In Summerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....< ---insert Olaf's voice here

I am so ecstatic to be posting this right now! The title is a tribute to Olaf...my daughter (and myself if I am being honest) love Frozen! You see, I put my blog on the back burner because the hubby and I proudly (and surprisingly) welcomed baby #2 this Spring! (Finding out you are pregnant when your first is only six months old is a big surprise!) Well I am so excited to be back into blogging, only really barely getting started in the first place. I feel like I have to relearn everything all over again!

Here is our first "successful" selfie, minus dad!

I have a few of goals set for myself to hit by the end of the month as I get back into my blog and TpT store! 

~ I will add 3 items to my store!

~ I will complete a couple posts that I have been meaning to from last school year!

~ I will start working on a new clip art pack!

I hope you all are enjoying your Summer! 

Stay inspired. ;)

First Days of School with a FREEBIE!

Yes, sadly it's been a month since my last post. So much has happened in a short amount of time that I had to put blogging on the back burner. I found out that I am happily, unexpectedly, expecting BABY#2! It was unexpected because my first little one is only 9 months old. Eeek! I will be one busy momma! Although we were surprised we certainly feel blessed! And... my baby started daycare... *BIG* sighhhhhhh. Needless to say it's been worse than I expected. She's been sick 2 of the of 3 weeks she has been there. It breaks my heart. Hopefully all this sickness with give her an iron-clad immune system ASAP!

I am finally in the full swing of things as Master Teacher at my new school and I love it. I am helping with PK-1st grade (with my little ones is where my teaching heart always is).

As a Master Teacher, I will have the opportunity to discuss a wide array of topics with my fellow teachers. Our first topic of discussion is: Standards and Objectives. Our discussion questions are as follows: How do you communicate standards and objectives before, during, and after each lesson? How do you ensure that most students demonstrate mastery of the objective? How do you keep expectations high and information relevant?

In the spirit of this discussion many teachers referred to their Agendas hanging in their classrooms as good visuals for them and their students. I always needed a visual to refer back to as I was teaching. We collaborated and this simple and bright freebie pack was born.

 

Click to get it on TpT!

 

 

 

Teachers discussed the importance of keeping the agenda simple and colorful for our younger elementary learners. We also discussed the importance of the standards being represented in "kid friendly" terms, but still containing the common necessary college and career ready language weaved within the standards... great stuff!

 

How do you clearly communicate standards and objectives to your students? Like I said, I always need that visual, but some teachers are fine just putting it in their heads and pulling it out at the perfect times in their lesson. (I envy you...hehe)

 

Stay inspired. :)

 



Monday Made It!

Linking up for another Monday Made It with Forth Grade Frolics!

So I admit, I am a sucker for stickers! At the beginning of each school year I would go to School Aids and hit the sticker aisle ... big time! I needed all the new stickers, holiday stickers, and any cute sticker "staples" that I use throughout the school year - like my standard "star stickers" and "smiley stickers."

Why the craziness about stickers you ask? I used them as a reward at the end of each day on the kiddos behavior chart. If they ended the day on "A" - they got a sticker. The parents would even get into the sticker madness a bit, sending me FREE stickers that they would find with little notes like - "Thought you would enjoy these around St. Patrick's Day."

 

So when my the hubby was cleaning out the shed I saw this old box, I assume an old bread box - but who knows. I decided that it would be a perfect place to hold my quite extensive collection of stickers! Now, although I do create graphic art, I am not a very skilled paint artist - but I think it came out cute!

 

What do you have a large collection of? Any sticker-a-holics out there like me?

 

 

 

Finally - just a little hint of what's to come... I am working on a giveaway for my blog! I have reached over 100 followers in my TpT store and want to celebrate!

 

 

Thanks for looking!

 

 

Stay inspired. :)

 



 

CLIPART AND COFFEE TALK FEATURING..... ME!!!



GIVEAWAY WILL LAUNCH ON HER BLOG AT 4:00AM MONDAY!

I am SUPER excited to be linked up with This Little Piggy Reads for a Clipart feature and GIVEAWAY! Deniece is so amazing to be doing a clipart feature on her blog each week to help newbie clipartist - like myself, get a chance to showcase their work.

Here are the details of my FEATURE - GIVEWAY ....Oh and I almost forgot to mention FREEBIE!

