The Crazy Adventures of a University Graduate

Brain Bubbles

2012-10-02T19:51:00.001-07:00

I have started Brain Bubbles this week in my class. I got this idea off of pinterest and I hope it will be a huge success in my class.

How it works:
1. you create brain bubble questions. Mine are language and math related.
2. when students finish early they can choose a brain bubble.
3. they have to record the number and question in their brain bubble work book.
4. after they have answered the question I will give them a sticker for that question number.

I got a new job!

2012-09-03T20:40:00.001-07:00

I have been super busy preparing for the first day of school!! Until recently I was prepared to spend another year as a substitute teacher. But that all changed when I got the call to teach in a grade 3-4 class.

It has been a lot of work and I am already exhausted, but I am super excited to start this new chapter in my life. I also have some great ideas that I cant wait to share!!

I am keeping this short and sweet because I need lots of sleep before my big day. Have a great day at school!

Currently!

2012-08-20T14:24:00.001-07:00

Howdy Yall!!

I just got back from Montana where I spent some time camping, golfing, and tanning! It was a wonderful vacation and I miss it there already.

Any who I found this currently very entertaining. My B2S must have was a personal laminator. I love to laminate... so having one always available would make me smile. I also have a ton of personal projects that would benefit from this purchase as well :)

My DoGgIe ate my currently!

2012-07-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

So I may have been a little tardy lately and I didn't hand in my Currently at all on time... my excuse..
1. the dog ate it??
2. my extra curricular activities got in the way??
3. I was having too much fun!!

I will go with excuse number 3 please.

Any who.. here it is!

I love Farleys blog and I have missed participating in the currently... I must stay focused!! hehe

Manic Mondays!!

2012-07-23T14:32:00.001-07:00

Summer has already flown by way too fast for my liking!! I have felt extremely busy..
the
whole
time!! Yikes

However I have had a lot of fun... so I really shouldn't complain.

One of my goals for the summer was to go hiking. I was able to climb Chinamans Peak (this is a beautiful mountain close to Canmore, AB).

This is at the very top of the mountain.... I have to admit that I had shaky knees at this point...I am not a fan of heights. But the view was definitely worth it. Also, when we started the hike it was 28 C and when we made it to the top it was around 0 C.... note the snow in the background. It was very crazy experiencing such a drastic climate change in that short of a time period.

Here is another view from the top. At the very bottom you can see the beautiful Canmore.

I was also surprised by the mountain goats. They were all over the road licking the salt... Very CUTE!

This summer I developed Celiacs Disease, so I have been spending a lot of time trying to make yummy gluten free recipes. One of my favorites cooking books is Make it Paleo. So far every recipe has been delicious.... and I am no longer missing certain foods.

Ok... that is a lie... I will always miss perogies... sniffle.

Here are some yummy creations:

Pork with mango chutney and veggies.

Breakfast Burrito! The wrap is an egg and it is filled with ground beef, homemade salsa, guacamole, and red peppers.

Lastly... I have spent some time this summer at the Calgary Stampede. This year was the 100th anniversary so I felt the need to go a couple times. My favorite things were:
- watching the chuck wagon races
- Paul Brandt at the Grandstand Show
- and having VIP passes to the barns

Here is a picture at the chuck wagon races during the singing of "Oh Canada". I just love all of the cowboy hats in the air.

Being behind the scenes at the barns was amazing!! I have really high standards for how horses should taken care of in these facilities and I was blown away by the superb care these animals received. I also fell in love with this horse Cash. He loved to smell my breath and then turn his nose up at me. What a cutie!!

I wish I could say that I have some lazy days coming up.... but that is not happening.. too much fun in the works. I have to leave now and get ready for the driving range :)

Happy Blogging.

What I'm Pinning!!

2012-06-25T17:10:00.002-07:00

I have been finding a lot of inspiration on pinterest lately... I have also wasted a lot of time on pinterest as well (but who's keeping track??).

Here are some of the things that I have loved:

Making a classroom wordle for your door or bulletin board. If you haven't used wordle before I suggest you check it out... very cute and easy to use.

