Feels Like Yesterday...

I'm going through my memories of the TPT conference last Friday. It feels like it was yesterday 800 of us TPT'ers were sitting in a large room listening to the inspiring keynotes of Paul and Deanna. I knew this conference was something bigger than myself. I had known it the minute I saw the ads for it on TPT months before. I had been in a little slump inspirationally for my store. I had so much on my plate that I wasn't taking the time to nurture new products.

Sitting in the keynote and all the other sessions I went to during the TPT conference in Vegas, reignited my passion and reminded me of the possibilities! Hearing how TPT was inspired from atop a mountain and put into action, seeing the growth since its beginning, and feeling the passion behind its roots, reminded me that everything starts out small. Success can be measured in different ways. I learned to set goals, track my progress, and keep it in the forefront of my mind.

I am honored to have finally met Carol Martinez!!!

She once told me that she's always chasing me on the California TPT leader board. I never knew such a thing existed. I had no idea I was someone's inspiration for striving to push themselves to do better! She had a secret "competition" with me and I was excited to have met my first TPT friend outside my school district. We battled it out, then hugged it out before the night was over. :^D

I cannot express my gratitude to Paul and his team for creating the most supportive, inspiring, and wonderful site I've ever had the pleasure of logging in to. Feeling the camaraderie and love everyone has for their stores, their products, and helping each other is something I will never forget. If you get the chance to join us next year, please do. You will not regret it.

My Son, The Rock Star

As I'm scrolling through my Facebook feed, I came across a touching story of a young woman who was killed by a drunk driver. The message her mother wrote to her on a Facebook Page set up as a memorial, hit me hard. I'm finally recovering from the tears.

My three-year-old son is sleeping soundly in the next room. Every night I check on him. Sometimes several times a night, as I often have difficulty sleeping. And I can't imagine my life without him. (Here comes the water works again.)

This weekend has made me appreciate him in different ways. My neighbors' kids had an all night party going on in their house last night. I am dreading having "the talk" with the parents upon their return about the evidence they left behind in MY recycling bin. But this incident made me appreciate the age my son is and how simple life is for him.

I got to hang out with my friend Mercedes and her husband on Thursday. Together, we prepared details for our TPT Vegas trip this week. She was kind enough to give me a quotes journal because I'm always posting quotes that my son says. This was so touching and made me appreciate just how innocently adorable his thought processes are.

I also recently read about how a Florida father may have left his son in the car "accidentally on purpose" thus killing him. This turned my stomach. I cannot imagine anyone doing that to any living thing...even a plant! It made me appreciate that my parents pick my son up and care for him on days my husband and I both work. He gets all the attention from my parents, and my grandmother, who are retired and spoil him in the best ways.

This, in turn, made me appreciate the fact that I have summers off and can go and do things with my son during the week. Park? sure! Swim all day? OF COURSE! I enjoy making my son laugh. He has a WONDERFUL sense of humor.

Did I mention what a huge AC/DC fan he is? I'm often told, "I'm Brian Johnson. You're Angus. Let's play." I get down my guitar, and he pulls out his broom and off we go!

My family had a Karaoke Party on Memorial Day weekend. For me, it was the best party because my son got up and sang all by himself without feeling nervous. He's a ham. And I couldn't have been more proud.

I guess this blog post was just a way to get my appreciation for my little guy out into the world and remind me that life is short. Don't hold grudges, be open to suggestions, hug and laugh many times a day, and make connections. Happy and safe travels to all my fellow TPT'ers!

Goal Setting & Sarah's Font

I've been saving up to buy an iPad. I'm quite close to my goal for the one I want. Hopefully I'll have it by Christmastime, or mid-January. I'm crossing my fingers for the former. My goal is to only pay for it with earnings from Teachers Pay Teachers or Teacher's Notebook (If I don't state my goal, I may not keep it in the forefront of my mind). 

Because of this goal, I find myself being inspired, almost daily, with new ideas for creations as I'm in the middle of teaching. I quickly jot down my idea on a Post-It and then hope to all hopes I remember where I placed it! After I put my son to bed at night, I fire up the computer and begin working on my latest idea. I find that if I didn't have to work the next morning, I'd probably be up all night working on these ideas. It is relaxing and exciting to have an idea, make it happen, and then find other people enjoy the idea too! I think THAT'S what's so addicting about being a seller on TPT. Hence, my goal. It would be awesome to say, "Yes, I earned this iPad solely through hard work in my spare time."

