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Pandemic Anniversary: One Year Later

Pandemic Anniversary: One Year Later

A pandemic anniversary.

I have been at school on some memorable, challenging days. 

April 20, 1999.  The day of the Columbine High School shooting.  My first year of teaching. 

September 11, 2001.  My husband was less than a month into his teaching career, a couple of buildings away.  He called my classroom to ask if it was real. 

December 14, 2012.  Sandy Hook.  Fifteen years in, and this is supposed to be getting easier. 

November 9, 2016.  Protests as our school community reeled in the hours following an unprecedented election. 

March 13, 2020.  The last day school was anything close to what we now view as “normal.” 

Already some students had been pulled from class, working from home to protect older and at-risk family members.  We were washing our hands constantly, and frantically wiping down surfaces, all while sharing air in relatively tight spaces, unmasked.  We didn’t know what we didn’t know. 

There was a brief thought that we might be able to remain open for some students to continue working on campus, but the news of the first regional and then statewide lockdowns changed all that in an instant. 

I am a planner by nature, so the uncertainty, the unscheduled calendar, the looming unknown, was significantly harder for me than what became our mundane routine:  grocery deliveries (which I have mercifully stopped disinfecting!), walks around the block, and endless Zoom calls. 

We are grateful to have avoided the virus, to have maintained our jobs – and health care, and to have entered this (hopefully) final stretch of the pandemic not significantly worse off than we were a year ago. 

And while I’m relieved that we no longer have stalk supermarket shelves for flour and yeast, I am also grateful for the time and space we found in the past year. 

Less driving.  Less doing.  Fewer commitments.  Fewer distractions.  No traffic.  No crowds. 

More time at home.  More time with family.  More catching up with friends and family across the country – and the world.  More value on opportunities for in-person connection.  More appreciating the creativity of humanity – especially Some Good News, the Staying In Podcast, and other products of the pandemic. 

This year has also been one of reflection.  Of taking stock of where we are, and where we want to be. 

I have committed, both personally and professionally, to the work of social emotional learning, not only for our children and our students, but for ourselves as well.  Because we cannot teach, we cannot counsel, we cannot lead, we cannot parent, without putting on our proverbial oxygen masks first. 

Whether the trauma you carry is deeply-seated, measurable  by the ACES scale, or resulting from the ongoing, and wildly uneven social injustice that exists in our society, or the situational trauma from the past year of living through a.global pandemic, or a mixture of some or all of these, giving yourself grace is essential. 

Humans are social beings, so a year without regular, in-person, social interactions has drained our collective reserves.  Travel is also an integral part of the exposure that humans can use to learn and grow and stretch their boundaries.  A year without travel has shrunk our worlds.  So here’s to continuing to find ways to safely “fill your cup”, while taking a screen break – outdoor or solo exercise, cooking new recipes, writing, reading, hiking, cycling, yoga, baking, phone calls…

Pandemic Anniversary: One Year Later

2020 was the deadliest year in American history.  So for those of us who are still here, we need to be grateful for our health and survival, but also thoughtful about the mark we may choose to leave.  The one-year mark has brought us hope in the form of several vaccines, optimism is the downward trends of virus statistics, and, increasingly, glimpses at our post-quarantine world. 

For us, a year in lockdown helped us see just how much water our little guy needs to be his best self.  So we are creating Kokua Kona to allow him year-round access to swimmable water.  Just one of many pandemic silver linings for us. 

While the eerie sense of dread that closed in on us a year ago this week is hard to forget, “celebrating” the pandemic anniversary with vaccine #2 (and a takeout cocktail!) is a fairly fitting way to mark the occasion. 

When you start to look for reasons to be grateful, you see more and more reasons.   Never have I appreciated more the sound of rain on the rooftop, the sun on my shoulders, the taste of my food, the touch of my immediate family (who knows how long these guys will keep hugging their mom?), the sight of dear friends – even from 6-10 feet away. 

Time is fleeting, so seize the day.  Write the book.  Start the business.  Go back to school.  Leave the job.  Buy the house.  And when circumstances allow, hug, laugh, cry, scream, cheer, and love in person. 

And educator friends, as we prepare for the next phase of unknown, remember to value connection over content and everything will be okay.

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Simple Strawberry Scones

Are you ready for some simple strawberry scones?

Simple Strawberry Scones

This recipe will help you ditch the intimidation factor and enjoy this slightly old-fashioned treat at home.

One of my favorite celebratory meals is afternoon tea.  I love that by design, you get to sample bits and bites of different sweet and savory treats. I love that, in the US, at least, there is almost no incorrect time to eat this meal. I love that it’s a meal that can bring generations together. 

When I was pregnant the second time, I had no need for any traditional shower gifts – or games – so I took a small group of friends and family to tea. When we visited London a few years ago, my dear aunt traveled down from Manchester to have tea with us. 

I have celebrated Mother’s Day over tea. Birthdays. Out of town guests (remember when that was a thing?).  And I have hosted tea at home. 

Scones are tea staple, but are often intimidating to home cooks. This recipe, for Simple Strawberry Scones, inspired by Confessions of a Tart, was one I stumbled upon years ago.  

