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My Top 14 in 2014 #bestyearever

Can you believe there are only a few weeks left of 2014? As I reflect back on the year, only one word comes to mind: BLESSED. My 2014 has been filled with so many blessings and so much joy, I am joining the fun with Hadar from Miss Kindergarten, Kristin from A Teeny Tiny Teacher, and Tracie from Dragonflies in First to share my top 14 moments of 2014.

This post contains affiliate links. I receive a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links, which helps to support the blog.

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ONE – I Got Engaged

This list is not in chronological order. The absolute biggest moment of my year happened on April 25th when Rob (aka the love of my life) asked me to marry him! I have been so blessed to have him in my life and now we are busy planning our upcoming wedding in June of 2015!

 

TWO – Telling my Students about My Engagement

Once Rob and I were engaged, I immediately began brainstorming ways to share the good news with my kindergarten students. That conversation was easily one of my top-10 classroom moments of all time.

announcing my engagement in the classroom

THREE – Stitch Fix Obsession

I became completely obsessed with Stitch Fix – the online styling service for women. I never have time to shop and Stitch Fix has been such a lifesaver for me. Thanks to my personal stylist, I am always well-dressed and I still have plenty of time to blog and share ideas with you! You can see all of my Stitch Fix styles here.  Stitch Fix online personal styling service for women #stitchfix #fashion

FOUR – Going Debt Free with Dave Ramsey

As soon as Rob and I began to plan our future together, we began to discuss much more than our upcoming wedding. Instead, our financial future became our first priority and figuring out a plan to rid ourselves of $180k in student loan debt. Needless to say, it has been quite an adventure. Rob and I began Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University home study program over the summer and completed nine weeks of lessons in about a month’s time. We are so thankful for the program because it helped us devise a plan and paved the road for our financial future. You can read more about our journey out of debt here. During the time of our home study, our date nights became a bit more subdued. This scene became a regular occurrence as we learned and worked together.

Not your typical date night… #daveramsey #babysteps #marriageprep #soexcited A photo posted by Maria Manore (@kindercraze) on

FIVE – Sherlock Holmes Exhibit

Last winter, Rob and I hit the road and went to check out the traveling Sherlock Holmes exhibit at COSI in Columbus, Ohio. We are both huge fans of the Masterpiece Classic Sherlock series that runs on PBS and we couldn’t let the opportunity to experience Sherlock Holmes in an interactive way pass us by. The trip was a total blast and we loved putting clues together to solve the mystery

sherlock-exhibit

SIX – Trip to Boston

I actually took several trips this past year. My second big trip of the year was a road trip to Boston with my new fiancé, Rob. We headed out east to visit a friend of Rob’s from college. It was great to be in such an amazing city, but the highlight of my trip was definitely meeting Kristen from A Day in First Grade. Kristen and I have been internet friends for some time and it was great to finally meet her in real life!

 

SEVEN – I realized I was a #Girlboss

After seeing all of my favorite IG friends (outside of the teacher world) sharing photos of their new favorite read, #GIRLBOSS, I knew I had to check it out. I listened to the audiobook in my car over the summer and I was immediately entranced. Listening to Sophia Amoruso’s store unfold while I drove through town was such a revelation. The book was such an inspiring read and so motivating for any female entrepreneur. I highly recommend it! girlbooss

EIGHT – Viva Las Vegas

I went to Vegas this summer for SDE’s national I Teach K conference and the first-ever Teachers Pay Teachers seller conference. I learned so much while I was in Vegas, but the best part was having an opportunity to meet so many amazing blogging friends at one time. The trip was an absolute whirlwind but oh-so-amazing. TpTVegas While I was in Vegas, I also had a chance to meet Paul Edelman, the founder of TpT. I was so happy to grab a quick photo with him in between all the big events of the trip.Paul-Edelman

NINE – BlogHer Conference

Right after the big TpT Vegas extravaganza, I headed back out west with Rob to attend BlogHer in San Jose. I’m sure you have already figured out how much I love Kinder Craze. Blogging has brought so much joy into my life and I am always looking for ways to help Kinder Craze work better for YOU. BlogHer was the perfect mix of business and pleasure and it was wonderful to have my future hubby as my sidekick for the trip. He has officially been brought on board behind the scenes of Kinder Craze and he spent his days in San Jose attending conference sessions too. We made new friends, heard some really wonderful keynote presentations, and had a blast at the closing party!

