Five For Friday: Summer Slow Down!

Two posts in one week?? Yeah, I know.. I'm on FIRE! :)
I know I've been awful about posting this summer, but I have really been trying to soak up and enjoy every.   single.    minute of this break.

Last year, I was in school all summer & this time, I just wanted to do a whole bunch of NOTHING.

Which I have successfully accomplished.

This week, I received our "Welcome Back" letter from our principal, and it dawned on me that I have 10 days 'til I report for duty. Yikes!  Time to start thinking about school stuff, right?! :)

Today, I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday.... which is always a good time!

My week started at the beach... of course, we were loading up to leave it, but still, that's the way it started. My happy place... ahhhh.....We had sunny days, and then some crazy storm clouds that rolled in, and it was perfect.

 AND....  we found a gazillion sand dollars, which isn't all that common in the Gulf...and I got to see the GIANT Idaho potato! Yeah, yeah...it's the little things, people....

 I decided to tackle some of my "to do" list for school. So, I made my Glue Sponges.  I'm sure you've all seen these and Mr. Greg from the Kindergarten Smorgasboard made a great tutorial video about them, but I have to say I LOVE THESE THINGS! They were a lifesaver last year.  :)

 Clearly, when you hear that "Back to School" bell ringing in your head, it's time to go SHOPPING!  I've decided to do a little re-decorating this year... and I'm obviously adding some blue hues to the mix. I can't wait to actually get in my room & get started on it.  I'll post pictures soon, but isn't this the cutest stuff?? LOVE!

Since I did some shopping & loaded up on all things blue, I decided to make something I've had pinned FOREVER! Teaching with a Mountain View has this super cute organization idea for storing anchor charts. When I saw it, I knew I had to have one. In Love!  So, with a black trash can & some vinyl, I made one for myself! :)

 And lastly, because my week started at the beach, it's only fair that it ends there, too! Heading back in the morning for one last HURRAH before school starts.  That little arrow is right where my little ole' booty will be planted in the sand :)

Then, I come back and go to work... like immediately.... seriously.  

Summer obviously wasn't listening when I asked her to slow down.

I do hope you all are enjoying YOUR summers, and drinking up every last drop of awesome it has to offer.  Head on over to Doodle Bugs and link up YOUR pictures so we can all take a look :)

Oh, and lastly CONGRATULATIONS to Lisa, Hannah,and Cindy for winning my little "Pin It to Win It" Giveaway for my Back to School Lesson Plans! I hope you love them! :)

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Back to School Lesson Plans - Pin It to WIN It!!

During the summer, I really try not to pay attention to the calendar... or to my watch. I like not having a clue what day it is, or what time it is. I stay up until I want to go to bed... I don't set an alarm to get up.. and I'm loving it!

But, it's coming.. I can feel it. It's almost time to go back to school.

Two weeks. Two days.  That's how much freedom I have left.

All the ads are every where & there's just no denying that "Back to School" is on the horizon. 

Once I'm out of the denial state, I actually start looking forward to going back to school. A whole new batch of kids, shiny waxed floors, that new crayon & glue stick smell.... I mean how many people can say that they get a new job every year?! I like that part.

New beginnings.

Along with those beginnings comes lesson plans. I wanted to share my newest product with y'all....Back to School Anchor Plans.  I'm giving away 3 packs.... just read ahead to see if you might wanna win it!

It's 154 pages of almost EVERYTHING you need for the first five days of school.

The pack includes detailed lesson plans for each day, including the related Common Core Standards.

 What else do you get? 

Graphic organizers, printables, activities, games, and more!

Books are needed for these plans, but most of them can be found online...either being read aloud, or in a format you can use in your classroom without having to buy the actual text.

The book list is included in the plans.

Each day is filled with enough activities to keep your kiddos engaged ALL day! 

There are lessons for math, language arts, reading, and writing.

There are class books, and even craft ideas included.

