Blog Wishes

Blog Wishes Giveaway

When people ask me what my favorite holiday is, the answer is always Christmas. Being from Texas, we don't often have that postcard, white Christmas, but there's something about Christmastime; something changes in the air. Maybe it's the familiar chiming of the Salvation Army bells and red kettle, or the excitement of gift shopping and wrapping. I never grow tired of seeing the twinkling lights, feeling the chill outside and the warmth of a fire, and hearing bells and carolers.

A few months ago, I posted some Silver Toms that I really wanted on my blog post. I never imagined I would get them 2 months later on my birthday! Caitlin saw my post, and decided to get that for my birthday. My very thoughtful friends (Caitlin, Ari, Joanna, Heather, and Kristen) all chipped in and got me my very comfortable, sparkly flats! The funny thing is, my sister saw the post and thought the exact same thing and got me the same TOMS! :) I need to return those, and get some new TOMS!

Anyway, I was so surprised and happy. It was definitely one of the best birthdays ever.
It got me thinking about my first giveaway. What if I made a giveaway about blog wishes? Where you post something you really want and actually get it? And it's just in time for Christmas!

Here are the basic guidelines:

1. You need to enter through Rafflecopter below. You can receive up to 6 entries for the giveaway.

• 1 entry for commenting on this post with your name, link to your item, email, and blog site (this is mandatory).
• 1 entry for blogging about my giveaway. Please email me at madebyfirenze@gmail.com with your blog      entry about my blog giveaway including a link to my blog.
• 1 entry for liking  my blog page on Facebook (MadeByFirenze)
• 2 entries if you follow me on GFC! If you already do, I will make sure you get 2 entries. :)
• 1 entry for Tweeting about the giveaway. I wanted to do Pinterest, but that wasn't available for me. If you  don't have Twitter (which I don't either) you can follow me on pinterest (minjoo) and pin my blog giveaway photo above and receive 1 entry.

Now for your item:

• Choose one item on your Christmas list you would like. It cannot be a gift card, or 2 items. Only one.
• The item must be less than $55. No exceptions.
• It must also be something that can easily be bought online. No rare items or ebay items.
• It should be from legitimate sites like amazon, Anthropologie, J.Crew, or Target etc. If I have any concerns with your item, I will let you know.
• If your item requires a size or color, please specify in your comment.

Please follow the Rafflecopter entry rules. Any false entries will be taken out.

I will contact the winner through email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends.

Good luck and have fun choosing your item!

Looking back...

Christmas is very special to me. When I was 5 years old, my father passed away from stomach cancer at home. Even though I was little, I knew my life would never be the same.
And I also knew I would not have a Christmas that following year. That was just an accepted fact. I saw my mom struggling to make ends meet raising my sister and I and I just knew I couldn't count on opening or giving presents. That is why my 6th Christmas was the most memorable, special time in my childhood. On Christmas Eve, the doorbell rang. As my sister and I opened the door, we heard ringing of bells and a distant  "Ho, ho, ho, merry Christmas!" And there, on our front porch were piles of beautifully wrapped Christmas presents with our names on them. I just remember my sister and I jumping up and down shouting to my mom that Santa had come and brought us presents!
I was so so happy and just remember thinking, he actually came to our house. He didn't forget about us. We had a Christmas. We could celebrate.

Of course, years later, I found out it was actually the wonderful officers at Garland PD who came that night and left those gifts for my sister and I. They were there the night my father passed away.
I don't remember what the presents were; they were probably dolls, toys, stuffed animals; My Little Ponies, or an Etch A Sketch. I don't have these things anymore.
But I still have the memory of that night. The joy I felt not from those items, but that someone actually remembered and thought of us. That's what I think of when I think about Christmas. It's about family, hope, giving of yourself, and love. And of course, the greatest gift of all. Jesus.

It is in that spirit, I am doing this giveaway. I hope it brings a little joy to your Christmas. Also, all the entries I receive, I am going to double that number and donate that dollar amount, half to the charity of the winner's choice, and half to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, which is important to me.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

30 Days of Thanks

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.  I always love this time of year because I get to cook for the people I love the most! But I do get stressed at the same time because I want everything to turn out great. And it did, thank goodness.