I have made it countless times, especially with a few awkward strawberries that weren’t quite the best for eating out of hand.  I have also used the handful of ollalieberries we sometimes glean from our single, backyard vine (for the uninitiated, ollalieberries are a version of blackberries specific to our little corner of northern California).  The end of a warehouse-sized tub of blueberries also works well.  As do the “dry,” almost crispy peaches that grow on my friend Alice’s tree.  

Because of the fruit, these scones are perfectly delicious on their own.  However, I rarely serve them without lemon curd, which completes the tea experience.  Certainly you can find – or make – a rich clotted or Devonshire cream (I have cheated by adding extra powdered sugar while whipping cream at home to create a thicker, more spreadable cream).  But I prefer the bright and tangy edge of lemon curd.

strawberry scone

Simple Strawberry Scones

Makes 12 small, or 16-24 minis, inspired by Confessions of a Tart
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American, British
Servings 12 scones

Equipment

  • Baking Sheet
  • silicone liner or parchment paper

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup strawberries or other fruit
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons butter in cubes, slightly softened
  • 2/3 cup cream or sub half and half or cold buttermilk, for a slightly different flavor/texture

Topping

  • 1 tablespoon coarse sugar such as raw, or decorating sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone liner.
  • Dice fruit and place in a small bowl – you want the pieces to be about a ½ inch or smaller. Sprinkle fruit with 1/2 tablespoon sugar; set aside.
  • Combine remaining 2 ½ tablespoons sugar with flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Add butter, quickly pressing the cubes into the dry ingredients until you have a texture like corn meal, with few large pieces.
  • Stir in fruit; then add cream all at once. Use spatula to gently stir dough until it holds together.
  • Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times to incorporate dry ingredients. Sprinkle dough with flour if it gets sticky, particularly if your fruit is extra juicy.
  • Form the dough into two equal disks (or four, if you want bite-sized scones). Cut the circle into 4-6 equal wedges, then transfer wedges to the cookie sheet, spacing them equally. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake 5-10 more minutes or until the tops are beginning to brown and spring back when you push them. Cool slightly before enjoying warm; or serve at room temperature.

Notes

Best enjoyed the day that they are baked, they can be frozen, tightly wrapped for about a month, or stored overnight at room temperature (the sugar topping will become less prominent if stored).
Keyword bread, celebrations, sweet treats
Simple Strawberry Scones

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Color Street Spring 2021

The Color Street Spring 2021 collection is here. Just in time to spring forward in many parts of the country, these new nails strips are sure to brighten your day. There are several new additions to the Color Street Spring 2021 catalog, as well as some returning favorites.

So if you are looking for something to help you spring clean your beauty routine, look no further than the Color Street Spring 2021 collection. There are new solids, glitters, nail art designs and glitter designs, all designed to add a little spring to your step, er, Zoom waves, this season. Check them out here:

COLOR STREET SPRING 2021:  SOLIDS

The spring collection includes two new solid options. Key West is Best is a slightly fuschia-colored pink, perfect for summer. And Gratitude is Everything returns from Thanksgiving 2020, a neutral, shimmery shade.

Color Street Spring 2021

COLOR STREET SPRING 2021:  GLITTERS

The Color Street Spring 2021 glitters include the brand new Cape Coral, alongside four fan favorites from mini-collections. Night Terror stole the show at Halloween 2020 with its burgundy color and fine holographic glitter. And three favorites from the winter holidays are also back: Holidaze, a multi-colored glitter, Crantastic, a deep red color, and Glittersweet, a clear glitter overlay.

Color Street Spring 2021

COLOR STREET SPRING 2021:  NAIL ART DESIGNS

There are five new additions in this category, each one calling my name. As it Ferns Out is a tropical leaf design on a white background. Poppy That is a shimmery floral motif. Show and Shell is our first-ever tortoise-inspired design. And It Takes Tuscon is an ombre-meets-duochrome fiesta of fabulousness in periwinkle and purple. The newest clear overlay is Mermaid You Look – allowing you to turn ANY shade you like into the mermaid-inspired look of your dreams.

Color Street Spring 2021

COLOR STREET SPRING 2021:  GLITTER DESIGNS

Sparkly glitter AND gorgeous designs?  It’s no surprise that these combos are always favorites.  The Color Street spring 2021 collection includes two gorgeous new additions. Paint the Town is an abstract watercolor look on a neutral, silvery background. Til the Glitter End is a pink and purple ombre that will help power you through the end of the school year and into a well-deserved summer.

Color Street Spring 2021

Ready to shop?  Click here. 

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Best Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread – or Muffins

Best Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread - or Muffins

Do you need some Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread – or Muffins?

When I was a kid, moms showed up at soccer games and the like with wedges of oranges, with the peel still attached.  We used to fit the peel under our lips and make goofy smiles with our bright “teeth.”  As a ballet dancer, we were careful to choose snack items that wouldn’t smudge our makeup or soil our costumes, which basically left us munching on trail mix like leotard-clad squirrels.  

