The Ameri Brit Mom

Rescue: FMF

Today I am joining the positive writing community over at Five Minute Friday for their weekly link-up. Each week we gather to write on a common theme. This week our theme is Rescue.

Right now I am a couple of weeks in to my final semester of graduate school. In December, I will be graduating with a Masters of English degree and I am really proud of the work and effort I have put in to accomplish this life goal. At times, during this journey I have been treading water. My enrollment in the program coincided with the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and so I taught hybrid and remotely all while trying to keep on top of my studies and assignments. This semester is also my heaviest load. I am taking three courses right now, one of which is my Capstone/Thesis project. I have been busy and will only continue to be until the semester ends in December.

So how am I coping? What is my plan for this semester? What is my plan for my degree?

First of all, I am coping with large amounts of coffee, planning chunks of work time weekly during the semester, making routines and sticking to them, and prioritizing my time better for my family. Having a plan has rescued me from going crazy, but nothing has rescued my energy like a couple of cups of coffee each day.

After December, I plan to use my degree to better my craft, increase my teaching opportunities within my district, become a qualified cooperating teacher for pre-service educators (aka–have student teachers in my room), increase my salary, and I look forward to the other options that I am still unaware of.

Writing on here may become sparse at times throughout this semester, but don’t worry I am still writing just in a different capacity. And this is all temporary. And I am incredibly thankful for the way coffee and friends provide a rescue line when I start to feel buried by the load of graduate courses.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Labor Day Weekend Ulta Haul

This weekend I was in need of a restock on a few of my favorite beauty products so I went to my local Ulta store and picked up the essentials. Here is a look at my Labor Day Weekend Ulta haul:

1. Wetbrush Detangling Comb ($7.99)

As a mom and a lifelong struggler with dry, thick, curly hair a good detangler is a MUST. Both of my girls have thick hair that tangles easily which turns nearly every brushing session into a match between my determination and their ability to endure the pain. Wet brush products seem to be the best I have found for both mine and my girls and so I wanted to try the detangler comb. This purchase was long overdue.

2. Essence Pure Nude Sunlighter ($4.99)

I’ve never owned highlighter before. I’ve always been a bronzer or blush girl, but never dabbled in the use of highlighter. It’s something I’ve been wanting to try, and something I think will compliment my sunkissed complexion pretty well.

3. bareMinerals Lash Domination Ink Liner($19.00)

This is my tried and true eyeliner. I have used it for a couple of years now and I cannot say enough good about this product (and anything else by bareMinerals).

4. Hempz Travel Size Original Herbal Moisturizer ($7.50)

I never would’ve picked up this product for myself, but last spring I won a gift basket from my salon and a large bottle of this stuff was in it. Oh my goodness, I had been missing out! I am in love with the scent as well as the hydration provided by this Hempz product. Today I picked up a small bottle to keep with me in my purse, but I am sure I’ll be restocking my full size version soon.

5. Biolage HydroSource Conditioning Balm ($20.00)

I have not found another product that nourishes my thirsty hair like this conditioning balm. I use it in place of my Smoothproof conditioner a couple of times a week so it lasts a long time. I leave it in my hair for a few minutes before rinsing and it really changes the texture and feel of my naturally dry, curly hair.

6. Biolage Smoothproof Conditioner ($20.00)

This is my go-to. Enough said!

7. Dashing Diva Morning Orchid GLOSS Ultra Shine Gel Strips (Not pictured; $6.99)

I’ve been buying Dashing Diva products because they are easy to put on and to remove and way cheaper than competitive brands. I am excited for this Morning Orchid fall color.

*Because I’ve been exclusively using Biolage Shampoo and Conditioners on my hair for a couple of years I was also given a gift at the register for brand loyalty.

I am not a brand ambassador nor do I make money off of this post in any way. My hope was just to share some of my favorite products with you in hopes that maybe I can introduce you to a product that I have found which may be of use to you.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Honorable Debate

To get me through these final weeks of my grad school I will be turning to some older posts. I hope that if you have been with me from the beginning this will be a fun trip down memory lane. And if you are new to my blog it is a great way to see some of my more popular posts from the past.

This first post was meaningful because it captured my initial feelings creating an honors history course from scratch. In this post I asked for advice for conducting classroom debates. Now, when I ask former students something they remember about my course debates are most often the response I receive.

If you have any old favorites let me know! I’ll be reposting 1-2 times a week until December.

The Ameri Brit Mom

It’s been some time since I’ve written about what is going on in Mrs. Sisley’s classroom. So in case you were wondering the year is off to a great start and I’m excited to share a little bit. Currently, I am teaching six classes. In the mornings I have three English 9 classes one of which is an Inclusion class. During the afternoons I teach three Honors World History classes. This is the first school year that an Honors History course has been offered since I’ve been working in my district and I’m thrilled to get the privilege of teaching this course.

The first few weeks have been spent getting their feet wet and providing opportunities for my students to discover my expectations. In English so far we’ve written one essay, read two short stories, and each student has now completed two of their Nine in 9th Independent Reading books…

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City: Five Minute Friday

Today I am joining the positive writing community over at Five Minute Friday for their weekly link-up. Each week we gather to write on a common theme. This week our theme is City.

