Peek At My Week

I am linking up with Mrs. Willis for her Peek at my Week linky. :) I haven't done one of these in a while! {so.... thanks for checking my week out!} 

We had all of last week off for Fall Break {which was glorious...} and we are back at it tomorrow. Usually our Fall Break coincides with the week the Fair is in town... but not this year. I know my kiddos brains will be on their favorite rides and fair foods and not so much on our content - I will need some super teacher powers to keep them active and engaged this week. {Not to mention my two kiddos will be in the Fair kick-off parade and participating in their usual after school activities....This week will have to be managed one day at time y'all.} 

**Leave me a comment**

What is your favorite fair food? 

{I am supposed to be doing the whole 30 since I started cross fit a few weeks ago - 

but I THINK this week will call for a CHEAT!}

Here are my visual plans for the week and the links to all my materials will be at the end of the post. 

I hope you all have an amazing week! :) 

Charlotte's Web 

October Literacy Centers

Harvest No Prep Math and Literacy

Today is my 6 year TPT anniversary.... to celebrate - my entire store is 20% off! :)
and they all fall down 

Head over to Mrs. Willis' blog to see all the other bloggers that linked up to share their week! :)

Math IS Real Life Linky

Long time no post friends! I'm at that point where I feel like I'm treading water... but my head is about to go under.... same way most of you felt about a month ago. 

Back in the regular classroom - week 3

Things I miss the most - bathroom breaks. :( 

But I have the SWEETEST group of kids --- so it kinda makes up for no bathroom. (kinda....)

I am linking up with a few amazing math teachers today for the 

Math IS Real Life Linky.... 

Click on the links below to go visit the hop sponsors! :) 

Miss Math Dork

Teaching to Inspire in 5th

4mulaFun

The Teacher Studio

I wanted to show one of the ways I make my kids use math skills daily. I am a mom to two kids - G1 is 9 (going on 15) and G2 is 5. They do chores around the house to help me, learn responsibility, and earn some spending money...... Said spending money usually never makes it past Books a Million.... {Totally okay with me}. 

On one of our trips to BAM last week my dd (G1) found the next book in the series she had been reading and refused to leave with out it. {I mean, who can blame her....it's a series!}

She promised to pay me back when we returned home - IF - I bought the book for her. 

DEAL. 

Where does the math come in? 

She had to add up her total - pick out her stuff from the receipt...

(I caved and let her get three books.... I have no idea how this kid does it - but she can read multiple books in the same time period - and keep all the events and details straight.)

Once she added up her total - she had to pay me and figure out her change. 

{SHE WILL NOT be that kid that can't figure out change because the register broke later in life.} 

So - there is my math IRL.... 

Hope you enjoyed it! :) Thanks for reading {as always}....

How do you incorporate real life math? I'd love to hear your comments and ideas!

Bright Ideas Blog Hop.....

This will be my third Bright Ideas hop and I am so happy to have an idea to share! I always read through these posts and I am amazed at how much I learn.... we have some SMARTIES among us! :) 

My Bright Idea....

Highlighters!

They have become invaluable with my little ELL's. 

(any of my little people actually... even my son!)

I'm all for printing practice, but I try to limit the copies and worksheets I run, so highlighters are a fast and easy way to get my little ones to practice writing their name, numbers, letters.... without having to run off a bunch of handwriting sheets. It is especially useful at the beginning of the year when so many of my kids don't know how to write their name! I write their name on the paper we were already planning to do - and they trace over it in pencil! BAM. DONE!

I hope you like my bright idea... please click on any of the links below for more bright ideas! :) 

Happy hopping!

An InLinkz Link-up

Vegas..... Swag and Reflections

I am linking up with Mrs. Russell today over at Mrs. Russell's Room for some Vegas reflections! 

Overall - Vegas was a wonderful and humbling experience. I learned more about what it means to be part of the TpT family, laughed, cried, made new friends, and met some amazing people! 

Here are just a few things that keep replaying in my head ....