When I became a mom, I had no interest in slicing oranges into a slippery, juicy mess, and the prohibitions against anything resembling a nut took all sorts of other options off the table.  I wanted something fun, easy, and relatively healthy – but also something interesting and fun enough to earn some mom points with my kids and their friends.  Enter this recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread – or Muffins.  

Best Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread - or Muffins

Fall Favorite

This recipe is a fall favorite- but my family went through a phase where I made them constantly year-round. (It can be hard to find pumpkin in July – stock up!). No matter what time of year you are making it, it comes together quickly, as most dairy free quick breads do. It relies on oil, not butter and that means the relatively loose batter doesn’t need to wait for butter to soften or melt.

The recipe was originally designed for a large bundt pan, but I’ve made it everything from loaf pans to mini-muffin tins.  If you choose smaller pans (especially a mini-muffin tin) then try to find and use mini-chocolate chips. I have had many fewer issues with the smaller chips sticking to the pan when you pop out the bite-sized muffins.

Of course, you can certainly skip the chocolate chips all together, but that wouldn’t go over well in our house. We typically choose Guittard chocolate chips, particularly when a nut-free chocolate is essential. And while local to us in San Francisco, Guittard is high-quality chocolate that is becoming easier to find across the country.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

This recipe is a fall favorite- but my family went through a phase where I made them constantly year-round. (It can be hard to find pumpkin in July – stock up!) . The recipe was originally designed for a large bundt pan, but I’ve made it everything from loaf pans to mini-muffin tins.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
Course Snack
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup oil
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree not pie filling
  • 1 cup chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips if making mini-muffins or mini-loaves

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  • Beat eggs with sugar until light and blended. Add oil and continue to beat.
  • Sift or stir together flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Beat flour mixture into egg mixture. 
  • Add pumpkin, mixing well again. Fold in chocolate chips (ideally tossed in a little flour to prevent sinking). 
  • Pour batter into a well-greased, floured pan. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before removing from pan. A bundt pan takes about an hour. Standard muffins about 20 minutes. Mini-muffins about 15 minutes. (The batter is very dense and moist, so loaf pans should be checked to make sure the center is fully cooked, usually at least an hour.)

Notes

Store in a sealed container at room temperature for a couple of days.  Or freeze, tightly wrapped for about a month.  
Keyword brunch, dairy free, quick and easy

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Tropical Treat: Julia’s Best Banana Bread

Tropical Treat: Julia's Best Banana Bread

Do You Need Julia’s Best Banana Bread?

Do you have slightly soft, somewhat bruised bananas sitting on your counter?  No matter how much I try to just buy the exact right amount, I always seem to have one or two.  When that happens, I peel and slice them and pop them in my freezer (link).  When I have a total of three, it’s time for this winning banana bread.  

There is no shortage of banana bread and cake recipes.  If I have a little sour cream or Greek yogurt to use up, I often choose this one from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.  I recently tried this one from Dorothy Kern at Crazy for Crust -it was delicious, but definitely more of a cake.  But most of the time, I turn to Julia’s Best Banana Bread – because it is just simply the best.

Tropical Treat: Julia's Best Banana Bread

Make Every Day Special

Julia’s best banana bread is a no-nonsense, banana-forward loaf (though I tend to bake it in my favorite mini-bundt pan more often than a boring loaf pan!).  This is not your mom’s banana bread (and it’s not my mom’s either!). I have no idea who Julia is, but I like her style- and her taste! Dark, moist and, if you close your eyes, you can pretend you are in Hawaii for a moment! Also naturally dairy-free, which I appreciate more and more these days!  

The recipe calls for a neutral oil, but I have kicked up the tropical a bit further by using coconut oil and it has come out great.  I have substituted whole wheat flour for part of the flour – also good.  I have used fresh overripe bananas as well, when I happen to have three that all turn dark brown or black at the same time.  

banana bread

Julia’s Best Banana Bread

This is not your mom’s banana bread (and it’s not my mom’s either!). I have no idea who Julia is, but I like her style- and her taste! Dark, moist and, if you close your eyes, you can pretend you are in Hawaii for a moment! Also naturally dairy-free, which I appreciate more and more these days!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Snack
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3 eggs large
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup mashed banana about 2 large
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°.  Coat a 9x5x3” loaf pan with nonstick spray.
  • Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. 
  • Whisk eggs, sugar, bananas, and oil in a large bowl until smooth. 
  • Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and stir just until combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
  • Bake until a tester inserted into the center of bread comes out clean, 60–70 minutes. 
  • Transfer to a wire rack; let bread cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around inside of pan to release the bread. Turn out onto rack and let cool completely.

Notes

DO AHEAD: Banana bread can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
Keyword brunch, quick and easy, snack

Does this recipe have you dreaming of a tropical getaway? You’re not alone. This is one of our favorite ways to have a tiny island staycation while we dream about our next trip to our vacation rental home in beautiful Kailua Kona, Hawaii. The property has been autism-certified, but anyone can rent it.

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Your Favorite Pavlova Recipe: Serve a Little Magic

Your Favorite Pavlova Recipe: Serve a Little Magic

Do you have a favorite pavlova recipe?

Pavlovas are a magical food.  A few pedestrian ingredients are transformed into something ethereal – and much, much more than the sum of its parts.  

