Hi everyone! It has been forever since I’ve done a Q & A on the blog. I used to post on my site so often and am so excited about my new site design and to be posting frequently again! I really have been slacking on sharing life updates with you all – this has been a very overwhelming and busy year to say the least. There has been a lot happening in the past year or so and I asked for you to share some questions over on my Instagram @belleoftheball45! Today I’m answering some questions from you and also sharing a lot of life updates!

Did you buy a house?

There were a lot of questions related to my house! I have barely shared anything on the blog or Instagram about my house, but I am so excited to be building. My dad was a contractor and very handy so he was helping me a lot with the process- he actually poured the foundation for me on my birthday a few years ago. There is so much natural light in the house which is so beautiful. It’s 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with an open floor-plan for the kitchen, dining, and living space. It is very messy right now because of construction, but I’ll share a video on my Instagram as soon as possible. Right now the doors and trim are being installed, stairs are being built, I’m looking into a fireplace, and need to pick out the kitchen cabinets and counters. I’m hoping to be done soon, but I’m not in any hurry! I really love living with my mom and am not ready to move out quite yet. I’m also hoping to build a breakfast nook in the dining space, but this may be a project for a later date. There have been a lot of delays in recent years so I’m used to the timeline being pushed. Navigating everything without my dad is going to make things a little more challenging, but I am so excited to share the finished product soon. Adding a few images of the house and some inspiration as well!

Shop home products I’m living here!

INSPO:

What are you reading now?

I’m currently reading It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover and listening to Spare on Audible. I read It Ends With Us last summer and absolutely loved it and am so excited to read more about Lily and Atlas- I’m about half way through. I’m also so thrilled that they are coming out with a movie soon. I enjoy listening to Audio books or podcasts in the car on my commute to work and have been loving Spare so far- I’m just starting but can’t wait to her Harry’s take on everything. Another audio book I loved was Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey.

Are you a Kindle fan?

As I grow older I’m definitely reading more, but I don’t feel like I need a Kindle right now. I think in the future it would be fun to buy one but for right now I’m sticking to my traditional books. With my new job I haven’t been traveling as much so having a physical copy of a book isn’t much of a hassle at home- I actually prefer it. A lot of my friends have Kindles and love them so maybe I’ll try one out soon!

When did you start blogging?

I started my blog in the spring of 2013 when I was a freshman in high school! It is truly insane to me that I have been blogging for almost 10 years, and such a large portion of my life! My blog started as a place for me to share my craft projects and grew into more of a style / lifestyle space. I really have grown up on my blog and have made so many wonderful friends along the way. This platform has changed my life for the better and I couldn’t be more thankful for all of the support. I can’t wrap my head around all of this sometimes and look back and know my younger self would be freaking out if she saw me now. Here’s some old blog photos!

Any fun summer plans?

My family greenhouse always keeps me busy in the summer so I will be working there a lot, hopefully putting finishing touches on my house, and I also have a trip to Nantucket/ Marthas Vineyard on my radar in late August! It’s very nice to have some time off from teaching in the summer and I have so much I want to squeeze in! I haven’t been to Nantucket in a few years, but it is one of my absolute favorite spots. A few of my friends are going in late August but I start work close to then, so I’ll likely head there or Marthas Vineyard with Jax earlier to do a full week. Trips tend to pop up throughout the summer so I’m sure there will be a few other spots I visit too. There are also so many great concerts this summer so I plan on going to a few of those as well. I also was in a Monday night golf league this year so I will be continuing that this year too!

Do you still use Poshmark?

Yes! I love Postmark and am planning on doing a big spring clean out soon. I have way too many clothes and not enough space to store everything so follow me there if you want to shop- linked here!

What’s your favorite part about teaching? + JOB UPDATE!

I really love building relationships with students. It’s very rewarding to be a source of happiness in a child’s day- especially when they might really need it. Being a trusted adult and someone that can give a student help with academics and more has been so wonderful. Friday was such a fun day at work and the 6th graders were able to silly string the teachers for reaching a fundraising goal. I think I had more fun than the kids did- it brought back the joy of being little again.

Also- I am so thrilled to share that I recently applied for my ideal teaching job at the high school in my district and will be officially starting there in the fall! The course content at the high school is more what I want to teach and I’m thrilled to help develop a few new courses including social media marketing. The middle school has been wonderful, but I am really excited to continue in the district and work with the business department to grow the program. They have an Academy of Business and Finance and I find the program to be incredibly beneficial for all of the students between the course offerings, internships, fundraising, and other opportunities. I’m excited to be a part of such a wonderful program.

Do you like teaching middle schoolers?

During my student teaching experience I was at two highs schools, so I never expected to teach middle school. I absolutely love being a middle school teacher and find it so be so fun! They have so. much. energy. Even though it can be exhausting I find myself laughing and having lots of fun with them on a daily basis. I teach courses for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders so I see every student in the school throughout the year. I have met so many wonderful students and am glad that I was able to start my career at the middle school.

What are your favorite skincare products?

I have been slacking on my skincare lately, but have so many favorite products that I continue to buy and love. I just booked myself a facial for this weekend which I am excited about and plan to give my skin a little spring refresh. My favorite brand overall is Tula- I have sensitive skin and their products always tend to work well for me. I use their cleanser to wash my face as well as their moisturizer. Both the 24/7 and intense 24/7 moisturizers leave my skin feeling soft and supple. I also recently started using a Nuface, ice roller, and Pixi under-eye patches since I always feel puffy when I don’t get enough sleep. All of these really help reduce puffiness! Linking my favorites below: 

Recommendations for making new friends?

This is something I have really struggled with, and not only making friends but maintaining some friendships has been hard after college.  I have a group of girlfriends from high school and we’ve been friends since 2012- we are honestly family at this point and I value them so much. We all live in different areas for the most part right now, but always pick up where we left off every time we see each other and always try to plan a girls trip every year.

I really find this time in life to be challenging because it is the first time everyone is truly on their own path. Many of us were in college  living a somewhat similar life, but after this a lot changes. I’ve learned throughout the past few years that if a friendship becomes more negative than positive it really isn’t worth your time. Sometimes people grow apart and understanding this is a part of life. I’ve grown apart from some people in college and realize that we have different priorities in life right now and that totally okay.

Making new friends as an adult can be really challenging, but I have found that I tend to gravitate towards people with similar interests. For example, I really don’t enjoy partying that much anymore so I don’t find that I would make friends by staying out until 2 am. I find that most of the friends I make now are at places I spend a lot of time like the gym or work. I’m really excited that a lot of new teachers are starting in our district recently which has been great! I also think that apps like Bumble BFF can be a great place to meet people! I’ve heard to many great stories about this app and kind of want to try it myself. I know it sounds cliche but putting yourself out there is a must! A few ways to do this are finding a fun local event or class to go to, send someone a DM on Instagram, ask someone to grab a coffee after a workout- those types of things. I know this can be incredibly awkward and hard sometimes but I always think that the other person may be feeling the same way so its worth a shot!

I hope you guys enjoyed this- I definitely did and will do my best to keep you in the loop on what’s going on with me! Talk soon!