Five for Friday!

OMG! I am so excited that it is Friday! Here is another Five for Friday post!

1. Tomorrow is Saturday and we are headed to Music Midtown! If you know me, then you know that I LOVE Tegan and Sara. I have seen them several times and it never gets old. We also get to see another band that I have been wanting to see for like ever: the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Karen O is a dream boat! There are many more bands but I don't want to brag or anything. ;)

2. Yesterday was International Talk Like a Pirate day which I had no idea about until that morning. I dropped all of my plans and threw together some pirate fun at the last minute! It was FUN!!! We read "Pirates Don't Change Diapers", made pirate hats and eye patches, dug for treasure with our special treats, and drew a treasure map! ARGGG WHAT FUN!

To make the snack: get 2 boxes of shape treats (they were $1 at Kroger!), Twizlers, and Oreos. Put two shapes at the bottom, crush Oreos and put them on top, then make an X with the Twizlers. Afterall, X marks the spot.
*This was a great way to teach the letter X, teaching about maps, and we even added a little shape recognition in there.

3. I don't know about you, but my kids were CRAZYYYY this week. We needed a lot of dancing and fun in order to calm ourselves down. I like to show a video I made in college to remind them of making good choices and consequences. It is a song that I wrote with a friend. It is very catchy....you've been warned.


The kids loved it! We  even made our own version for parents with us singing and dancing.

4. We have been talking about shoes this month and one of the quick activities we did was Shoe Graphing. I got out a long piece of butcher paper and labeled three different types of shoes: sandals, sneakers, and slip-ons. We talked about each type of shoe and decided to see what shoe was in our classroom the most! I am going to blog more about it next week so here is a sneek peek!

5. Kinley had a school get together that showed us what she does at school! It was so cute to see all of the fun things she does and what she likes to do the best. She remembered the class rules, how to make a magnet sensory bottle, and hold scissors. AWWW! This makes me happy for next year when she will be in Pre-K at my school. Mom is proud! :) 

Teacher Week + Leibster Award

Okay, y'all! It is teacher week 2013. I am excited that this is a thing! What more could you want?!

Well before I tell you 10 things about me, I wanted to tell you that Ashley Copeland at Tacky the Teacher nominated me for the Leibster Award. I just could not believe it when I read my comments. Thank you so much! 

To accept the nomination you must:

1. Link back to the blog that nominated you

2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers

3. Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator

4. Share 11 random facts about yourself

5. Create 11 questions for your nominees

6. Contact your nominees and let them know you nominated them

I nominate the following blogs:

1. 2 Preschool Pals
2. Fun in Pre-K 1 & Kindergarten
3. Mrs. Brown the Bookworm
4. If you Give a Teacher a Treat
5. Paula's Place

To answer Ashley's questions: 

1. How long have you been blogging and why did you start?

I just started blogging this summer. It has been something that I have been wanting to do for a long time. I just love sharing my ideas and getting ideas from others. It is also a great way to see how others would do it. There are so many lovely blogs out there! 
2. When do you get into your classroom for the first time in the summer?

Well school has already started and I am enjoying being back. (I know, crazy!) I went back to work on my room in July because I found out that I was moving in to a different room with a different Para. There was so much work to be done so I spent most of my July days in the room. It looks fabulous, by the way. 
3. If you were not a teacher, what would your career be?

I am obsessed with tigers. It is a weird fact. I even used to save pictures of them on my computer when I was young. I would love to work with tigers, if I wasn't a teacher. 
4. What children's book is your favorite to teach with and why?

I love to teach with the "There Was an Old Lady..." books. I feel as though they are a great way to teach math patterns and have fun. The kids love them! There is so much to do with them. 
5. What is the most embarrassing teacher moment you have had?

This may be TMI, BUTTTTTTT one time I was hanging something up and I farted so loud. I didn't even know I had to do it. It just came out. It was so embarrassing and hilarious! GROSS.
6. If you could eat one food every day what would it be?

Cheesecake. I love cheesecake. (I blame it on Eric)
7. What is your favorite classroom theme you have had?

This is my second year teaching and both years I had a polka dot theme. I love it because you can do anything with it. This year my theme is a mixture of colors and patterns. I call it: "Dr. Seuss Threw Up" Theme
8. What is your favorite blog to read? 

I love the Tattooed Teacher. She is one of the blogs I follow religiously. She just puts it out there and I love it. 
9. What is your favorite subject to teach?

I love to teach Math. It is so hands-on and fun. That is one thing I miss about the older grades (K-5). 
10. What color would you use to describe your personality?

Oh gosh, do I have to choose. What color says happy, carefree, and a little bit sassy? What ever it is, that is me. 
11. What professional development book would you recommend?

I have not had to read one. I am dying to get my hands on that Talking, Drawing, Writing. I feel as though it can be beneficial for all grades. 

For my 11 random facts I can incorporate the All About Me Monday! 

1. Seriously, I love Tegan and Sara. They are my favorite band and they have been since I was 14. I own like 8 band T-Shirts and I have seen them in concert 4 times. I get to see them again at Music Midtown in September and I am stoked. It is actually quite ridiculous. 

2. There are several TV shows that I have a guilty pleasure for. The biggest is Pretty Little Liars. I know I am an adult and I should be in to cool, mature things but I just cannot help it. The mystery is too inciting. (I do like good, adult shows too)

3. I have 4 animals (5 if you count Kinley) living in the apartment with me and Eric. One is a little Chihuahua named Chewie (Chewbacca for you Star Wars lovers) and three rats. There names are: Whisker White, Saul Goodmouse, and Jesse Pinktail. *insert Breaking Bad pun, here*

4. I have a shopping addiction. Seriously. It. Is. BAD. If I cannot afford to buy too much, I go to the Dollar Tree to get my fix. I just can't help it.

