Golly Bob Howdy!

I was walking through one of my least favorite places on Earth....Walmart....today minding my own business when what did I spy with my naked eye?!?!?

These fabulous bits of pure cool loveliness!!!!!

Oh yea!  Wallyworld. You are cool after all.  And, they were only 97 cents a pop!  I also got a Scotch laminator. I.am.in.love. And don't buy double-sided tape at Dollar Tree. It makes you say bad words. That is all!

Monday Made It!!!

I have been a busy girl this weekend!  I am a list writer and absolutely LOVE crossing things off my list. So, I am linking up with Tara at Fourth Grade Frolics for her

 

Last Friday night, I cleared my kitchen table, got out my supplies, and got BUSY!  I first painted this awesome frame.

I got the idea from Pinterest, of course, from this pin.

I was having trouble finding all of the letters, but I finally scored at AC Moore last night. I just need to paint them and put it all together.














I then got busy painting my flower pot for my Tara-inspired birthday treats.









Here is the link to her adorable creation:

Check it out....she was kind enough to share her adorable owl circles. I put my spin on it and came up with these. Love them!

Then, I got out my letters purchased at Christmas when I had my religious experience during my first and only visit to Hobby Lobby while on vacay in Richmond.










These will get magnets on the back and will find their happy home on my black desk.  Love them!

I also got busy on my Writer's Eyes bulletin board. I haven't finished the eyes, but this is what I have so far:

I fashioned them after this pin:

So, I used Powerpoint to whip out these beauties (clip art-Scrappin' Doodles & freebie frames-3 a.m. Teacher).

I {LOVE} how they turned out!  I also designed the pencil on Power Point. I will share once it is laminated.

Next up, I downloaded The Clutter-Free Classroom's Genre Posters.  

My intention is to laminate and wax them to put around my Smartboard. I wanted to make them POP!  So, I got out my scrapbook paper from days long ago....remember the old-fashioned scrapbooking before the digital world took over??? They came out super cute!

 

Then I finally purchased Melonheadz Build a Teacher clip art and made my mini me!

She can't wait to greet her new students in just four short weeks!  Heading in shortly to try and get my bulletin boards up...yeeeee!!!

Our laminating lady is going to curse my name. I actually am trying to find a Scotch laminator locally. I just want my boards done before I leave for Florida for a week on Saturday. In-service week starts 3 weeks from today. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  I do have a room paiting date of the 10th. YIPPPPEEEEE!!!!!

Have a great week, y'all!

A Sunday Wondering....and Wonder.....

I think I have just made it through my most productive weekend ever!  I have created, painted, cut, moved, purchased, problem solved, designed, purchased, and cut some more!  I can't wait to put my finished creations on Tara's Monday Made It!

I even managed to fit this in for three hours and read half of Wonder.  What an awesome book...the possibilities for uses in the classroom were exploding in my mind as I read it.

Trust me...it never gets old.  And, I never take it for granted!  The beach feeds my soul....

I also got a lesson in bright, shiny, and cute not always being the way to go!

Worst glue gun EVER!!!!

My wondering for tonight is this....what classroom jobs are appropriate and necessary for fourth grade?  Getting ready to put my board together....

Thanks for your insight :)

2 Awesome Apps!!!

My fourth year of teaching kindergarten I was blessed with yet another amazing class of students with equally amazing parents. So, imagine my surprise when I was presented with a Smartboard for my classroom at the end-of-the-year picnic!  I was blown away with their generosity and spent the summer creating lessons that are still being used today.  Our school has since put a Smartboard in each classroom.  I love using it as I design my lessons so I don't touch my teacher's edition while teaching.

For some reason, I had no idea that there is a Smart Notebook app!  I discovered it a few days ago, and I have had so much fun creating new fourth grade lessons on my iPad.  

Now I can use it large group on the Smartboard or small group on my iPad. Absent?  No worries...review the lesson on the iPad. The possibilities are endless!  Once you are done, upload it to Dropbox or Google Drive :) You are all ready to go.

Next up? Sticky Notes!  Our technology coordinator would slap my hand right now as she told me about this last year, and I just checked it out yesterday.  Oops!  

I love how they celebratedthe fact that some people need things to be cute...you can choose your background and sticky note colors.

I used it for shopping as I have the unique ability of stepping into a store and immediately purging every item on my list from my brain.  I color-coded by store!  How fun?!?!

The possibilities for class are endless, also. Respond to a book, add an exit note to "What Stuck with You?", add a question students may have. My kiddos will love this!

Hope you can use these too!

