Color Blocking on a Budget

I have been MIA from the blogging world for a LONG time!!!  I am teaching at a year round school now and we are in our second quarter of the school year already!!  Craziness!  Hopefully everyone has had a great start to the school year!

I have been a little a lot obsessed with color blocking!!  I know this is in no way teacher related, but I thought I would share :)  I have a serious addiction to shopping, and with a teacher budget I am always looking for bargains.  For the past five years I have worked part time at the Gap (I know, I am out of my mind!) while teaching full time.  Well, I have finally decided I can no longer do both and my last day at the Gap is right around the corner.  I am REALLY going to miss the discount (ALL of my outfits below are courtesy of my fabulous discount).  So teacher friends, how do you budget and bargain shop?!

My apologies for the not so great pictures from my phone :)

100th Day Fun!

The 100th day of school already?!  So hard to believe!!!  Our 100th day was this past Monday.  My little kinders had so much fun making this 100th Day Trail Mix!!!  You can find the whole packet over at What the Teacher Wants...Thanks so much for the awesome freebie Rachelle and Natalie!!!

I also found this lovely idea on pinterest, BUT had no idea where it came from (bad link).  It was until AFTER I completed the activity that I discovered this idea came from the lovely Deanna Jump!  Love the "Us at 100" portraits!

My Example :)

You can also check out my board on pinterest for some other fun ideas!  I always feel like there isn't enough time in the day!  Happy almost Friday!!!  Woo hoo!!

Versatile Blogger Award

I feel terrible!  I have not been a very good blogger lately, life has been busy, busy, busy!  I can't believe it but I have been awarded the Versatile Blogger Award by three sweet, sweet teachers:

Blooming Into First Grade

The Littlest Scholars

Forever in First

The Versatile Blogger Award rules:

1.  Thank the person who nominated you with a link back to them.  

2.  Tell 7 things about yourself.  

3.  Pass this award on to 15 other newly discovered blogs and let them know they received an award. I will do my best!

Here goes:

1.   I have an adorable pooch that I sometimes think I love more than my husband....haha.  His name is Swayze and he is a german shepherd mix.  I actually never really liked dogs until I met this sweet boy:

2.  I am originally from Syracuse, NY but currently live in AZ.  Hope to head back to the east coast soon!

3.  I have a serious addiction to pinterest and facebook!

4.  I never thought I would like an e reader but my mother-in-law gave me a kindle for Christmas and I LOVE it!!!

5.  I am one of the New Year's resolution people at the gym...hey..everyone has to start somewhere!

6.  I love, love, love to cook and am finally learning how to bake.  I just for some horrible reason can never successfully bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies!  If you have a recipe for me to try please share :o).

7.  I work at the Gap part time which is crazy I know!  I can't let go of the amazing discount!  haha

Congratulations!  I am passing this award along to:

First Grade Afterhours

Bee's KinderGarden

The Withers

Loving Life and Teaching

Made in the Shade in Second Grade

Sorry this is not quite 15...I did my best!  :)

Yay for new bloggers!

I am so excited!  Jen over at Kindersmarten has awarded me the Liebster Blog Award!  I am a little behind in the blog posting arena, but I hope to get caught up as tomorrow begins my winter break!  Woo hoo!!  I hope I can give back half as much as I have taken I mean borrowed from all of you!  :o)

Here are the five blogs that I am awarding the Liebster Award:

First Grade: Afterhours

Blooming Into First Grade

Forever in First

Learning in First

Teaching with Love..in Heels

This award is for "new" bloggers, and its goal is to spotlight up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers.  If awarded, you must:

Copy and paste the award on your blog

Thank the giver and link back to them

Reveal YOUR top five picks and leave a comment letting them know

Hope your followers will share the love with them :) {I just know you will!}

Sad but relieved...

So I just found out this morning (was it this morning..haha...it feels like so long ago!) I found out that I missed National Board Certification by 2 stinkin points!!!!  Has anyone out there gone through the process? I actually only need to redo 1 AC, but am going to do 2 maybe 3 just to be sure :)  Let me know if you have any advice!  I am just so glad that I don't have to redo an entry!

L is for Labels!!!

I did this today with my class and we love, love, LOVED it!!!!!!  Thank you so much for sharing Mrs. Lee!!  and Abby over at The Inspired Apple .  Teaching inventive spelling is always such a challenge, in my experience my little guys have such a hard time understanding this concept.  In my 5 years of teaching, I have never found a lesson to be more effective than this one!!  It was super fun and the kids did a great job. First, we talked about what labels are, then I cleaned out our snack cupboard to show them actual labels.  We then labeled our classroom friend "Teddy" the teddy bear.  I wrote the labels on post its using the "kids spelling" suggested by the class.  THEN, then I let the kids label ME!  They LOVED this!  They were having so much fun and doing such a great time I let them label each other in groups of two.  So. Much. Fun.

Labeling Teddy with my direction (I used our science wall to "find" the word nose :o)

                           

Word Work AMAZING idea

Is it really November already?!  I can't believe it!  Any day now I am HOPING to find out my results for National Board Candidacy, I am so scared!!!!!!  Please let me know if you have gone through this process....So rewarding, yet so stressful...isn't it?! With all of my blog stalking I have had a hard time finding time to post!  I am LOVING all of the great ideas I am finding in blogland....especially since this is my first year implementing the Daily 5, I don't know what I would do without all of you guys!  ANYWAYS, in addition to stalking blogs, I am also highly addicted to pinterest.  Here is a great pinterest find that I am getting ready to use next week, we are in the practicing stages of Word Work.  My little guys will use the individual letters to build words!  I am going to have one of my classroom moms cut the letters out tomorrow :)  With my awesome student teacher I was able to get a good start!  I found this great idea at Play, Talk, Learn.