I thought this was an awesome example of PBS (positive behaviour system). When a student finds themselves in trouble they can pick a random act of kindness job. May not work for every situation, but I thought it was a really cute idea that would promote a positive classroom community.

Story Sticks!! Do you ever have a student that spends the whole class "thinking" of an idea and never puts a thought down on paper. Well I do!! And instead of finding myself frustrated I will use this idea instead.
Yellow = character, Red = conflict, Green = setting, Blue = "Special". The student chooses one of each and then they make up a story based on what they got.

This idea made me giggle... but I think in an elementary setting this could be very effective. Each day you choose from the jar a mystery person and that person will not know until the end of the day. If they behaved in line, listened and followed directions, they would receive a surprise and their name on the wall of fame. If that person did not behave the mystery person would not be told and their name would go back into the jar. I thought it was another great positive way to approach classroom management.

Now some of my non teaching pins..

Grapefruit and Mint Mojito......

Happy Monday!!

Newspaper Board

2012-06-13T17:01:00.002-07:00

I have been thinking a lot about certain things that I have to have in my classroom. Specifically the bulletin board. I love to showcase students work in a fun and dynamic way! So here is an idea that I have seen and used and I am going to try and implement it on my own.

It is called the Newspaper Board and it is a way to encourage students to write outside of classroom time. Each week they are responsible for one newspaper article. When they bring in there writing it gets posted on the board. Throughout the week these articles are presented to the class and the students get a chance to "take the stage".

Every month I will change the theme of the newspaper board, for example:
- short stories
- interviews
- picture walks
- poetry
- fun facts/research items

This will keep the students interested, and challenge them in a different way regularly. Then at the end of the month I can collect their writing and add it to their portfolio. I can then use the portfolio as a talking piece to showcase their writing development throughout the year.

I am still investigating some fun science/math bulletin board ideas.... I will keep you posted!!!

ps... the funky frame is provided by The 3AM Teacher... I heart her graphics!

My SuMmEr so far!

2012-06-12T14:29:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a beautiful vacation in Palm Springs. I had to escape for some much needed vitamin D, pool time, and palm trees. This time I spent my vacation with my mom and we had a blast.

I managed to finish 4 books....
The Mockingjay... I found this book slow at first but then turned into a great read. I am not sure if I agree with the ending. It felt a little rushed in the last few chapters... but maybe that is because I was sad that I didn't have another Hunger Games book to read.

I then started the Lucky One. This was a great romance novel by Nicholas Sparks. It was a great transition from Mockingjay and now I am super excited to see the movie.

The Blessings of Animals was a book that I bought in Palm Springs. I sadly read the only books I brought and wouldn't last the rest of the vacation without a good read. This book was fantastic. It is about an animal lover that is going through a messy divorce. The author did a great job illustrating the animals personality throughout the book.

The Rescue was my last book... I am still working on this one, but I am already hooked!

While I was on vacation I had to keep tabs on the temperature back home.... as you can see Cochrane was very cold and rainy the whole time (I am soo happy I missed it!)

I have become addicted to taking pictures with my phone and using photo editors to adjust the quality.... here are some of the plant photos I took.

Besides applying for jobs, going to interviews, and working I have been making time to work out and enjoy the little summer I have left..

Today I went for a hike in the beautiful rocky mountains... I am already sore... so I am a little worried about how I will feel in the morning. I think a long bubble bath is in order for tonight.

Closet Organization Complete!

2012-05-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

One thing that was driving me CrAzY in my closet was my jewelry. I couldn't find a system that worked well for me. As you can see by exhibit A, I had some issues... I think the tree was about to fall over from the number of necklaces I had hanging from it (Can you even tell that it is a tree??).

Exhibit A

So I had a brilliant idea!

Why not use a fish tackle box to organize everything (another classy redneck idea)! These are very reasonable and I managed to find a package of 3 on sale at Canadian Tire. YIPEE

These containers have removable parts so that you can make different size compartments for different jewellery. This is amazing for necklaces, rings, and earrings (See exhibit B!)

