Do-It-Yourself Body Wash
I ran out of body wash and hand soap and refused to spend money on two more small bottles of hand soap for my two bathrooms, and my expensive body wash. I searched all over Pintrest and the internet examining different recipes and finally decided to try it.
Most recipes called for 10 cups of water, which may have been ideal. I used:
8 cups purified water (Optional - I have a Brita On Tap System)
1 bar of Yardley English Lavender soap
1 1/2 tbs glycerin (Optional - for suds)
1 tbs rose water (Optional - for skin toning)
1 large pot
I got this box from the Dollar Tree, although buying bulk would be cheaper. I'm a college student though, so I can't afford that.
I got the glycerin and rose water from Walgreens for around $4 together. I added rose water just because it was cheap, I don't think it is the authentic rose water though, which is okay.
Directions:
1. Boil water
2. Microwave soap in ceramic or glass dish for about 1 minute or more. Your soap will be so hot it can burn you. So be careful and microwave it until most of it turns into a foamy glob. Or you can grate the entire bar.
3. Add the soap to the boiling water. Turn the heat down to simmer.
4. Add glycerin and rose water.
5. Turn off the stove and cool once all the soap is melted.
The mixture will need to cool about 4-8 hours or more. My mixture congealed, a lot. Then, I dug my hands in it and started mashing it between my fingers. Then, it got softer and became pourable. The mixture is like slimy goo, but I'm sure it still works.
I now have enough bath soap for about 2 months, maybe 3. It only cost me $1. I don't count the cost of the glycerin or rose water because the remaining will be used for many more diy projects.
I did not take pictures of the hand soap because it was my first try, and I forgot. I used Dial Antibacterial soap instead of Yardley.
Imagine buying bulk bar soaps. You'll have enough liquid soap to last a year that you'll only have to make every 2-3 months. My kind of lifestyle. You'll just have to get used to the slimy texture of the soap. Don't let that stop you from saving money.
If you've tried this, let me know how yours turned out. :-)
7 Tips for Cleaning your House Efficiently
Check this out!!
Apartment Therapy: 7 Ways You're Making House Cleaning Harder Than It Has To Be
My favorite is the 30 day cleaning schedule. Let's see if I stick to it.
http://feeds.apartmenttherapy.com/~r/apartmenttherapy/main-vip/~3/o1d8SEqaBZE/7-ways-youre-making-house-cleaning-harder-than-it-has-to-be-206141
Tag :
30 days,
clean,
College,
dad,
efficient cleaning,
family,
house cleaning,
how to clean,
Keep my house neat,
mom,
quick cleaning,
The Inevitabilities of Success
At times I feel like I've tried so hard, yet still have nothing to show. Inspirational list courtesy of JustAddMuscle on Instagram.
4 Ways to get more Twitter Followers FAST
I'm so insane at times. As I am trying to propel my internet presence into overdrive, because at the moment, I have none, I am trying to go from 50 to 500 followers on Twitter by the end of the day. Tell me that's not insane. You're thinking that it might be impossible right? Well, you shoot for the moon and land among the stars.
I have gained 7 new followers within the hour. I went from following 233 pages, to 595.
If you're trying to build your online presence up as well. This is what I am doing:
1. #Hashtags!! Search Hashtags that relate to you and/or your blog. Follow the people, NOT businesses or organizations, that have used them. When you follow people, they will (well, should) follow back.
2. Follow the followers of your followers. (So many "follows!!" lol)
3. Businesses and Organizations. Find businesses and organizations that relate to you, find their followers, and follow them!!
4. Retweet. This is kind of like telling someone "hey, I think you're cool." They're bound to follow you or retweet one of your posts which leads to more followers.
I am currently tweeting the progress of my follower count. Follow me @fromjessicav.
Keeping your followers is a different story. Especially when you are using your twitter for business purposes and not just pleasure. Michael Hyatt has 12 tips to gain and keep followers here: http://michaelhyatt.com/12-ways-to-get-more-twitter-followers.html
:::UPDATE:::
So I didn't get 500 followers, BUT I did get 58 more!! Better than nothing. Do not pay for followers. I don't know why one would do such a thing. Now onto my second active day on Twitter!!
What is your experience with getting followers??
New to Pinterest
Recently, I started using Pinterest. I know...-_-...I'm late, but it didn't interest me before. Until I realized that I needed a site with all sorts of DIYs for my home and future classroom. Pinterest is now gold to me. I find everything on there!! I love it.
Pinterest has taught me what people look for in blogs. So, the nature of my blog will be changing with my next post!
Love DIY??? I want to see your pins! Follow me so I can follow back!
Shaking like Dice
So, I haven't posted in a very, very long time. In my earlier posts I figured I wouldn't be so good at this. I simply didn't have enough time to network online to gain followers, and post. Something has happened now...something major. I have now completed my first internship, summer classes, and ALL UNDERGRADUATE COURSES, PERIOD. I was so excited that for about two weeks after summer semester ended, I would uncontrollably cry every time I saw or heard "2014," smh. It is because it means that I will be graduating and the rough financial time of college is about to be through, kaput, done! :-D
It could have also been that the summer semester caused me so much stress that I suffered chemical imbalances that caused emotional extremes that didn't regulate until two weeks after being done, idk.
Side Note::: I do not like big paragraphs. I feel like it makes blogs and other things less enjoyable to read. If you are reading this, it means you can relate to me, or you're just really bored. Either way, I want to make this enjoyable, and light to read.
