September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and it’s a good time to talk about children’s health.

But I think we need to make the conversation bigger than food and weight.

When we talk about helping children develop healthy habits, we aren't talking about putting kids on diets, making them worry about their weight, or labeling foods as “good” and “bad.” We’re talking about giving children the tools they need to take care of their growing bodies and developing brains.

Healthy childhood habits include nutritious food, movement, sleep, screen boundaries, mental health, and plenty of time for connection and play.

In other words, healthy kids need more than a healthy plate.

Start with Food, Not Food Rules

Nutrition is an important part of childhood health, but healthy eating doesn't have to mean complicated recipes, expensive ingredients, or a refrigerator full of foods nobody wants to eat.

The USDA’s MyPlate guidance recommends offering children a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy or fortified soy alternatives while choosing foods and beverages that are nutrient-dense and lower in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.

One of my favorite ways to make this practical is to think about adding variety rather than restricting food.

Instead of: “Don't eat that.”

Try: “What could we add to make this snack more filling?”

For example:

• Apple slices with peanut or nut butter
• Greek yogurt with berries
• Carrots, cucumbers, or bell peppers with hummus
• Cheese and fresh fruit
• Banana with peanut butter
• Hard-boiled eggs and fruit
• Air-popped popcorn
• Whole-grain crackers with cheese
• Trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit
• Smoothies made with fruit, yogurt or milk, and spinach

The goal isn't to make every snack perfect, but rather to give kids plenty of opportunities to experience different foods and learn what helps them feel satisfied and energized.

Make Healthy Snacks Easy to Grab

One of the simplest things we can do is make nutritious choices convenient.

The USDA suggests keeping things like cut-up fruits and vegetables, yogurt, nut butters, and whole-grain crackers readily available so children have options they can grab themselves.

Try creating a kid-friendly snack station in the refrigerator or pantry. You could keep:

• In the refrigerator
• Washed grapes or berries
• Apple slices
• Baby carrots
• Cucumber slices
• Cheese sticks
• Yogurt
• Hard-boiled eggs
• In the pantry
• Whole-grain crackers
• Popcorn
• Nuts or seeds
• Unsweetened dried fruit
• Low-sugar granola
• Whole-grain pretzels

Then let kids combine foods themselves.
For example: The “Snack Plate”

• One fruit
• One vegetable
• One protein
• One grain or crunchy option

It doesn't have to be fancy. In fact, the less complicated, the better.

A Few Easy Meal Ideas

Healthy family meals don't have to take an hour. Here are a few easy combinations that can become weeknight staples:

Build-Your-Own Taco Bowls

Start with brown rice or another whole grain and add:

• Black beans or lean ground meat
• Corn
• Tomatoes
• Avocado
• Lettuce
• Salsa
• A little cheese

Let everyone build their own bowl. Kids are often more willing to try foods when they have some control over what goes on their plate.

Snacky Dinner

Sometimes dinner can simply be a collection of foods.
Try:

• Turkey or chicken
• Cheese
• Whole-grain crackers
• Fresh fruit
• Cucumbers or carrots
• Hummus

Put everything on a large platter and let everyone make their own plate.

Breakfast-for-Dinner

Eggs, whole-grain toast, fruit, and yogurt can make a perfectly good dinner. Add some vegetables to the eggs or serve fruit on the side. Simple counts.

Sheet-Pan Chicken and Vegetables

Put chicken breast or thighs, chopped vegetables, and potatoes or sweet potatoes on a sheet pan. Add olive oil and your favorite seasonings and roast until cooked through. Minimal dishes. Minimal effort. Everyone wins.

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Jessica

Thirteen years.

I’m not sure there’s a way to type that without stopping for a second and thinking, wait what?!

On August 31, 2013, I published my very first blog post. I had no idea what I was starting. I certainly didn’t have some grand five-year plan for where it would take me. I was a teacher who liked creating things, sharing ideas, and apparently thought the internet needed to hear what I had to say.

And somehow, thirteen years later, I’m still here.

A lot has changed since that first post.

I’ve changed grade levels. I’ve changed roles. I’ve gone from classroom teacher to technology teacher to curriculum writer. I’ve earned a master’s degree, created countless resources, taught professional development, written curriculum, started new projects, abandoned some old ones, and reinvented myself more than once.

The blog has changed right along with me.

What started as a place to share things from my classroom became a place to share teaching ideas and resources. Then technology became a bigger part of the story. And eventually, the things I create and share expanded far beyond what I ever imagined when I hit “publish” that first time.