Usually I make the whole Thanksgiving lunch, but this year my sister wanted to make some dishes (stuffing, green bean casserole, corn casserole, and turkey), so I definitely was relieved! I made: ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, brussels sprouts with bacon and walnuts, cornbread, mac 'n cheese, and of course, cranberry sauce.

Ignore the Simpsons table cloth my mom put down. :) Oh, mom.

The pumpkin cheesecake is from Costco, and it is DELICIOUS. I couldn't have made it better, and I am very tempted to go back to get the pecan pie. Maybe next week...

At school the kids also had a fun filled Thanksgiving day before the break. With our reading buddies, we made turkeys out of brown paper sacks filled with rice to make a leftover turkey casserole (which is very good by the way). Thanks to my reading buddy teacher, Happy!

The kids had so much fun and worked really hard on their turkeys! They wrote what they are thankful for on their pumpkins.

Here is the recipe for the casserole.

And here is the final product!

**I feel like this is a 'Where's Waldo' picture :) **

 Speaking of school crafts, my kiddos learned synonyms this past month, and they made their synonym rolls!
They had a great time making them, and also eating their piece of real cinnamon rolls (by the end of the lesson, they kept calling them yummy synonym rolls!). Thanks to Caitlin for the idea!

So I know many people avoided going Black Friday shopping today, and I was definitely one of them. I feel too old and have no energy to push my way through the crowds no matter how cheap the item.

That being said, I am starting to think about Christmas shopping, and what to get everyone. What do you want for Christmas? As for me, anything from Anthropologie is definitely on my list. I love everything about this store. Their clothes are amazing and I always love their dishes, accessories, and candles. However, their knick knacks are something I never really paid attention to (how could I with all the other distractions?) But recently, I saw some cute things at the store:

From the top left clockwise: camera tape dispenser (Ari), notebooks, paper goods, colored pencils + cool paperclips, asian fan made of a map!

On Wednesday my friend and I went to Northpark and went to Paper-source, which was actually my first time going into the store. I know, I know, but all the greeting card stores look the same! But I really liked it and it had cute little things in there. I don't know if it beats papyrus, but I do want to go back and get some things for Christmas. I saw these thank you cards that I just HAD to get:

I taught my kids how to say 'thank you' in some different languages, so now they say it whenever I give hand sanitizer. Their favorites are: gracias, merci, and gomapsumnida (Korean)  :)

On November 1st, I started the 30 Days of Thanks, finding something to be thankful for each day in November. It taught me to really be thankful for everything I have and be thankful in all circumstances. I know the month isn't over, but I wanted to post what I've been thankful for so far (I posted these each day on Facebook):

Day 1: I am so thankful for my parents. Their love and support for me are immeasurable and I know I'm blessed because of them. Love you both.

Day 2: I am thankful for my sister.. Through thick and thin we will always be sisters. Happy birthday unni!

Day 3: I am thankful for EPL and football (soccer).

Day 4: I am thankful for God's grace and love.. That I know where I came from and where I am going.

Day 5: I am thankful for my job. There are so many without jobs and I get to do something I love and am proud of. That being said, 11 more school days until the break! :)

Day 6: I am thankful for my lovely students... Who drive me nuts sometimes, but I still love 'em. ;)

Day 7: I am thankful for couch potato moments. :)

Day 8: Despite a difficult day, I am so very thankful it is Friday tomorrow.

Day 9: I am thankful for migraine-free days.

Day 10: I am thankful for Trader Joe's in my neighborhood :)

Day 11: I am thankful for my apt. My new home :) But knowing that my old home is still waiting in case I need it.

Day 12: I am thankful for amazing co-workers/friends.

Day 13: Very thankful for my heater tonight.

Day 14: Very very very thankful for Korean food! Yum.

Day 15: I am thankful for midnight showings at 10 p.m.

Day 16: On the way home I saw an accident happen, and saw a three car collision near my intersection. So thankful to be safe and sound.

Day 17: I am thankful for days like this where everything was great; time with friends and family, great food, and fun memories.

Day 18: I'm thankful for occasions to cook! Although grocery shopping is quite a feat (and this list is after my sis said she would make 4 dishes). Get ready, wallet.