Thanks to Covid the city has lost its appeal.

I miss the days of hopping in the car and seeing what we could get up to in town. With all the restrictions and all of the “hotspots” it makes a trip into the city one of the greatest opportunities to be at-risk.

I miss shopping in-person instead of through online portals and digital exchanges.

I miss strolling down busy streets, sipping coffee, and looking for good deals in storefronts.

I miss concerts and events in the parks and arenas downtown.

I miss dodging cyclists on the city’s walking paths.

Columbus is my city and I miss it so much. Crime rates are up and the city misses the people who came with a sense of wonder and enjoyment to its streets. I look forward to the day when we all return to life as it was before. I cannot wait to stroll through downtown with a cup of Stauff’s coffee (highlander grogg of course) while my hubby eats his Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream from a freshly made waffle cone.

One day this will all be over and we can return to our cities as we did before and enjoy the spontaneous.

The Ameri Brit Mom

September 2021 Bullet Journal

Last month went incredibly quick for me. I feel like I was just setting up my August pages and now here I am. There’s something to be said about the start of the school year and finding oneself in a time warp that launches you straight into fall. Because August was so busy there were a few pages that I didn’t use from last month as I’d hoped. With that being said, I am going very basic for September in hopes of being able to keep up and to keep it all functional for my busy, working-mom life. So without further ado…

Cover Page: Campfire Theme

As I said, this month I want to keep it simple. I went with an outdoorsy color scheme and kept my doodles to a minimum. I left some objects uncolored to keep with the simplistic theme and only colored those things that fell within my scheme.

September Calendar Page

I did some 5×5 boxes for this month’s calendar page. I’m not in love with the fire doodle (even though I used a step-by-step on Pinterest), but it just goes to show that nothing has to be perfect in your bullet journal.

Fitness Tracker

With plenty of space for my intended workouts I finished off this super easy spread with a campfire doodle.

Weekly Spread

The supplies that I used to create this theme and the spreads for September are Tombow dual brush pens (colors: 912 and 153), Flair pens in orange and coral, and my usual black Flair pen. The doodles were inspired by images found on Pinterest, but I added my own creative flair and colors.

Let me know what you think about these pages or if you have ideas for future spreads or themes in my bullet journal.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Five Recent Updates…

If you have followed my blog you may have noticed that my posting schedule has been light over the past several weeks. Don’t worry…there are no plans for a hiatus or time away from the blog.

To simplify the reason, my priorities have just shifted temporarily.

Summer is coming to an end and I am back in the classroom. Time seems to be elusive and I’ve had to make some compromises with myself to ensure that I am prioritizing my time in the healthiest ways during this season.

Life has been hectic, but enjoyable and I need to catch you up with where I have been and what I have done during the days between posts.

1. I started my 11th year as a classroom teacher

This is my typical first day selfie while working hard at my desk. The year is off to a great start. This year I also added Student Council Advisor to my list of titles. I am so excited for the road ahead.

2. This week I begin my final semester of graduate school

I took courses this summer on Dystopian Literature and Critical Race Theory (BLM in films). I have learned so much and the work has been manageable. I cannot wait to finish my degree in December. This semester I am taking a course on Indigenous People Groups and another on fiction writing. Additionally, I will be enrolled in a capstone program where I will be working toward a Masters Portfolio/Thesis. I have BIG writing goals for myself post-degree.

3. My youngest sister started working in the same school district as me

What kind of sister would I be if I didn’t buy us matching shirts for the staff first day? We are having a blast working on the same schedule and for the same community. I love hearing her stories and seeing the district afresh through her eyes. We don’t work in the same building, but how fun would that be?

4. It’s been important to reconnect with friends

The pandemic taught me that my friendships are important and gathering with friends regularly is important for my spirit and mind. I am lucky to have amazing teacher friends within my school as well as many friends outside of my teaching community.

5. My little gymnast is keeping me busy

I spend a lot of time during the week transporting and watching my little gymnast practice. Proud doesn’t even begin to describe how she makes me feel. We are praying that her gym will open up for competitions this year after a full year of no competition.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Teach: Five Minute [Friday]

Today I am joining the positive writing community over at Five Minute Friday (a day late) for their weekly link-up. Each week we gather to write on a common theme. This week our theme is Teach.

Eight days in to the 2021-2022 school year and I have already been through so much: adapting to numerous administration changes, learning my role as a Student Council advisor, a 24 hour stomach bug, learning 150+ students’ names, and kicking off my courses in fun, interactive ways. In many ways it has felt like things are back to the way they were pre-Covid, but this week the pandemic kept rearing its ugly head in the background. A few students quarantined here and there, social distancing protocols, and the latest talk of reinstating mask mandates in the schools.

I’m not here to be political or to insert myself into the dialogue about our rights to not wear masks as American citizens. All I want to accomplish is a smooth, productive, and positive school year.

If we could leave Covid protocols to the previous school years and move forward with a clean, healthy slate that would be ideal. No one would argue that. But as my sudden illness this week proved, being healthy comes before anything else.