Exhibit B

What I love most about my new organization system is that:

1. My necklaces are all separated and wont get tangled and ruined... (I had to throw a few away due to the tree mess...)

2. The containers are clear... I can easily see the jewellery I have and can make a quick selection.

3. I can organize each container by colour, necklace length and style! That is important for someone with CDO! hehe.

In other news... I have begun the interview process! So far it has been exciting... nerve racking... but great. I have my fingers and toes crossed that I get a full time position soon so that I can start planning.

Good Reads!

2012-05-15T15:56:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Stanfords Class is having her first linky party all about Good Reads!!! I love it, and I have a few books that I am working on that I think qualify as "Good Reads".

First: "Mockingjay"

I am still reading this book, and I am enjoying it. I definitely like the first two books better, but this is still a great read from the Hunger Games series. I also went to the movies and watched the Hunger Games!! It was amazing. I am very happy that I waited for the crowds to die down before I went. I absolutely hate lines!

Secondly: The Daily 5 and Cafe

I keep these books on me when I go to work. I am still reading through them and I cant wait to implement this into my classroom next year.

Lastly: The Lucky One

I haven't read this book yet.... so I am not sure if it is a "Good Read" but I am taking it to Palm Springs so I hope it doesn't disappoint. Have you read it? What did you think?

My Summer Bucket List!

2012-05-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

I thought that Teri at A Cupcake for the Teacher came up with a great Linky Party that I had to join!! My bucket list is slowly growing....

1. Spend a lot of time being a red neck lady... now I am not saying that I am going to hold a gun and wear plaid (you may have had that visual just now)... no... I am going to do classy red neck things...
such as:
- fish
- camp.... I love food camping.. it always tastes better for some reason
- lastly hiking!! I absolutely love hiking in the mountains!

2. Spend some quality time by a pool... I have been fortunate enough to book another vacation to Palm Springs. This time I am going with one of my best friends.. my MOM! I am soo excited.

3. Finish my English class.... I have been avoiding it lately.... I am sick of writing papers! I need to find some new motivation ASAP.

4. Lastly... and most importantly... I want to have a call for some of the jobs I applied for so I can do a major happy dance. I would love a full time job for next year. Right now I am busy working a second job as a waitress.... it is amazing motivation to find a job :)

So head on over and link up! I would love to hear about your summer wish list :)

MAY Currently!!

2012-05-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

Wow.. May... where did you come from...??? I am actually kinda surprised because May snuck up on my like a kinder with wet paint on their hands.... YIKES

However, I have a list of positives when it comes to May..

1. It is beautiful out... well for the most part (I think I have witnessed snow every month of the year... it was a "you know you are Canadian when..." as the snow arrived on Saturday)
2. It is almost the end of one school year... which for me means INTERVIEWS!! yay :)
3. I absolutely love the summer.... it means fishing, swimming, hiking, and consuming small amounts of alcoholic beverages on the deck
4. Farley always posts a currently each month.. and I am an addict. So here is my MAY currently!

All About ME!

2012-05-07T15:30:00.001-07:00

I have put together an end of the year package that will be avaliable on TN and TPT tomorrow!

This package is meant for the student to complete at the end of the year and then the teacher can pass this along to their future teacher. It has a place for the student to:
-create a self portrait
-answer questions about their learning styles
-let their new teacher know something about themselves

Last year the school I was teaching at wanted to introduce something similar to this so that they would have an example of their writing at the end of the year. I think it would really influence my year plans and help me learn more about each student.

I also made it in color and black and white using The 3AM Teacher's graphics.

Have any of my fabulous teachers done something similar to this? I love hearing all of your ideas.

Instagram!!

2012-05-05T15:49:00.001-07:00

So I already discussed my love for hipstamatic on my iphone, but the other photo application that I use is instagram. It allows me to change the picture quality very easily and post the picture to my instagram site and facebook.

Here are a few that I have recently added. I took both pictures using hipstamtic, and then altered them using instagram...

Me with my morning Starbucks.... mmm vanilla latte.

One of my best girl friends, Karissa, with her adorable puppy Decker.

Mayday Giveaway!

2012-05-01T07:44:00.001-07:00

3-6 Mayday Giveaway!!

Have you heard the news?? 3-6 Free Resources is having an amazing giveaway.... over 14 items!!! All you have to do is be a follower and you are entered into the draw.