Day 19: I am thankful for Anthropologie. Period.

Day 20: I'm thankful I'm 90% done with my Thanksgiving grocery shopping.

Day 21: So thankful for days off!

Thanksgiving day: So thankful for another Thanksgiving with my family. I am blessed.

I am so glad I did this. I am going to continue to post on Facebook for the month, and hopefully I continue to find thankful moments each day.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, Christmas is on my mind! I can't wait!!!

Color Run 2012

Okay, I can finally cross another thing off my 30 things at 30 list.

One of my coworkers, Kristin, bought a Groupon for The Color Run which is a 5K fun run and partners with charities, such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I've never even heard of it, but it sounded like fun so I decided to try it despite having had less than 10 hours of sleep (for 2 days) and no physical activity/training since August.

29. Color Run 11-17-12

It happened downtown at Fair Park. It reminded me so much of the 3 Day Walk because of the tutus, cold weather, and of course the porta potties.

Must wear tutus next year...

The blue stop was CRAZY.

Yea! We did it!

Oh, Caitlin. She looks like a tribute. :)

Charlie's Angels.

In the parking lot, being "candid" :)

After the run, Caitlin suggested this awesome restaurant called Oddfellows in Oak Cliff (Bishop Arts District). This is on the same strip as Tillman's Roadhouse which I went to a few years ago on my birthday.

I was super excited because they have chicken and waffles, which I always wanted to try.

Oh my. Where have I been?

Amazing. The fluffiest waffles. The crispiest chicken. Bobby Flay Throw-down worthy.

I also heard their Buffalo Mac is the best, so I am definitely coming back here.

I am so tired, and I know I'll be sore tomorrow, but it was a great day.

Two more days until Thanksgiving break! Can't wait!


Please check out my lovely friend Caitlin's blog for more awesome photos on the event, which she did with me.

H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N

Now I know why people video blog. You can't quite convey a song or chant through typed words..
My blog post title is supposed to be a little song I was taught many, many years ago by a wonderful teacher (I can't remember which one) on how to spell Halloween. Still to this day, I cannot spell Halloween without either singing or thinking of this song.

H, A, double L, O
W, double E, N spells Halloween! :)

I just hope my kids remember something like that from me. I'm not the most creative teacher, but I managed to teach them one song this year about the main idea. One early morning in Saturday school the kids were supposed to come up with a rap about the main idea to remember what it was, so naturally I came up with one. ;) Actually, it was a collaboration, and I teach my kids this every year.

(with beat box in the background)
The main idea,
is the BIG idea.
It tells what the story is MOSTLY about!

Okay, done with the songs. Here are some pictures of my school's goody day for Halloween made by my 2nd grade team and me:

 Many people assured me these looked like Frankensteins and NOT Oscar the Grouches.

I'm not totally convinced.

These went like hot cakes. I love how easy this is to make! The recipe is below:

Cream Cheese Pastries

Ingredients

2 cans of crescent rolls (Pillsbury.. I get the 50% bigger ones)

8 oz. cream cheese (shouldn't be super cold)

1/2 cup sugar (plus 1/4 cup to sprinkle)

1/4 cup of cinnamon

1 t vanilla

2 T melted butter

Directions:

1. On a greased baking sheet, roll out one can of crescentt rolls (It will be a big rectangular piece. If the triangles come apart, just lay them down side by side and it will just bake together).

2. In a glass bowl mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until incorporated. The cream cheese should be spreadable texture. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the rolled out dough (don't spread all the way to the edges).

3. Lay another can of dough right on top of the mixture to form a big pouch. Lightly press the sides to seal the cream cheese.

4. Spread melted butter on the dough with a pastry brush.

5. In a small shallow bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar. Using a spoon or sifter, sprinkle cinnamon/sugar on top of the dough.

6. Bake as directed on the crescent can (usually 12 to 15 minutes). Watch it carefully so the bottom doesn't burn! Use a pizza cutter to cut into 2-3 inch squares!

The duds I left at home..

I found this caution tape at Walmart for $0.89!

I love the candy corn plate!

Our Halloween spread.

Everything was really delicious. I made the 7-layer spider web dip.

