I less than three Bacon

Among my more unhealthy vices is bacon. While thankfully it's not the easiest of things to make (and so dangerous - bacon grease literally LEAPING out at you!) I still do enjoy it more than the average human, and it gives me a (albeit not very healthy but nevertheless) happy, heart. 

I was reminded of this love when visiting one of my new teacher's classrooms. Students finished writing their 6 word memoirs and they hung outside of the teacher's door. I scanned the door to find my favorite and immediately set eyes on my spirit-8th-grader:

#missingmiddleschoolers #thirteen

Nail Painting Parties

Last night I made time to sit and paint my nails (dark purple with one magenta "party nail" on each hand in case you were wondering.)  As I sat while the last coat of polish dried, I thought back to when my love for nail-painting began.

I always loved having my nails painted, but it wasn't until I began teaching in 2010 that I actually began to appreciate the process of painting my nails. I used to see it as a time-waster and mildly frustrating since I couldn't do much while my nails were still wet (or I'd try to reject that truth and fold laundry which would result in messing up my nails, and then inevitably taking more time re-doing them...)

Amelia & Jessica, two of my incredible students, were painting their nails one day in my room during lunch and in a (somewhat extremely desperate) attempt to build a relationship with them, I joined the nail painting party. We laughed (well mostly they laughed at me and my sub-par nail painting skills) and to this day they are two students I hold close to my heart.

Since then I've used the process of nail painting as:

• a key babysitting tactic
• way of bonding with female friends of all ages
• a method to increase my self-control & patience
• a therapeutic way to unwind on a Friday or Saturday evening.

Of course I still love the result of having my nails painted (especially with a fun party nail to look down at during the day), but have found an additional layer of gratitude for the actual process of painting nails.

Curious what my favorite nail polish color of all time is? Carry on.

Good Morning :)

Hopeful. Optimistic. Alive with possibilities. Mornings make me feel all of these things. 

When I wake up (to none other than this is my Fight Song) my alarm label reads, "His mercies are new every morning." -Lamentations 22:23

Mornings are a time where we all get a fresh start. I think about all of the hard days I had teaching and how after each one of those days I went to bed, and woke up to a new morning. A new cup of coffee. A new lesson to teach. A new relationship to be formed. A new opportunity to reach out to the seemingly-grumpy teacher two doors down. 

Mornings bring light to what is dark
They are an extension of grace
A fresh start
No matter what.

Fitbit Challenge

Despite my tendency and desire to crash on my couch after arriving at home in the evenings, I have a newfound motivation to run exercise ok, sometimes walk. I love being able to see the steps drastically increase in number after a matter of 30 minutes, or see that "active minutes" number turn GREEN with some virtual celebration confetti, recognizing my hard work. 

Fitbit may seem like a fun toy for solely high-achiever-oriented types, but I find that it has many other incredible benefits as well (see below for a non-comprehensive list.)

1. Deepening relationships with my family. Currently there is a standing Guenard family workweek hustle consisting of my mom, dad, and little sister. It's a good way to keep tabs on one another, especially when time zones & schedules prevent actual phone contact on the busy weeks.
2. Developing a growth mindset. Walking more steps is a relatively simple thing to do, and so doing so requires discipline and motivation. Once you achieve more steps, you build a growth mindset 
3. Increasing use of public transit & saving the environment. Example: I want to BART to my SF office because I'll get more steps than if I drove and parked right next to the office.

For these reasons and many more, I am so grateful for my fitbit (especially with my fancy new teal flowery band!)

#firstpost

#bloginspiration

The title of this blog is inspired by my perfume of choice, "Happy Heart." Creating a happy heart in myself is something I aspire to do each day. The description on the box reads, "A wealth of flowers.  A hint of warmth. A deepening of emotions." 

In addition to flowers, warmth, and all-the-feels, I think about 1 Thessalonians 5:16 which says, "Rejoice always." I sometimes often wonder how this is possible to do "always" given the state of our world and the amount of pain currently felt by so many humans. How does one experience both a deepening of emotions and a happy heart? 

My Other folks' (including David Steindl-Rast's) current theory is simple:

"The root of joy is gratefulness...It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful." -- David Steindl-Rast

The purpose of this blog is to test out this theory by sharing gratitude in all circumstances (yes, even when experiencing those "deepening of emotions" or when there are many other reasons not to feel grateful.) My hope is that by making this more public than in a journal or my own head, that readers feel likewise encouraged and even inspired to create their own version of a happy heart.

ps: Guest bloggers are welcome anytime :)