Long time no post! Five for Friday!

I can't believe it's been over a week since my last post!  I guess that blows my theory that teachers must have more time to blog in the summer!  One day keeps running into the next and frankly I don't even know what day it is!  I haven't been lounging around, that's for sure!!  I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs  Teaching to share what's been keeping me so busy!

1.  I have tons of work in the summer class that I'm taking!!  It's a 5 week course with an entire semester worth of work!!

2. My husband and I finally finished turning the office into my reading nook!  I love it!  Now I have a quiet place to read all those chapters in my text book!

BEFORE

AFTER

3. My students LOVE to play Roll and Cover durning math stations.  I made a set for three addend addition and multiplication back in May (they're free in my TpT or TN stores).  They have a racing theme for the month of May (it's an Indiana thing).  I thought it would be fun to make a set for each month of the year so I could switch them.  One thing led to another and I made 20 sets of Roll and Cover.  There is a set for each month and a few extra!!  Well, let me just tell you... that is a lot of laminating and cutting!!  I hate to list anything in my store without showing a picture of the completed product.  As you can see I still have lots of work to do.  They may be finished by August!!  I also have a few more jar workstations in the works.

4.  I love Vistaprint!! I really love it when Groupon has their $70 for $17 deal.  My order came this week!  Here's what I got...

Here's what I forgot to proof read before I ordered...

I didn't realize that the post card had a back to it (last year's didn't)!  Now I have a quote and my school's address up in the left hand corner and it's not even aligned.  Also, my cute initial note cards have my name right at the top of the inside.  I would like to say that this is the first time that this has happened to me but it's not.  Last year I entered the wrong zip code on my business card.  You would think I would have learned my lesson to pay close attention.  Maybe next year.

5. And last but not least, the one sweet thing that keeps me very busy these days...

Moby is the most energetic dog.  He is so funny!  Yesterday on our walk he found this pacifier and carried it around like this (until he chewed it to bits)!

Well, that's what I've been up to this week.  I probably won't be back until next weekend because this is where I will be for the next few days...

Norris Lake in Tennessee!!!

Have a wonderful Fourth of July holiday!!

A Winner, a Sale, and a Freebie!!!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my blogiversary giveaway!!  I'm so excited to have so many new followers!  Now to the important part...
the winner is

Congratulations Kelly!  

On to the freebie!  Are you tired of no name papers?  Constantly trying to figure out the owner of a paper by looking at the handwriting (I get really good at this by the end of the year)!  I have your solution!  You need a No Name Paper Display.

 Simply print, cut, laminate, and add magnets to the back.  Put the display on your chalkboard or whiteboard.  Place no name papers under a question mark magnet.  Students have to go to the board to claim their paper.  Hopefully after several trips to the board students will start remembering to put their name on their paper!!  You can get it for free in my TpT or TN stores!  Please leave feedback to let me know what you think!  *Also, I got the cute ribbon clip art for free on a blog this week.  I would love to give that person credit!!  If it's yours or you know who it belongs to please let me know!  Thanks!!

You only have two days to stock up on jar activities in my 600+ follower sale!!

Just a few hours left and a sale!

There are only a few hour left in my Erin Condren gift certificate giveaway!  Thanks so much to everyone for entering and following my blog!  I can't wait to announce the winner...

Also, I'm having a sale!

TpT or TN

Five for Friday on Father's Day!

Better late than never!!  I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching to give you my Five for Friday.

1.  Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband who also happens to be an absolutely wonderful  father!!

Three peas in a pod!

2.  This has been a very busy summer!  Both of my daughters have been busy with their usual activities.  Avery will be a freshman this coming school year and made the high school dance team.  She has practice every Monday-Thursday for 3 hours!!

My youngest daughter, Payton, has soccer at least four days a week.  She and three of her teammates won a 3v3 tournament yesterday!

And last but not least, this crazy dog is always into something he shouldn't be!!

3. I did find furniture for my patio.  It has been favorite spot of mine this summer!  Here is a before and after!

4. My Blogiversary Giveaway ends tomorrow!  If you haven't enter yet, click on the picture below to enter for a chance to win a $50 Erin Condren gift certificate!!

5. I've had such a wonderful response to my giveaway that I'm now at 659 followers!  AMAZING!!  To celebrate I'm having a sale in my TpT and TN stores!!

Enjoy your Sunday!