I need to keep doing my own thing. I tend to get very competitive and I can be very hard on myself when things aren't going so well. The reality is - I am a single mom, with a full time teaching job. My journey is different than others. My goals are different... I've done TpT for a very long time now - but after my divorce, I kicked it into high gear. My goals have been to keep my kids in the house they have grown up in, keep food on the table, pay the bills, and provide extras for my children {karate, ballet....} that I wouldn't be able to do on a teacher's salary. 

 So this should go without saying, but I need to remind myself. . . please don't think that I expect favors, or special treatment.... NOT the case... but just because I am super excited to meet someone - doesn't mean they are excited to meet me. We each have our own 'agenda'.... this played out very clearly during most of the Vegas trip. I have to keep this in mind as I proceed. 

I LOVED being part of the first TpT conference. 

But it was so overwhelming. 

So..... Very.... Overwhelming. 

I have a quirky personality. 

I am a dork. 

I am not a girly-girl.

I am SUPER sarcastic. 

All of these things make it hard for me to meet people and to be myself. 

I get very anxious and I am a people-pleaser. 

I WANT EVERYONE to like me.... but not everyone will.

This is hard for me to learn and remember without getting my feelings hurt. 

It has gotten better with age, but I am still {and always will be} a work in progress. 

Before I go....

Let's have a giveaway!

I got a LOT of AMAZING gifts while I was in Vegas. 

I can't possibly use it all, 

so I wanted to share! 

If you weren't able to go to Vegas.... 

or went and want more SWAG.... 

Enter below! 

And caring is sharing! ;)

{or is it sharing is caring?} 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My First Ever Monday Made It!

I'm joining Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics today for my FIRST Monday Made It!

So…… I’ve seen oil drip pans used in classrooms all over pinterest.

BUT…..

I had to make my own ‘cutesified’ version.

The oil pan was $10… it is a pretty large metal sheet… think – Biggest Cookie Sheet EVA!

I had almost everything else... or so I thought....mwahahaha....

It took some trial and error - but overall I am happy with the results. I made this one for my office... but I will be making another one for school. For a 3ft x 4ft magnet board - you can't beat $10!

Lessons learned - 

you may want to lightly sand the metal and wash it before you start painting.... otherwise make sure you buy a spray paint that can go directly on metal. 

wait to spray paint .... do it after you put the grommets in... 

{I scratched the paint}

scrapbook tools will not work on metal 

{DUH.... but I wanted to try since I already had all of it}

AND

I can not spray paint....

I hope you enjoyed my first ever Monday Made It! 

Thanks for joining me and hop over to the other Tara's blog to see some other crafty chickas! :)

Scrapbook elements and papers from jen barrette

July Currently

I'm linking up with Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for her monthly currently.

you should too... super easy peasy....

Listening.... to the rain... but it stopped. You would think we lived in Florida - that was one quick storm!

Loving - Summertime! It is so nice to relax and work on things that I want to, when I want to. 

Thinking - That sums it up. Love my kids.... Hate the "I'm bored" comments and the non-stop eating. 

Wanting - I would really like to find out if I am moving classrooms this year or not. I have a lot that I need to get done and a very short time to do it. 

Needing -I've had a headache for about a week straight. GRRRRRRRR

4th plans - NONE! My kiddos will be with their dad - so I have the holiday off... whatever shall I do? :) {mini-me said sleep... I might agree}

Here is a pic of something to come.... any guesses what I am doing? 

You will find out soon - if it works! :) 

AND

we got our first feedback from our etsy shop 

kinda made my day! 

What plans do you all have for the 4th? 

Happy Independence Day! 

[And thank you to all the men and women who fought for AND currently fight for our freedom]

Currently.....June

Linking up with Farley again for her monthly Currently.... :) 

If you haven't done a linky - this is a great one to get your blogger feed wet with! :) 

Listening....

Silence is never good with a 9 year old and a 4 year old....

Loving.....

SUMMER is HERE...and most of June is planned out! 

VBS this coming week - Karate camp next week... and the week after that FRIPP!