Day 2 at BlogHer with my love. Learning so much! #blogher14 #bloggergirl #selfiebration #kindercraze #crazytogether A photo posted by Maria Manore (@kindercraze) on

TEN – Launching Crazy Together

Right after I began my summer vacation in June, I decided to take a giant leap forward and start a personal blog. The enthusiastic response of my fans to learning the details about my engagement and upcoming wedding was bewildering to me. Rob and I had spoken extensively about what we were comfortable sharing about our journey and we decided to start Crazy Together, a lifestyle blog about our experiences through wedding preparation and everyday life. It took several months to lay the groundwork and complete my vision of how I wanted the new blog to look and feel, but it has been an amazing ride in the few short months since Crazy Together first launched. It has also been wonderful to work side-by-side with Rob and share my blogging passion with someone I love so much.

thumbnail-5 Maria and Rob from Crazy Together

ELEVEN – Kinder Craze Makeover

Crazy Together wasn’t my only blog endeavor this year. Kinder Craze also got a HUGE upgrade. I migrated from Blogger to WordPress, purchased a new blog domain (kindercraze.com instead of the former kindercrazeblog.com), and dropped the hyphen from Kinder Craze. I also worked extensively with a designer to create a new look for Kinder Craze that would coordinate with my sister site, Crazy Together. It has been quite a journey for my beloved teaching blog, but I couldn’t possibly be more thrilled or proud of where the blog stands today. fresh new look of kinder craze Just in case you forgot the old look of Kinder Craze, here’s a little flashback… 10b-Kinder-Craze-3

TWELVE – Michigan Catholic Feature

I was so blessed to be featured on the front page of The Michigan Catholic magazine during their back to school issue this fall. I teach kindergarten at a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Detroit and the magazine wrote a HUGE feature article about my the success of Kinder Craze and my role as a classroom teacher. It was one of those amazing moments that serves as a reminder for how truly blessed I am.

catholic

THIRTEEN – Meeting Ben Folds

True story: Rob and I ventured out to see the symphony twice in one week. Both experiences were amazing, but the second concert was extra special because Ben Folds performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The concert itself left me in awe (Ben is so talented), but the very best part happened after the concert when Rob and I actually met Ben Folds.

Oh, you know, just hanging out with Ben Folds #nobigdeal #benfolds #datenight

A photo posted by Maria Manore (@kindercraze) on


FOURTEEN – Family

Number fourteen isn’t exactly an event, it’s more of a general sentiment. FAMILY. Rob and I have so much to look forward to and share with our family. With weddings and babies on the way, there is SO much to be thankful for. I love each and every one of these people so much and cannot wait to share the joys of 2015 with all of them!

family

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Maria Gavin

Maria is a former kindergarten and first grade teacher, with 13 years of teaching experience. Her love and passion for all things early childhood is now fulfilled as a mom to two amazing kids. She loves sharing practical and creative tips and ideas that are perfect for young learners – in the classroom or at home!

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10 Responses

  1. I loved reading this post! You’ve had a wonderful year and so much to look forward to. I told my kids about my engagement too, only it was 28 years ago! Several even attended the reception! Your blog and packets are wonderful. Happy holidays!

  2. Love looking at your recap pictures=what a fabulous year! Vegas was incredible; so great meeting you and can’t wait to do it all again! We know 2015 will be full of blessed beginnings for you. Enjoy every second!
    ~Christy & Tammy

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Hi, I'm Maria.

I’m a former kindergarten teacher turned work-from-home mom. I still love sharing ideas and resources to make teaching easier, so you can focus on what really matters in the classroom. When I’m not working on the blog, you’ll find me chasing kids around the house with a cold cup of coffee in my hand (some things never change even once you’re out of the classroom!)

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