Positive Thinking Thursday

Happy Thursday Friends!

I'm here today for some positive energy!

As you read earlier this week, 

I was quite apprehensive to go back to work. 

I have to report that I have done quite well,

and even though I am not ready yet for open house tomorrow,

I'm getting mentally prepped for the year. 

I know that many of you have heard of the Kid President... 

If you haven't check him out on You Tube!!!

I found this quote, and I thought it was very fitting.

Source

I just love the message behind this one,

 really all of the Kid President's messages!!! 

Remember that you can make or break a little ones day

by a simple reaction to something, a simple word or facial expression. 

It all matters. Everything that we do, say.. how we act. 

So go out there, and "Be Somebody Who Wakes EVERYBODY Feel Like A Somebody!"

Be sure to stop by Mrs. Laffin's Laughings to check out some other Positive Thinking for this Thursday. It always makes me smile when I read what everyone shares!

Monday Creativity- Teacher Toolbox, Product Updates and Gifts **FREEBIE ALERT!

Happy Monday! I'm excited to link up with Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It today!  I've got several things to share that I'm really excited about. Happy Monday everyone! 

Teacher Toolbox:

I know you've seen a hundred million of these. 

I have too, which is why I wanted one. 

I found this great toolbox at Home Depot for $12. 

It's not the typical looking one, as it's taller vs. wider, 

but I think it turned out great. 

I spray painted it a blue color

and added labels made from Jameson at

Lessons With Coffee.

Product Update:

I had some time this last weekend

and decided to do some updates to a few products

in my TpT store. 

The first one I made was Vocabulary Boxes.

Some examples of activities students will do with new words are they will look up a word in the dictionary, tell the definition in their own words, 

write their word in a sentence, 

illustrate their word, 

or make a list of synonyms or antonyms for their word. 

I kept the template the same,  and also simple but made variations

of the sheet to offer some choice and differentiation to the mix. 

Check it out... You can have it for FREE tonight. 

IF you do download it, I would really appreciate you leaving feedback on it. 

Product Update 2:

The second product I updated were my 

Number of the Day sheets. 

I did something similar to the vocabulary boxes, 

in that I made a few variations of the sheets for choice

and differentiation. 

The basics are, you give a number to be put in the middle 

and then students do different things with that number for the day. 

They add to it, subtract from it, draw it, create story problems, count by 5's or 10's from it, etc. 

I hope you can use it!

You may also download tonight for FREE! 

IF you do, please be a friend and leave some feedback!!

My last Monday Made It

is actually from last week. 

I made some letters for my teammates 

for the new school year. 

I liked how they turned out but needed a little something more.

I was out of ideas. My blogger Friend, Cassie

from Funky in Fourth helped me out and suggested that

I add some ribbon to them. 

I think they turned out great. So I thought I would share them again. 

To see the original post, head here. 

Have a happy week!

A Peek at my Week 8*25*14.. EEK I'm Scared!

It's that time again... and I don't know exactly how I feel about it. Mostly because I'm feeling anxious about leaving Hudson, but I know I'm not the first to do it. I'm just sad that I feel like I'm going to miss so much when I'm gone without him. My goals this year include being more organized with home and school especially with planning.  I want to plan more meals ahead of time, make sure we have groceries for lunches and snacks, and not make little piles around the house or the classroom to have to clean up later. I want to plan my blog posts ahead of time as much as I can so I can still keep up on that as well. I really want to be 100% at school when I'm there, but then equally 100% at home when I'm home. So if I'm absent for a little while, you know that I'm adjusting and balancing.   With that being said... 

I'm linking up with Mrs. Laffin's Laughings for her weekly linky 'A Peek at my Week' where everyone shares their plans for the week ahead.  

As you can see I've started filling in my planner....

I'm sure it will be much more full as the week goes on- but here's the plan. 

Monday: I don't have to go to school but my husband does. The plan is to get organized for the week ahead. Pick out clothes for the week, clean the house, go grocery shopping, prep some meals and lunches and play with Hudson of course!

Source

As I prepare to leave my little monkey... I am thinking of the above quote. I will be the teacher each day that I wish for him to have when he gets old enough for school. Continue doing what I have been doing, and take each day for what it is.  And BE HAPPY!

Tuesday: My first day back for meetings at school. I'm excited but also super anxious about getting out of the house. Luckily for us, my mom will be watching Hudson on Tuesday at our house. So it really won't be a time issue or anything. I just need to get my butt out the door. We don't have to worry about taking him to daycare until the following week. Even then my mom will be watching him 2 days at the house (until their new house is finished being built...) Then he will have to travel all 5 days.  