One thing I'm looking forward to doing on my iPad, is creating new fonts. I'm always looking for the perfect font when creating. It seems the cute fonts aren't necessarily the fonts that students should be modeling. The lowercase a has a hat on, or the I doesn't have lines across the top and bottom, thus creating confusion when copying from the Promethean Board. Or worse yet, the uppercase is just as small as the lowercase.

I have my "go to" font from another seller on TPT, but I had always wanted to create my own. How nice it would be to not have to give someone else credit on my products, right? When I mentioned this to a friend, she kindly let me use her iPad to create my first font. SO EXCITING! I wanted a font that my first graders (and some of my second graders) could read that didn't have the above problems. So I made the uppercase letters not only larger, but bold too! And I made the periods bold as well. This way, when they are copying from the board, they are better able to distinguish between uppercase and lowercase. I also made sure to make the letter "I" look like an "I" and not an "L". VERY important in my book.

I can't wait to create more! Just knowing that it's a possibility, it keeps my goal in my mind at all times. To purchase Sarah's Font at a super cheap price, click the picture above!

Summer Heat

Whew! This week has been nothing but HOT! I've been in my parents' pool every day since Thursday of last week...with the exception of today. Because...I'm home sick today. Yup. Summer fun has finally caught up with this mama. Between play dates, day trips, swimming, BBQs, staying up late, waking up early, trainings for school, chasing a toddler...and the list goes on...It's finally caught up with me.

But... because it has caused me to slow down and stay in bed most of the day, I've managed to allow my creative side to work its little tail off! I managed to create three new things for my TPT store, change my banner for TPT, upload them (with some frustration), and snuggle with my son. <3

Since I'm in such a good mood, I've decided to promote some things that I found this week online to use in my products.

The first I have to give a shout out to, is my all time favorite TPT store: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Desgins 

The products in this store are AMAZING! I have spent many of my TPT credits and earnings in this store. The item I've been spending the most time using lately is "Clock Face Intervals Clip Art — Every 5 Minutes / Over 140 Graphics!" I like it because it comes with all the clocks at 5 minute intervals, is labeled very nicely, and comes with a clock without hands! This was perfect in designing my telling time unit! One of my favorite features of this artist's work, is that a logo is included with your purchase which makes it easy to credit the store for their artwork. I LOVE THAT!

The next shop I found that was willing to take my money, was My Clip Art Store on Etsy. This store has the CUTEST clip art and digital papers! I was looking for fish and found so much more! I ended up purchasing the ClipArt Combo Surfin' Safari and following the store.

How could you not love that coconut drink and beach chair? I may have to decorate my classroom with some more surfing stuff now that I am using these! Oh the possibilities!

Spelling Chain

Since my school is a magnet school for art (among other things), we incorporate art into our units. Our current math unit is about geometry. They just learned about solid figures and plane shapes. This week they are learning about equal parts.

I got a sudden burst of inspiration as I was thinking up some fun activities for the kids to do with their spelling words when it hit me! Spelling chains! I'm surprised I hadn't done this with them yet this year. I guess with all the other things going on, I completely forgot the obvious, tried and trues I used to do.

But I also thought they need extra practice in getting along as well as using equal parts. So I got out two different colors of large construction paper. I gave all my Peanut Butters (one of my classroom management systems, which I can write about another time) one color, and Jellies another.

I told them to fold it into two equal parts (or half). Once they did that, I told them to fold it again, and then again. This created eight equal parts when unfolded.

They were to then cut out along the lines they made.

They then had to sort the strips of paper so that each partner got the SAME NUMBER of green and purple. I left this step pretty ambiguous so they could figure out their own way of making that happen. I was surprised that most kids understood what it meant. I was also surprised that one of my brightest/nosiest (not noisy, but nosey) student and his partner were not able to figure it out. The first time I walked over to them, they had basically swapped colors one strip at a time. The second time, they had most of the purple on her side, and he had most of the green. Quite comical.

Once they each had equal parts green and purple, they were to write their spelling words with one word on each strip in the middle of the strip and then make a pattern. I gave them two more strips beyond what their spelling words are so they could find two words with the skill for the week in their decodable reader (Super smart idea by the way! It kept the fast finishers busy letting the other catch up.).