My mom was a somewhat typical midwestern cook and baker in the 70’s.  She made meringue pies and gelatin desserts and all sorts of other fluffy concoctions.  But I did not have a true pavlova until our (pre-kid) month-long trip to Australia and New Zealand.  I think my very first bite was actually on the airplane en route.  

My (tall) husband always requires the seat with the most leg room, so we were in the front row of a coach section, adjacent to a business class section on a behemoth plane.  The lovely flight attendant took to chatting with us as she strapped into her jump seat across from us.  Every time a dessert (or drink!) went untouched in her section, she subtly slid it onto our tray.  

Something Special

The flight to the other side of the world takes much of a day – so there were quite a few opportunities for meals to be served – and for treats to be shared.  One of those was a pavlova.  Since we weren’t actually sitting in Business Class (young, twenty-something teachers as we were), we didn’t have a menu, but weren’t picky and inhaled pretty much everything she gave us.  I do remember grabbing her attention, however, to ask what that goodness was.  A pavlova, she answered.

A ballet dancer from the age of three until twenty-three, I knew who Anna Pavlova was, but had no prior knowledge of her namesake dessert.  Apparently the accomplished prima ballerina inspired this “light-as-a-feather” (or a dancer!) dessert during her tour of Australia and New Zealand during the 1920s.  Today, both countries claim the dessert as their own, which means they were on many menus as we traveled the two countries.  

Potluck Pavlova Recipe

Fast-forward a few years, and we have kids who are in schools that host international potlucks.  Lucky us that several ex-pats from Down Under shared our kids’ schools over the years – allowing for plenty of opportunities to sample various versions – and to try different pavlova recipes at home.

I have made several different versions of pavlovas over the years, but I always come back to the core recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  I have baked it in circles, in squares and, once, in a wreath shape (which I not-so-gracefully slid onto the tablecloth at Christmas brunch!).  More often than not, though I prefer to make mini-pavlovas.  

Your Favorite Pavlova Recipe: Serve a Little Magic

Single Serve Pavlova Recipe

While the cooked, but not topped, meringues can hold reasonably well at room temperature, the topped meringue will start to turn to mush if left too long.  By making each pavlova single-serve, it allows each person to top their own just before they eat it.  And individual servings also fit well into our world of porch drop-offs and distanced backyard gatherings.  

A pavlova recipe is always gluten free – and if you skip the cream, it can be dairy free as well. This makes this delicious dessert all the more flexible when feeding a crew with varying dietary needs.

The most traditional version in New Zealand tops the meringue with sweetened, whipped cream and kiwi (try the yellow ones, if you can find them!).  In Australia, the meringue and cream is more often topped with tropical fruits, such as passionfruit.  I often serve with lemon (or lime or orange or cranberry) curd, or with whipped cream and whatever berry or stone fruit I can get my hands on.  

You really can’t go wrong with a little magic.  

mini pavlova

Mini Pavlova Recipe

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen: https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/04/mixed-berry-pavlova/
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Cooling Time 3 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs
Course Dessert
Cuisine Australian, New Zealand
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer
  • Baking Sheet
  • Parchment Paper

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large 120 grams egg whites
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup 200 grams superfine (castor) or regular sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch potato starch or arrowroot powder

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 250°F (130°C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Pour the vanilla and vinegar into a small cup. Stir the cornstarch into the sugar in a small bowl.
  • In a large bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and salt, starting on low, increasing incrementally to medium speed until soft peaks/trails start to become visible, and the egg white bubbles are very small and uniform, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Increase speed to medium-high, slowly and gradually sprinkling in the sugar-cornstarch mixture. A few minutes after these dry ingredients are added, slowly pour in the vanilla and vinegar. Increase speed a bit and whip until meringue is glossy, and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Gently dollop the meringue onto the parchment paper in 6-8 round(ish) portions).
  • Bake for about 45 minutes or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream color. Check on meringues at least once during the baking time. If they appear to be taking on color or cracking, reduce temperature 25 degrees, and rotate the pan.
  • Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar (you can stick the handle of a wooden spoon in it so no one walks into it), and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. (The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch, if gently pressed, but as it cools you will get a little cracking and you will see that the inside is soft and marshmallowy.)
  • Typically served with sweetened whipped cream and kiwi (New Zealand) or tropical fruits (Australia). When not available, serve with sweetened whipped cream, lemon curd, and/or fresh berries.

Notes

Typically served with sweetened whipped cream and kiwi (New Zealand) or tropical fruits (Australia). When not available, serve with sweetened whipped cream, lemon curd, and/or fresh berries.
While best enjoyed the day they are made, untopped meringues may be stored, covered, at room temperature.  
Keyword celebrations, sweet treats

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Color Street Canada Launch August 9, 2021

Are you anxiously awaiting the arrival of Color Street Canada? 

Color Street Canada

Are you ready to buy nail polish strips from Color Street in Canada?  Are you ready to host a Color Street party?  Are you excited to join Color Street Canada?

The wait is over. August 9, 2021. Check back for more details as they are released.

