The best part of the fall semester? State conferences!
I’ll admit—it always seems like I go into them feeling a little weary (of attending), but I always end up glad I went. I will forever preach the importance of engaging in professional development opportunities—even when I have to preach it to myself in a moment of weakness!
It’s just too important for the teacher soul, you know? Well, maybe you don’t know, so I’m telling you now—it’s good for your teacher soul! There. Preaching moment over.
How are you? Are you surviving the semester so far? I always think I’m surviving until something like fall break comes around—and then I realize just how much I needed it.
During break weeks, there are a few things I always try to do. One is spending an entire day running errands in Fort Wayne (the big city near my small town). You know, all those things you don’t have time for during normal life days:
- Bike repair.
- That return from over a month ago (fingers crossed it’s not too late).
- Dropping off items at the thrift store.
- Going thrifting myself.
- Picking up a hygiene basket for my Little from BBBS that’s been waiting since July. Eek!
Yeah… that kind of stuff. And it always feels amazing. I love my run-around day.
Then I have one big get-things-done day—an 8–12-hour deep work day where I hunker down and power through projects. Sometimes, you just need a solid block of uninterrupted time!
I also spent an entire day with my Little watching movies, baking cookies, and picking raspberries.
Staycations really are the best.
Now, let’s jump into this month’s Friday Finds—a few gems I’ve stumbled across lately that I think you’ll enjoy too.
1
I Tried a Thrive Market Membership for Three Weeks — Here’s My Honest Review (The Kitchn)
I’ve been thinking about trying Thrive Market so I would love to hear if YOU have any experience with it!
2
Rather than constantly trying new recipes, I’ve been making an effort to revisit ones I really enjoy—cooking them two or three times over a couple of months. It helps me truly appreciate them and iron out any little kinks along the way.
A recent favorite? Pumpkin Lasagna Skillet.
It’s tasty with ground turkey (though let’s be honest—some brands are basically pink pâté… ugh), but I really love it with Italian sausage. Hamburger works too, of course. Also, 16 oz of meat is just as good as 8 oz!
I’ve experimented with a few sheet pan lasagnas with mixed results, but this skillet version is all the goodness of lasagna without all the effort. I made it for Drew’s cousin when she came for dinner a couple of weeks ago, and it was her first time having pumpkin in a savory dish!
3
Do you know about CamelCamelCamel.com?! I had heard my husband mention it before but until this past Prime Days (when something I was hoping to snag a deal on didn’t go on sale), he brought it to my attention.
It’s a free Amazon price tracker! You just give it the link to the product you want to track and it will notify you if the price drops. You can it certain parameters as well. So cool!
4
Speaking of Prime Days, if you missed the announcement, I did a huge update to the favorites pages here on PianoPantry.com. There used to be 9 different pages – one for each category. Now they’re all housed on the same page for easier browsing. I’m so pleased! I also finally added descriptions so you know WHY I recommend the product. Check it out:
Amy Recommends: Favorites for Living Piano Teacher Life
5
One of the newest products I’m proud to recommend is this wireless charging station.
After getting an Apple Watch, I realized I needed an all-in-one charger for my phone and watch by the bed. I used to avoid having my phone in the bedroom, but my favorite alarm clock died and wasn’t replaceable. Thankfully, the iPhone’s horizontal mode has a great nighttime clock display. Charging my Air Pods is a nice bonus, but what I really wanted was a station that was horizontally friendly, aesthetically pleasing, and had an adjustable angle.
The other item I’m suuuuuper excited about that was a new addition to the favorites page is this low back office chair. I often stand, but having this chair makes me want to sit because it’s so comfortable!!! LOL.
6
I feel like I always have a tons of podcast episode recommendations so I’m just going to group there together:
What It’s Like to Be… An Executive Chef (What It’s Like to Be)
I first heard about this podcast when my friend Christina Whitlock rocked it as a guest, representing the piano teacher world! I’ve enjoyed many of the episodes, but of course, this one is a favorite—because, well, you know. 🙂
The Science of Taste and Smell with Rachel Herz (ReThinking)
While I enjoy this podcast, it’s not one that I have to catch every episode. Sometimes you just have to be picky – especially with podcasts that have shows longer than 20 minutes.
Better Ways to Read the Bible feat. Zach Lambert (Bare Marriage)
I’m always open to ideas on this topic.
The Outlier (Sold a Story)
If you haven’t listened to this entire podcast series then I would highly recommend starting at the beginning!
7
Easy Rhapsodies and Reveries by Chrissy Ricker…. oh my. Love, love, love this book. There are three books (late beginners, early intermediates, and late intermediates) but my favorite are the first two!