Well I'm done with this post for now. I think I should definitely split my posts up by topic. I have undiagnosed mild ADD. In reality, I just get bored and go from one topic to another without notice. It's sad. I am learning how to blog, so if you stumble upon this, please be gentle and patient. Tips would be nice. :-D
Finals Week
This has been the easiest end of a semester ever. I'm worried it might be the quiet before the storm. *_*
Finals week begins tomorrow and I must create a Social Studies unit plan. I have never done such a thing. It must consist of a minimum of three lessons. So, I am thinking (well, praying) that I get this done painlessly and effortlessly. I am hoping to string together a Social Studies unit so amazing that I can sell it on TPT. I want my students entire bodies involved in the social studies lessons.
I know I can do it. I will post it once it's done. I'm so scared to attempt it though. The road to being a future teacher....it's not easy.
Pretty Blogs
So I've seen all of these teacher blogs that are so cute and beautiful, especially TeacherPayTeachers.com sellers. How do they do it!!!???? I am using Google's templates. Do the teachers draw their designs and upload them? Or is there some site that I don't know about?
I want a cute pretty Future Teacher blog. Someone tell me how they do it.
Pretty please with sugar on top. :)**Image found through Google search. Courtesy
Tag :
blog,
designs,
future,
graphic,
pre-service,
pretty,
teachers pay teachers,
tell me how,
tpt,
UCF,
university of central florida,
The Ups and Downs of Being a FUTURE Teacher
Though I am a future teacher. I call myself a teacher. I have grown tremendously while being apart of The University of Central Florida's College of Education and Human Performance. I would say that I am excited to get into the field of education, but I AM in the field of education. I have completed A LOT of service learning hours. These hours were not enough until this year. I have trained teacher candidates about the Junior Achievement Program (which is amazing, by the way), tutored my peers, and tutored a first grader. It also helps that I substitute teach as well.
And now the down side. No money, no money, and again, no money. I go into Internship I next semester. This is a two day a week internship that must be taken with three other classes. These three classes are only available in the daytime. So I've got internship Monday and Tuesday, then class mid-day Wednesday, all day Thursday, and thankfully, none on Friday. Now, I work during the day. How will I do this? I cannot work on nights and weekends due to family responsibilities. So tell me, where is this extra money going to come from?
It gets worse!!! As many current teachers know, the last semester at UCF is Internship II. 14 weeks of full time teaching...wait for it.....UNPAID. Now, I know that it would cost an arm and a leg to provide some sort of compensation for teacher candidates, but I wish there was something in place. In other majors, my peers get $2500 or less for interning. I know there must not be money in the budget for this, but still. For non-traditional students like me it would help. The next year will be a financial challenge, but I trust that God will help us meet our bills. He makes the impossible possible.
Teaching to Change Lives
A few weeks before creating this blog I watched the Pivot documentary "Teach." It was not watched without tears. I wondered how those teachers could make such a difference in their student's lives. How would I do the same? I want my students to change. I want them to go from "I hate school" to "I love and need school." But, how do I do that? I wan to inspire my students.
With the fall semester sadly, yet excitedly, coming to a close, today was the second to last tutoring session with my first grader. It was 12 weeks ago that we first met. She could barely read. She was as low as my four year old son who is not yet in Kindergarten. This was my first time being a tutor. I was worried and scared. Feeling a bit unsure about everything that I was doing with her, I kept at it. I assessed, treated, then reassessed, as we were told to do. We started off reading books at a level C, then I instinctively upped it to a level D. I felt that she could handle it. She did.
During today's session I did the level 6 DRA with her. I was worried that it would be too tough. Let's just say she scored a 96% in accuracy and an 18/24 in comprehension!!!!!!! She did it!!!!! She can read!!! I am so, so, SO proud of her. Next week, our last meeting, we're just going to play some reading games, and I'm thinking of making her a chalkboard necklace. She'll love that.
She did this all on her own. I felt that I didn't do this, she did. Then, I started thinking about how motivated she has become. I am not sure if I have anything to do with her new found motivation, but that is what has given her the power to read.
As I drove away from her school fighting back tears, I am sure that I will need to get my crying out before our last session. I am going to miss her so much. Sure, I will have other students in the future, but none of them will be her. I really hope that she doesn't cry next week. I don't know what I'll do. I don't know how those teachers on "Teach" fought back their tears, goodness.
In the beginning, I prayed. I asked God to give she and I the tools for her to get up to reading proficiency. It happened. I thanked God, over and over again.
I've changed in that God has shown me how I will change my future students. Motivation. Once I get them motivated, nothing will stop their success.
Tag :
assessment,
change,
difference,
DRA,
make,
motivate,
motivation,
Pivot,
read,
reading,
school,
student,
teach,
teacher,
tutor,
tutor make difference,
Teacher Slayings
Teacher killings: I hate it. We did not get into this career to have to guard our lives the way law enforcement does.
Students killing students: I hate it! Schools are safe zones. It should be family away from home. Or, in some unfortunate cases,a child's only family.
Schools will be changed forever. Change must happen.
All of America must be held responsible for the care and well being of our youth, one way or another. It takes a village to raise a child, right?
...and on this day, a blogger was born.
This is the start of my very first blog. I normally keep most of my thoughts to myself, but I've realized that I may need an outlet. Blogs seem to be the modern day diary. I figured why not try it. Maybe I can spark conversation about education and get some of my questions answered. I've seen many teacher blogs but only one future teacher blog, but she is no longer a future teacher. So, I decided that I will try my hand at this. I will use this space to reflect, and jot down ideas.
I feel like I might need this. So, welcome to my journal. I hold the pages open for you to read, think about, and share your ideas.
Side Note: I don't know how to do this yet, so bare with me.
