tgif

This week I read Brené Brown's book, The Gifts of Imperfection... it was so good! I'll save the book review for another day, but loved this idea she had about a gratitude blog she used to write on Fridays, called TGIF:

In her research, she found that she could create joy in her life by practicing gratitude. She uses a metaphor of Christmas lights to explain:

"Twinkle lights are the perfect metaphor for joy. Joy is not a constant. It comes to us in moments - often ordinary moments. Sometimes we miss out on the bursts of joy because we're too busy chasing down extraordinary moments. Other times we're so afraid of the dark we don't dare let ourselves enjoy the light. A joyful life is not a floodlight of joy. That would eventually become unbearable. I believe a joyful life is made up of joyful moments gracefully strung together by trust, gratitude, inspiration, and faith."

And so I bring another blogging format you might like to try out for yourself... TGIF: trust, gratitude, inspiration, faith.

I am trusting that Amazon really is going to show up with my next two books, Posted and The Universe Has Your Back.

I'm trusting that my family and friends understand the intent of my choices and behaviors is always positive, even when they could be interpreted another way.

I'm trusting that even though I feel that I've not done enough work for the coming school year (read: any work) I will still get things together in time enough for a great 15th (!!!) year of teaching.

I'm trusting that I'll find the perfect first day picture book to read to my class...any ideas?!

Feeling gratitude for my new mani-pedi. I was so in need, it had been like 6 weeks!

Feeling gratitude for the twinkle lights strung in my living room, that remind me to continually cultivate joy in my life by practicing gratitude.

Feeling gratitude for cool summer days with a breeze through the windows and amazing evening light on the bedroom side of my apartment. (idk my directions in Chicago!) 

Feeling inspired by Brené Brown, today, and always.

Feeling inspired by the amazing teachers I follow on social media, and my bffs who are teachers, too.

Feeling inspired by my friend Rachel who made a pie... from scratch. It was beautiful and smelled delicious and I think she saved me a piece!

Having faith in those I love most, that each one of them will find the things that bring them much happiness.

Having faith that I will make it to another Cubs game before the school year begins!

Having faith that my half sister, who I haven't been in much contact with, will decide that she'd like to build a more solid friendship with me in the coming years.

So, what did you think? I'd love to read your TGIF post! Write one and leave the link in my comments!

Happy Friday!

gratitude lately

Sometimes life is a major bummer. And when that happens, you have to find things to help you through. In my case, it's yoga and friends and church, and though it's Sunday I'm not feeling super churchy, so I thought I'd also remember to find gratitude in other areas of my life.

Thankful for my fave yoga teacher and friend, Rachel, who reminded me to practice gratitude as she set the intention for class today. I needed this, which is why I come to my mat. Even better when you love your teach.

Also thankful that the first song in class today was Despacito. Check out my niece and I doing our rendition of it here. (An aside: we can't sing for crap, but everytime I watch, I can't help but laugh!)

Thankful for a filter on my thoughts, like today in Rachel's yoga class when I wanted to light her up with a string of explicatives for the crazy cardio routines she was insisting on. For the record, I did way more in that class than I *ever would have on my own.

Thankful for friends who pick up their phones and spend time with me, especially when I need them most. Pretty Princess Time with Katie, catching up with Anita, hanging out with Liz tonight.

Thankful for a warm (cozy warm, not warm-warm) home that is now almost super clean, too.

Thankful for great books to pass the time.

Thankful for Phytosport to replenish hydration when I haven't been taking the best care of myself.

Thankful for this blog, Canva for cute images, and friends who read and leave comments.

Thankful for forgiveness, like forgiving myself for not writing every day this month like I had planned.

Thankful for the people in my life who are passionate about stuff - their work, their family, their friends or significant others, hobbies. I can't understand people with no passions...

Thankful for tacos.

I think that's all for today. Maybe I will make it to church after all. What are you thankful for? Write your post and leave your link in my comments so I can be sure to read it!

Happy Sunday,

gratitude lately

Thankful for the cool breeze blowing through my second floor apartment windows.

Thankful for new love and a lifetime of possibilities.

Thankful for fourth of July flowers.

Thankful for America the Beautiful to close out a perfectly timed mass on Sunday at church.

Thankful for the easy, slow days of teacher summer.

Thankful for American food... like tacos from an authentic Mexican restaurant :-)

Thankful for clean sheets and a bed that is actually made.

Thankful for visits from family that involve coffee and donuts in the kitchen.

What are you thankful for?

I can't wait to read your posts for BigTime Blogging Challenge 2017! Leave your permalink in the comments and feel free to share on SM with #btbc17!

sol17 #22: gratitude lately

So many reasons to celebrate the blessings in our lives. Here are a few of mine so far this week.

Thankful for freshly squeezed OJ that goes into my protein shakes each morning. And blueberries. I love blueberries.