So those are my scattered ruminations after my first eight days. Things are going well and I’m trying really hard to ignore the fact that Covid is still trying to impact my school year. I’m ready for a normal year of learning and growing as a teacher and individual.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Accountability: Five Minute Friday

Today I am joining the positive writing community over at Five Minute Friday for their weekly link-up. Each week we gather to write on a common theme. This week our theme is Accountability.

Can be real for a few minutes today? I’ll take the silence as a yes and proceed with the raw thoughts and emotions as they are triggered.

It’s been a while since I stopped to consider my own accountability.

As a mother, I am accountable to my children, husband, and God.

As a teacher, I am held accountable to my students, administrative team, and curriculum by a set of standards and a state-mandated evaluation system.

As a friend, I am accountable to weekly check-ins and occasional get-togethers.

As a grad student, I am accountable to deadlines, rubrics, and course grades.

In so many ways I find accountability in others. Their communication reminds me that I am not alone in this journey. Accountability assures fail-safes or checkpoints throughout the journey of life and those become moments of deep consideration and change. When we are accountable to others we find ourselves reflecting and redirecting and we often see growth.

So now to me being real…

This season of life has been unbalanced.

I’ve been accountable to various entities, but neglected to remain accountable to myself. There have been days where I feel more self aware and present than others, but in this moment I feel like I’ve been pouring from a cup with a slow leak. When I am tired I am often the last person I think about–the last person on a long list of accountability. So while I may be fulfilling the roles I listed above I haven’t been taking the time to be accountable to myself (primarily, my faith).

Back-to-school season is INSANE. I’m already in survival mode and it is only week 1. But, I am looking for resources and ideas on how to continue to cultivate my faith and invest in myself in a way that fits with the busy life of a mom, teacher, friend, and grad student. Please share if you have any tools!!!

The Ameri Brit Mom

From: Five Minute Friday

Today I am joining the positive writing community over at Five Minute Friday for their weekly link-up. Each week we gather to write on a common theme. This week our theme is From.

A Letter FROM a Teacher on Back to School:

Dear Students,

It seems as though summer was over in the blink of an eye. The mornings of wolfing down breakfast (sometimes in the middle of the day) before hours of playing are coming to an end. The late nights are also numbered. Soon enough, you will be dictated by the schedule handed to you by an administration team. You will wake up at the crack of dawn or before. Bedtime will be moved up so that you have the energy for the next day. Summer is coming to an end, but there is excitement in the air.

Who will be in your class? Who is your teacher? Which supplies should you bring on the first day?

And for those of you beginning at a new building–

Where will your locker be? How far is it from your classroom to the nearest restroom? Will you get lost?

Our minds can get cluttered with a concoction of excitement and fear and it can leave some of us with nervous tummies or struggling to sleep the night before. It’s okay to feel this way. It’s normal, actually. But I wanted to let you know FROM a teacher that we feel the same way.

I’ve had to adjust my bedtime too. I can’t stay up watching my favorite shows like I did this summer and I have been setting my alarm a little earlier so my body isn’t in shock when we go back. I am still waiting for that schedule from my principal so I can start planning when I will have time to go to the restroom and when my lunchtime will be.

Who will be in my class? Who will my own children have as a teacher? Will I have enough supplies for all of my students? Will my room be set up before the first bell of the school year?

This is a season of uneasiness for everyone. We all have unanswered questions and I haven’t even mentioned the hot mask debate right now. Give grace to those around you whether they are students, teachers, or parents. We are all getting back into the swing of things and we’ve been through so much over the past couple of years. Remember all that when you walk through whatever lies ahead and do so with bravery and confidence. But also, remember we are all a little nervous. And it’s okay.

*Please pray for me, my kids, and my school district. We begin classes next week.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Ninja Hot and Iced Coffee Maker+ Recipe

After many different machines and years of purchasing expensive, prepackaged kcups, I have finally ditched Keurig machines and this time for good. My newest coffee companion is a Ninja Hot and Iced Coffee Maker (CM305 model):

So far, I love the versatility of the machine and the ability to do so much more than brew a cup of coffee. I love a hot drink in the morning, but my husband is all about iced coffee and froufrou drinks. My maker came with a detachable frother, measuring cup, and various settings to perfect a cup, tumbler, or carafe of the coffee or drink of choice. It even has the ability to make espresso drinks, lattes, and iced concoctions as well. As I played around with my machine I created my own version of the popular Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso drink from Starbucks. Here is my recipe:

Brown Sugar Oatmilk Iced Coffee–

Ingredients:

coffee grounds of your choice (2 Tb), ice, oatmilk, 1 Tb brown sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon

Recipe:

Fill a mug to the top with ice and place on the mug plate under the drip container

Select the settings: Cup and Specialty Make sure there is enough water in the reservoir to fill a cup (this is easily marked)
Use the detachable measuring spoon and add the recommended amount of coffee for a Specialty drink to a #4 cone filter and add to machine (2 large scoops)

After coffee brews over the ice, fill the remainder of the glass with oatmilk and add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

Mix
Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon

The Ameri Brit Mom