Well, it's time to come clean.  I'm a big, fat cheater.  The moment came that I'd been dreading as soon as I decided to try the 14 day no-makeup challenge; I got a giant, red, awful zit. Actually, I got three of them!  They weren't those little ones that only you see.  Oh no.  I woke up yesterday morning, and the first thing out of my son's mouth was, "Mommy, what's on your chin?" Ugh. The honesty of children in even their questions.

Knowing I was going to be enjoying lunch out as well as running a bunch of errands, I struggled back and forth with whether or not I would cheat and put a dab of concealer on.  I kid you not, I wrestled with this question for a good half hour! Finally I caved.  It is not a moment I'm proud of.  I should have one of those signs people use when dog shaming, but I was too kind to myself.  Instead, I'm coming clean and confessing.  Your forgiveness is always appreciated...and very much hoped for.

What that leaves me with is, why?  I'd been doing so well!  Why did I give in to my safety blanket?  I thought about this as I sat in bed last night, writhing with guilt.  People have been so supportive!  I've even had women tell me they decided to go without makeup for the day.  My answer is simple.  Acne is the one thing I've never been able to fully control.  For those who know me, I enjoy a high level of control.  Not only can I not control it, but acne has been my biggest insecurity since I was 10.  22 years is a tough trend to break in 14 days.  So, I saddled up again today, zits and all.  I didn't cover them when I left the house.  It didn't physically hurt, but almost.  I survived!  I have to say that today has now been my proudest day of the whole series.  I let those three red, terrible zits fly free for all to see.

Here are the pictures from the last 7 days.  In the one where I have a black tank on, well, that's where my shaming sign should be.  The hat picture with braids is my one from today.

Other than my shame, this post I'm including my recent workouts.  Please know that this has not been a normal week.  One, it's summer, so I have more time.  Two, I'm training for a half marathon, so I have more mileage for my runs.  They say that working out and sweating are great for your skin.  Good news for me as I sweat profusely.  People try to tell me that women glow when they sweat.  I do not.  I pour massive amounts of disgusting sweat.  Fortunately, Steve holds back exactly how much this disgusts him.

Here is my last week of workouts!
July 3 - 3.28 mile run
July 4 - cleaning (yes this is a workout!)
July 5 - 10.01 mile run
July 6 - swimming with my son
July 7 - 12.5 mile hike (see the picture below)
July 8 - 5 mile run
July 9 - I took the day off...kind of.  I moved my classroom from one room to another

Like I said, this is not normal during the school year.  I'm hoping I can keep my momentum going, but I will NOT be doing 10+ mile runs if I don't have to!

I'll leave you with a picture from my beautiful hike with an amazing friend.  My next post will be the last of this series!  I'm already planning the next, so stay tuned!!!

Hiding behind displays of Coke is frowned upon, at least that's what I'm assuming.  That didn't stop me from almost doing just that a couple of times.  I had to laugh at myself during days one and two of my no-makeup challenge because I went NOWHERE!  I hid in my house while feeling great about having no makeup on.  Not quite what the challenge is all about.

Day three roles around.  I'd already made plans to see my friend Anne and get my hair done with Kassi...queue dramatic music... I'd actually have to go into public without makeup on! Not only that, but Windsor is a fairly small town.  In the time I dropped Gabe off, went to the grocery store, saw Anne, and had my hair done, I'd seen no less that 10-15 people that I knew.  This would be where I considered hiding behind the extremely patriotic (Happy 4th of July!) Coke display.

Who, you ask, did I want to hide from?  Attractive movie stars visiting our bustling town? Supermodels promoting that amazing Coke display?  Nope, MY STUDENTS!  There I stood, almost praying they wouldn't realize it was me as I contemplated a Mission Impossible-style dive behind the boxes.  I am not, however, graceful enough to pull that off.  So when I heard, "Hey Mrs. Syring!" I put on my best smile and turned to face them.

They didn't run screaming out of the store!  Honestly, they didn't react any differently to me than they did all school year.  What did I realize from this?  I was still the same person to them with or without makeup.  That's actually a pretty big realization despite its simplicity.  Beyond my student encounter, I was overwhelmed as I saw various friends out and about who not only talked about reading the blog but also commented on how beautiful I looked!  You guys are rock stars and sure know how to make a girl feel like a star!  So thank you for supporting me by reading and just being kind, wonderful people!  Here is what they saw on days one through four...

Side note: I only took one shot today!  So either I'm getting better at selfies, or I may just be starting to get more comfortable with this!

