Nature Inspirations

This year I have an amazing group of students. For the most part, they are well behaved, helpful, self-motivated, kind to each other, and respectful to all. I feel very lucky to be teaching such a great group of kids. When behavior isn't an issue, it's AMAZING what you can accomplish! I don't feel like a broken record and I feel more calm. I have been re-energized and reminded why I wanted to be a teacher in the first place. Such a nice feeling.

With this group of kids, I'm finding myself wanting to incorporate more fun activities and lessons. It seems natural, right? You behave well, you get rewarded. You complete your work, you get rewarded. You're kind to others, you get rewarded. So why not have a fun little art project combined with the beauty of autumn's nature?

I gave each kids a piece of large yellow construction paper. We did a step-by-step drawing of a turkey body. We colored it, then went outside and collected the most beautifully colored leaves and used them to make the tail! So simple, and so adorable!

Thanks for the Giveaway!*

Things I'm thankful for this year:

• My husband found a job after being unemployed for the past four months.
• My family is alive and well.
• We have a fireplace. This is both beautiful to sit in front of, but also helps keep the PG&E bill down.
• My son is still young enough to want to snuggle with me each night.
• Having a family who cares even when times are rough.
• Rain. We need it, even though it makes everyday life trickier.
• My car that is in working order (not perfect, but it runs).
• Night lights. They scare away monsters and allow me not to trip over our black cat.
• My cat. He makes snuggling in front of a fire even more cozy.
• My couch that has recliners (on each end) for my tired feet.
• Wonderful friends. They make me laugh, cry tears of joy, and bring a smile to my face no matter where in the country they live.
• My home. I fell in love with it the day we walked in. We've lived here for a little over a year and it feels like I've always lived here.
• My backyard. It has beautiful trees, a patio area, birds, and my son's toys that I love watching him play with.
• My husband. He cooks, he cleans, he helps raise our amazing son, makes me laugh every day, and is such a caring man. I LOVE that guy!

There is just so much to be thankful for, even when times are tough. This has been the most difficult year I've had in a loooooong time. It truly makes me appreciate the good times. 

*This Giveaway is currently closed

Holiday Shopping Secrets...shhhhhh!

Like most teachers (and mothers), I'm always looking for ways to save money. With Christmas right around the corner, I don't want to be caught unprepared. I also don't want to find myself standing in an eight hour line to purchase my groceries, no... the hottest toy umm...anything.

Last year I waited until Cyber Monday to do some shopping...that wasn't fun either. As you know, Cyber Monday falls on a...Monday. And having a tireless toddler means Mama didn't start her Cyber Monday shopping until after said toddler falls asleep. This in turn, means the Tuesday after was a no-fun-day at school for teacher (or students, I'm guessing).

Since I pretty much missed out on Halloween this year, I wasn't going to let Scrooge get me for Christmas. I asked my husband if we can decorate the tree extra early this year...like a few days before Thanksgiving. He actually said yes! I'm thinking it was the idea that he's going back to work soon and knows that having a toddler around makes everything trickier...or it could be the extra ice cream cone he had after dinner. Either way, I win.

Last night I was feeling pretty excited about having no school this week in honor of giving thanks, that the Christmas bug bit me pretty hard and wouldn't let go. How can I shop online to avoid stores, save money, and get all the presents before December even starts?

And then it hit me.

I checked my e-mail for any deals that might be happening this week. And sure enough....I had some Groupon invites. I also saw Amazon calling my name with it's "Gold Box" and "Lightning Deals". And even Living Social made its way across my screen. These are places that I rarely frequent, and after this epiphany, I'm wondering why?

I was able to buy a gift for my sister and her husband (to share), my brother (and 3 of his closest friends), my parents (to share), and my grandmother all for only $65! I am brilliant. I can make this holiday season stress-free and exciting! I was feeling so confident, that for an extra $8, I bought myself $16 at soap.com (one of my ALL TIME favorite sites). Tomorrow my mom will be watching my little man so my husband and I can head out to Walmart to scope out some deals for gifts from the "big guy".

So when you're feeling down about your shopping, start thinking outside the box to save money. Groupon and Living Social have experiences that usually are for two people, are local, saves the receiver space, and allows them to choose when to use it! It's a win-win-win-win situation!

 

In honor of saving money, Check out the cool free teacher stuff over at Classroom Freebies (I could spend hours on her blog)! The above clip art is yours free too!