March Special

If you are interested in the March special, please visit my website, mythirtyone.com/cherithompson.

Saturday News

Well, it has been a busy Saturday.  I'm taking a break from my normal Saturday cleaning and watching a little Diamondbacks baseball.  They have not had quite a successful year as last year, but we have been able to enjoy some free tacos from Taco Bell.  Whenever they score 6 runs in a game, we get free tacos the next day.  Let's just say that tacos are on the menu tomorrow!!

Today I attended a surprise baby shower for one of the teachers at our school.  This is our 6th teacher at school that is pregnant.  I actually think they are having trouble finding long term subs.  It was a jungle theme, so it was decorated very cute.  The animal theme cupcakes were just to die for.  You really didn't want to eat them especially the giraffe cupcake.  We have some very creative teachers/secretaries.  I definitely know who to call to get cute party ideas.

My husband is working on a 10 page paper for his technical writing class tonight.  I'm trying to keep things quiet, so he can get it finished before midnight.  For him to go to school full time is definitely a financial hardship, but I believe it will provide for a more stable future.  We both will be glad when December 2013 gets here!

Just want to remind everyone about Thirty-One's September special.  Every customer that spends $31 will be able to purchase another item at 31% off.   Christmas is just a few months away.  It's a great time to get that shopping done.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Cheri

Why Thirty-One Gifts?

Wow!  Was it hard to get up this morning!  Three day weekends are so nice, but 21 first graders were calling my name.  It was time to go back to work.

I have been working in my current school district for  five years now.  Four of those years I have taught something different.  That alone makes things interesting.  I must say it makes me very tired.  I guess that is one of the reasons I have decided to sell Thirty-One.   I'm looking forward to doing something from out of my home where I don't have recreate myself each year.  Also, my husband decided to go back to school full time last year, so any extra income is helpful.  I'm not a salesperson.  I truly believe the products sell themselves.   I always said that I could not sell a band aid to someone who was bleeding.  This new adventure is not about being the best Thirty-One consultant,  It is about upholding all the characteristics of the wife of noble character found in Proverbs 31.  Something I believe in.

Have a great night!

Cheri

Relaxing Weekend

I had a very nice Labor Day holiday.  I just wish I could always have a 3 day weekend.  I just feel more prepared to go back to school.  Thank goodness that September is loaded with days off.  We didn't really do anything special, but that is okay.  It was just nice to wake-up at 8 and realize I had no place I had to go to today.

I am really enjoying our new home.  It's no mansion, but it is a place I enjoy coming to after a long day.  I just wish it was closer to school.  That is one of the reasons it would be nice to have a school closer to my home.  This will definitely be something I will have to examine as I begin to look to the future.  I just wish I could find someone to do all the yard work!  I keep saying that as soon as it cools down I will tack that lantana.  Thankfully it is still hot!  :)

I guess I should be going to bed.  5 a.m. will be here before I know it.

Cheri

Thirty-One September Specials

Thirty-One is offering an awesome September customer special.  For every $31.00 spent, you are able to get another item for 31% off.  Please check my website for some great purses and totes to compliment your life.


mythirtyone.com/cherithompson

Hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend!

Cheri

My Thirty-One Launch Party

I have created a Thirty-One Launch Party to let everyone know that I'm now selling Thirty-One products.

Please visit my website and click on catalog to view the latest  products from Thirty-One.

If I have 10 orders, I will have a drawing for the Inspiration Case. It's a great bag for carrying laptops.  Thirty-one also offers unbelievable hostess incentives. If you are interested in earning free products, please message me.

mythirtyone.com/cherithompson

Thank you for visiting my website!  Please feel free to share with friends and families.

Wow!! Where Has the Last Two Years Gone

I can't believe it has been two years since I last blogged.  I guess I just wasn't in the mood or didn't think I had anything to share.  A lot has changed in these last two years with one being I'm back in first grade.   It has been a little bit of an adjustment, but I think I'm getting the hang of it.  We also moved from our condo to a house.  We are really enjoying the extra space.  It is hard to believe that two people and two cats would take up that much room.  I have also started a new business adventure.  I'm an independent sales consultant for Thirty-One.  I'm really excited about the possibilities.  It is definitely taking me out of my comfort zone, but that is a good thing.  They have great products that I would love to share with you.  Just drop me a note.