With that said, I wanted to share some of the other pieces of my challenge.  The first is what I'm putting on my face.  Maranda from Grin and Bare it hooked my up.  The set she gave me is pictured below.  I've always been a face-product junkie, the kind with about 50 bottles of half-used lotions and potions under my sink.  So far I'm loving using an actual system!  It's amazing what happens when we follow directions!  You'd be surprised how little adults follow directions, especially teachers.  We like to follow just enough to get away with it but not the full deal.

 

 

I've also been eating foods that are known to be great for the skin.  My friend Esther, a dietitian, is probably shaking her head because they're foods she's been telling me to eat for a while.  See!  Terrible at following directions!

 

I included what my Thrive looks like in the morning.  It's my "breakfast" picture.  It's a 3-step nutritional system that I LOVE.  Ask me about it, I'll tell ya!  The snack is awesome!  It's rosemary and olive oil crackers with feta cheese, avocado, and tomato.  YUM!  Lunch is a strawberry, spinach, pecan, and goat cheese salad with a dressing I made here at home.  Gabe liked helping me mix it.  The "dinner" picture was my greatest discovery because both Steve and Gabe liked it too!  It's a sweet potato and spinach quesadilla with pickled onions!  Seriously good eating!

 

 

So, onto day five tomorrow.  The real fun will be the 4th of July (day six).  I mean, really, who plans to go without makeup on the one holiday where the whole town shows up at the lake?  This girl!  Here's to hoping I see some more students!



I’m a fraud.  I’ve been one since I was about 12.  No, I haven’t been running a get-rich-quick scheme or scamming sweet elderly women out of their money.  I’ve simply been doing what most American women do.  I cover my flaws as best I can.

My history of fraud…

Age 10 – Acne arrived.  I’m one of those lucky ones who now have and will most likely continue to struggle with adult acne.

Age 12 – Middle school.  Need I say more?  The girl with zits, braces, high-water pants, and no clue about hair had very little hope.

Age 12 ½ - I discovered makeup.  Actually my friend’s mom sold Mary Kay and knew that not a single woman in my family wore makeup.  So, she taught me the basics…thank God for Jodi’s mom!

Age 13 – Hair color.  My mom was awesome and sat for hours pulling my hair through those awful little plastic caps so I could highlight my hair.  She was a patient, brave woman.

It continues from there and goes even deeper now.  For a time in college I decided I didn’t care as much and wore sweatpants to class.  My husband, then fiancé, made the mistake of saying, “Hey, you know you’re beautiful, but it wouldn’t hurt if you dressed a bit more like a girl.”  Muahahahaha…most expensive words he has ever uttered.

Now I do the full routine virtually every day.  I don’t even go to the grocery store without concealer and foundation on.  My best friend from elementary school and most of middle school, Christina, made the comment once that I really needed to “Release and back away from the concealer.”  I try to keep this in mind, but covering my skin has become a small OCD issue for me.  I put on my mask each and every day.

My fraud is my armor.  I cling to the safety of societal expectations.  Am I going to go all crazy Britney Spears and chop off my hair? Nope, I’d look like a boy.  Will I throw out every bit of makeup I own and declare freedom?  As of right now, no.  But I am going to give something a try.

I read an article recently about a woman in the fashion industry who went just one week without makeup.  In an industry where beauty is king, that had to be terrifying!  I mean really, would swim lessons and the grocery store really be that bad?  In my mind, hell yes!  My makeup is my safety and confidence.  This, however, was a challenge to me.  And Lord knows I love challenges…especially winning (I may be a wee bit competitive).  I am a huge nerd, though, so of course I had to research EVERYTHING that would make my skin healthier from the inside out.  So, that is the basis for my 14 Day Naked Face Challenge.

For 14 days…
1. I will not wear any makeup. 
2. I will eat foods that are known to help create healthier skin. 
3. My water intake will be much higher than I normally achieve.
4. I will work out regularly (I also am training for a half marathon so this is key). 
5. My friend Maranda owns Grin and Bare it, a skin and waxing studio, and she gave me a complete skincare set that I will be faithful to (this is ridiculously hard for a face-product junkie like me).

And most importantly…I’m going to blog about it.  Below you will see my Day 1 picture.  It took me about 30 tries and a LOT of pep-talking to choose a picture and actually post it.  I turned off the beauty face option on my phone, sucked it up, might have teared up at the idea of posting online without makeup, and went for it.  So, I’m inviting you all to join me as I blog though removing my suit of armor.  Heck, you can do it too!  I know, too far too fast.  It can be scary!  I’m going to post every few days with a new picture, some of my favorite face-friendly foods, a look at my skincare regime, favorite workouts, and more!

How does this fit with teaching?  I imagine overcoming my fear (no matter what it may be).  THIS would be something to share with my students.  Why can’t they throw down their armor, their façades?  But who will teach them to do that if we can’t first?