Thankful for the kiddo in my ELA class who walks into class every day, and whether I'm looking or not, says, "Hi, Ms. Brezek," all full of smiles.

Right back atcha, LF!

Thankful for my principal, who, during my evaluation, made it a point to talk to most, if not all of my students about what they were learning.

Thankful for my awesome friend who does yoga with us after school. It's the perfect community to be a part of ♥

Thankful for online shopping. Need a confirmation gift? Shop online. New leggings? Shop online. Your skin care line? Shop online. All delivered to my school, too!

Thankful for longer days and sunshine. Summer is on the horizon, friends!

What are you thankful for?

An idea for writing today...what about one like my post? Make a list of the things you are thankful for, especially better if you include pictures, too!

Check the padlet for ideas! Leave a comment for someone else!

gratitude lately

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! Hope you are set for an awesome day with family and friends. Before I get to the turkey, a little bit of gratitude on this November day.

Thankful for a five day Thanksgiving holiday, to see friends and family, to rest, to catch up, to spend time doing the things I enjoy.

Thankful for the kids I teach. I think they're so smart and talented and kind, and also, like all kids at this age, don't always get the consequences of their actions, which makes this life's work demanding and complicated, but so rewarding.

Thankful for these thankful notes our PBIS team put on, and messages from students.

The longer note reads, "Thank you Ms. Brezek for being a good teacher! I know most students do not like you, but I do. You're just really strict, but I like that about you because it keeps me on time in class and helps me do my work faster. Ok, I didn't mean "really strict." I meant you're a little bit strict. To other students you're "super strict" though. Thanks for being there to help me succeed and be a good reader and writer!"

Thankful that I continue to put myself out there in an authentic way, even if it doesn't always work out in my favor.... both in my personal and professional life. Thanks to Jennifer at Cult of Pedagogy for this, I can totally relate.

Thankful for family who is always there at a moment's notice when something goes wrong. Thankful that even though my car is smashed, I am not.

Thankful for Landmark Forum and it's personal/professional development sessions. It has has really shown me how to live my best life - to live more powerfully in all aspects of my life, with freedom and self-expression, and has created a greater sense of peace of mind. It's by far the best personal and professional development session I've ever participated in. Do not believe what the blogs out there say. Landmark will change your life.

Thankful for my niece, who will be my Goddaughter in April. And thankful for text messages and a shared love of Young Adult Lit.

Speaking of books - currently reading On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life. Once again I am reminded that gratitude turns what we have into enough.

Thankful for a growing family of Arbonne sisters.

Thankful for Old St. Pat's. Every time I'm there, I laugh, learn something new, and leave feeling so perfectly peaceful, which is exactly what I need on Sunday evenings.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends and family!

What are you thankful for?

gratitude lately

Hey all y'all! It's the BigTime Blogging Challenge. I'm writing every day in July to celebrate my blog's three year anniversary! Join me - write your post, link it up with mine, leave some love for blogging friends in the form of comments!

So many wonderful things to be thankful for. Here are just a few of mine from the last few weeks.

Pictures of baby elephants, because they're so adorable.

Word Swag, especially when a friend swags your words!

This book. It's amazing, and you should read it.

My bitmoji, I just love every one of them.
Especially when friends text you just to say hi with theirs.

Amazing friends like this one and a Cubs game on Friday.

Bottle and Bottega painting, especially when it's Chicago themed.

Free Cam concert.

Ice cream with the Bride-to-be.

Gratitude. It turns what we have into enough.

What are you thankful for today?

An InLinkz Link-up

i delight in you

Friends, I don't think I've told you, but I started the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) with Old St. Pat's Church in Chicago back in September. I'm baptized Methodist, but decided I'd like to learn more about the Catholic faith and I love it!

Tonight, I went to mass and the homily was all about how God delights in us. The whole thing was just so uplifting and it got me thinking about how much I delight in the work I'm called to do each day. And in with that being said --

To my former students, my first class, those kiddos who were there as I was finding my way as a new teacher...

I delight in you.

To my students at Heritage, the ones who spent a loop with me for seventh and eighth grade; the kids who were there with me as I learned to teach reading and writing as a Social Constructivist and the Holocaust and Social Justice studies, the students who created projects to raise awareness or money for various causes...

I delight in you.

To Team Heartless, the team who continues to keep in touch, to have a breakfast all together and reminisce on our memories, talk about our present, and dream for our futures...

I delight in you.

To the teachers I work with each day at Emerson: for our planning meetings where we construct meaning of the standards and of our curriculum; where we share stories of our students that surprise and validate the work we do...

I delight in you.

To the new teachers - those in my building, around D100, and beyond: for your passion, your energy, your fresh new ideas, your openness to collaboration, for the friendships you've allowed to grow with me...

I delight in you.