Monday Made It!

I am a Pinterest junkie.  It's not something that I am particularly proud of, but I must admit that between you fabulous bloggers and Pinterest, I have millions of ideas floating around in this blonde head.

I would say that this sums me up:
But....BUT, if I have a place for something, I will put it there.

 Otherwise, it looks like this:

Monday Made It over at Fourth Grade Frolics to the rescue!

 

SOOOO, in comes these awesome creations that are all over the blogs and Pinterest.  Now, I have them for my very own! :)

I patterned them after Elizabeth's at Fun in Room 4B. She was so sweet to share her google doc, but the colors weren't right for my room.  She also loves Erin Bradlee designs...I can tell!  Flanking them on either side are my little owl friends that I snatched up at a fabric store.  Love them.

Sunday Smorgasbord and Another Wondering.....New Apps, Too!

I am linking up with Fabulous in First as my brain truly is a smorgasbord at the moment.  I couldn't sleep....even after midnight. 

That's when you realize that you need to face your fears head-on!  I discovered yesterday that I go back to school in a month. And while that sounds like a long time, I will be gone for a week during that time. Only a teacher brain in the wee hours could make that last bit of info a bad thing!

I did have a great week with my sister and her fiancee, who we adore. To start it off, I finally treated my poor digits to some pretty!

My fingernails were equally happy in their traditional OPI Bubble Bath, which I may or may not have copied from Giada Dilaurentis on the Food Network after combing the internet to find her color.  Prettiest nails evah! *squirrel*

I also was the thrilled beyond words recipient of homegrown tomatoes from a dear, sweet friend and made my famous Tomato Pie.

We also got our music on at an outdoor concert at the oceanfront. Toad the Wet Sprocket performed for free.  Great people watching, although we were super creeped out by the hippy packing a pistol strapped to his leg wearing pink sunglasses....hmmmm. 

I finally took adorable Brandee's advice over at 

and wrote this whole post in the Post app.  It was so much easier on my iPad than my prehistoric computer!

And my pictures were doctored up using the Rhonna Designs app that Megan got me addicted to!

Give them each a whirl.....

You can make pics like this.....and who woudn't want to do that?

And, today's wondering.....I have three classes who obviously share desks.  My principal is adament that the desks be labelled with the children's names. How does one accomplish this when the desks are organized in groups?  I know...third world problem. Just wondering....

Happy Sunday, y'all!!!!

Yippeeee!!! 100+ Followers!!! And Wondering of the Day...Fabric or Fadeless Paper?

I am humbled.  The fact that over 100 people have viewed my blog and decided it was something they would like to follow blows me away...I feel like this guy...

I am working on a fun giveaway...so, check back soon!  Thank you for your support...I am a much better teacher because of all of you.  I sat with a teacher from another school sharing ideas that I have picked up from all the fabulous blogs and Pinterest boards I follow...I felt like I was boasting about friends.  What a special group of people all of you are!

 I have many things that I am pondering, and I want to get opinions from the experts...all of you! So, question of today...fabric on bulletin boards or fadeless paper? Please weigh in...

Made it Monday! My First Power Point Printable Creations!!!

Is it me or are the Mondays of summer flying by at alarming rate?  It is so funny how different they feel during the summer.  Sundays too.  I usually start DREADING the beginning of the week around lunch time on Sunday during the school year...summer is truly bliss!

Brought to you by the fabulous Tara at Fourth Grade Frolics...
Well, with the help of some talented ladies' tutorials, I have tackled my first power point printable!  It was so easy and really so much fun.  Can't wait to use them in the classroom.  So, thank you to Ladybug's Teacher Files and Mrs. Russell's Room for sharing their talents with others.  I have learned so much from both of you.

The first printable I made was my Kind of Sentence Task Cards.

 

 I was amazed out how easy they were to make once I watched the tutorials and found the papers and frames that I wanted.

  

I plan on playing this as a Scoot game for a little review.  Our Catholic school has English maintenance sheets with sentence diagramming starting in fifth grade.  It is so important that they get this skill down to be successful in the coming years.  This question should always be a freebie, but it amazed me that fifth graders were still unsure.  Combined with Jivey's and Collaboration Cuties's mentor sentences, they should be more than ready for the following years' challenges.

I also finally decided on a color scheme for my room!  I chose:

Funny where one's motivations come from!  I don't remember where I picked this up.  The middle color is actually a blue.  I am finally convinced that my iPhone takes the absolute most horrible pictures ever.

