Currently August

I can't help but link up with Farley even though I want to pretend it's not August yet!

Listening - my husband is always watching the golf channel.. I don't golf. Snore. 

Loving - we moved into the new home last September and the pool needed to be refinished and then it got cold. This summer it has a beautiful surface and crystal blue water and my family has been in it every day. I love that we can just hop in - swim and get back out. No packing bags, no packing food... it's glorious!

Thinking - I always need more time. I am an amazing procrastinator. I need more time to lose weight, clothes shop, create TpT resources, get my room ready.... you get the idea #whenwillIlearn

Wanting: I was asked to write 1st grade math curriculum for my district this summer. I am writing it with one other teacher and it has been the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I have loved the process so much but it is a TON of work. We are almost finished with the first half of the year though and then we'll take a break as it gets reviewed and revised! 

Needing:My sister-in-law is getting married and I still don't have a dress... or shoes.... or Spanx :) See, I procrastinate in all areas of my life, not just work! (um, I was waiting to lose 80 pounds but since I can't stop eating carbs I have enjoyed my summer, I guess I need to do the best I can with what I got (yes, I know that is not grammatically correct) sigh. 

B2S Rak: I am changing schools after 11 years. I am looking forward to my new adventure but I'm also so sad to leave behind my school family. Hopefully I can make a new family at this school.

Head on over to link up or read about what everyone else is currently doing! 

Must Have Monday: Classroom Essentials

I'm excited to be linking up with the girls over at Freebielicious today for Must Have Monday. There are LOTS of things I MUST have that you can't just go and buy.... can anyone say SmartBoard?? I'll share the things you can grab though that have made my teacher life a lot easier!!

Book Bins from Really Good Stuff

I love my clear book bins from Really Good Stuff. I bought them 3 years ago and while some of the kids have been a little rough on them, most of them are as nice as the day they were purchased. I made the choice to buy clear ones because our school changes themes every year and this way I know they will match no matter what! I simply print a new themed label each year and stick it on! Easy Peasy!! 

I love the look of circle labels but I HATE cutting circles... enter the most fabulous invention ever. The Circle Punch! This one is a 3-inch diameter and it makes cutting my labels a breeze! I bought mine at Michaels with a 40% off coupon and my teacher discount!!! Here is the link to one on Amazon though if you're interested. 

Clear File Folder Book Bins (Amazon Link)

Lastly, I love these clear file folder sized bins from Amazon. It comes in a pack of 6 for around $25. I have these on a book shelf behind my reading table. I labeled each container with the names of the kids in my group and then stuck the reading pouches for the books we were working on plus the next few inside the bucket. I would also put any games we were playing and reader's response prompts inside. This made it so easy. Once I called a group to my table, I would just put the bucket next to me and have everything I needed. It was also a cinch to leave sub plans since everything was in one spot! 

I cold go on and on about Sit Spots, rolling containers, pens, markers etc - maybe I have a problem!! Ha. Head on over to Freebielicious to see what everyone else must have!

Tutorial Time: How to Create a Secure PDF

Hello Friends!!! I have to tell you a secret. When I first started creating things to TpT, I knew that the files had to be secure to protect the clip art and fonts I'd purchased. I thought, if I turned my work (created in PowerPoint) into a PDF, it was secure. Turns out I was wrong. Simply turning the PP presentation into a PDF still allows the users to right click and save images and text. YIKES!!

I did not want to break any TOU of these fabulous artists that I respect so much. So, I had to figure this out. I thought I was going to have to purchase expensive Adobe software in order to secure files. Turns out that's not the case (happy dance)! Below, I am going to list for you the steps needed when using a Mac and PowerPoint. I have Office 2011 but I am thinking it would be pretty similar to other versions? Sorry, I can't help you with a PC. If you try this on a PC, I'd love for you to share your experience in the comments!!! 

Here we go!

File > Print

Pull down PDF menu

Save as PDF > Print

Security Options

Check Require Password > enter a password others won't guess

Select use as .pdf

Okay, now when you open the PDF version you'll see (secured) next to the title. You're all set - ready to upload your file to TpT!

Red, White and Blue Calendar Freebie

Click on the image to grab it from Google Drive

This is going to be short and sweet my friends! Happy 4th of July. To celebrate, I created these patriotic calendar numbers. I figure I can use them during "freedom week" or even as a beginning of the year math center and have the students order the numbers. Each card is 2.5 x 2.5 so they will fit on a wall calendar and in a pocket chart. If you enjoy these, I'd love to hear from you!! Thanks for stopping by,

Currently: July

I'm excited to be linking up again with Farley for this month's Currently.

Listening: This is my summer show... it is always crazy and sad to see what addiction does to a family. 

Loving: I am in LOVE with my new blog design from A Bird In Hand Designs. So pretty!! Megan was great to work with and super fast. Two thumbs up!

Thinking: I am going to work really hard at blogging and TpTing this year so that I can go to Vegas next year. Don't feel too bad for me though, I'll be at the ocean with my family!!

Wanting: My kids are growing up so quickly and my pictures are with an old point and shot or most often, my iPhone. I would really love to buy a camera for my family and for better pictures of my products being used in my classroom. Dark, grainy yellowish iPhone photos aren't really cutting it! 

Needing: To stay focused on everything. I am writing curriculum for my district this summer which is super time consuming but I also want to blog more, organize my classroom library and actually get on/ stay on plan with 21 Day Fix. 

All Star: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to read. In the summer I stay up WAY too late reading and then I pick up the book as soon as I wake up and stay in bed reading until my little humans need me :) See, I need to stay focused on my list above!!

Alright, head on back over to Oh Boy Fourth Grade and see what everyone else is Currently up to!!

