#BTS2015

Happy BTS! My Princeton said no, Please don't go to work!!

Those eyes are a bit hard to resist! But alas, he hasn't gotten a job yet so off I went. He does have to eat after all.


I am such a nerd. I know that most of my colleagues were dreading today but I was SO ready for Back to School! I love preplanning week when you get a chance to reconnect with friend that you haven't seen in almost two months. I was excited even more so today because everyone I work with travels so I wanted to hear about all the fantastic places that they visited and, of course, get some new travel 411.  I knew that preplanning would be so different this year because I am used to a foo-foo agenda, games, a large breakfast, and all sorts of other fanfare that happens on the first day of preplanning but this year was different. As admin we go back to school the same day as the teachers do to begin preplanning (the horror!!) so we don't get a chance to do all those things. I mean I am thankful for the extra two weeks off but I would really like to incorporate that planning into the end of this year. How is that for forward thinking?

Today was a blur of counting students, trying to arrange classes, and fighting with the computers. Very similar to my days back in the states on the first day of school. Of course no printers in the administration office were working, thanks software updates!! Apparently Murphy's Law is prevalent in the Middle East as well. So we did what we could and hopefully we can finish up some things tomorrow, Inshallah. We have a big meeting at Jumeriah at Etihad Towers tomorrow so I am really looking forward to seeing that venue. I haven't been there as of yet so I am all geeky about new places in Abu Dhabi.

I went without my Abaya to work today, which is quite uncommon for me seeing as it is easier and since I work in the office it is fool proof to ensure that I am wearing something that is appropriate at all times in case of a VIP coming to the school. I decided to switch it up today to a simple dress and cardigan (in 114 degrees mind you).  Everyone loved my OO necklace since they are not available here. I also did my make up which I completely slacked off last year and just went with moisturizer and mascara most days. I had several compliments and then someone says, 'You are glowing!!'  I smiled because I was wearing my new highlighter from Becca in Champagne Pop (by the Uber talented Jaclyn Hill, Ahhh-Mazing make up artist). However, she quickly followed that sentiment up with, 'Are you Pregnant?!' .... #HighlightOnFleekFAIL  Now normally this statement would have really upset me  but here that is just normal. I just said nope, not today! I am just wearing a great highlighter! It is all good and I couldn't help but laugh.

Hope my fellow teachers have an awesome #BTS2015

Cupcakes and Fitness

Hey Ya'll. Just doing a quick little check in since we are barreling towards Sunday which mean...back to school or the ever popular #BTS2015. I am actually looking forward to going back to work and seeing all the ladies that I work with. I also have some great ideas that I hope to introduce to the school this year and of course, I am completely looking forward to catching up with everyone. That is always my favorite part of pre-planning is the chit chat of summers, traveling, big news, and all that fun stuff. I am excited to hear about everyones traveling. You can bet that I will be taking my travel planning notebook with me to write down some great ideas for future travel.

Not much is new on the home front other than these mongrels I have living with me again. Just kidding! I love these sweet fur babies but they are obviously traumatized since they follow me everywhere. It used to just to be the bathroom (weirdos) but now it is up the stairs, to the kitchen from the couch, and they have to constantly be near me. It does get a bit old but I completely understand. One day mommy was there and then boom 9 months later they make the trip of a lifetime; I am cutting them a bit of slack with the obsessive neediness. And I might like listening to them snore 24/7.

My hubby and I want to start something like the 21-day fix plan to kick start our fitness routine here in the next week. However, I suggested that we finished out the groceries that we already have and really plan ahead for it so we are totally prepared and we have everything we need. So we should  be ready to go by Sunday which is fine by me because school definitely helps me establish a routine. I am refusing to buy the color-coded containers so I am finding containers that are the appropriate sizes and labeling them. I have also dug through Pinterest to find how to determine your calories needs so we will know what to eat. I tell you Pinterest is the goldmine of the internet right now. There are so many freebies on there to print out to help with not only the 21 day fix but any thing else you need. I remember back when Pinterest was the new kid on the block and you had to have an invite to join and it took like three days to be 'approved'. Ahhh, the good old days.  The reunion with the KitchenAid stand mixer may or may not be partially to blame for the delay in the heath wagon coming around again. Not my best work but I will figure it out with the difference in ingredients. They are quite tasty though! Minions Muffins (Banana) on the left and my quite popular Oreo cupcakes on the right.