To the teachers who came before me: you know the ropes, you have perspective and a knowledge I can't touch; thank you for sharing that with me, helping me to see things I may not have yet, for being patient as I learned the lessons all teachers are destined to learn...

I delight in you.

To my team who shares an office with me; for the times you've been there to help me solve a problem, just listen, share a resource, or give a hug...

I delight in you.

To the students of Emerson, the ones learning to read with me in Guided Reading, the ones being a little too loud during indoor recess, the ones reading with flashlights under their desks, and sharing their writing at an Author's Chair...

I delight in you.

To the Literacy Coaches: you are the friends at my side who inspire me and teach me and allow me to make mistakes and then show me the way...

I delight in you.

To the teachers in my PLN: those who are real friends I've made in real life, some are friends who I only know because of Twitter and Instagram, some are near, others are far, but all are those who keep me on my toes wondering how I can continue to grow in the company of excellence...

I delight in you.

To my Literacy Idols, Atwell, Fletcher, Calkins, Gallagher, Kittle, Lane, Fountas & Pinnell: I would never have made it to where I am without the work you've done and shared as you came before me. It is my hope that I can share your work with colleagues and deliver the kind of instruction you model, and for that...

I delight in you.

To my blog readers: you come over here to BigTime Literacy where I mostly ramble on about fluffy nonsense, but who, none the less, have become my friends through writing...

I delight in you.

Happy Sunday Friends!

Who or what are you delighting in on this long three day weekend?

gratitude lately

What a great day to celebrate our blessings! Write your own post and link up with me if you'd like to join!

Today I'm thankful for days of rest. No work for the rest of the week!

Thankful for Justin Theroux. He's so nice to look at...but his show, The Leftovers, it's crazy strange! I was watching the whole episode this morning thinking, "Whaaaattt?" and then at the end it makes a little sense, so I'll watch another. Every single time. Anyone else watching it?

Thankful for sweet notes from students, and their teachers who teach them about showing gratitude.

Thankful for our district's first Twitter Chat! Check out the Storify of it here, and below, a few of my favorite tweets!

Thankful for super funny Bernie memes!

#feelthebern

Thankful for this cutie...my nephew, Jack:

And my sister, who brought him to meet me for the first time a few weeks ago!

Thankful for my blog as a space to write, the people who read and talk to me about it, and the friends I've made because of it.

Making it up as I go!

That's all for me. I hope you have an awesome Thanksgiving and take some time to think about all the amazing things this life blesses us with!

An InLinkz Link-up

gratitude lately

Hi friends. I have to come clean. I know I've been off the grid. I haven't been myself lately. My boyfriend and I broke up awhile ago and I've just been trying to deal. I've been thinking about writing and wanting to write, but then I just don't. But I am here now and you all needed to know and so there it is.

All that being said, I'm here for a Gratitude Lately post. Because, even though things in my love life aren't going like I want them to, so many other things are. And when we practice gratitude, we can turn what we have into enough.

And just an aside, this post was not my original thinking, like many other things I say and do and share that I find online. I found this post over at this blog: Today's Letters. It's a great blog to follow if you're looking for a new one!

So let's get to it.

Today I'm thankful for my amazing friends who check in on me daily. Friends, you keep me strong, so if you're reading, thank you for texting me every day!

Thankful for an amazing career that I can pour my heart into during the week.

and for former students who let me celebrate their accomplishments with them.

Thankful for running and continuing to stay dedicated.

Thankful for my neighborhood street fest.... it's the 30th anniversary!

 Thankful for Buddha and what he has to say.

 Thankful for my favorite show.

And I'm thankful for so many other things, but that's enough for today.

What are you thankful for?

gratitude lately

Friends, I have so much awesomeness to share with you today, on our suggested post of Gratitude, Lately. I believe it's always best to stop now and then to smell the flowers, and there is so much to be rejoice in today.

Last night, I went to see Taylor Swift with my cousin, Emma. It was ahhhh-MAZE-ing. The best, totes amazeballs, so so great. Taylor Swift is such an inspiration to me, and I don't even care about all my friends who declined this concert because of all the teeny-boppers would would be there. In addition to being a performer by nature, tending to every detail of the show, Taylor is so reflective, demonstrates gratitude for all she's accomplished, and really makes her fans know just how much she cares for them!

Without further ado...

Gratitude for an amazing artist who inspires me....

Gratitude for a cousin who knows me.

When in doubt, just add glitter.

Gratitude for glitter and pretty fonts,

and red lipstick:

Gratitude for an artist who put an LED light on every one of our 55,000 wrists so she could see each of us, and then is self-aware enough to thank us for spending the evening with her.

Gratitude for an artist who crafts her shows with as much purpose and intentionality as I'm learning to do with my work...go here to see what I'm talking about.

The way I see it, it's gratitude that never goes out of style.

What are you thankful for today?

Get the details for this challenge here!

An InLinkz Link-up