Pin Party!! Some of my Favorite Pins

Hi friends!  I am linking up with Fun With Firsties for her Top Pick Pins Party... and I LOVE to pin!

Here are some of my most recent pins. Click on each picture to see it on my board and then you can click the pin to go directly to the source!!

Okay, this one is a bit self-serving. I just recently updated this product and I love the new look. It is such a fun way to get families excited about science, reading and writing. Click here to read a blog post about it. 

We moved into a new house in September and didn't "do" anything to it. This summer we are starting to decorate. I want a natuical-ish living space since we have large windows looking out towards the pool. I love these DIY curtains because it would allow me to get the exact blue I want and they are WAY cheaper more inexpensive since we need 6 panels. 

I love this idea from Teaching With a Mountain View for storing anchor charts - genius!!

Behind our house, we have an ugly shed. I have dreams to turn it into a mini pool house... sigh.

I am really wanting to start eating "clean" breakfast seems to be the hardest for me because I love anything that involves carbs / sugar and can be eaten as a breakfast.

I am really working hard to step out of my 'I'm over weight so I'm just going to wear jeans and a t-shirt" funk. I have been pinning ideas lately and this outfit is so me!! I already have the jeans, sunglasses and red Toms!

Click the Linky button on top of the post to see what other people are pinning. Thanks for stopping by!

Dare to Dream: TpT Seller's Challenge

I am so excited to be linking up with 4 wonderfully talented bloggers - Sparkling in Second, Teach Create Motivate, Peppy Zesty Teacherista, and Third in Hollywood for the second week of the TpT Seller's Challenge. 

Home projects: We were blessed to buy a new house this past September and it had a lot to offer.. it was in our price range, zoned to the schools we want our children to attend and it has a gorgeous backyard complete with a pool! The inside though, is way outdated and "needs" many upgrades. I would love to earn enough income from TpT to be able to update our home the way I envision!!

Pay off student loans: bluck. Need I say more?? I have been teaching and paying for 11 years now and I am over it!!

Travel: This is pitiful. I have never been out of North America. I dream of traveling to Italy and Greece and even taking smaller trips like New England in the fall or taking my kids back to Disney while they are little enough to still believe in the magic!

Lasik: I have awful eyesight and my contacts get SO dry and painful. I want to be able to wake up and see!!

Master's Degree: Every year I think about going back to get my Master's but I can't justify adding even more student debt and with our 2 teacher household income, paying for it without loans isn't currently an option. sigh.

Last but certainly not least, helping others. It would be such an amazing gift to have money to use to bless others. Whether that be by treating them to lunch or helping them with something bigger, I want to be able to help!

Thanks for stopping by my little piece of the bloggy world. I can't wait to read more about everyone's goals. I am really ready to stop being ADHD distracted and get busy achieving my dreams!!

Money, Money, Money {and a freebie}

Whenever I start planing for a new unit, I collect all my resources in my 2 favorite places... my Evernote account and Pinterst board (Follow my money board below)

 

Using Evernote is so easy. You can drag or paste in pictures, and then add links. I always add links for blog posts I want to refer back to and links to games I've purchased or downloaded on TpT.  That way I can share my resources with my team {using their original sources} and also, next year when I start planning money again, I have all my resources in 1 spot!!!

Follow Heather K's board Show me the money on Pinterest.

It goes without saying that Pinterest is one of the most time consuming best resources available -  I can't imagine teaching without it now!

If you are lucky enough to have access to Pebble Go, they have lots of videos about money. I love their videos on saving, spending, earning and all those other social studies / personal finance skills we have to cover now too.

Pebble Go Money Section

I created this Roll and Say freebie to use during small group or even whole group. I've included several uses for the game board such as saying the coin name, coin value or even counting all the coins to get the total of each row. I've also included a blank copy so that you can use your own real or fake coins for hands on learning which is so important for this abstract skill.

Click the picture below to grab it from my Google drive account.

What unit would be complete without songs?? I love using songs for brain breaks, for introductions, reviews and transitions. Click below to get my whole money play list. 

What are your favorite ways to teach about money?? If you grab the freebie, I'd love to hear from you!!

5 For Friday: Valentine Week

I linking up with Doodle Bugs for Five for Friday... I have been meaning to do this every week for a year. Yikes. Maybe I can make a goal to link up 2 weeks in a row?!?

We are rocking right along with our problem solving journals. Every morning the kids have a math problem on their desk. The routine is that they come in, unpack, and then get to work solving the problem in their journal. When announcements are over, we share several notebooks and talk about different ways to get to the solution. We clear up misconceptions and break down important clues in the problem. I always hold up several notebooks to share and then allow a student to come up to the board to solve. I am working on getting these into my TpT store..... 

 






This little smartie showed her answer in standard, word and expanded form!

I helped my son make his valentine box - an angry bird! It wasn't the best but he was excited about it and that's all that really matters!

Yesterday before the party I handed out some candy hearts and had the children write sentences with them. It was a hit!

1. You are my BFF.  2. I like it when you make me laugh. 3. I love it when you smile. 

Yesterday was our class Valentine party and I was completely spoiled!! I work at a Title 1 campus and I am always so humbled by the love I am shown on holidays. I know it is a financial strain for some families and I love my handmade notes and cards as much as the big baskets! The cutie that bought me these gorgeous flowers was SO excited to pick them out himself and give them to me. I LOVE tulips so I was quite impressed with his choice!

 

Who doesn't need a vase full of chocolate?? You've got to keep up with the kids somehow, right??

I created these editable Valentine thank you notes with adorable Melonheadz graphics. They are on on sale in my TpT store right now if you were spoiled like I was! Happy Valentine's Day!!