So, then I made the following:

I am taking them to be laminated at school tomorrow, and then I will put them together with pretty ribbon (the "l" shows up on my printable).

I have had this fun get-to-know-me activity that doubles as a little grammar review in my head all summer.  I finally got it down on paper (on Publisher):

I will have them ask six different people (3 girls, 3 boys) to respond to the different tasks.  They will write down the person's name and his/her answer.  Fun but effective.  Plus, it will show me what they know or remember.

So, that's what I've been up to!  Crossing more things off my list makes me super happy!

Have a great week!  My sister will be in town this week, so I am looking forward to some fun!

Liebster Award...Aw Shucks!

Good morning!  I am really excited that I have been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award!  It's my first one, so I am super excited!  I just started this blog in February, but I really didn't get going until last month, so I am honored.  Thanks to Courtney at Polka Dot Lesson Plans and Christin at Shifting Teacher K-2 for the shout out!  Their blogs inspire me!

 

I must say that writing this blog and connecting with all of you has been one of the most positive and supportive experiences I have ever had.  I was just telling my mom that I have yet to see anything but positive posts and comments of hard-working teachers.  I cannot tell you how many people have reached out to offer help with my blog or my transition to a new grade (fourth).  It truly has been an amazing experience that has given me much more than I ever anticipated.  So, thank you to all of you who inspire me daily to be a better teacher.

To accept the nomination I must:
1. Link back to the blog that nominated me
2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers
3. Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator
4. Share 11 random facts about yourself
5. Create 11 questions for your nominees
6. Contact your nominees and let them know you nominated them

My Nominees Are (drumroll please):

Allison at Adventures in Room 204

Susan at Middle School OCD

Miss B at Real Teachers Learn

Wendy at Read with Me ABC
Veronica at Teaching with the Middle Sister

 Check them out and throw a little love their way?  Thanks!

And here are the 11 questions that you'll need to answer: 

1. If you could choose any 2 consecutive months of the year to have your "summer" break which months would you choose? 

I absolutely would choose June and July as I absolutely love summer!  I am a beach chick at heart.
 

2.  If you could take a field trip anywhere, where would it be?

This was a tough one I think.  I am lucky enough to teach fourth grade and actually be able to take my students to Colonial Williamsburg.  It doesn't get much better than that!

3. If you weren't a teacher what would you be? 

If I weren't a teacher, I would be a stay-at-home-mom (another honorable profession), but my checkbook will not allow this.  I always ask "Why....why....WHY" when that alarm goes off on Monday mornings during the school year.  I always wanted to be an architect. But, I am better suited as a teacher.  I would hate sitting in an office.

4. If you have a day all to yourself what is your favorite way to spend it? 

I would spend it on the beach.  There is something really peaceful about sitting on the beach with a good book, all by myself, toes on the sand!  Great idea...think I'll go tomorrow.  I am ridiculously spoiled with the Chesapeake Bay under 5 minutes and the Atlantic oceanfront a short 15.
 

5. What is your favorite food? 

My favorite food is any kind of seafood, but I have a special affinity for fish tacos at the moment.  Now I'm hungry.
 

6. If you were stuck on an island and could only have 3 items with you what would they be? 

Since I do not want to label my children as "items", I will include my dog as she isn't a tax write off, a cooler stocked with food and water, and a tent.
 

7. What is your favorite vacation spot? (this white text background color is driving me crazy, and after many attempts, I cannot figure out how to turn it off :( )

Another toughie as I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to travel.  Did I mention that I love to travel?  I must cheat a bit as I can't choose just one, so....Hilton Head, SC; Sarasota, FL; and St. Micheal's and Baltimore, MD

8. Do you have any pets?

I have an adorable dog named Lilly who is an expensive mutt designer breed called a Cavachon (cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Bichon Frise).  I love her so much!
 

9. Do you prefer the mountains or the beach? 

No big surprise...the beach, although I have loved my time in the mountains as well.  Just not as much! :)
 

10. What is your favorite tv show? 

Once again...can't decide between Mad Men (Don Draper is the best looking cad evah!) or Downton Abbey.  
 

11. What book have you read recently that you would recommend? 

I have been catching up on my fourth grade lit, and I absolutely adored The One and Only Ivan. The characters were so rich, even though they were animals.  The lessons in compassion and friendship were lovely.  It made me cry....as I read it on the beach. (it was a sentimental, touching kinda cry...not the big, ugly cry that would have made my sons move their beach chairs)

Thanks for listening, and your kind comments and support have touched my  heart more than I could ever say!  {{Hugs}} to you all!