1st Blogiversary Giveaway- Win a $50 Erin Condren Gift Certificate

It's my one year blogiversary!  It's hard to believe that it has been one year since I started my blog.  What a wonderful year it has been!!  Blogging has introduced me to some super teachers and helped me to become a better teacher.  So why not celebrate!!  What better way to celebrate the "paper" anniversary than with a $50 Erin Condren gift certificate??  I was introduced to Erin Condren products shortly after I began blogging.  I LOVE her products!!   One of my favorites is her lesson planner.  You can see it for yourself here.  Don't you love it??  Want one for yourself?  Go ahead and enter my giveaway today and everyday until June 18th!!  Thanks so much for following my blog!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Made It Monday

I'm joining Tara at Fourth Grade Frolics for Made It Monday.  Ok, I'll be honest!  I made this weeks ago.  The only thing I've made lately is a survey, reflection, article summary, and a brochure for the grad course that I'm taking!  This is NOT how I wanted to start my summer.  I was really hoping that it would be a participation only class!  It's not.
I blogged about my "Made It Monday" a couple months ago.  One of my good friends retired this year. I wanted to give her a gift to take to her new home away from home in Ashville, North Carolina.  She was wanting a table for the hallway in her condo.  Here's what I painted for her.  She sent me these pictures from it's new home.

I'm hoping to paint a chair this summer for my new classroom.  Of course I'll have to finish E590 first!

Figuring Out Figurative Language (and a quick giveaway!)

Getting students to understand figurative language can be like pulling teeth!  Last school year my class had an idiom of the week.  We also studied similes and metaphors when they popped up in our reading units.  Each time I was taken back by the number of kids that had a hard time understanding figurative language (it's no wonder they didn't get my sarcasm!!).  Only a handful of students tried using figurative language in their writing.  So, of course I decided that my classroom needed a figurative language jar!!

I think they will really enjoy this jar.  It has 126 idioms, similes, and metaphors.  Students can sort them and complete the included worksheet.

I mean how cute is the flying pig from Melonheadz!!  If you would like to take a look at the preview you can check it out in my TpT or TN stores.  I would also like to give one away.  Just leave a comment about anything and I'll send a copy to someone tonight!

Winners!

Thank you so much to everyone who commented on my post yesterday!  Congratulations to Karen, Andrea, Kris, and Michelle.  I've emailed each of you the product of your choice.  Gotta go and watch the Pacers try to come back and beat the Heat (it's not looking good).

Four New Products and a Quick Giveaway!!

Other than relaxing the thing that I have looked forward to most about this summer is making new products!  Last summer I was just getting my feet wet and really had no idea how to start.  Sixty-nine products later and my stores are going strong.  Just this week I added four new products to my TpT and TN stores.

ABC Jar
This product is a lot like my Pocket Full of Sounds activity but in jar form.  The jar includes 77 picture and 77 word cards.  Students can sort the cards on to the included jar mats, play memory, or do one of the included work mats.

TpT or TN

Fluency Workstation Voice Jar
This is a new and MUCH improved version of one of my first products.  Included are 18 emotion cards.  Students choose a card and then read a sentence, paragraph, book or poem using that expression.  This jar is a favorite of my students!

TpT or TN

Name that Number Jar
This product is a lot like my Pocket Full of Numbers activity but in jar form.  Students sort the 225 number problem/name cards onto the correct jar mat.  Each number (1-25) has 9 cards that equal that number.

TpT or TN

Getting to Know You Jar
This is a beginning of the school year jar activity.  Students take turns passing the jar around.  Each student pulls a card from the jar and answers the question about himself/herself.  There is even an interview sheet for older students.

TpT or TN

You can click on any of the links below each picture to take a closer look at one of my new products.  I would love to give each product away.  Simply leave a comment telling which one you think you could use in your classroom and I'll choose four winners tomorrow evening!

June Currently

Oh,  June!  How I've missed you!  There's nothing like the beginning of summer vacation.  I've so looked forward to this month's Currently knowing that the stress of the school year would be one week behind me.

Listening... to Chopped.  I absolutely love watching Food Network so much so that one might think that I love to cook.  Nope!  I absolutely HATE to cook.  It's just something I'm not good at doing so I live vicariously through others!

Loving... summer vacation!  I've been on summer vacation for one week.  It's been a busy week with my daughter's dance recital but I've loved every minute of it.  Here's a picture of her getting ready to go on stage for her tap routine.  She's such a wonderful dancer!!

Thinking... about my class that starts on Wednesday.  It's the first time I've taken a distance learning class, so I'm a little nervous.  The professor hasn't put out the syllabus yet so I have no idea how much work it's going to entail.

Wanting... some Ben & Jerry's Coffee, Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz ice cream.  It's delicious!!

Needing... to blog more often.  I thought for sure I would have more time once school was out to blog daily.  I was wrong!  Apparently I'm going to have so schedule it in my day.  I have finished FOUR new products that I need to share.  Hopefully this week will be better!!

3 vacay essentials...

1. My Kindle. It's not a vacation unless I read at least two trashy novels!

2. Sunglasses.  Unfortunately the bright light kills me so I look like a raccoon the entire summer.

3. Fan.  I need white noise when I sleep so I always take a small fan with me on vacation to drown out all the unfamiliar sounds.

I can't wait to read your June Currently so head over to Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade join her party!