Livin' for the Weekend! {& it's only Monday}

Happy Monday {I know, I know... not the weekend anymore, but I'm still gonna post about it}! I just love weekends! Even in the summer cause it's mostly just us teachers that are busy "not working" {even though we are} all week. So, weekends are friends, family, & fiancé time!

This weekend was spent doing absolutely nothing educational for my classroom. Instead, I worked on painting up these little gems for my bedroom.

They are the frames for mirrors & I'll hang one on each side of my bed - I hope it turns out adorably!

The rest of this weekend was spent on an island in Maryland with some super sweet friends! This place was a gem - so remote & relaxed. We're so happy they invited us to visit!

Here's my view from our boat trip over to the island. {seriously... You can only get there by boat!}

It was windyyy!!!

Feeling relaxed now & ready for my last week of summer {aahh, can you believe it?!}.

  

I also have some Monday Made-it & Manic Monday Freebies for my classroom to share with you!

These are book bin bookmarks! The numbers match the ones on each kiddos' book box {some super cute ones that I found at the Target dollar spot I might add... I'll show you those if my room is EVER ready}. Hopefully *fingers crossed* this will make returning books to the correct bin even easier.

These are the numbers I used along with some free paint sticks from Wal-Mart & some sunny yellow spray paint. :) {Click the picture}

OR here they are with a chevron pattern.

I also made & finished my new helper jobs this week - they look like ipods to go with our *rock star* theme! {I love the helping hands!}  The jobs & helping hands are available here if you'd like your helpers to rock out, too!  I simply cut a regular sheet of 8.5x11" cardstock in half to make the rest of the ipod - this way it could match your own personal classroom decor super easily!  The numbered hands are stuck on with velcro so that I can easily change them each week.

{Click the pic to check it out}

If you follow me on bloglovin' & on TPT, leave your email in a comment below.  I'll email a Rockin' Classroom Helpers file to the first two!

It's Friday!!

I couldn't be more excited that it's finally Friday!!! I love that I get to spend weekend time with my favorite guy... we've *hopefully* got some fun things planned for this upcoming one {cooperate weatherrrr}.

But since I <3 randomness the most, here are 5 random things from my week {and it's sure been a busy one}.

1. I danced the night away with this handsome guy at my beautiful cousin's wedding...

2. With the help of my amazing parents & best friend, all my school stuff is now in the 1st state! (give or take a few straggling items).  Of course I shed a few tears leaving my classroom behind - but now it's someone else's to enjoy!

3. I am about to dive into cutting up all of this fruit! Hopefully that means it'll be a healthy week!

4. I ran 12 miles this week! Sprinkles for that - but I better get on the ball cause I've got 23 miles to run in the next 10 days to meet my back-to-school goal. Eeeeep!!!

5. I finished up some lesson activities for a beginning of the year book I'm going to use this year - it's a pigeon book by the one and only Mo Willems.  And I'm so excited to post it in my new store!

Follow me here

And check out these fun & polite activities!

Then go and link up to see everyone's weekly top 5 random things!

Favorite Teacher-y Things!

I am in back-to-school full swing! Eeeeee!  So thinking about how fast this last week and a half that I have left will go, I am all about my favorite teacher-y things that will make the next 180 days till summer go by in fabulous style...

1. This is a MUST.  My planner - I don't know a teacher who can live without her/his planner.  I have turned around and driven back to school or home quite a few times when I've forgotten my planner.  I always score the Staples calendar aisle for the perfect one (& I found the perfect one years ago... I just pray each year that they keep making it - so far so good! Praise the Lord!).

It has each month laid out followed by each week of that month with lots of space for making notes/to-do lists.

2. Crayola Poster Markers! I'm am obsessed with these! I pick up a pack whenever I find them.  So far I've only ran across them at Hobby Lobby & Michael's.  They're much thicker when they write than regular markers, making them just *perfect* for anchor charts & anything my kiddos may need to see from far away.

3. My supply organizers are essential to making our days go smoothly! I have one for each day of the week {thanks Michael's}.  I just put my supplies in the bin when I'm planning & then everything is ready for that day - it's especially great when I have a sub on short notice... I just say, "it's all in the {day} bin!"

As teachers we are incredibly flexible from day to day {heck, minute to minute for that matter}, but these 3 things are my MUST HAVES to make it through the year!

Check out other teacher favorites here...

I also LOVE my new favorite beginning of the year book - check out all of the activities to help teacher your students how to be super polite! This is on saaaale because it's brand new. {click the pic}

Discovering New Blogs!

How exciting to turn on my computer the other morning and find that Lauren from The Traveling Teacher had nominated me for a Liebster Award - a fun way to discover new blogs (like this one)!  Thanks, Lauren!