Wednesday: Big district welcome back. It's always nice to get together as a district. We always have some sort of speaker or presentation that kicks the year off. There have been some really great ones in the past, so I'm excited for what is to come this year. My husband is off Wednesday-Friday so he'll be home, and hopefully bring me a sweet little lunch date one day!

Thursday: Teacher Work Day and Open House/ Meet the Teacher Night. My main goal, is to just get my room ready. Oh ya, and get the paperwork for families ready. I'm already nervous and super excite to meet everyone. I know the kids are too....but meeting parents always make me nervous at first! First impressions are so important. 

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Friday: Flex Day that I will be working to prepare and then leave it all there for the long weekend before the big day. My goal is to be all set and ready to go by when I leave on Friday so I can just enjoy!!!

Here's the plan...

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Although I am nervous I am also very excited to meet my new group of kids and start 'real life' as my maternity leave ends. Here goes nothing!!!  

Hope everyone who is back at school already has a great week. 

MMI- Teacher Friend Gifts & A Writing Prompt Book

Monday.

Close to my last Monday of summer.

I have one more left. 

I really have been slacking in the MMI department lately.

I've got several projects started..... 

they just aren't finished yet. 

So today I'm linking up with Tara, from 4th Grade Frolics for

Monday Made It!

I'm hoping the other two projects that I have started will finally be up and running next week. 

I HOPE!

My first made it is from my growing MUST MAKE list!

I started it at the beginning of the summer 

when everyone started sharing all of their great crafts!

This first one is from Rachel @ Living, Loving and Learning: Adventures of a PK Classroom

She made these adorable letters for her pictures to pose with at the beginning of the year.  

I decided to make them too, just use them for a different reason: Gifts!!!!  

 Supplies: Cardboard letters from JoAnn Fabrics, scrapbook paper, and super cute buttons (which I did not use..... super sad day!) 

First I traced each letter on the scrapbook paper and cut them out. 

Then I painted each cardboard letter a different color. 

When they were dry, I put the construction paper on the to of the letters with decoupage.  That way the bottom was glued to the letter and the top of the paper will be protected.  

 I thought I would add a button to each letter, however it just didn't look right.

 Too busy I guess. 

So now I have 5 super cute buttons to do a project with. 

 Any ideas???

Secondly, I finally updated something that I've been using in my classroom for my writing center. 

My prompt books were outdated, and falling apart! 

I also was finding that I needed more of them.

I've shared this quickly before, but now it's time to add to my MMI list!

So.... I put together this writing prompt book.

It's a half book style book however it can be used for so much more.

You can easily just make one and use it for whole class writing prompts.

Or you can do like I do, and put together a few of them for the writing center. 

There are 180 prompts in this book with a variety of writing ideas. 

Topics include: narrative, opinion, persuasive, story starters character education prompts

 and story titles for them to use. 

Excited your kids who can't come up with anything to write about! 

Now there won't be an excuse!

For Example: 

Click any picture to take you to my product!

Have a great week! I can't wait to see what everyone made!

Making the Most of the End! Five for Friday

Happy Friday!

 I can't believe how fast this week went for me. 

I'm down to only next week and then my long maternity leave/ summer break is officially coming to an end. 

I am feeling so many emotions..... 

but I'm trying to make the most of each day that I have left. 

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday again today! 

It's been a fun week. Make sure to make it to the end of my post to watch a cool video!

ZOO DAY! 

On Monday I met up with some old teaching friends at the Milwaukee Zoo.

Hudson did great, and slept through most of it....

However it was great to spend the day with old friends!

I have been really enjoying our beautiful weather this week. 

We've been spending a lot of family time on walks around the neighborhood.

Hudson was a little crabby one night so I put him in the carrier instead of the stroller. 

He loved it!

Our baby selfie!!!  

I spent some time at school this week. 

Sad, but true... it can never all be done when you start back.

I finally got some things accomplished. Here is my favorite spot right now.

It's not finished, but I'm loving the polka dots. 

I played a new game with some friends this week. 

It's called "Word on the Street." 

I actually think it would be a great addition to my classroom. 

Have any of you played it? 

I was nominated for the ALS Ice Water Challenge this week. 

By a 5 year old.  The cutest 5 year old on the planet.

Of course I couldn't say no. 

Now I know there has been some controversy with this whole ice water challenge. 

Some people think it's great to raise awareness...others think you should skip the challenge and donate the money you would spend on the ice instead. 

I can see both sides.  

We did both.

My husband and I donated, and accepted the challenge. 

Did you hear that no matter what people think...that it's working? 

It has been reported that the ALS foundation has shown a considerable increase in donations since this started earlier this summer? Whatever works, right???