Giving My Inner Vlogger A High Five: Hello, YouTube!

I've always wanted to venture into the crazy world of vlogging, but never got around to doing it until yesterday, when I decided to just get over that fear of, not just appearing in front of the camera, but also uploading it on YouTube for the world to see. And I have to say that it actually wasn't that bad at all!

I was debating (with myself) about the kind of content I would like to record on film as a way to make my blog a lot more visual than simply uploading pictures. So I looked around YouTube and thought that the Monthly Favorites routine a lot of vloggers have come up with could be a lot of fun to do. Plus, it kind of gives me some degree of personal accountability to vlog regularly and keep this routine going.

So for my little premiere on YouTube, here is my first Monthly Favorites video, where I talk about my favorite TV show, book, video game, etc. for the month of July. Hope you enjoy.

Giving My Inner 5-Year Old A High Five: I'm Teaching Kindergarten!

I begin working as a kindergarten teacher this coming fall, and I can't even express how excited I am about this new challenge!

I have worked mostly with elementary age children, so this is going to be a fairly new experience for me. I have volunteered in kindergarten classrooms before, and now that I am officially going to be a full-time kindergarten teacher in about a month, it has finally sunk in that kindergarten is, in fact, my preferred niche in the world of education.

Teacher training started last week, and each day, I've been trying to find inspiration that would help me decide what kind of classroom environment I would like to create for my little princes and princesses.

Inspiration and mood boards really help me visualize the kind of environment I want to provide my kindergarteners. Here are a few things that I really want to focus on during class, and hopefully would help make their kindergarten year a very successful, but at the same time enjoyable one. After all, kindergarten literally means "children's garden!"

Reading
It is my job as a kindergarten teacher to help my kids adjust from home life to school life, and most of them will come in expecting to, not only read more books, but also have an adult read to them, just like mom or dad would do each day. Of all the areas in my classroom, I am most excited about our reading corner. I want to have a cozy atmosphere for reading, with a single couch for the storyteller (initially the teacher, and hopefully in the middle of the school year, someone who has already mastered his/her basic independent reading skills), bean bags, soft carpets, warm lights, and full book shelves.

And if we're lucky, I'd like to have a special reading fort if anyone wants to do independent reading. I am hoping that this kind of welcoming atmosphere would help foster their love for books, something that I find utterly important in a child's life.

Organization
I am quite the neat freak, and this sense of organization has really helped me focus on each task at hand. I want my kids to have accountability in the classroom when it comes to organization in both our immediate surroundings and their behavior. I would like to give them each a sense of responsibility in maintaining a peaceful environment that is conducive to learning and growing. Rotating tasks such as "white board cleaner" or "paper passer" or "color pencil organizer" will not only help them in their fine motor skills, but also give them a healthy sense of purpose in their school life.

Learn, Communicate, and PLAY!
May it be reading, writing, math, science, or art, I want my kids to learn something valuable each day, be able to communicate these new discoveries with their classmates and their family when they get home, and at the same time, and often more importantly, be allowed to do what they're supposed to do as 5 and 6-year olds: play! I want bright colors, educational toys, drawing, storytelling, music, and laughter. At this age, it is important to allow children to be children. That's how they learn. That's how they grow. And that's how they discover who they are as gifted individuals.

And as for me, this poster just says it all...

And I'm proud of it!

(All pictures grabbed from Pinterest!)

On Choosing Banquet Halls, Rings, and Getting Licensed!

We got our license to marry today!

It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. My future mother-in-law suggested that we applied for it early because she wasn't sure how long the entire process would take. I was scared that it was going to be like walking in the DMV, but there were literally no lines, and we got our certificate in a matter of minutes! Can't wait to have these papers signed by the minister marrying us, and whoever our two witnesses will be (since we have a bunch of guests coming anyway).

