I'm Alive!! Liebster Award and TPT Sale!

Woah!! I haven't blogged since getting hired for my new teaching position in August! I miss blogging, but my new job has been keeping me at school until late at night and always bring home lots of work with me. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the time to keep this blog updated :(

I hope to post pictures of my classroom VERY soon. I teach in a district that is extremely strict about the look and feel of your classroom, so unfortunately many of my beautiful Pinterest and blog-inspired things were not allowed to enter my classroom :(

On a more happy, though.... I have been nominated for a Liebster Award! Thank you to 2 Super Teachers for the nomination! This award helps bloggers with less than 200 followers find other new blogs! Wahoo :)

Here are the Rules:

1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.
4. Choose 11 other blogs with fewer than 200 followers to nominate and link them in your post.5. You cannot "tag back" the other blog, but leave a comment on this post with the URL of your Liebster post so I can learn more about you and see who you nominate.

Here are 11 random things about myself:
1. I always put lotion on my hands after washing them. always.
2. I love to cook and bake.
3. I never enjoyed reading books growing up, probably because I never had teachers who inspired me to reading when I was younger.
4. I have a set of webbed toes! 
5. My dream is to make a living selling products for teachers....not quitting my day job anytime soon!
6. I am a savvy shopper...I'm a coupon-clipper--always looking to save a few bucks!
7. LOVE my UGGs all winter long...and my flip-flops all summer long!
8. I never take a break to eat lunch in the teacher room- it's a working lunch for me!
9. I am an organized freak and it rubs off on my students :)
10. I need my coffee every morning. Cream only :)
11. I'd give up tv any day, but can't go without my computer!

Here are the answers to the questions from my nominator (2 Super Teachers):
1. This is my second year teaching full-time
2. I started my blog this past July...so, 4 months (but I haven't been very good about keeping it up)
3. Math!!!
4. I honestly don't have any time to read for enjoyment right now...I spend all of my free-time reading Lucy Calkins' unit of studies for reader's and writer's workshop....
5. I love me some Thai Food...chicken pad thai, yumm-o
6. Nope
7. Shopping, crafting, and designing on the computer!
8. Not yet...
9. 2nd and 3rd
10. Seattle, Washington to visit my sister, brother-in-law, and adorable nephew!
11. Yes :)

Here are the 11 questions for the blogs I am nominating:
1. Why did you want to be a teacher?
2. What is your favorite subject to teach?
3. What's your favorite thing to do on your days off?
4. How does your grade level plan together?
5. What is your favorite blog for inspiration?
6. What are you afraid of?
7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
8. What is one teaching area you are working on improving this year?
9. What is your favorite vacation spot?
10. How long do you spend getting ready for work in the morning?
11. Do you pack a lunch or buy?

Here are the blogs that I am nominating:

Mindful Rambles
Adventures in First with Mrs. Key
Owl Inspire You
Bayside Teacher
PJ Jots
Creative Lesson Cafe
For the Love of First Grade
First Grade with a Twist
The Blessed Teacher
The Paper Maid
Trendy in Third

Don't forget to leave me a comment with a link back to your blog so that I can learn about you!!

I also wanted to announce my Cyber Monday TPT Sale! 

TPT Back to School Sale!!

Just in case you haven't heard yet... Teachers Pay Teachers is throwing a BIG Back to School Sale August 12th & 13th! All items in my store will be 20% off PLUS if you use the code below, you can get an additional 10% off!!!

I don't know about you, but I have tons of awesome things in my cart and can't wait to save a few dollars!!

Thanks to Amanda at First Grade Garden for hosting this linky party! Be sure to link up if you are joining in on the TPT Back to School Sale!!

Monday Made It #4!

A day late- but better than never!! I've had most of the materials for this project, but couldn't find the wooden letters I wanted.

My inspiration came from Elizabeth's previous Monday Made It from Fun in Room 4B:

And here is mine:

I'm not in love with the letters...I Really LOVE those curly ones like Elizabeth's...but sadly we don't have a Hobby Lobby anywhere near me, so these ones will do!! I can't wait to hang it up in my new classroom!!

Don't forget to link up with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics for her fabulous linky party!

Fast Finisher Class Journals

I just finished these class journals which are perfect for fast finishers or just to be used in your writing station. I fell in love with Aimee's shared journals but wanted to make some of my own with a few different topics.

Here is a preview of my version:

Click on the picture to head over to my TPT store to purchase the set of 8 journal covers for $2.00!

I've been working on more really cute items for TPT, so stay tuned!!

Monday Made It #3

I feel like I haven't posted in forever! I've been busy working on my teacher binder (not ready yet) and my math workshop bulletin.

I'm linking up with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics again for her Monday Made It linky party!

Click on the picture above to link up with the party and share your latest made-its!

