, you can't go wrong with those ingredients.

But you can see it was lacking in the presentation department...

Suffice it to say we ordered pizza for dinner the next night.

Here's hoping your kitchen escapades are a little more successful than mine!

- Amanda

London, England

Hi all,
It's been a funny school week - I've taught only two days and am going in tomorrow, the last day of the week, for 3-way conferences. Why? We were in London! I'm not going to lie, this is not my favourite place. We've been a couple times, and it always seems sooooooooo so dreary there. Not to mention how Expensive it is! I mean, we always complain about the price of the subway in Toronto, which is about $3 CAD, but in London, the "tube" will run you $7 CAD - single way! Yikes.

All in all, those things were not so bad because we had an Amazing Amazing Amazing weekend. We went to an international job fair, had no idea what exactly to expect for ourselves, and of course had read many forums filled with "horror" stories before landing. In the end, we both found it an exhilarating, ego-boosting, and totally gratifying learning experience! We lined up several interviews, made some amazing contacts with top international world schools, and learned about a lot of schools in countries we hadn't considered. Plus, we got fantastic jobs at a really top-notch school in....

(wait for it..)

the Philippines!

What?! Yes, super awesome. So late July we will begin our trek there against monsoons, typhoons, and earthquakes of all kinds and measure. But, I'll take it over snow :) Definitely feeling humbled, blessed and crazy excited about this next step! Deciding between schools was the toughest married-life decision we've had to make, and we are so confident we made the right choice.

Thanks for reading!
Amanda

Birthday wishes

Alright, so I know this video went viral weeeeeeks ago, but in honour of my wonderful husband's birthday, I'm posting here for all to enjoy:

Jeff and I met in Korea (crazy enough we grew up only 40 minutes away from one another...small world), so suffice it to say that this video has had a special place on our laptop for the past while. There are so many familiar things - Gangnam Station, where Jeff played ball hockey; short skirts; neon; things that don't make sense in the most hilarious ways - that just scream "Korea" for us. If you need a song stuck in your head, you should watch.

Moving on to the more educational... Jeff teaches middle school/high school here in Kuwait and last year, being faced with a completely new culture and students that really needed structure and lots of guidance, he started using Class Dojo. 

People love it, I'm telling you. He was actually asked to write a feature post on their blog this summer, which you can read HERE. Not only am I married to a kind, funny, and very intelligent man, but he's also a truly great teacher. He has a middle school blog - "A New Classroom" - so feel free to send all your middle school or J/I teaching buds over to read about his adventures! 

Oh happy day!

This summer, I had the best day of my life. On July 21 Jeff and I were married in a simple, outdoor, evening ceremony with our closest friends and family - and then we partied hard with all of them! We played our own music and had a friend step in as DJ {many many thanks, Alex!}, decorated the venue, personalized our seating arrangement, and I even made my own bouquet - nothing fancy but that's the way I like it. The bonus part? I wasn't stressed at all on the day! I feel it must be because it is completely natural - a next step - to marry the one that makes me laugh, rubs my shoulders through stressful times, lets me cry, and allows me to be only me. 

After the perfect vows, a first married kiss, newlywed photos, some hors d'oeuvres and a little wine, we basically hit the dance floor for several hours of fantastic music. Do I call it fantastic because I had a part in creating the list? A little bit, yeah! I do thank my dear new husband for spending hours fretting over song placement and creating a perfect genre mix to please everyone from 18 to 83! In fact, if you'd like a peak at the wedding playlist {for which we received TONS of great compliments!} I'll be happy to set you up with the playlist if you have of your own events coming ip! It was a beautiful night and one great party.

I just love this handsome man!

A Peruvian Honeymoon

I'm sure you'll all excuse me for my lack of posts this summer - with our wedding and honeymoon I haven't had a lot of time to keep up! I am only now cracking down on my real planning for the new school year. That's a lot of catching up I want to do...
Jeff and I returned last week from our two and a half weeks in Peru, which we both agree was a great honeymoon choice. This country is so beautiful! Low sweeping valleys topped with snow-capped peaks and a fantastic sunset really can't be beat, I've learned. We did a more traditional tour, sticking mostly to the south and then {of course} heading up to Machu Picchu. 