Here you go...Day 1!

 

Teachers need other jobs...

Most professionals in America have one job.  Having taught for eight years now, I've realized that this is not necessarily true for teachers.  Lots of educators tutor or help students make up credits for failing grades.  This fits nicely with our primary job.  Here's the shocking part...insert sarcasm...those gigs don't pay well either!

Whenever our society decided that teachers only work during the school year, only work regular hours, and should be paid an overwhelmingly low salary despite molding America's future, well we need to go back and kick someone in the shin.  Yep, that's my resort to violence.

I know teachers who sell boots, work in retail stores, nanny for families, or participate in one of the many at-home sales companies.  Why do they do this when they get a paycheck all summer?  I hear this questions a lot.  Now I laugh because flicking people in the forehead is frowned upon.  We do this because we don't get overtime (yes we work during the summer AND until midnight sometimes during the school year), we buy supplies for our own classrooms with our own money, and taking a decent (not good) salary for eight months and spreading it over 12 just doesn't cut it.  Many don't even realize that's what teachers are really getting. 

So teachers have other jobs.  We want to be normal people, but we're simply not.  Companies love teachers.  A summer nanny who can actually enrich your child?  Score!  Someone who can convince kids from the ages of 6-18 to complete school work now selling boots to adults?  Score!  A self-driven person who wants to make extra money by selling jewelry, makeup, essential oils, insert other products here? Score!  Teachers are amazing people!  Who wouldn't love them being a part of the "general" market of employees. 

Really, though, is this right?  Nope.  But it's life.  So, if you're a teacher, what do you do?  I'm no different than any other teacher.  Last summer was the first summer since 2005 that I didn't tutor students.  I've worked in book stores during Christmas break.  I've also tried multiple at-home sales companies.  Yep, I'm that girl who asks you to try a sample and hopes that you'll love it like she does, buy the product, and help her pay for the baseball cleats she bought for her seven-year-old.  NONE OF US DO THIS TO BECOME WEALTHY!  Sorry, I didn't mean to shout.  But really, no teacher works an extra job with the hopes of becoming independently wealthy.  We simply hope to be normal!

My plea is this, please support a teacher!  Buy nail covers, jewelry, makeup, health supplements, whatever they're selling!  They do it for their family, just like everyone else.  NEWS FLASH: They also do it for YOUR family!  They do it to create a welcoming classroom with extra supplies for the kids that come into their lives and become "their kids."  Your kid will always be one of our kids.  We love them.  So, we ask you to host a party, try a sample, come into the store we work at. 

Should teachers need other jobs.  Nope.  Do they?  Yep, sometimes.  So...love a teacher!

Matching Pinterest is harder than you think...

How many times have I scrolled through Facebook and laughed at the Pinterest fails?  Let's just say a lot.  I love looking at the disillusioned few who attempt some of the crazy cool masterpieces you can find when searching for kids birthday cakes, makeup tricks, or (in my case) cute outfits to teach in.

I still attempted it!  Fortunately outfits can be taken off quite easily, so the clean-up from my own ridiculous attempts was done before others could see.  Steve was a good sport and sat diligently on the bed trying to help.  Does my husband have better fashion sense than I do...darn right he does!  He still wishes he hadn't asked me to "possibly dress more like a girl" when we first started dating.  Oh, Steve, how expensive that comment would become. 

If I had a lot of money and time to shop, then I might have had better luck.  Unfortunately, teachers do not pull-in the big bucks.  I still wonder why not, but that is a rant for another day.  I managed to put together a week full of Pinterest inspired outfits.  Did I remember to take a picture of them all?  Nope.  I only had the heart to ask Steve to take pictures of two of the outfits in one night.  The other was taken by my dear friend at school.  She doesn't think I'm as weird for wanting a picture.  Steve, still thinks this whole blogging this is ridiculously odd.  He's most likely right.

So, without further ado, here are three of my successful outfits!

Outfit one I switched out jeans for slacks but could not for the life of me find a decent cardigan to go over it.  So I just stuck with it otherwise!

Outfit two, once again I failed on the cardigan.  I switched the light under and color on top.  It was what I had, so I went with it.  Like I said, these were inspired...not matched...obviously.

Outfit three I stayed a bit more true to the original Pinterest pin.  Fortunately I have a friend who sells beautiful skirts, so I had a lot to choose from!

What did I learn from this exercise?  Well, I learned I can try new things.  Always a plus.  I also learned that even though real people post things on Pinterest, I am not ANY of those real people.  Props to the ladies who look lovely and fashion-magazine worthy every day.  I am in awe.

