Summer Lovin'

I absolutely love everything about summer!  I love spending time with my little man and watching reruns of The Real Housewives of New Jersey (I can't take my eyes off of the drama!).  Daily trips to the pool keep us busy with a twilight mini-golf session every once in awhile.  This is the life of a teacher and boy do I.LOVE.IT!  I have no guilt about basking in my happiness with my toes in the sand! 

 

Here is a pic of the little guy and I waiting for our turn at mini golf.  Does he look like mommy?  I hope so! 

 

 

 

 

Notice the tooth missing on the bottom row?  Yep, my little soon-to-be-first-grader lost his FIRST TOOTH!  Look what the tooth fairy left him...

 

 

She is a pretty cool gal if you ask me! ;-)  Wink, wink!

 

 

I've been doing a lot of reading this summer in preparation for implementing the Common Core.  I just went to the library today to pick up some books.  The little guy had to pick up all of the Garfield graphic novels and the latest Captain Underpants book.  Mommy, on the other hand, choose a book about teaching reading and one by Ralph Fletcher (bowing down in reverence...this man is a writing GENIUS!)  The Trend for Kids magazine just came in the mail and had some pretty cute stuff!  I bookmarked everything I want to buy!

 

 

 

 

Did I mention I let a Despicable Me 2 minion lead the way to the library?  Thanks, McDonald's!  My son sure got a kick out of this!  P.S. The movie was AWESOME!  Take the kids! 

 

 

 

 

I may even take him to my classroom for a visit this year!  Hmmm, creative juices flowing...

 

Speaking of creative juices, I have been SUPER BUSY creating resources to use in the classroom this year!  Here are some highlights:

 

 

 

and

 

 

These task cards make a quick, easy center or whole-group activity.  My students can't get enough of the task cards.  They are differentiated for different levels of learners by the level of questioning on them.  Some are fairly simple, while others make students think!

 

I just made one of my favorite resources so far and that is:

 

 

These math centers are aligned to the Common Core and meet varying levels of challenge.  In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a "cookie cutter" teacher.  I don't make "one size fits all" activities.  They can be easily differentiated without too much extra work on the teacher's part!

 

 

Looking for a cute way to welcome parents to Back-to-School Night or Peek-at-Your-Seat Day?  These sign in sheets and comment cards are a little over a dollar and may be just what you are looking for!

 

 

 

 

If writing is what you want for your students, these 100 Back-to-School Writing Prompts might be just your thing!  These are guaranteed to keep those little fingers busy!

 

 

 

 

I am still deciding on a classroom theme but have been throwing around doing an 80's theme for my classroom.  I may have lots of cool neon signs and sunglasses everywhere!  I was so inspired, I whipped up these background papers!

 

 

By the way, try to guess my favorite 80's movie!  If you do, you will win this pack of background papers and a choice of one of the above resources!  Hint:  I especially love watching my favorite 80's movie in the morning!

 

Well, that's about it for now!  Don't forget to leave your email and guess in the comments section!  Good luck!

 

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Favorite Pins Friday!

 

Okay, so we all know Pinterest is addictive, right?  I find myself pinning in the morning, pinning in between meetings, and pinning at night when I can't fall asleep (I wonder why...).  I just love finding recipe ideas, ways to decorate my classroom and so much more!  This week, I've got my favorite pins for you to check out so you can be dragged into my obsession hobby.  Hold on to your seats because here we go!
 

 

My TEACHING Pins

 

 

 

Aren't these just DARLING?  Some things I LOVE about them:  they are neon, they are ADORABLE, they hold lots of supplies, I see zebra print, and they have lids to keep the supplies tidy!  SCORE!!!  Thanks to Christy Wallace from Everyday Giggles for making these!!!

These personalized bookmarks are fan-say!  Whew!  When I was in school, they were made out of a light cardboard that bent and you really didn't care if it ever ended up in a book.  Now, this is special because it is personalized and ready for each student on the first day of school.  Nothing says, "you belong" like having your name typed onto a gift ahead of time!  Super job, Sixpenny on Etsy. I will certainly make some of my own to start off the year!