Honestly, I think that’s one of the things I love most about having this little corner of the internet. It has grown with me.

There have been seasons when I posted constantly and seasons when I barely posted at all. There have been moments when I was convinced I had finally figured out exactly what I was doing and moments when I had absolutely no idea what came next (like right now actually lol).

There have been new ideas, new beginnings, plenty of questionable decisions, and more than a few well, I guess we're doing this now moments.

But I kept coming back to creating because I still love it.

I love taking an idea and turning it into something useful. I love figuring out how to explain something better. I love helping teachers. I love curriculum. I love technology and all the possibilities it gives us. And I still get ridiculously excited when something I created helps someone else.

That part hasn't changed. So today I'm not really celebrating a blog. I'm celebrating thirteen years of creating, of learning, of teaching and being taught, of changing my mind, changing directions, starting over, and figuring things out as I go. 

And thirteen years of having people come along for the ride.

To everyone who has ever read a post, downloaded something, shared my work, left a comment, sent me a message, told a friend about what I was doing, or simply followed along quietly from wherever you are THANK YOU!!

You have no idea how much it means to know that the things I make actually make their way into someone else's classroom, someone's professional life, or someone's day.

I have no idea what the next thirteen years will look like.

And it's really kind of exciting.

I suspect there will be more changes. More new ideas. More things I never expected to be doing. Probably a few more reinventions. And almost certainly some questionable decisions along the way.

But for now, I'm just going to pause and appreciate this.

August 31, 2013 → August 31, 2026.

Thirteen years.

Happy birthday to this little blog of mine.

And thank you for growing up with me.

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Jessica

If you need to give a copy of a Google file (docs/sheets/slides) you can easily do so by just changing the ending. 

How-To

1. Find the file you want to share. 
2. Change the settings to “Anyone with the link can view.” Then, click “copy link.”
3. Paste the link somewhere, but don’t click away yet. First let’s change the ending.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13US-bbdZrOM-MHTGZBm9ikCIugtaTf6sdeOVTxFEXrs/edit?usp=sharing

4. You'll only erase the part in blue above.

5. Change the ending: 

To force a copy:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13US-bbdZrOM-MHTGZBm9ikCIugtaTf6sdeOVTxFEXrs/copy

To create a template preview: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13US-bbdZrOM-MHTGZBm9ikCIugtaTf6sdeOVTxFEXrs/template/preview

6. Then share that new link wherever you need to.

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Jessica

If you are an educator, you know that the lunch hour is a absolute myth. Between monitoring the hallways, answering emails, prepping for your next block, and escorting students, that designated break usually shrinks down to a slim 15 minutes.

When you’re that short on time, waiting in line for the staff room microwave (or even walking to the teacher's lounge) is something you simply can't do. So falling into the trap of vending machine snacks or skipping lunch entirely ruins your energy for the afternoon.

To keep your energy high and hit your wellness goals, you need meals that require zero heating, can be eaten with one hand if necessary, and pack a massive punch with protein. 

Here are four quick, no-heat lunch ideas you can assemble ahead of time and eat right at your desk.

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Jessica

There are exactly two versions of me in the morning.

• Version one has coffee, opens her computer, clicks one page, and starts teaching.
• Version two is desperately searching through 87 Chrome tabs wondering where the damn music is coming from.

I prefer Version One.

One of the biggest time-savers I ever created was a simple Google Slides page that acted as my teacher dashboard.

Every time I opened my Chrome browser each day, that dashboard was the very first thing I saw. Instead of digging through bookmarks of which I had (and still have) an entirely overfull Bookmarks Bar, searching Google Drive, or trying to remember which website I needed, everything was waiting for me in one place.

This simple little dashboard will save you several minutes every morning and a whole lot of frustration. 

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Jessica

Be honest: When was the last time you sat at a dinner table, stood in a checkout line, or sat on the couch with your family without instinctively reaching for your phone?

Our phones have evolved from simple communication tools into the literal remote controls of our lives. They manage our calendars, run our businesses, track our macros, and keep us connected. But as integral as they are, there’s a fine line between a device that serves you and a device that consumes your attention. 

Because July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month, it’s the perfect time to audit our screen habits, put down the glass rectangle, and choose real-world presence over digital scrolling.

How Did We Get Here?

Believe it or not, National Cell Phone Courtesy Month isn’t a brand-new idea. It was actually founded way back in 2002 by an etiquette expert named Jacqueline Whitmore (with support from Sprint).  