We saw so many great things! Penguins, sea lions and pelicans in Paracas, the beautifully ornate and centuries-old Cathedral of Santo Domingo in Cusco, the floating reed islands of Lake Titicaca, and the perfectly-formed active volcano El Misti in Arequipa. {And plenty more!}

As it's called, the culinary scene in Peru is quite spectacular - especially, in my opinion, in Cusco. This is the trip during which my husband and I realized {admitted?} that we are "food travelers," so to speak. We had everything from red wine sorbet {Amazing! Will be looking out for a recipe.} to guinea pig {not so much}, and squid-ink pasta with coconut milk, lemongrass and prawns {double amazing!} to the beloved Peruvian pisco sour. Pisco is a locally-made grape brandy {that I don't much care for}, and the drink is made with a bar mix, some sugar, and frothy egg white on the top. Had to try it, though! Mostly, we had fantastic food - I was more than impressed. We had ceviche {I'll try to share our recipe a little later - it's super easy to make and great as a salsa}, a whiskey-drenched brownie topped with chocolate mousse and house-made mint jellies, and awesome bacon avocado sandwiches. I love how creative people get with food...especially since I am not. At all.

Basically, I can't wait to go back to South America! We skipped the Amazon this time because everything was a bit tight time-wise for medication. But we can always get there through Brazil or a longer time in Colombia on another trip! I have to say, being a teacher offers lots of room to explore this great world of ours, and being married to a teacher means I can share it with all with my best friend and the greatest travel companion.

One more week until we go back to Kuwait... I'm still working on a few things I want to share on TpT and TN, including my circus-themed Morning Meeting package. I'm really excited to implement this in my classroom, as I think a morning sharing time will really help to foster that classroom community I so wish for. We still have a lot of celebrating, visiting, organizing, shopping and packing to do before we go. For now I'm off to strike some things from the list... Thanks for reading!
- Amanda

Nothing educational here...

Wedding countdown is on! Only five more days :) Here are a couple photos of things that are happening:

The lovely wedding day shoes. Yep, they're tall. I have a pair of flats to switch into when I get that foot ache.

Jeff and I made this together for our seating arrangement. Instead of having numbered tables, we are labeling them by countries we have visited together - nine tables in all. I made luggage tags with guest's names to hang beside this so they know to which country they are travelling for the evening. Still some finishing touches to add, but I think it turned our pretty great.

That's all! Happy Monday.

- Amanda

Learning about teaching

So how was my first year of teaching? Well, I survived and I think it was fairly successful! As I reflect, I realize it really was a good year - a great year, actually, in terms of how much I've grown as a teacher. I had a tough class and I clearly wasn't prepared for them. But, with a lot of hard work, I implemented tons of classroom management "systems," made mistakes, and learned a bajillion things about being a teacher. 
There are so many people to thank for inspiration, encouragement and love this year. I won't bore you with a list of people you don't know, but I will tell you about one because it comes with a free little gift :) My VP this year has shown a ton of encouragement, and sadly she is leaving our school next year. For her, I wanted to make a simple keepsake to show how much I truly appreciate her support this year. I came up with this:

It's a collection of words and phrases that she really helped me see as so important and that kept me going all year long.

I simply printed it to a half sheet {select 2 pages per sheet in printer properties - don't worry, it will only print one copy}, framed it, and voila. I love it and think it turned out really well! If you need a last minute gift idea, I have this print listed in my TpT store for FREE :)

On a related note, I've decided to use this summer to delve into the world of Whole Brain Teaching and my first order of business has been creating my own rules posters. I've tried some tactics in April/May with my class and it was well-received by my grade twos with some really positive learning outcomes, so I'm extra excited about next year now! I did change the rules from those used in WBT, because there were a few things I wanted to address straight away next year based on some issues I dealt with this year. Click the images to download {for FREE again!} if you please. Of course, I'm thinking of making a circus set to add to my theme next year... I already printed and laminated these, though, so I don't know if I want to waste them.

It may be obvious, but I chose a rabbit because it has big ears haha! I got really tired of side conversations this year.

Doesn't that flying monkey look fast?!

Please, kids, for my sanity.

A house because I call my class my school family - we all need to get along to live together under one roof for an entire year!

Ahh, the wise old owl. I love this rule because one of my key lessons this year was based upon making smart choices at school. Perfect!