I promise to be a more diligent blogger.

Good Night!

Paperwork, Paperwork, and More Paperwork!

This picture says it all. I have been consumed with all sorts of paperwork since school started back. In fact if there is anyone out there who has absolutely nothing to do, I have a stack of papers that need to be graded and recorded. My school day usually begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends around 5. Of course that doesn't count the couple of hours I spend at home working each evening and weekend. So needless to say, blogging has taken a backseat. I'm hoping to get more of a balance between work and home.

Since it has been so long since I have written, the only way to wrap of the last month is to make a list. So here it goes...

1. Survived turning 40. It was so much easier than 3o. I guess this means 50 should be a piece of cake! ha!

2. Started my weekly Beth Moore Bible study on Revelations.

3. Found Dr. Pepper slushies at Super Target!!! (PTL)

4. Signed up for a Guided Reading workshop (starts in October) Weeknights are a little busy right now.

5. Enjoyed a wonderful date with my husband compliments of my awesome 2nd graders.

6. Went to Arribas for just chips and salsa ( seriously, I think I could live on the them).

7. Great lunch with a friend (thanks for the gift card to Starbucks. I will enjoy the Pumpkin Spice Latte as soon as the temperature dips below 100)!

8. ADK fall kick-off (Meeting again this week. Thank goodness the meetings are only once a month).

9. Shopping day with my mom.

10. Decorating for fall.

Hope everyone has a great week. Time to get back to the paperwork!!
Cheri

Here's My List

I can't believe we have been in school for two weeks now!! It's funny how I seem to be getting in a grove, but instead of leaving at my targeted time everyday, I am usually staying 1 1/2 to 2 hours after school!! And I don't see that changing much in the future. There just seems to be a lot to do right now.

I thought I would use bullets to show a few highlights of my week.

- Survived the first 2nd grade birthday of the year. I never knew cupcakes could be so messy!!

-Attended my first F.A.C. meeting. Lots to learn.

-No recess for two days. We had an excessive heat warning.

-Dunkin Donuts taste really good at 7:30 in the morning!

-Slowly but surely I'm getting better organized at school.

-You never really appreciate air conditioning until you don't have it!!

-Attended the fall women's kickoff at church.

-Five Guys has replaced In -N- Out as my favorite hamburger.

-Literally found $20 outside my front door.

We have had a pretty good weekend. Yesterday I ran several errands before having dinner with my brother. I stopped at Bath and Body just to buy some soap and found they had all of their fall scents out. Oh my, they are wonderful! I truly believe that fall is the best season. There was also a freak rain storm last night in Phoenix that caused a 69 car pile up. We can upon it about 10-15 mins. after it happened. I have never seen anything like it. I'm just glad we were not part of it. That would have really dampened the night!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week. September starts Wednesday!

Cheri

Week One is Done!

I had a great first week of school! I'm really loving 2nd grade. I just hope I get to stay in this grade for awhile and not be moved around. I guess time will tell. One of my lovely homeroom mothers came in on Friday to stuff our Friday folders. It was a huge help for me. She was so sweet and brought me in a lemonade from Starbucks and a homemade goody. I really appreciate her kindness.

The MOTH (man of the house) treated me Friday night to some delicious pizza from Streets of New York. It was so good. I was either really hungry or that was the best tasting pizza I have ever had! Either way the leftovers tasted pretty good on Saturday too! We walked around Desert Ridge for awhile, but I was so tired I could not wait to get home. I'm hoping that is not a sign of my age, but rather completing the first week of school! ha

Saturday morning I went with my brother to take his new cat Marco to the vet. If anyone has cats only, I can not say enough about taking them to a cat only vet. We have found a great place in Scottsdale that we feel does an excellent job. Marco is a very sweet cat that seems to adjusted well to his new home. He is one lucky cat!

Last night we had a wonderful dinner at our friends Jason and Laura from church. I'm going to have to get her recipe for salmon. It was fantastic! We had a great time playing games and enjoying each other's fellowship.