They then linked the paper strips together to create a simple chain. I gave them the option of either taking their chain home, or donating it to our classroom for a spelling display above our Reading Wall. Many students donated and I couldn't have been more thrilled!

Here's the final product!

If you need the spelling cards (unit 3) that I have on my focus wall, check them out here on my TPT store.

New Look Part Deux

Did I mention I love the new look of my blog? Seriously. Too cute, right?

I think the real reason I'm proud to have a new look, isn't just that it's cute, but it feels more...official? No, I'm serious. It is something I bought...and didn't have to pay for! Wait, whaaaaat!?

Okay, let me rephrase that. I did have to pay for it. Honestly. I used PayPal. However, my PayPal account is solely used as a place to collect my TPT and TN earnings.

And knowing that it didn't cost me anything but a little extra time in the evenings creating resources for other teachers, makes me feel proud. It also inspired me to create new resources...for a different grade level.

Screen shot of Treasures Second Grade Spelling Cards (PDF)

I figured if I needed spelling words and vocabulary cards for my grade, wouldn't people who teach the same curriculum need them in their grades too? So I was able to borrow the teacher's manuals for second grade. I'm hoping to hop on up the grade levels and help even more people! Be on the lookout for your grade!

FREEBIES and GIVEAWAYS!!!!

It's the last few hours of my three week winter break. Oh I spent so much time in my classroom this weekend! And what's the first thing I did (after stuffing my face)? Perused Teachers Pay Teachers for freebies about our new unit starting tomorrow. Oh, did I not mention I am the President and Vice CEO of The Procrastinators Club? I would've been the CEO, but I waited too long to apply.

What I found was Uh. May. Zing.

There are SO many free things on TPT that I had yet to find! I've been so wrapped up in my mothering, and juicing, and creating, and mothering, and blogging, and mothering, and stressing, and potty training, and...well, you get the idea. I simply forgot that there are other things on TPT besides borders and clip art!

My absolute favorite find of the weekend was a "Weather Mini-Tool Kit" by Erin Palleschi.

In this tool kit, students tally the weather daily and then graph their results at the end of the week all on one sheet! There is a separate sheet for the weather person of the week. SUPER cute!

But the BEST part of the kit is a Weather Caterpillar! SO stinkin' cute! After downloading, I immediately went over to my cupboard and pulled out my stack of paper plates to create one of my own. 

Here he is!

He wraps all over the top and right side of my dry erase board. My kids are going to be surprised to see him tomorrow! Hopefully he'll take the sting out of Felf being gone?

Speaking of free...did you know that Jessica over at Covered in Glitter and Glue is have a giveaway to celebrate 100 followers? Click her button below to enter!

And if you haven't heard, Teacher's Notebook is having a pretty sweet giveaway too! They are going to be giving away your choice of an iPad mini, a Kindle Fire HD, or a Nook! You can enter once per day. 

My Sunrise & Sunset giveaway ends in a few hours, but I'll be posting a new giveaway soon (I like to have a giveaway for each new item in my TN store I post).

Whew! What a weekend! And what way to end my three week winter break! Happy Monday!

Today is New Year's Day. I've started a new project in a new frame of mind. I'm hoping that this goes well. I've been inspired to start juicing. Yes, juicing. I've been concocting new potions in my kitchen and drinking them down with gusto. I feel good about it because I'm taking it slow. I'm not going "all or nothing". I'm drinking one in the morning for breakfast, and then the rest of my day is same as always. Except, I've cut out candy.

Yeah, that's not fun. This time of year candy is EVERYwhere. I have a brand new bag of candy that I'm wondering what to do with. I should just throw it away and feel good about it, but my practical side thinks that is wasteful and crazy.

I've also decided to blog about my juicing journey in a new blog I've started. I'm not really ready to share it yet. I'm not confident with it. Maybe when the juicing gets going along more smoothly, I'll share it.

I've also decided to blog more in general. I'm thinking my New Year's resolution could be to make a goal each month and try to stick with it. January's goal? Juice. And blog about it.

I did find some time last night to create some backgrounds that I think are pretty cute. I've posted them in both of my stores. I'm having a 20% off sale at my TPT store starting tomorrow, and a giveaway for them on my TN store. Stop on by and check them out!