 Candy corn cupcakes.

It was an exhausting night making my desserts but it was totally worth it to have all the teachers appreciate it.

I am glad we all survived today and my night ended nicely when I was surprised by a knock on my door from a little batman trick or treating! It was my first time giving out candy! I was so surprised because I never expected them to trick or treat at apartments, and I'm so glad I had a bag of Kit Kats. I was so happy, I gave him two. :)

Well lately it seems as if everyone is stressed and strained including me. I realized I have not been very patient lately and I really need to be patient with everyone, especially my students.

Let's make it til Thanksgiving!

Pink Day

October is breast cancer awareness month, and every year our school has a Pink Day to support it. This week at school has been hectic to say the least; so I had to make some last minute "pink" rice krispies. I used pink marshmallows, but it didn't come out pink enough... I need to use strawberry jello mix next time.

They taste good at least! :)

Once upon a time, three brave teachers (one of whom was very untrained) took on the 3 day, 60+ miles walk for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
We all had someone to walk for. I walked for my father who died of stomach cancer when I was five.
We each raised $2300 with the support of our family, friends, school, and kind strangers.
It was the most challenging, stressful, yet motivating, and emotional thing I have ever done. It's one of those experiences that was hard and wonderful at the same time. I would do it again if I had the chance.

The Pink Galas! We look happy. So this must be Day 1. :)

Pink Galas 2014, anyone?

30 things at 30

Upon turning 30, my friends and I decided I need to make a 30 year old bucket list. I've always had a life's to do list, but never really tried to do them proactively.

But after living for 3 decades now, I realize I don't have time to waste. So I am challenging myself to try 30 new things in my 30th year of life. Fun! And a little scary. My list is tentative and not really in order, so I will post them as I achieve each one.

30th on my list is something that comes at an opportune time that I have never done before: pumpkin carving.

Reactions from people around me were the same; Whaaaaat? Seriously?

I hope people don't think I missed out somehow or lived a boring life. I would not trade my life with anyone; I went through struggles and hardships, and experienced things I wouldn't want anyone else to go through. But I wouldn't be me if I didn't go through all those things. I am definitely stronger because of them. It humbled me and gave me empathy for people in similar situations. I know what's important in life, and I thank God that I have a loving family and friends around me that support me.

Okay, on to my pumpkin carving!

30. Pumpkin carving 10-13-12

Kristin and her friend Lacey helped me with my first pumpkin carving experience and it was really fun! The perfectionist in me came out at times, but they reigned it in and kept reassuring me when I messed up. A chunk of the 'W' came off, but I used the pumkin carving blade I broke and used it like a toothpick to attach it. Here is the result:

Wicked 30! :)

Kristin looking dangerous!                 

Step 1: Pick the pumpkin.

 I chose the "mama bear" sized pumpkin in the middle.

Step 2: Cut off the top...

I look a little scary there..

...and pull it out.

Step 3: Take out the "guts" and carve it smooth.

It was a slimy process. Not my favorite part.

Yea! All cleaned out!

Step 4: Pick a design and tape it on the pumpkin.

I was trying to decide between the cat/pumpkin (top left) and a witch pattern, but when I saw the 'Wicked' one I knew I had to do that one. Mostly because of my love for the musical, Wicked! Unfortunately I did not realize the difficulty level was high AND letters are tedious. But it was worth it.

The girls, hard at work!

Step 5: Poke, peel, and start carving.

I added 30 to my design.

The letters were difficult to carve and I was the last person to finish, but I did it!

Yep, we're professional carvers. Haha.

I'm really glad I finally carved a pumpkin. Now I have 29 more to go! :)

My Birthday Weekend

I feel like I've had an Indian wedding; I've celebrated my birthday since Friday. And why not? I'm 30!
I have to say, 30 isn't so bad. I cringe less and less when I tell people I'm 30 years old. I think that's progress.

Well, my lovely friend Ari blogged about my birthday so instead of reblogging, I will just put a link to her blog here: lavender and pink - happy-birthday-flo

Thanks Ari!

From left: Heather, Joanna, Kristin, 30 year old me, Sarah, and Arianna

Photo credit: lavender + pink