ALL the materials you need to teach the lessons are right inside the pack.

Just print, copy, and go!

There are even color printables to be used as activators & summarizers.

Since every class is different, most of the lessons include varying options for choosing the write printable, worksheet, or activity for YOUR learners.  

With this packet, your first week back to school will be a breeze!

Wanna win it?

I'm giving away THREE packs. 

Just PIN an image from this blog post, and leave a comment with a link to your pin, and I will use a random number generator to choose THREE winners Thursday night (July 17th)!

Good Luck, and as always, thanks for stopping by, friends! :)

Currently & Five for Friday: TWO Birds, ONE stone!

Happy 4th of July, Friends!!
    I absolutely love, love, love Independence Day. It's just a wonderful culmination of all things summer, and a reminder to be thankful each and every single day for our many blessings. I have a bit of a patriotic streak about me, and I always tear up at the Star Spangled Banner...and fireworks, so it just makes me happy. What else can I say?!

     Anywhoo.....  I'm super duper late to the Currently party this month, and I haven't done Five for Friday in a few weeks, so I figured what a great way to kill two birds with one stone.  So, here goes....both linkies & none of which are teaching related (just FYI!).

Listening... to the news. There's been so much tragedy in the news these past few weeks that I almost hate turning it on. But, I do think it's important to stay "in the know" with current events, but man, it can really bring you down. Some people are just plain cuh-razy....and that's the nicest way I can put that.

Loving... life.  I'll be honest... as much as I hate hearing the comment, "Oh, you're a teacher...you get summers off!", it really is a perk to the job. This is the FIRST summer where I have literally tried to turn all-things-school OFF, and just enjoyed the moments. Maybe it's all the bad news on TV, or some "aha" moments that put it all into perspective, but life is pretty darn fabulous. So, I'm loving it. All of it.

Thinking... I need to pack. I'm leaving for the beach in less than 24 hours, and I should at least make a game plan. I have it all worked out in my head, but that usually results in WAY too many clothes, so I need to actually start packing. I have a tendency to look like a Sherpa when I travel, so I really need to try & minimize...yeah, ok..that should work.

Wanting... to go to VEGAS!  I keep reading about all my bloggy friends getting ready to hop on a plane and head to Vegas...and I'm super excited for them..and super envious too. I really hope TpT and the I Teach conferences do it again next year, and I can go. Fingers crossed.     and toes.

Needing... summer to "tap the breaks". Seriously, it's moving way too fast. The kids start back in one month and 3 days...that's just too soon! I miss late summer starts to school. Going back when it's 100 degrees outside is just pure nonsense. Malarkey, I say.

4th Plans...  FIREWORKS!  My parents live in a little-bitty town in Alabama, but they have the most amazing fireworks show. Of course, almost all of the fireworks sold in the state are in this county so that helps, but it's just fabulous. So much so, I postponed the beach trip for a day so I could stay and watch 'em! :)

  And now for my Five for Friday...'cause I'm sure you haven't read near enough about my life... 

I'll try to keep it short :)

 

 

One of my best friends came to visit, which almost never happens. We decided selfies were totally permitted in this case, so we went with it.    So, when best friends, that you only get to see a few times a year, visit.... naturally, you've gotta ......

 GO SHOPPING!!!

We spent two days just in and out of stores, and loving every single minute of it.  

Found some great deals, and made it to Ikea, where I finally broke down and got this.....

 The cutest cart on the planet.

I love her.  I have to name her.  She is going to look beautiful in my classroom. Ahhhh....

Of course this cart also lead me to buy these....

 These gorgeous bowls from Anthropologie!

 Obviously, I am in LOVE with this color, so the next project is to paint my kitchen this color.

What do you think??

Lastly...

I'll leave you with number 5....Gotta go pack!

I hope you all are having an amazing summer, and I wish you the HAPPIEST 4th of July!  Enjoy your freedoms... you family...and your friends.  :)