Million Mile Driver

Posted on by Mandy

I’m a little overdue posting this, but in April, my husband received his Million Mile driver award.  My husband is a truck driver and he has worked for the same company for 12 years.  In those 12 years, he has driven over a million miles accident free.  He didn’t have to attend the banquet to receive this award, but we decided this was a huge honor, so we packed up the car and made a little overnight trip.

Because free hotel room?  Yes, please!

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Anytime this mama doesn’t have to cook a meal or make a bed is 1000% OK in my book!  Ha!

We enjoyed a wonderful meal before the ceremony got started and then my husband was one of a few drivers presented with honors.  My husband’s dispatcher presented his award and made it extra special by calling our son up to the stage as she presented it.  It was at that point my husband got a *little* emotional.

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He also got a special sticker to put on his truck.  He took great pains to put that on in just the right spot!

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I’m so proud of my husband.  He has made so many sacrifices for our family, and he absolutely deserved this.  I’m so glad we could be there for him.

Packing Up And Moving On

Posted on by Mandy

So, when I last left off, I was gearing up for the end of the school year and dreading packing up my library.  My school was being changed into a 9th grade academy for the next year and I was having to pack up EVERYTHING to be moved out of the library to make way for age-appropriate books and materials for the high school students.  It took a couple of weeks of starting/stopping packing, but by the last day of school, my sweet little library looked like this:

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Empty.  Barren.  And not only was this a sad sight, but I also had to say goodbye to ALL of my students because none of them would be coming back to the school next year, so that was super sad for me also.  I didn’t cry, but it also didn’t really hit me until about a few days ago.  I miss those kids already.  Not in a “I really wish school would hurry up and start” kind of way, but I sure will miss seeing their little faces next year.

Because next year?  I won’t be at this school anymore.  On a whim, I applied for a school librarian job here in my hometown.  I wanted desperately to be closer to home and not have to commute 70 miles a day.  It was also difficult for me to imagine being a high school librarian for the next school year because my passion is working with those little ones.  Amazingly, the week before school let out, I got a call saying I got the job and last week I signed my contract.  I will be working in a Pre K-2nd grade school, and I am so excited!  The library in this school is absolutely beautiful and I can’t wait to get started working with these kids.  They are the perfect age group for falling in love with reading and I hope to make them hungry for books!

Discover Novica- Fair Trade Artisan Products

Posted on by Mandy

I love shopping for home décor.  I collect two specific brands of Mississippi made pottery and artwork and I love finding items that are handmade, unique, and special.  Living in the culturally rich Mississippi Delta, we don’t lack at all for local talent and I support these artisans as often as I can.  With the internet, it’s now so easy to appreciate and support those artisans across the globe, also.  I recently had a chance to discover Novica, a leading fair trade artisan website that works with National Geographic to give talented artisans around the world a place to express their artistic talents and provide access to the world market.

If you’re looking for art, jewelry, clothing, home décor, or a gift that’s really special and unique, Novica has a great selection.  Since I am really into things for our home, I chose these awesome blown glass drinking glasses that are made in Mexico.

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I was so excited to find these because we already had a set that I purchased years ago, only they aren’t as tall.  These are the perfect size and I love blown glass.  The colors are really fun and each glass is unique and beautiful.

I also ordered this beautiful ceramic candleholder made in Bali.  It’s just perfect for holding a votive candle and gives off a beautiful, patterned glow when lit.  I loved the color and it blends beautifully with our other living room décor.

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If you love “pinning”, then you will definitely want to check out Novica’s curation website, which lets you curate collections of your favorite Novica items, helping to impact thousands of artisans around the world.

Novica’s website makes it very easy to browse and locate the items you are most interested in.  You can shop by category or by global region.  You can further narrow your searches by price point, color, themes, and more.  Their customer service is top notch and I received an email letting me know as soon as my items were shipped and an estimated arrival date. 

Novica is definitely shopping that you can feel good about.  I’m so impressed with my items and will definitely be a returning customer.

 

I was provided with a gift certificate to try out Novica in exchange for my honest opinion of the website.  All opinions are my own.