Go to This Little Piggy Reads and use the rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. (There are a few options to get more chances to win.)

Here are the details:

This is my giveaway - You will win a choice pack of the three clipart packages, the bunting package, and the best selling teacher planner!

Click to go to the GIVEAWAY!

 

 

 

Now for the FREEBIE! If you might not have guessed, I am a teensy...Uh-hum...ok a lot obsessed with bunting and Chevron. So what did I do, make CHEVRON BUNTING! I have a large pack available in my TpT store (click here to see the large pack). But, for the duration of the giveaway only you can get these two welcome signs FREE! They come in red and blue, but I thought that if you print them in gray-scale they would look cute too! :)

 

CLICK TO GET IT NOW!

 

I would like to give my sincerest THANKS to Deniece at This Little Piggy Reads for showcasing my clipart on her blog. I hope you enjoy the freebie if you download and good luck! Thanks for looking!

Stay inspired. :)

Monday Made IT ... AND MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

Linking up again for another Monday Made It!

I L.O.V.E teaching writing, especially when I taught First Grade. First Graders make such a HUGE transformation in a short period of time, especially in reading and writing. I would compile all of their writing in Writing Folders and long about April, pick them up and just stare in awe of how far they had come from "just out of Kindergarten" to "almost 2nd graders."

I made this huge writing packet for my store on TpT that compiles all my favorite topics, bulletin board ideas (I loved showcasing their writing on the hall bulletin board), and GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS, anchor charts, and MORE! Every lesson and independent activity in this packet I have done. Some of them are very dear to my heart. (especially "Fishy" and "Trees in Fall") Check it out if you have a sec and let me know what you think. :)

CLICK TO SEE IT AT TpT!

Graphic organizers, in my opinion, are like a 1st grader's best friend when it comes to writing a story. To move my young writers to the next level, we would always:

BRAINSTORM - PLAN (using graphic organizers) - then WRITE! 

 

I am pretty sure a lot of other 1st grade teachers feel my pain when I say - at beginning of the year, getting a first grader to stay on topic in a story is.... well... is sometimes a "challenge." By using graphic organizers to plan a story beforehand, it helps them not stray off topic.







Finally, I am SUPER excited about my very first GIVEAWAY since starting my blog! Deniece at This Little Piggy Reads has featured me in her Clipart and Coffee Talk feature! Go check it out and enter to win!

Here is what you'll get if you win!

 

 

Oh - and there is a freebie, too - to celebrate my obsession with CHEVRON and BUNTING BANNERS!

 





 

If you enter in the giveaway good luck and if you download my freebie I hope you enjoy. One idea I had - (for those of you that don't like red or blue) you could print out the banner in "gray scale" and back it with a color you like! That would be really cute!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Stay inspired. :)

 



So exctied to be nominated for the Liebster Award!

 

WOW! So EXCITED and honored to be nominated for the Liebster Award from two fellow bloggers! Thank you to Sarah at Kinder Kakes Kakes and Veronica at Teaching with Giggles for the nominations. 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 me by my nominator
4. Share 11 random facts about myself
5. Create 11 questions for my nominees
6. Contact my nominees and let them know I nominated them

I am nominating the following blogs I discovered through Linky parties and follow on Bloglovin':

Second Grade Stories

KinderKarla

Moments to Teach

ABC’s and Polka Dots

A Day in the Life of a Kindergartener

 

11 Random Facts About Me:
1. I worked as a cook in a restaurant in High School because I was SOOO bad at waitressing! My boss threw me in the kitchen and I thrived. J
2. I knew in first grade that I wanted to be a teacher.
3. I love every shade of blue there is.
4. I sometimes wish I lived on the beach.
5. I have recently lost 40lbs since starting a new diet! Whoohoo!
6. I am an admitted purse-a-holic.
7. I am married to a guy I NEVER would have thought would be my husband when we were in high school together.
8. I wanted to create clip art so badly that I taught myself how.
9. I have been wrong about EVERY pregnancy prediction I have given (boy/girl) – including my own.
10. I wish I could play a musical instrument, particularly a guitar or drums.
11. I love, love, love to cook. I always say that I would have been a chef if I didn’t go to school to be a teacher.