Go check it out for yourself.

31!!!

2012-04-29T09:47:00.002-07:00

Happy Sunday everyone!!

I had a great week and one of my highlights was receiving my 31 package from Natasha (Thanks to Misty's giveaway).

I won this beautiful organizational tote!

I choose a bright print and a huge letter A for mine. I am not married, so I didn't want to put my last name on the bag and then feel the need to change it later. Right now my bag is full of school supplies that I am using for an online English class that I am taking. I have been a little MIA, and that class is partly to blame.... I will be very happy when it is all finished.

I also purchased a matching lunch bag. I have been admiring everyone's lunch bags and I really wanted a cute bag to take to school. So this is what I picked...

It is the cupcake theme!! The other side is all cupcakes....yummy. I thought the bright colors went nicely with my tote, without being too matchy matchy....

Did you notice my weird pictures???? I recently had to pull the plug on my blackberry (may it rest in peace). It decided to have a mind of its own and send texts in different languages and liked to use the scroll feature all by itself... I tried giving it a time out, took away its battery, but it was a lost cause. So I upgraded to an iphone 4s. One of my favorite new applications is Hipstamatic. In this app, you can choose different camera lenses, flash, and film to create a variety of pictures. I am still playing around with the features that I like the best... but I am in love. Has anyone else ever used this app?? Which setting is your favorite?

Here are some of the photos I have taken so far...

Rack-O

2012-04-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

Has anyone heard of or used Rack-O in the classroom?? I was introduced to this math game when I was working on my professional development project. I absolutely fell in love with this game for my Grade 2 class. The object of the game is place your cards in relative order from lowest to highest through a series of turns. You earn more points if you get a run of 3 or more (for grade two I made mini runs of 2 cards so the game was more age appropriate).

It is a great game for teaching strategy, number order, and less than and greater than.

How I taught the game was in a series of slow steps...

My first lesson was very basic... I made HUGE cards with numbers from 1 - 50 on them. I randomly gave cards to groups of 4-5 students. As a group they would try and place themselves in relative order from lowest to highest. As a class we reviewed each groups numbers... and made some corrections. It was really interesting to see how much of a struggle it was for students to place numbers in order when they are not in a numerical sequence (some found this concept very easy, while others found it hard deciding which number was greater than or less than).

After this concept became a little stronger we would start "playing" the game as a class. I placed 5 cards on the white board... and as a class we would discuss if we had any mini runs, numbers that had to go, and numbers we had to keep. Because I am a visual learner I made a picture of what this looks like.

In this example we have:
- 21 and 22 are a mini run
- 39 is a possible keeper
- 43 and 2 have to go

Our first step is to pick up a mystery card and decide if we want to use it or discard it. If we picked up a 3 we would want to place it in 43's position (I let the class come to a decision on every move.... this sometimes takes a little time. I ask for some students opinions... then we vote... democracy in action!).

Then we keep on picking up cards until we have our numbers in relative order from lowest to highest.

Once the students understand the game I have them play against me... they love this part. We even keep a running score board on the white board so that they can harass and pick on me when they are winning (yes I did let them win a couple times... but 26 grade 2's are fierce competitors).

Lastly, I can use the actual game as a math center activity for small group work. I absolutely love having centers once a week so this is a great addition.

Have you come across any other sweet math board games that can be altered to work in the classroom??? I always love finding new games to use.

What I am Pinning Tuesday

2012-04-17T12:38:00.001-07:00

I am breaking some rules, watch out!!! I am sharing my pins TODAY!! I know this may be a little crazy but I couldn't resist. I also made this beautiful label using Michelle's creations at The 3AM Teacher.

Now I recently had a post about Eric Carle, and I just found this pin on pinterest. I love these lesson ideas as well. There is a lot of emphasis on texture, color, and creativity!!!

I also love Vincent Van Gogh and I fell in love with this bulletin board art. Isn't it pretty! Each student created a couple circles using specific colors and the teacher put the board together. Depending upon the grade level I would have the students be a part of the collaboration process.