Here is a preview of my first Monday Made It:

If you'd like to purchase the file for your classroom, click on the picture to go to my TPT store.

I was inspired by this one from Clutter Free Classroom:

My Second Monday Made It:

I was loving all those DIY scrapbook paper clothespins all over Pinterest, so I got to work with my Mod Podge!! I plan on putting magnets on some and hot-gluing thumb tacks for others to use to hang student work and anchor charts on bulletins.

My First Blog Award!!

Wow! Thank you so much to Nichole over at The Craft of Teaching for nominating me for the One Lovely Blog Award!! You are too kind :)

Please click on the button below to head over to Nichole's awesome new blog!!

Here are the easy peasy rules:

1. Follow the person who gave you this award.

2. Link back to the person who gave you the award.

3. Pass on the award to 10 new bloggers and let them know they have received the award!

I'd like to nominate the following awesome blogs:

1. Grade Three is the Place for Me!

2. I Teach 1:1

3. Teaching Third

4. The First Grade Derby

5. Teaching With Hope

6. Spotted in First Grade

7. Little Miss Whimsical

8. Hop 'N' Dots Teaching Blog

9. Teaching with Meaning

10. Teach On

Be sure to check out these fabulous blogs!

Third Grade Here I Come!!!

I'm so excited to announce that I just accepted a third grade position at a Magnet school!! It's been so stressful going through interviews and teaching demo lessons, but I finally landed a position! I couldn't be any happier. Feeling blessed :)

Thinking about changing the name of my blog to "Third Grade Snip-Its"... what do you think?!

Monday Made It #2!

Okay, so I may be two days late, but better late than never!!!

I'm again linking up with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics for her Monday Made It Linky Party!

If you've made something for your classroom that you'd like to share, click on the picture above to link up!

My first Monday Made It is another inspiration from Pinterest as well as from many of you who have shared yours as a Monday Made It. 

My color scheme for my classroom (which I don't have yet) this year is going to be green and blue with hints of black and possibly pink :) I flipped the letters over and traced them on the back of scrapbook paper, cut out the traced shape, sprayed the letters with spray adhesive, and placed the scrapbook paper on them. I plan on mod-podging them for extra durability! 

My second Monday Made It this week is some pillow covers I have been working on with my Great Aunt Lillian (she's pretty crafty with the sewing machine and has been teaching me some of her skills!)

I plan on using these for my reading area in the classroom. I used this tutorial to get a basic idea of how much fabric I would need and what steps to take. They were pretty easy, although my Aunt and I are perfectionists and like to chat as we work, so each set did end up taking us about 3 hours! I bought the fabric at Jo-Anns (using a 40% off coupon, of course!). I bought 1 yard of each fabric (4 pillows total) and still have enough fabric to make one of those cute pennant banners that are all over Pinterest! Yay- that's a future Monday Made It :)

Open For Business!!! And a FREEBIE!!

I did it!! I decided to take the plunge and open up a TPT store!! I bought a lot of things from all of you over the past year and also created a lot of my own things when I couldn't find exactly what I needed. I will slowly be adding things, but for now....go download this FREEBIE!

Snip-Its From My 2011-2012 Classroom

Hi All :)

I thought I would show you some pictures of classroom from last year...

This is what my classroom looked like a week before school (when I was hired!):

Behavior Clip-Chart, Jobs, and Class-Created Rules

Class Schedule

Mailbox cubbies made by my awesome Dad :) 

Classroom Library

Math Wall inspired by Lindsey over at The Teacher Wife :)

Rainbow ROYGBIV bulletin

Earth Day Door Contest

Summer Bucket Lists

As you can see, I was certainly blog-stalking all year long and "stealing" ideas from you all!

 I have so many ideas for next year to make my classroom even better! All I need now is a classroom to put those ideas to work :)

Monday Made It #1!

I'm so excited to share with you my first Monday Made It!!

Click on the picture to visit Tara's blog and link up to the fun!

My first project was creating the teacher toolbox that is all over Pinterest right now! I got the labels from Elizabeth at Fun in Room 4B!

My second project was really quick but turned out super cute! I was inspired by Classroom DIY to create this re-purposed Pringles can:

Here is hers:

and... here is mine:

I think I'm going to use it for math fact power towers, but I'm waiting until I have a job so I can gear it towards my grade level.

That's it for now! Thanks to Tara for hosting this fun linky party!!!

First Time Blogger!

Hello fellow blogger teacher friends!!!

I may be new to this whole blogging thing, but I have been following all of you since I started my first year of teaching last August. You have all given me SO much inspiration over the past year, so I thought I should try and do the same for you!!

Last year I was hired a week before school began to teach second grade. It was a one-year contract and unfortunately, the district didn't have any openings for this coming school year. Please root me on as I apply and interview for positions :)

I hope you will follow me as I (God-Willing) go through my second year of teaching!!