Thursday, August 12, 2010

Organization With a Side of Pineapple

So have I told you about Hawaiian pineapple yet? Yeah, the word amazing is not good enough. As my mom would say, it's like a new food. I mean, I like pineapple at home but I don't go out of my way to have it. In Hawaii obviously I didn't have to go out of my way to have it at all, but I would've if I had to.


The most amazing pineapple I had while in Hawaii was on the dolphin boat. I like it was partly the cool set up that made it taste so delicious. Or maybe it was the overall setting...


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I also ate pineapple in my oatmeal every morning in Maui. The oatmeal was not the most impressive (you know, oatmeal cooked in bulk) but the pineapple and a small amount of coconut made up for it...




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When I got home I wasn't quite ready to part with pineapple in my breakfast. Eric and I got pineapples for our moms and my mom shared enough that I was able to make pineapple oatmeal in my own kitchen. Yippee.




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I don't have the beautiful sunlight in the second picture, but the oatmeal was better. Plus I added some chia seeds :)


Tell me, what do you think of pineapple? What is your favorite fruit? Is there any food you have had somewhere other than home that you are shocked at how good it is? This happens to me all the time when I travel (of course there are also times when I'm like, oh no...for example, never try to get a bagel in Australia, yuckkkk).


On another note, this week Eric and I have been in SERIOUS organization and productivity mode. Our house was a legit BOMB when we came back from our honeymoon (a very clean bomb, thanks to my mom, but bomb nonetheless). We had not organized anything in months and with presents filtering in, things were really piling up. Finally, we had the energy to tackle it all, starting with our first trip to IKEA (well I had been once before to get book boxes for my kids, but first married trip to IKEA for furniture haha). I kinda love the place, but I don't think Eric agrees. It was a bit of an adventure that's for sure...




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Just a few boxes. We ended up getting a desk for me, a desk chair, a filing cabinet and a small table for the kitchen area that was supposed to hold our plants (but we are having some logistical issues with plants that need to be in the sun and a table/shelf that looks weird near the window haha). IKEA is fantastic but you absolutely have to assemble all of the stuff yourself and I wouldn't say they go out of their way to pack it in as few of pieces as possible.


Since I have no talent for assembly and Eric is the KING of it, he attacked all 4 of these pieces of furniture in about 24 hours. While he did that, I attempted to manage the hoarding room, oops I mean office. While I was at tutoring this morning Eric did some major filing into the the filing cabinet we bought.


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I have a good filing system going in filing tubs, but I hadn't filed anything in a few months and Eric hadn't since we moved in so he had his work cut out for him while I was dealing with the kiddos this morning (one decided to sing his whole book today LOUDLY, still rather be there than organizing haha).


Also today Eric got my new desk set up. I am SO excited. I have been using the dining room table to do work since we moved in. I love it because I have a lot of space and tons of sunlight but my butt starts to hurt after awhile, especially when I find myself working on report cards all day long. I think this will work better...


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Consider that the "Before" picture. The highlight of my life every September during college was getting to redecorate my desk area. I will be enjoying that in the next couple of days.


While I vacuumed up our massive assembly/cleaning mess, Eric did some picture hanging. Two of my favorite things right now are our starfish that Katie gave out at our rehearsal dinner which are now hanging in our dining room...




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We also hung up a painting that one of my former student's mom painted for me. and Eric. I talked about her last year when her daughter was in my class. She is a very talented and truly great mom, and her daughter is one of the sweetest and smartest kids I've ever had. She knew not a word of English when she came into my class and she was released from English Language classes after only about 4 months (only kid I ever let them release haha).


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This family is from Korea (in fact they moved back earlier this summer...sad) and in Korea the wedding ducks symbolize a long and happy marriage. Awesome, huh? Also in learning more about the ducks, I learned that there are only about 300 last name's in Korea (no wonder I have so many unrelated kids with the same last name this year!) AND that women do not change their last name when they marry in Korea. Yay for them!


