About

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by my blog!

I'm Michelle and I live on the north side of Chicago, teach just west of the city.

2021-2022 marks my nineteenth year in education. I still love it! This is my ninth year as a Literacy Coach and I'm so thankful to work with amazing people, like these girls:

I earned my Master's Degree from Arizona State University in Language and Literacy. It was about my fourth year teaching and I had been in sixth grade at that time. I would get kids who couldn't read and I had no idea what to do. ASU cleared that up really well, and now I coach others in strategies to lift literacy achievement, and love every second of it. I also kinda have a thing for books...

And writing. The Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted by Two Writing Teachers made me a writer, and then I made writers of my students:

I also persuaded a few teachers to jump in, who had their classes do so, so it was just this amazing ripple effect that I'm really proud to have been at the front of in our district.

One teaching accomplishment I'm extremely proud of was being a finalist for the Golden Apple award in 2017. There were over 600 teachers nominated that year, and I was one of 30ish who made the finals and had an interview. I didn't end up winning, but to be in this small group that year was everything :-)

Over the years, I have also become increasingly interested in Health and Wellness. It kind of all started on this blog in 2012. This blog began as a record of an elimination diet I was doing. I wanted some accountability and this certainly provided it!

Since then, Arbonne fell into my lap and I've never looked back. I run an Arbonne business alongside my teaching life and am a product of the product :)

Some other stats:

I am single and, as I mentioned before, I live in a thriving Midwest metropolis. The dating landscape had changed immensely and it's just...difficult. But, I keep trying, because, you know - just one right match :)

My family and longest friends are scattered all around the country: North Carolina, Michigan, New Mexico, Florida, Arizona, California. I usually hop on a southwest flight a few times a year to visit most of them!

I love to travel! I've done two Europe trips and been around this country, too. Love Nashville, love Spain, and was hoping to spend my 40th on a beach in Cabo, but then Covid happened, so I may be 40 again later this year :)

I have wanted a golden doodle FOREVER, and I thought my pup would look like this one and be named Dudley:

But during the pandemic I finally convinced Norm, my landlord to allow me a dog and so I ended up with this cutie, Sunny, my dogter :)

I think that's enough for now! Be sure to connect with me on Instagram, I'm most active there on a daily basis :-)