And added bonus to our Saturday evening was a very nice rain shower. I'm not sure at this point if it cools things off or not, but at least the plants had a nice drink.

I hope everyone enjoys their Sunday. I need to start getting ready for church.

Cheri

Survived the First Day of School!!

Wow!! I can't believe it has been over a week since I blogged. I guess school has kept me pretty busy. I have had a great start in 2nd grade. I was wondering if I would remember how to work with 7 year olds, but I guess it's like riding bike. You never forget. I have 23 students which is very nice. I realize how fortunate that is. I can only hope it stays that way. They are very sweet and excited to be at school. Tonight was parent orientation. My 2nd grade team is so prepared. They already had a power point presentation prepared which made it very easy talking with the parents. One parent told me that their daughter said this was the best start they have ever had in school (Ok..I know they are only in 2nd grade, so they have not had many first days, but still).

I think I will sleep good tonight. It's raining!! I love the sound and smell of rain. And when you have not seen a drop in months it's pretty sweet thing. Hopefully it will help cool things down.

This is all for now! Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Cheri

The Last Weekend Before Heading Back to School!!

I spent a few hours here on Saturday cleaning my room. It was totally a family affair!!

Can't pass up on great sales!!

Seriously the best salsa ever!!

I got a chair and a little table for my room here.

Looking forward to a busy week! Just have to remember to set the alarm!!

Cheri

Let the Countdown Begin

Let the countdown begin. I'm down to my final days, hours and minutes before I go back to the life known (at least from August to May) as teacher. This last week of summer has been very busy, but fun as I have been able to spend time with friends, work in my classroom and watch few good movies.

This morning I dropped off a load of supplies at school before heading out to have lunch and watch a movie with a friend. I'm meeting with the 2nd grade team tomorrow and didn't want to make tons of trips from the car to my room. After spending about 45 mins. at school, I headed over to Laura's house. We watched Anne of Green Gables and enjoyed a yummy lunch of roast beef wraps. I really thought I was at the movies. She had all the snacks you could imagine (of course without the movie theater price)!! Thanks Laura for a fun afternoon.




We saw the movie SALT last night. It was pretty good. I'm not a big Angeline Jolie fan. However, I would see a sequel. And yes there will be one! I think I have seen every movie I wanted to this summer. We love going to movies in the summer!

My cousin posted some pictures of her classroom in Kansas. She did a really good job putting her room together. In fact, I like it so much I asked her to run by the store where she bought a few particular items and get some for me. I told her I was not above stealing or I meant to say borrowing some of her ideas. I can't wait to get them in a few weeks.

I guess it's time to go to bed. 7 will be here before I know it!
Cheri

Where Did This Week Go?

It can't be Friday already!! I'm suppose to have two more weeks before school starts. I need to find out where Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday went. At least I can't say I have been bored this summer. And this week was no exception.

Yesterday, my mom and I spent the whole day doing some back-to-school shopping. I still needed quite a few things for my class (too bad I had given a lot of my stuff away back in 2007) , so the first stop was the teacher supply store. I feel like I'm ready now with supplies. I could have spent hours in that store. Too many things! Now I just need to take everything I have to school. Meet Your Teacher is scheduled for the 12th, so that is the deadline to be done with everything in my classroom. We also found some cute clothes at the mall. Macy's was having some ridiculous sells. I found a really cute pink sweater with ruffles...big surprise! Our last stop was Walmart. I had to buy 33 composition books for school. I will need a cart to help them bring from my car to my room!!! I'm just hoping I won't have 33 students!!

Today started out pretty quiet. Just hung out at home. This afternoon I ran a few errands. Tonight I'm super excited to meet some of our friends from church at the Cheesecake Factory. It is National Cheesecake Day and you can get cheesecake for 1/2 price. Can't beat a deal like that.
Have a great weekend!
Cheri

Wow it's been a busy few days here. Tuesday night we had the opportunity to hear a friend of my parents speak at church about Christians in Germany during WWII. I love history and the 1940's is one of my favorite periods. He had just read this book and provided insights to this dark period of time.