And what is a little random post without a picture of the amazing sunset here in Abu Dhabi with cranes galore! Lots of building going on all over the place. I can't wait to see some of the new things that are planned.

Renewal

It has been a while but it feels good to be back! Do you ever have those times when you want to write and blog? You really have a drive and determination to stay up with it, produce some good content and it is fulfilling in a way? Well I hit a major wall around May and I struggled to get through it I honestly felt like I was writing 'mucho blah blah blah' as my husband says and there was a lack of substance. So I decided to step back and let it be for a while until I was really compelled to write or at least share daily or weekly happenings. It has been a few days and I have wanted to get back at the computer to start up again but I waited. I have been thinking about all of the things that I want to document and share and post about so I decided it was a good time! It has been a busy summer that includes Paris (!!!!!!), a big ol' surprise visit home to see our friends and family, and the arrival of our puppies from the U.S. So now I actually feel like I have some things to share and write about that have some meaning. I am also looking at my last week of vacation before back to work (No!!!!!) but it is okay. I am still searching for someone to give Just Call Me Sparkles a big old make over but I have a few prospects so hopefully one of them will be my knight in shining HTML and I think that will be a big encouragement as well. I just need some new.  So what better way to get back at it than to participate in a little link up :)

1. I am looking forward to getting back to school. Say Whaaa????  I know, I know. It may or may not have something to do with the bag full of new school supplies that I am going to take with me ;-)

2. This ankle. For the love of all that is holy, this ankle. So back in May/June I really hurt it (again) and I finally went to the doctor to see if there was anything that could be done. I prayed for them to say no boot, and no surgery and they said neither of those! Hooray - or so I thought. You see I would rather have that than some BS physio therapy that was a complete joke. I mean it felt better and I thought that I was getting some range of motion back. I was almost able to walk correctly again, mind you that I finished PT in July before we left for Paris. However there is a persistent soreness/ache that just doesn't quit. Today walking I stepped down on it while walking Princeton and bam... we are back at square one. Over it doesn't even fully express the level of WTF that I am feeling. I need to find a new doctor.

3. Netflix. 

I love you Netflix.

We just finished watching the entire series of Sons of Anarchy. Late but whatevs. SO GOOD! I never thought that I would be into the show but I now understand the times I would text friends that were highly into the show and they wouldn't answer. Totally get it now. 

4. I'm going to write it and everyone in the UAE will say duh, but this heat! I mean, I have never, ever felt anything like it. You pray the breeze not to blow because it is so hot. The heat just envelopes you as soon as you leave the comfort of the antarctic that is known as our apartment. At a scorching 115-120 (with the wind and heat index even more!) there really is no reason to go outside unless there is an emergency or... no, there is not reason. I now understand why delivery is everything here. Everything. And worth every penny might I add. 

5. I rekindled my love of make up while back home. I had a major make up obsession that I really tried to get in check when I left the U.S. but who the heck was I kidding? I went a wee bit nuts in Sephora and Ulta back home. We have Sephora don't get me wrong but it is just different back home. They have everything whereas many of the items that you see on Vloggers and Youtube channels are not here yet. #Annoying so I went ahead and stepped back into that obsession and I'll have that in one of my upcoming post.

6. SnapChat. I really feel like Snapchat has stepped up the game of so many bloggers & vloggers. I, for one, love that I can go on and keep up with my favorite bloggers on the day to day in a real way that isn't just a picture. I follow tons of people from Instagram and I have to say it is quickly becoming my #2 for social media. I mean I could NEVER betray my beloved Instagram which is holding steady at #1 but Facebook for me is slipping into that 3rd rank because all the political propaganda and experts on everything has me like ...

Make sure you go link up.

I'm out.