Color Street nail polish strips are patented dry nail polish strips that you apply at home in minutes.  The nail polish strips are 95% dry when you open a specially-sealed package, and they dry the remaining 5% on your nails.  They are available in solid, glitter and design options – something to suit every taste.  Color Street nail polish strips can last as long as 10-14 days, and, when you’re ready for a change, you can simply remove with regular nail polish remover.  

There are many direct sales options out there, all of which have the potential to offer the ability to share great products, maintain flexible work hours, and earn additional income.

SO WHY CHOOSE COLOR STREET? WHAT ARE THE TOP REASONS TO JOIN COLOR STREET CANADA?  

Here are the top five reasons to join my Color Street Team:

1.  IT DOESN’T COST A LOT TO GET STARTED WITH COLOR STREET. 

While we don’t yet know the price in Canadian dollars, the price for the Basic Starter Kit ($250 value) in US dollars is just $129.  It has everything you need to get started, including samples, catalogs, and 13 full sets!  After that, the only ongoing cost is $10 US/month to maintain your Color Street website (the first 2 months are free!)

2.  COLOR STREET IS PORTABLE.  

If you choose, you may run your entire Color Street business from your website.  You may keep inventory on hand, but it’s not a requirement.  Even if you do, it doesn’t take up a lot of space.  My entire “store” takes up the space of a large shoe box (though I use a fun 31 bag typically!).  In normal times, I carry it with me often and sell Color Street to people in lots of unexpected locations!

3.  WITH COLOR STREET, ONE SIZE FITS ALL.  

Each package of Color Street Nail Polish Strips includes 16 strips of 95% dry nail polish in various widths and shapes.  This ensures that each person can match each nail as close as possible.  And each strip is easily customizable even further-  use your opposing thumbnail or a cuticle stick to remove any extra length or width of the strip, or use scissors or even craft punches to change them up even more!  (The packages are also slim and easy to mail – important when distances are as great as they are in some of my favourite places in Canada, like the Yukon!)

Color Street Canada

4.  COLOR STREET HAS A GREAT COMPENSATION PLAN.  

Again, the Canadian compensation plan has not been released yet, but the base compensation plan for the US includes a 25% rebate on all purchases- both your own and your customers.  Depending on how much you sell each month, and how you grow your team, the percentage increases.  Learn more here.

5.  MY COLOR STREET TEAM PROVIDES ONGOING TRAINING AND SUPPORT.

Our team provides a supportive, helpful network, with varying levels of direct sales experience.  We also use and promote the methods of attraction marketing – and not spamming people, especially not your friends and family.  And perhaps more importantly, we are building lasting friendships, from all corners of the country, and having a lot of fun doing it.  We can’t wait to share the fun with our friends and neighbours to the north!

So did these five reasons to join Color Street get you thinking? Want to learn more about Color Street?  Join our team’s no-pressure interest group on Facebook here.

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Dear Class of 2024: How to Get Into College

Dear Class of 2024: How to Get Into College

What do I get asked the most? How to get into college

Dear Class of 2024:

You have finished your first semester of high school.  I’m guessing it’s not exactly what you thought it would be a year ago.  And while some of that is because of this constantly evolving health crisis keeping everyone at home, some of it is just what high school is.  

I see you.  You’re looking around, thinking about the colleges that these people in your Zoom room are going to get into – and wondering where you’ll end up. You’re not entirely sure what it means to go to college, but you’re pretty sure that’s what you want to (for over a decade more than 95% of our freshman class has told us they want to go to 4 year colleges upon graduation).

Maybe you think everyone else has this all figured out? (spoiler alert: they don’t, even if they look like they do).  Or maybe you see this entire four year chunk of your life as a stepping stone, a means to an end?

I have spent your entire lifetime in high school.  Your experience will be what you make it.  If you want, it will be an opportunity to grow, to learn and to connect with others.  Otherwise it will feel like a long passing period while you are waiting for the “rest” of your life.  Here’s the reality – this is your life, so make the most of it.  

And, ironically, this is how to get into college? Live in the present, not the future.

Focus

First things first: focus on high school. On a scale of 1-10, how badly do you want to graduate?  I ask students that question all the time.  You should ask yourself that question regularly.  Because many of the adults in your life already have a diploma, the question is, do you?  We can’t want you to get a diploma more than you want one for yourself.  

Whether or not you are working during high school, your big “paycheck” during your teenage years are the credits that earn a diploma.  If you had a boss you didn’t get along with, would you just skip payday, because you didn’t want to deal with them?  I didn’t think so. Translate this to school.  You may not love all your teachers.  You may not be thrilled by each and every class.  But each teacher’s class is tied to credits – which you need to treat like cash.  Don’t throw away a paycheck because you don’t like your boss.  

You can’t wake up at the end of four years and magically have a diploma land in your lap.  You have to want it every day.  You can’t let anyone get in your way – especially not yourself.  Get out of your own head.  You belong here.  You have the right to learn.  And the opportunity to be an incrementally better version of yourself each day.  Set an alarm.  Put on real clothes.  And focus. 

And I do recommend, if possible, that you get a job; my students who have jobs gain essential social skills, learn a lot about what they might want to do in the future, and earn money to boot. It’s imperative that this is a “real” job – regular babysitting (or pod-sitting!), bagging groceries, food service – not a week-long “internship” or job shadow.

