#Movienight @JUMPBoise with #OpenSeasonMovie #MountainHosts

There is a terrific new space in Boise called JUMP - Jack's [as in Simplot] Urban Meeting Place. According to their Twitter page, it is "A celebration of creativity and inspiration, a place for the community to participate in a kaleidoscope of ever-changing activities, events, and programs."

Seriously, there is a ton to do there. Here is the calendar page. There are classes, programs, a maker space, wifi throughout, community events and spectacular views of Boise.

Tonight was free movie night where four of us met to watch Open Season, a funny kid movie. Not only is it free, you can bring in food (which only one of us remembered to do). An added bonus was that the creator of Open Season, Steve Moore, lives in Boise and was there to answer questions and chat. What a super fun evening!

Oh, and did I mention that we all rode our bikes downtown? 

I love Boise.

Us with Steve Moore - see movie playing in the background in a gorgeous room on the 5th floor.

Spring break @BogusBasin #lovetoski

One of the best parts of being a teacher? Spring break!! Beautiful spring skiing at Bogus Basin last week. We are so lucky to live so close to such a magnificent place.

New ski bag!!! #BogusBasin #Avalon #lovetoski

My new ski bag arrive a few weeks ago and it is AWESOME!!!  Also, it's pink. It fits both boots, my helmet and all of my garb, all at the same time! I used it a few weeks ago on a trip to Salt Lake and it was spectacular. I've wanted one for a few years but never decided I was worth the time and energy it would take to find one I liked. Well, that old idea has been in the process of being excavated all year, and finally, the ski gear barrier has fallen.

I found a recommendation list here and only considered models that come in pink. You can use your own filter! 

It's awesome!

Super comfy backpack straps

Handy-dandy pocket on the top next to a killer handle.

Look at all that stuff!!

#MAET Year 1 scrapbook FINISHED!!! #scrapbook #Ireland #Galway

I just put the finishing touches on my scrapbook from MAET -Year 1! (MAET stands for Master's of Arts in Educational Technology and I completed in 3 summers in Galway, Ireland.)


Yes, I'm a scrapbooker. Not the it-loos-so-good-you-could-put-that-in-a-frame kind; I'm more like the cram-as-much-on-one-page-as-possible kind. I won't lie, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood had a big effect on me, although I started doing this a little before I read the book. My first scrapbook was of my honeymoon to Greece with my ex-husband. Ever since then I have more or less accounted for big events and trips with a scrapbook.

Here's the gist:

1. I collect all sorts of things during my trip. I mean everything: receipts, tickets, napkins, posters, brochures, stickers, figurines, rain ponchos. You just never know what might come in handy later.
2. When I get home Some number of months or years later, I pull out all the stuff I've collected. I go online and print out a selection of pictures from the trip. For example, for MAET Year 2, I printed out 383 pictures out of 700ish total taken. 
3. I sort the pictures chronologically by event on a big table.
4. I sort all the collected debris on top of the pictures.
5. Assemble pages, event by event. This is the part where I really start to relive the trip. It's the best part (as long as it was a happy event!). Here is where I see what was actually important to me. Those things are included.
6. This is the second best part: I throw out all the stuff that doesn't go into the book. This feels fantastic! Before I started making scrapbooks I just collected boxes full of little mementoes and piles of pictures that no one ever saw except me when I cleaned out. Now, the good stuff stays and gets displayed, and the other stuff gets to go, and I complete the process with a visible piece of me to share and an indescribable sense of satisfaction.