 

As someone who is a bit of a neat freak in the classroom, Amy from What Happens in First Grade, had this great idea on her page.  I spent much of my time nagging fifth graders about cleaning out their desks last year and they would complain that all of their stuff didn't fit.  Now, this is an easy way to have those loose items stashed away so they aren't balanced on the inside ledge, ready to fall out!

 

 

Favorite CLIP ART Pin

Graphics From the Pond does it again!  These are so VIBRANT and HIGH QUALITY!  Please remember that when you choose clip art, you need to look for clear, high-quality graphics.  It makes everything you do look classy!

 

 

Pins of YUMMY SUMMER EATS
 

 

 So, nothing says summer and camping like s'mores but to put them in PIE form?!?  That is just plain sinful!  With a name like Gimme Some Oven, I just couldn't resist!  This looks like a chocolatey, marshmallowey, toasty, sweet little treat!  If your mouth isn't watering, yet, something is wrong with you!!!


Fifteen Spatulas has this great recipe for watermelon lemon slushies that looks oh so sweet and refreshing!





Layered salads are one of my favorite items to take to a summer barbecue.  You can guarantee you won't be taking anything home but the container you brought them in!  This one looks particularly interesting because of the creative layers!  I found this recipe on {I Love} My Disorganized Life.

My STYLE Pins
 

Love this summer style set because it is in the Tiffany & Co. colors!  There is something about this aqua color that makes me just want to wear it all the time. Thanks Polyvore for the idea! So cute!




Anyone who knows me knows that I {heart} sea glass.  This bracelet from Artisan Sea Glass by Amy Marie would go perfect with the outfit above! 

Pins that HUMOR ME



That's it for this week!  Happy pinning!  If you want to check out my other pins, {CLICK HERE}!  TTYL!

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My Top Picks for Summer

So, summer is well under way and I'm sure everyone is relaxing as much as possible before the back-to-school rush!  I know I have been spending some days in my plaid pjs vegging out and watching The Today Show.  Other days, I have been busy at work creating teaching resources to prepare for this year in fifth grade.  I'm sure some of you have been teaching summer school and attending workshops.  Remember to rest up on the weekends because you need some time off, too!  Anyway, I wanted to share some of my top picks for summer with you so you could enjoy your time off as much as I do!  To purchase, I have a link on each picture or a little Amazon box next to the picture so you can grab yours right away!

 

PICK #1 

Garnier BB Cream
Recommended by my bestie over at Animal Crackers and Applejuice



This product makes my face glow!  It is perfect for summer without having to add any powder on top of it.  My best friend has gotten so many compliments where people thought she was 20 years younger!!!  When I return to the classroom this August and have 5 minutes to do my make-up, I will be saying, "Yes, please!!!" to this product in the morning!

 

PICK #2
Banana Boat Kids Sun Block
SPF 50+

This sun block is the BEST by far!  After being burned this summer using a spray sun block, I purchased this large bottle with a pump for my family.  It glides on nicely and gives a thick coat of sun protection all day long.  I can feel great knowing that my family and I are not going to go home red as a tomato after a fun day at the pool or beach. 

 

PICK #3
Old Navy Jeweled-Strap Flip Flops

Who says you can't dress up flip flops?  Anyone who knows me knows I have a flip flop OBSESSION!  If you can't buy a bunch of colors, your best bet is to go with black because it matches any outfit!  The best part of these shoes is the sparkle!  My friend, Greg Smedley, from Smedley's Smorgasbord of Kindergarten is a HUGE fan of **GLITTER**!  Watch out, Mr. Greg, I can hang with some ****SPARKLE****!

 

What are some of your TOP PICKS FOR SUMMER?  Comment below and you may be featured in one of my upcoming blog posts!  Leave your blog address if you want me to link back to you!  Enjoy the SUMMER FUN!!!

Love and Hugs,

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