Flexibility

Flexibility is what all the adults in your life have learned, and yet, still, we somehow try to shield you from the situations that will help build your own skill in this realm.  The pandemic has been a crash course in flexibility for all of us – with some fantastically creative results.  Zoom dance parties and birthday car parades, quarantine recipes (with no yeast or flour), and reimagined graduations. 

We are all very much on the type of squiggly lines that Madeline Levine references in her latest book, Ready or Not.  But, importantly, these lines are each our own – your line cannot and will not ever be the same as anyone else’s – even your twin sibling’s.  This line is your pathway – it is how to get into college FOR you, AS you.

The challenge is to embrace the squiggles.  To strive for progress, not perfection. No one is perfect – at any age – so try very hard to remove that limitation from your teenaged viewpoint), as Whitney Dineen points out in the anthology You Do You, “Mistakes are a stairway to growth.”  

And she’s not alone:

  • Marie Forleo lays this out this philosophy clearly in her book Everything is Figureoutable.  She quotes Bronnie Ware, a palliative care nurse who shares the regrets of her patients at the end of their lives.  The number one regret?  “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” 
  • Jessica Lahey in the Gift of Failure asserts “There was dissent among these teenagers about how far to let kids travel down the road into dangerous behaviors, but they all agreed that when parents attempt to control teenagers’ social lives their children are much more likely to become deceptive.”
  • Which brings us to the reason it’s so key to gain and practice your own flexibility, summarized by Michael Altshuler:  “The bad news is time flies.  The good news is you’re the pilot.”  It’s time to start flying.  
Dear Class of 2024: How to Get Into College

Fit

Rather than spending four years of high school aiming at a particular college or university, instead spend the time examining what you need to thrive – what academic supports, what social constructs, what physical environment will bring you joy.  And remember you learn just as much, if not more, from things that don’t work out – the “nos” in life.  In nearly every aspect of life – dating, paint colors, and college selection – it’s hard to figure out what a “yes” is without a lot of “nos.”

Only then will you have the conviction to really answer the “why college x?” question that is the absolute core of the application.  If your answer is generic, you should reconsider your application entirely – because you either need to learn more about the school, or yourself – or both – to make a compelling case for investing the cost of the application fee.  

“You do You” is the name of the game – as asserted by Jen Mann and her team of authors in the anthology of the same name.  Contributing author Susanne Kerns is even more specific on fit (though, sadly, with financial numbers reflecting a different era) in her piece “Do As Grandma Says.

“You can learn a lot at a $40,000-a year university university or at a $4000-a year university. You can also waste a lot of time and money  at the same universities. Your time is even more valuable than money – don’t squander it. Never again will you have the dedicated time and freedom to immerse yourself in things that interest you and things that bore you and learn the difference between the two.”

Susanne Kerns, Do As Grandma Says

Freedom

Most teenagers think of freedom as the ability to do what others (usually adults) don’t want them to do.  Instead, I encourage you to step away from that facade of “freedom” and instead see it as a way to be yourself.  The freedom to belong – and not fit in – is something that author and researcher Brene Brown distinguishes for us. 

Each week on the Unlocking Us podcast, she implores us to be awkward, brave and kind.  And I can think of no better freedom for a teenager than to embrace all three of those characteristics with authenticity and gusto.  And that’s how to get into college, too.

Fun

You are a teenager which means you absolutely should be having fun.  When you choose your classes, do what’s required and then do more of what you enjoy.  Find your people – whether they are on the field, in the lab, or on stage.  Focus on your relationships, not your resumé.  Because neither one can guarantee college admission, but your friends – and whatever you did for fun – will long be remembered.  You don’t need to get paid or recognized for what is meaningful – the change it creates in you shows!

And as the pandemic has pared down the extracurricular Olympics, I hope you feel less over-extended, and more able to focus on the basics.  I am seeing more and more teenagers rekindle old habits and hobbies – cooking, running, knitting and music-making.  And these simple things are often the most fulfilling. Double bonus if they are also supporting your overall well being and thus establishing meaningful, lifetime habits that will benefit your mental and physical health for years to come.  As James Clear sums up so clearly, “When you lose track of time, you’re either living your best life or wasting it.”

So how to get into college? Focus, flexibility, fit, freedom, and fun. And your life will be all the better for it as well.

Related Posts:

Surviving High School 2020 Edition

Dear Class of 2024: Tips for New High School Students (and their Parents)

Every Student: Engagement and Instruction

Galentines Day 2021: Celebrate Together, Apart

Galentines Day 2021: Celebrate Together, Apart

If there ever was a year we needed this holiday, it’s this one.  So I hope you embrace Galentines Day 2021. Yet conditions in many places still make it too-soon to plan in person gatherings like a typical Galentines Day celebration.

So it’s time to rethink this soul-feeding, girl-time celebration for our physically-distant world.  Here are some ideas to rethink this much-needed celebration for our current times – and maybe even find some silver linings in it.  