Today was rather productive. Aside from the license, we also went around town to search for a good reception venue. Last week, we visited the Elks Club, which was beautiful, but since their banquet hall was located next to the room where the Elks hold their meetings, it reeked of cigar smoke! I don't mind cigars myself, but I want my guests to have the most comfortable time possible. The Elks Club was just too much of a manly man kind of place for me, and even for my fiance, who also hates the smell of lingering cigarette smoke.

So we decided to check out the banquet halls at different hotels instead. And the second hotel we checked out had an atrium that immediately stood out from the rest!

Now, before you get excited, this isn't a picture of the atrium we found. But the main idea that won us over -- indoor trees and a glass roof -- is close enough in this picture. Since we are getting married right smack in the middle of winter, we obviously have no choice but to do it indoors. I'm glad I found a place that would keep us warm and at the same time make us feel like we were outside. I've always been a garden wedding/outdoor/forest kind of bride, but like I said, I am also very uncompromising about being a December bride.

Here's another great example of how I've been picturing my wedding reception. I really, really love glass roofs, and that lovely green house feel you can get from it (minus the heat, humidity, and bugs, of course). And that is precisely why we want to do our Philippine wedding at the Fernwood Gardens... 

...and why I also thought those trees in the cathedral during Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge's wedding simply spelled m a g i c. Isn't it obvious? I am obsessed with trees.

I am also really loving the rectangular tables, but I have to find a good supplier for these, since the hotel banquet rooms can only provide circular ones.

We also pre-ordered our wedding rings today.

We tried on different ones until we decided on traditional yellow gold wedding bands. We were looking through a bunch of really cool titanium rings, but decided that we should get something that really says, "I'm married!" And yellow gold just looks great with any skin tone.

Overall, it was a great day. We still have a lot to do, including choosing my dress, his suit (or tux, if he wishes to wear a tux), pre-marital counseling at the church, etc. But I'm hoping that I will be somewhat more relaxed as the big day draws near. My married friends are right, though -- wedding planning can be toxic, but if you learn to enjoy these moments, the road to wedding day, no matter how stressful, is going to be just as magical.

That won't stop be from hiring a full coordination wedding planner for my Philippine wedding, though. Hehe. More on that on future posts!

Here Comes The Bride... High Fives All Around!

Yup, it's pretty crazy, but we're getting married!!!

Christopher was in one of my classes, we got in the same group for our first presentation, and I asked him out on a date, thinking that waiting for such a shy nerd to make the first move would be futile. He said I was wrong to think that, that he had a crush on me from the get-go, but I'm still glad that I asked him if he wanted to grab a cup of joe with me, which turned into a sweet first date at a diner, then a movie, then Valentine's Day, then our first kiss... and the rest is history.

On Sunday, after watching LOST, my best friend, lover, and fellow nerd, got down on one knee, and asked me if I would marry him.

I had imagined the most elaborate, creative, and craziest ways to propose to someone, from helicopter rides to rings hidden in oyster shells (yeah I know, I watch a lot of Real Housewives), but Christopher's proposal was everything I had ever dreamed of, and so much more. It was so... us! Simple, straightforward, a little clumsy and awkward (he tripped, I snorted), and that's precisely what made it the best proposal anyone could ever have.

It's going to be a quick engagement, we do not wish to wait any longer. We are getting married this December! I've always been pretty consistent about being a December bride, and have always wanted to have a winter wedding! But since we have two families, mine being thousands of miles away, we are going to have two weddings, one here, and one in the Philippines (scheduled on December 2014; yes, a true blue December bride)! 

Right now, I am, to say the least, pretty darn overwhelmed! I have less than 150 days to go before the big day, I have exactly two things checked off from the Big Day Checklist, and still about a mile away to go. But with the help of my wonderful mother and future in-laws, I am not worried at all.

Best future brother and sister-in-law ever!

The first wedding, which will be held at my in-laws' Episcopal church, will be a small, intimate affair. The Philippine wedding, considering that I have exactly two years to prepare (i.e. save up) for it, and considering that I have a huge family, will be the big celebration. I am excited for both, and feel quite blessed that I get to have two church weddings.

I'm really excited to share this new and exciting journey with you guys. Keep posted for more wedding updates, thoughts, and inspiration.