Now I have the (somewhat awkward) pleasure of talking about myself in this post.  (I am sooo much better at talking about random school-ness than myself.)  So, if you choose to read on, here's what you're about to find out about me:

The Acceptance "Rules"

1. Link back to Lauren's blog (because she nominated me, of course)

2. Nominate 5-11 new blogs with fewer than 200 followers

3. Answer the questions posted by Lauren (my nominator)

4. Share 11 Random Facts about myself

5. Create 11 questions for the blogs I nominate

6. Contact my nominees & let them know!

Whooooooaaaa! That's a lot for this one little blog.  Okayyy, here it goes...

1. What song describes your personality?

Carry On, by FUN - I'd like to say it's because I can always keep trudging on in adverse times (like this past school year, wow!) but really I just like this song a whole lot at the moment.  It's probably not quite "fun" enough for my personality.  (See how I did that? Ha!)

2. What is one item in your classroom that you could not live without?

I couldn't live without my chart paper & (ok, I know it said "one" but...) my Crayola Poster Markers.  I have about 10 packs of these markers because I go through them so fast that I feel the need to pick up a pack anytime that I see them in the store.

3. How did you end up teaching at the school you are at?

After college, I looked and looked for a job (they are soo hard to come by in rural PA).  Finally in August, my best college friend called me.  She'd just been hired at a school & they were still looking for a first grade teacher.  I sent my application in that very afternoon.  I felt like my interview was a disaster (I cried during it & afterwards my car battery was dead, ughhh).  But they gave me the job (two days before school started - OMG) & it's been an amazing journey so far.  And now that I'm heading into this military life, stay tuned to see where my next teaching adventure will be... 

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

A wedding planner! I can just picture myself pulling off a wedding like J-Lo.  I love planning a party and having friends over - I don't get to do it nearly enough.  Now, let's hope that my inner wedding planner can make it through these next 4 months till my own wedding... hurrrrry November!

5. What is your favorite hobby outside of school?

I love to get a good workout in.  It's my favorite thing to do either early before school or right away when I get home.  A good run outside or a kickboxing video with Jillian Michaels can clear my mind & make me refreshed to deal with my little learners again.  Bonus: I feel energized & just amazing after a workout!

6. What is your favorite unit/concept to teach?

Pre-Common Core, one of our science/social studies topics was "animals" - how broad!  But I always threw in a unit about the tropical rain forest.  It's got to be my favorite of all time.  We read so many fun/informative books, dig into them with a variety of comprehension skills, and create our own rain forest in the classroom (construction paper of course).  Plus, I usually teach it at the end of the school year, & wow can those little firsties read big words by then! Love it.

7. If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?

Anywhere my soon-to-be Mr. wants to go.  I'd live in any state or country as long as he's beside me to share in the adventure.  Although, Australia or Italy just might get my vote if I HAD to choose.

8. What is your favorite thing about having summers off?

Having time to travel! I loooove traveling & have been lucky enough to find some amazing friends who do, too!  My bestie & I (sometimes along with others) always plan a girls' getaway in the summer.  We're working on checking off all 50 states! 

Here we are out in Washington back in June.

9. How do you spend your weekends during the school year?

During the past few school years, I've either reserved my weekends for fun with friends and/or my fiance.  There have been many, many weekend trips to & from DE.  I am so hopeful that this school year I won't have to be so on the run every weekend - woo hoo for living under the same roof!

10. How do you unwind after a long day of school?

A nice long run, an afternoon nap, & my DVR.  If I've had a long school day, these are my go-to's!

11. If you could time travel, what era/time period would you go to?

I'd go hang out in the 50's.  I love organizing my house & cooking dinner (thanks Pinterest).  Unfortunately, those are definitely not the first things on my agenda during the school year.  I think I would've made a fabulous 50's housewife.  Just sayin'...

And now... 11 Random Facts about ME:
*I sometimes feel OCD & sometimes I couldn't care less that my house is a mess.
*I make a pretty banging carrot cake cheesecake.
*I met the guy I'm marrying in high school, but it didn't work out for nearly a decade.
*I love sending those funny ecards to my teammates to make them laugh.
*For the past 6 years, I've lived less than a mile away from my college roomie (that's her in my Washington pic above) & now I'll be almost 5 hours away - sadsville on that one!
*I think Melissa McCarthy is a hysterical actress.
*I grew up in rural PA & loved our house in the woods - it was like a secret hidden place.
*I am scaaaaared to pieces for the day that my soon-to-be hubby tells me he's going on another deployment.
*I loooove a good car karaoke session (preferably when I'm driving solo, ha).
*We're getting married on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (& my parents ALSO got married on the Saturday after Thanksgiving).
*I'm almost halfway done with my visit 50 states checklist.