So yeah... organization to the max. You know what weddings + organization equals?


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Our basement right now. Haha. Don't worry, it will be back to normal again after recycle + trash day on Monday, assuming it all fits in the driveway.


My current goal is to have my house + car 100% organized by the time school starts. Do you think it's too much to ask that my classroom would be too? Hmm...better get back to the productivity then.



16 comments:

  1. i am salivating over that pineapple! fresh pineapple = LOVE. unfortunately canned will have to do for now haha!

    and ugh to organization mode. that's going to be me this upcoming week having to move into a new place. ughhhhhhhh.

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  2. I just went to Ikea last weekend and planning on going back on Saturday. I think it's a newlywed rite of passage!

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  3. Mmmm . . . now I can't wait to get some pineapple in Hawaii when we go there on OUR honeymoon next year. I love it!! So sweet!

    Looks like you had a productive day! :)

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  4. Love, love, love pineapple... really, any tropical fruit makes me happy! I remember having fresh passion fruit for the first time when I was living in Tanzania and I bought it every single I time I went to the market after that. Soooo good!

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  5. Oh man I LOVE pineapple and we buy pineapple pretty regularly but I've never thought to try it in my oatmeal! Must get on that!

    I wish the nearest Ikeas wasn't a 4-hour drive away or I would stock up on things there ALL the time!

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  6. Oh I love that duck painting and it's meaning!

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  7. Its been 2 years, but I still can taste that Hawaiian pineapple!

    Doesn't it feel good to be getting things organized! We're still working on little projects since moving, but we're almost there and it feels great!

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  8. I'm not into organzing, but once my boyfriend does it, I do my best to keep it that way. Same thing with cleaning. Once things are clean, I'll keep them clean. I just don't like the actual cleaning or organizing part of it. I love the pineapple in oats idea!

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  9. That painting is great - what a special gift!

    When I was in Fiji en route to Australia, I had bananas and they tasted way different and WAY better. So I know what you mean about fruits tasting better in different places!

    I sort of hate Ikea! I can't handle it, it's sensory overload or something... and I am the worst at assembling things, so that store is not a good fit for me. Unless I have someone lined up to assemble what I buy - then I wouldn't mind it as much. I have just had a few too many tear-enducing furniture assembly projects...

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  10. I love pineapple. Especially in cottage cheese. Is that weird?

    I also like blueberries when they are in season

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  11. I love pineapple! Today I ate pineapple sorbet for dessert at lunch. The sorbet came IN a halved and emptied pineapple. So not only did it taste amazing, the presentation scored huge points!!

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  12. You are so similar to me, I would have that same goal, and in fact I DID have that goal before I started work! I wanted to be 100% organized AND finish painting the house. I got the organized part, but I just finished painting yesterday.

    I love the ducks and how they symbolize a long and happy marriage. I think that you and Eric will definitely have one of those!

    I also love pineapple. I have never tried it in oats though.....great idea!

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  13. I'm so proud of your organization! I wish I could have helped : ) I'll help with the classroom though if you'd like.. I have a good three weeks of nothing that needs to be filled with something!

    My favorite fruit is banana. But you already knew about my obsession. Bananas taste different everywhere I go, especially the Caribbean - can't decide if they're better or worse.

    Oh, and I'm in love with your desk and decorating my desk/wall in college was definitely my favorite thing too!

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  14. I absolutely love pineapple! It's one of my favorite fruits, and I'm sure it's so much better in Hawaii!!

    Also, IKEA is my most favorite place ever. One day I want to just drop a load of cash on that place and buy, buy, buy!! :) Your desk is cute, too!

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  15. I would never have thought to add pineapple to oatmeal - I love pineapple!

    I am also trying to get into an organization mood before the semester starts - sounds like you have made some progress.

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  16. cute desk! i love organizing a desk as well. i need to organize our office badly. the last picture reminds me soo much about right after our wedding. ugh.

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