5. I pay Target's bills. I am there everyday it seems. Eric went to a birthday party once and one of the party-goers said, "I rang up your fiance today at Target. She is there like everyday." LOL They need a Target's Anonymous.

6. I don't exercise but I really want to. I just never feel like it. Does that make sense?

7. It is the 6th day of school and all of my students already know I am crazy! They tell me all the time how silly and crazy I am. I guess as I get older I can't hold in the "weird" as much. 

8. I really like ice cream. My favorite flavor is Mint Chocolate Chip. 

9. Going to the movies is my favorite thing to do. Forget the romantic, over the top dates, I just wanna go to the movies. 

10. I spend a lot of time watching youtube tutorial videos. Eric makes fun of me for it, but I just can't help it. You can learn how to do everything through Googling and Youtubing! 

*11. I enjoy fonts. I can spend several hours a day looking and downloading fonts. It is so weird. 

My 11 questions for my blogger friends:

1. When did you first realize when you wanted to become a teacher?

2. What was the hardest year of teaching you have had? How did you overcome it?

3. What is the most embarrassing moment you have had at school?

4. What is your favorite blog to read?

5. What subject do you enjoy teaching the most?

6. If you weren't a teacher, what else would you do?

7. What are your guilty pleasures?

8. What was your favorite classroom theme?

9. What past lesson you planned was the most successful? Why?

10. Name one of the most rewarding moments in your teaching career.

11. What has been your favorite class theme over the years?

Thanks for reading my blog. Check out the blogs I nominated and all of the great blogs that have posted their about me's on Blog Hoppin'!

Favorite Pins Friday Linky Party!

Welp, it is Friday and the First Grade Parade is hosting the Favorite Pins Friday! What fun! I don't know about you, buuuuut I love Pinterest. And I am a little obsessed about pinning things. Check this out..!

I love this blog (click the pictures for the links)! She always shows great make-up tricks. I do not like my nose too much, but by using her contouring method, I find this little trick makes me pretty happy! If you are having nose doubts, hop on over to maskcara and have a DIY make-over!

I love pallet wood projects. They are so beautiful and rustic. This pin is the perfect summer DIY! Who wouldn't want to sit on the porch in this beauty?!

Eric and I are in-talks to buy a house. This has got me obsessing on Pinterest over home decor. How amazing is this living room? Definitely going to try and make my *maybe future* home this awesome. It is all about the fine detail. 

This should say style PINS*! I cannot help but love these Fall and Summer outfits. The mix of prints and colors are totally adorable. The left says, I am so ready for Fall, but the right makes me want Summer to stick around. ;) 

Links: : Left ~ Right

How amazing is this?! If you sign up, they send you different supplies each month and you have to come up with a creative activity and send it to them. Umm, yes! I cannot wait to try this out! By the way...who doesn't love free?! 

I love this print! It makes me think of Eric. I feel as though, when I met him a MILLION years ago, I knew. It was always him. Ahhh, so sweet! I cannot get enough. Is it October yet?! 

So I am totally obsessed with this blog! I love her outfits and how cute is her hair? I saw this post and read that she also had thick, curly hair like me. She said she was trying out Pantene Ultimate 10 with the BB Cream and it was working great. She documented her hair 10 days and 10 ways. Long story short, bought the products and I am not looking back! My hair has never been better. 

This was over on MelonHeadz and it is the cutest! I cannot wait to hang this in my classroom. It is a great reminder to stay sweet and follow the rules.

Make sure you check out the other blogs on the First Grade Parade. There are some cool pins the other ladies have! 

Five For Friday!

So it is my first time joining a Linky Party and I am not sure how to do it! Ha but here is my attempt. :) 

1. On Wednesday, Eric and I took our daughter on a mini-vacation to the aquarium and World of Coke in Atlanta. It was a lot of fun! We watched the dolphin show there, which was pretty cool. We also saw penguins and whales...and sharks! I am not a fan of sharks. I have a legit phobia of them (even pictures make me cry and I really avoid talking about sharks during ocean lessons). Anyways, we decided to take a trip to the World of Coke after that. Y'all, I have a Coke addiction. I love it. So I was excited. Kinley really like the 4D movie and tasting the sodas. She even got to taste the Kinley from England! 

2. Being home with Kinley during the summer has been hard but also rewarding. She is such a diva and a girly-girl. Speculation says that I am the one making her that way, but I believe she was just born that way. Check out this video I took of her putting on my lipstick! She always wants to put on make-up with mommy. (quicktime video)

3. I have been working on my room for the past few days. It has been a lot of work! It is always tough moving in to a new room with a lot of things that are not yours. I must say, I am rocking it though (thanks to my mom for helping). It doesn't look like we did much, but 20 garbage bags later, it feels more organized and clean! I am excited to get the decorating done. 

4. I have also been working on things for open house. I have made an "About Me" letter and gotten a few ideas of things from other blogs. Let me know what you think about my letter! I got the border from Jennifer Jones. It was a great deal! 

5. Yesterday, Kinley had a dance recital. She has been in dance for 3 weeks and they had a recital yesterday. She did not like a room full of people looking at her. She cried and did not want to dance! After a little girl helped her for a little bit, she got a little more comfortable! 

Thank you for reading my first Five for Friday! I promise, next time I will have more interesting stuff to say! :) And pictures of my FINISHED classroom....right?! 

PS: Don't forget to check out Doodle Bugs Teaching and all of the other great blogs that are linked up there!

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