Plus we bought summer passes to the local waterpark - so that should keep us entertained for a good, long while! :) 

Thinking.....

I have another 100 magnets to make for a business anniversary party. I'm stoked they picked us to make them! 

Wanting...

massage....'buff said. 

Needing....

{any excuse to visit a craft store} I need some new circle and square punches ;)

Summer Bucket List.....

I am going to try to have more fun with my kids, be outside more, and not stress over the little things that happen. Buying passes to the waterpark was a big step for me - I get nervous about my kids with all the water and all the other kids... plus... it means I have to put on a bathing suit. YUCKERS. 

But - my kids love it, and we have tons of fun - my oldest is a super swimmer (I still watch her like a momma hawk) and my little one is still water shy.... and if you don't like the way I look in my bathing suit - look the other way. I've had two kids, I am NOT perfect.... I work out {sometimes} but I refuse to let my fear of what people think keep me from having a good time with my children. DONE. 

What's on your bucket list? :) 

Happy June! 

Currently.... It's April?

Linking up with Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade for her monthly linky! 

Listening

I'm not usually an early riser - but I overslept yesterday - so I had five alarms set this morning... figured I'd be productive. :) The kids are still sleeping - a quiet house is nice! :)

Loving

April - my birthday is coming up soon. 

And it's going to be 80 degrees today!

And everything is blooming {achoo} it is {sniff} so {achoo} beautiful!

Thinking

I can't live on 6 hours of sleep - thank you fitbit for tracking the sleep that I'm not getting....

Wanting

Starbucks

The end. 

Needing

see thinking... :) 

Hours and Days

We start early and end early which is nice - but it still seems as if there aren't enough hours in the day!

Happy April y'all! :) 

Georgia Blogger Meet Up

This weekend was just 'peachy' ;)  I was super lucky to meet up with 18 Georgia bloggers/tpt'ers across the state on Saturday in Macon, Georgia. Mrs. Jayne from Smart Kids set up the whole thing and it was well worth the trip!  I traveled with Stacy from Funky Fresh Firsties and Angie from Monahan's Monkey Madness about two hours to the Georgia School Supply store. It has been almost two years since I've set foot in a REAL teacher supply store... I did major damage  bought some super fun stuff.... Mr. Elementary Math set up a fun auction for us to participate in. Ms. Valerie found some hot sellers... {she's a pretty hot seller herself...;)} Mrs. Cobb is showing off her flower - Thanks Mrs. Cobb! :)  Stacy was the big winner for the day...  {who forgot to take her name outta that hat?}  YOU HAD ONE JOB....  And - Please excuse the scrap-ish look to my pictures... I purchased some digital scrapbooking kits and I have been playing... ;)  Two of the bloggers that attended our meet up had been emailing and messaging back and forth for over and year and had never met in person!  {Yes, they still liked each other once they met too...} hahah! :) 

I took home some scratch and sniff stickers for when we read How Are You Peeling? at the beginning of the year. [The stickers look like they came off the pages of that book.. and I can't get enough of that book... so I had to have all of them] I also grabbed the new Hot Dots Jr. cards and pens. How did I not know they had animal friends now? OMG! I found a game that I think my kiddos are going to LoVe called Kloo Zoo - which is a making sentences game... each time you can make a sentence and read it you get an animal... first to get 10 animals wins. {who doesn't want to build a zoo??? I mean.. I live in one every day... but ya' know - I wouldn't want others to be jealous!} 

Mr. Ed and Mrs. Diane were so sweet and helpful. I enjoyed hearing Mrs. Diane talk about meeting with different vendors and how carefully she looks over the products before purchasing for her store. One {I} would assume that before a company launched a product they would update it AND spell-check it.... but she has found both issues during her last round of shopping! {I know... we are all human.... but really?} SMH. It is inspiring to see a business run with such integrity and high-standards.  I was overjoyed to meet everyone, put faces with names, and names to blogs, network, create, and converse with others in this crazy boat. Here is our 'group shot' and all of the bloggers that attended have buttons below the picture. Please visit and say "hi!"