This crafty idea made me think of Ethan, my adorable nephew. He has been doing a great job with his hand print art, so I think that this would be a great idea for him.

Now this made me giggle, because this is definitely me, 100%, no lies! I always have huge aspirations for my work outs at the gym.... but I have no self control when it comes to treats.

I saw the hormone guide recently when I visited a high school. It made my day! Now whenever I am a little cranky the males in my life respond with.... here have some wine!!

Lastly... this made me laugh out loud. Does anyone else have a dog that reminds you of this?? Well my brothers dog has definitely done this!! He is part husky and can not stand being left alone.... he has major panic attacks and loses his cool. Then when you come home he tries to act all "cool" as if he wasn't worried the whole time you were gone.

Chalk Board Mug

2012-04-14T09:00:00.001-07:00

WOW!! I have had a crazy busy week.... I feel a little guilty because I have neglected my blog and all of my favorite blogs! I will need to take some time to catch up.

Anywho... while I was organizing my closet I came across one of my craft ideas and I knew I had to share it with you.

In my 3rd practicum I was placed in a Grade 5 class. I always love putting together a gift as a thank you to my mentor for all of their love and support. So for this teacher I made this...

It is an easy peasy chalk board mug. All you have to do is visit your local dollar store and find a mug with a shape that you like. Then spray with chalk board paint. Then, ta da you have your very own chalk board mug.

I made myself a few different versions and I used them for various things such as:

- holding my popsicle sticks with students names (so I can randomly draw a name for a question)
- holding chalk... makes sense
- for my own artistic outlet... I love to doodle so it is fun for me to have a new canvas to doodle on

I also found another example on pinterest that I thought was really cute.

I am also in love with this chalk board idea! It would be so fun in a beach themed home.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!! It is snowing here right now and not looking at all like spring..... waaaaaa! Hopefully the sun will come out eventually for me, I am in need of some major vitamin D.

Are you hungry for Eric Carle Art??

2012-04-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

I have a wonderful Eric Carle art lesson that I posted on Misty's Think, Wonder, and Teach blog. A special thank you to Misty for welcoming me into her blog, I had a lot of fun there! So head on over and check out my quest blog!! Do it!!

My Professional Portfolio

2012-04-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

I found Misty's post about Professional Portfolios very interesting and so I wanted to show you MY professional portfolio.

As a requirement to graduate, we had to maintain a Professional Portfolio throughout our student teaching practicums. It was also required as a "Talking Piece" in our final assessment. I have used my portfolio in interviews if I feel as though it will add to the conversation, however I do not rely upon it. In my last interview it didn't leave my bag sadly, but I didn't feel like it was needed.

The outside is very plain... Misty has some beautiful Portfolio covers for your binder at her TPT store.. I may need to update mine.

Then when you open it up I have extra copies of my resume on the left side and on the right side I have my table of contents.

If you cant see in the picture, my table of contents has:
1. Resume
2. My Credo (this explains what I think a successful teacher is, and my knowledge, skills, and attributes for teaching)
3. Practicum Reports (This has my evaluations from all 4 of my student teaching practicums)
4. Lesson Plans (I organized this by practicum, my most recent practicum at the front and my latest at the back. I only picked one significant lesson plan from each practicum)
5. Unit Plans (This is similar to my lesson plan format)
6. Assessment (I outlined the different types of assessment i have used and I gave an example of a Unit test that I created)
7. Classroom Management (I discuss different techniques that I have used, and why classroom management is important)
8. Attributes and Experiences that Contribute to Teaching (These are skills that I have that contribute to my carrer as a teacher. For example: I was a tutor for a Grade 12 Biology and Math student while I attended university. I also donated my personal art creations to a school fundraiser.)
9. Letters of Recomendation
10. Professional Development Project: Math Games (my final practicum required me to develop my own PD project. I focused on math games and I included this in my portfolio)

This is my Credo page. You can see at the bottom of the page there are stickers with numbers. Each sticker represents a different KSA (knowledge, skill, or attribute) that I demonstrated.

This is an example of my lesson plan. It also has a KSA sticker at the bottom that says "the teacher understands that students can learn, albeit at different rates and in different ways". In this lesson I provided different strategies in order to solve the problem (hands on manipulative, pictures, diagrams) so that every learner style could succeed.