Next time, well, I'm taking a look at what I put IN my body since I tried some new things on the outside.  I may try another round of Pinterest outfits for summer later...if I am brave.

And then I realized...

Those who know me won't deny it, I'm a Type A personality.  This means I enjoy planning, control, all the good things in life.  I plan everything.  I love lists.  And yet, I teach.  This means I have to sometimes go with the flow and work towards more of an A- personality. 

This week has been one of those weeks.  It's been one with a few realizations.

1. No matter how much I plan, my body won't always do what I ask.  I slipped a disc in my back.  Doing what you ask?  Nothing, absolutely nothing.  While beginning my training for my next half marathon, this was not what I had in mind.  It made me feel old and slightly decrepit.  When one student asked, "Why are you walking like my grandma?"  I knew I was in trouble.  I managed to get in a few of my daily exercises before my body revolted.  P.S. asking your husband to take pictures of you doing calf raises while making lunches and squats while straightening your hair...well, he thinks I'm nuts.

2. Your class doesn't always go as planned.  I love the pictures that say, "Keep calm and pretend it was on the lesson plan."  This, despite my Type A personality, is one of the things I love most about teaching.  The kids can change your day and surprise you at every turn.  Sometimes it's a turn you never expected and turns into one of the best lessons of the year.  Other times it's simply the fact that their lives have so much more going on than you could ever imagine.  I worry about big issues, but I have a lot of experience to help.  For many, they have huge curveballs (death, homelessness, parents leaving).  They push your buttons because their sad, angry, hungry.  Really, though, they push your buttons simply so you'll love them.

3. What you put in your body matter far more now that you're closer to 40 than you are to 20.  I'll talk more about this in later posts, but I've had to drastically change what choices I make and how I eat.  This week, with my back in loads of pain, I made terrible choices.  I could feel every french-fry, bag of chips (and by bag I mean family bag), and brownie.  Why can't we just eat like we did in high school?  Yep, feeling old once again.


4. The last thing I realized is actually kind of fun and fits perfectly fits with my Type A desire to plan.  Pintrest can actually be useful!  I've decided to make 5 outfits next week based on Pintrest pictures.  So, look for that in my next post!!!

Busy Girl's Daily Fitness

My husband lets me know as often as possible that I am a strange human being.  This could be for many reasons, but he loves throwing that statement out every time I head out for a run.  For most people it seems you either love running or only do it when being chased by something large and scary.  Most days, though, I don’t have time for a run.  After leaving work, running to various activities (piano, football, swimming, etc.), making dinner, helping with homework, prepping lunches, etc., etc., etc., who has the desire to throw on shoes and run in the dark?  Not even I like that.

So, here’s my idea.  I’ve researched and come up with four ways we can sneak in some fitness throughout the day.  Most don’t even seem too painful.  We’ll call it…the busy girl’s daily fitness.

1.       10 x 10: 
Choose 10 different exercises to complete throughout the day and do 10 reps of each.  Some of these I’ll sneak in while I get ready for work.  Many I’ll sneak in at school.  Here’s my list for my first day of 10 x 10: squats, lunges, calf raises, wall push-ups, jumping jacks, office-chair seat squeezes, standing crunches, seated leg raise, crunches, and mountain climbers. (Pictures to come after I give this a try!)

2.       Commercial Cardio:
Even though I live in a ranch-style house, we have stairs to our basement.  I know that every Sunday my husband and I will watch one of our favorite shows.  Example: Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead…LOVE THESES SHOWS!  During every commercial break I will jog the stairs.  If I get tired, I’ll walk the stairs. Many estimates show that there are 20+ minutes of advertising during an average, hour-long show.  That’s a great little workout!

3.       Kid’s Activity Cardio:
My son is young enough that I sit through his lessons and practices.  I’m sure as he gets older I may just drop him off, but for right now I’m sitting through 30 minutes to one hour of some sort of activity at least 2-3 days a week.  Why do I bring a folding chair and just sit and stare all practice?  I’m going to use the giant field he practices on to get some cardio time in!  Nothing exciting, I’m simply going to walk!

4.       Challenge the Teacher (or parent):
Kids love to challenge their teachers and parents.  It doesn’t matter what age they are.  We take brain breaks in my classroom almost every class period, so why shouldn’t I use them to stay in shape?  Give the kids the opportunity to think of some sort of exercise and a challenge to go along with it.  Example: who can do 10 burpees first? (Side note: burpees are the devil but very worthwhile).  Let them challenge you as a part of your brain break!  You’ll get in a quick exercise, and the kids will have fun while connecting with you!

      These are just four ideas I came up with while reading various pieces on the internet.  Do you all have some great tips for sneaking in quick workouts throughout the day?  If so, please leave a comment and share!