Elf on the Shelf in the Classroom

Last week my son was visited by an Elf on the Shelf. We adopted him and my two-year old so lovingly called him "Happy Face". We call him "Happy"...because his full name is a little weird.

Happy the Elf just hanging out in my guitar!

Growing up, we didn't have an elf visit us. I didn't even know this type of thing existed until last year while I talking with my aunt (who babysits a family who has a yearly elf visitor). As we were chatting it up, my sister told us how her best friend in middle school had one. It creeped out my sister because she realized it had moved during the night. But her friend loved him! My sister doesn't like that we have adopted an elf for my son.

This, in turn, has caused me to start "Operation Creep Out Auntie". I post pictures of our elf so that my sister can see what she is missing out on. I don't think she would be creeped out by him if we had grown up with one. It would just be an accepted tradition...like a grown fat man shimmying down your chimney late at night while you sleep to eat your dessert and leave you gifts in return.

Honestly, that should creep her out even more, because I grew up in a mobile home and didn't have a chimney! My parents gave Santa a key to our front door! That's right, a complete stranger with a key to my home! Luckily, Santa is a pretty honest man, and didn't steal anything. But then again, most of the good stuff he himself brought.

A parent donated an elf to my classroom today. Brand new, in the box, ready for a name. This got me to thinking...could it actually help my students behave better when that calendar switches over to December? Every year I dread that switch. As soon as they see Christmas on the calendar they think tomorrow is Christmas. They're first graders, can we blame them?

So...with my brain in the elf craze, tonight it has me looking up lesson plans on Google. Yeah...good luck with that. Seriously, try it.

But, Teachers Pay Teachers has once again made me a happy girl! When I typed in Elf on the Shelf, I got some great resources and many of them are free! Mrs. Goodwin from her store/blog I Live 2 Learn, I Love 2 Grow has a super cute activity where the kids create their own elf and the shelf he sits on!

Mel D from Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations has an Elf on the Shelf Classroom Management System freebie that I adore!

And my last freebie find is from Kinderpillars. They have a writing activity where students get to analyze the elf's daily behavior as well as their own!

I love that what I couldn't find on a well-renowned search engine, I was able to find on Teachers Pay Teachers. What a great community!
If you use Elf on the Shelf in your classroom, I'd LOVE to hear about it! Pros? Cons? Helpful hints?

My New Technology BFF

Since it is Cyber Monday, and I'm hosting a linky party about technology, I thought I'd continue the week with technology!

Last night my husband came home with a gift for me. I had complained to him earlier in the day that the cords from my Promethean board to my laptop keep falling between the two desks every night afternoon when I unplug them to go home.

He bought me a solution...and it was from the dollar section at Target! Here are pictures of it in action:

*sold in other colors too!

This little rubber device* has adhesive to the back of it, so it sticks to the desk. All my cords fit right in and look so nice and organized! I think the Organization Fairy would be proud! 

----------------------------------------CHRISTMAS LINKY INFO BELOW-------------------------------------

If you have Christmas items you'd like to share, pop on over to Primary Inspiration for her Candy Cane Linky Party! What a cute idea!!! I saw some wish list worthy things from other sites I'm loading into my cart.

Technology Linky (MY FIRST LINKY!!!)

My school is a magnet school for art, math, science, and technology. I have fully thrown myself into the technology aspect. Being on the laptop and the iPad the school loaned me are both a hobby and now a passion. I'm truly enjoying creating, writing, and sharing.

One of the things I was able to do was create quality board math on the Promethean Board with ActivInspire. To read the blog post, click here. To download it for free, click here.

So I'm hoping that more of you are interested in sharing too! Link up with me!

Rules: 
Your link must be technology related. It could be a story about how you used some form of technology, an anecdote, a link to a technology freebie in your store, or a link to a technology giveaway you are hosting. I'm hoping to read lots of great stories and get some good ideas.

Don't forget to stop by my stores this Monday for some great deals! I'm also hosting a Christmas clip art giveaway on Teacher's Notebook.

'Tis The Season for...Sales!

I'll make this short and sweet. I'm excited for Christmas. I'm working on some Christmas clip art that I hope to have done soon. I'll be participating in the Teachers Pay Teachers Cyber Monday Sale, so stop on by! Save up to 28% on items you buy! Look for this sign:

Happy Shopping!