Monday, January 28, 2013

I Won! I Won!

Have you ever visited Surfin' Through Second? Corinna has amazing ideas, is a creative designer (I just love her papers), and gives me a bit of "Hawaiian beach" when I can't get to it from here in Texas. Well, she blogged asking about our favorite papers in her store and we could "Pin It to Win It" and guess what.....

O.K. You already know from the post title: I WON! Oh yes, I did! See, look, I did for real. :)

Source: Corinna @ Surfin' Through Second
If you haven't visited her blog, take a second to show her some love. She has free papers in her TPT store (and now to brag, I got the Colors of the Rainbow papers I love!!!). Thanks, Corinna!!

Colors of the Rainbow by Corinna @ Surfin' Through Second
Then, I check my email to find out I won another giveaway! It was definitely my lucky day (which helped since my stomach issues have made me feel like death!)

Maria at Everyone deServes to Learn was offering her iMessages Anti-Bullying Activity to a lucky reader...and guess who that was? Yep. ME!!

Source: Everyone deServes to Learn
This will be great with my entire class, but especially my Russian speaker. He easily becomes frustrated so this will really equip him with a phrase I can teach him to use. Thanks, Maria!!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

A Super Bowl Sized Super Bowl Giveaway

Have you seen Queen of the First Grade Jungle's Giveaway? She's teamed up with some other power players to offer you some awesome Super Bowl team swag!

Source: Queen of the First Grade Jungle
You can get up to 18 entries to win one of the 4 football and Super Bowl themed learning activities. Don't only enter the giveaway though. Check out her amazing blog. I love ALL of Katie's posts here and on FB. Then throw in Kelley from Teacher Idea Factory, Michelle from Fabulous in First, and Susan from TGIF and we have one heck of a collaboration!

Check them all out now!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Chinese New Year FREEBIE

Do you teach the Chinese New Year in your classroom? Or do you simply like to get free stuff to give your kiddos? Then check out what Panda Express is doing to get U.S. teachers to teach about the Chinese holiday.

Source: Panda Express FB page
Their post says: "Attention Teachers! Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Sign up today for Panda Express's Learn with Me Program. This educational kit is a great resource for you to teach your students about this important Chinese holiday. This program is fantastic, fun, and free! Say that three times fast...Click here to sign up http://bit.ly/CNYLWM."

Be sure to sign up! You only need your name, school name, city, state, country, email address, and number of students. It took less than 2 minutes!

Monday, January 21, 2013

OT-OT-OT Then the Teacher "Stuff"

This post is so off topic it isn't funny, BUT it relates to my absence from blogging and transferring my old blog posts to this blog.

I have been sick. REALLY sick. As in, I haven't been able to digest food since November and have extreme abdominal pain. I finally saw the doctor who referred me, but military referrals take forever for approval so I finally was just seen. Of course, I regret it am thankful he decided I need a HIDA scan, colonoscopy, and endoscopy. Doesn't that sound like great joy? Oh yes. Tons of fun. It also means missing work. If you know me, I H-A-T-E abhor  dislike being out of my classroom and having a sub. We're forced to use CSCOPE at least for pacing in our district (if you're not from Texas, CSCOPE is a curricular framework created by teachers - but different teachers write the curriculum separate from the people who write the tests but you don't want me on that topic!). So anyway, I hate missing any time in the classroom because it is important that though I don't teach it in the order of CSCOPE, I make sure my pacing matches the TEKS (our state standards) and concept as I am supposed to. So throw in a sub and I feel like I am drowning.

A shining light? Notice the name in the lower left corner!!


Yep, that's right! I won Queen of the First Grade Jungle's Brrr...It's Cold Outside 10 Literacy AND 10 Math Centers. You REALLY need to check this out at Katie's TPT store. You're essentially paying 50 cents a center! WHAT WHAT WHAT???! I immediately emailed these to my room parent who printed in color, laminated, AND cut them to have ready for my absence. (Don't worry, I don't share the file in accordance with policies, but she could print and do the side work for me).

I am trying to learn how to bling up some of my work to post on FB. I bling it up for my kids then see things from Katie King, Cara Carroll, Amy Lemons, and too many others to name that I think mine are subpar in comparison. I've seen some "scary" work shared on TPT and I don't want to be one of them. So, I'll keep learning. But seriously, check all these amazing bloggers and TPT authors out. You won't be disappointed!

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Great Giveaway - Letter Writing Packets

There is a great giveaway going on at a fellow Texas teacher's blog, Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits!
Source: Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits
She has linked up with Kelley from The Teacher Idea Factory to offer some great letter writing packets. (If you teach CSCOPE in Texas, this is what we are starting when we get back next week...or at least, that is where we are :)) As always, Reagan's packets are absolutely amazing. I love her blog and her ideas. You don't want to miss out on her Mailbox Station packet or Kelley's Pen Pals Packet. You can get up to 11 entries and it ends at midnight tonight!

Crossing my fingers and toes that I win my first giveaway...so I am entering NOW!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Currently for 2013

I am linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for this year's Currently. I have been reading these for a couple of years, but am glad I get to participate in my first one!


I am listening to Glee on my iPod. I have every.single.album. Yep, I am a Gleek!
 
I am loving my new SUV. I traded in my 2008 Toyota Highlander for a 2013 Toyota Highlander Limited last Saturday. (in my head I am singing...."Movin' on up...")
 
I am thinking about how much I have to do before we go back to school Monday. I had high hopes of rearranging my room, putting new bulletin boards up, getting my guided reading area more organized, redoing all of my book bins, etc. then this lovely IBS attack intensified and I've had to turn to an all juicing diet to even exist. Needless to say, I barely have any energy with all this pain!  (ouch!) But...I am headed back up to my room today and can't wait to make major headway!
 
I am wanting to go back to the Florida Keys. I spent Spring Break 2011 in the Florida Keys for the first time with some amazing fellow wounded warrior wives. I loved it so much I had to take the fam so we went in July 2011. Then we had to go back June 2012. I am sure you see the trend. Well, we normally do a Christmas in Vegas vacation, too, but since we bought our new house in August (on the 5th day of school!!), I had a lot of unpacking to still do. So....I really am missing the Keys, the sun, and all the fun we have as a family!
 
I am needing a hug and a kiss from my kiddo. Since we moved and have had this horrible internet fiasco (moving 8 miles down the road from unlimited wifi to very limited satellite has been life changing for our family including transfering my old blog to this one), my child wanted to stay at his grandmother's house and use her unlimited wifi to game on XBOX Live with  his friends. I know, I am a horrible mom for doing that, but when you live out in the country, this is how a lot of the kids get together. It is actually quite humorous to listen to them talk, sing to each other, and play the games. My mother texts me how she is cracking up while listening to him! So...I miss my daily hugs and kisses from the kid who is bigger than me now and is only in 6th grade. :(
 
Finally, my one little word is a bit of a cheat. If I say 3Cs all squished together like that, doesn't it make it one word? Ha! I read the most poignant quote which sums it up quite well.
"You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change."

So that is my word: 3Cs. I have to make the choices to take a chance, loosen up, stop getting so frustrated when others aren't "in it" for the kids, or when I need to take a risk, otherwise, nothing will change. I can be the change!