Think back to 2002: Flip phones were the height of fashion, texting was clunky, and data plans barely existed. 

Back then, as cell phones went from rare luxuries to everyday essentials, people realized that society was experiencing a major glitch. No one had been taught the "unwritten rules" of public phone use!  

Fast forward to today: Our phones aren't just for phone calls anymore. They are portal windows to an infinite stream of notifications. If phone courtesy was a conversation in 2002, it’s a full-blown survival skill now.

Why Being Present Matters

Nobody is asking you to delete all of your accounts, throw your phone in a lake, or become a digital hermit. Your phone keeps your world running! 

But when we glance at our phones during a conversation, we send a subtle message to our friends, kids, or partners: 

"Whatever is happening on this screen is more interesting than you." 

By intentionally limiting our screen time, we aren't just being polite to others; we are giving our own over-stimulated brains a chance to rest. It's about remembering that real progress in life happens offline, in the messy, unfiltered, beautiful moments with the people right in front of us.

4 Ways to Reclaim your Presence this Month!

You don't need an extreme detox but rather some simple tech-boundary shifts:

1. Embrace the Power of "Focus Mode"

If you find yourself opening apps out of pure muscle memory, use your phone’s native tech to protect your boundaries. Set up a Custom Focus Filter or an automated "Do Not Disturb" window for dinner time or family hours. By silencing non-essential notifications during specific blocks of the day, you give yourself permission to focus entirely on the humans around you without the phantom vibration anxiety.

2. The "First to Blink" Phone Stack

Going out to lunch with friends or sitting down for dinner with family? Introduce the phone stack. Everyone places their phone face down in the center of the table. The first person to compulsively grab or look at their phone has to clear the table, wash the dishes, or treat the group to coffee! It turns mindfulness into a fun, shared accountability game.

3. Practice the "Checkout Zone" Rule

Cell phone courtesy isn't just for friends and family; it's for our community, too. Make a personal rule to never be on a phone call or actively texting while interacting with a cashier, barista, or service worker. Looking someone in the eye, smiling, and acknowledging their humanity takes five seconds, but it brings a little bit of needed sparkle to someone else's day.

4. Establish a "Digital Sunset"

Give your brain a break before bed. Charge your phone across the room or on the opposite side of your nightstand instead of holding it in your face until you fall asleep. Replacing that last 30 minutes of scrolling with a real-life conversation, a book, or a quick breathing exercise changes the entire trajectory of your sleep and your morning mindset.

Which one of these boundaries are you going to try out this week? Let’s talk about it (and then put the phones down)! 👇✨

Read more »

Jessica

This week I begin my online teaching course from 8 am to 5 pm. Yeah. So fun, right? I needed an easy meal prep for Sunday and easy meals throughout the week. Enter the One Protein, One Grocery Bag, Five Meals plan. 

What This Plan Is

The one protein, one grocery bag idea came from a point of exhaustion. You know I meal prep each week. It's how I survive. BUT there does come a point where I am just too tired to think of another set of meals and plans with seven different vegetables or dinners of just more of the same overnight oats. Don't get me wrong, I love all of that but when I'm staring at a screen for 9 hours and talking the entire time I do NOT want to do literally anything else. 

The Basics

You pick one protein. Chicken, Beef, Turkey, Tofu, Pork, etc. 

You cook it once and eat it all week with different things. 

Sides: frozen veggies, instant mashed potatoes, microwave rice, etc. 

Friday Night: Make it an order in or eat out or frozen pizza. The point is to make it easy. 

The dinner leftovers can be eaten as lunch the next day. All your brainpower can be used to decide on breakfast, or just eat cereal. Frosted Mini Wheats are my fave. 

The Plan

Download it for free: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zk-VCSChqySzIkUUkWgbwjyqCJIS35Ut/view?usp=sharing

I've also got a portion fix full week plan for you if that's your style:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13NWmmbvNW3TfzTxMkeTQsUkMGiP5LQFd/view?usp=sharing

This plan includes macro breakdown and meal prep day instructions, with a full grocery list.

Read more »

Jessica

Why Children’s Advocacy in June Means Reclaiming Their Attention

June is traditionally a month where we focus on Children’s Awareness. We talk about advocacy, physical safety, and the fundamental rights of the youngest members of our society. But as we navigate 2026, the landscape of childhood has shifted. Today's children spend more time staring at screens than many of us spent riding bikes, building forts, or exploring our neighborhoods.

If we are going to advocate for children’s mental health today, we have to address the elephant in the room: technology addiction and the safety of their digital well-being.