Very important so I can teach the most I can in the best ways I can! And really, if you follow those first five rules, I will no doubt be a very happy teacher.

Now we're off to Canada for some very important events and a ton of relaxing - ahhhhh! Take care.

- Amanda

And the winner is...

Shanyn from Coffee, Kids and Compulsive Lists! I'll send you an email with my TpT link so you can choose which pack you'd like. Thank you all for entering and to all of my new followers; I've been hopping around your blogs lately :)

On a totally unrelated note, I went to a baby shower last night here, and it was incredible. Unlike any baby shower I've ever been to, that's for sure! It was this beautiful, fancy, high heels event with flowy dresses, styled hair and make up, and a ginormous dinner buffet. It started at 7:30pm, there were no cheesy games and it was really wonderful to see all the ladies dressed up. Many women practicing Islam wear a hijab and/or abaya in public as a traditional means of protection from harm and of course a statement of religious observance. I actually didn't recognize the mother who threw the reception for a minute because she was not covered! It was a really beautiful event and I am honoured to have been invited. 


Anyway, happy weekend all!
- Amanda

Art Expo and I guess I really am just like my mother...

This has been a Busy week! Today we had a school-wide ice cream picnic complete with games run by our student council. I'm pretty sure my class had a blast and really needed the time to get their crazy out! Afterward we went on an art walk around the school to see displays from every class, Pre-K to grade 9. {Thanks to my wonderful Jeff for organizing this!} It was really great to see all the creativity and my students loved all the compliments they got on their artwork of wax-resist paintings. Here are a few of my favourites from my class:

Last week we finished up a different art project - a collaborative piece to be auctioned off at our Spring concert tomorrow. My class created a warm and cool colours mosaic {they did it all on their own!} that was a really simple project. It was framed by our school to be sold - here's the final product:

So proud!

Also, I have to just get it out there, just say it, so maybe I can start to turn this around: I have a shoe problem. I have bought four pairs of heels since we got to Kuwait! Do I wear heels at school, you ask....no. Do I wear heels on weekends, you ask next...no. So....yeah, I know. I hear it. It's a problem, and I blame my mother for passing this one down. I bought this beige pair to wear to my sister's wedding {the day after we get back to Toronto!} and the black pair only cost 3KD {$15 or so CAD}. So now I ask you: how could I resist? 

Happy hump day from Kuwait :)
-Amanda

Story Mapping Posters Idea {and a bunch of other things because I have been slacking...}

Last week my class finally finished up their story mapping posters for The Lorax. 

I made a really simple template that you can adapt for any book to make your own. Click the image to download if you'd like.

Here are a couple photos that pretty much sum up my week in grade two:

{The blinds are closed in the background because we had just watched a video clip for a kid's birthday party in class. Usually, they are wide open because, as I tell my class, "Sunshine makes us happy!" I feel I need the sunshine the most in my room haha.}

I've struggled with my class aaaalllll year - they have trouble listening, they are energetic, they are oh-so-loud. {And that's not to mention the five dominant or defiant personalities I deal with!} But in the end, they are kids and they love to have fun. Now that the year is winding down, they're a bit wackier than usual {surprise!}. Which is, unfortunately, one of the reasons our performance for the Spring Concert is pretty awful. And I don't mean awful in the sense that they'll pull it together for performance day because that's what always happens - I mean awful in the sense that it is ... well, it is just not good. We have Sunday and Monday to practice before game day, so I need to focus and push the stress away that is teaching them this routine so we can get it done! Wish me luck :)

Last weekend Jeff and I went to a student art competition at a hotel near our apartment. Some of the art was so fantastic! We happened to score the best one {I really do think it is the best one - I'm still surprised it didn't win an award} and it only cost us 5KD! {Less than $20 CAD.} It's on a canvas about the size of regular Bristol board. This one is a paint and newspaper collage made by a fifteen year old student. I love to collect some type of art work from every country I visit, and I feel this is very suitable for our time in the Middle East.

And finally, just a quick shot of one of our favourite weekend stops: A marina near our place where we can eat Pinkberry on a patio and people watch like crazy.

Is anyone else having trouble believing we are through a third of May already?!?