I definitely learned a lot. It painted a very bleak picture of Christians in Germany and what they did not do to help the Jews. I can't imagine what the world would have been like if Hitler would have succeed in his plans. I'm thankful for the men and women who sacrificed their lives by paying the ultimate price for our freedom to see that it never happened.


Today was my better half's birthday. We enjoyed a great lunch at Abuelos. I seriously could just eat the chips and salsa. Very yummy! Tonight we went to the movies. He really wanted to see Predators, but I was unsure if I could handle it or not. So we compromised. We went to two different movies. He saw Predator and I saw Ramona and Beezus. It was a really cute movie and I'm just thankful I won't have alien nightmares tonight. And to top it off we both had free popcorn!! I heart AMC!

I mentioned earlier this week that I taped all of the Love Comes Softly movies on Sunday. Well, I found out today that my uncle was a distant relative of Janette Oke!!! I called my aunt this morning and she explained the connection. She told me she even has corresponded with Janette Oke!! It was great talking to my Aunt Mildred!! She is one of the nicest people you could ever meet and a great cook too!! Wished I lived closer!!

Tomorrow is back to school shopping!! I have a list that seems a mile long. Hopefully it won't take all day. I hope to work with the Burmese students tomorrow night.

Cheri

Monday's Fun

It's been a pretty nice Monday here. The temperature has been a little more tolerable. I've just been trying to soak in the last couple of weeks before school starts. I can't believe it is getting so close.

I started my day running to the district office to turn in some paperwork. That's always an interesting experience. Then I headed to my school to unload some items I had been collecting this summer. While there, I went through my books hoping to sort them into different categories. I also made a list of stuff I will need to get at the end of the week. I will be meeting with my team on the 4th, so I want to be as ready as I can be. I made a couple of stops and finally made it home to start watching the "Love Comes Softly" series. I was so excited that the Hallmark channel was running all the movies together yesterday. I had never recorded 12 hours back to back before, but the DVR was up for the challenge! I stayed up pretty late last night watching 2 1/2 movies. And I can't wait to see the next one. I loved reading these books 20 years ago.



My brother also brought some coconut M&M's back from Hawaii. I was pretty much planning on giving them away since I'm not the biggest coconut fan. But since I really enjoyed the coconut cream pie Marie made, I decided to give it a try. Oh my goodness!! They are so good!! I'm trying to talk my parents out of their bag!! (I just found them at Quick Trip!!)




I tried making a new recipe from Jenks West Elementary PTO's cookbook. Of course the book is a few years old, but the recipes are pretty tasty. Tonight I made spaghetti casserole. It was good, but probably won't be something I will make during the week once school starts. It took way too long to make. I was really wanting to find something different than spaghetti, but also easy and quick. While good, it would definitely be a weekend meal for the amount of preparation it takes.




It's back to movie watching. Have a great night!

Cheri

Shoes and Chocolate = A Girl's Best Friend

It's been a busy couple of days here. Yesterday was my last day at Sylvan. The kids were really cute and kept me on my toes. One of the little girls, who is 7, said to me, "If I wasn't a girl, I would marry you because you are so pretty." I think it was a compliment!?! Last night we went and heard J.D. Hayworth speak. He is running for the U.S. senate. It was neat getting to know him on a more personal level. When I was younger, I wanted to be the first woman president of the United States. I'm not so sure I want to do that now.

Saturday is laundry day around here. Six loads later we headed out. Costco, In-N-Out for lunch, and Marie Callenders to pick up a coconut cream pie for the man of the house's birthday. I offered to make a new coconut cake recipe, but pie won out. Of course I was quite upset that I couldn't get my kitchen dirty!! ha! I have never made a coconut cream pie, so I had made a call yesterday to see if Marie could help me out. Thank goodness she could! We then headed over to my parents to celebrate his birthday a few days early. My mom made a delicious meal of steak (my dad was the grill master), corn on the cob, baked potato, and salad. And of course coconut cream pie for dessert. Let me just say that Marie knows how to bake a pie. It was pretty tasty.



