Liebster Award

Fellow blogger and fashionista school counselor friend Melanie from The Stylish School Counselor nominated me for the Liebster Award so here's my questions to answer:

1. What are your top 3 favorite life moments to date?

I try to make all my moments in life memorable so there are too many to name.

2. What are some stores that are your go to places to shop for you?

I love to shop (especially for a bargin) so my usual shopping spots are: JCrew, Old Navy, Gap, Macy's, Banana Republic and recently I've gotten into Athleta.

3. How would you describe your style? (Bonus: share some pictures)

I'd say that I dress very preppy with a little edge.  I love to mix prints and colors and love dressing up for work...dress for success (I know it sounds cheesy but it's so true).  

4. What is your occupation? If you didn't do that, what would you do?
School Counselor, oh yeah!  If I weren't  a school counselor, I'd love to be a corporate trainer that traveled all over the world training others.  

5.  What is your favorite room in your home and why?

My living room...couch, Apple TV ie..Netflix, enough said

6. What are 3 things on your wish list right now?

-Silver Birkenstocks for Spring

-Track Jacket

-Gift card to Athleta to buy said Birkenstocks and jacket

See these are actually on my wish list!

7. What has been your favorite vacation to date?Vacations are always awesome, I loved my cruise to the Bahamas 2 years ago and I loved my trip to England and Norway last year.  Could I possibly go for a three-peat by going to Central America this year in Costa Rica & Nicaragua?

8. If you could share one of your best organization tips (whether at home or at school) what would it be?

Pick out your clothes/outfits for the week ahead of time and make/pack your lunch before you go to bed...will save you so much time.  This works oh so well for me!

So.....now I would like to nominate the following bloggers for the Liebster Award and to join in on the fun! Simply link back to this post, answer the questions below, and nominate some of your fav bloggers!! 

Traci from The Extraordinary School Counselor

Rebecca from School Counseling By Heart

Vanessa from Savvy School Counselor

Angela from Life on the Fly Counselor

Carol from The Middle School Counselor

Questions:

1. What can always be found in your handbag or schoolbag?

2. Do you pack your lunch or eat school cafeteria food?

3.Why did you decide to start blogging and why?

4. What is your absolute favorite food?

5. If you weren't a school counselor, what career path would you choose?

6. What is the most played song on your iPod?

7. What's the last book that you read?

8. What's your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?

9. What's your favorite TV show?

10. What's the last movie that you saw?

#NSCW15 Friday Giveaway

On the last day of #NSCW15 and one last giveaway.  Enter below to win a $20 giftcard to Walmart to use towards your next school counselor project.  I hope that you had a fantastic week celebrating all that you do, it is certainly appreciated!


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#NSCW15 Thursday Giveaway

#NSCW15 Thursday Giveaway is a copy of What Shoes Will You Wear book by the fabulous Julia Cook.  Raise your hand if you have a Julia Cook book in your counselor library?  Well here' s a way to add another to your collection.  Enter below to win a copy of What Shoes Will You Wear  which is great book to use with students to explore careers options.  I ALWAYS find myself looking for resources and ways to expose younger students to careers.  This is going to be an excellent resource to add to my counselor career resources.


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#NSCW15 Wednesday Giveaway

#NSCW15 Wednesday Giveaway is a copy of The Body Image Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help Girls Develop a Healthy Body Image in an Image Obsessed World (An Instant Help Book for Teens) by Julia V.Taylor.   Raise your hand if you own the super helpful G.I.R.L.S. book (I do, love them).  Well here's a way to add another book to your counselor library.  Enter below to win a copy of The Body Image Workbook for Teens, which is great book to use with students & parents. This is going to be an excellent resource to add to my counselor career resources.


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#NSCW15 Tuesday Giveaway

#NSCW15 Tuesday Giveaway is a copy of The Anti-Test Anxiety Society book by the fabulous Julia Cook.  Raise your hand if you have a Julia Cook book in your counselor library?  Well here' s a way to add another to your collection.  Enter below to win a copy of The Anti-Test Anxiety Society, which is great book to use with students as testing season approaches.  I ALWAYS find myself looking for resources and ways to calm testing nerves with students and parents.  This is going to be an excellent resource to have on working with testing worries.

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Celebrating #NSCW15 & A Week of Giveaways!

Fabulous school counselors our week of celebration is here (although I think we should be celebrated each and every day)!  I've been thinking  how to celebrate National School Counselor Week at my school for a quite a while.  I can honestly say that at my school, we (counselor intern Victoria & I) are constantly reminded how much parents, staff and students appreciate what we do as counselors (we do A LOT!)

So here's how we'll be celebrating National School Counseling Week:

-My school district will host a morning celebration for all the school counselors to celebrate...us and what we do!

We're so excited to celebrate.  Use the hashtag #NSCW15 to post your pictures.

-I made this great banner from Vistaprint to hang outside of my office to celebrate and to let everyone know that it's National School Counselor Week. On a side note I got a sweet deal on this bannery on a Black Friday sale, for only (are you ready for this) 99 cents!

Celebration banner

-I put daily announcements on our live morning television school news show on things that school counselors do and how we are here to help all students.  Both Victoria & I even plan to be interviewed during the show on Tuesday (this is really a stretch for me, I'm more of a behind the scenes person).

-My principal included a little reminder on her phone message that it was School Counselor Week and also our PTA sent out a shout out to us to the parent list serve (great school counselor PR).  

-To include staff, I made a little note to everyone (I used Avery business cards) that said "Being your JYJ Counselors is worth at least 100 Grand.  Celebrating National School Counselor Week from Andrea & Victoria".   I attached a 100 Grand candy bar to the note.  To get more ideas check out Pinterest and look under teacher appreciation.

Treats for staff & counselors in my region.  To print your own copy of NSCW signs click here.  

-To include school counselors in my school district Victoria & I made a treat to give all of the counselors in our elementary region. It says "For being a part of our super STAR Central PLT, happy school counseling week!" and we attached it to Starburst candy (another Pinterest idea).   I love that I've been able to be a part of such a wonderful and fun region (shout out to the Elementary Central Area PLT)!

-To include other school counselors, I sent notes to a few school counselors that I've met from this blog, conferences, professional development and even counselor friends in my district.  I used post cards & envelopes that I ordered from Vistaprint. I can't say it enough how this blog has allowed me to connect with so many amazing school counselors.  Thank you for reading and sticking with me.  Who doesn't like to receive a little note celebrating what you do?

Notes to school counselors, you just may be receiving a note from me!

-I also have another way to celebrate us by having a giveaway a day for the rest of the week!!!
Here's what's on tap for the week's giveaway:

-Tuesday: Win a copy of The Anti-Test Anxiety Society book by Julia Cook
-Wednesday:  Win a copy of The Body Image Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help Girls Develop a Healthy Body Image in an Image-Obsessed World (An Instant Help Book for Teens)  by Julia V. Taylor
-Thursday: Win a copy of What Shoes Will You Wear by Julia Cook
-Friday:  Win a $20 gift card to Walmart

Don't forget to enter each day

I'm very excited about our week to celebrate our fantastic profession!  What are your plans for school counseling week?