- Amanda

A weird and wonderful weekend

It seems like Jeff and I sit around most weekends watching episodes of The League or Modern Family, finishing up school work and asking each other, "Well, what do you want to do?" We shop a lot and we eat out a fair bit. {Retail therapy is only great for so long before it becomes a problem, right? haha} But this weekend, we went out and did some things, which was really great.


First, I need to get the "weird" over with. We started out by going to Friday Market {Souq al-Jum'a} because we want to get some antique gifts for people {and we want to get them dirt cheap!}. It's really a great place - perfect people-watching, random things to see, and lots of second-hand merchandise. This time we decided to check out the "pet souq" part of it, and really, now that I've typed what literally translates to "pet market," we should have seen it coming: It is the most awful place to be. 

Yes, it looks like this should be cute! That is until you realize these dyed chicks will likely die of toxicity within a week. All of the teeny tiny cages for cats, bunnies and pups definitely tugged on the heart strings, and it makes one wonder why on earth this place exists at all... Supply and demand, I suppose.

Sorry about the image... But shake it off, because I'm moving on to happiness! Before we moved to Kuwait, Jeff and I organized most of what will be happening on our wedding day this coming July. Everything from venue to menu and right down to my actual wedding dress! I, the indecisive lady I am, just bought a brand new wedding dress on Friday that I am SO excited about! The first one was short, strapless and only a little lacy....since I'm a "grandma" kind of girl, the new one is long, has a full lace overlay and straps. I am loving this change and am just plain excited to marry my dear! {Not to worry, both were incredibly affordable.} Now to find some lovely shoes to wear with it :)

On Saturday, Jeff treated me to a spa package - jacuzzi tub, massage and a foot softening at the Movenpick - because it's my birthday this week. So getting to "almost 30" is pretty damn great, if I do say so myself.

Here's hoping all of you had a fantastic weekend, too. Now back to the grind - with such a short time to go!

Good night.

- Amanda

Hello, Portugal!

Portugal is so beautiful I didn't want to leave. {Big surprise, I'm sure!} This was my first trip to Europe, and I absolutely cannot wait to go back - anywhere. Just walking down streets made me happy: architecture, trees, history. 

For a quick break down, here's what we were up against:

Bakeries on every corner. That's a bacon and cheese pancake up there. I am a huge fan of sweet and salty...perfect. And yes, that's a beer with a breakfast food. {In my defense this was a lunch! Also, living in a dry country has a way of really making the adult beverages a welcome retreat on vacations!} A bottle of wine cost about 10 Euros at restaurants {the bottles we ordered anyway! Cheapo.} and a whopping 2 Euros at the grocery store!

We started our trip in Lisbon. It was chilly, but we didn't care. {Actually, I cared a little bit because I didn't pack very well haha.} One thing that caught both Jeff and I very off guard happened our first night as we were paying our dinner bill. I know, if we had read the Lonely Planet for Portugal, we would have realized: bread and butter are not free starters like they are ...mmm..almost everywhere else I've ever been. I'm not kidding, the tiny packets of butter cost 1.25 Euros each. Haha! Live and learn. A lovely thing about the city is the fact that graffiti art is embraced here. There are some amazingly talented artists out there, and I am always surprised at how well they can direct a spray paint nozzle! I'd have drips and drops everywhere.

We took a ride on the famous Tram 28, which takes you around to some really neat parts of the city.

As we moved down to Lagos in the south, we had a couple of fantastically sunny days, a few great sunsets and even managed to go sailing.

On a sad note, Jeff left his Kobo on a bus. Even worse? If we had stayed just one more day he could have gotten it back. He, of course, used this "opportunity" to buy an iPad to fill the void. Thanks for standing strong through all the recent abuse, bank account. 

Here's how we ended the trip:

That's a delicious ending! I'm pretty sure that it was only about two hours after we got back here that I said, "We need a health kick now." We were lucky enough to meet Jeff's sister there, and she is this super cute and tiny lady {also - talented! She is a style editor for the Toronto magazine Canadian Family} who is "gluten-free." She was eating all kinds of fruit, veggies and nuts while were there, and I sort of envy her ability to avoid bread products. I'm a HUGE fan of bread. I'm not going to cut it out - yeah, right! - but I am going to make a conscious decision to snack on things like grapes and almonds instead of Doritos.

And now that we're back I have about a million things to do with about a million missed blog posts to read up on! Gotta love Spring break :) 

- Amanda