As I researched this article, I found myself looking at my own screen habits and realizing this isn't just a kid problem. Many of us adults struggle to put our phones down too.

The Invisible Crisis: Tech Addiction & Mental Health

When we talk about "technology addiction," it’s easy to dismiss it as kids just "really liking" their games. But as an educator and tech professional, I see the mechanics beneath the surface. Many apps and platforms are intentionally designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible. For children and teens, whose brains are still developing, resisting those constant rewards, notifications, and endless feeds can be especially difficult.

This constant "ping" of digital validation leads to a specific kind of mental health strain:

• Apps are constantly bidding for our kids' attention. And the cost can come at their ability to focus on meaningful, real-world tasks like reading a book or playing creatively.
• Online safety isn't just about avoiding "bad strangers"; it’s about the psychological safety of avoiding cyberbullying, FOMO (fear of missing out), and the constant pressure of digital perfection.

The Statistics That Stopped Me in My Tracks

National Center for Health Statistics

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db513.htm 

Data from the National Health Interview Survey–Teen

• 50.4% of teens ages 12–17 spend four or more hours per day on screens.
• 1 in 4 teens with 4+ hours of screen time reported anxiety symptoms.
• 1 in 4 teens with 4+ hours of screen time reported symptoms of depression.

Advocacy Means Setting Boundaries

Advocating for a child’s mental health isn't about being anti-tech. It’s about being pro-child. 

It’s about recognizing that a child’s brain needs boredom, white space, and real-world connection to thrive. Children notice our technology habits too. It's difficult to ask kids to put down their devices if we're constantly reaching for ours.

In honor of Children’s Awareness Month, here are three ways we can advocate for the children in our lives by refining their relationship with technology:

1. Treat Screen Time Like a Digital Diet

Just as we wouldn't let a child eat candy for every meal, we shouldn't let them consume junk content without limits. High-quality, educational, or creative tech use is a protein; mindless scrolling and algorithmic feeds is the sugar filled candy. Advocacy means helping them balance the two.

2. Prioritize Online Safety

Safety goes beyond privacy settings. We need to be teaching children digital literacy. We advocate for them when we teach them to recognize when an app is making them feel anxious, angry, or less than. We need to give them the tools to recognize an online toxic environment, and know when to log off.

3. Creating "No-Tech" Sanctuaries

The most powerful form of advocacy is the simplest: presence. By establishing tech-free zones, such as the dinner table or the hour before bedtime, we protect the spaces where real-world emotional development and connection happens.

For Families: Try the Family 3-2-1 Reset

3 Hours Before Bed: Put the phone down. No heavy gaming or scrolling. 

2 Meal a Day: Have completely tech-free tables. Sit down for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and have a conversation. About what? Doesn't matter. 

1 Hour a Day: Swap screen time for outdoor time. Take a walk. Sit in your backyard/front porch. Play a game. 

The Wellness Win

At the end of the day, our goal is a "wellness win" for the next generation. We want kids who are tech-savvy but not tech-dependent. We want them to be able to navigate the digital world safely without losing their ability to enjoy the physical one.

So this June, let’s pledge to be more than just observers of our kids' digital lives. Be their advocates. Technology will always be there tomorrow. Childhood won't. Let's protect their peace, their privacy, and the limited years they have to simply be kids.

Read more »

Jessica

Summer break is officially here. The last thing you want to do after a long school year is spend your precious, sun-drenched days standing over a hot stove prepping food for the week. Summer is for resting, recharging, and reclaiming your time.

BUT completely abandoning your nutrition routines usually leads to feeling sluggish, relying on fast food, and realizing your energy levels are crashing just when you want to enjoy your vacation.

True efficiency isn’t about being perfect; it’s about making the right choices effortless. Wellness wins when your prep matches your summer vibe.

So I've taken to creating a lazy, high-protein summer meal and snack system that takes less than 30 minutes a week, keeping you fueled for the pool, the beach, or the couch (and hopefully the kids at bay as well lol).

1. The "No-Cook" Protein Base Batching

Instead of cooking complex recipes, prep single-ingredient protein bases that you can throw into anything in thirty seconds.

The Lazy Strategy: Pick something already cooked: 

• Rotisserie chickens
• Canned premium chicken or tuna
• Frozen fully cooked meats

How to use it: Toss it over pre-washed bagged salad greens with a light vinaigrette, mix it with a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt and ranch seasoning for a quick wrap, or stir it into high-protein pasta with some alfredo sauce.

