by Rachel | Uncategorized
There’s no better way to start the first week back to work after a long vacation than with a student who can barely contain his excitement at the sight of you :) “Miss Rachel! Miss Rachel!” Jake exclaimed as he sprinted to the front door of my studio with his piano books in hand.
(Jake recently graduated to the next level, so after we took his picture for the studio bulletin board, we took some silly shots…including the one above, which I artsied up a bit.)
I’m a person who appreciates routine, so it felt good to slip back into the one I’m so used to — as hectic and exhausting as it might be! Of course, it took a little more adjustment for many of my students, but I think after almost a full week, we’ve all found our groove.
And this morning, as I slid through the snow all the way to work, I mentally took stock of the first 7 days of 2011, which have included:
- Writing at least one blog post per day (one of my goals for the year!)
- Welcoming several new members to Listen & Learn Plus
- Introducing countless new songs and interventions to my music therapy students
- Penning my first custom song of 2011
- Adding several new students to my studio waiting list
- Recording episode 12 of the Music Therapy Round Table (it will be out soon!)
- Preparing for a big presentation, to be given this Tuesday
Yep, I’d say I’m back in saddle, all right. Although I do have to admit, as wonderful and productive as this week has been, I’m certainly glad it’s Friday! How was your first week of 2011?
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Well, technically it’s Christmas Eve…but I don’t plan on spending any time with my computer (as much as I love it) tomorrow. Today has been busy enough as it is, between friends and neighbors dropping by, baking cookies, cleaning, and getting ready for our family’s Christmas gathering tomorrow.
But the fun doesn’t stop there: tonight we’ll attend my church’s Christmas Eve service, in which my choir will perform the Christmas song my mom wrote (complete with a brass and wind ensemble and yours truly singing the solo). After church, we’ll head to Zach’s parents’ house, and then on to my aunt and uncle’s for their yearly Christmas Eve party.
Tomorrow will be filled with more family and friends — plus presents! Watching our nephew and niece open theirs (with a little help from their parents) will definitely be the highlight. And I’m super excited to host my family at our house for the first time ever. Luckily my parents are doing most of the cooking :) What are your plans for Christmas 2010?
Merry Christmas from my family to yours!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
I absolutely love giving gifts. In fact, I have a special savings account for Christmas money to which I contribute all year round, just so that I’m sure I can give everyone the “perfect” present come December.
However, I am not opposed to DIY gifts — I actually prefer making things myself rather than buying them. I flex my crafty muscles each year when it comes to gifts for my 30+ students. This year’s gifts are pictured above; I’m giving them music note or treble clef ornaments (gold for the boys, silver with sparkles for the girls) with handmade initial tags tied with ribbon.
Last year, I had special postcards made and wrote an individual note to each student. Then I laminated it and wrapped it up with candy and a cute little reindeer. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures to illustrate :(
Two years ago, I made ornament magnets for each student with his or her initial. This was quite a labor-intensive process, which involved gluing the magnet to the back of the ornament, tying and curling the ribbon, and placing the initial on the front. Of course, I had to make some for my husband and I, too:
My husband and I also do DIY gifts for family members and friends. Zach is the photo book expert of our family; he uses Apple’s iPhoto to create beautiful photo books of various events, which he gives frequently as gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas.
We’re trying something new this year for my Grandma’s gift: she lives in Florida, so we are going to make a DVD wishing her a Merry Christmas and also surprising her with the news that we are coming down to visit her next month (she has no idea!). I know she’ll love it more than anything we could possibly buy her.
Throughout the holiday season, I encourage my students to talk about giving more than receiving. I use the song If You Could Give a Gift to get them talking, and they always have extremely interesting and sweet gift-giving ideas.
What about you? Do you DIY your gifts (I’d especially love to hear about creative student gifts) or stick to store-bought goodies? Please share!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
On this day one week ago, I set out at 4 a.m. in search of the perfect Christmas gifts for my friends and family. After 8 straight hours of shopping, I returned home with a trunkful of goodies…for my home studio.
Okay, so I did buy a few gifts, but picking out useful things for my favorite space was much easier :) I just couldn’t resist all the Black Friday deals I came across, not to mention the Cyber Monday deals online. Here’s the run-down on my discounted haul:
- Multi-Color Storage Cart: I’ve had my eye on this for awhile, as it’s perfect for storing all of the forms and worksheets I use with my students. Luckily, it was one of the doorbusters at Shopko on Friday morning and I got 60% off.
- Blank CD-Rs: This might sound like a silly thing to be excited about, but considering how many blank CD-Rs I go through each week, I couldn’t pass up packs of 100 for ten bucks.
- Flip UltraHD Video Camera: I’ve been using this particular video camera for almost a year to record all of my Sunday Singalong videos, courtesy of my mom. I gave it to her as a gift last Christmas, but loved it so much that I’ve been “borrowing” it ever since. The Flip was on super-sale, so I decided it was time to invest in one for myself and give my mom’s back.
Commotion in the Ocean: I’m always on the lookout for good singable stories, especially when they are on sale. Amazon is my go-to place for new children’s books, and I found this one on sale (along with a few others) during Cyber Monday.- Flip Video Tripod: I’ve been rigging up my own tripods all year, but when I came across this legitimate one for cheap, I added it to my online shopping basket.
- HP Ink Combo Pack: Another seemingly boring purchase that was actually quite exciting to me! I go through a lot of ink printing visual aides and other resources for my students, and it definitely adds up. So anytime I can get it for less, I take advantage of that opportunity.
There were a few other items for my studio that made their way into my cart (both in the stores and online), but these were the ones that made me most happy. Did you buy anything work-related over the Thanksgiving holiday? If so, please spill!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
The holidays, that is. Even though we’re still a couple weeks away from Thanksgiving, the first signs of Christmas are popping up everywhere — and I’m not complaining! The truth of the matter is that I love the holidays, and I actually get excited when I see the first Christmas-themed television commercial of the season. My family (well, minus my husband) finds it completely acceptable to break out the sounds of the season (like these, these, and these) at the beginning of November.
But don’t worry; I keep my Christmas tunes to myself (car and iPod only!) until the day after Thanksgiving. This is especially important since I work with children who can only take so much holiday-induced excitement at one time. I’ll stick with Ten Little Turkeys, the Turkey Dinner Dance, and Thankful for a few more weeks :)
After all, I’m super excited about Thanksgiving, too. Spending time with my family, eating a delicious meal, and being reminded of just how much I have for which to be thankful? Yes, please.
I am curious, though…am I the only one who is already humming The Christmas Waltz, Home for the Holidays, and the like? Say it ain’t so!