This was one of my first ever lessons! I read the Velveteen Rabbit to a Grade 1 class. After we finished the book the students had to describe and create the rabbit at the beginning and at the end of the story. Each rabbit was made out of cloth that I pre-cut for the class.

This is an example of my Vincent Van Gogh art. On the right hand side of the picture I have the notes the mentor wrote while I taught the lesson.

This is a social studies lesson I created for a Grade 1-2-3 class. I made Canadian Passports and we traveled to different locations and learned about the culture there. We would board the plane (I would let off certain individuals at each stop.... this was great for classroom management because I controlled the group choice), have our passport stamped, and take notes in our travel journal.

This was an example of a Unit Plan I created with another teacher. I also took some pictures of our final projects to add some color to my portfolio.

I included this page in my Assessment section. This was the first unit test I ever created.... as you can see the my little cartoon drawings.. (the kiddos really liked the test).

Lastly, this is my professional development project. I made a total of 4 books. I had to submit one to my professor, one to my mentor, I left one with the school, and kept one for myself.

So what do you think??? I am curious how other teachers have their professional portfolio organized. I followed my universities guidelines and changed some things for myself. I also suggest checking out Misty's portfolio ideas on her blog. I found it very interesting.

Its a TAG party

2012-04-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

I think that I really need to work on my cardio because I have been tagged again!! My Grade 2's would definitely laugh at me right now for being too slow.

I am very thankful that Stephanie from 3rd Grade Thoughts tagged me. I had a lot of fun learning more about Stephanie in her post, you should definitely check it out.

1. What is your favorite subject/unit to teach?

Hmmmmm.... this is a tricky one but I absolutely love teaching art. I am sure you kinda got that idea by the number of posts that are related to art lessons. However, art is not my specialty. I did take high level art courses in university, but it was just for fun. I majored in Biology and Math, and I LOVE teaching these subjects as well. But my passion is art.

2. What is your favorite school supply?

I like this question because I have many.... but one of my favorites is my collection of multi-colored sharpies. I fell in love with my mentors collection when I taught Grade 2. At my farewell party she purchased me my own set. I couldn't help but laugh, because by the end of my student teaching experience we had gotten really close and she bought me everything that I love. I even received a note pad covered in polka dots.

3. What is your favorite non-teaching blog?

I answered this with Erikas, but I will give a different answer to this one (I have soo many favorites that this is easy). I really enjoy reading Confessions of a 20 Something. She talks about makeup, events, and her love for Carrie Underwood. I find it very amusing.

4. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you visit?

I still really want to go to Hawaii!! And if Courtney from Teaching in Paradise still wants a substitute teacher.... :)

5. Have you ever made anything from Pinterest? How did it turn out?

I am a Pinterest Addict... and I have made a few things.

I made the Easter hand print craft with my nephew and it turned out awesome!! I also saw a butterfly footprint idea that I want to try next.

I am also using the shower curtain rings for scarf organization and it is working wonderfully.

Thank you Pinterest.

6. What's your cure for a bad day?

I am easy.. wine and chocolate usually do the trick. If it is really bad I have to do the trio: wine-chocolate-hot tub.

7. What is one piece of advice that you would give to a newbie teacher blogger?

Well I am also a newbie so.... have fun! Be yourself and share your stories, lessons, ideas, or creations.

8. What's one item that is always in your fridge?

Have I said wine too much??? Ok, my second item that is always in my fridge is Milk. You need milk to grow tall and strong!

9. What are your plans for this summer?

Work lots and save up some money! I also want to travel to Kelowna and go on a cheese/wine tour.. I really am not an alcoholic even though I have said wine a few times in this post....

10. What is one thing you never leave the house without?

Hand sanitizer. This is one of my must have teaching items in my bag. I find I am always around one sicky so I am always prepared.

I am still catching my breath, but I will tag some of you slow ones tomorrow! Look out, I am coming for you!!

My 50 Follower Giveaway!!!!!!!

2012-04-07T13:57:00.000-07:00

“You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!”

- Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

I am very excited to have my FIRST ever giveaway!! So without further suspense the winner is..........

Amber at Sparkles, Smiles, and Student Teaching! Amber won:
1. My Science Experiment Book
2. I caught you doing something great! (positive behavior punch cards)
3. An item of her choice (Amber, just email me what you would like)

I have also enjoyed reading everyone's comments. I have decided that my next giveaway (The amazing rubber stamp) will be designed by the winner! Sooo many of you wanted specific things on your stamp for your classroom so I will let the winner of that giveaway decide. I will have this giveaway SOON!!! Can't wait!!!!

Closet Organization - Update 2

2012-04-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to say that I am FINISHED my closet organization challenge. I still have a few things I need to tweak, but for the most part I love my closet.

My next challenge after organizing my shoes was going through all of my boxes above my closet (I was really scared about what I would find). Overall I threw away and donated a ton! I am sure the local donation bin is thankful.

Here is another dreaded before picture (looking at it now I cant believe I let it get this bad).

The one thing that really helped was buying 9 of the same storage containers. I placed these above my closet to store things that I don't use everyday. I also made labels using The 3AM Teacher's free labels. I just love these labels. I made sure they were really big so that I don't have to squint when I am looking for things. I also used sweetie pie font from Kevin and Amanda.

Lastly, I found this quote wall talk at a boutique in Fernie. I thought it was perfect for my closet. It is a great reminder that I need to keep my life simple (and organized).

If you havent checked out my giveaway, go now!!! It ends on Saturday, so you have a few days left!

Tag, You're it!

2012-04-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

Eeek I got tagged and I didn't even know I was in the gym playing the game. I really like to play rock, paper, scissors tag but Erika at The Honey Bunch got me. Here are the questions she asked me.

1. If you could be any animal what would you be and why?

I honestly think that I would be a dog. I am very faithful to those that I love and eating and napping are my two favorite hobbies.

2. What is your favorite drink?

Wine! Wine, and a little more wine.

3. What is the best book you've ever read and why?

Sooo many great books, but probably some that are in my top 5 are:

Still Alice - it is about a lady that suffers from early onset Alzheimers. It gave me a lot more understanding of this condition.
Ape House - such a great book about apes that have been trained to understand American Sign Language.
The Art of Racing in the Rain - this book made me cry because it reminded me a lot of my dog Ola. It is a must read for any dog lovers.
Water for Elephants - need I say anymore... LOVE.
Left Neglect - same author as Still Alice. The main character is injured in a car accident and suffers from left neglect (she cant see or use the left side of her body).

4. What are your top 5 teacher blogs?

This is a really hard one because I love sooooo many blogs and I cant really narrow it down to 5... but because you are making me..

Misty at Think, Wonder, & Teach
Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade
Kristin at A Teeny Tiny Teacher
Kim at Finding JOY in 6th Grade
Reagan Tunstall at Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits

5. What is your favorite non-teaching blog?

I really like Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara. She has some funny stories, and interesting quilting projects.

6. What is the name of your favorite font?

Right now it is sweetie pie! It is so darling.

7. Do you wear a watch or not? If so which wrist?

I wear a nixon watch that my mom got my for my birthday. I can't live without a watch when I teach. It goes on my left wrist.

8. Gold or silver?

It is silver with a coral face and a little diamond.

9. What is your favorite TV show to watch?

Vampire diaries and Greys Anatomy.

10. Dog, cat or other?

All of the above. I love my doggies, horses and kitty's!

So here is who I am tagging:

Misty at Think, Wonder, & Teach

Courtney at Teaching in Paradise

Miss T at Journey of a Substitute Teacher

Satya at Crayons, Glitter, & Smelly Markers

Kim at Finding JOY in 6th Grade

Elyse at My Life with a Cherry on Top

Amber at Sparkles, Smiles, and Student Teaching

Emmy at Daydreams of a Student Teacher

Tammy at Forever in First

Barbara at Grade ONEderful

Here Are The rules:

* Post these rules

* Answer the 10 questions that the tagger posted for you

* Create 10 questions of your own to ask the people that you're about to tag

* Tag 10 people and link them with your post (and let them know they've been tagged!)