Last week my brother was on vacation in Maui. Between my dad and us, we had taken care of his cat. I guess we did such a good job taking care of Mimi that we were rewarded for our hard work (she is not hard to take care of). He knows that I can never have too many shoes, so he found these really cute ones at the Whaler Village. I love them!!





He also brought all of us some Hawaiian tea that I can't wait to make. And probably one of my favorites, macadamia kisses. Let me just say for a chocolate/nut lover it doesn't get much better than that! I only wish you could get them here!




I have only two more weeks before I head back to school. I have started a list of things I still need to get for my classroom. Hopefully I will be able to find everything without too much stress being involved.



Time to read my book. Have a great weekend!
Cheri

Thursday's Happenings

It rained today!!! At least it did for a little while. It's funny how the rain can be so sporadic here. 5 miles away they don't even get a drop! It definitely dropped the temperature which was very refreshing. When we walked out of Barnes and Noble tonight, it felt so good. It almost felt like November! That is cool not cold!

You can now rent movies from Blockbuster at Quick Trip. I guess they are trying to compete with Red Box. Last night I watched "When in Rome." I thought it was just okay. Nothing super, but at least I didn't fall asleep through it! You never know what you will find a Quick Trip!

We had an early dinner of my grandma's meatballs tonight. They were very tasty and easy to make. I need to remember to fix them during the school year. Ran to Ulta for some new polish. I have really been drinking more water this summer, but tonight only a Dr. Pepper would do. Thanks Chick-fil-A for the drink! Made a quick stop at my brother's and then headed home. And yes I did drink a water bottle to make up for my temporary lapse in judgement earlier!

Have a great Friday!
Cheri

It has been a quiet couple of days. Not a lot going on. We saw Inception last night. I thought it was okay. It was definitely a "thinking" movie. Of course any excuse to have movie theater popcorn is okay with me! I still want to see Toy Story 3. From the previews it looked like there were several movies coming out this fall that looked pretty good. We are movie junkies! I'm excited that we now have the AMC moviewatcher card. You can earn all kinds of goodies with it.

I made one of Kelly's fantastic recipes yesterday. It was chicken spinach artichoke squares. They were delicious. I wished I had taken a picture, but we ate them too fast! They would be great as either an appetizer or main dish. They were also so easy to make. Great meal for when school starts back up!

I spent a few hours at Sylvan today. It was a very busy place. Made a stop through the Wendy's drive thru for a frosty. I forget how good these are. Especially on a hot day! It does seem, however, that their sizes are getting smaller which I guess is not all bad. Less calories right?

I tackled a few projects today that were hidden under some mounds of dust. You just could not imagine the amount of dust here. It's a never ending job! I made dinner at home tonight and now it's time to run to Walgreens. Hope everyone one has a great night!

Cheri

It's Monday and I'm tired. I can't imagine how tired I will be four weeks from today when I will have spent six hours with 29 second graders on the first day of school!! I kind of freaked out a few days ago when I realized that my summer vacation was just about over. Where did it go?? I hope to make the most of the next three weeks even if it is just sleeping in, reading a good book, going to movies, or enjoying mall air-conditioning! ha! I had to send my educational biography to my principal today. She wants to include some information about new teachers in the welcome back letter to parents. And tomorrow I need to go get my third I.D. badge in three years. Oh the joys of moving around!

We have had a pretty good few days here. After church last night, we went to eat with some friends. We tried a new restaurant call, "Big Daddy's B.B.Q." The pulled pork was pretty good. I even tried fried okra which I liked. It's nice to know that you can get some good B.B.Q in the southwest. We then went to Sprouts for more peaches. Unfortunately I'm still waiting for them to ripen up. I hope I don't get sick of peaches with the amount I'm eating of them! ha!

Today I spent a few hours at Sylvan. Made a stop at The Family's Attic. Stocked up on 19 books for my classroom library. I gave almost all my books away to a teacher in Ohio before we moved Arizona. That was a big, big, BIG mistake!! It's one I'm literally paying for. On to Costco for gas. Walmart for some groceries. Chipotle for some dinner. And I just finished a Beth Moore DVDs that I bought a few months ago. So I guess I know why I might be tired!

I guess I'm going to call it a day.

Cheri