Also make sure to check out my 3-meal formula that is a lifesaver during those busy (or lazy) weeks. 

2. The Snack Grab-and-Go Station

When you’re home during the day, it’s easy to wander into the kitchen and mindlessly graze. Build a visual "Grab-and-Go station" in your fridge and pantry or countertop to make the high-protein choice the path of least resistance.

• In the Fridge: Dedicate one bin to single-serve items: light string cheese, individual Greek yogurt cups, and pre-washed berries.
• In the Pantry: Set up a basket with pre-portioned bags of almonds, high-protein beef sticks, or roasted chickpeas.

When you want a quick snack before heading out the door, you don’t have to think or chop. You grab, go, and stay on track.

3. Freeze-Ahead Blender Packs

If you love a cold, refreshing morning smoothie but hate dragging out five different bags of frozen fruit, seeds, and powders every single morning, automate it.

The Lazy Strategy: Take 10 minutes on Sunday to assemble individual smoothie ingredients into freezer bags. Toss in your spinach, frozen berries, a scoop of collagen or protein powder, and chia seeds.

The Morning Routine: Dump the frozen pack into your blender, add water or almond milk, and blend. You have a macro-friendly, icy breakfast in 60 seconds flat.

4. The 10-Minute "Sheet Pan" Snack Prep

If you want something fresh, bake one quick batch of high-protein snacks that lasts all week.

The Lazy Strategy: Pour two cans of rinsed, dried chickpeas onto a baking sheet. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and your favorite taco or garlic seasoning. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes while you read a book or watch a show.

Why it works: They become perfectly crunchy, shelf-stable, and provide an excellent hit of fiber and protein when you get a savory craving.

Enjoy Your Summer

Don’t let the thought of spending hours meal prepping steal your crazy, hazy, lazy days of summer. Set up these quick systems so you can spend your summer focusing on the things that fill your cup without sacrificing your wellness goals.

BUT...

If you are interested in more, check out my Summer Reset Series, right here on my blog and grab some more time saving systems and freebies to help you become the best you this summer!

You can also grab this handy dandy snack bar checklist with the reset!

Read more »

Jessica

So I don't know about you but I've had several days like this: 

It’s 6:00 PM on a Tuesday. 

The day was longer than expected, the kids are melting down, your inbox is still overflowing, and the last thing you have the energy to do is think about what to make for dinner, let alone actually cook it!!

This is when DoorDash starts to sound great! And while I love a good takeout night, relying on it when I'm stressed often leads to meals that don’t actually make me feel better: mentally, physically, or financially.

I started to fight this cycle by dedicating my entire Sunday to "meal prep." I’d cook three different meals, portion them into containers, and organize them in my fridge for the week. And while I still do Sunday Meal Prep Day, it looks DRASTICALLY different than it did four years ago. 

Now, I use a much simpler, more flexible system. I don’t cook fifteen meals on Sunday. I focus on ensuring my kitchen has three specific types of resources ready to go. I call it My 3-Meal Formula for Busy Weeks. 

TMFFBW - I'll work on a better acronym....

It is designed around my favorite meal planning philosophy: One Protein, Two Meals.

Here is the breakdown of how to build flexibility into your busiest weeks by cooking LESS.

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Jessica

If the word formula makes you tense up a little, you’re not alone.

For a lot of teachers, formulas feel like:

• something you’re supposed to already understand
• something that’s easy for “techy people”
• something that can break everything if you do it wrong

BUT...
You don’t need to understand formulas to benefit from them. You just need to know what they can do for you.

---

What a Formula Really Is

A formula is just an instruction. It’s the spreadsheet version of saying: “Add these up.” “Find the average.” “Count how many things I have.”

You’re not doing math. You’re telling the spreadsheet to do it for you.

The Three Formulas Teachers Actually Need

We’re not doing anything fancy here. These three cover most real classroom needs.

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Jessica

We’ve covered a lot in this series: images, sources, writing, school, AI tools, and real-world consequences.

So here’s the simplest takeaway of all:

AI can sound convincing. That doesn’t make it true.

Not everything that looks real is real.

Not everything flagged by a tool is wrong.
And not everything needs an instant reaction.

In today’s world, the most important skill isn’t knowing all the answers — it’s knowing when to pause.

You’re allowed to:

• slow down
• ask questions
• look for context
• say, “I’m not sure yet”

That’s not being behind. That’s being thoughtful.

AI is a tool. People still decide what’s true, fair, and meaningful.

And that part?

That’s still very human.

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Jessica