11 Questions for my Nominees: (From Kinder Kakes)
1. What is your favorite dessert?

This is a tough one – but I must say apple pie with vanilla ice cream.
2. If you could be a Disney Princess, who would you be?

Belle
3. What is your dream car?
I am not really into cars… I know NOTHING about them! Haha! However - I love the car that Desiree drives in the show the Bachelorette, love the color the most I think…so that one!
4. What is your favorite TV show?
Big Brother
5. What is the last song you listened to?
Baby Einstein CD….always the Baby Einstein CD
6. What is your favorite animal?
Tiger
7. Which holiday is your favorite?
CHRISTMAS!
8. What is your favorite fruit?
Apples
9. What was the last thing you ate?
Boiled Egg
10. If you could meet a character from a picture book, who would it be?
Pooh Bear J
11. Where would you vacation if money was no object?
Europe….everywhere in Europe

 

11 Questions for my Nominees: (From Teaching with Giggles)
1. How long have you been teaching?

7 years
2. What is your favorite grade to teach?
I loved my sweet Firsties!
3. What is your favorite college memory?
Watching a large group of people try to find a guy “Timmy.” (One of those –ya had to be there- moments.)
4. What is your favorite grade school memory?
My first dance in 5th grade, so cute!
5. Have you lived in more than one state?
No, Louisianan all my life
6. What is your dream vacation spot?
Europe – probably Italy to be more specific
7. If you were stranded on a deserted island, what would you take?
Wilson! ….haha kidding… a flashlight, or some fire starting contraption because I am terrified of the dark.
8. Do you prefer hot or cold weather? Why?
Hot weather, I HATE cold weather
9. If you won the lottery what would be the first thing you would buy?
My own house on the beach!
10. What is your dream car?
I am not really into cars… I know NOTHING about them! Haha! However - I love the car that Desiree drives in the show the Bachelorette, love the color the most I think…so that one!
11. What is something you never leave home without?
Cell Phone!


Questions for my nominees:

1. What was your best Halloween costume ever?

2. What is your favorite meal?

3. What reminds you of home?

4. What is your favorite article of clothing?

5. If you could meet any character from a book, which would it be?

6. What do you obsess over?

7. What is your favorite word?

8. What makes you laugh the most?

9. What is your favorite classroom office-type item?

10. What grade was your favorite in school?

11. What is the last vaction you went on?

 

Thank you again so much for the nominations! They made my week! :)

 



Monday Made It!

 

 



Excited to be participating in my first Monday Made It linky with 4th Grade Frolics - even though it's a bit late...

When I saw this linky I knew exactly what I wanted write my post about - My Word Garden! In my first grade classroom, I had a Garden Theme (click HERE to see a bunch of pics). My Word Garden was one of my favorite pieces of my classroom decor.

 

I made those letters (large and small), flowers, and leaves with my Cricut, found the paper at a local school supply store, and printed the words on the computer.

 

 

It was so cute, the kiddos loved it! I have posted this picture to Pinterest and it has been repinned quite a few times, I even had a few emails about the letters and other decor. Seeing this inspired me, and that is how this pack was born!

 

 

Click to see it at TpT!

 

After realizing there was interest out there for garden themed classrooms I created this cute Garden and Chevron themed pack! The pack includes:

 



1. “WORD GARDEN” aka Word Wall Bunting Banner

2. Word Garden Alphabet cards PDF
3. “LEARN AND GROW” Bunting Banner
4. 11 Blank - CREATE YOUR OWN BUNTING BANNER
5. Center Group Signs
6. 14 Center Signs
7. 4 EDITABLE Center Signs that match
8. Sizeable Center Rotation Cards
9. 5 Different NAME TAGS
10. CALENDAR – Chevron 12 Months and 31 Numbers with cards for holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween) and birthdays (5).
11. LARGE ALPHABET

12. CLIP ART – I have included the images of the flowers and leaves I made for this pack so you will be able to create and match your own décor for your classroom to this pack.

(see my TpT store for full description)

 

I absolutely love this set. It kind of makes me want to go back to my old classroom and decorate up a storm! One of my favorite parts (besides the Word Garden) is the blank bunting! I am actually thinking about uploading them as a pack on TpT all by themselves - so many possibilities. Here are some images of my favorites:

 



 

 

Anyone else have a garden theme in their classroom? What are some of your favorite decorations?

 

Stay inspired. :)