How to Plan Galentines Day 2021:

Choose a Date

The official date is February 13, which is conveniently a Saturday in 2021, but you can choose any day- or time – that works for you.  For once you can include friends from other parts of the country- or world – so consider that when you choose the time.

Deliver Some Treats

If your gals are local, then it’s time for a late-winter porch drop.  If your crew is more far-flung, then pop them in the mail.  Or maybe you’ll need some of both. Either way, here are some ideas to take care of your gals – both near and far.

Galentines Day 2021 in a Box, Porch Drop Style:  If you are hand-delivering, you have a little more flexibility with what you share.  You can include any or all of the following – or create your own festive collection:

  • A sparkling-single serve beverage – with or without alcohol – like a split of sparkling wine, a can of wine, beer, or cider, or a fizzy beverage like Izze or LaCroix
  • A sweet treat – or two – something chocolate, like a bouchon, or maybe a pink-tinted meringue. Or a festively-shaped, tinted marshmallow.
  • A festive decoration or outfit addition – a balloon, a garland – or a springy heart headband
  • A thoughtful favor – maybe a small, scented lotion or candle, or a pair of earrings – (affiliate link) like these leather and cork designs
  • A set of Color Street – it can be Valentine’s 2021 collection set, or any fun, sparkly option that suits the recipient
Galentines Day 2021: Celebrate Together, Apart

Galentines Day 2021, in the Mail:  If you are mailing your celebratory packages, then you need to think about weight, fragility, and perishability.  But you can still send a thoughtful gift:

  • A coffee gift card (or e-gift card) – bonus if it’s for a place local to the recipient so they can #ShopSmall. Or you can easily mail Cusa tea or coffee (affiliate link) – so many flavors and types to choose from.
  • A sturdy, sweet treat – brownies and other bar cookies tend to hold up well and are just as delicious with a 10 second turn in the microwave (and a scoop of ice cream!). Or go with a lightweight, yet not-so-fragile treat and mix up some marshmallows. If you have never made homemade marshmallows, now is the time to break out your stand mixer and try!
  • A flat decoration – like a folding garland, an not-yet-inflated balloon, or a paper crown
  • A travel-friendly favor – since these friends are out-of-town, consider something that can be used when you reconnect (hopefully soon!), like a luggage tag, or a sheet face mask to rehydrate, or travel soap sheets
  • A set of Color Street – you can’t mail a bottle of nail polish easily, but you can definitely mail a set – or two – of Color Street
heart marshmallows

Chocolate-Dipped Heart Marshmallows

Inspired by Molly Wizenberg, A Homemade Life, and theflavorbender.com
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Resting Time 8 hrs
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 20

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
  • 9×13 Glass Baking Dish
  • Cookie cutters, 1 1/2 inch hearts, or as desired

Ingredients
  

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 1 cup cold water divided
  • 7 tsp unflavored gelatin from 3 envelopes
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup agave syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • several drops gel food coloring red or pink
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch or arrowroot starch
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 pound dark chocolate
  • 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions
 

  • Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with cooking spray and dust with powdered sugar.
  • Pour 1/2 cup cold water into bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Gently stir in gelatin and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
  • Combine sugar, agave, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup cold water in heavy medium saucepan.
  • Cover saucepan and turn heat to medium-high. Simmer, covered for a few minutes to allow the condensation to drip down the sides of the pan, dissolving any crystals.
  • Remove the lid, and clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Raise heat and bring syrup to a boil. Watch carefully, without stirring, until syrup reaches 240 degrees (about 8 minutes).
  • With mixer running at low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture in thin stream down side of bowl (avoid pouring syrup onto whisk, as it may splash). Gradually increase speed to high and beat until mixture is very thick and stiff, about 15 minutes.
  • Add food color to desired shade, mixing in between additions. Add vanilla and beat to blend, about 30 seconds longer.
  • Scrape marshmallow mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top with wet fingers. Let stand uncovered at room temperature until firm, about 6 hours.
  • Stir cornstarch and powdered sugar in small bowl to blend. Sprinkle over top of the marshmallows, and onto work surface.
  • Turn marshmallow slab out onto work surface and sprinkle more starch-sugar mixture over marshmallow slab.
  • Coat cookie cutters with nonstick spray. Cut marshmallows into squares or other shapes. Toss each in remaining starch-sugar mixture to coat.
  • Melt chocolate and coconut on low in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring frequently, until fully melted. Dip the bottom of each marshmallow in the melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip into bowl.
  • If desired, press into sprinkles or chopped candy canes or other toppings. Place chocolate side up on silicone baking mat or parchment paper-lined tray. Allow to dry completely, about 2 hours, before stacking or storing.

Notes

Store in an air-tight container. Dipped or undipped marshmallows may be frozen for several weeks.
Keyword celebrations, sweet treats

Celebrate Galentines Day 2021!

If we have learned little else in the past eleven months, I hope we have learned to appreciate time together with family and friends.  Jump on a platform of your choosing – if your group is small, then Facetime or Facebook Messenger is great.  For larger groups, you’ll need Zoom, WebEx or Teams.  