Bloggers I'm Nominating (check out their cuteness):
Sara from Primary Buzz
Elizabeth from A Classroom of Smarties
Cindy from First Grade A to Z
Jamie from Teaching Tidbits & More with Jamie
Mrs. Z from Mrs. Z & Company

Now if you're not nominated, you can stop reading. :)  If I nominated you, read on for your 11 questions!

1. Which holiday is your favorite & why?
2. Pick a new state in the US to live... where would you love to start over at?
3. Tell us your one top teaching tip of all time...
4. Are you a late nighter at school or do you bring your work home with you?
5. What is your preferred method of parent communication & why?
6. What song wouldn't you be able to resist belting out when it came on the radio?
7. What is your top summer read (educational or for enjoyment)?
8. Have you had a "that's why I became a teacher" moment during class? Details, please...
9. What is the most adventurous thing you've ever done?
10. How do you get to school each day (are you a walker, bus rider, car rider... ya know, ha)?
11. What is your all-time favorite dessert?

Listening Station Organization & Curing the Classroom Blues

I have been getting so antsy for school to start (I will totally regret saying that in a few weeks when I can't sit outside with an iced coffee all morning).

I've been spending all of my spare time thinking about how I want my classroom to look and flow - brain draining! Wow!  But, I did come across a few great ideas that I just had to use.

My listening station has been in need of some serious reconstructive surgery.  I typically use plastic Ziploc gallon bags to store individual books and CD players (Yep, CD players... I'm stuck in the stone age). 

But after seeing a photo on this fabulous blog here, I knew I had found my inspiration!

I pulled out some plain bags that I'd found at the Dollar Tree last summer (for a poor project idea that was left to die in the craft closet), some scrap fabric, and fabric glue.

I cut out a number for each bag and came up with this...

But it looked sooo boring.  Cue more scrap fabric and polka dot cutting:

And the final project:

I'm not a HUGE fan.  I would love to go back and switch the fabrics that I used (the striped polka dots just aren't really doing it for me), but they're done.  If there's one thing that teaching has done, it's knocked the perfectionist right out of me.  So while they're not perfect, these are still much improved listening bags - they get *sprinkles!*

And about my classroom blues...  I am struggling with not being able to get into my classroom to set up for the new school year (I'm usually all set up by the beginning of August and can relaaaax till in-service), but no such luck this year!

So, I cured my blues with this (best purchase ever):

And I spent all evening in a crazy laminating coma while my fiance stared dumbfounded. (How could he not see the excitement in this?! Ha!)

Well, I'm sure there's much more to create AND LAMINATE around here - have a sprinklicious Sunday!

Pinterest Overload!

It's the LAST Friday in July - I can hardly believe it! Where did July go?!

This week has once again been a busy one... car in the shop, school prepping, {still} unpacking, & repacking to head home for my little cousin's wedding this weekend!

However, I have been able to carve out plenty of Pinterest time in my busy schedule. (All while watching my Pittsburgh Pirates keep rocking and rolling - raise it {the jolly roger, that is}!)

Anywhoooo these were my favorite pins this week:

A {healthy} Twix shake?! With peanut butter?!?! But the link takes me NO WHERE! :(

Does anyone have the recipe for this? Help, please!

After I finally figure out that Twix shake, I'll need these arm exercises.  Especially since I've got an amazing strapless dress to sport down the aisle in, uh, 4 months!

This CRACKS ME UP! It's exactly how my poor fiance probably feels every evening when I smoosh my way onto the couch.  {I'm the annoying black cat, of course. And side note *the fiance does not call me fat, thank goodness.}

And finally... This fits me perfectly right now with my many life changes happening simultaneously.

No regrets though!

Have a sunny, sprinkle-y weekend!

What I'm Lovin'...

It's a beautiful Wednesday & there is so much to be thankful for and love today!

Here' what I'm lovin' right this minute...

1. Sweet Italian Creme Coffee Mate Creamer - Oh myyyyyy! This stuff is out of this world.  I really cannot drink my sweet summer iced coffee without it.

2. My new Hall of Fame frame for my firsties' clip chart. So excited to use this!

3. The tags I made for our laundry sorter... the fiance tends to get a little confused.  Cross your fingers that this helps sort it all out. ;)

4. These $1 AMAZING magnets from the Target Dollar Spot.  (I always send these funnies to my teammates, so when I saw these I just had to snag them for our fridge.  Too funny!)

5. This guy.  It's L-O-V-E.

Check out Covered in Glitter and Glue to see what everyone else is lovin' today!