Be loved!!!

Giving My Inner Granola A High Five: Farmers' Market Haul!

Growing up in the Philippines, where everything is either freshly caught or freshly picked, I would always yearn for natural, home-grown food. Ever since I moved to the US, I've always been on the lookout for farmer's markets, which was the closest thing to our beloved wet markets in the Philippines, without the live seafood, that is.

Last week, a farmers' market that is just five minutes away from my house finally opened. I went home with a good amount of locally made jams, jellies, bread and pastries, and fresh, organic vegetables and herbs.

Kevin Buggie's Black Diamond Canyon Farm had really great red, white, and yellow onions. These onions, perhaps because they were fresh and home-grown, were very different from your regular supermarket onions. Like most people, I am not fond of the smell of onions, but Kevin's onions smelled fresh and crisp, ready to be chopped and tossed in a salad. I'm excited to see those giant leeks in my mom's yummy onion leek soup!

Kevin of Black Diamond Canyon Farm. Visit him at

http://blackdiamondcanyonkitchen.blogspot.com

Kevin also had some fresh mint, and the first thing I did when I got home was make some fresh mint tea, like Kevin suggested. It tastes heavenly with a touch of honey, or a sprinkle of sugar.

The stars of today's purchase are The Mixing Bowl's fresh jams, jellies, breads, and pastries! 

The geniuses behind The Mixing Bowl, Cindy and Stacy! They sell fresh bread, croissants, bagels, jams, and jellies. It's an entire assortment of all things homemade and yummy! You may contact them at themixingbowlgallup (at) gmail (dot) com.

I'm not even kidding: best croissant I've ever had!

I'm not the biggest fan of croissants. It's hard to find a really good one that would just melt in your mouth, and is neither too moist nor too flaky. The Mixing Bowl's croissants are just that. They are also same day baked. I decided to taste test the jams and jellies with it.

I thought I found the best apricot jam at Trader Joe's, but you could really tell the difference if it's fresh and homemade. Cindy and Stacy recently went apricot picking in Colorado, and the trip definitely paid off. This is the best apricot jam I've ever had, and my top pick from today's purchase.

I've never had this kind of jelly before, and for an avid honey fan like myself, I was excited to taste it. I love anything that involves honey, from food to body sprays, soap to scented candles. And if you love honey as much as I do, you will love this jelly. The subtle hint of lemon brings out the refreshing sweetness of honey; it's the perfect combination! I also think it would go perfectly with scones.

A close second to the apricot jam, this Orange Marmalade was so good that I wanted to drink the entire jar! It's sweet, refreshing, and citrusy. Don't expect it to stick to your bread or crackers like the other jams, because it's a little bit runny, which is what a marmalade is supposed to be in the first place! The consistency allows your bread or pastries to absorb the flavor. So to me, it was perfect.

I couldn't help but smile at every bite of this Raspberry Jam. It has a true, sweet raspberry flavor, and has the happiest shade of raspberry red that makes it even more appetizing. After all, you eat with your eyes first!

Finally, an homage to the Southwest! Luckily, I was able to snag the last jar of Cranberry and Jalapeno Pepper Jelly, which is the most interesting jelly I've ever had! For those of you who are not fans of anything too spicy, I would still recommend this jelly to you! The sweetness of the cranberry neutralizes the fiery serrano peppers; it's just a wonderful play and burst of flavors in your mouth, which would leave you wanting more. This would go really well with crackers, and, as Cindy and Stacy suggested, it could also serve as a nice coating to your pork roast. I can't wait to use this to baste meats! It's so unique and wonderful that I had to order three more jars!

All in all a great day for some fresh, locally grown products. Our farmer's market is also home to locally made crafts, such as wood carvings, sculptures, postcards, and home decor. 

Visit us and support Gallup's first farmers' market, at the downtown walkway off Coal Ave., from July-October, Saturday, 8:30-11:00a.m.

Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions, and don't forget to follow/"Like" me on Facebook!