Related Posts:

Valentine’s Day Without Candy: 4 Simple Ways to Celebrate Without (Eating) Candy

How to Refresh Your St Patricks Day Dinner

Vacation: Celebrations and Holidays

Surviving High School 2020 Edition

Surviving High School 2020 Edition

Are you surviving high school 2020?

Pre-2020, I usually described my job in public education like this: “I enjoy helping students find a pathway that fulfills them – and it’s never boring, never the same thing twice.”  

While those sentiments still ring true, more recently I’ve been telling people that my job is “herding invisible cats.”  I have a sense that students are out there, and that some of my actions are supporting them, but in the fuzziness of distance learning, it is very challenging to know.  (This author speaks to the tendency to focus on “ghosts,” which is a helpful way to prioritize.)

This is my 27th year in high school.  Four years figuring it out myself. And 23 more helping other people’s kids navigate it.  Year 27.  And year 1.  Year 1 of parenting a high school student- in a pandemic, no less- which means his high school experience is not unfolding in the next town over from my office, but in the next room.  And year 1 of trying to support other peoples’ kids in this crazy as well.  

Time to Reflect: Surviving High School 2020

2020 has turned out to be a year of deep introspection and reflection for us as individuals, and as a society.  And though I’ve spent well over half my life in high school, I don’t reflect on my own high school experience as much as I might.  Do you? 

I am grateful to still be friends with a handful of my closest friends from high school.  

The ones I stayed up all night with at slumber parties (often, embarrassingly, trying to crimp our hair).  The ones I coordinated matching outfits with for school dances.  The ones I practiced with for elaborate dance performances. And the ones I drove to late night restaurants with at a time when 16-year-olds could drive other sixteen-year-olds.  

I recently asked them: what do YOU remember from high school?  

(We were all “good students,” but I am the only one in education.  The others have had some separation from this world we all live in.)  

Ask yourself the same question:  What do YOU remember from high school?  Do you remember your teachers or the subject? The person or the content?

It’s the “who” not the “what.”

I have fleeting memories of classes.  Mental snapshots of school events.  And absolutely zero recollection of any of the day to day workings of a school- assemblies, announcements, standardized testing – (all things I have spent WAY too much of my career planning, organizing, and preparing for.)  

Similarly, it’s the “why” not the “where.”

I have been in a lot of schools.  I have attended schools in snowy suburban Wisconsin and the sprawling outdoor campuses in the Silicon Valley.  I have volunteered in schools in historic buildings in Washington DC, and in air conditioned boxes in Texas.  I have taught in stuffy classrooms in Houston and in hard-to-warm spaces in San Jose.  

Schools are not about the buildings, except when they are at the very bottom rungs of disrepair.  As an extension of my initial work with Teach for America I have toured countless classrooms in under-resourced districts.  There is a “floor” (pardon the pun) of basic construction – a sound roof and structure, a functioning HVAC system, sufficient seating – but once that is met, everything else is bells and whistles.  

And no one remembers it.  If you have a clear memory of a school or classroom, it probably has to do with why you were there.  The teacher who hosted your club in their room.  The locker room where a storied coach gave pep talks. Or the space that housed your chosen activities- the band room, the green room, the computer lab.  Because it’s the why not the where.  

Surviving High School 2020 Edition

And it’s the “how” not the “when”.  

I have worked with thousands of ninth graders.  Many of them- and their families- seem to think there is some sort of map or user’s guide to high school that my colleagues and I are hiding from them.  So what’s the secret to high school? After all, after 27 years shouldn’t I have THE answer?  Hint: There is more than one right answer.  

There is more than one time to take that class. There is more than one club to join that will bring fulfillment.  There is more than one sport that will keep you active.  And there is more than one year to try again.  And if we don’t allow teens to make -and recover from- a few mistakes in high school we are failing our kids.  Let that sink in.  By keeping your kid from failing, you are failing them.  Why? Because setbacks are how you learn.

When teachers teach students first, material second, kids learn more, and remember more.  And that simple reality is why I feel so strongly about social-emotional learning.  And for teachers who *think* they don’t have time for this, news flash: you are either actually already doing this in your own way – you just need to give yourself credit where credit is due.  

Recently our district hosted a student panel for them to share their thoughts on our first full semester in distance learning. In case you don’t have the opportunity to get this kind of feedback: they appreciate the connections you are forging – and they want more – so keep it up.

Here are some quick ideas to help you in surviving high school 2020:

  • Share your pets, your kids, your custom Zoom background – anything personal – with your students (and encourage them to share back).
  • Do a welcome back check in with each student – put them in break out rooms and check in.  (This may take more than one class period, but the effects will be lasting.)
  • Make a class playlist of song requests and play one (or more) at the beginning of each class.  
  • Start each class with a fun Question of the Day for everyone to answer – even you!
  • Use a structured activity in a break-out room to allow kids to connect. 

Teach the student, and the curriculum will follow.  Because if you haven’t connected with the student, then, as you well know, you are only “teaching” a bunch of blank Zoom squares.  And none of us signed up to do that…

Related Posts:

Distance Learning Educators: Why Your Kids’ Teachers are Falling Apart Right Now

Compassion Fatigue Resources for Educators

Every Student: Engagement and Instruction

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